Pennsylvania Dutch Funny Cake

If you’re looking for a new Pennsylvania Dutch dessert recipe to add to your collection, you’re in the right place.

Meet the funny cake — part cake, part pie, and entirely delicious. Though its roots are tied to Mennonite and PA Dutch heritages, it’s a rarity that this dish gets brought up in the conversation of other classic PA Dutch cakes. 

But just because it’s less known doesn’t mean it’s any less delicious. We can bet that this funny cake recipe will quickly climb to the top of your favorite PA Dutch desserts list just like it has on ours. 

What Is Funny Cake?

Funny cake — sometimes called funny chocolate cake or funny cake pie —is a fudgy PA Dutch dessert that blends the flavors of a vanilla cake, a decadent layer of chocolate, and a buttery pie crust all in a single bite. The light, fluffy cake creates a delicious contrast to the dense chocolatey layer and flakey melt-in-your-mouth crust.

Why Is It Called Funny Cake?

This dessert gets its name from the magic “switcharoo” that happens between the cake and chocolate layers as it bakes. The pie is assembled in order, starting with the crust, then the cake batter, and finally the chocolate. 

As the cake bakes, that chocolate layer seeps to the bottom, so when you cut into your finished dessert you’ll notice the chocolate is sandwiched between the cake and pie crust.

Maybe it’s explained by science or it’s magic — either way, it’s pretty cool and definitely pretty funny.

You Might Also Like:

Whoopie Pie Recipe Shoofly Pie Recipe

How To Make Funny Cake

To make this dessert, you’ll need about an hour. It takes roughly 30 minutes to prep and 30-40 minutes to bake. And if you buy your pantry items in bulk, you probably have all the ingredients you need on hand.

Note: This recipe was pulled from the Mennonite Community Cookbook and has been slightly altered by our team. 

Ingredients

For The Crust:

2 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 Tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar

1 Cup COLD Unsalted Butter (2 Sticks)

6-8 Tbsp COLD Water

*This is one of the simplest pie recipes we pulled online from Simply Recipes, but feel free to use any pie crust recipe you prefer. A store-bought crust should work just fine, too. 

For The Cake Layer:

1 Cup All-Purpose Flour

½ Cup Granulated Sugar

¼ Cup Softened Unsalted Butter (or Shortening)

1 Tsp Baking Powder

½ Cup Milk

1 Egg

½ Tsp Vanilla Extract

For The Chocolate Layer:

½ Cup Granulated Sugar

¼ Cup Cocoa Powder

¼ Tsp Vanilla Extract

⅓ Cup Boiling Water

Directions

Start With The Crust

1. Mix your dry ingredients (2 ½ cup flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp sugar). 
2. Cut your cold butter into small 1 in. cubes. 
3. Using a pastry cutter or food processor, cut in the butter until the flour is crumbly.
4. Mix in half of the water (4 tbsp) with a rubber spatula. Add the remaining water 1 tbsp at a time until the dough holds together when you squeeze it between your fingers. You might not need all of the water.
5. Lightly flour your countertop. Roll out the dough and add to your baking dish. Store in the fridge until your cake pie is ready to be assembled. 

Preheat The Oven To 375°F

Make Your Batter

1. Beat the sugar (½ cup) and butter or shortening (¼ cup) together until creamy. 
2. Add the egg and vanilla extract (½ tsp). Mix again. 
3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour (1 cup) and baking powder (1 tsp). Sift half of the flour mixture into the bowl and stir until combined. 
4. Add in half of the milk (½ cup). Mix until well combined.
5. Sift the rest of the flour mixture, stir, then add the remaining milk (½ cup). Mix until well combined. 

Make Your Chocolate Sauce

1. Bring a ⅓ cup of water to a boil.
2. In a small bowl, mix the sugar (½ cup) and cocoa powder (¼ cup). 
3. When your water is hot, carefully pour that into your sugar and cocoa mixture. 
4. Add a dash of vanilla extract (¼ tsp). Mix until well combined. 

Assemble Your Funny Cake

1. Remove your pie crust from the fridge. Add the cake batter to the bottom of the crust. Tip: Use a butter knife to gently swirl the batter. This helps create pockets for the chocolate to travel through, leaving behind flavor as it sinks to the bottom. 
2. Add your chocolate syrup mixture on top. 

Tip: To get that beautiful brown swirl on the top of your cake, pour the chocolate batter in a slow, spiral motion, starting just inside the edge of the crust and making your way to the middle. It helps to use a small mixing bowl or cup with a spout  — not required, but definitely recommended by us!

1. Pop your funny cake into the preheated oven (375°F) for 35 – 40 minutes or until the batter is cooked through. 
2. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes, then enjoy!

Funny Cake Recipe

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

5

minutes

Meet Funny Cake — the fudgy PA Dutch dessert that blends the flavors of a vanilla cake, a decadent layer of chocolate, and a buttery pie crust all in a single bite.

Ingredients

• For The Crust:

• 2 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour

• 1 Tsp Salt

• 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar

• 1 Cup COLD Unsalted Butter (2 Sticks)

• 6-8 Tbsp COLD Water

• For The Cake Layer:

• 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour

• ½ Cup Granulated Sugar

• ¼ Cup Softened Unsalted Butter (or Shortening)

• 1 Tsp Baking Powder

• ½ Cup Milk

• 1 Egg

• ½ Tsp Vanilla Extract

• For The Chocolate Layer:

• ½ Cup Granulated Sugar

• ¼ Cup Cocoa Powder

• ¼ Tsp Vanilla Extract

• ⅓ Cup Boiling Water

Instructions

• Start With The Crust
• Mix your dry ingredients (2 ½ cup flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp sugar).
• Cut your cold butter into small 1 in. cubes.
• Using a pastry cutter or food processor, cut in the butter until the flour is crumbly.
• Mix in half of the water (4 tbsp) with a rubber spatula. Add the remaining water 1 tbsp at a time until the dough holds together when you squeeze it between your fingers. You might not need all of the water.
• Lightly flour your countertop. Roll out the dough and add to your baking dish. Store in the fridge until your cake pie is ready to be assembled.
• Preheat The Oven To 375°F
• Make Your Batter
• Beat the sugar (½ cup) and butter or shortening (¼ cup) together until creamy.
• Add the egg and vanilla extract (½ tsp). Mix again.
• In a separate bowl, mix the flour (1 cup) and baking powder (1 tsp). Sift half of the flour mixture into the bowl and stir until combined.
• Add in half of the milk (½ cup). Mix until well combined.
• Sift the rest of the flour mixture, stir, then add the remaining milk (½ cup). Mix until well combined.
• Make Your Chocolate Sauce
• Bring a ⅓ cup of water to a boil.
• In a small bowl, mix the sugar (½ cup) and cocoa powder (¼ cup).
• When your water is hot, carefully pour that into your sugar and cocoa mixture.
• Add a dash of vanilla extract (¼ tsp). Mix until well combined.
• Assemble Your Funny Cake
• Remove your pie crust from the fridge. Add the cake batter to the bottom of the crust. Tip: Use a butter knife to gently swirl the batter. This helps create pockets for the chocolate to travel through, leaving behind flavor as it sinks to the bottom.
• Add your chocolate syrup mixture on top.
• Tip: To get that beautiful brown swirl on the top of your cake, pour the chocolate batter in a slow, spiral motion, starting just inside the edge of the crust and making your way to the middle. It helps to use a small mixing bowl or cup with a spout — not required, but definitely recommended by us!
• Pop your funny cake into the preheated oven (375°F) for 35 - 40 minutes or until the batter is cooked through.
• Let it cool for at least 10 minutes, then enjoy!