Holidays & Occasions Father's Day 40 Father's Day Cakes That Will Make Dad Feel Special By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough 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 December 20, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; PROP STYLING: LINDSEY LOWER; FOOD STYLING: EMILY NABORS HALL Father's Day doesn't often get the attention it deserves, largely because our fathers can be so delightfully low-maintenance. Take a trip to the ballpark, buy him a chili dog, and he's in hog heaven. But why not go the extra mile? Here's something about Southern dads: More often than not, they have a sweet tooth that cannot be rivaled. It's practically an unspoken law in every house. "Do not bake a warm batch of cookies when your father's in smelling range. They will not make it to the bake sale." This Father's Day, delight your dad's sweet tooth with one of these Father's Day cake ideas. From classic Southern cake recipes to delicious new ones, these picks are sure to please your papa. Try a new riff on an old-school treat, like our Peach Upside-Down Cake, or a super Southern crowd-pleaser, like our Mini Bourbon-and-Cola Bundts. Whether he's a glutton for chocolate or a sucker for citrus, your dad will absolutely love one of these 40 Father's Day cakes. (Go ahead and get his second slice ready to go.) 01 of 40 Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Alison Miksch; Prop styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food styling: Mary-Claire Britton This isn't your standard chocolate birthday cake. The mayonnaise may surprise you, but the iconic Southern staple yields an ultra-moist texture and mellows out the sweet flavor. The addition of strong-brewed coffee in the batter lends it more maturity and enhances the chocolate flavor. 02 of 40 Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Dads don't always need all the bells and whistles. This simple classic is best during the summer, anyway, when strawberries are downright perfect. In place of shortcake, this version uses homemade buttermilk biscuits sweetened with sanding sugar. 03 of 40 Banana Pudding Cheesecake Meet a mash-up of epic proportions. The name says it all: banana pudding + cheesecake = heaven. A crust of vanilla wafers and chopped pecans, smooth cheesecake filling, and whipped cream and banana garnishes are sure to make dad feel special. 04 of 40 Strawberry-Lemonade Cake Jen Causey For a Father's Day lunch, nothing is more festive or summery than this cake. The spongy lemony cake layers are spread with a tangy Strawberry-Lemonade Jam, then frosted with a dreamy Strawberry Frosting made with fresh berries and a drop of pink food coloring. Pile more berries on top to make it pretty. 05 of 40 Chocolate-Coconut Pavlova Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Talk about a show-stopper. Chocolate and coconut go together like your mama and daddy. This flourless and dairy-free dessert stacks layers of chocolate-swirled meringue with coconut cream. 06 of 40 Tropical Carrot Cake Micah A. Leal This marriage between carrot cake and Hummingbird Cake will please any Southern papa who likes pineapple and banana. The cake is frosted with a simple cream cheese icing, but feel free to get fancy with the decorations. We like to sprinkle shredded coconut and pecans on top. 07 of 40 Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake Greg DuPree This cake is made for those with a real-deal sweet tooth. Toffee bits and chopped pecans stud vanilla cake layers, and browned butter lends a special touch to the creamy toffee frosting. The frosting also gets an optional splash of bourbon or dark rum. 08 of 40 Red, White, And Blue Poke Cake Jennifer Causey This cake doesn't just belong on the Fourth of July. With two fillings made with fresh summer berries and a rich mascarpone frosting, your dad will feel truly celebrated. Chill the cake and spread the frosting carefully to keep the berries from bleeding through. 09 of 40 Coconut Pound Cake Antonis Achilleos You won't find a Bundt better than this coconut pound cake. We added two secret Southern ingredients that take the cake to the next level: pecans and bourbon. Combined with the shredded coconut, this cake requires no icings or adornments to wow your guests. 10 of 40 Strawberry-Banana Pudding Icebox Cake Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Hadas Smirnoff Two Southern favorites—strawberry cake and homemade banana pudding—come together in a cool and creamy icebox cake. We layered them with whole graham cracker squares, which will make your cake slices neat as a pin. This cake can be made ahead to chill overnight. 11 of 40 Carrot Cake Cheesecake Micah A. Leal Oh, you still use graham cracker crust on your cheesecake? Well, let us introduce you to our new creation that switches out boring crust for a thick layer of moist carrot cake. As a bonus, the spices in the carrot cake infuse the cheesecake layer above. 12 of 40 Chocolate Éclair Cake Micah A. Leal If he can never pass up one of these chocolatey treats, make a cake just as worthy of his attention. This confection is filled with chocolate ganache and real pastry cream between each cake layer, frosted with buttercream flecked with pastry, and topped with a final coating of ganache that drips over the edges. Dad will find it a sight to behold and a delight to eat. 13 of 40 Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox Say hello to a summertime-friendly version of our classic Red Velvet Layer Cake. It'll make the dog days of summer just a little more tolerable, especially when you bite into the cold layer of vanilla ice cream. Even better, the gelatin in the frosting keeps it from melting in the heat. 14 of 40 Key Lime Pound Cake Jen Causey Treat your father to a slice of paradise. Because, if anyone deserves a vacation, he does. Our Key Lime Pound Cake somehow manages to be both substantial and airy, with beachy vibes from the fresh-squeezed lime juice. 15 of 40 Pineapple-Coconut Cake Micah A. Leal Get ready to taste some of the softest cake layers you will ever put in your mouth. This cake masters a tasty combination of syrupy pineapple filling, tangy cream cheese, and nutty toasted coconut. For the best results, refrigerate the filling and frosting before assembling the cake. 16 of 40 Mama Dip's Rum Cake Peter Frank Edwards This rich, spirited Bundt cake recipe came to us from the late Mildred "Mama Dip" Council, of the beloved Mama Dip's Kitchen in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Everyone will appreciate the double dose of rum in this cake. The recipe calls for poking holes in the Bundt so the Rum Syrup can soak in. 17 of 40 Flourless Pecan-Chocolate Cake Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis This is just the cake recipe you need to please a chocolate lover. The fudgy flourless chocolate cake will simply melt in your mouth. The decadence is balanced out by the crunch of toasted pecans. 18 of 40 Coca-Cola Cake Micah A. Leal Coca-Cola is an iconic Southern dessert ingredient for good reason. Reduce the Coca-Cola to a syrup and mix with a lightly salted cream cheese frosting to make this cake taste just like Dad's favorite soft drink. The cake itself is flavored with Coke and cocoa powder, with an incredibly moist texture that comes from buttermilk and oil. 19 of 40 Mama's German Chocolate Cake Southern Living What papa doesn't love an old-school recipe from mama? This classic cake's rich and sugary frosting with pecans and flaked coconut can't be topped. But the moist, chocolatey layers allow him to indulge his sweet tooth, too. 20 of 40 Brown Sugar Layer Cake With Peach Buttercream Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox Peaches are a favorite summer treat, especially when paired with cinnamon-spiced cake layers. In this case, the real star of the show is the frosting made with peach puree and rich browned butter. Garnish with fresh and juicy peach slices. 21 of 40 Peanut Butter Cake Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall A big sheet cake is always the right choice for a big family celebration. We've added peanut butter galore to this easy sheet cake recipe. Use buttermilk in the batter to make it extra creamy. 22 of 40 Bananas Foster Cake With Rum Buttercream Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hilegas If you're feeling fancy, slice the bananas and sprinkle them with sugar before using your kitchen torch to brûlée them. If you don't have a kitchen torch, feel free to skip this step. The banana-flavored cake and rum-flavored frosting will be just as delicious. 23 of 40 Glazed Buttermilk Donut Cake Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Kay E Clarke This giant donut will be a hit. While it will look and taste like a donut from the shop, it's just a pound cake with added leavening. A sugary glaze completes the illusion. 24 of 40 Chocolate-Zucchini Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Who knew a couple of zucchini from the family garden could taste so good? This chocolate version of zucchini bread will have everyone in your house asking for seconds. The Brown Butter-Pistachio Frosting has just the right sweet-salty balance to partner with the deep chocolate cake. 25 of 40 Caramel-Frosted Pound Cake Southern Living Rich caramel frosting makes this pound cake a little fancier for your Father's Day celebration. The cake is flavored with a hint of almond extract that complements the sweetness of the frosting. Apply it with an offset spatula for those signature swoops. 26 of 40 Creamy Peach Icebox Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox This sweet summer treat is perfect for a hot afternoon celebration, with layers of cool and creamy ice cream, pound cake, peach preserves, and whipped cream. Buy a frozen pound cake and this recipe only takes 20 minutes to prepare. Be sure to let the cake chill at least eight hours before serving. 27 of 40 Classic Chocolate Pound Cake Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Erin Merhar Classic pound cakes are hard to beat, but make it chocolate and you've got an instant winner. This cake gets a dusting of powdered sugar in lieu of frosting. Serve it with ice cream, chocolate sauce, or fresh berries. 28 of 40 Cherry Dump Cake Micah A. Leal Sometimes a simple dessert is best. Turn to this dump cake recipe for a delicious mix of classic yellow cake, dark cherries, and subtle almond flavor. Instead of cherry pie filling, we use canned cherries for fresher flavor. 29 of 40 Peach Cobbler Cheesecake Photography and Styling: Sarah Epperson Two of our favorites meet in this summer recipe that's sure to put a smile on Dad's face. Chopped peaches get stirred right into the cheesecake filling, and that's topped with generous chunks of fresh peaches cooked in syrup and tossed into a crumble. This make-ahead dessert requires time to cool in the oven and chill in the fridge. 30 of 40 Tennessee Jam Bundt Cake Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck This classic Southern cake hails from a time when desserts were often sweetened with homemade jams instead of sugar—and we're definitely on board. In this case, a cup and a half of blackberry jam partners with an equal amount of sugar. The tangy buttermilk in the batter and rich caramel frosting make a delicious pairing. 31 of 40 Mini Bourbon-And-Cola Bundt Cakes Iain Bagwell; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham It doesn't get more Dad-approved than a bourbon and cola cocktail—in cake form. Make individual servings with a mini Bundt pan or use a full-sized 15-cup pan. The warm and chocolatey Bourbon-and-Cola Glaze brings this one over the top. 32 of 40 Lemon Bar Cheesecake Photo: Jennifer Davick It's hard to beat old-school lemon bars or classic cheesecake. This recipe is meant for the dad who loves both. The Candied Lemon Slices may require extra work, but he'll appreciate the effort—and any leftover candies. 33 of 40 Coconut Cream Cake Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller The nostalgia of coconut cream pie is something a Southern father can appreciate. In this variation, coconut cream filling gets sandwiched between cake layers. A fluffy coconut frosting and toasted shaved coconut complete the effect. 34 of 40 Blueberry Honey Upside Down Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis For the dads who don't like overly sweet desserts, this upside-down cake gets its texture and subtle toasty flavor from cornmeal. The buttery, dense cake is crowned with blueberries, which burst in the honey while upside down to create a thick jam. Serve this cake with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 35 of 40 Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake Jennifer Davick Your family will love the subtle almond flavor and moist crumb in this deceptively simple-looking pound cake. Once they dive in, they'll be delighted by beautiful strawberry swirls. Dollop strawberry glaze into the batter and use a wooden skewer to create the marbled pattern. 36 of 40 Peach Cobbler Cake Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hilegas This cake looks impressive for a dessert that's so easy to prepare. Light and spongy vanilla cake layers sandwich peach slices and a cloudlike mixture of whipped cream and mascarpone cheese. With 2 1/2 pounds of fresh fruit, this one will satisfy the peach-lover in the family. 37 of 40 Cherries-And-Cream Icebox Cake Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner Put the cherry on top of Father's Day by presenting him with this lovely icebox cake. The no-bake dessert is a concoction of graham crackers and whipped cream layered in a springform pan. The extra-decadent filling is made with heavy whipping cream, cream cheese, and ribbons of cherry preserves. 38 of 40 Lemon-Lime Poke Cake Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis Citrus-spiked sweetened condensed milk and buttermilk add a double dose of moisture to what would be a standard white cake. Lemon and lime zest are mixed into the cake batter for an extra pop of citrus. Garnish with fruit slices for a simple decoration that screams summer. 39 of 40 Texas Sheet Cake With Fudge Icing Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Dad won't say no to a second helping of this moist and rich chocolate cake covered in Fudge Icing. We've added Dr. Pepper and loads of pecans to amp up the Southern flavor. This sheet cake recipe serves 20, enough to feed your whole crowd. 40 of 40 Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Bring out the bourbon on Father's Day in an unexpected (but totally delicious) way. This upside-down cake features juicy, caramelized peaches atop a fluffy Bundt with the subtle taste of bourbon. Add a splash of bourbon to the glaze if you want a stronger flavor. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit