National Chocolate Cake Day is a non-official holiday celebrated on January 27 each year. This day commemorates this sweet treat that has been a part of American society for about 252 years. It’s a great day to learn about chocolate cake, or more likely, to serve up a plate of this delicious dessert. After all, we don’t really need to have a birthday or anniversary to enjoy some chocolate cake.

History of National Chocolate Cake Day

Many people believe that chocolate cake has been around since ancient times, but that isn’t really true. While it is true that the ancient Egyptians were the first to bake cakes and that chocolate was first invented over 3,000 years ago by the Aztecs, the two didn’t come together until about the middle of the 18th century in America. This is when Dr. James Baker and a chocolate maker teamed up to make the first chocolate cake in 1765.

Dr. James Baker learned how to make chocolate by grinding cocoa between two large millstones at his local mill. However, the process was laborious and time-consuming. It wouldn’t be until 1828 when Conrad Van Houten learned how to mechanically extract the fat from cacao liquor that the process became quicker and chocolate became less expensive, making it more available to the masses.

In 1847, one of the first chocolate cake recipes was published by Eliza Leslie in The Lady’s Receipt Book, but American households didn’t really begin to add chocolate to their cakes until about the 1880s. They wouldn’t do so until the 1920s. This is when a food company based in Pittsburgh named P. Duff and Sons created the first boxed cake mix. During the 1930s, they would go on to create a devil’s food boxed cake mix, but unfortunately, they had to put it on hold due to rationing during World War II. After the war ended, General Mills and Duncan Hines took over the market with their cake mixes. This is when chocolate cake really began to take off in America.

As for when the day commemorating chocolate cake came on the scene, no one really knows. However, as time passes, it’s a day that’s becoming more and more popular—not only in the United States but all over the world. And why wouldn’t it? After all, chocolate cake is delicious.

Types of Chocolate Cake

When choosing a chocolate cake to serve on this holiday, you have a variety of choices. Below are some of the more popular chocolate cakes you can make on this day:

• German Chocolate Cake
• Flourless Fudge Cake
• Black Forest Gateau
• Devil’s Food Cake
• Chocolate Decadence Cake
• Molten Chocolate Cake
• Red Velvet Cake

Celebrating National Chocolate Cake Day

Just in case you have to ask, the best way to celebrate this holiday is by having chocolate cake. You can either enjoy a nice big slice with your dinner, or you can have it for every meal on this day. If you’re really adventurous, you can make chocolate cake French toast by substituting a slice of chocolate cake for white bread in your French toast recipe.