Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes Classic Cakes Just Like Your Grandma Used To Make By Jenna Sims Jenna Sims Jenna is a Digital Editor for Southern Living and joined the team in 2014. She writes, produces, and assigns 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 Published on February 18, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Will Dickey; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee Whether you spent time in the kitchen with Grandma helping her bake cakes or just enjoyed talking with her while enjoying a slice, we're sure every bite of cake was always delicious when it was whipped up in her kitchen. From sheet cakes to layer cakes to bundt cakes and more, these classic cake recipes are just like the ones Grandma used to whip up. Whether Grandma was baking a cake for a special occasion or to enjoy after Sunday supper, they were always made with plenty of love.It's time to pull out your favorite cake plate and bake these grandma-approved cake recipes. We're sure they'll continue to be passed down for generations to come. 01 of 18 Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Alison Miksch; Prop styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food styling: Mary-Claire Britton Grandma knew that mayonnaise is the secret ingredient to moist chocolate cake. 02 of 18 Homemade Yellow Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke If Grandma always made her yellow cakes from scratch rather that reaching for a boxed mix, this simple recipe will replicate the taste of her homemade slices. 03 of 18 Hummingbird Cake Southern Living This layer cake is a classic Southern recipe that's sure to be passed down for generations to come. 04 of 18 Angel Food Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke Grandma probably knew that the trick to getting Angel Food Cake to come out of the pan easily is to let it cool upside down. 05 of 18 Mississippi Mud Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke This cake that's made in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish proves that cakes don't have to be made in layers to be delicious. 06 of 18 Classic Red Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Molly Bolton/Southern Living Cream cheese frosting pairs perfectly with homemade red velvet cake layers. 07 of 18 Wacky Cake Will Dickey; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee Grandma probably always had the ingredients on hand to make this cake without having to make a trip to the store. 08 of 18 Old-Fashioned Pound Cake Jennifer Davick Whether served plain or with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream, you can't go wrong with old-fashioned pound cake just like Grandma used to make. 09 of 18 Strawberry Poke Cake Photographer: Alison Miksch / Food Stylist: Melissa Gray / Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Grandma knew that the secret ingredient to pretty (and delicious) poke cakes is gelatin mix, such as Jell-O. 10 of 18 Sock It To Me Cake Hannah Zimmerman / Southern Living Turn pantry staples into this seemingly simple Bundt cake that gets plenty of flavor from a vanilla icing being drizzled on top with a ribbon in the middle that's made with a mixture of brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon. 11 of 18 German Chocolate Cake Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis This decadent cake is worth spending a few hours in the kitchen to pull together. 12 of 18 Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke The true wow-factor comes when it's time to flip this upside-down cake over after it comes out of the oven. 13 of 18 Fresh Apple Cake Hannah Zimmerman Grandma knew that a homemade cake is the best way to enjoy fresh, in-season apples. 14 of 18 1234 Cake with Chocolate Frosting Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner This cake is so easy to make, you may never reach for a boxed mix again. 15 of 18 The Ultimate Carrot Cake Alison Miksch Carrot cake is elegant enough to be the centerpiece of a holiday meal, but delicious enough to be made without needing a special occasion. 16 of 18 Caramel Cake Jennifer Davick Homemade caramel frosting is sandwiched between caramel cake layers in perhaps one of the most classic cakes found at Southern gatherings and this no-fuss recipe will take you right back to grandma's kitchen. 17 of 18 The Lane Cake Hector Sanchez Featured in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, The Lane Cake has remained popular ever since. 18 of 18 Classic Coconut Cake Southern Living This classic coconut cake has coconut extract, flaked coconut, and coconut shavings on the ingredient list, so there's not shortage of flavor. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit