Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes The Most Beautiful Cakes We're Planning to Bake in 2018 By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough is a Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, who covers a wide variety of topics for both the magazine and website, focusing on culture and lifestyle content, as well as travel in the South.She earned a B.A. in Journalism at the University of Georgia. She hopes to inspire your travel bucket list with her features on road trips through Texas Hill Country, bourbon tours in Kentucky, and the best beach getaways on the Gulf Coast. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on September 1, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Southern Living With the start of the New Year comes our annual declaration of ambitious resolutions for the coming months that will help make it the best year yet. While for some that means hitting the gym or starting a new diet, we're thinking a little more on the fun side this year. Since we've basically never met a cake we didn't like better than going to the gym, we've decided to test our Southern baking prowess by baking our most beautiful, delicious cakes yet. From jaw-dropping layered masterpieces to mouthwatering glazed Bundts, these cakes might differ in style and flavor, but they all have one thing in common: they are downright gorgeous—and taste just as good as they look. These cakes will be instant hits with your crowd whether served at birthday dinners, wedding parties, or holiday celebrations. From perfectly honed classics to brand-new showstoppers, these are the cakes we're baking in 2018. 01 of 22 Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake Greg DuPree Recipe: Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake A creamy toffee frosting topped with toasted pecans and sea salt makes this buttery cake look pretty as a picture, and it's at the top of our list to bake this year. Chopped pecans and toffee bits stud the cake layers, and browned butter lends a special touch to the frosting. 02 of 22 Caramel Apple Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Caramel Apple Cake We dare you to think up a more stunning cake than this cascading beauty. The flavors are perfect for fall, but there's no reason not to make it for a spring holiday or occasion, such as Easter. Sautéed apple slices are artfully arranged on top of the slightly spiced cake and then drizzled with a heavenly Apple Brandy-Caramel Sauce. 03 of 22 Orange Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Orange Cake This citrus cake makes for an amazing spring or summer dessert to brighten any table, and we can't wait to savor the zingy glaze topped with candied orange zest for extra flair. Folding egg whites into the cake batter ensures a fluffy, moist cake. 04 of 22 Sea Salt-Caramel Cake Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Sea Salt-Caramel Cake It just so happens that the same thing that makes this cake so supremely beautiful is also what makes it so dang tasty: the rich caramel frosting. The sweetness is cut perfectly with sprinkles of flaky sea salt. Think of this recipe as the fresh and new Southern caramel cake that cannot be beat. 05 of 22 Brown Sugar-Bourbon Bundt Photo: Iain Bagwell Recipe: Brown Sugar-Bourbon Bundt This slightly boozy vanilla cake is a showstopper on any table, and we thank our favorite fancy Bundt pan for that! This year, we're using this cake to impress at our best parties. Vanilla bean paste, bourbon (a half cup!), and light brown sugar combine for a delicious palette, while a sprinkling of powdered sugar and candied oranges finishes off the look. 06 of 22 Coconut Chiffon Cake Hector Sanchez Recipe: Coconut Chiffon Cake This legendary Southern cake should always be on the baking agenda each year, and this beautiful, sky-high version takes the cake (literally). A Coconut-Mascarpone Filling and White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting make the accouterments their own works of art, while coconut-doused layers make sure the inside gives you the most flavor. 07 of 22 Mama's German Chocolate Cake Southern Living Recipe: Mama's German Chocolate Cake People shy away from this chocolate masterpiece of a cake because it looks a little more complicated than your average Bundt or even layer cake, but 2018 is the year to take it on! We're going to make this perfect, Mama-approved cake and indulge in its fluffy German chocolate cake layers and rich coconut-pecan frosting. 08 of 22 Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake This cake has a rustic charm about it that we love for fall and winter especially. An extra fluffy Mascarpone Frosting and drizzly Apple Cider Caramel Sauce make the top of this cake statuesque and showstopping. 09 of 22 Red Velvet Marble Bundt Cake Iain Bagwell Recipe: Red Velvet Marble Bundt Cake Red velvet lovers rejoice! This Bundt cake makes it easy to get that ruby red, delicious touch without quite as much hassle. We're making this cake year round, though it makes a festive choice for Valentine's Day or the holidays. The swirled inside tastes even better than it looks. 10 of 22 Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake Alison Miksch Recipe: Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake This rich chocolate pound cake is as easy on the eye as the taste buds. Two contrasting glazes—a sweet chocolate glaze and a tangy buttermilk glaze—layer smoothly over the top, while cocoa, bittersweet chocolate, and espresso powder give the pound cake its decadent flavor. 11 of 22 Lemon-Vanilla Pound Cake with Lavender Glaze Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Lemon-Vanilla Pound Cake with Lavender Glaze Take your pound cakes to the next level this year, starting with this fresh cake made with vanilla bean paste, lemon zest and juice, and sour cream. The real standout is the mellow Lavender Glaze drizzled on top, which complements the vanilla and citrus notes perfectly. Inside and out, this cake is a worthy addition to your spring and summer dessert lineup. 12 of 22 Fresh Strawberry Meringue Cake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Meringue Cake This heavenly, layered cake makes the best of in-season strawberries, creamy mascarpone, toasted pecans, and crunchy meringue layers for a celebration of flavors and textures that will make up the fresh and beautiful dessert you need this spring and summer. 13 of 22 Triple-Layer Chocolate-Caramel Cake Greg Dupree Recipe: Triple-Layer Chocolate-Caramel Cake The real star of this three-tiered chocolate dream is the Chocolate-Caramel Ganache that you can enhance with a splash of bourbon (or not!). It gives a texture and look that's different than a traditional frosting, making this cake super festive and great for birthdays or special occasions! 14 of 22 White Chocolate Poinsettia Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: White Chocolate Poinsettia Cake This layer cake can be your most elevated presentation of the year; and if you have a formal holiday or wedding event, this is most definitely the cake to pick! White chocolate steals the show in three different ways—the moist cake layers, smooth mousse, and delicious buttercream—while petal-shaped cookies crown the top with an elegant poinsettia. 15 of 22 Spiced Caramel Bundt Cake Courtesy of Oxmoor House Recipe: Spiced Caramel Bundt Cake This sophisticated confection boasts a lovely spiced flavor, courtesy of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, and a golden caramel glaze that will be a hit at any occasion. It takes only 13 minutes of hands-on time, making it incredibly easy to whip up for an instant success. 16 of 22 Red Velvet Cheesecake-Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Red Velvet Cheesecake-Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Whip this stunningly delicious cake out at your holiday feasts, wedding parties, or most special events to wow the crowd with its supreme presentation and amazing flavors. It's unique with two layers of creamy red velvet cheesecake and moist vanilla cake in the middle, blanketed in a traditional cream cheese frosting. 17 of 22 Plum-Berry Cornmeal Sheet Cake Alison Miksch Recipe: Plum-Berry Cornmeal Sheet Cake This sheet cake is quick, easy, and festive with its fresh berries and plums. The vanilla-based cornmeal batter lends a perfect not-too-sweet start to this dessert that we love to top with homemade whipped cream or ice cream. It works for brunch and supper just as well! 18 of 22 The Ultimate Carrot Cake Alison Miksch Recipe: The Ultimate Carrot Cake A carrot cake is the perfect dessert to have in your arsenal that looks great and tastes great for pretty much any occasion. The traditional, pecan-studded layers are covered with a special Brown Sugar-Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Carrot Curls. 19 of 22 Lane Cake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Lane Cake This Southern cake took the stage at a county fair baking competition in Georgia more than 100 years ago, and its bourbon-spiked layers are studded with raisins, pecans, and coconut. It's a cake that everyone loves, even if they don't know what all is in it! 20 of 22 Lemon Cheese Layer Cake Southern Living Recipe: Lemon Cheese Layer Cake This nostalgic classic deserves a second look in 2018, and we think this layer cake recipe should be your first try of the New Year. Inside, you'll find soft cake layers sandwiching rich, buttery lemon curd. Outside, the cake is frosted in a creamy Lemon-Orange Buttercream Frosting that looks and tastes positively divine. 21 of 22 Chocolate-Praline Cake Southern Living Recipe: Chocolate-Praline Cake Be warned: This cake is the richest of the rich, with a praline frosting that is both incredibly delicious and unique. But quite worth it! To keep the cake smooth, the layers are spread with thin chocolate ganache. 22 of 22 Hummingbird Bundt Cake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Hummingbird Bundt Cake This spin on the classic Southern cake is high on our to-do list because of its relative ease and fuss-free hands-on time compared to a layer cake. You get all of the amazing flavor of the crushed pineapple, bananas, cinnamon, and pecans with a tangy cream cheese glaze—but in a pretty Bundt form! Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit