This easy to make Funny Cake recipe, referred to as a chocolate breakfast cake, from Pennsylvania Dutch, German descent. It is a vanilla cake baked in a pie with a chocolate sauce.

Funny Cake Recipe- Chocolate Breakfast Cake
Have you ever noticed how certain foods are very localized to an area. Some foods are everywhere. They make their way from one state to the next, across this country and that country, and through all cultures. Then there are some foods that people only know of in certain areas of a country, like certain southern foods. But then I found out there are foods that do not even make it over to the next town.
I was born in Pennsylvania. I moved to the Outer Banks when I was young. When we moved back to Pennsylvania, we moved to an area outside of Philadelphia, by about 40 minutes, and 1 hour 40 minutes from Lancaster, which is Pennsylvania Dutch Country. I had been there, but to me at that point it was just a touristy place, and nothing much of interest.
Fast forward a few years and I started working in a bakery just a few miles away. Honestly, it is just 20 minutes closer to Lancaster. But those 20 minutes make a difference. Many things in the bakery are Pennsylvania Dutch recipes. Same with the grocery stores bakeries.
I say those few miles make difference because outside of those miles and circles, people do not know what these recipes are. When you mention them, people look at you like you are nuts.
My favorite item I learned to make was a Funny Cake. Some people know a funny cake as a chocolate breakfast cake. Funny cake is funny for many reasons. It is a vanilla breakfast cake , yes breakfast, baked in a pie crust with a chocolate sauce on the bottom. When you add the cake batter it settles on the bottom, the chocolate sauce is on top, and as it bakes, it reverses.
It is simply amazing. It is so good, people actually pay $7 all the way up $16 a pie when they buy them in the bakery. Considering how quickly they get eaten in my house, I have to make them from scratch or else I'd go broke.

Ingredients in Funny Cake
Get the full list of ingredients, with measurements, and step by step directions at the bottom of the post in the printable recipe card.
- Sugar
- Oil
- Eggs
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Milk
- Vanilla
- Cocoa
- Hot water
- Pie shells
How to Make Amish Funny Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Have your pie shells ready, in the pie plates.
In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs until well blended.
Slowly add the flour, baking powder, milk, and vanilla. Beat on medium 2 minutes.
Pour into the unbaked pie crusts.
In a small bowl, mix together sugar, cocoa, and hot water.
Pour over top of cake batter. Swirl around the top as you pour it in.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
More Delicious Dessert Recipe
- Easy Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
- Apple Cider Cupcakes
- Lemon Cake with Lemon Frosting
- Peanut Butter Banana Cupcakes Aka Elvis Cupcakes

Funny cake recipe, referred to as a chocolate breakfast cake, from Pennsylvania Dutch, German descent. A vanilla cake baked in a pie, with a chocolate sauce.
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup cocoa
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 pie shells
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Have your pie shells ready, in the pie plates.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs until well blended.
- Slowly add the flour, baking powder, milk and vanilla. Beat on medium 2 minutes.
- Pour into the unbaked pie crusts.
- In a small bowl, mix together sugar, cocoa, and hot water.
- Pour over top of cake batter. Swirl around the top as you pour it in.
- Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
Meghan @JaMonkey
I don't know if you watch Drop Dead Diva on Lifetime but her friend created something like this and called it a Pake! Pie+Cake=Pake
Debi
I never saw that show. I'll have to look it up.
Melissa Lawler
I need to give this a try. I wonder if it will work as a gluten free conversion.
Sheila
I have not heard of that, but it looks good. Thanks for sharing.
HilLesha
Yummy!
Dee @ Cocktails with Mom
At first glance, I thought photo was a pumpkin or sweet potato pie. I never heard of funny cake but it sounds interesting.
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell
So this is what you were talking about! Must try it!
Crissi
My step dad is from outside Lancaster so we are very familiar with these pies. When someone visits they mail them back to us. Another one of my favorites from that area is the Shoefly pie. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Mary Dailey
I've never seen anything like this and it looks soooooo good!
Krithika
Thanks for this recipe....sounds tooo good. I am going to try an eggless veriation of the same and see how it fares 🙂
Kat Prince
Your description of what this cake is, where it is from and how to make it is dead on correct and just cracked me up! I live right in the middle of Amish country and I love funny cake and shoofly pie. My neighbors are Amish and make the best. Thank you for spreading the word and I plan to start making my own pies now because you are right, buying them IS expensive!
Debi
Thanks. I wish I had someone Amish to make one for me, just to add that special touch. I could eat it everyday.
Lori
Ooh thanks for this! Funny cake was my favorite dessert as a kid! (I'm from Allentown PA)
Definitely going to make this!
Joy
I've had this before and it's so good! Thanks for the recipe!
August
Is there any chance the image of the funny cake slice could be added to the Wikipedia commons in order to make an article about funny cake?