Food and Recipes Desserts Cake Recipes That'll Earn You Top Dollar At The Church Auction By Mary Alice Russell Mary Alice Russell Mary Alice Russell is a Southern Living fellow who is starting her career in lifestyle journalism. Primarily focused on social media and digital production, Mary Alice is excited to hone her skills and dedicate her professional life to beautiful things, from homes to hearts.A recent graduate of Washington and Lee University, Mary Alice majored in journalism and art history. At W&L, she was co-editor-in-chief of her school paper, The Ring-tum Phi, with her best friend and interned for The Welcome Home Podcast. Now based in Birmingham, Alabama, Mary Alice is a Virginia native who is proud to hail from the land of ham and peanuts. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on February 12, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Courtney West It’s never too early to start planning what to bring to a church event, especially a church auction. While we might not have the exact recipe of your aunt's award-winning German Chocolate Cake, we have a few classic cake recipes that will get the bidding up fast. Whether your church is raising money for a new organ or putting together a donation to a favorite charity, everyone's a winner at the event. It’s the best example of a place where you can make your cake and eat it too. We’ve pulled together the perfect combination of our most wow-worthy recipes as well as some simple yet delicious ones that will get people bidding from the moment your cake is up. Don’t worry, even some of the most inexperienced or cautious of bakers can pull some of these recipes together in a snap. 01 of 20 Eclair Cake Molly Bolton/Southern Living If you want to make something easy that will still have everyone requesting more, make the Eclair Cake. The most shocking thing about this "cake" is that it's not really cake at all. Instead, it's a magical combination of pudding, cool whip topping, graham crackers, and a simple chocolate glaze. Just make sure you give everything enough time to set! 02 of 20 Heavenly Angel Food Cake Southern Living It's as if angels themselves blessed us with this sweet Angel Food Cake recipe. What takes this a step above are the ornate details of the Gumdrop Rose Petals. Everyone will want to make a bid. 03 of 20 Ivy's Favorite Pound Cake Frederick Hardy II; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mat Gibilisco We speak from experience when we say this cake is so perfect, even the harshest judges will want you to share the recipe. 04 of 20 Classic Coconut Cake Southern Living If this Classic Coconut Cake could talk, we're sure it would have a few sinfully good stories to tell. It has just the right amount of delightful Whipped Cream Frosting that is sure to turn heads on the auction block. 05 of 20 Hummingbird Cake Southern Living This cake is searched for and savored all over the South, and it's always the clear winner. This Hummingbird Cake is just about as good as it gets. 06 of 20 Chocolate Delight Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Now, you might know this cake by a name that's not appropriate to say in the house of the Lord, but that doesn't mean that this cake isn't truly delightful and oh-so-easy. This recipe calls for two kinds of instant pudding mix, frozen whipped topping, and an optional (but strongly recommended) helping of chocolate sauce. 07 of 20 Mama's German Chocolate Cake Jennifer Davick Everyone in the South has their own prized recipe for pound cake and German Chocolate Cake, but this recipe might just rise above all the rest. The only word for it: indulgent. If you really want to go there, top with chocolate covered toasted pecans and take in all the oohs and ahhs. 08 of 20 Lemon-Coconut Cake Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn This gorgeous cake is just the thing for those with good, old-fashioned Southern taste. It basically has the trifecta of a good white cake, a zesty lemon filling, and a delicious cream cheese frosting. Toast the coconut flakes for an added touch of nuttiness. 09 of 20 The Lane Cake Hector Sanchez The Lane Cake should really be known as everyone's favorite member of the church family. With over 100 years under her belt, The Lane Cake is steeped in so much Southern history (and bible approved booze) everyone will want a slice. 10 of 20 Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Alison Miksch; Prop styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food styling: Mary-Claire Britton Every Southerner knows that the secret to a good chocolate cake isn't just good quality cocoa: it's the mayo. In fact, mayonnaise gives your cake the most perfect, moist crumb that makes a forkful melt in your mouth. 11 of 20 Orange Chiffon Cake Photographer: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Chiffon Cake is one of the lightest, most delicate cakes one can make, but all of that effort pays off big time with the delicious results. This fragrant orange flavor transforms your average Chiffon Cake into one to take note of. 12 of 20 Glazed Buttermilk Donut Cake Photographer Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Dailey We're sure everyone will show up to have a slice of this cake that's essentially an elevated version of a doughnut. Covered in an easy glaze made with simply powdered sugar and water, it's just right for a church event. 13 of 20 7UP Bundt Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner Soft drinks and cake go hand-in-hand, and this classic 7UP Bundt Cake might just be our favorite soda-filled treat. With just enough citrus to balance the sweet, it's sure to bubble up to the top of the most wanted cakes. 14 of 20 Wacky Cake Will Dickey; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee This Depression-Era cake has stood the test of time and uses ingredients you likely already have. 15 of 20 Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez If you can usually be found with a glass of sweet tea in your hand in the church parlor, then this cake was made for you. With tea brewed especially for this cake batter, it's just about as Southern as you can get. 16 of 20 Best Carrot Cake Photography: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Carrot Cake is always a good idea, and this is our best recipe ever. What really makes this dessert so delicious is the easy cream cheese frosting that comes together in just two steps. 17 of 20 Banana Pudding Poke Cake Greg DuPree It seems that every church potluck has Banana Pudding, so why not bring it to the cakewalk? The crumbled vanilla wafer topping makes this cake especially sweet. 18 of 20 Fudge Cake Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Anna Hampton If you live a-ways from your church, this Fudge Cake recipe is made for you. Perfectly portable, this cake is a fudgy delight. 19 of 20 Lemon-and-Chocolate Doberge Cake Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Torie Cox This New Orleans-style multi-flavored, multi-layered cake was made to impress. Unless you live in New Orleans, you'll probably be the only person who thinks to bring this cake to the table, making it all the more memorable. 20 of 20 Old-Fashioned Caramel Cake Courtney West Is it really a Southern get together if someone doesn't bring Caramel Cake? We don't think so. Every time we make this tried-and-true recipe, friends and family sing its praises. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit