Beat the Heat With Our Best-Ever Summer Cakes and Pies
Cakes and pies for the summer should be made with all the fresh fruits that the season brings, so these recipes include strawberries, peaches, blueberries, plums and more summery fruits you'll have on hand anyway. Of course, a summer dessert menu wouldn't be complete without some lemon and key lime options, which you'll find here as well. Summertime is also perfect for incorporating your favorite refreshing drinks into your dessert recipes. For those of you who aren't crazy about fruity or citrusy desserts, there are peanut butter, mocha, and chocolate options on this list, too. We've gathered our favorite and easiest summer cakes and pies recipes that will keep your sweet tooth satisfied without spending hours in the kitchen. Cool down on a hot summer day with an ice cream cake the kids will love, or throw together an easy no-bake cake or pie for a last-minute party or picnic with our best summer cake and pie recipes.
S'mores Pie
Recipe: S'mores Pie
You don't need a fire to get the flavors of this summer sweet.Â
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Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Recipe:Â Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake
This summer dessert looks like a classic Southern pound cake from the outside, but the real reason for its name is revealed when you cut into it.
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Key Lime Pound Cake
Recipe: Key Lime Pound Cake
The classic, Southern-favorite pound cake gets an infusion of tropical flavor in this recipe for our best-ever Key Lime Pound Cake.
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Georgia Peanut Pie With Coca-Cola Glaze
Recipe: Georgia Peanut Pie With Coca-Cola Glaze
Peanuts and Coca-Cola are a classic Southern combo and we love them in this decadent pie.
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Strawberry Lemonade Pie
Recipe: Strawberry Lemonade Pie
This pie is a masterpiece with a strawberry swirl top.
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Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
Recipe: Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
Layers of ice cream and ice cream sandwiches are topped with rich and creamy whipped cream for this no-bake dessert.
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Pineapple-Ginger Upside-Down Cake
Recipe: Pineapple-Ginger Upside-Down Cake
This recipe calls for twice the amount of pineapple in a normal upside-down cake and has ginger for added flavor.
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Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake
Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake
This recipe may just be the easiest way to make strawberry shortcake.
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Watermelon Pie
Recipe: Watermelon Pie
Use fresh summer melon for this bright and tasty pie.Â
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Plum Cake
Recipe: Plum Cake
The baked plums in this cake become jammy and soft while the sliced almonds on top add a nice crunch.
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Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake
Recipe: Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake
We made the upside-down cake even more summery with the substitution of peaches for pineapples.
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Peanut Butter Pie
Recipe: Peanut Butter Pie
This pie is not too sweet and not too salty, but definitely hits the spot.
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Charlotte Russe Cake
Recipe: Charlotte Russe Cake
You don't have to turn the oven on to make this tangy and sweet cake.
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No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
Recipe: No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
Cool and creamy, this citrus pie tastes absolutely refreshing.
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Nehi Orange Poke Cake
Recipe: Nehi Orange Poke Cake
Orange-flavored soda is the star in this easy poke cake.
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Lemon Raspberry Cake
Recipe: Lemon Raspberry Cake
This light and tender layer cake is full of fresh summer flavor.
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Ice Cream Sandwich Layer Cake
Recipe: Ice Cream Sandwich Layer Cake
Grab a box of ice cream sandwiches and you're halfway done making this chilled cake.
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Lemon Loaf Cake
Recipe: Lemon Loaf Cake
This light and refreshing cake is so good it can be served any time of the day.
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Fresh Mint-Chocolate Pie
Recipe: Fresh Mint-Chocolate Pie
If you love mint chip ice cream, you'll think this pie is absolutely dreamy.Â
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Blueberry-Honey Upside Down Cake
Recipe: Blueberry-Honey Upside Down Cake
This buttery, dense cake is complemented by the gooey blueberry and honey jam.
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Sweet Tea Bundt Cake
Recipe: Sweet Tea Bundt Cake
Steep tea in the milk used to make this Bundt cake and then brush with a sweet tea syrup once baked for maximum flavor.
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Pink Lemonade Cake
Recipe: Pink Lemonade Cake
The only thing more refreshing than a tall glass of pink lemonade on a hot day is this delicious cake.
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Margarita Cake
Recipe: Margarita Cake
Stretch happy hour to dessert with this cocktail-inspired cake.
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Florida Orange Grove Pie
Recipe: Florida Orange Grove Pie
The crust on this old-timey pie is made with baked meringue instead of pastry.
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Peach Melba Ice-Cream Pie
Recipe: Peach Melba Ice-Cream Pie
This portable peach melba dessert will cool you down even on the hottest of days.
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Banana Pudding Poke Cake
Recipe: Banana Pudding Poke Cake
Using oil instead of butter in this recipe keeps the cake soft and moist.
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Strawberry-Lemonade Cake
Recipe: Strawberry-Lemonade Cake
Tangy strawberry-lemonade jam is spread between tender lemon cake layers and topped with a strawberry frosting.
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Kool Aid Pie
Recipe: Kool Aid Pie
This vibrant pie is inspired by a favorite childhood drink.Â
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No-Bake Banana Split Pie
Recipe: No-Bake Banana Split Pie
This pie is the ultimate banana split sundae.Â
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Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake
Recipe: Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake
This sheet cake takes the flavors of our favorite summer drink and turns it into a delicious dessert.
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Mixed Stone Fruit Pie
Recipe: Mixed Stone Fruit Pie
Mixed fruit sits in a crispy crust in this summertime pie.Â
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Red Velvet-Berry Cobbler
Recipe: Red Velvet-Berry Cobbler
Pick out your favorite fresh summer berries for this dish (we used a combo of blackberries, raspberries and blueberries) and top or layer with homemade cream cheese ice cream — or the vanilla ice cream you have in the freezer, if the cobbler was enough cooking for one day.
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Lemon Meringue Ice-Cream Pie
Recipe:Â Lemon Meringue Ice-Cream Pie
A homemade vanilla wafer crust, homemade lemon curd filling and homemade meringue topping will make this pie the furthest thing from store-bought at the potluck.
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Key Lime Icebox Cake
Recipe: Key Lime Icebox Cake
This cake is so pretty, no one will have any idea it was no-bake. A tip from our kitchen: Add the lime juice once you've fully cooked the custard to let the cornstarch thicken the mixture properly.
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Mint Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream Cake
Recipe:Â Mint Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream Cake
If you're craving minty chocolate chip ice cream, step it up to an ice-cream cake made with devil's food cake and topped with rich chocolate ganache.
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Blueberry-Cheesecake Ice-Cream Pie
Recipe:Â Blueberry-Cheesecake Ice-Cream Pie
This no-bake pie made with homemade blueberry-cheesecake ice cream looks beautiful topped with fresh-from-the-market blackberries and blueberries.
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Peanut Butter-Banana Icebox Pie
Recipe:Â Peanut Butter-Banana Icebox Pie
For the one who loves peanut butter-banana everything, this icebox pie is both rich and airy.
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Key Lime Ice-Cream Pie
Recipe: Key Lime Ice-Cream Pie
We can't get enough of tangy key lime in the summer, and this ice-cream pie is a cool twist on the classic key lime pie you know and love.
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Whiskey Pie with Tipsy Berries
Recipe:Â Whiskey Pie with Tipsy Berries
This whiskey pie with summer tipsy berries is the boozy dessert you need at your summer party.
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Strawberry-Pretzel Icebox Pie
Recipe:Â Strawberry-Pretzel Icebox Pie
Satisfy both your sweet tooth and salty cravings with this refreshing summer pie.