Pennsylvania Dutch Chocolate Funny Cake
This Chocolate Funny Cake recipe is a Pennsylvania Dutch classic treat! It has a vanilla cake top with a layer of thick ooey-gooey chocolate, and it's all baked in a homemade buttery, flaky pie crust! It's very good and perfect to have any time of the year! Makes 2, 9 inch pies.
Servings: 20 servings (2 pies)
Ingredients
homemade buttery flaky pie crust (makes 2, 9 inch pie crusts)
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter cold and cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Shortening cold and cut into cubes
- 4-6 tbsp Ice Cold Water
top cake layer
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Shortening
- 2 Large Eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Whole Milk
bottom chocolate layer
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 cup Boiling Water
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
homemade buttery, flaky pie crust
- In a large mixing bowl and using a pastry blender (or two forks), mix together the all-purpose flour, salt, cold cubed butter, and cold vegetable shortening until you have small pea-size pieces. Some larger pea-size pieces are fine too! You can use a knife to clear out the pastry blender if it gets clogged as you mix everything together.2 cups All-Purpose Flour, 1 tsp Salt, 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter, 1/2 cup Vegetable Shortening
- Add in the ice cold water 1 tablespoon (tbsp) at a time, using a spatula or your hands until can form a ball and it is no longer crumbly. If there are any crumbly bits, just add the tiniest bit of water so they blend in with the rest of the dough.4-6 tbsp Ice Cold Water
- After forming the ball of pie dough, place it on a lightly-floured, clean surface and divide it in half using a pastry cutter. Pat each half into a 1″-1 1/2″ thick disc, then double wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place them in the coldest part of your refrigerator (usually the back) for a minimum of 1 hour.
chocolate funny cake
- Adjust the oven rack to the 2nd level mark (just above center) and preheat the oven to 375º F.
- On a well-floured, clean surface, roll out one of the discs of pie dough you made earlier (or unroll if using store-bought) ) and carefully place into the 2, 9″ pie plates. Trim and crimp the edges to your liking, then place it back in the refrigerator as you make the cake and chocolate layers.
- For the top cake layer: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Set dry mixture aside.2 cups All-Purpose Flour, 2 tsp Baking Powder
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed, cream the granulated sugar and vegetable shortening together until blended. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract, and mix until combined.2 cups Granulated Sugar, 1/2 cup Vegetable Shortening, 2 Large Eggs, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternate between adding the dry mixture and milk. Mix together until just combined, then set aside.1 cup Whole Milk
- For the bottom chocolate layer: In a medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder.1 cup Granulated Sugar, 1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Slowly pour in the boiling water and add in the vanilla extract. Stir continuously until unsweetened cocoa powder is fully dissolved.1 cup Boiling Water, 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Divide and pour the cake batter into the 2 unbaked 9" pie crusts, then divide and pour the chocolate layer over top of each. The chocolate layer sinks to the bottom during baking which then forms the thick chocolatey layer on the bottom. It also gives the top of your funny cake a nice chocolate swirl on top!
- Place the funny cakes in the oven side-by-side and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Mine baked for almost the full 50 minutes. I highly recommend using a x-large baking sheet or jelly roll pan to move the funny cakes into the oven and removing when done. It makes it a lot easier!
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- You'll need two 9-inch pie plates for this recipe. I suggest either these pie plates from USA Pan Bakeware or Pyrex pie plate. For something a little pricier, this beautiful Emile Henry 9" pie dish is worth every penny! Or if you plan to make a bunch, as I did, you can buy the aluminum pie pans!
- Because this recipe makes two funny cakes, you can either half the recipe and just make one - or - you can make both and give one away to a friend!
- After making the homemade pie crust, it's best to let it chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour before using it for this recipe.
- If making the pie crust from scratch isn't your thing, you can use store-bought!
- I highly recommend placing both funny cakes on a baking sheet or jelly roll pan before adding the batter and chocolate. It really helps when moving them from the counter to the oven!
- I know it seems strange, but it's important to remember to pour in the chocolate layer over the cake layer. The chocolate will sink to the bottom of the pie during baking. When pouring the chocolate layer over the cake layer, I find using a Pyrex Glass Measuring Cup easier. This way, you can monitor how much of chocolate you've poured into each.
- If pouring the chocolate over the top of the cake's top layer sounds weird, you can always pour it into the unbaked pie shell and then add the cake batter. The top of your chocolate funny cake won't have that nice chocolate swirled top, though.
- Recipe adapted from my Grammy's recipe and family cookbook ❤
- Please note the chocolate funny cake recipe shared in Taste of Home's August/September 2020 issue was modified by the Taste of Home test kitchen to make this in deep dish pie plates. I have not tested their version of this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 345kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 148IU | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg