Food and Recipes Desserts 40 Fun Summer Baking Ideas to Celebrate the Season By Jenna Sims Jenna Sims Jenna Sims is a Digital Editor for Southern Living and joined the team in 2014. She writes, produces, and ideates content with a focus on email growth and commerce content. She covers a range of topics in the lifestyle space from holiday gift guides to new product launches to tips for cooking with your air fryer. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 10, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Johnny Autry; Food and Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Bake your way through summertime with these seasonal dessert recipes. While you may think baking peaks during the holiday season, we've rounded up a batch of fun summer baking ideas to convince you otherwise. Summer is a great time to experiment with fresh flavors from fruits that are in season like berries and citrus. Plus, there are so many fun gatherings and potlucks during the summer months that act as the perfect excuse to whip up a fresh, homemade dessert. Choose a few recipes to make each week and you'll be on your way to mastering some new baking skills by the time Labor Day rolls around. These refreshing ideas are jam-packed with fresh flavors like strawberry, Key lime, pineapple, and more. Some are even inspired by classic Southern drinks, like our Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake and our Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake. From Bundt cakes to cobblers to poke cakes and more, once you've made your way through this tasty list, you'll be able to take on any baking project that comes your way. 01 of 40 Buttery Pineapple Crumble Bars Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Buttery Pineapple Crumble Bars This summery take on lemon bars makes the most of fresh pineapple. You'll need to break out your stand mixer for this recipe because using a hand mixer may result in flour covering every surface of your kitchen. 02 of 40 Cakey Strawberry Cobbler Photographer: Jen Causey, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Recipe: Cakey Strawberry Cobbler If you consider yourself a pro with the homemade peach cobbler, it's time to meet your next challenge: strawberry cobbler. Except it won't be a challenge at all because it's a cinch to pull together. 03 of 40 Key Lime Pound Cake Jen Causey Recipe: Key Lime Pound Cake Upgrade your pound cake for the summer with the addition of Key limes. One bite will instantly transport you to the Florida Keys. 04 of 40 Watermelon Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Watermelon Cake While watermelon may not necessarily be the best cake ingredient, this decorative treat gives it a spot on the dessert table. 05 of 40 Peach Cobbler Pound Cake Photographer and props: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Peach Cobbler Pound CakeUpgrade pound cake for the season with the taste of one of summer's favorite fruits. 06 of 40 Spiced Rum-Peach Dumplings Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Spiced Rum-Peach Dumplings The name sounds fancy, but this peach dessert is anything but. It's made with fresh peaches, refrigerated crescent dough, and Mountain Dew. Serve up at your next barbecue, and prepare for your guests to be wowed. 07 of 40 Lemon-Lime Poke Cake Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Lemon-Lime Poke CakeLearn the (easy) art of the poke cake with this citrus-packed dessert. 08 of 40 Old-Fashioned Apple Pie Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Old-Fashioned Apple Pie If you've never made an apple pie from scratch, you should start with this old-fashioned recipe. The homemade crust and filling create a classic pie just like Grandma used to make. 09 of 40 Peach Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Peach Cake This cake makes a great dessert, but we wouldn't blame you if you sneak a piece for breakfast as well. 10 of 40 Easy Peach Pie Ann Taylor Pittman/Southern Living Recipe: Easy Peach Pie Nothing says summer like a juicy, luscious peach pie. This peach pie is made easier with store-bought crust, but we've gussied it up with beautiful, sparkly turbinado sugar and a milk wash. 11 of 40 Blueberry-Lemon Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Blueberry-Lemon Cake Bring together the flavors of blueberry and lemon, which are a match made in dessert heaven, in this pretty layer cake. 12 of 40 Berry Chantilly Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Recipe: Berry Chantilly Cake Raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries are mixed with cream cheese and mascarpone cheese for the dreamiest of fillings. 13 of 40 Florida Orange Grove Pie Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Ana Kelly Recipe: Florida Orange Grove Pie The crust on this citrus pie is made from baked meringue instead of traditional pastry crust. 14 of 40 Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars Photographer: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars These handheld bars taste just like the iconic ice cream truck treat from your childhood. 15 of 40 Chocolate Cobbler Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Chocolate Cobbler Chocolate lovers, this decadent dessert is for you. After adding the batter into the buttered baking dish and pouring in the boiling water resist the urge to stir. 16 of 40 Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake Placing fresh summer peaches in the bottom of your Bundt pan will yield an impressive finish when you remove it from the pan. 17 of 40 Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake This ice-cream cake is summer's version of holiday favorite red velvet. It's a true labor of love that's the perfect dessert to cool everyone down on a hot summer day. 18 of 40 Red, White, and Blue Poke Cake Jennifer Causey Recipe: Red, White, and Blue Poke Cake Poke cakes are known for being infused with extra flavor because of their creamy filling and this recipe takes it to another level. It has two flavored fillings as well as a mascarpone frosting. 19 of 40 McLeod Farms' Fresh Peach Pound Cake Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist Chistina Daley Recipe: McLeod Farms' Fresh Peach Pound Cake A peach pound cake recipe from a Southern Carolina peach farmer? You know this summer dessert has to be divine. 20 of 40 Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Homemade Strawberry Shortcake It's amazing what a homemade biscuit and dollop of whipped cream can do. Add in strawberries and you have a blue-ribbon-worthy dessert. 21 of 40 Banana Pudding Poke Cake Greg DuPree Recipe: Banana Pudding Poke Cake If you're a fan of banana pudding, this sweet summer recipe will be a hit. This recipe relies on oil rather than butter so the cake stays nice and moist even after sitting in the refrigerator. 22 of 40 Nehi Orange Poke Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner Recipe: Nehi Orange Poke Cake This bright cake is filled with a tangy citrus curd made with Nehi orange-flavored soda. 23 of 40 Key Lime Sheet Cake Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Kay E Clarke Recipe: Key Lime Sheet Cake There are few things we love more during the hot days of summer than a Key lime treat. This sheet cake is easy as can be to assemble and feeds a crowd. 24 of 40 Brown Sugar Layer Cake with Peach Buttercream Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Brown Sugar Layer Cake with Peach Buttercream Take advantage of in-season peaches and make this delicious cake. 25 of 40 Cherry-Nectarine Pandowdy Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Recipe: Cherry-Nectarine Pandowdy This berry dessert is full of fruity flavor and has just the right amount of crunch thanks to the double crust placed on top. 26 of 40 Grand Marnier Cakes Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Ana Kelly Recipe: Grand Marnier Cakes Orange liqueur glaze makes the flavor of these mini pound cakes shine bright. 27 of 40 Easy Peach Cobbler Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Easy Peach Cobbler Fruit cobblers might just be one of our summer favorites, especially when we throw in ripe peaches. 28 of 40 Ginger-Plum Slump Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Recipe: Ginger-Plum Slump This stovetop dessert is the perfect solution to a hot summer day when you don't want to turn your oven on. 29 of 40 Blueberry-Cornmeal Cake Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Blueberry-Cornmeal Cake If you're looking for a way to use all the berries you picked at the farm, this cornmeal cake is the answer you've been waiting for. 30 of 40 Peach Cream Kuchen Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Peach Cream Kuchen This make-ahead summer dessert is tender and rich. But it's best served warm, so be prepared to heat it up right before the crowd digs in. 31 of 40 Peach Fried Pies Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Peach Fried Pies It doesn't get any more summery than a piping hot peach hand pie dusted with a generous coating of powdered sugar. 32 of 40 Coca Cola Chocolate Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner Recipe: Coca Cola Chocolate Cake A coca-cola on a hot summer day is a Southern must. We mixed some in with chocolate cake to create the ultimate summer treat. 33 of 40 Hummingbird Cupcakes with Candied Pineapple Wedges Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Hummingbird Cupcakes with Candied Pineapple Wedges Consider these handheld hummingbird cake treats for your next summer get together. The candied pineapple wedges on top make these cupcakes that much sweeter. 34 of 40 Strawberry Cream Pie Iain Bagwell Recipe: Strawberry Cream Pie Bright and juicy strawberries pair perfectly with the chocolate cookie-crumb crust in this berry and cream pie. 35 of 40 Lemon Raspberry Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Recipe: Lemon Raspberry Cake One of our favorite flavor combinations, raspberries and lemon balance each other out in sweetness and tartness to create a delightful treat. 36 of 40 Dreamy Lemon Cheesecake Jennifer Causey Recipe: Dreamy Lemon Cheesecake The lemon curd that tops this silky smooth cheesecake adds the perfect amount of fresh summer flavor. 37 of 40 Margarita Cake Southern Living Recipe: Margarita Cake Add a few tablespoons of lime-flavored gelatin to the dry ingredients in this recipe to add a pop of color and zesty flavor. 38 of 40 Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes Micah Leal Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes Fluffy cream cheese frosting made with freeze-dried strawberries adds a richness to these airy cupcakes. 39 of 40 Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake Inspired by one of summer's classic drinks, this cake is garnished with lemon slices for extra-sweet flair. 40 of 40 Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake Johnny Autry; Food and Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake We're giving you a double dose of strawberries by baking them into the biscuit base as well as using a generous amount on top. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit