54 From-Scratch Cake Recipes For Your Next Baking Project

Angel Food Cake
Photo: Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke

Whether you have a birthday, anniversary, or dinner party to host (or just major sweet tooth to curb!), these are our best cake from scratch recipes. There's truly never a bad time for a slice of cake, and these are our most delicious desserts you're going to love. We brought together some of our favorite vintage recipes like Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake, Coconut Cake, and our Ultimate Carrot Cake recipe that will wow guests. Some of our best picks are remakes of the classics, like our Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake and our Sea Salt-Caramel Cake. So whether you want to keep it old-school with our most timeless choices or mix it up a bit with newer creations, these are our most delicious homemade cake recipes of all time. If you don't have any events coming up, it's time to invite company over for a dinner party, because you're going to want to bake every one of these cake recipes. These confections will convince you to leave that box of mix on the shelf.

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Strawberry-Lemonade Cake

Strawberry-Lemonade Cake
Jen Causey

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.

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Vintage Fresh Apple Cake

Fresh Apple Cake
Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Amy Burke

Recipe: Fresh Apple Cake

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

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Mississippi Mud Cake

Mississippi Mud Cake
Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke

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.

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Pumpkin Cake

Pumpkin Cake
Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke

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.

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Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Alison Miksch; Prop styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food styling: Mary-Claire Britton

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.

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Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke

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.

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Sea Salt-Caramel Cake

Gingerbread Latte Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Sea Salt-Caramel Cake

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

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The Ultimate Carrot Cake

Ultimate Carrot Cake
Alison Miksch

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.

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Devil's Food Cake

Devil’s Food Cake
Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke

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.

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Orange Chiffon Cake

orange chiffon cake on cake stand with cups of coffee
Photographer: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer

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.

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Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake
Photo: Jennifer Davick

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.

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Old-Fashioned Pound Cake

Old Fashioned Pound Cake
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Pound Cake

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

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Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake

Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake

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

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King Cake

King Cake
Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Ana Kelly; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

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.

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Homemade Yellow Cake

Homemade Yellow Cake
Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke

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.

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Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake

Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake
Alison Miksch

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.

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Honey-Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Honey-Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

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.

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The Lane Cake

The Lane Cake
Hector Sanchez

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.

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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

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.

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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

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

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Strawberry Birthday Cake

Strawberry Birthday Cake
Southern Living

Recipe: Strawberry Birthday Cake

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

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Fudge Cake

Fudge Cake Recipe
Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Anna Hampton

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.

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Pumpkin-Spice Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing and Candied Pecans

Pumpkin-Spice Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing and Candied Pecans
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

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.

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Snowy Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream

Snowy Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox

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.

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Blueberry-Cornmeal Cake

Blueberry-Cornmeal Cake
Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Blueberry Cornmeal Cake

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

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Classic Southern Pound Cake

Classic Southern Pound Cake
Skyler Burt; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Karen Rankin

Recipe: Classic Southern Pound Cake

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

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Classic Birthday Cake

Classic Birthday Cake
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Classic Birthday Cake

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

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Key Lime Pound Cake

Key Lime Pound Cake
Jen Causey

Recipe: Key Lime Pound Cake

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

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Texas Skillet Cake

Texas Skillet Cake
Photo: Stephen DeVries, Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox

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.

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Pineapple-Coconut Cake

Pineapple Coconut Cake
Micah A. Leal

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.

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Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Cinnamon Coffee Cake

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

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Classic Coconut Cake

Classic Coconut Cake
Southern Living

Recipe: Classic Coconut Cake

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

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White Texas Sheet Cake

White Texas Sheet Cake
Micah A. Leal

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.

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Coconut Pound Cake

Coconut Pound Cake
Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Coconut Pound Cake

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

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Pumpkin Spice Magic Cake

Pumpkin Spice Cake
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox

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.

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Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake

Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake
Greg DuPree

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.

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Cherries-and-Cream Icebox Cake

Cherries-and-Cream Icebox Cake
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner

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."

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Lemon-Lime Poke Cake

Lemon-Lime Poke Cake
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

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.

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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

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.

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Blueberry-Lemon Cake

Blueberry-Lemon Cake
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

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.

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German Chocolate Cake

German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

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.

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Lemon Loaf Cake

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

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.

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Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cheesecake

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake_WD0156-S
Photographer: Will Dickey Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford Food Stylist: Erin Merhar

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.

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Strawberry-Rosé Snack Cake

Strawberry-Rosé Snack Cake
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

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.

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1234 Cake with Chocolate Frosting

1234 Cake
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner

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.

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Mint Chocolate Chip Cake

Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
Southern Living

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.

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Pecan Pie Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

Pecan Pie Cake
Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners

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.

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Cranberry-Orange Cake with Orange Buttercream

Cranberry-Orange Cake with Orange Buttercream
Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

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.

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Apple Butter Pound Cake with Caramel Frosting

Apple Butter Pound Cake with Caramel Frosting
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

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.

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Wacky Cake

Wacky Cake
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

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.

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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

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.

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Caramel-Frosted Pound Cake

Caramel-Frosted Pound Cake
Southern Living

Recipe: Caramel-Frosted Pound Cake

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

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Hummingbird Cake

Hummingbird Cake 40th Anniversary
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Hummingbird Cake

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

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Angel Food Cake

Angel Food Cake
Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke

Recipe: Angel Food Cake

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

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How long can homemade cake stay fresh?

    A homemade cake will stay fresh for about three to four days. After three or four days, the cake's texture will lose its moisture. Refrigerated cake will remain fresh for longer.

  • How long can homemade cake stay fresh in the freezer?

    Cake stored in the freezer will remain fresh for up to three months if it has a cream cheese frosting. If the cake has a buttercream frosting, enjoy the cake within a month.

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