Pennsylvania Dutch Funny Cake
I can still remember my grandma serving this delicious cake on the big wooden table in her farm kitchen. Every time I bake this unusual cake, it takes me back to those special days at Grandma's. —Diane Ganssle, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Reviews
I look up "authentic" Pennsylvania Dutch recipes for pies and see either shortening or vegetable oil in ingredients. Only problem is they did not have vegetable oil or shortening. Mennonites, Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch used lard or as it is know in the U.K. as "dripping". As well as having some Mennonite in my family I grew up and lived in the most densely populated area of Mennonites in Canada, Waterloo County in Ontario They are mainly old world mennonites there.
Hi
This recipe is okay, but missed the point of why it is called Funny cake. The chocolate is pouring on top of the batter and when it is finished baking it is on the bottom which is why it is "funny".
Last year I was looking for a recipe for a PA Dutch dessert and came across this one. It sounded delicious and thought I would give it a try. Even though everyone said it tasted good, and I agreed, I thought it was terribly dry. We drank lots of milk or coffee while we were eating it! Probably won't make again unless I can figure out how to make it more moist.
Hello, I just had a question. Its taking me nearly 1.5 hours to bake this using a convection oven. Am I doing something wrong or is this expected?
This is very unique and yummy! Definitely a "funny" presentation of dessert!?? To Kathy I love your story and So glad that this recipe was here for you and your mother to enjoy together!
My Mom and I used to make this when I was a kid before my brothers were born(they were a real handful). Before she died she asked me if I had her cookbook, she wanted to make a funny cake with me just like way back then. I didn’t have her book but I found this, we made it and enjoyed the making, baking and eating. I felt like a youngster again.
This is not how the Funny Cakes here in Pa Dutch Country are made. As one reviewer pointed out - in a true Funny Cake recipe,, the chocolate is poured on the top of the yellow batter and ends up on the bottom.
This is delicious but nowhere on the page (that I could find) tells that this recipe makes 2 pies. I figured it out, luckily, before I started the process, but someone should really correct the page so that at the top of the recipe it plainly states that this makes 2 pies, it doesn't use 2 pie shells for just one pie (no top crust). It was very tasty though and I will make it again now that I understand the recipe a bit better.
It's real funny that this doesn't look like a cake but is actually a cake....LOL