07/22/2026
It was created by Fred Sanders, who opened his first chocolate and ice cream shop in downtown Detroit back in 1875. The cake itself—originally called the "Chocolate Buttercream Cake"—was introduced in the early 1910s.
The signature "bumps" happened because Sanders wanted to make a cake that could be easily cut into neat, equal portions. He used a pastry bag to pipe parallel thick ridges of rich buttercream across a devil's food chocolate cake, then poured a thick layer of pourable fudge icing over the top, creating that unmistakable undulating look. It quickly became a staple at Detroit birthday parties and family gatherings.
