The History of Brooklyn Blackout Cake

Brooklyn blackout cake was created by the Brooklyn-based Ebinger Baking Company, which opened its doors in 1898 and was known for making German-style pastries and layer cakes. In the early 20th century, the company released a chocolate fudge cake that became quite popular. During World War II, the name was changed to “Brooklyn blackout cake” in reference to the wartime blackout drills conducted by the Civilian Defense Corps, in which city lights were extinguished and windows were covered as naval ships departed from the Brooklyn Navy Yard. But it wasn’t just the cake’s name that was unique — unlike other chocolate cakes, Brooklyn blackout cake was both filled and coated with chocolate pudding, then covered with a layer of chocolate crumbs. This gave the cake a short shelf-life, so it had to be consumed shortly after it was baked. This in no way negatively affected its popularity, in fact, it became a staple in New York. Although the Ebinger Baking Company closed its doors in 1972, Brooklyn blackout cake endured as other bakeries and home bakers continued to make their own versions of the iconic vintage cake. Today, Brooklyn blackout cake is still a New York classic and has even been reinterpreted by local businesses in new, modern ways, such as Doughnut Plant’s Brooklyn Blackout Doughnut.