Ah, the 1960s. A decade of great music, free love, and some truly epic confections
Here are a few of our favorite forgotten desserts from the swinging 60s
Coca-Cola cake was made popular by Cracker Barrel, where it featured on the dessert menu as a seasonal offering before becoming a permanent fixture
You're always cooking up something. That said, old recipes suggest that it dates back to at least the late 1950s
Demand for the cake only grew after that, and it began to appear more frequently on dessert tables, especially at restaurants specializing in southern cuisine
This chocolate cake has a base similar to that of a Texas sheet cake, and while the recipe does demand the use of a cola-flavored soda, you wouldn't know it unless you were told
Really, the soda is more of a secret ingredient that, along with buttermilk, makes its texture particularly moist
There are also a number of variations on Coca-Cola cake out there. some recipes call for a fudge-like Coca-Cola-flavored frosting
while others opt for a cream cheese-based icing flavored with the soda
No matter what twist you put on it, though, it goes without saying that this is a cake that doesn't skimp on the sugar
The floating island is a dessert that's sure to impress your dinner guest, even if it's not the easiest dish in the world
Known to be one of Julia Child's favorite desserts, the classic French dish dates back to the 17th century
It later became a sensation in the 60s thanks to an Americanized version of the recipe
Child included this recipe in her 1961 cookbook, which allowed it to travel beyond fancy New York City restaurants and into the kitchens of home chefs
Along the way, the island in the dish began to evolve, going from fluffy egg meringues to a ladyfinger-based cake, then back to meringues again
Whichever way you have it, though, that island is always floating on a sea of homemade creme anglaise
Nowadays, you may find takes on this dessert on the menu at upscale restaurants
where the likes of homemade caramel, apricot sauce and toasted almonds are often used as toppings
You're not likely to be served it at a dinner party, however, unless your friend is a pastry aficionado or a huge Julia Child fan, that is
Hootenholler Whiskey Cake is a spirited dessert that rose to fame in the 1960s
This cake was famously featured in The I Hate to Cook Book by 60s culinary icon Peg Bracken
I may hate to cook, but I do like to eat. Bracken's book offered a wittier take on cooking, and the recipes in it were designed to be easy, quick, and delicious
The Houtenhollow cake was no exception. Bracken recommended starting the baking process with what she described as a small snort of whiskey for medicinal purposes
The original recipe for Houtenhollow cake features a copious amount of said whiskey, along with molasses, raisins, and nuts
The result can technically be considered more of a quick bread, as it is baked in a loaf pan
Some cooks even enjoy making this cake for breakfast around the holidays, thanks to its bread-like consistency
And though there are plenty of desserts that use bourbon as a flavoring these days
you probably won't see this cake turn up on a menu anytime soon. Still, if any dessert deserves a comeback, it's this one, if only for the sake of that fantastic name
It may have the word Baltimore in the name, but the Lady Baltimore cake isn't just for Marylanders
It was once popular in households across the country, in fact, thanks in large part to its appearance in Betty Crocker's new picture cookbook
which was released in 1961. There are many origin stories for this fluffy white confection
but nobody's quite sure which, if any, are true. While a real Lady Baltimore certainly existed in
history, it was long before the cake was invented. In fact, it's possible that the Lady Baltimore
cake may be more affiliated with Charleston than the city it's named for, as some claim the recipe
is based on that of a queen cake served at a Charleston tea room in the early 1900s
Regardless, it's safe to say that this cake went on to become a hugely popular dessert
across the American South. One of the main reasons for the Lady Baltimore cake's popularity
in the southern regions was its ability to hold up to warmer temperatures. A dense cake topped
with buttercream icing will struggle to last in high humidity, especially at an outdoor event
but the Lady Baltimore cake easily withstands the test of temperature, maintaining its regal
appearance with light and airy layers of vanilla chiffon cake which sandwich a filling of toasted nuts and fruit The whole thing is then topped with a butter white icing And while you aren likely to see this cake used much as a wedding centerpiece these days it still bring back memories for sweet baking fans across
America. Black Bottom Pie was once a favorite dessert in the sky, as Delta served it up to
air passengers in the mid-20th century. When Delta's caterer, Dobbs House, adapted the original
recipe to one that produced nine-inch pies, the treat landed, so to speak, in homes around the
country. Black bottom pie has also graced many a dinner menu over the years, although its biggest
claim to fame is its appearance at joints like the Hollywood Brown Derby during the golden age
of Hollywood. If you love a spirited dessert, this one is very much for you, as recipes include either
rum or rum flavoring. Some call for the rum to be added to the chocolate filling, while others
involve making a rum-flavored topping. The type of rum is typically up to the baker, though some
recipes specifically call for a lighter style. The crust of a black bottom pie, meanwhile, has the
texture of a crisp cookie. It's often made with ginger snaps, which are the traditional choice
but riffs on the original recipe may use graham crackers or chocolate wafers. A rich layer of
homemade chocolate custard complements that crisp crust, while a whipped topping similar to meringue
completes the treat. While this dessert isn't served in the sky anymore, it can be a perfectly
decadent addition to an old-school dinner party. If you do decide to attempt this pie at home
just be sure to allow it time to set, but don't make it too far ahead, as you don't want the crust
to soften. Baked Alaska may have first been created in the 1800s in celebration of the US
acquiring the Alaskan Territory, but it really rose in popularity in the 1950s. By the 60s
people still couldn't get enough of it. It was called a surprise cake, as you don't see its
ice cream cake interior coming from its torched whipped meringue on the outside. It's a dessert
that's meant to impress your guests, and it isn't actually as hard to make as it might seem
We've started to see a comeback of baked Alaska in recent years, with seasonal
trendy riffs like chai, caramelized peaches, and pumpkin spice. Some restaurants have started
putting baked Alaska back on their dessert menus, but your best bet will likely be to attempt this
creation at home. Dates have long been a popular dessert ingredient thanks to their inherent
sweetness. Date bars were created by mixing chewy dates with copious amounts of sugar
then combining with a buttery crust, baking, and cutting them into squares. Also known as
Matrimonial Cake by Canadians, date bars go back as early as the 1930s, with the bars being a staple
in the 1953 Joy of Cooking edition. Bars and other date-themed desserts got big in the 60s
but the versatility of dates has carried on to current times. If you look at any protein bar
label, you'll likely find dates listed as a sweetener. You may not think of dates right away
when you think of a sophisticated dessert, but we think these buttery, old-fashioned bars can
give a nod to the recipes of the 60s and be a delicious, sort of healthy treat. If you're looking
for a pink dessert, look no further than this classic party cake. Pink champagne cake contains
obviously, champagne or sparkling rosé and gets its pink hue naturally from strawberries
or a touch of food coloring if you want to cut corners. Known for its airy texture
pink champagne cake was traditionally paired with a Bavarian cream or coconut filling
In more recent years, buttercream has been used as a substitute for both the filling
and icing. The pink champagne cake is thought to have originated on the west coast in the 50s and
60s. It was so popular in the west, it was said to be one of the most requested recipes from the
Los Angeles Times decades ago. The cake had a reign of popularity across the country from 1961
to 1965, and though it might not be as much of a mainstay these days, this classy pink cake could
just be the perfect choice for that next party in need of a splash of color and some bubbly
What's for dessert? Hello, with things the milkman brings. The 60s and Jell-O are almost synonymous. Jell-O had a place on the table in many a household at
the time, and while you can still find Jell-O available on store shelves and in hospitals
today, the molded cake formations made that were so widely popularized in the 60s are not typically
on the dessert radar these days The iconic Jell salad allowed your creativity to shine You could even make your Jell sparkling with champagne for the fancy adult dinner party Or for a more kid sparkling Jell approach
add the lemon-lime soda of your choice. While we may pass on bringing back some of the more
unusual pairings, like Jell-O with seafood or vegetables, Jell-O mold cakes with their
see-through additions like fruit or marshmallows are both fun and tasty. Ambrosia salad skirts the
between a dessert and a side dish. But whether you've eaten it at the beginning, middle, or end
of a meal, you've probably eaten it at a family dinner or two sometime in the last few decades
Ambrosia salad isn't really a salad the way we think of them now. There's no vegetables
but there is fruit, coconut, mini marshmallows, and Cool Whip. I don't know what anybody knows about Cool Whip. I read a 30-page dossier that fails to use the
words fake whipped cream. It's customizable based on your chosen fruits, although mandarin oranges
and canned pineapple tend to be the go-to. Popular around the holidays in southern cuisine
ambrosia salad has undergone many variations over the years by chefs as a tribute
These days, you may see takes using more interesting fruit varieties than what once
graced this dish. Spumoni wasn't invented in the 60s. Its origins reportedly date back to
late 19th century Italy. When Italians immigrated to the States in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries, they brought the recipe along with them. During the 60s, Spumoni was a particularly
popular dessert at steakhouses and supper clubs, and while its close cousin Neapolitan ice cream
is still sold by retailers nationwide, it's surprisingly difficult to get a single scoop
of Spumoni nowadays. What sets Spumoni apart from your average frozen confection was the rather
involved process of producing it. Its name comes from the Italian word spuma, meaning foam
and to make Spumoni correctly, three different flavors of gelato must be blended with whipped
cream before being combined into a fluffy and sweet frozen treat. After the gelato is perfectly
airy, mix-ins like nuts, amaretto cookies, and candied fruit are added before it's frozen solid
offering additional texture that transcends your typical ice cream scoop. The most traditional
flavors of gelato used are pistachio, vanilla, and cherry. Not coincidentally, when these are
layered in the proper order, Spumoni closely resembles an Italian flag. While Spumoni may not
be easy to find at stores. If you have some time to spare, you can whip up your own. When National
Spumoni Day rolls around on August 21st, you'll be ready. This vintage dessert is arguably still
relevant. There's a whole restaurant dedicated to the fondue part. Don't just make a reservation
make a genuine connection. Savor every moment at the melting pot. Fondue originated in Switzerland
as a melted cheese dip, but didn't reach the Americas until it made its debut at the 1964
New York World's Fair. By the late 60s, early 70s, fondue had become ridiculously popular
The original chocolate fondue recipe included Toblerone chocolate, heavy cream, and Swiss
firewater, but has since been modified to include all types of sweet and salty varieties
You can usually find chocolate fondue served with graham crackers, fruit like bananas or
strawberries, angel food cake or pound cake, brownies, and even Rice Krispies treats
The customization makes chocolate fondue an easy way to please all palates
This dessert deserves a place at your table if you want to enhance a party with an interactive
after-dinner display. The chiffon cake has roots tied to the West Coast in 1927
It's said that insurance salesman-turned-caterer Harry Baker created the recipe but kept it a
secret for two decades, only selling the cake to the Hollywood elite. General Mills was able
to buy the recipe from Baker in 1947 and published it in a Betty Crocker pamphlet the following year
and from there, the chiffon cake exploded in popularity with baking contests
The secret ingredient was using vegetable oil instead of shortening. The recipe, called the first new cake recipe in 100 years, also separated the eggs from the egg whites
The dessert graced dining tables throughout the 60s, but has since become more of a rarity
Though you see chiffon cakes in speciality bakeries you likely be hard to find them at your local grocer If you more of a pie person there a chiffon for you too That version also has West Coast roots It was invented in 1926 by Monroe Boston Strauss aka The Pie King The chiffon pie
is known for its light, airy filling thanks to a combination of egg whites and gelatin
as well as its signature graham cracker crust. In 1948, baking giant Duncan Hines repopularized
the chiffon pie with a recipe that's still circulating today. Chocolate mousse hit the
height of its popularity in the mid-20th century, thanks to both the 1950s Betty Crocker cookbook
and a 1961 Julia Child cookbook. You'd be hard-pressed not to find chocolate mousse on a
trendy dessert menu or at a dinner party through the 70s, but then it slipped out of the limelight
The exact reason why is unclear, but some have attributed it to the diet culture that took over
the 80s. The good news is that chocolate mousse appears to be making a comeback in recent years
The authentic French recipes à la Julia Child typically include some sort of liqueur and good quality chocolate
I want to melt it in a quarter of a cup of flavoring and I'm going to melt it in dark rum
But there are plenty of quick and easy chocolate mousse recipes that take less technique
but are still tasty and pay tribute to the treat of the 60s. Serve your chocolate mousse of choice in vintage glass dessert cups with a dollop of whipped cream for the full retro vibe
The Crown Jewel Cake is another fun jello-themed dessert with whimsical colors and unique textures
Also called the Broken Window Glass Cake, it was so popular in the 50s and 60s that it even ran on the back of jello boxes
The Crown Jewel Cake has a layer of either white cake or graham cracker crust, a creamy filling, and bold-colored gelatin cubes throughout that sparkle like jewels
You can utilize a spring-form pan, a mold, or a pie pan. To shortcut your way to a crown jewel cake, you can use boxed cake mix and boxed gelatin
If you don't want to mess with cake, there's a crown jewel dessert that offers the same
multi-colored jello artwork within whipped topping. Whichever take on the crown jewel you choose, its fun colors are sure to captivate both
adults and kids even today. The Tunnel of Fudge Cake was a second-place winner at the 1966 Pillsbury Bake Off Contest
A clever baking technique separates the chocolate cake batter into two portions with hot fudge
in the middle and a trail of walnuts or pecans. There are two keys to baking the tunnel of fudge
cake to perfection. The first is the Bunt Pan, which became a household staple after the Pillsbury
contest, thanks to this cake. The second is one package of Pillsbury Double Dutch Fudge
Buttercream Frosting Mix, which Pillsbury discontinued. While the company has provided a recipe adaptation using powdered sugar and cocoa powder
the result is a pale imitation of the original recipe. Although online bakers have found some
success with a few modern tweaks. The end result of the Tunnel of Fudge Cake is a fudgy, molten core
that rivals any molten lava cake found at restaurants today. But be warned if you plan
to recreate it at home. Pillsbury recommends not going light on the nuts for the best Tunnel Cake
results. The cool and creamy grasshopper pie gets its name from its pastel green hue, akin to a
grasshopper, and is inspired by the early 1900s creme de menthe and creme de cacao cocktail of
the same name. The exact origin of the grasshopper pie is unclear, but it's believed to have started
circulating in cookbooks in the early 60s as a means of selling products from specific alcohol
brands. Its popularity was proven when the St. Petersburg Times was inundated with grasshopper
pie recipes in 1968 after publishing a letter from a reader inquiring about one. Grasshopper
pie was still a commonly enjoyed treat into the 70s, but its popularity dropped after that
So what makes this pie so popular? It may be the easy, no-bake nature of the grasshopper pie
making it perfect to prepare for a summer day. The pie is set by using melted marshmallows as
the base for the boozy filling, with some recipes even adding a touch of white chocolate liqueur
After the pie is assembled into an Oreo cookie crust, it's popped in the freezer for a few hours
While you may see grasshopper pie make an appearance on certain green-themed holidays
we think the mint and chocolate combination deserves a place on the dessert table year-round