Famous 7-Layer Cake

Heading home from the beach and what do we see as we drive towards Andalusia, Alabama? Why, it's a billboard advertising:

DEAN'S CAKE HOUSE!

Home of the Famous 7-layer cake

5 miles ahead, right at the Chevron Station

Now, how can we possibly pass that up? I turn to Gayle and grin. "Come on, we MUST get a FAMOUS 7-layer cake! It's Michael's birthday!!! Come on! I mean, it is a FAMOUS 7-layer cake, how cool is THAT?!!!" 

Gayle conceded that we needed gas anyway (and water, we always needed water!) but I'm not sure she was sold on the FAMOUS cake yet. We completed the 5 mile drive and I spotted the Chevron on the right. "OH! There's the Chevron! FAMOUS 7-layer cake HAS to be close by!". She already thinks I'm a nut, I'm just adding fuel to the fire at this point. We stopped for gas (and water) and I asked the cashier for directions to Dean's Cake House. She tells me to take a right out of the back of the parking lot, go to the stop sign, and it will be on the right. I gleefully relay this information back to Gayle and YES! we are gong to the Cake House!!! I mean, we really MUST! It is FAMOUS 7-layer cake, after all and when do you get to have FAMOUS 7-layer cake for your birthday? Hmmmm?

The smell inside the store is AMAZING as the cakes are baked right there on the premises. This is actually a fairly big operation with 5 people loading up cake pans for the oven and then getting them onto the cooling racks for the decorators to frost up. We picked a chocolate glazed cake (think the chocolate glaze that goes on raised donuts - fudgey and thick) and were on our way. Turns out the 7 layers are a vanilla sponge cake with lovely chocolate glaze between them all. OM NOM NOM! 

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY, MICHAEL!