Chances are, you have your favorite, go-to birthday cake — but how about enjoying the
one everyone was eating on the day you were born?
Let's take a walk down memory lane and look at all the biggest, best, and most popular
cakes that have trended over the years.
So, what was the most popular cake the year you were born?
1948-1956: Chiffon cake
A light, dairy-free cake that looks a lot like Angel Food, Chiffon has the same spongy
texture, but this cake is made with both egg whites and yolks, along with fruit juice.
Invented by a guy with the perfect name of Harry Baker, Chiffon cake was popularized
in 1948 after he sold the recipe to Betty Crocker.
1957-1960: German chocolate cake
German chocolate cake isn't actually German, says NPR, and was instead named for Sam German,
the creator of a sweet baking chocolate aptly called German's Chocolate.
Even though the chocolate hit the market in 1852, it wasn't until 1957 that it became
hugely popular when a Texas baker sent her chocolate cake recipe to a Dallas newspaper.
German's sweet baking chocolate was the key ingredient, and the cake was so popular their
sales rose around 73 percent.
1961-1965: Pink champagne cake
Chocolate cakes made with cola have been popular across the southern US for decades, but in
the beginning of the 1960s it was the West Coast's pink champagne cake that rose to the
top.
The layers of this sweet, light cake were usually separated by a layer of coconut or
Bavarian cream then covered in fondant, for a delicious, unique flavor.
1966: Tunnel of Fudge cake
In 1966, America was all about the decadent Tunnel of Fudge cake, which popularized Nordic
Ware's Bundt baking pan.
The pan was almost discontinued by the company until Houston's Ella Helfrich used it for
her Pillsbury Bake-Off competition cake in 1966.
Her Tunnel of Fudge cake — with its chocolate-nut, Bundt-shaped cake and fudgy middle — came
in second, but it became so popular, Nordic Ware was making 30,000 Bundt pans a day to
keep up with demand.
1967-1971: Carrot cake
Carrot cake got a major boost in the late 1960s when the cream cheese frosting we know
and love today became the go-to topping.
And let's be honest here — it's the frosting that makes it.
Couple that with an increasingly health-conscious country, and carrot cake surged in popularity.
It stayed near the top for years, too, because the carrots make it healthy, right?
"So you're getting carrot cake?
Isn't that a little cliche?
Rabbits?
Carrots?"
1972-1973: Sock-it-to-me cake
The 1970s' Sock-it-to-me cake was a kind of coffee cake, and it looked pretty boring from
the outside.
Cut into it, though, and you'll find a layer of brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecan filling.
The main draw, though, seemed to be simply that the name was a pop culture reference
to one of the biggest shows on television at the time, Laugh-In.
"Sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me."
"Sock it to yourself."
"Sock it to me?"
1974: The Watergate cake
Some events define an era, and Watergate was one of those events.
It was so earth-shattering that it even spawned a dessert, a white cake colored bright green
with the help of club soda and pistachio Jell-O. Sounds weird?
It totally was, and it was also massively popular around the time of President Nixon's
resignation.
According to Atlas Obscura, it was defined as a cake hiding a ton of nuts beneath a heavy
cover-up of icing, and it was timely.
At least the Watergate cake usually came with a sweet center.
1975-1977: Jell-O poke cakes
Jell-O was huge in the 70's, and the invention of the Jell-O cake put it over the top.
Integrating the cake and the Jell-O only requires poking some holes in the cake and pouring
in the Jell-O.
It's both simple and tasty, so it's no wonder this slightly psychedelic cake was so popular.
1978-1983: Hummingbird cake
A light cake filled with the sweet flavors of banana and pineapple, hummingbird cake
hit the big time with the February 1978 issue of Southern Living.
That's when Mrs. LH Wiggins' recipe was published, and for decades, it's remained their most
requested recipe.
1984-1987: Tiramisu
The origins of Tiramisu are shrouded in mystery, and so is its sudden rise to fame as America's
favorite cake of the 80's.
The word "tiramisu" first appeared in print in 1982, and the first recipe for the spongy,
chocolately, espresso infused cake was published in 1983.
Within a year, tiramisu was a national craze, right up there with leg warmers and Cabbage
Patch Kids, only much, much tastier.
1988: Chocolate praline layer cake
In 1988, Pillsbury Bake-Off competition introduced another star to the dessert world with the
chocolate praline layer cake.
Julie Bengtson's recipe for a Devil's food cake layered with sugary pecans and whipped
cream proved that boxed cake mix definitely doesn't have to be boring, and that layered
cakes don't have to be difficult.
No wonder it was a massive hit!
1989-1990: Funfetti
In 1989, Pillsbury did something revolutionary: they put rainbow sprinkles in the cake batter
itself, instead of just on top.
It's a pretty simple idea, but according to The New York Times, Funfetti kicked off a
craze that defined 1990s cakes.
Hey, it's got "fun" right in the name, so you know it's good!
1991-1994: Chocolate lava cake
Hard to believe, but once upon a time, nobody had ever heard of chocolate lava cake.
That changed in the early 90's when this warm chocolate cake with a gooey center became
what chef Sherry Yard calls "the viral dessert of the 90s."
It soon spread from coast to coast, and now just about every mid-priced restaurant in
America offers it as a delicious dessert option.
1995: Viennetta
In 1995 you couldn't turn on the television without seeing commercials for Breyer's Viennetta.
Eater called it "the most distinguished ice cream cake of the 90s", and it definitely
was.
Unfortunately, these days you have to go overseas to discover the decadence of mid-90's ice
cream cake, as Vienetta is no longer widely available in America.
But we think it's worth the trip.
1996-1999: Red velvet
According to food historian Kim Severson, red velvet dates back to the 19th century,
with the red part just a gimmick to sell more food coloring.
But the recipe took off after a cameo appearance in the 1989 film Steel Magnolias and led to
a new version of the cake being introduced by New York City's Magnolia Bakery in 1996.
Red velvet everything became the rage.
Our taste buds thank you, Shirley Maclaine!
2000: Anything in cupcake form
The Magnolia Bakery also helped turn cupcakes into a national obsession after the delicious
treat was featured in an episode of Sex and the City.
Not everyone was a fan, though, as some felt the fad drove quirkier foods out in favor
of chasing the latest hot trend.
But hey… cupcakes!
2001-2007: Bacon cakes
According to the National Pork Board, bacon sales jumped 25% in 2001, and we haven't looked
back since.
With recipes for maple bacon cakes, bacon and blueberry cakes, bourbon bacon cakes,
and cakes filled with brown sugar and bacony goodness, bacon reigned for years in a delicious
dictatorship of savory goodness.
2008: Anything in cake pop form
Thanks to social media, it's all about the trends.
Cakes gave way to cupcakes, and in 2008, blogger Angie Dudley, better known to some as Bakerella,
created the cake pop.
After Dudley appeared on The Martha Stewart Show to demonstrate her genius invention,
cake pops became a national obsession, turning her book Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes
for More than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats into a New York Times bestseller.
Our review: yum!
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