12 classic desserts that have stood the test of time

USA Today

23-05-2025

Cheesecake reached classic dessert status in the 1980s thanks to The Cheesecake Factory – Photo courtesy of LauriPatterson / E+
This article was originally published in January 2021 and updated in May 2025.
Desserts change, but our sweet tooth doesn't. Our taste for fatty, sweet, creamy, salty, chocolatey treats is a part of our collective DNA. But what desserts we crave aren't just dictated by our hunger, but also by trends. Here are some of the most popular classic desserts broken down by decade since 1900. 1900s | Ice cream cones
No classic desserts list can be without ice cream – Photo courtesy of ahirao_photo / iStock Via Getty Images
The World's Fair was responsible for many advancements in food technology, and the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, is the best example. We have the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Expo to thank for introducing puffed rice cereal, French's mustard, and the popularization of cotton candy and hot dogs.
Advertisement
However, one of the most notable inventions of that show was the ice cream cone — an accidental invention. The story goes that an ice cream vendor ran out of cups to serve ice cream, and a pastry maker in a neighboring booth offered him a thin waffle cone to serve ice cream in. So the next time you grab an ice cream cone, remember you're holding a classic dessert born of ingenuity and innovation. 1910s | Strawberry shortcake
The trinity of cake, strawberries and whipped cream come together in this classic dessert – Photo courtesy of ASIFE / iStock Via Getty Images
Shortcakes date back to at least the Elizabethan era. But the modern concept of strawberry shortcake, layering slices of strawberries with sponge cake and whipped cream, came about when a French pastry chef replaced the customary sugary frosting topping with heavy whipped cream instead.
The classic dessert became so beloved that during the 1910s, you could find it on menus throughout the United States.
Advertisement
1920s | S'mores
S'mores is short for "some more" which is true because who can ever eat just one of these? – Photo courtesy of bhofack2 / iStock Via Getty Images
Thank the Girl Scouts for inventing camping's favorite bonfire treat. The first recipe for s'mores arrived in the 1927 Girl Scout guidebook 'Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts.'
The combination of chocolate, marshmallow, and graham crackers was already popular, thanks to Mallomars, which first appeared in 1913, and Moonpies, which launched in 1917. So the world was already hungry for the treat by the time s'mores came around. 1930s | Mock apple pie
Frugality was a hallmark of the decade between the two world wars, and the Great Depression meant doing without many things. Clever home cooks, however, always found ways to bring something sweet to the table, and mock apple pie became a staple during these challenging times.
Apples were expensive then, so apple pie wasn't the most economical dessert to make. But in the 1930s, someone discovered that the combination of buttery Ritz crackers, lemon, vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon resembles the taste and texture of real apple pie, and it became a popular dessert that grew in popularity during World War II. Although Ritz removed the recipe from the back of its cracker box in 1993, it's still available so you can make the classic dessert today.
Advertisement
1940s | Twinkies with vanilla filling
Twinkie, the famous cream-filled sponge cake, used to be filled with banana cream – Photo courtesy of bhofack2 / iStock Via Getty Images
Did you know that, before the 1940s, Twinkies had banana cream filling? But a banana shortage during World War II forced the company to develop a vanilla filling instead. Twinkies have had vanilla filling ever since. In recent years, Hostess has brought back the banana cream-filled Twinkies, but they are not as popular as the tried-and-true vanilla-filled ones.
1950s | Jell-O salads
Jell-O salads, including ambrosia, are quintessential classic desserts – Photo courtesy of bhofack2 / iStock Via Getty Images
Though Jell-O salads are mostly known as mid-century dishes, they appeared decades earlier and became wildly popular, especially during the Great Depression. Depression-era home cooks trying to stretch their ingredients relied on Jell-O to make food last longer.
Of course, a Jell-O salad isn't the type of salad most think of today. They don't usually have greens — unless you mean lime-green Jell-O — but sometimes include vegetables, like carrots. These jiggly creations start with flavored gelatin mixed with a creamy element, fruits, sometimes marshmallows or nuts, and became popular in the 1950s for their ease and fun taste. Today, Jell-O salads are popular throughout the Midwest and the South, especially at church picnics and on holiday tables, served as dessert or salad. 1960s | Pineapple upside-down cake
Pineapple upside-down cake is a perennial favorite – Photo courtesy of manyakotic / iStock Via Getty Images
The pineapple upside-down cake had a moment in 1925, when the Hawaiian Pineapple Company held a contest to see who could make the best pineapple recipe, inviting nearly 2,500 pineapple upside-down cake entries. But the delightful dessert made a big comeback in the 1950s and 1960s.
Advertisement
The gorgeous presentation of caramelized pineapples adorned with cherries atop a vanilla cake made it a popular dessert for parties. You were considered the host with the most when you brought your guests a pineapple upside-down cake. 1970s | Carrot cake
Despite not being the healthiest dessert, carrot cakes were part of the "hippie food" health craze – Photo courtesy of bhofack2 / iStock Via Getty Images
It's believed that carrot cakes derived from carrot puddings made in Europe during the Middle Ages. Carrot cakes became very popular in the 1970s, during what's referred to as the 'hippie food' era. The rise in alternative lifestyles and the focus on health and wellness led to more vegetarianism and more fruit- and vegetable-based diets.
Carrot cakes are not considered healthy, especially by today's standards, but they are still one of the decade's most popular desserts.
1980s | Cheesecake
The cheesecake possibilities are virtually endless – Photo courtesy of LauriPatterson / E+
Cheesecakes aren't new, but in the 1980s, there was a cheesecake renaissance in the United States. Several cookbooks were published focusing solely on cheesecake and the many ways it can be made and enjoyed.
Advertisement
In 1972, the Cheesecake Factory opened, slowly expanding over a decade, opening America's eyes to the numerous cheesecake possibilities. Plus, delis and diners across the nation had cake displays filled with eye-catching cheesecake desserts. It truly was a decadent decade. 1990s | Ice cream cakes
The ice cream cake is one of the best classic desserts through history – Photo courtesy of Victor Yee / iStock Via Getty Images
For millennials, nearly every childhood birthday party memory involves an ice cream cake. Ice cream cakes were all the rage during the 1980s and 1990s, thanks to companies like Friendly's and Carvel.
The height of ice cream cake excellence was the Viennetta, a sophisticated ice cream cake made of layers of fudgy chocolate and vanilla ice cream arranged in an ornate design. While the latter is no longer widely available, ice cream cakes still reign supreme in grocery stores and shops nationwide.
Advertisement
2000s and beyond | Gourmet cupcakes
Cupcakes have always been a classic dessert, but gourmet cupcakes really took off in the early 2000s – Photo courtesy of YinYang / E+
Cupcakes have been around for over 200 years — the first-known cupcake-like dessert appeared in an 18th century cookbook — and kids and adults have been devouring them at school functions, bake sales, potlucks, team picnics, and holidays for generations. But we can thank Carrie Bradshaw and her "Sex and the City" Magnolia Bakery cupcake for the gourmet cupcake craze that swept the nation at the turn of the (current) century.
That vanilla cupcake with pink buttercream started a trend of (sometimes) enormous confections made with top-notch ingredients in new flavors like bourbon-vanilla, red velvet with cream cheese, and tiramisu. Entire cupcake shops and mail-order businesses became the norm. Gourmet cupcakes are still going strong today. Cronut
Crossing a donut with a croissant put the Cronut in classic dessert status – Photo courtesy of martiapunts / iStock Via Getty Images
In 2013, pastry chef Dominique Ansel dropped his latest creation at his New York City bakery: a croissant-donut hybrid that took the city and the world by storm. The Cronut — made of flaky, buttery croissant dough that's deep-fried like a donut, then filled with flavored cream, rolled in sugar, and glazed — took months of development before Ansel unleashed it.
Advertisement