Fourteen Layer Cake. This is apparently a favorite at family get togethers in the South. Now, I’m from the South and I’ve never heard of such a thing. Actually, when I first heard the name, I didn’t believe it. Fourteen individually baked layers … no way. Who would do that? And… why? Then, I thought, it must be good if someone goes to that much trouble. And I did want something new to bake for Valentine’s Day.
Hmmm…let the googling begin.
Well, they do exist. In no time, I had the recipe for a 10-Layer Cake, a 12-Layer Cake and a 14-Layer Cake.
Looks like I’ve been going to the wrong parties.
I decided to go with the 12-Layer Cake recipe because it looked like it would work the best for me. The 10 would be too small and the one for the 14 called for cutting the cake layers and I didn’t think that would go very well. So I used the 12 and just poured it into fourteen pans. Fourteen aluminum foil pans. That way I didn’t have to wait for the pans to cool and be cleaned in between baking. This was a huge time saver.
Here they are … fourteen – 8.5″ pans… Shiny!
Then, I cut 14 sheets of parchment paper, stapled them together and cut out circles the same size as the bottom of the pan.
I decided to err on the side of caution with greasing the pans, because fourteen stuck cakes would make me very unhappy.
So, I greased the bottom and sides with a stick of butter. Then, I laid the parchment circles down and lightly buttered and floured the top of the parchment paper.
Please work!
While those are waiting, I mixed up all the ingredients for the cake batter –
the HUGE amount of cake batter. (Mom, if you’re reading this… thank you again for my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer
. I love it.)
Then I placed a heaping 2/3 cup full of batter in each pan.
Then, just spread it out as evenly as possible.
I was able to bake three cakes at a time. Each set baked for 12 minutes at 350 degrees, (the recipe says 375, but I went with 350). So that means there were five sets at 12 minutes each. (About an hour to bake. Not too bad.)
When the last batch of cakes go in the oven, it’s a good time to start making the icing.
Then, after the icing cools and before it hardens, you can start spreading a little bit on the top of each layer of cooled cake. Before you start… place the cake on a cake board. Place the board on a wire rack. And place the wire rack over a jelly roll pan to catch any icing that drips.
and it will drip…
and drip…
and drip…
and drip. It kinda looks like chocolate covered pancakes!
Right about now, I had to control myself from taking a big huge bite right out of the side. YUM!
When you’re done with the last layer, pour any extra icing over the top and spread it around the sides to cover.
Now, based on the recipe, you’re done. You can let the icing set and eat it right up. The finished cake will look something like this.
I didn’t really like that too much, so I whipped up a quick dark chocolate buttercream frosting and covered the cake to even out the top and sides.
There… much better. (I know, I know. It lost some of the “homemade, old-fashioned feel.”)
But, I think if you served the cake like this, no one would suspect there were lots of little layers inside.
And, when you finally cut it open, people would be like… wow!
I MEAN WOW!!!!!!!!
I can’t tell you how happy I was to finally cut into this cake and see how pretty it was… and even better, that it worked. And, it was really good and super moist, too. YAY!
Enjoy!
The recipe I used:
The Smith Family’s 12-Layer Cake (used with 14 pans)
Some other recipes you might like:
10-Layer Cake (Smith Island Cake Recipe)
14-Layer Cake (uses a cake mix)
14-Layer Cake (you cut the layers with this one)
Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa)
1 box (1 lb) confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-3 Tbsp milk
- Cream the butter and cream cheese with a mixer.
- Add the cocoa and vanilla.
- Add the confectioner’s sugar in small batches and blend on low until combined. Scrape down sides with each addition.
- Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until you get the consistency you desire.
Some helpful tools:
Aluminum foil cake pans
Cake board
Cake rack
Jellyroll pan
Happy Baking!
My neighbor used to make these and she fried the cake layers in a frying pan. I was too young to remember how she did that part. Anyway, it always looked like your final product before the last layer of cream cheese icing. Delicious!!! BTW, I’m originally from south Georgia. These type of cakes are in most every bakery.
Made this for my sisters baby shower, I decorated the top with raspberries and blackberries and it was a huge hit! Thank you!
I baked this one today, my gosh I had so much fun! I LOVE this cake! Thanks for posting it Bakerella :)<3
How did you get the layers from the pans to the cake without them breaking?
WOWzaaaa that looks fun and yummy! you are amazing. I love your pictures and recipes!!
Just made this yesterday for my hubby’s surprise birthday party…it was a little daunting, but it turned out pretty good! I’m a pretty amateur baker, so I did things like not get the cakes lined up perfectly and overcooked/let the frosting cool too much, so it didn’t pour that great, but it is a pretty forgiving cake. I did the chocolate buttercream on the outside like yours, and then reheated some of the leftover cooked frosting and drizzled it over the top. I finished it off with gold sprinkles since it was his golden birthday. It looked pretty good! Thanks for the recipe and idea!
What a great idea of 14 pans…here I’ve been making these, plus a couple other versions the hard way. I grew up on this cake, learning how to bake and cut it from my mamaw in MS. Gotta love the South! Fried chicken, collard greens, cornbread, and 14 layer cakes.
My grandmother always made this cake when I was growing up. for my birthday. I could never get it any where else. You brought back one of my most treasured childhood memories! Her cake though was made in her cast iron flat skillet. I have always wondered how in the world I could make it. Thank you for posting this so that maybe I can carry on a childhood memory with my daughter that she will love as much as I did growing up!
So, I made one. Yep! It was PHENOMENAL. Obviously it didn’t look as great as yours, Bakerella, but it sufficed. My husband hosts a small group dinner for some of his friends still in college on Thursday nights, so I have become the unofficial chef. I couldn’t believe I was undertaking such a culinary feat with very little baking experience! After daydreaming about the cake for two weeks (they took a week off), I set about making the batter on Wednesday afternoon before church activities. I used foil pans, which were TERRIFIC and non-stick. Instead of taking the cakes out of the pans to cool, I let them cool inside the pans: less mess and the foil doesn’t retain heat like normal pans. Phase Two came about after church activities that night, when I made a simple ganache with semisweet chocolate chips and heavy cream. Since the top of each cake layer was deliciously moist, I used a piece of parchment paper in my left hand, while my right hand inverted the cake layer onto it, then flipped it back, right-side up, onto the cake plate. I poured the ganache between each layer and it hardened beautifully, just enough to firmly hold each layer in place. It was also much easier and less messy than having to frost each layer. Of course, the contrast between the white cake and dark chocolate ganache was stunning. Finally, Phase Three took place the next day, when my previously-made browned butter frosting and the fridge-stored cake came to room temperature. Note: I do recommend icing the cake on the same day; however, you will need ample time to allow the ganache to harden if you are using a light-colored icing, so that the light and dark colors won’t mix. Finally, I poured the remainder of the ganache on top of the cake and let it ooze down the sides; again, a lovely contrast against the white buttercream. I think the boys were quite surprised when they cut into the cake! Only a fourth (!) was gone when I checked the fridge in the morning, but this cake is so tall that it wouldn’t fit in my cake carrier, and it will feed large numbers of people; needless to say, my in-laws benefited from this endeavor. Thank you for the inspiration, and making it easy and practical for novice bakers like me to explore!
Don’t think too deep South, people, that may be your problem. We are famous for them here in North Carolina. My Aunt makes them at Christmas time and people pay $35 a piece (we know, she’s under charging) and it’s 16 layers. She donates one to the church bake cake auction and last year, it fetched the highest amount – $85. You have to be careful that the person making it isn’t just trying to slice the layers, it doesn’t taste the same…enjoy and good luck…
OMG!!! I have been looking for a site like this. Filled with so much inspration! I LOVE IT!
I live in NC and we do 20-21 layers for this cake. But an easier alternative for the icing is to just buy pre-made chocolate icing in the store and pop it in the microwave until the icing is melted and spread on the layers. The icing hardens just like the homemade kind and as it cools and it tastes just as good without all the trouble of making the icing.
Beautiful cake, beautiful website and beautiful recipes! I’m new as a blogger and I can say you are really an inspiration for me!
I’m just finding this recipe = two years later! My question to you is the recipe calls for cocoa in the cake = did you omit that to get the yellow version in your picture? I tried to read all 100 of your comments, but I don’t think any one asked that before?
oh my goodness!! What a lovely and delicious cake you have!! I just looooveee your blog!
In my country-Indonesia- we have quite similar cake recipe called “Thousand Layer Cake” or In our language “Lapis Legit” and it baked at one pan layer by layer. Its so dangerously delicious since it use moslty up to 40 eggyolks for each recipe!! :))
But what you did here its beatifully yummy!! I difinitly try this!!! Thank you..you are inspired Me!!! :)
holy crap. I should have eaten breakfast first…
I cannot believe how absolutely BEAUTIFUL this cake is! It looks perfect, delicious, and a work of art!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!
There is something similar in look that is in traditional Icelandic cooking however there is a layer of cooked prunes in between each layer (sounds strange but tastes GREAT!) It’s called Vínarterta. It is sometimes called Icelandic Wedding Cake or Christmas Cake.
It’s actually called a Smith Island Cake and it’s the official state cake of Maryland. It’s usually 9 layers here but I’ve seen it more. There’s a little island in the Chesapeake Bay and that’s where the cake originated. You can get them all over the place on the Eastern Shore of MD.
Martha Stewart has a 16 layer one on her 2002 Annual Recipes cookbook It is the cover picture. I’ve always wanted to make it but never did. My mother in law made one ( not Martha’s recipe) but it was 16 layers. Sort of messy looking but it was the best thing I ever ate. All the layers make it so wonderful.
whoah this blog is excellent i love reading your posts. Keep up the good work! You know, a lot of people are hunting around for this info, you can help them greatly.
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wow that is amazing it is so totaly yumolicious totaly cant wait to make it
i cannot wait till my fam sees this when i make this for them its amazing and i even made up a word to describe it ……… ready …………. YUMOLICIOUS…………… thats probally not how you spell it but i made it up right sooooooooo
This is commonly known as “Smith Island Cake” and it’s the State Cake of Maryland. Score! :)
Oh my goodness! this is so cool! I think it would be a great idea to make a fifteen layer one for my best friends fifteenth birthday! Thank you for the idea Bakerella! You are great :)
I just found this website like, yesterday-marked it as a favorite and have fallen in love with the recipes here. Will get the cookbook, am thinking I could get it on Amazon.com
Just saw this via Pinterest. My Grandmother makes a very similar, but with a “family secret,” 12-layer cake. She makes a double batch of the frosting, which she is then able to use to frost the sides as you would a traditional cake. Hope this helps!
Wholley Toledo! I am seriously tempted to try this for my grand-daughters 9th birthday! WOW!!!!!!
i am so lucky, i grew up eating a 21 layer chocolate cake my mom made…100% home made, just like we do it in Bainbridge, Georgia…
This looks sooooo goood ! Im going to make it for my 14th birthday! Cant wait =)
This reminded me of the “thousand layered cake” I had…
http://muchadoabouteating.blogspot.com/2010/09/kek-lapis-thousand-layer-cake.html
My grandma was born in the early 1900’s in South Carolina. She always made this cake when we came to visit. I was able to get her recipe before she left us but the layers would always slide around. Now I know to cool the frosting before assembling! Genius! I’m going to make one this week for my hubby. This is his favorite cake (and mine) Yum! Thanks for posting.
Beautiful! Made something similar once for a friends 21st birthday. 21 layers of thin brownie with peanut butter filling with a dark chocolate peanut butter ganache coating. It was so heavy took 2 people to carry!
I am in love with this cake! Growing up in New Orleans this was a staple at all family gatherings! They are called Doberge (dough-bash) cake there. Another common flavor is a lemon cake filled with lemon curd and iced with poured fondant. I hope to make this recipe this weekend for labor day! thanks for the inspiration!
My mother used to buy a pound cake and slice it into very thin layers and then put frosting between each layer – it was quick, easy and wonderful
I finally got around to making this beautiful cake… But when I made the glaze for between the layers the cocoa powder got clumpy… I scratched it and made a choc. glaze I’ve made before and it came out delicious. But can you tell me what I’m doing wrong?
My grandma made these for years and I have carried on the tradition. It’s an awesome cake and goes great with a little vanilla fudge twirl ice cream.
Looks just like a doberge cake – a great New Orleans tradition!
Just a quick q: my pouring choc didn’t turn out and I am wondering if it could be because I either didn’t wait for the sauce to cool down and thicken enough before layering or because I didn’t boil it properly. Any ideas on time for each section and/or why my choc topping turned out a little clumpy and didn’t set?
I also had to add…the chocolate “sauce” you make for this is ALSO awesome…that and the buttercream were FABULOUS, but I am going to try it with another cake recipe :)
I made this yesterday and I have to agree with the commenter above who says the cake is bland. Also, it came out very dry for me. The edges are very crispy and hard, but they’re not burnt or overly brown. I kind of wish I had just used a mix from a box. I’m about to make the frosting and try to salvage it. Another issue I had is that some of the layers seemed to soak up the drippy icing on the bottom and got kind of soggy. Maybe something to thicken that up would be good.
This cake looked amazing so I HAD to make it for my parents 50th Anniversary! I have to say, it looked fantastic when cut, and the buttercream was SUPER delicious, but the cake itself…was “blah”…NO fault of yours…I think you saved it by putting your chocolate buttercream on it!! I just think people need to be aware it’s more like pancakes and a very bland flavor cake. I wouldn’t say it was “bad”, but definitely not a flavorful cake like chocolate, butter or yellow cake…Cutting it was very satisfying though…super dense and the slices held together beautifully! I’ll try a new cake recipe next time…thanks for posting it…I’ll tweak and reply back another time :)
I’m going to attempt making this recipe this weekend :)
I have some friends coming to visit who I haven’t seen in forever and they all don’t believe something so wonderful exists. I’ll show them :P
I made this today for my cousin’s birthday. It was amazing and awesome. My only thing was that my chocolate buttercream didn’t turn out as “dark” as yours, but all I had on hand was standard Hershey’s cocoa powder. I’m not even sure I’ve ever seen the Special Dark kind in any store near me…..
I just baled this cake and posted it on my blog – baked! by bec
Wow! What a concept! Beautiful .. Amazing KddoY buy proactol cheap BB+mJ
I made this cake for my sister-in-law’s birthday, and it was a hit. I used the two kinds of frosting, because she didn’t know what I was making, and I wanted all those little layers to be a surprise! The cake was great; however, I have some proposed changes for the future. After dripping through all of the layers, I think I will beat some powdered sugar into the remaining glaze to thicken it up and frost the top and sides with that.
If I wanted to make this for mothers day, would I make it the night before and then frost in the morning, or???
I made this cake this morning for my husbands birthday. It was a crowd pleaser!! I didn’t realize that some of my cakes weren’t flat enough, and all of a sudden the layers were sliding off one another!! I had to stabilize it all with what was around- a chopstick! But it still came out great. Thanks Bakerella for such an awesome cake! I’m glad I finally had a reason and time to make it. and that parchment paper idea was super helpful!
I saw this post last year and have been waiting for a chance to make it. I think my husbands birthday next weekend is the perfect chance. I hope I can pull it off to look half as awesome as yours does!! thanks Bakerella! I hope you’re feeling ok!!
For my friend’s dad’s birthday, I made just a boxed chocolate cake, but I covered it in that Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream icing. Yummy! I can always count on your website to have a tasty recipe. :)
I can totally tell you why someone would do this. Because that someone loves icing! I made a six layer rainbow cake for my daughter’s birthday, mainly because I wanted to eat ICING! :)
Good day, I’m from Brazil and I loved your site! Here is a cake I think you would love it, roll the cake is very good link is this, http://www.rainhasdolar.com/index.php?itemid=1655take a look around you can translate the page in google or search on google bolo de rolo=cake roll
I would love to make this, but my question is…what is the safest, most practical way to transfer the cake from the wire rack to a cake stand?
I would also like to add that I so enjoy your recipes, photos, and tips! Thank you! And I hope you are feeling well!
My wonderful, beloved, greatly missed, Mama Rosie used to make a 14 layer cake that she made in cast iron skillets. I’ve had the Smith family cake and Mama Rosie’s was much better. :) (I will admit to being prejudiced, but it’s true.) Anyway, we’re from South Alabama so I guess it is a regional thing.
biatchhhh i cud do that anytime!!!!!
I know this is a CRAZY idea…
But how about using pancakes instead??
I’m all for easy, LOL!
Happy Baking!
~Lisa
Heaven on a plate
It’s a Smith Island Cake…. very popular here in Maryland!
truly impressive looking cake!!! perhaps will attempt to make this for my mom’s birthday :D
Hehehe, it’s definitely a Southern thing. When I lived in North Carolina, a lady at my dad’s work would make one for him every Christmas. And since my birthday is right before Christmas, I ALWAYS had a 14 layer cake as my birthday cake. :)
Gotta love the South!
I made this cake for my husbands birthday and he loved it! The cake was delicious! Your directions and pictures made it super easy. Love this cake! Thank you so much.
Looks 100 times better than Donna Hays one !
The 14 layer cake is awesome. did you use the same chocolate butter cream for the layers I think I missed what was in the layers.
Oh my goodness I am SO making this!
Lovely! Here in Chile, this is what we would call a “Pancake Cake”, usually made with an orange filling, although I’ve had one with passionfruit filling that was amazing! Never had it with chocolate cream cheese frosting, must try it.
Thalhimers, a defunct Southern department store (VA) had a seven layer cake in their bakery. Loved it! But I’m making 12 layers for my 12yo’s birthday party today. Taking pictures. We’ll see if boys even notice lol
I had one of these cakes at my wedding (groom’s cake) made by my sis in law’s aunt. She makes her layers in a cast iron frying pan. You talk about patience…..she has it and then some. So so good!
Marvellous!!
this is on my “to-do” list this weekend! a slice of this with a huge cup of coffee would be the perfect breakfast. simply gorgeous.
My grandmother made a layered cake like this her cake was not as tall. It was the yellow with the chocolate. She lived in south west ga. ( Bainbridge). How i wish I had her recipe and a photo of her cake .
Hi. I live in Singapore ( a country in South East Asia ) , and i love your blog! This Looks a bit like Kuih Lapis in my country but the taste is completely different. Kuih lapis Batavia or spekkoek (layer cake) is a rich kuih consisting of thin alternating layers made of butter, eggs and sugar, piled on top of each other. Each layer is laid down and then grilled separately, making the creation of a kueh lapis an extremely laborious and time-consuming process.
What recipe did you use for the chocolate icing?? I don’t see that anywhere. It looks so delicious!!!!!
i made this cake yesterday for valentine’s day. i didn’t feel the amount of work it takes to make this cake was worth how it tastes. don’t get me wrong, it was OK, but nothing that i would spend that much time making again. it was beautiful to look at.
Will you contact me about the cake batter? I made the cake twice following the Smith Family recipe and it did not work. I do believe the amount of milk in the recipe is wrong. What recipe did you use for your cake layers? I posted my cake and put a link to your site. Thanks so much. By the way, my students were asking me all kinds of questions today about the cake. We cruised your site on my smartboard! They love it!
Must… make… this… soon!
I grew up in Crisfield, MD (mainland to Smith Island) and I knew right away it was a Smith Island Cake. They are heaven and soo addictive. Recently I went to visit a group of girlfriends and one of them had her mom make one that was half chocolate and the other half caramel. Two different cakes that were cut in half, placed together on the plate and frosted over in buttercream like yours. You didn’t know which side you were going to get on the first cut but either way – delicious.
Bakerella,
You make me smile. This cake reminds me of the one my grandma used to make. She’s from the panhandle of Florida.
I’m so glad I came across your website. I have no idea what took me this long. You are amazing!
I love your instructions for this cake. I have my mother-in-law’s recipe, but have never tried it because you have to split the layers. I am doing it your way and I know that I will be loved on Valentine’s day!
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen one. My grandmother was Finnish and my mom grew up in Midland, but this was my special bday treat every year from 2-21! Mom called it Dobos Torte with 12-layers! Thanks for the memories! I’m definitely making one this year!!
Absolutely love this cake idea, but have one desperate question:
You neglected to tell your secret of getting the extremely heavy looking finished product from the cooling rack after dripping frosting temptation stage, onto the serving platter….???help!
Made red velvet cake same style, very good!
Gorgeous! I can’t wait to try it. Yes, this layer cake somehow went from Hungary to the American South. Here’s Webster’s definition of a Dobos Torte (pronounced Dobosh): “a torte made of multiple thin layers of sponge cake often containing ground hazelnuts, put together with a mocha-chocolate filling, and topped with caramel glaze.” According to my Hungarian mother-in-law, the modern recipes cheated–they only have about 7 layers when they should have 14. She also said that the trick is to use ground hazelnuts instead of flour–the hazelnut layers easily hold their shape under the weight of the frosting. Unfortunately, I can’t read mom’s recipe–it’s in Hungarian, but I the idea of Bakerella’s cake with a caramel crunch on top sounds lovely.
This is officially called “Smith Island Cake”. It’s home is Smith Island, in the Chesapeake Bay near Crisfield, MD.
It is the OFFICIAL state dessert of Maryland.
I know … I was born in Crisfield, and have traveled by mail boat (the only way to get to the island unless you OWN a boat), several times.
I realize I’m viewing this 2 years later, but I have to tell you, you did a great job! I live in New Orleans and this cake is a staple for many adult birthdays and anniversaries here. The doberge cake is often made with 11 – 14 layers with every type of icing, filling, and pudding imaginable. My husband had a chocolate one as his groom’s cake for our wedding! Yours is just beautiful.
It is a southern thing Its called a Doberge cake. Being from New Orleans where this cake was invented, I love love love them! :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doberge_cake
Did you have to double your icing recipe? That’s alot of area to cover :)
Wow! I’d love to try this with a coconut cream cake recipe! The skys the limit!!
I have to take a cake to my daughter’s band booster fundraiser dinner.
I can’t just do normal so I’m using this idea and than icing it and making it look like a basketball court since that’s the season we are in.
Than because I don’t want cake I want pretty cakepops I’m putting basketball ones on one side of the court, marching band hats on the other and your darling sorcerer hats will be the spectator’s.
Yep way too much work, but also tons of fun.
I am a huge fan and I used a couple of yours recepies but this cake was the first cake that wasnt eaten. It was too hard and too sweet… But it looked great. greetings from Croatia
me and my aunt followed the recipe and made a wonderful cake the inside was so nice !!!!!
How would you think to fix it all for 18 layers? For my best friends Birthday?
My 13 yo daughter made this today for our family Christmas party–What a hit. And not difficult at all. Thanks
I have a question-my layers look like thin pancakes. Is this right or did I do something wrong?
Wowie Zowie that cake looks awesome – YOU’RE awesome! Wish I lived next door and you invited me over for a piece!! Don’t know if I’ll ever make this, but it is tempting with a capital “T”!!
How was each of the two icings made?
I made this today, and wasn’t too sure if my baking skills were good enough, but it turned out!!! I’m surprising my Mom for her birthday, hopefully she’ll like it!
Thank you!
My mother and i have been making this cake since i was a little girl. The cake recipe is a pound cake and we use a mixture of german chocolate and semisweet chocolate for the icing. We always make one for Christmas and Turkey day . Our record for the number of layers is 27 very thin delicious layers… The trick to cooling off your pans between baking is have the sink full of ice and set the pans on top of the ice… it works very fast!
I WILL make this cake!!! It’s my new obsession !! So Fun!!
I am a fourth-generation southerner… Grannies all over the southeast have been making such a cake for years on the stove top in cast-iron skillets, as other posters have mentioned. Much easier than baking in the oven – and no aluminum throwaways! More like making pancakes than the grand production of a gourmet cake. My grandmother or aunts would do it assembly-line fashion, with a simple chocolate pour icing and use a skewer to poke holes in each layer so that the icing would penetrate. Pour batter, cook for a few minutes, turn onto cooling rack, stack, poke, pour icing, repeat – usually in their nightgowns and hair rollers, getting ready for a family get-together! :) Great memories, thanks for reminding me.
I finally got around to making this cake. It was very easy with your clear instructions on how to do it. I used the same recipe as you and only used 2/3 cup per pan and only got 12layers out of it..not sure why. It didn’t really matter though because it was plenty big as is.
I absolutely loved the icing on the outside but wasn’t crazy about the overall texture of this cake. I found it very dense and kinda ‘doughy’ for lack of a better word. The glaze that i put between the layers just absorbed into the cake when applied so maybe that’s why it had the texture it did. Everyone enjoyed it but agreed it was a very heavy cake and most were unable to eat their full slice.:-)
Not likely to make it again but it was fun trying it out. It really did look impressive. If i could somehow change up the texture of the cake to a lighter feel i would probably use this technique again.
Thanks for sharing the recipe and all the great instructions. :0)
Thanks Bakerella – My sister has been drooling over this for almost 2 years now. And tonight I just baked it for her 40th birthday party. She will be surprised!
OK duh, I figured it out, I had used duncan hines cake mix so didn’t need the recipe! found it now!! FYI, a cake mix makes 8 layers YUM
OK so i have all the layers ready (really was quite easy, so grateful) but i can’t figure out what icing you used for the layers!
I am 5 months pregnant and you have given me a craving I didn’t know existed. WOW that looks so amazing and I have to make it no matter how time consuming it is. I love your website… You have so much patience and creativity.
I made this cake over the weekend, using the Smith family recipe. I finished it the same way you did, using chocolate buttercream—it was the best cake I’ve ever made and one of the best I’ve ever tasted.
Finnally, It made!. one need to be more patient to make this much rich choco cake. It is really good, beautiful cake!. what a new cake invention. I really like tis cake, so much. it will be one of my proud cake. tx to make the recipe :) .
Hi all , am kind of new to this Blog, um from Egypt. i tried a few of your recipes and this was one of them, i love it i even use it for cup cake and it was a hit, super moist and tasteful, thank you a lot
I know you posted this a while ago, but i was thinking about making it for my MIL, however, she’s not a chocolate fan. She LOVES buttercream though. Any suggestions for a buttercream icing for between layers? Can I just thin out regular buttercream frosting?
if i eva eat that, il b FAT!!!!
I’m going to make this one day when i am a baker but im going to use buttercream instead. I hope I can get all of those layers even and it not tilt over. But now I am only 10 years old and still practicing. Strawberry would be yummy toooo.
I can’t understand what is the cake recipe… Can someone explain me? Thanks
Can you do 15 layers cakes like 1 lierd cakes but taller?
i have to find a reason to bake this cake… looks beyond amazing !!
WOW! All I can do is sit here in wonder and stare… Just WOW!
So… my friends and family know I’m TERRIBLE in the kitchen. Everyone says I could burn water, can’t cook a thing, but I can bake brownies (duncan hines brownies, not from scratch). This is the first time I bake a cake from scratch, it took me 6 hours but it turned out awesome! It looks wonderful (OK, the frosting doesn’t look as good as yours, it’s kinda messy -incredibly tasty, though-, but the inside is perfect!) and tastes like heaven. =)
Everybody loved it but couldn’t believe I did it all by myself, so it’s a good thing my sisters were around and watched me baking it. But I have a question: is there any recipe of strawberry frosting that I could use between layers? I’d like to do it again, this time with strawberry flavor.
Thank you so much! I now feel like there’s some hope for me in the kitchen department, lol!
I made this cake for my friend’s 21st birthday (I was pretty much looking for any excuse once I saw this post). All the guys loved watching me dump the chocolate sauce on it! My husband said he better get an awesome cake for his birthday. So when October rolls around, mind posting another inspiring cake? Ok, thanks! :)
It reminds me of something we always eat at my dad’s birthday, spekkoek. Spekkoek is a Dutch/Indonesian layered cake, but then you will bake one layer, add another layer, put it again in the oven etc. so it takes more time.
Your cake looks delicious!
This looks amazing! So going to have to give it a go :D xx
Hi Bakerella,
When you said you pour icing as you put the layers on top of one another, is that the same icing as the buttercream dark chocolate frosting you used in the end?
Love your website!
Thanks.
The layer between the cakes is that the same as the dark chocolate cream cheese buttercream frosting??
I live in New Jersey and we only have 7 layer cakes up here!! Looks great! I was so relieved to hear that I didn’t have to try and cut 14 layers out of 2 pans of cake!!! I can’t wait to try this!!
I had a go at making this for my daughter’s baptism; kept the choc icing between the layers but changed the top icing to white for the occasion – the step by step pics made it so easy to follow! Thanks Bakerella.
http://dunnntoperfection.blogspot.com/2010/07/baptism-cake-adventures.html
This is so stinky cute and yummy looking! I think I am going to do this for my daughters birthday but use white cake and make each layer a different bright color! Sounds fun huh?
I just made this, there is sooooo much sploodge!
Goodbye arteries =D
I am most definitely about to make this cake….
*fingers crossed*
Thank you so much for this!
wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what a cake i’ll have to make it~ Abby
hey i have a simpler way to bake this. my mom bake these layered cakes every year. you could just use one pan and fill up with first layer of batter. then bake it in the oven using the top heat only. make sure you dont overcook the cake.
once the first layer is done, take it out and put in the batter again, this time for the 2nd layer. before u put the batter, u can put other ingredients in there too, like choc/nuts/dried fruits. proceed till u get as many layers as you want.
u’ll be pretty amazed with the result!
:))
I absolutely HATE torting cakes… You are so my hero!!! I don’t know why I never thought of baking individual layers this thin! I’m so happy now! I shared this page with a friend and she was just as excited! So she will be making this cake for her summer bash!
I am very anxious to make this for a family get together but unfortunately, where we are heading does not have a very adequate kitchen and I don’t want to heat up her entire house using the oven (she does not have central air and uses window units to cool her South Texas home). Anyway, my question is this, if I make all the components a head of time (the cake, the ganache and the buttercream frosting), can I freeze them and then assemble the cake when I arrive. I was thinking of wrapping it and putting it into a cooler with dry ice. We are traveling over a two day period. Or, can I assembe the cake completely and then freeze it? Your help is much appreciated. Thanks.
And I have fallen in love with your website. Thanks for sharing your talent and knowledge with the world.
you can made it with crepes :)
My father worked with a lady who made these for him for Christmas, She has since passed. Thank you for allowing me give something back to a wonderful man how is still standing after raising 8 girls and 2 boys.
Signed: The baby girl.
That is SOOOOO cool!!!
I’m a 46 yr old man and me and my 15 yr old daughter just made a 12 layer cake 2 days ago and it was not all that difficult to do, and it turned out great. Everything was made from scratch . We had 6 aluminium pans and we had to wash them for the second batch. not that bad. We will try the chocolate cream cheese buttercream frosting with the next one tho.
I’ve had this cake bookmarked for a while, because I want to make it SO badly. I’ve decided to go for it for our fourth of July picnic and hope I get the same reaction I gave when I saw it. It took my breath away!
I love this cake! Both me and my brother were looking for a cake design (and recipe) and this fit perfectly. We’re making it for our mother’s birthday this weekend. (It’ll all be in vanilla, but still tasty, I bet, especially with home made ice cream) Thank you for the inspiration!
wow! that is really impressive i LOVE it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m from South Carolina and my mom is from what we consider the “country” and all thirteen of her sisters make this layered cake (my mom is the only one who can’t make it)!! Some of them have even made a 26 layered cake!!! It’s a family tradition around here!! I can’t wait to try it myself
Oh my!! So beautiful!! I don’t think I would have the patience to make this, but you made it seem so simple! And very very VERY delicious….ooo it would be fantastic making it with different coloured layers…maybe a chocolate, then a vanilla, then pink! Or crazy rainbow!!
I always had this cake made by my mama for my b.day, she got the recipe from her mom, and now I have it. Deep down south in Alabama is where I grew up. I usually make it around Christmas time now, its a special thing every year. It is time consuming, but well worth the time. We have always let ours set a day or two for the sauce (tastes like hot fudge) to set in and also always added pecans on top. Delish is not the word! Its so rich a thin slice will satisfy!
That is the most amazing things I’ve ever seen!
Okayy!! That is one crazy cake! Someday soon I will definitely make one…
hi! just found your blog, and its absolutely amazing! too bad its almost midnight here because reading and looking at your awesome pics makes me wanna try it out myself..! I really enjoy it when you post pics step by step from the progress, it looks easier for me then.. :) greetings from Johanna, Finland.
I made this tonight. MMMM…. It was so good. Though mine was not nearly as pretty as yours is. :)
perfection!
OMG! This is a new one for me!! :D
hello, long time fallower, love all u recepies and have try many of them with very successful outcome, thank you so much for all the great ideas. recently made you 14 layer cae for my father in law birthday party and it was a hit. thank you again.
I am so in love with this cake!! I made this cake and it is not only yummy but it is also so beautiful!! Thank you so much for posting these pictures and instructions, this is truly a jaw dropper and a cake I will take a to many future parties! Oh, and it was sooo super easy but it looks like it took hours!!! THANK YOU!!
i AM going to bake this one this weekend!!! ohh PLEEASE work!!! <3
i love your site, bakerella! it is absolutely amazing!
is this cake really difficult to make??
this cake is so much fun to make. i learned by helping a local baker during the thanksgiving and christmas holidays one year…we made over 60 14-layer cakes…yes, that is 840 single layers that we baked…so much fun. one note, you don’t need 14 different pans to bake the layers. 3 or 4 cake rounds will suffice. Spray them really well, and fill with 1/2 – 2/3 c batter, and then bake. Use a silicon spatula that will not melt and run it under the edges of each layer when you remove from oven while still hot and the cake layers will not stick. Re-spray and fill while pan is still warm and pop back into the over. Enjoy!
I have to tell you – Almost exactly one year ago, I was on a quest to make a cake for my husband’s birthday. His favorite cake is a yellow cake with chocolate frosting. I usually buy a box and tub and 9×13 that baby and call it done. But, for some reason, I wanted to do something different last year.
Then I found this post.
This was the first “real” cake I had ever made. It took me almost 7 hours, but I had a total blast and was able to pull it off! And since making this cake, I have been a baking fool and have become known around town for my treats.
But it all started with this cake. So thank you SO MUCH for posting this. It opened a door for me that would not otherwise have happened. =)
can you make this cake the day before? and would you need to refrigerate it? Please reply!!! Soon!!!
I cannot WAIT to make this cake again with the buttercream frosting!! Is the frosting recipe listed the same one you used on the cake? I’ve seen pictures of others that have made the cake and cake frosting as you directed, and the frosting on those cakes looks looser, almost like whipped cream, and much lighter in color.
This is very similar to a traditional Hungarian Dobos Torte. Doberge cake is how the south has butchered the the pronunciation of Dobos :)
This is exactly what my grandmother always made for me!! It’s definitely one of my favorites!! you did an excellent job!
Nikki – parchment paper helps keep the cake from sticking.
Ganache was in between each layer and then I frosted it.
Jaime – A canon 5d now but a rebel when I took this
Jordan – pretty tall – 11 inches? Can’t really remember.
Shaunna – it’s worth a shot
Bakerella,
Do you think this same cake could be made with a boxed red velvet cake rather than the vanilla? I’m considering making this for my husband for Vday, but he only likes chocolate! If you dont think a boxed mix will work, do you have a good red velvet cake recipe that could be used for this cake?
Thank you!
my mom, use to make 12 layer, she used a cast iron skilet- to bake her layers, Then she sprinkled crushed pecans on top of chocolate layers . She is 74 now and every now and then she will make one, soooo goooood!!
Her frosting was with cocoa powder and evaporate milk, sugar vanilla flavoring, that’s all I can recall at the moment. Great memories surround this cake recipe
I made this yesterday for my sons 3rd birthday. It turned out great! Wonderful cake & frosting recipes…just the right amount of sweetness.
Might try this again as a rainbow cake!
MMM this is my FAVORITE! I’ve never been to a family function where there wasn’t one! My Gramma does either 7 or 10 layers though.. still tasty just less work!
Dear Bakerella,
Hello my name is Jordan and I am doing this cake for my 14th Birthday.I was just wondering how tall the cake is when it is finished?
Thank you,
Jordan
What kind of camera do you have, your pictures are amazing… and so is your cakes of course!
I was not born in Alabama but, I have spent a large part of my life in the state. This is a traditional cake that is usually either chocolate or caramel. Just about every grandmother seems to make their own version.
There is a company that has even begun selling them around the state. Check out the website. There are photo’s of the ladies preparing some of the layer cakes.
http://www.deanscakehouse.com
I made this cake last weekend for my father’s birthday and it was the hit of the party!!!
Thank you for posting this and all the other fabulous creations!!!
I have a question, what is the circle paper for and is that ganache that you put in eat layer!! I was a bit lost, but I DEF want to try this cake, you make it look soooooo easy!
My layers are pretty flat, but they are slipping and sliding all over the place. Hopefully a bit of time in the fridge will stop this thing from looking like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I’m definitely going to need the extra frosting!
Wow! I just got done making this. It turned out perfect, thanks to you and your super easy step by step instructions. THANK YOU!
I made this 14 layer cake for Christmas and it was WONDERFUL. It is a little time consuming, but well worth the effort. You can really taste the butter through each and every bite. Bakerella, I have made two of your items this month and have had two hits! The cake pops were fantastic at our Christmas party and now this wonderful cake. You have a new fan to your website. Thanks for the incentive to be more adventurous in my baking and presentations! You Rock!
In New Orleans we called this a “Doberge” cake- I think it is a corruption of the Hungarian Dobosh torte. The NOLA ones come with a custard like filling in between the layers. There are chocolate, lemon, and petit four versions.
Gambinos’s bakery makes a great version.
Love your blog!!
cheers,
Laurie
it looks fansy! i love this.
This cake looks delicious and very pretty.
The recipe is pretty similar to my Dobosh Cake recipe (a Hungarian 9-layer cake that’s pretty popular in the neck of the woods I’m coming from.) My trick is that I use an extra large baking sheet, and I only bake three sheets, which I cut in three. I still end up with a sizeable cake, only it’s oblong. I found that I it’s pretty easy to trim the sides and make them look perfect – slivered almond or coarsely chopped walnuts also do the trick in a jiffy. I’ve also decorated it with oranges confit and sugared spearmint leaves.
i’m brand new to reading this blog and i love it, it makes me want to be a bakerella too!
had to comment on this particular post because i’m from the south and i’ve never heard of this recipe either. my mom is from southwestern va, and comes from a huge family (that keeps growing every day, it seems like) so i will have to ask her about this one!
kudos to you, your fun website and your amazing photos!
I think I’m in love.
And I think I found something I want to test run before a christmas party I’m going to in a week and a half.
I wonder how this would fare if I tried to turn the cake into chocolate cake and the icing into white chocolate icing??
Hmmmmm…
That is definitely a Doberge Cake. A New Orleans favorite, yours looks delicious. Ours usually have an almost pudding like filling. Sooooooo good. I have my great-grandmother’s recipe, but have not tried it yet.
In the process of baking this now for my friend’s birthday. Having minor panic attacks that they won’t pop out of the pans. Not to mention I quickly ran out of room in my tiny NY apartment kitchen. Madness! Thanks again Bakerella, your recipes are fantastic (my kickball team loves the chocolate chip cookies one I make every week!)
Im totally going to try this some day! my family would probably have a heart attack lol but its beautiful and i think it would be fun!
You really have been going to the wrong parties! I grew up in the south, and believe me when I say, it is a staple at any southern party I’ve been to! But you made a HUGE faux pas. I’m sure that with the chocolate buttercream frosting it LOOKED prettier, but that’s not the point. That frosting does not go with that cake. The whole reason why that cake IS so fantastic is because of the frosting, the original one, the one you covered. I’m just saying. Thanks for the recipe, and thanks for the blog/website. I heart you a million times.
wow this looks alot like the crepe cake my husband made for me once. But a lot easier, no kidding 5 hours of pouring, fliping and flops lol. And 30 layers (really really thin) But it was really good, more like a sweet breakfast. I will encourage him to try this looks awesome, this will inspire him. I do most of the baking but he loves the ocassional project. :)
i am making this!
this cake is beautiful, great job.
Hi. This looks soooo good! Do you have any idea how tall the finished product was?
Bakerella! I absolutely ADORE you and all of your wonderful recipes. I’m going to surprise my family for either Thanksgiving or Christmas by making one of these. Thank you so much for all of the awesome ideas you are sharing. I can’t wait to try this and the cake pops! :)
Luci
my cake looks droppy and tastes likes playdoh.. i think i did something wrong. plus…my frosting looks pinkish. hahha aww im a mess
I made this for my niece's 14th birthday (with a few modifications). It was a huge hit!! I added some raspberry jam to each layer before pouring the icing over and added a few very thin layers of marzipan in between some of the cake layers. Yum!! The cake was perfectly moist and had a perfect texture. I'm adding this to my favorite recipes.
I didn't realize these cakes were popular down South too. Around here in MD, they are the famous Smith Island cakes. We had a slice when we visited Smith Island a couple of years ago, and they are SOOOO delicious and moist.
Yours looks so good, I might just try making one myself!
That looks AMAZING.
You're right. I linked to it and others in the story.
I know this comment is a little late but I'm just catching up on your blog! This cake is what looks to be a Smith Island Cake – made on a small island off the Eastern Shore of MD. Yours is the traditional but they make it in all different flavors and they're delicious!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88412262
Yummy!!!
I recently went to an exhibit on Cemetery Decoration Day in the Appalachian Mnts of Western North Carolina. they refered to this cake as a "Stack Cake" and stated that it is a traditional food for meals on Cemetery Decoration Day events. One of the locals even hand wrote her family recipie for it to include in the exhibit.
How heavenly! I just found this post (via the Flickr pictures) and now I just need an excuse to make it. :)
Well, mine is in the fridge now. I had a little extra batter and an extra pan, so it ended up being 15 layers. The icing really seemed to stay pretty thin, I'm hoping it will have stiffened up dramatically after it sits in the fridge overnight. I followed the directions to the letter, but even after about 10 minutes of simmering (after it boiled), it wasn't looking much thicker than it had started. It did thicken on standing, just not as much as I would have hoped. But as long as it doesn't make the cake a gooey mess, I won't care… I'm just ecstatic it all came together properly AND fit in my Cake Taker!
My boyfriend's mother has been making these for a while– they're her birthday cake standard, bless her heart! She has modified the recipe and used a mix (with some added ingredients to make a more traditional and sturdy batter, I think), and asks for 14 8-inch cake pans for Christmas one year! But her new record is 17, I think. I'm going to try this one tomorrow! My wax paper is all cut and waiting with my aluminum pans. :)
CakeEater – Sorry it didn’t come out right. If it makes you feel better, mine was really moist because of how thin the layers are and all the icing in between. Maybe you just didn’t like the texture and didn’t do anything wrong.
I had been looking forward to making this since you posted it. I don’t know what I maybe did wrong, but it came out awful. The layers were very egg-y or crepe-y flavored. The filling just soaked right in, and the whole thing was like gummy cold pancakes. :(
Don’t worry. If you followed the recipe correctly it will eventually set up like the picture in this post.
Good luck.
I am in the process of making the cake now (my chocolate covered layers are setting up) and I should have let the chocolate cook longer. I cooked mine for four minutes because nothing had changed after three and also let it sit for over an hour to thicken up and now I am stuck with a chocolate syrup that I am hoping will harden, but am quite certain will not.
I am a pretty experienced baker and should have followed my gut instead of the recipe, but besides that- so far so good!
I made it!!! I showed this to my husband right after you posted it in Feb and he asked if I would make it for Easter… so I did! It turned out fantastic, although no where near as beautiful as yours. And I opted to skip the buttercream bc I had already spent like 4 hours on it. LOL. Here’s the pics: http://noodle-and-bean.blogspot.com/2009/04/twelve-layer-cake.html
I’m sure you hear this ALL THE TIME but… you blog is fantastic. I love that you do this all just to share it… and your ideas are… well… wicked awesome! :o)
Christina – Yeah, you probably just needed the chocolate to set up a little more before spreading.
kellypea – thanks
bjean – haven’t made a white one like that yet.
vfernandez – I’m glad it wasn’t a nightmare for you. Congrats!
Ashley – Yay