Old Fashioned “Sad” Cake
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This Old Fashioned Sad Cake only has 5 ingredients & has a great butter pecan flavor. It’s called that because it rises as it bakes & falls as it cools.
Sad Cake Recipe
Today’s recipe comes from my personal vintage recipe collection and is titled – ‘Sad’ Cake.
You would think that a recipe called that might not taste good but let me tell you… it’s delicious and super easy to make!
Why is it Called Sad Cake?
The name comes from how the cake rises in the oven, and then sinks as it cools. The result is a gooey and slightly chewy cake that reminds me of a Butter Pecan Gooey Butter Cake.
It only has 5 ingredients. You just stir all the ingredients in a bowl, spread it in your cake pan, & bake. That’s it. Easy-peasy.
Sad Cake Ingredients
Here’s what the cast of ingredients looks like! There is a printable recipe below this ingredient list with the exact measurements.
- Bisquick
- eggs
- brown sugar
- vanilla extract
- chopped pecans
Sad Cake Flavor Variations
Here are some ways you can switch up the flavors:
- Swap Pecans for Other Nuts: Not a fan of pecans or simply want to try something different? Feel free to substitute them with walnuts, almonds, or even macadamia nuts.
- Add Chocolate Chips: For the chocolate lovers out there, adding semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips will give your sad cake an nice chocolatey boost!
- Spice It Up: A dash of cinnamon or nutmeg can add a warming spice flavor to your sad cake.
- Fruit Additions: Consider adding dried fruit like raisins, currants, or chopped dates for a fruity twist.
- Add Coconut Flakes: If you are a coconut fan, you can add some flakes to this cake to give it some extra flavor and texture.
- Change the Extract: While vanilla extract gives your sad cake a classic flavor, you can also try almond extract or rum extract for a change.
How to Serve Sad Cake
Let your sad cake cool in the pan for a few hours using a wire wrack to circulate the air. After cooled, you can cut it into squares and serve.
Storing Sad Cake
You can store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it.
To freeze the cake, simply make sure it is completely cooled and then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe airtight container or a plastic freezer bag. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Old Fashioned 'Sad' Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups Bisquick
- 4 eggs
- 2-1/3 cups brown sugar (about 1 pound)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients and put in a 13x9" buttered pan (or spray it with nonstick cooking spray). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. It will rise will baking, then fall.
Can I use cake flour
You really need bisquick for this recipe!
Does the end result come out like cake or more like a bar/brownie?
More like a bar
Very easy to make using readily available ingredients. First time to make this and was very satisfied with end result.
Sprinkle a bag of chocolate chips over the top before baking. Delicious!
NOTHING “sad” about this one!!! (UNLESS, you were expecting it to be more “cake”like!) I made it last night, and they were the BEST pecan blondies I’ve ever made! Will definitely this easy, delicious recipe make again and again.
Took mine out after 30 minutes and let it cool…it was still almost liquid. I know it’s supposed to be gooey, but mine was way undercooked. For me, it really was *sad* cake. 🙁
Do you have to have the nuts in it ?
No you can leave them out if you want.
My Great Aunt Lucille brought me a Sad Cake and a half gallon canning jar of homemade vegetable beef soup when I moved into her little town. I had 2 little girls and I had the flu and I was a big ol mess. I didnt even know she knew I moved to the neighborhood but my grandma must have told her. She sure warmed my heart and soul and as soon as I was better, I got that recipe from her and I still make it today.. I made a batch 2 days ago for my best girlfriend who was diagnosed with cancer and she swears its an instant feel better cake.. 🙂 I decided I needed to make myself a batch too. lol Yummmm!
Oh.. btw… that was about 37 years ago. 🙂 <3
Definitely try with homemade cream cheese icing.
When I was a kid my “Grandma” made this cake but in her little neck of the woods”Bragg City” Missouri.
Everyone called it Sad Preacher Cake. Years ago when Southern Baptist preachers would preach “Fire and Brimstone”.This cake resembles a preacher getting loud rising then calming down as he cools.
Hi. I am from Lancashire England from where Sad Cake originates. It is not called Sad Cake here because it fails to rise, but because it traditionally contained plain pastry and seeds or (modern) dried fruit like raisins. The word ‘sad’ originated from the Norse word ‘Saed’ (pronounced ‘say’d) meaning seed.
Back in the late 60s we used biscuit mix in the little pkgs and when cooked it did look sad but was the best snack cake so most it was a go to for my husband’s and kids lunches
Thank you for having the recipe my grandma made that I couldn’t find. Your vintage recipe looked so similar to hers that was stuck in her recipe book but I couldn’t find I almost cried. I’m sticking it back in the family cookbook!
This makes my heart so happy!
I add half a bag of semi sweet chocolate chips and half a bag of toffee bits to mine. We love Sad Cake.