Beat the Heat With Our Best-Ever Summer Cakes and Pies

Strawberry-Pretzel Icebox Pie
Photo: Photo: Jennifer Davick

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.

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S'mores Pie

S'mores Pie
Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Melissa Gray

Recipe: S'mores Pie

You don't need a fire to get the flavors of this summer sweet.

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Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: 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

Key Lime Pound Cake
Jen Causey

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

Georgia Peanut Pie With Coca-Cola Glaze
Southern Living

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

Strawberry Lemonade Pie
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Strawberry Lemonade Pie

This pie is a masterpiece with a strawberry swirl top.

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Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
Caitlin Bensel

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

Pineapple-Ginger Upside-Down Cake
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

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

Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake
Johnny Autry; Food and Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry

Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake

This recipe may just be the easiest way to make strawberry shortcake.

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Watermelon Pie

Watermelon Pie
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Watermelon Pie

Use fresh summer melon for this bright and tasty pie.

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Plum Cake

Plum Cake
Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf

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

Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

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

Peanut Butter Pie
Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Prop Stylist: Prissy Lee

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

Charlotte Russe Cake
Micah Leal

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

No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hilegas

Recipe: No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie

Cool and creamy, this citrus pie tastes absolutely refreshing.

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Nehi Orange Poke Cake

Nehi Orange Poke Cake
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner

Recipe: Nehi Orange Poke Cake

Orange-flavored soda is the star in this easy poke cake.

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Lemon Raspberry Cake

Lemon Raspberry Cake
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Recipe: Lemon Raspberry Cake

This light and tender layer cake is full of fresh summer flavor.

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Lemon Loaf Cake

Lemon Loaf Cake
Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Karen Rankin

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

Fresh Mint-Chocolate Pie
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

Recipe: Fresh Mint-Chocolate Pie

If you love mint chip ice cream, you'll think this pie is absolutely dreamy.

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Blueberry-Honey Upside Down Cake

Blueberry-Honey Upside Down Cake
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

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

Sweet Tea Bundt Cake
Micah A. Leal

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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Margarita Cake

Margarita Cake
Southern Living

Recipe: Margarita Cake

Stretch happy hour to dessert with this cocktail-inspired cake.

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Florida Orange Grove Pie

Florida Orange Grove Pie
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Ana Kelly

Recipe: Florida Orange Grove Pie

The crust on this old-timey pie is made with baked meringue instead of pastry.

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Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Banana Pudding Poke Cake
Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

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

Strawberry-Lemonade Cake
Jen Causey

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

Kool Aid Pie
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Kool Aid Pie

This vibrant pie is inspired by a favorite childhood drink.

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No-Bake Banana Split Pie

Banana Split Pie
Photographer and props: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: No-Bake Banana Split Pie

This pie is the ultimate banana split sundae.

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Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake

Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake
Hector Manuel Sanchez

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

Mixed Stone-Fruit Pie
Alison Miksch

Recipe: Mixed Stone Fruit Pie

Mixed fruit sits in a crispy crust in this summertime pie.

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Red Velvet-Berry Cobbler

Red Velvet-Berry Cobbler
Jennifer Davick

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

Lemon Meringue Ice-Cream Pie
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: 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

Key Lime Icebox Cake
Photo: Hector M Sanchez; Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck; Food Stylist: Vanessa Rocchio

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

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream Cake
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: 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

Summer Cakes and Pies Blueberry-Cheesecake Ice-Cream Pie
PHOTO: HECTOR SANCHEZ

Recipe: 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

Peanut Butter-Banana Icebox Pie
Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: 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

Summer Cakes and Pies Key Lime Ice-Cream Pie
Hector Sanchez

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

Whiskey Pie with Tipsy Berries
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: 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

Strawberry-Pretzel Icebox Pie
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Strawberry-Pretzel Icebox Pie

Satisfy both your sweet tooth and salty cravings with this refreshing summer pie.

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