The Old-School Dessert Named After A '70s Heart Throb

Throughout history, countless desserts have been named after real-life figures. For instance, the name of the Bavarian cream-filled Charlotte Russe may have alluded to two different royals (Queen Charlotte of England and Russian Tsar Alexander I). There's also the legendary peach Melba, a peach and raspberry-laden ice cream creation inspired by famed 19th-century opera singer Nellie Melba, who captivated chef Auguste Escoffier.

Not quite as elaborate but no less decadent is a treat made with chocolate pudding and a buttery walnut crust. Known as Robert Redford cake, it was named for the talented actor and dreamboat who appeared in such films as "All The President's Men" and "The Natural." Also referred to by some as Better Than Robert Redford cake or The Next Best Thing to Robert Redford pie, it's a relatively simple, old-school dessert that people loved to eat in the 1970s and beyond. It's essentially an easy, no-bake dessert or icebox cake.

The connection to Redford is a bit murky. Icebox cakes gained popularity in the 1920s when refrigerators started to become more affordable, but the name for this particular dessert didn't take hold until the '70s. This coincides with the actor's rapid ascent into fame after his starring role in the 1969 film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

Featuring a buttery, chopped walnut crust, the Robert Redford cake is topped with a cream cheese and whipped topping, a mixed layer of chocolate and vanilla pudding, and another layer of whipped topping sprinkled with grated chocolate. The no-bake (aside from the crust) dessert then needs to sit in the refrigerator for a period ranging from two hours to overnight, before serving.

While many people know this recipe as a Robert Redford cake, it has many different names from Chocolate Delight and Girdle Buster to Mamma Mountain Mudslide. There's even a similar recipe called the Jimmy Carter dessert, which includes a roasted peanut and graham cracker crust plus a layer of peanut butter mixed with cream cheese. The recipe is quite versatile, as the ingredients for each layer can be changed according to taste, such as swapping chocolate pudding for pistachio or blending the whipped topping with a chocolate hazelnut spread.