Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes 21 Cake Ideas for Your Grandmother's Birthday Party By Southern Living Editors Updated on November 8, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Nothing says quality time like a box-full of recipes, a cloud of flour, and grandma by your side. Though many a Southern grandmother is gifted in the kitchen, we all have our own favorite recipes and memories from sun-filled Sundays learning to bake with the most patient of ladies. After all of those hours spent in the kitchen, it's finally your time to shine. Make grandma proud (and prove the baking gene is safe for another generation) by serving the perfect, homemade cake at her birthday bash. Whether you've collected your own box of handwritten favorites by now or not, we've got you covered. Shower your grandmother with love this birthday with one of our favorite, homemade cake recipes. 01 of 21 Hummingbird Cake Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman Recipe: Hummingbird Cake If you're looking for a confection that's sure to be a crowd-pleaser, look no further than this signature Southern dessert. A favorite among our readers for more than 40 years, this sweet is sure to make grandma smile. 02 of 21 Devil's Food Cake with Salted Peanut Butter Frosting and Ganache Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Recipe: Devil's Food Cake with Salted Peanut Butter Frosting and Ganache Although this cake starts with a boxed cake mix, the peanut butter frosting and chocolate ganache make it worthy of celebrating grandma. 03 of 21 Classic Birthday Cake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Classic Birthday Cake The perfect go-to for a party, this sheet cake is an entertainer's dream. Show grandma you know how to bake a sheet cake for a crowd with this birthday treat. 04 of 21 Strawberry-Lemonade Cake Jen Causey Recipe: Strawberry-Lemonade Cake Pretty in pink, this cake packs in layers of love filled with the flavors of sweet strawberries and tangy lemons. 05 of 21 Chocolate Bundt Cake Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Chocolate Bundt Cake An old-fashioned favorite that's never gone out of style, a Bundt cake is sure to delight at any birthday party. 06 of 21 Caramel-Frosted Pound Cake Southern Living Recipe: Caramel-Frosted Pound Cake Think of this cake as a combination of two classics, caramel cake and pound cake. 07 of 21 Blueberry-Lemon Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Blueberry-Lemon Cake Fresh blueberries give the icing for the cake a beautiful color. Plus, there's plenty more blueberries packed into each layer of the cake. 08 of 21 Yellow Cake with Malted Chocolate Buttercream Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Recipe: Yellow Cake with Malted Chocolate Buttercream Homemade frosting helps turn a boxed mix into a pretty layer cake. You can ice the whole cake or use a piping bag to create a pretty flower design as pictured. 09 of 21 Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Alison Miksch; Prop styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food styling: Mary-Claire Britton Recipe: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake If you've never made a cake with mayonnaise, just trust us on this one. 10 of 21 Cookies and Cream Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Christine Kelly Recipe: Cookies and Cream Cake If grandma loves cookies, treat her to this decadent recipe that turns them into an over-the-top layer cake. 11 of 21 Glazed Buttermilk Donut Cake Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Kay E Clarke Recipe: Glazed Buttermilk Donut Cake A brunch celebration should still end with cake and this donut-inspired cake in the perfect final course. 12 of 21 Coconut Cream Cake Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Coconut Cream Cake This cake may be more time intensive than the usual cake you whip up, but we think grandma is worth spending a little extra time in the kitchen. 13 of 21 Chocolate Marble Cake Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Chocolate Marble Cake If you can't decided between vanilla or chocolate cake, get the best of both with this marble cake. 14 of 21 Pink Champagne Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Christine Kelly Recipe: Pink Champagne Cake Toast all that grandma means to your family with this pretty pink cake. 15 of 21 German Chocolate Cake Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: German Chocolate Cake Impress grandma by whipping up a homemade version of this classic cake. 16 of 21 Red Velvet Cake with White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Recipe: Red Velvet Cake with White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting If red velvet is her cake flavor of choice, this elegant layer cake is sure to impress. 17 of 21 Petite Blueberry Cheesecakes Hector Sanchez Recipe: Petite Blueberry Cheesecakes Party guests will love these luscious little two-bite treats. As pretty as they are tasty, you can make these miniature cakes your own creation by topping with any kind of berry or preserves. 18 of 21 Lemon Bar Cake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Lemon Bar Cake Put the slow cooker to work for this simple citrus sweet that's a breeze to make. Served warm or cooled, this sweet cake can be topped with Candied Lemon Slices for an extra treat. 19 of 21 Banana Pudding Cheesecake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Banana Pudding Cheesecake Two of our favorite desserts come together to create a creamy blend of cheesecake and fresh bananas in this party-perfect recipe. 20 of 21 Lemon-Vanilla Pound Cake with Lavender Glaze Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Lemon-Vanilla Pound Cake with Lavender Glaze Pound cakes have been a favorite of Southern bakers for generations. Keep the tradition alive with this delicious treat full of springtime flavor. 21 of 21 Cranberry Upside-Down Cake Recipe: Cranberry Upside-Down Cake The easiest take on an upside-down cake we've seen yet, this simple slow cooker dessert packs in the cranberries. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit