Reviewed: Sep. 17, 2009

i made this cake and it was AMAZING i used a different chocolate frosting and then i poured some white glaze on the top. i put 1 cup of batter in each layer and only made seven cake layers but i put frosting inbetween each layer and then covered the cake in frosting and put the white glaze on. and i served it for my mom and dads 20th anniversary. definatly suggust using this cake but DON'T try the frosting. enjoy

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

bakeralaina

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Stanwood, Washington, USA

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Sep. 14, 2009

Well, I, like others on the board, had an awful time with the icing. A friend had given me a piece of a 24 layer cake that was OUT OF THIS WORLD. So, I assumed, I could give this one a winning try. I tried to follow all of the other member's advice with the icing. And, as other's.....it did not turn out. The cake part was a success, but that icing wouldn't set. I even tried adding a whole bunch of confectioner's sugar....that didn't work.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

cwhclc

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Aug. 2, 2009

I made this for my mom's birthday. I followed the recipe as written. The only change I made was to use a cup of batter per layer, so of course it didn't come out as a 14 layer cake but a 9. However, no one knew the difference and gobbled it up and enjoyed every decadent bite! Thanks for the recipe, my Mom loved it!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

jessay3

Cooking Level: Expert

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Jul. 11, 2009

My husband is from North Carolina, so I made him this cake for his birthday. I got the highest complement from him that I have ever heard, he said it tasted just like his mom's! Thanks Nell and Carolina Girl your recipe and tips were just what this Yankee girl needed!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

mermaidgirl1

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Dec. 23, 2008

This cake, supposed to be our Christmas dessert, looks like a stack of pancakes with chocolate syrup over it! I MAY try it one more time, using Carolina Girl's suggestions.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Barbara

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Dec. 22, 2008

This cake was really good, the frosting was runny, but I didn't know if it was supposed to be or not, but It still tasted so good! Everyone loved it, It was a pain baking every layer, but worth it. I did'nt have vanilla extract, so I used orange. It tasted really good with the chocolate 'glaze' frosting!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Anna C Baker

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Joliet, Illinois, USA

Living In: Clarkton, Missouri, USA

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Nov. 28, 2008

You have to UNDERSTAND this cake to appreciate it. This is an old Southern holiday/special occasion recipe. It is obviously labor intensive and made with a big dose of LOVE! These days most folks just buy them from a home baker...these cakes run $40-$50! Follow these directions to the letter and you will have a taste of Christmas in the rural south!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
3 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

BBJROD

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Jul. 15, 2007

My 89 year old grandmother has been making a cake similar to this for many years. Her batter recipe differs slightly - only use 1 cup of milk and 3 1/2 cups of self rising flour. To make the batter: cream the oil, margarine, vanilla & sugar together; add the 6 eggs; add 3 1/2 cups flour then add one cup of milk only mixing for a minute after the addition of the milk. To make the filling (chocolate icing), use 3 cups of sugar, 6 heaping tablespoons (use a serving spoon) of cocoa powder and add enough water to make a paste (just eyeball it). Then add 1 can evaporated milk and 2 sticks of margarine. Bring mixture to a boil, cooking until just thick and stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and let sit on burner. You put this filling between each layer and to the remaining filling you add powdered sugar to make it thick (eyeball it). This becomes the icing for the cake - allow sit out uncovered so the icing will harden.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
18 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

E. Shuman

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Jan. 23, 2007

For all of you out there having trouble with the icing, here is another alternative. This is the icing recipe I use for my 14 layer cake which does come out a little thicker (not that there is anything wrong with the one already listed!)But you do need to make the icing first. 1 stick margarine, 3 1/2 blocks unsweetened Bakers Chocolate, 2 cups evaporated milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 3 cups sugar & a dash of salt. Melt sugar & chocolate in saucepan then add other ingredients. Cook until thick stirring constantly. Ice each layer as it comes out of the oven. Hope this helps! From another Carolina Girl!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
12 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Carolina Girl

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Dec. 13, 2006

The cake part sound delicious, but I wanted to say...I have a recipe something like this from my grandmother. Tips: pans...we always used an iron griddle about 10 round. If it is seasoned well it will never stick. Frosting...this one sounds hard. We only used cocoa powder and water to make a syrup. Use 3 cups of sugar and one cup of water and boil to rolling boil. Boil to a soft stage on a candy thermometer or until the syrup forms a soft ball when dropped in hot water....add cocoa stir very little as you do not want to form sugar crystals. It will be a slow process. Set on the stove as you cook the layers to keep warm. As you layer the cake...poke hole throughout and spoon a few table spoons over each layer. Fabulous! No milk needed for frosting to it doesn't have to be refridgerated!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Hope

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Nov. 21, 2006

If you follow the directions by CarolinaGirl34 this recipe is perfect. I have never made this and my boyfriend's parents were going to order it from somewhere for Thanksgiving. Instead of them ordering it, I volunteered to make it and made my 'Practice Cake' for my office Thanksgiving party. It was a huge hit with a big 'wow' factor. If you adjust the measurements as indicated, and make sure to bring the icing to a rolling boil, it will be fine. It's delicious. And when you cut into the cake it's beautiful. I sprinkled chopped pistachio's on top. I would recommend something like that to make it prettier.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
11 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

GABaker

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Oct. 29, 2006

Made this for my family. Tasted just like pancakes w/chocolate sauce. Was able to make chocolate sauce thicker by decreasing liquid. But overall its a time consuming process that was not taste worthy. Would not make again

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

TPIANTEDOSI

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Somerville, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Salem, New Hampshire, USA

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Aug. 14, 2006

I read this recipe and thought...hhmm..I could make this, so I tried, yesterday! The batter was easy to prepare and w only minor pan stickage I was off on my way, one layer baked after another. So, I thought, I could make the frosting (even though others thought it was a "soupy mess") well, let me tell you, IT WAS!! I tried everything under the sun to thicken it (corn starch, whipping cream, pudding mixes) but nothing worked. (Now, I do have to say, had I mixed the chocolate syrup mess with steamed milk, I think that would have been the best cup of hot chocolate ever!!!) Yet, I pushed on. I put together the cake (stopping at 8 layers) bc of time constraints and served it w vanilla bean icecream and caramel syrup and the entire cake was devoured. One of the cake eaters sd it looks like chocolate covered pancakes!! Tasty, not so messy, you never know, it could be requested in the future to be made again by one of the party goers!! : )

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

bessiedarlin

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Apr. 5, 2006

Ok: i took the challenge to make the cake according to both recipe and reviws and it paid off. It is a different cake, with a special melt in your mouth rich texture. next time though, I'm baking the layers in a large rectangular pan or cookie sheet and cutting them in three rectangles to reduce overall baking time. So what if it's not a round cake? I also sprinkled ground walnuts between layers and it was just what i hoped for: a hit!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
5 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

adda

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Dec. 27, 2005

This was really good, but here are some tips. Read CAROLINAGIRL's review and follow that. I think you might need to do a rolling boil for a bit more than 2 mins. Maybe 3 to 4 mins. Use teflon pans. I used two teflons and one aluminum and the layers in the aluminum pan did not turn out well, even though a greased and floured excessively. Since my icing was a bit too runny, it ended up looking like a pile of flapjacks with chocolate sauce. But, I dressed it up with a layer of buttercream frosting all over and decorated it and it was a hit. The flavor was wonderful. Just needed some help at the end. I will make this again, but will use the teflon pans only and maybe get a few more so I can do more than two layers at a time! lol All in all, this was really good.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

PAMELA6

Home Town: Saratoga, California, USA

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Dec. 3, 2005

I love this recipe! We have it every year at holiday gatherings, but I've never had the recipe. I followed all of the suggestions submitted by CAROLINAGIRL34 and had no problems whatsoever. I did adjust the recipe to accommodate 9" cake pans and plain flour. To do so, the list of ingredients changed as follows. For the batter: 1/2 cup + 2tbs +2 tsp butter flavored shortening; 1/2 cup butter; 2 1/3 cups white sugar; 7 eggs; 3 1/2 cups milk; 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour; 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 tbs +1 tsp baking powder; 3 1/2 cups milk. For the icing: 3 1/2 cups white sugar; 1 cup + 2 tbs. + 2tsp. butter; 1/2 cup +1 tbs. + 1tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder; 1/4 cup + 2 tsp. water; 2 1/3 cups evaporated milk. I increased the amount of batter in each pan to 1 cup. My cake was the hit of our Thanksgiving table and everyone was astonished the cake was as moist as it was. Thanks to Nell and CAROLINAGIRL34!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
8 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

TSIMS001

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Columbus, Georgia, USA

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Jul. 6, 2005

I read all the reviews carefully and was sure my 14 layer cake would turn out. Brought the frosting to a FULL ROLLING BOIL etc. Only got 12 layers (disappointing, as it was for a 14th birthday). Don't know how this hapened as I used the same measuring cups I'd used for the ingredients. Frosting did not set well - perhaps this recipe works only at low altitude. Was VERY liquid when first came off the boil - nobody mentioned that part of the extra time would be spent washing the walls. Would like to see a picture of a successful 14 layer cake. Maybe mine turned out and I just don't like it.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

BIZZYCOOK

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Jul. 1, 2005

This is one of my favorite desserts. I have payed others to make this cake for me for years. It is very expensive to buy. Thanks Nell for the recipe. I have made it three times and each time I get better at it. It is not easy and does take time and practice but it is truly a delicious and impressive dessert once you master it. Thanks for sharing.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

christym

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Mar. 27, 2005

This cake DID not turn out as I had expected. It was for Easter and we ended up with no dessert. The layers using the measurements stated are paper thin. I used 3/4-1/2 cup later on, but the layers are now uneven. The icing is a runny glob. Less milk yes! It ran all over the table. I was not pleased with three hours of intensive labor and money on ingredients.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

JAMIEINNC

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Jan. 16, 2005

Patient! you will need lots of patient on this cake,but trust me, all effort will be worth when you see the actual outcome. The batter is exactly 14 layers with 3/4 cup per layer. Nothing more and nothing less. I was a bit worry when I see the chocolate frosting very liquid, so, I put some in the fridge for the last cover for the whole cake. I've never eat or make this cake before, so it even amazed myself when I see the beautiful layer texture inside. It's definitely a must try recipe. Highly recommended.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
2 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

MANDYMANDY

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Fourteen Layer Chocolate Cake

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

Reviewer:

My Recipe Box (0)

Something worth saving?

Most Popular Blogs

Recently Viewed Recipes

Top Searches

Email or User Name	Password (forgot?)

Remember me? Join for FREE!