# Did you know? German chocolate cake is not German, chocolate, or cake? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-german-chocolate-cake-is-not-german-chocolate-or-cake/512347 "2009-10-02T15:01:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Never\_Say\_Dice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee59a6/32.png) [@Never\_Say\_Dice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Never_Say_Dice)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-german-chocolate-cake-is-not-german-chocolate-or-cake/512347/21 "2009-10-02T21:56:20Z")
Boston Cream Pie is a custard cake, but not German. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-german-chocolate-cake-is-not-german-chocolate-or-cake/512347/22 "2009-10-02T22:22:57Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > Getting a little _verklemmt_? Nope, just a little shpilkis in my gonectigizoink. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-german-chocolate-cake-is-not-german-chocolate-or-cake/512347/23 "2009-10-02T22:25:08Z")
Actually, yes, I did know that. And French’s mustard isn’t French, but that one’s more obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Never\_Say\_Dice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee59a6/32.png) [@Never\_Say\_Dice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Never_Say_Dice)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-german-chocolate-cake-is-not-german-chocolate-or-cake/512347/24 "2009-10-03T17:59:07Z")
“French’s is an American manufacturer of prepared mustard condiment. Created by Robert Timothy French, French’s mustard debuted to the world at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair” ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-german-chocolate-cake-is-not-german-chocolate-or-cake/512347/25 "2009-10-03T23:01:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Actually, yes, I did know that. And French’s mustard isn’t French, but that one’s more obvious. And Mr. French of Family Affair was not French, he was English. Fortunately, this show did not air after 9/01 or they would have changed the character’s name to Mr. Freedom, which unfortunately makes one think of a superhero wearing spandex and you really don’t want to go there. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-german-chocolate-cake-is-not-german-chocolate-or-cake/512347/26 "2009-10-03T23:18:58Z")
I did know that it got it’s name from Baker’s Sweet German Chocolate. The recipe on their chocolate is the one I use. I probably wouldn’t know this if I wasn’t into baking deserts. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-german-chocolate-cake-is-not-german-chocolate-or-cake/512347/27 "2009-10-03T23:57:43Z")
I have known about the German Chocolate Cake story for years. First of all, having lived in Germany, most were quite perplexed when asked about such a cake. Germans coming to visit me are often amused to see it on the menu and if I forgot to tell them the story, report back on eating a cake they have never heard of, but supposedly comes from Germany. In Berlin, the name for the traditional black and white cookie (half vanilla frosting, half chocolate) is “Ami” (short for “American”). The reason they started calling them “Ami’s” is after the war when they would see black GI’s and white GI’s roaming through the streets and the name of cookie evolved from there. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-german-chocolate-cake-is-not-german-chocolate-or-cake/512347/28 "2009-10-04T03:24:33Z")
> [@Never\_Say\_Dice](#): > > Boston Cream Pie is a custard cake, but not German. Nope, it’s actually Bostonian (imagine that!) [Cite](http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Cakes/BostonCreamPie.htm) > [@What's Cooking America](#): > > The Parker House Hotel (now the Omni Parker House Hotel), claims to have served Boston cream pies since their opening in 1856. French chef Sanzian, who was hired for the opening of the hotel, is credited with creating Boston cream pie. This cake was originally served at the hotel with the names Chocolate Cream Pie or Parker House Chocolate Cream Pie. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-german-chocolate-cake-is-not-german-chocolate-or-cake/512347/29 "2009-10-04T23:17:36Z")
[My thread from 2004](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=261522) 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-german-chocolate-cake-is-not-german-chocolate-or-cake/512347.md?page=1)