Luscious Layer Cakes Perfect for Any Occasion

By Southern Living
Photo: Jennifer Davick

If there’s anything we love around here more than cake, we can’t think what it is, unless, of course, it’s a layer cake. Think about it: layers of cake, layers of filling or frosting, and that satisfying moment when you cut into something impressive like our Strawberry Dream Cake. While we love our pound cakes and our coffee cakes, there’s just something about a layer cake. Sometimes, you don’t need a layer cake for an occasion, a layer cake is an occasion. We tend to err on the side of more cake, rather than less. From luscious lemon layers to jam cakes to caramel cake recipes so rich you’ll need a nap after, we’ve collected some of our best and most impressive layer cake recipes here. You’ll find the legendary Hummingbird Cake, the iconic Lane Cake, and more unexpected surprises, like the bright and fruity triple decker strawberry cake recipe that just begged to be included.

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Strawberry Dream Cake

Photo: Greg Dupree

Recipe: Strawberry Dream Cake

You'll fall in love with this too-good-to-be-true strawberry cake. Fluffy whipped frosting made with marscapone cheese, sugar, whipping cream, and vanilla and almond extracts is the perfect finishing touch. We love the presentation of cake slices with upright strawberries between the layers. When it comes down to the details, this sweet confection takes the cake. 

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Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Alison Miksch

Recipe: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Our Southern secret to a moist chocolate cake? Duke's Mayonnaise. 

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White Chocolate Poinsettia Cake

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: White Chocolate Poinsettia Cake

Petal-shaped cookies are the perfect polishing touch for this elegant layered cake. 

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Mama's German Chocolate Cake

Southern Living

Recipe: Mama's German Chocolate Cake

Layers of fluffy, moist German chocolate cake and creamy Coconut-Pecan Frosting make this towering, triple-decker dessert an instant favorite. 

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The Coconut Chiffon Cake

Hector Sanchez

Recipe: The Coconut Chiffon Cake

White as a Sunday glove, coconut is the doyenne of Southern layer cakes, a masterpiece of home cookery that has crowned dining room sideboards for more than a hundred years.

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Sea Salt-Caramel Cake

Greg DuPree

Recipe: Sea Salt-Caramel Cake

Rich caramel frosting topped with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt makes for a fancy finish. 

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Coconut Cake with Rum Filling and Coconut Ermine Frosting

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Coconut Cake with Rum Filling and Coconut Ermine Frosting

Layers of tender coconut cake and a luscious rum custard are the stars of this divine dessert, but the frosting is pretty spectacular, too. 

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The Red Velvet Cake

Hector Sanchez

Recipe: The Red Velvet Cake

In 1989, an armadillo-shaped groom's cake in Steel Magnolias kicked off a cult following for red velvet. The craze has continued, fueled in part by the red velvet cakes that have graced the Southern Living Christmas cover three times.

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Pumpkin Layer Cake with Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting

Alison Gootee

Recipe: Pumpkin Layer Cake with Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting

A must-try for pumpkin spice fans, these cake layers can be made up to three days before your event.

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Luscious Lemon Cake

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Luscious Lemon Cake

Create an impressive stack of zesty lemon layers that's perfect for any casual gathering. Or frost the entire cake for a more elegant presentation.

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Triple-Layer Chocolate-Caramel Cake

Greg Dupree

Recipe: Triple-Layer Chocolate-Caramel Cake

This creamy chocolate and caramel frosting is even better with a a splish of bourbon, but it can be left out without causing any problems. 

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Best Homemade White Cake

Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Best Homemade White Cake

Whether you're a white cake pro or layering for this first time, this is the perfect cake to serve friends and family.

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Hummingbird Cake

Hector M Sanchez

Recipe: Hummingbird Cake

Thanks to Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, North Carolina, this pineapple-banana spice cake with cream cheese frosting became one of our most requested recipes. We still stand by Mrs. Wiggins' original, indulgent creation.

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Heavenly Candy Bar Cake

Recipe: Heavenly Candy Bar Cake

Gooey chunks of candy bar really do take this cake recipe to higher realms. Melted candy bars are stirred into the batter, and more are coarsely chopped and sprinkled over the top.

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Gingerbread Cake with Buttermilk Frosting

Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Gingerbread Cake with Buttermilk Frosting

Tangy buttermilk frosting pairs beautifully with the spiced layers of gingerbread cake in this holiday dessert. 

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Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake

Greg DuPree

Recipe: Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake

Toffee bits and chopped pecans stud these rich cake layers, and browned butter lends a special touch to the frosting on the top. 

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The Lane Cake

Hector Sanchez

Recipe: The Lane Cake

In March 1966, Southern Living featured a recipe for Lane Cake in its second issue. Our latest twist? Dried peaches (finely diced and ridiculously delicious) stand in for raisins, and the traditional meringue frosting gets a spirited makeover with a triple shot of peach schnapps.

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Mama Dip’s Carrot Cake

Recipe: Mama Dip’s Carrot Cake

This recipe from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, restaurateur Mildred "Mama Dip" Council is one of the best carrot cakes we've tested. The cake layers can be made ahead and frozen up to one month.

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Eggnog Spice Cake with Bourbon Custard Filling and Eggnog Buttercream

Greg DuPree

Recipe: Eggnog Spice Cake with Bourbon Custard Filling and Eggnog Buttercream

Slightly boozy and decorated with a festive, zigzag frosting, guests are sure to enjoy this layered take on Christmas eggnog. 

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The Lemon Cheese Layer Cake

Hector Sanchez

Recipe: The Lemon Cheese Layer Cake

Expecting a twist on cheesecake? You're in for an even sweeter surprise. These layers are filled with a buttery rich lemon curd instead.

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Peppermint Cake with Seven-Minute Frosting

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Pepperming Cake with Seven-Minute Frosting

Peppermint-vanilla cake and fluffy pink buttercream make a merry combination in this layer cake full of Christmas spirit. 

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The Jam Cake

Hector Sanchez

Recipe: The Jam Cake

The origins of jam cake lie deep in Appalachia where store-bought sugar was once scarce. Cakes were often sweetened with homemade jams, filled with wild berries and mountain fruits. The payoff for the genius swap? Rich, dense cake layers with a depth of flavor sugar alone can't deliver.

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Praline Layer Cake

Greg DuPree

Recipe: Praline Layer Cake

The praline is one of the South's most beloved sweets, and, in this show-stopping layer cake, it certainly does not disappoint. Candied pecans add a toasty crunch to the top of the cake, while the soft layers are held together with a dark, nutty filling and a silky buttercream frosting. Pecans are great all year long, but there is something about the Fall season that makes you want to bake and bake a lot. This cake will truly satisfy your sweet tooth.

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The 50th Anniversary Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: The 50th Anniversary Cake

As we planned the dessert for the Southern Living 50th anniversary party, sweet memories of generously frosted layer cakes from childhood birthdays or Grandmother's kitchen danced in our heads. Inspiration can come from anywhere, as long as the results taste delicious. Our most popular birthday cake recipe made the final party cut: six moist layers of vanilla-almond cake smothered in grand buttercream icing and embellished with glistening sugar sprinkles. 

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Lane Cake

Recipe: Lane Cake

Pecans, raisins, flaked coconut, and of course, a little bourbon, top this classic Southern layer cake.

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Caramel Cake

Southern Living

Recipe: Caramel Cake

This old-fashioned cake will seal your reputation as a baker.

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Italian Cream Cake

Recipe: Italian Cream Cake

This cake will surely win rave reviews in your home with its sweet coconut flavors and Nutty Cream Cheese Frosting.

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Chocolate Layer Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Southern Living

Recipe: Chocolate Layer Cake with Vanilla Buttercream

This "choco-licious" dessert temptation is impossible to resist. The addition of hot tap water at the end makes for an exceptionally moist cake.

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Toasted Almond-Butter Cake

Southern Living

Recipe: Toasted Almond-Butter Cake

This buttery, moist cake has the perfect hint of almonds and coconut. A sweet Cream Cheese Frosting makes it an even more outstanding way to end the meal.

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Chocolate-Praline Cake

Southern Living

Recipe: Chocolate-Praline Cake

This chocolate cake is off-the-charts rich. If you like pralines, you'll love this candy-like frosting.

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Hummingbird Cake

Recipe: Hummingbird Cake

This is the ultimate recipe for Hummingbird Cake. It's the most requested recipe in Southern Living magazine history and frequents covered dish dinners all across the South, always receiving rave reviews.

Related: 4 Ways with Hummingbird Cake

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Triple-Decker Strawberry Cake

Recipe: Triple-Decker Strawberry Cake

Layers of moist strawberry cake and Strawberry Buttercream Frosting make this three-layer cake a must for strawberry lovers.

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Chocolate Cake IV

Southern Living

Recipe: Chocolate Cake IV

Coffee and chocolate lovers everywhere will find this cake to die for! Between each layer of chocolate cake is a delicious Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling, and it's topped with Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing.

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Gingerbread Cake with Stout Buttercream

Southern Living

Recipe: Gingerbread Cake with Stout Buttercream

The bold flavor of a stout complements the spices in the German-inspired gingerbread cake. Spread a simple buttercream icing over the cake and garnish with toasted pecans.

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Lightened Hummingbird Cake

Southern Living

Recipe: Lightened Hummingbird Cake

We lowered the fat and calories by substituting applesauce for some of the oil, using less butter and sugar, fewer eggs, and substituting light for regular cream cheese.

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Blackberry-Raspberry Truffle Cake

Southern Living

Recipe: Blackberry-Raspberry Truffle Cake

Lavish amounts of semisweet chocolate and sour cream give rise to these luscious cake layers. No one will ever guess the recipe begins with a mix. A simple coating of coarsely chopped pecans and a handful of colorful berries will send this towering treat to the table in high style.

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Four-Layer Coconut Cake

Southern Living

Recipe: Four-Layer Coconut Cake

Layer upon layer of tropical coconut and soft whipped cream topping make this a year-round favorite indulgence.

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Coconut-Almond Cream Layer Cake

Beth Dreiling Hontzas / Styling Rose Nguyen / Food styling Marian Cooper Cairns

Recipe: Coconut-Almond Cream Cake

This decadent layer cake is deliciously rich as well as moist. For a colorful presentation, garnish with kumquats, currants, and fresh mint sprigs.

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White Chocolate-Almond Cake

Southern Living

Recipe: White Chocolate Almond Cake 

Using square rather than round cake pans gives this layer cake a wonderfully unique presentation. The combination of sour cream, light brown sugar and hot water make this cake extra delightful and moist.

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Chocolate Italian Cake

Southern Living

Recipe: Chocolate Italian Cake

Finely chopped pecans and a hint of cinnamon in the Chocolate-Cream Cheese frosting gives this chocolate spin-off the classic Italian Cream Cake that something extra. Garnish with pecan halves for a pretty presentation.

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Bourbon-Chocolate Cake With Praline Frosting

Southern Living

Recipe: Bourbon-Chocolate Cake With Praline Frosting

Chocolate Ganache smoothed between layers of rich chocolate cake topped with Praline Frosting and a warm Bourbon Glaze make this recipe fit for special occasions. Serve alongside a warm cup of coffee or tea.

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Best Carrot Cake

Tina Cornett

Recipe: Best Carrot Cake

Make this classic favorite for a crowd and you might not have any leftovers to bring home. Simply adding a can of crushed pineapple and the luscious Buttermilk Glaze makes this truly the Best Carrot Cake.

Step-by-Step Video: Best Carrot Cake Ever

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Chocolate-Peanut Butter Mousse Cake

Photo: J. Savage Gibson

Recipe: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Mousse Cake

Starting with a boxed cake mix makes this cake both easy and delicious. Kids and adults alike will love the creamy peanut butter mousse between layers of chocolate cake. Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts and serve with a scoop of ice cream.

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Decadent Banana Cake with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe: Decadent Banana Cake with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

Bananas and coconut pair perfectly in this delicious dessert. Top with toasted coconut and banana slices for an impressive presentation.

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Fig Cake

Photo: Charles Walton IV

Recipe: Fig Cake

A delicious twist on our favorite Hummingbird Cake, this recipe is so simple to make you won't believe you started from scratch. This recipe can be made with fresh figs or with good quality preserves. Sweet cream cheese frosting covers the cake and is a nice balance to the spicy fall flavors.

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Lemon-and-Chocolate Doberge Cake

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Lemon-and-Chocolate Doberge Cake

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Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake

Southern Living

Recipe: Fresh Orange Italian Creme Cake

Reviewers have touted this one of the best cakes they’ve ever tasted. Our recipe takes ordinary Italian Cream Cake up a notch by spreading flavorful Fresh Orange Curd between each layer. Be sure to chill the Fresh Orange Curd for 8 hours; it helps keep the layers together which makes it easier to frost.