54 From-Scratch Cake Recipes for Your Next Baking Project

Recipe: Strawberry-Lemonade Cake

A slice of summertime baked right in your own kitchen, this cake is jam-packed with fresh flavor...literally. There's homemade Strawberry-Lemonade Jam spread between each layer.

Recipe: Fresh Apple Cake

Nothing says fall like our cozy Fresh Apple Cake that's filled with apples, cinnamon, and nuts.

Recipe: Mississippi Mud Cake

Southerners young and old love this marshmallow-topped cake recipe. Or, if you already know the recipe for this staple like the back of your hand, try a new twist with our Mississippi Mud Cheesecake.

Recipe: Pumpkin Cake

Fall festivities call for all the pumpkin flare, and there's no gourd display that can stack up to this layered pumpkin cake.

Recipe: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

There's a rich history behind this rich cake, and once you make it, you'll never question whether mayonnaise belongs in a dessert again.

Recipe: Cream Cheese Pound Cake

If you thought your classic pound cake recipe couldn't get any better, then we dare you to add this creamy ingredient to the mix.

Recipe: Sea Salt-Caramel Cake

Our most recent rift on the classic caramel cake has the ideal amount of salty and sweet.

Recipe: The Ultimate Carrot Cake

Every cook needs a go-to carrot cake recipe for holidays and gatherings, and this one is our best of all time.

Recipe: Devil's Food Cake

As versitle as cakes come, this classic recipe can be used to make a chocolate sheet cake, a batch of cupcakes, or even a cakey trifle layer.

Recipe: Orange Chiffon Cake

This light-as-air cake climbs high in the tube pan, so it stands tall and proud on a cake stand—no need to frost. We consider this cake to be the perfect dessert for spring or summer, but in winter, when citrus is so fresh, this is a welcome bright spot on the dessert buffet.

Recipe: Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

The true test of a good coffee cake is in the streusel, and this one is topped with a luscious caramel sauce that makes this fall treat to die for.

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Pound Cake

Seve this any-occasion sweet on its own or dress it up with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream.

Recipe: Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake

This recipe is our summertime-friendly version of our classic Red Velvet Layer Cake.

Recipe: King Cake

The king of Mardi Gras celebrations, this classic cake is practically synonymous with over-the-top New Orleans merriment. Plus, if you bake your own, you just might know what section to slice to get that baby.

Recipe: Homemade Yellow Cake

A flexible foundation for any topping, this yellow cake lends itself to all sorts of festivities and frostings. Get creative and turn it into a spice cake with a few added ingredients or a chocolate treat by beating unsweetened chocolate squares into the batter.

Recipe: Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake

This pound cake recipe is fluffy, flavorful, and totally decadent. The best news? We have a recipe for Mini Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cakes to make serving even easier.

Recipe: Honey-Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This classic, eye-catching dessert is made from start to finish in your cast-iron skillet. You'll love the honey-infused version of Pineapple Upside-Down Cake we came up with.

Recipe: The Lane Cake

This cake has a history that dates back more than 100 years, and we'll surely be making it hundreds more.

Recipe: Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Poke cakes make for the richest way to feed dessert to a crowd, and this recipe is one of our favorite ways to eat Banana Pudding.

Recipe: Key Lime Icebox Cake

Key Lime Pies and icebox cakes are both essential to Southern cooks, and this easy recipe combines the two perfectly.

Recipe: Strawberry Birthday Cake

A strawberry-filled celebration awaits in every slide of this classic cake. Just add candles.

Recipe: Fudge Cake

You simply can never go wrong with an indulgent fudge cake recipe, like this classic one from Elizabeth Heiskell's What Can I Bring? cookbook.

Recipe: Pumpkin-Spice Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing and Candied Pecans

Spooning still-warm icing over this pumpkin cake will make the prettiest Bundt for your Thanksgiving table.

Recipe: Snowy Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream

Straight from the cover of our December 2017 issue, this recipe is one of our most popular white cakes for Christmas.

Recipe: Blueberry Cornmeal Cake

It's best to make this cornmeal cake in the summer, when fresh blueberries are abundant at the farmers' market.

Recipe: Classic Southern Pound Cake

We've tried tons of pound cake recipes over the years, and this version is always tried and true.

Recipe: Classic Birthday Cake

No matter your age, you can't go wrong with a rainbow sprinkle-topped sheet cake.

Recipe: Key Lime Pound Cake

Our Key Lime Pound Cake somehow manages to be both substantial and airy.

Recipe: Texas Skillet Cake

Only a Southerner could make Texas Sheet Cake even more, well, Southern. We upped the ante on this Lone Star classic by making it in a cast-iron skillet.

Recipe: Pineapple-Coconut Cake

This elegant layer cake is an all-time reader favorite. Slice into this flaky exterior, and you'll find a delightful burst of tropical flavors.

Recipe: Cinnamon Coffee Cake

We wouldn't blame you if this cinnamon-filled cake made its way to your breakfast table, too.

Recipe: Classic Coconut Cake

Complete this all-white layer cake with large flakes of toasted coconut.

Recipe: White Texas Sheet Cake

Meet the scrumptious counterpart to the Lone Star legend–the Texas sheet cake. Don't worry, your favorite toppings still steal the show. This recipe simply substitutes white cake for chocolate to mix things up.

Recipe: Coconut Pound Cake

A ridged Bundt pan is the secret to this cake's gorgeous shape.

Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Magic Cake

The magic of the season comes to life in this standout recipe. Inspired by the Mexican dessert called "impossible flan," this fall delight is easier to make than it looks.

Recipe: Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake

Swathed in a creamy toffee frosting, you'll have to resist cutting yourself a slice before the party guests arrive.

Recipe: Cherries-and-Cream Icebox Cake

When it's too hot to turn the oven on, icebox cakes and pies are a Southerner's dessert of choice. "This cake is absolutely delicious. It's also visually beautiful," wrote one reviewer. "When the first piece is cut, the inside is as pretty as the outside, due to the multiple layers."

Recipe: Lemon-Lime Poke Cake

Need to feed dessert to a crowd? Poke cake is the way to go. The citrus flavors and decorations on this one scream summertime.

Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake

Leave it to Test Kitchen pro and Hey Y'all host Ivy Odom to make strawberry shortcake easier, tastier, and big-batch friendly with this recipe that's a hit with readers.

Recipe: Blueberry-Lemon Cake

Sweet blueberry and tart lemon are a beautiful pair for spring and summer gatherings. This layer cake doesn't require expert decorating skills—simply top with fresh blueberries.

Recipe: German Chocolate Cake

Since the Coconut-Pecan Frosting on this classic cake is so thick, use our Test Kitchen's method of pressing it onto the sides and top of the cake with a small spatula, instead of spreading it.

Recipe: Lemon Loaf Cake

Equally as welcome on a brunch table with coffee as it is after dinner, this Lemon Loaf Cake will become a regular in your home. It can be stored in the freezer (pre-frosting) for up to three months, so you'll have something sweet on hand at all times.

Recipe: Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cheesecake

If you love the chocolate-strawberry flavor combination, make this cheesecake your next baking project. Not only does the chocolate ganache look and taste incredible, but it covers up any cracks on top of the cheesecake.

Recipe: Strawberry-Rosé Snack Cake

"This Strawberry- Rosé Cake wowed my girlfriends' supper club," wrote on editor. You'll love the floral quality a bit of rosé wine brings to classic strawberry cake.

Recipe: 1234 Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Grandma probably has this classic cake recipe committed to memory, and it's time you learned it, too. It's the easiest way to whip up a dessert for any occasion.

Recipe: Mint Chocolate Chip Cake

Fresh mint leaves offer up better flavor than store-bought extract in this dessert that's perfect for mint chocolate chip ice cream lovers.

Recipe: Pecan Pie Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

Thanksgiving is usually all about the pies, but this layered stunner makes the argument for serving cake on Turkey Day.

Recipe: Cranberry-Orange Cake with Orange Buttercream

We love to bring this bright and flavorful cake out during the holiday season, when fresh citrus and cranberries are in abundance.

Recipe: Apple Butter Pound Cake with Caramel Frosting

Though this fall cake looks beautiful on your cake stand, it's the ribbon of homemade slow-cooker apple butter that's the real surprise when you cut into it.

Recipe: Wacky Cake

If you're looking for an easier-than-easy baking project the kids can get in on, stop the search with this decadent chocolate cake that comes together right in the baking pan.

Recipe: Lemon Raspberry Cake

The flavors in this beautiful spring confection are all-natural from lemon juice and zest and fresh raspberries. It's the prettiest centerpiece for any celebration.

Recipe: Caramel-Frosted Pound Cake

Pound cake? Yum. Caramel cake? Yum. Pound cake covered in homemade caramel frosting? Double yum.

Recipe: Hummingbird Cake

This is the most popular cake recipe in Southern Living history for a reason. Find out for yourself, y'all!

Recipe: Angel Food Cake

A classic, super-soft Angel Food Cake recipe will never fail at any party.