To elevate your average birthday cake, take note of the sweet secret of Chicago's South Side: Atomic Cake. This towering confection combines three cakes for a monumental dessert.

Characterized by three classic cake flavors — banana, strawberry, and chocolate — the Atomic Cake begins with a layer of banana cake, Bavarian cream, and fresh bananas.

Next comes a layer of vanilla-flavored yellow cake and fresh glazed strawberries, followed by a layer of chocolate cake covered with fudge and fresh whipped cream.

The cake has been a mainstay of bakeries on Chicago's South Side since the 1950s. The exact origin is unclear, but a few variations claim it was first made by George Kremm.

Kremm was an employee at Calumet Bakery, where the cakes are still made today. There's a bit of variation in the name, with one bakery calling it something else entirely.

While most think the Atomic Cake was named to celebrate the technological advances of the atomic era, Weber's Bakery in the South Side called its version a Banana Split Torte.

As it's often a centerpiece at parties, The Atomic Cake is a hefty cake that takes a lot of ingredients, time, and effort, so the triple-decker cake is not sold by the slice.

Atomic Cake is truly unique to Chicago, and unless you go to a classic South Side bakery or make your own, it's nearly impossible to experience an authentic piece.