The Vintage Cake Reddit Is Begging To Come Back

Over the years, Reddit has developed quite a knack for reviving vintage cakes. A post goes viral in one of the site's many baking subgroups, and along comes cherished memories shared with generational recipes. Many wistful comments and nostalgia-tinted threads later, a vintage cake is brought back to life in countless Redditors' kitchens. That's what happened with the Omaha cake, and if you haven't heard of it before, it's about time you did.

Unfortunately, at this point, Omaha cake is still one of the many once-popular desserts that no one eats anymore (at least not on a large scale), so you might have a hard time finding it at bakeries. However, baking it at home is always an option, and it certainly helps that it's a very easy-to-make dump cake. Start by mixing sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, eggs, and oil into a batter. In a baking pan, spread it in layers, with a jam or canned pie filling of choice in between, then finish off with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar.

Baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for around half an hour, it comes out of the oven golden, tender, and oozing with fruity goodness as you slice into it. All that's left to do is jazz up the surface, much like you would with other decadent cakes. A few drizzles of lemon sugar icing work wonders, but some also take it one step further with fresh fruits, cookie crumbs, or even a scoop of ice cream upon serving.

Six years ago, Redditor u/Classy_Corpse shared an old, handwritten recipe of their grandmother's Omaha cake in the subreddit r/oldrecipes. That's all it took for the comments to pour in. One asked about the origin of the name, which the original poster attributed to their hometown, Omaha, Nebraska. Others exclaimed how much it reminded them of their loved ones, and plenty talked about making it in the near future.

From there on, Redditor u/ellefemme35 recreated a version featuring cherry pie filling and whipped cream topping. Even though the post dates back to 2020, you can still find comments from as recent as four months ago talking about making the cake at home, with users showing off different versions of their Omaha cake.

Although unclear precisely when, it's likely the resurgence of this cake has been simmering since April of 2024. More and more posts of homemade Omaha cake have been popping up, underneath which are countless compliments. From simple praises like "That looks scrumptious!!" and "looks pretty appetizing," to more unique descriptions deeming the cake as "retro-cartoon beautiful," almost all reactions to this cake have been positive. One even mentioned it as a great way to use up their canned cherry filling. From the many that have successfully made it, the reviews are just as glowing. One user praised its ease of preparation, while another said they will "definitely make this again."