Dessert trends come and go, but a sweet tooth is forever.
From elaborate chiffon cakes to gigantic frosted cupcakes, dessert trends have certainly changed
throughout the 20th century and beyond.
At the peak of their popularity, some of these desserts you'd find on practically every restaurant
menu, and others could be found in the trendiest cookbooks.
We've rounded up almost 60 years of sugary classics, some of which endured the test of
time and others that were merely a flash in the baking pan.
Which dessert was the most popular the year you were born?
Find out here, and then whip one up for a true taste of nostalgia.
1948-1952 Chiffon Cake
Although the moist and airy chiffon cake was invented in 1923, according to Food52 this
cake didn't truly become a sweets icon until after the recipe was sold to General Mills
in 1947.
In 1948, Better Homes and Gardens published an article about their "first really new cake
in 100 years," with an accompanying Betty Crocker recipe for orange chiffon cake.
The fluffy treat took off quickly and became one of the premiere baking trends of the late
'40s and early '50s.
1953-1957 Bananas Foster
The iconic Bananas Foster dessert was invented in 1951 at Brennan's Restaurant in New Orleans.
At the time, New Orleans was a major port of entry for banana imports into the United
States and it was not uncommon for restaurants to receive giant shipments of bananas, according
to New Orleans Online.
The flaming recipe was published in Holiday Magazine and became a dessert fixture of Southern
Creole cuisine.
1958-1962 Baked Alaska
Some of the most popular desserts of the mid-20th century were whimsical gimmicks.
Baked Alaska was considered a "surprise cake" with stiff peaks of torched whipped meringue
on the outside and contrasting, cold ice cream cake on the inside.
According to The Secret Lives of Baked Goods, the dessert was then widely popularized when
Alaska officially became the 49th state of America in the 1950s.
1963-1967 Sparkling Jell-O Mold
We can't talk about 1960s desserts without mentioning the king of all mid-20th century
ingredients: Jell-O!
According to Serious Eats, the Mad Men era was brimming with all sorts of jiggly Jell-O
recipes.
The "sparkling Jell-O mold" made with Champagne and fresh fruit was a dinner party favorite
that made many 1960s shindigs feel fancier.
Gelatin molds were an economical part of post-war domestic life, and were featured in practically
every cookbook on the market.
1968-1972 Chocolate Fondue
Switzerland's national dish may have been around for centuries as a melted cheese dip,
but the creation of the chocolate version of fondue is actually pretty recent.
Chocolate fondue was invented in New York City in the mid-1960s, according to The Spruce
Eats.
Fondue sets began popping up in department stores everywhere, and chic couples would
throw fondue parties to dip skewers of fruit into bubbling pots of chocolate with friends.
1973-1977 Carrot Cake
In the more diet-conscious 1970s, carrot cake may have been especially popular because it
was made with vegetables, right?
It's also slathered in cream cheese frosting, so it's not quite as healthy as the name suggests.
Nevertheless, carrot cake took the 1970s by storm and packaged versions were seen in the
frozen aisle of almost every major grocery store.
In 2005, the Food Network listed carrot cake as one of the top five food trends of the
1970s.
1978-1982 Hummingbird Cake
The Hummingbird Cake, popular in the South, is thought to have been first invented in
Jamaica in the 1960s, according to Jamie Oliver.
The recipe was brought over to America in the 1970s and caught on like sugar-glazed
wildfire after a recipe was published in Southern Living magazine in 1978.
From there, it has popped up in numerous blue ribbon-winning county fair contests around
America and continues to be a Southern staple.
1983-1987 Jell-O Pudding Pops
The trendiest dessert of the 1980s by far was something you could buy from the freezer
section of pretty much any grocery store: Jell-O Pudding Pops.
These refreshing chocolaty snacks were a staple in most households even more popular than
fudgsicles!
According to Culinary Lore, even though the widespread popularity of Pudding Pops continued
well into the 1990s, they were eventually discontinued before being licensed out to
Popsicle.
1988-1992 Tiramisu
Whoever thought lady finger sponge biscuits soaked in espresso, layered with mascarpone,
and topped with cocoa powder would become one of the biggest dessert trends of the '80s
and '90s?
According to Eater, although Tiramisu — which literally means "pick-me-up" — has its origins
in Italy, it became a major staple at Italian-American red sauce restaurants in the late 1980s.
1993-1997 Molten Chocolate Lava Cake
Molten chocolate lava cake was a dessert trend that could be found on almost every chic,
urban restaurant menu throughout the 1990s.
This ooey-gooey treat was made in 1987 by accident, according to Thrillist, after its
inventor undercooked a batch of chocolate cupcakes and their insides were melted.
The molten lava cake really took off in popularity when it was added to the menu at the New York
restaurant JoJo in 1991, and chocoholics couldn't get enough.
1998-2002 Cupcakes
In the late 1990s, with the rise in popularity of Sex and the City, novelty cupcakes began
to boom in popularity, and long lines formed outside the once-quaint Magnolia bakery featured
on the HBO hit.
From the late '90s to the mid 2000s, people couldn't get enough of the cupcake craze,
and pink-themed bakeries entirely devoted to the miniature treats sprang up.
2003-2007 Frappuccinos
At this point, we should probably admit that the ever-popular Starbucks Frappuccino is
really more like a coffee-flavored milkshake than a caffeinated beverage.
According to Boston Magazine, even though the Frappuccino was born in the summer of
1995 and grew in popularity throughout the '90s and 2000s, it was still considered a
coffee beverage.
The first non-coffee versions — known as "Frappuccino Blended Crème" — were introduced
in 2002.
And the rest is history.
Thanks for watching!
Click the Mashed icon to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Plus check out all this cool stuff we know you'll love, too!