National Cake Day

Today is National Cake Day and to celebrate I'm going to post some of my cake photography.  I love all cakes and there's so many to choose from.  But when I think of cake, I think of rich chocolate with thick chocolate frosting.  Below are seven different cakes and the history behind them. 



Carrot Cake

Carrots have been used in sweet cakes since the Medieval period when sweeteners were scarce and expensive.  Carrot Cake has been popular in the United States since the early 1960's.  I love a slice with thick cream cheese frosting!



German Chocolate Cake

German Chocolate Cake is not actually a German cake.  It started with an American- Sam German in 1852 developing a dark baking chocolate.  In 1957 the cake was created using the baking chocolate and became popular.

Cupcakes, Red Velvet

Cupcakes are traced back to 1796.  In the early 20th Century before muffin tins, the cakes were baked in individual cups, molds or ramekins and took the name from the cups they were baked in. 

Wedding Cake

The tradition of Wedding Cake started in Ancient Rome when bread was broken over the bride's head to bring good fortune to the couple.  We've come a long way with so many flavors and designs to choose from. 

Molten Lava Cake

The US-based chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten claims to have invented molten chocolate cake in New York City in 1987, but the French chef and chocolatier Jacques Torres has disputed that claim, arguing that such a dish already existed in France. According to Vongerichten, he pulled a chocolate sponge cake from the oven before it was done and found that the center was still runny, but was warm and had both a good taste and a good texture. Regardless of who invented the dish, Vongerichten has been credited with popularizing it in the United States, and it is now almost a de rigueur inclusion on high-end restaurant dessert menus.
-taken from Wikipedia.com.

Cheesecake with a chocolate topping and a graham cracker crust

An ancient form of cheesecake may have been a popular dish in ancient Greece even prior to Romans' adoption of it with the conquest of Greece.^[2] The earliest attested mention of a cheesecake is by the Greek physician Aegimus, who wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes (πλακουντοποιικόν σύγγραμμα—plakountopoiikon suggramma).^[3][4] Cato the Elder's De Agri Cultura includes recipes for two cakes for religious uses: libum and placenta.^[5] Of the two, placenta is most like most modern cheesecakes, having a crust that is separately prepared and baked.^[6] It is important to note that though these early forms are called cheese cakes, they differed greatly in taste and consistency from the cheesecake that we know today.
Modern commercial American cream cheese was developed in 1872, when William Lawrence, from Chester, New York, while looking for a way to recreate the soft, French cheese Neufchâtel, accidentally came up with a way of making an "unripened cheese" that is heavier and creamier; other dairymen came up with similar creations independently.^[7] In 1912, James Kraft developed a form of pasteurized cream cheese. Kraft acquired the Philadelphia trademark in 1928, and marketed pasteurized Philadelphia Cream Cheese which is now the most commonly used cheese for cheesecake.
-taken from Wikepedia.com.   



Boston Cream Pie  

Boston Cream Pie is a cake that was created by Armenian-French Chef M. Sanzian at Boston's Parker House Hotel in 1856.  This cake with a custard filling and chocolate frosting has been Massachusetts official dessert since 1996.  I first tried this as my Birthday Cake last year.

                                                               Happy National Cake Day!