Pennsylvania Dutch Funny Cake

Pennsylvania Dutch Funny Cake is a delicious and unexpected combination of buttery pie crust, rich chocolatey filling, and moist yellow cake. The next time you can’t decide if you want a pie or cake for Dessert, you can make this Funny Cake Pie and not choose at all. The sweet vanilla cake and chocolate mixture are baked in a deep-dish pie plate with a Flaky Crust, just like your favorite pie recipe. Dutch Funny Cake is a favorite recipe in Pennsylvania Dutch Baking. The Amish or Pennsylvania Dutch are known for their classic baking, and folks just can’t get enough of their recipes. This can quickly become a favorite dessert, and it’s so easy to make with simple pantry ingredients. Simply combine the chocolate layer on the stovetop, then set it to the side. You can use a handheld mixer to combine the batter for the cake layer or skip the electric mixer and just mix it all by hand. Then pour both fillings into the crust layer and bake to finish. You’ll love the crusty edge from the crispy pie crust surrounding the rich, buttery cake with a layer of sweet chocolate beneath. This is such a great comfort food. It’s perfect for a sweet, simple dessert, or even a rich breakfast. Enjoy a slice of cold Pennsylvania Dutch Funny Cake at your kitchen table with a cup of freshly brewed coffee, or with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream for a more classic dessert dish.

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Key Ingredients 

• Chocolate Layer: You only need granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and milk to make the chocolate mixture. Use half of the sugar and half of the ¾ cup milk from the rest of the recipe. The combination creates a rich chocolatey filling, and as you cook, it will thicken. Though, you pour the chocolate mixture on top; it will sink during the baking time and end up as an amazing chocolate layer at the bottom.
• Yellow Cake Ingredients: You only need a few pantry ingredients like baking powder, all-purpose flour, salt, an egg, and vanilla extract to make the batter. One unique ingredient is the shortening. While most cakes would have butter, this one has shortening. Whisking it with the other ingredients creates pockets of air for a light, fluffy cake.
• Pie Crust: You can use any of your favorite pie crust options from the grocery store for a pre-made pastry crust, or make Homemade Pie Crust. To make the Homemade Pie Crust, you just need all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt, cold butter, and ice water for super-simple pastry dough.

Baking Tips 

• Chocolate Mixture: Add ½ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup baking cocoa powder to a medium saucepan. Then slowly pour 6 tablespoons of the ¾ cup of milk into the pan, whisking as you go. Once the cocoa mixture is smooth, cook it over medium heat until bubbles start to form. Then cook for another 2 minutes to thicken, and remove from heat.
• Cake Batter: Add the remaining ½ cup sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Then whisk the dry ingredients well. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons of milk, an egg yolk, shortening, and vanilla extract to a measuring cup. Whisk until combined. Next, add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until the batter is combined.
• Assemble: Line a nine-inch pie plate with the pie crust. Then pour the cake batter into the pastry crust. Pour the chocolate layer over the cake layer in a swirling pattern.
• Baking time: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then put the Pennsylvania Dutch Funny Cake in the hot oven for 45-50 minutes. If you notice the edges browning too quickly, cover the edges in foil, then continue baking.
• Serve: Carefully take the pie plate from the oven and let it cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Variations 

• Chocolate chips: Along with the bottom chocolate layer, you can add a chocolate chip topping to the Funny Cake recipe. If you add the chocolate chips to the top before baking, they’ll just sink to the bottom with the rest of the chocolate. Instead, wait until about halfway through baking, open the oven and sprinkle them over the top.
• Crumb crust: This Dutch Recipe is traditionally made with flaky, pastry pie crust. If you’d rather have a crumbly, buttery crust, you can follow our recipe for Graham Cracker Crust instead.

Pie Recipes

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How to Store 

• Serve: This Funny Cake recipe can stay good at room temperature for up to 2 days. Cover it in plastic wrap once it’s cooled so it can keep fresh.
• Store: To keep Pennsylvania Dutch Funny Cake for up to a week, you can store it in the fridge instead.Freeze: To freeze the cake, double wrap it in saran wrap followed by aluminum foil. Then it can stay good frozen for about 3 months.