This timeless classic consists of a sponge cake base that is topped with ice cream, and the whole combination is then encased in lightly torched or browned meringue. There are many conflicting stories regarding its origin, but it is believed that a predecessor of baked Alaska might be omelette Norvegienne - a French invention that featured layers of cake and ice cream that were covered in meringue and then broiled.
In the US, it is accepted that baked Alaska first appeared under the name Alaska Florida at Delmonico's restaurant in New York sometime in the mid-1850s. It was an invention of pastry chef Charles Ranhofer, and it originally consisted of banana ice cream, walnut spice cake, and meringue.
MOST ICONIC Baked Alaska
Although the name suggests otherwise, Boston cream pie is not a pie, but a cake consisting of two layers of sponge cake which are filled with a rich vanilla custard, while the whole thing is finished with a chocolate glaze, or in some cases, with sprinkled confectioners' sugar.
It was named a pie because the first versions were baked in pie tins, which were more common than cake pans in the mid-19th century. The inventor of the Boston cream pie is a French chef named Sanzian, who worked in the Parker House, a hotel that claims to have served the dessert since its opening in 1856.
MOST ICONIC Boston Cream Pie
View moreA local sweet treat originating from Philadelphia, german butter cake is a sweet and buttery cake that is crispy around the edges and on top, while at the same time oozing with a buttery filling inside. The cake crust is typically made with a dough consisting of yeast, milk, flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and salt.
The dough is often flavored with vanilla extract, and once it has risen, it is usually stretched and pressed into a greased pan before being covered with a thick layer of a vanilla-flavored butter mixture. Often nicknamed Philadelphia butter cake, the cake is typically cut into slices and eaten with a cup of coffee on the side.
MOST ICONIC German Butter Cake
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “3 Worst Rated Northeastern American Cakes” list until March 26, 2025, 1,035 ratings were recorded, of which 917 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.