The Old School Tiered Cake That You'll Only Find On The South Side Of Chicago

In Chicago's South Side, there's one particular old school dessert from 1951 that locals have held onto for decades, the Atomic Cake. This towering delight is often passed around at birthdays and graduations, acting literally and figuratively as a slice of history. The cake is built on several layers of banana, chocolate, and yellow cake. Using pastry cream as a sort of cement to hold the cake in place, it's topped with whipped cream and strawberries, until it feels like it's towering over you.

For many, this classic dessert is more than a cake; it's a symbol of a neighborhood tradition that goes back to the mid-20th century. A time when bakers aimed to capture the excitement of the Atomic Age. While its birthplace is neither here nor there, stories often lead to the South Side's family-owned bakeries, where the cake first gained its reputation. Walking into a South Side Chicago bakery will still feel like stepping back in time, and you'll likely see families ordering the Atomic Cake for celebrations just like their parents and grandparents did.

While the Atomic Cake is not as well known outside Chicago, it's a staple within the city. Moreover, it's seen as one of those childhood desserts that come with growing up on the South Side. Similar to many other food traditions, the cake has a touch of mystery and, with a dash of urban legend, but that only adds to the charm. While the Atomic Cake is iconic enough that it needs no comeback, there are several other Atomic era foods that deserve one.

There are many bakeries in Chicago that are worth traveling for, which is no surprise given the cakes that the city produced in the mid-20th century. Although the Atomic Cake has ominous roots, the cake's mythology links back to South Side Chicago. The baker associated with the legend is George Kremm, who first conceived the idea while working at Calumet Bakery. However, Kremm would later debut the Atomic Cake at the opening of his bakery, Liberty Bakery, in Roseland, naming it in honor of the era.

Although it was debuted at his bakery, Calumet Bakery claimed the inventor title because the idea was thought up there. However, bakeries all over the South Side claimed this title as each one had its own variation. Webers Bakery, for instance, renamed it to the Banana Split Torte, replacing the yellow cake layer with a second banana layer.

To further add to the mystery, anyone outside of the South Side would be completely oblivious to the fact that this cake even existed. Unless you moved from the South Side, other Chicagoans wouldn't have a clue what you'd be talking about. As with many timeless dishes, the origins remain a mystery, but you'd be correct in saying the Atomic Cake is truly a Chicago thing. Bakeries aside, the story behind Chicago's famous ice cream rainbow cone will have you planning out a "food-cation" to the city.