Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes 26 Fall Cakes Every Southerner Should Know How to Make By Southern Living Editors Updated on August 23, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez Southern bakers love autumn. The cooler temperatures, changing colors, fragrant spices, and abundance of apples, pumpkins, and pecans all combine to create some magical moments in the kitchen—not to mention, the irresistible aromas that come with fall baking. From tailgate events and after-school activities to birthdays and family gatherings that accompany the season, bakers are always on the lookout for an easy fall cake recipe. Sheet cakes are convenient because you can "bake and take" them in the same dish. The easy-to-master pound cake can be baked ahead and frozen, ready to be thawed and served at the first sign of unexpected company. Then, of course, there is the allure of a beautiful layer cake. We just can't get enough of the cozy flavors of fall in a delicious dessert. No matter how you slice it, a great fall cake is a welcome treat at any gathering. Keep these 26 fall cake recipes in your recipe box. You'll be glad you did. 01 of 26 Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake Greg Dupree Recipe: Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake If it is your turn to host the supper club, surprise your guests with this showstopper of a dessert. The brown butter frosting elevates this cake from good to great. 02 of 26 Triple-Layer Chocolate-Caramel Cake Greg Dupree Recipe: Triple-Layer Chocolate-Caramel Cake The creamy, chocolate-y ganache is further enhanced with a nip of bourbon, and the flavors of the cake layers are deepened by the addition of strong coffee. Bring out this three-layer beauty for all of fall's celebrations. 03 of 26 Praline Layer Cake Greg DuPree Recipe: Praline Layer Cake The buttercream frosting in this recipe uses an old-fashioned method that yields delicious results. For fans of pralines, this just might become your favorite cake. 04 of 26 Caramel Cake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Caramel Cake Every Southern baker has a lineup of go-to fall cake recipes, and we're betting most of them include a classic caramel one. The highlight here is the frosting that comes to life the same way as caramel. It's a winner. 05 of 26 Pumpkin Spice Battenberg Greg DuPree Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Battenberg The first Battenberg cake was made to celebrate the marriage of Queen Victoria's granddaughter, Princess Victoria, to husband Prince Louis of Battenberg. A Battenberg cake has two flavors of sponge cake with a layer of jam that's then wrapped up in a thin layer of marzipan, like a present. When cut, the layers look like a two-colored checkered pattern. 06 of 26 Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake Greg DuPree Recipe: Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake This cake is packed with all the fall flavors we love so well: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, apples, and pecans. Every bite of this cake is a burst of autumn. 07 of 26 Caramel Apple Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Caramel Apple Cake This stunning fall cake looks elaborate but requires just 20 minutes of hands-on prep time. Arrange your sautéed apple slices into a rose and douse them with a generous helping of warm apple brandy-caramel sauce. 08 of 26 Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Even if you don't like mayonnaise, go ahead and give this recipe a try. We guarantee you will love this ultra-moist, rich chocolate cake. 09 of 26 Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake We sandwiched a creamy caramel sauce between the layers of this cake, then topped it with an eye-catching crown of mascarpone frosting. Swirls of apple cider caramel sauce and a scattering of salty-sweet spiced pecans finish this ultra-indulgent dessert. 10 of 26 Pumpkin Pound Cake Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey Recipe: Pumpkin Pound Cake It's hard to beat a traditional pound cake on a chilly day, but a warm slice of this pumpkin delicacy is absolutely irresistible, especially when you top it with a drizzle of maple-butter glaze and crunchy pecans. It will fill your kitchen with the scents of fall. 11 of 26 Southern Sweet Potato Cake Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Erin Merhar Recipe: Southern Sweet Potato Cake This nostalgic dessert is a warm embrace that tastes like it came straight from Grandma's kitchen. Whether you opt for fresh mashed sweet potatoes or canned sweet potatoes (we won't tell), this cake is sure to be a hit at your next fall gathering. 12 of 26 The Ultimate Carrot Cake Alison Miksch Recipe: The Ultimate Carrot Cake This moist cake encapsulates the flavors of fall with layers made with sweet carrots, Granny Smith apples, and coconut covered in a cannot-resist brown sugar-cream cheese frosting. Top with chopped pecans and candied carrot ribbons. 13 of 26 Hummingbird Cake Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman Recipe: Hummingbird Cake There's a reason this moist cake has become the most popular Southern Living cake of all time. Since 1978 when Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, North Carolina, submitted it to us, this Jamaican-born cake filled with pineapple, banana, and pecans has been a household name. The cream cheese frosting takes it over the top. 14 of 26 Cinnamon Coffee Cake Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Cinnamon Coffee Cake No cake says fall more than coffee cake. Whether it's coffee with friends, a Sunday morning ritual, or just because, this cake is essential to have on hand for chilly autumn days and a mug of coffee. 15 of 26 Fresh Apple Cake Hannah Zimmerman/Southern Living Recipe: Fresh Apple Cake What else can you do with your bounty from the orchard? This apple cake topped with cream cheese frosting comes together quickly and is a delightful way to use and enjoy fresh apples. 16 of 26 Cranberry Upside Down Cake Oxmoor House Recipe: Cranberry Upside Down Cake Don't forget cranberries as you plan your fall menus. This upside down cake couldn't be easier—it's made with a package of pound cake mix and cooked in a slow cooker. Serve warm with ice cream. 17 of 26 Sweet Potato Pound Cake Jennifer Davick; Styling: Allison R. Banks Recipe: Sweet Potato Pound Cake It's no secret that pound cake is a Southern favorite. This sweet potato version is so good on its own, everyone will want the recipe. Bake in two loaf pans and bring one for the gathering and one for the host. 18 of 26 Pumpkin Dump Cake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pumpkin Dump Cake Dump cakes are so easy, and so good. They're the perfect recipe to have on hand for a dessert that comes together quickly. This indulgent autumn version spices up canned pumpkin and tops it with a box of cake mix and plenty of melted butter. 19 of 26 Sock It to Me Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey, Food stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey Recipe: Sock It to Me Cake With a ribbon of cinnamon, brown sugar, and pecans through its middle, this cake has classic flavors of fall. Named in the 1960s when "sock it to me" was a popular phrase, this Bundt cake packs a punch with fall aromas. Drizzle with vanilla icing, and enjoy any time of day. Nothing says this sweet treat can't be the companion to your breakfast coffee. 20 of 26 Mini Apple Cider Pound Cakes Recipe: Mini Apple Cider Pound Cakes These apple cider-infused mini cakes are perfect for host gifts, to-go treats, or freezing for later. The recipe makes six mini loaves with three topping choices. Try all three: streusel topping, bourbon glaze, or lemon-sugar glaze. 21 of 26 Texas Pecan Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners; Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis Recipe: Texas Pecan Cake Loaded with 2 cups of chopped pecans, this delectable cake is a pecan lover's dream. It's satisfying on its own, or add another layer of flavor with a simple glaze. Serve with ice cream on the side. 22 of 26 Applesauce Cake Micah Leal Recipe: Applesauce Cake Cinnamon, ginger, and molasses hit just the right autumn notes in this simple loaf cake. Applesauce keeps it sweet, moist, and delicious. 23 of 26 Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck Recipe: Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt The flavors of cranberry, apple, and pumpkin are a sweet combination in this cake that's a perfect way to end a fall dinner. Don't skip the maple glaze and sugared pecan topping that make this cake celebration worthy. 24 of 26 Apple Pie Cake Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Apple Pie Cake This cake has the flavors you love about apple pie without all the fuss of rolling out the pie crust. A Granny Smith apple filling and streusel topping transform a packaged cake mix into an autumn treat. Serve warm with ice cream. 25 of 26 Pecan Pie Cake with Browned Butter Frosting Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Pecan Pie Cake with Browned Butter Frosting Pecan Pie meets your favorite fall cake so you don't have to decide at the dessert table—you can have both. A pecan pie filling is sandwiched between layers of pecan cake. Browned Butter Frosting makes it even more extreme. 26 of 26 Pumpkin Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke Recipe: Pumpkin Cake This delightfully simple layer cake is no-fuss, but it delivers in taste and presentation. Lightly spiced with cinnamon and brown sugar, it requires only 15 minutes of hands-on time. Whip some spiced whipped cream to spread between the layers and across the top, and add a dash of nutmeg. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit