25 Classic Cakes Everyone Should Bake At Least Once By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough Sadik 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. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on February 9, 2025 Close Credit: Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox We've created what we're calling "the baking bucket list." Each one of these 25 classic cakes has something special, and not all of them are layer cakes. (Hello Bundt pan, my old friend.) Whether starting with the simple Southern pound cake, beloved Hummingbird Cake, or iconic Lane Cake, it's time to share a slice (or two). This will be the tastiest bucket list you've ever completed. Read on for 25 classic cakes everyone should make at least once. Never Lose a Favorite Recipe Again With MyRecipes, your personal recipe box, you can save and organize your Southern Living favorites and thousands more in one place. 01 of 25 Classic Coconut Cake Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox We don't think we could have squeezed more coconut flavor into this cake if we tried. It features a coconut sponge, coconut filling (made with frozen coconut flakes and coconut extract), and a fluffy whipped cream frosting, that you guessed it, is coconut flavored. Get The Recipe Save 02 of 25 Chocolate Birthday Cake Credit: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf A double chocolate cake is a classic birthday treat for any chocolate lover. We're partial to using rainbow sprinkles as the decor, but feel free to use other edible garnishes, from flowers to colorful candies. Get The Recipe Save 03 of 25 Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Credit: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley This retro cake is a timeless dessert that we never get tired of making. That said, we have plenty of other upside-down cake flavors if pineapple isn't your favorite fruit. Get The Recipe Save 04 of 25 Italian Cream Cake Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox This Southern staple is made with buttermilk, coconut, pecans, and cream cheese frosting. We aren't quite sure how the cake got its name, but boy are we happy somebody came up with this delicious confection. Get The Recipe Save 05 of 25 Berry Chantilly Cake Credit: Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox The cream cheese and mascarpone frosting is the real star of this berry layer cake. You don't have to pipe it into a gorgeous border like we do, but if you have the time and are up for filling a piping bag, it does make the cake look extra special. Get The Recipe Save 06 of 25 Classic Southern Pound Cake Credit: Skyler Burt; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Karen Rankin Ah, these might be our favorite four words in a sequence. This recipe is the ultimate classic, and it should be baked right and baked often. Get The Recipe Save 07 of 25 Blackberry Jam Cake Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Torie Cox You won't see this cake often, but it's always there, waiting to steal the show if you just let it. Kentuckians lay claim to this spiced cake with homemade berry jam and nuts, just as much as the Derby or bourbon. Get The Recipe Save 08 of 25 Mama's German Chocolate Cake Credit: Southern Living This cake is dressed to impress and deserves to be baked from scratch. German's Sweet Chocolate sweetens its layers, but a rich frosting with chunks of pecans and flaked coconut is really the star of the recipe. Get The Recipe Save 09 of 25 Lemon-and-Chocolate Doberge Cake Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Torie Cox This cake is a New Orleans original typically made for special occasions—and this half-and-half version is a particular favorite. Expect six to nine layers of vanilla sponge cake sandwiched between a custard or creamy filling. Get The Recipe Save 10 of 25 Sea Salt-Caramel Cake Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Caramel cake is about as classic as it gets in the South. You can try your hand at our more traditional Caramel Cake recipe, but we love how the sea salt perfectly complements sweet caramel in this variation. Get The Recipe Save 11 of 25 Red Velvet Cake Credit: Molly Bolton/Southern Living Don't be frightened. This crimson cake is not nearly as complicated as you imagine. (Down here, it became a national treasure after its appearance in 1989's Steel Magnolias in the form of an armadillo-shaped groom's cake.) Get The Recipe Save 12 of 25 The Ultimate Carrot Cake Credit: Alison Miksch It's called "the ultimate" for a reason. Everyone should have this spiced, nut-studded cake—coated in cream cheese frosting—in their repertoire, and you can quote us on that. Get The Recipe Save 13 of 25 Strawberry-Lemonade Cake This cake feels like a breath of fresh air. Tender lemony layers live in perfect harmony with strawberry-lemonade jam filling and strawberry frosting. Get The Recipe Save 14 of 25 The Lane Cake Credit: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Here's the deal with the Lane Cake: You might never eat this iconic Southern cake if you don't make it yourself. It's got a lot going on, but there's a reason to every rhyme. Get The Recipe Save 15 of 25 Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake Credit: Alison Miksch Two words: Triple Chocolate. That sums up this cake deliciously—and the two glazes just put it over the top. For any host, this cake will catch some eyes. Get The Recipe Save 16 of 25 Homemade White Cake Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christina Lane; Food Styling: Torie Cox The White Cake is as much part of Southern Living's history as anything, and we're always trying to perfect the recipe. This particular version is beautiful in its simplicity, but it will always steal the show at Christmastime. Get The Recipe Save 17 of 25 Texas Skillet Cake Credit: Stephen DeVries, Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox We upped the ante on the Lone Star favorite Texas Sheet Cake by making it into a dense, fudgy skillet cake. Here's why you should make this version: You can eat the cake straight out of the skillet, topped with vanilla ice cream. Get The Recipe Save 18 of 25 Key Lime Pound Cake Credit: Jen Causey Take your classic Southern pound cake to the beach! You'll be serving up slices that capture the flavor of the Florida Keys with this citrus recipe. Get The Recipe Save 19 of 25 Lemon Cheese Layer Cake Credit: Southern Living Don't be deceived by the name—you won't be getting a cheesecake out of this. You'll be getting something even better. These citrusy cake layers are sandwiched with rich, buttery lemon curd. (In southeast Alabama, a few ladies are still famous for their towering 14-layer lemon-cheese cakes.) Get The Recipe Save 20 of 25 Caramel Apple Cake Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez This might be the prettiest cake you'll make all year. (And it requires only 20 minutes of hands-on prep time.) The fall-inspired cake is topped with sautéed apple slices and a to-die-for apple-brandy caramel sauce. Get The Recipe Save 21 of 25 Praline-Cream Cheese King Cake Credit: Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop styling: Claire Spollen; Food styling: Chelsea Zimmer We don't think making this cake should apply only to New Orleanians. These cream-filled treats are a Mardi Gras tradition everyone can enjoy, and this recipe makes two—so keep one and share the other. Get The Recipe Save 22 of 25 Orange Chiffon Cake Credit: Photographer: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer In the cake world, this is the crème de la crème of all baker triumphs. The light, fluffy chiffon cake climbs high in the tube pan. No frosting needed. The cake's flavor stands alone. Get The Recipe Save 23 of 25 Hummingbird Cake Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox We had no idea this cake would become our most popular and beloved Southern cake recipe ever when it was submitted in 1978. You aren't really a Southerner until you've tasted its moist layers packed with pineapple, pecans, cinnamon, and bananas. Get The Recipe Save 24 of 25 Heavenly Angel Food Cake Credit: Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas This cake is called heavenly for a reason. Airy and light and perfect for a variety of toppings and frostings, this cake can be made in a sheet or tube pan. get the recipe Save 25 of 25 1234 Cake with Chocolate Frosting Credit: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner You may never reach for a boxed cake mix again with this easy classic in your recipe box. The timeless combination of yellow cake and chocolate frosting is a bucket list must that’s easy to whip up for birthdays, holidays, or any day. Get The Recipe Save Explore more: Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit