The 27 Best Cake Recipes in the World

The cake is one of the most popular desserts in the world and for a good reason. Between endless combinations and tasty flavors, cakes are a staple of every birthday party and holiday get-together.

Far too often, we only enjoy a slice of cake when the occasion calls for it, but you don’t need to wait until a special event to eat it.

Whether you want to surprise your co-workers with a special treat or make something that everyone will enjoy for dessert, a cake can get the job done.

The best thing about cake is that there are endless combinations to try, so whether you love peanut butter, fruit, or are completely mad for chocolate, there’s a cake recipe out there perfect for you and your loved ones.

Here are the 28 best cake recipes you have to try.

1. The Best Vanilla Cake I’ve Ever Had

Let’s start this list off strong with one of the most classic cake flavors out there: vanilla. There’s nothing quite like biting into a moist piece of vanilla cake.

The secret ingredient in this delicious cake recipe is pure vanilla extract. This extract makes the extra cake sweet.

If you don’t have vanilla extract, you can use almond extract and make an almond-flavored cake instead. Or, you could opt for some maple syrup.

This cake recipe is perfect for birthdays and weddings.

2. The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe

Chocolate cake is another classic recipe, and this one is sure to make everyone in your family happy.

The secret ingredient in this moist chocolate cake is vanilla, which can be found in the ingredient list for both the main cake and the frosting. Vanilla helps balance out the chocolate and creates a flavor that’s similar to marshmallows.

This recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips, but feel free to get creative and swap them out for dark chocolate or even white chocolate chips.

3. The Best Homemade White Cake from Scratch

Sometimes you’re just sick of making boxed cake mix. If this is the case, then you’ll love this white cake recipe that’s completely made from scratch.

The secret ingredient in this cake is sour cream. This sour cream makes this cake mix creamier.

If you don’t have full-fat sour cream, you can swap it out for plain greek yogurt instead.

This is one of the most delicious cake recipes that everyone will ask you for at the end of every birthday party or dinner.

4. Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting?

Do you want to make a cake for your child’s birthday party but can’t decide between chocolate and yellow cake?

With this recipe, you won’t have to choose. Like regular chocolate and vanilla, yellow cake is another classic staple at birthday parties.

The secret ingredient in this cake recipe is the buttermilk that’s used at room temperature.

This temperature-controlled buttermilk helps make the batter smoother and creamier.

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can swap it out for some cream of tartar, sour cream, or lemon juice.

5. Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Pound cake is a delicious type, but unfortunately, it doesn’t always get the love it deserves.

However, once you take a bite of this delicious cake recipe, it’ll become your next go-to dessert.

The secret ingredient in this tasty pound cake is right in the name: cream cheese.

The cream cheese gives this cake the perfect amount of moistness. This recipe also calls for all-purpose flour, but swap it out for either coconut or almond flour if you’re looking for a healthier alternative.

6. Italian Lemon Pound Cake

If you love traditional pound cake, then you’ll love it with a little lemon twist.

This treat’s sweet lemon icing perfectly balances out the other ingredients. And speaking of elements, the secret ingredient in this tasty, summer-inspired treat is the teaspoon of fresh ginger.

First, it’s a completely surprising ingredient in this recipe, but it adds extra sweetness and a little kick of spice.

This recipe also calls for vanilla, but you can swap it out for some maple syrup if you don’t have vanilla extract.

7. The Best Carrot Cake Recipe

Carrot cake is delicious, but we can probably all agree that it’s one of the more underrated desserts out there.

While delicious, the secret ingredient in this moist dessert aren’t carrots but a little bit of unsweetened applesauce.

Applesauce, when used in baking, helps keep everything moist and preserves the ingredients for much longer.

This recipe also calls for ground ginger, but you could easily swap it out for ground cinnamon or add a little bit of extra nutmeg to the recipe.

8. Best Texas Sheet Cake Recipe

If you’re looking for cakes to bake for your spouse’s birthday party, check out this great sheet cake recipe.

The secret ingredient for this delicious recipe is a teaspoon of instant coffee, which helps to enhance the cake’s flavor without making it taste like a cup of espresso.

This recipe also calls for sour cream. However, if you don’t have any, you can easily swap it out for some plain greek yogurt or a little bit of cottage cheese or buttermilk.

9. Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Cake

I love a good slice of zucchini cake, and I’ve stumbled upon the perfect recipe. Plus, it works if you’re on the Keto diet.

This Keto-friendly cake features coconut flour, which is the secret ingredient. Coconut flour is not only perfect for anyone on the Keto diet, but it can easily absorb liquid.

This is good because it helps moisten everything. You have to add in your liquid of choice, whether water, almond milk, or coconut milk.

If you don’t have coconut flour, swap it out for some almond flour instead.

10. Perfect Cheesecake Recipe

There’s nothing quite like a sweet and fluffy cheesecake. This popular dessert is a fan favorite, and for a good reason.

If you’re looking for a new cheesecake recipe to try out, look no further.

The secret ingredient in this fluffy, New York-style cheesecake is sour cream. Sour cream adds extra fat to any recipe and helps make everything richer.

If you don’t have sour cream, you can swap it out for plain greek yogurt instead. In our opinion, it’s one of the best cake recipes from scratch.

11. Raspberry Lemon Cake

When I think of the warm summer months, the flavors raspberry and lemon always come to mind. But, if you’re craving these sweet summer flavors this winter, you can get them in this delicious cake recipe.

The secret ingredient in this cake recipe is yogurt because it helps make everything moist.

The best part about this, though, is that you can use any flavor of yogurt you prefer.

Do you like vanilla? Add it? Raspberry? Add it. There’s no end of combinations you can use, so feel free to swap out plain ol’ yogurt for something sweet.

12. Peanut Butter Cake

Are you nuts for peanut butter? If so, then you’ll adore this tasty peanut butter cake that’s filled with buttery peanut goodness.

The secret ingredient in this dish is in its name: peanut butter! However, you don’t have to say “no” to this recipe if you’re allergic to peanuts.

You can swap out the peanut butter for an allergy-friendly alternative like sunflower butter or soy butter.

Regardless of what you decide to make this cake with, one thing’s for sure: it’s one of the best cake flavors out there.

13. Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake

Are caramel turtles one of your favorite types of candy? If so, why not try it in cake form?

This is one of the truly unique cakes recipes, and the secret ingredient – homemade salted caramel sauce – is why.

The salted caramel adds a little boost of flavor. Plus, who doesn’t love sweets, salty caramel?

While this recipe traditionally calls for pecans, you can swap them out for any nut you prefer. Almonds and walnuts are two great alternatives that taste great when paired with chocolate and caramel.

14. Pineapple Juice Cake

You’ve heard of pineapple upside-down cake, but have you ever heard of pineapple juice cake?

This tropical-inspired cake is bursting with sweet, tangy flavors. This is thanks to pineapple juice, which is the secret ingredient.

If you don’t have pineapples or aren’t a huge fan but like everything else in this recipe, try swapping it out for either passion fruit juice or grapefruit juice.

These juices contain a similar citrusy taste that will make you wish you were somewhere on a tropical island, soaking up some sun.

15. Glazed Buttermilk Donut Cake

If you like surprising your co-workers with a dozen donuts on Friday morning, then why not surprise them with a glazed donut cake before you all go home for the holidays?

The secret ingredient in this unique cake recipe is nutmeg, which has notes of clove.

If you don’t have nutmeg, you can easily swap it out for other common spices such as allspice, pumpkin pie spice, or ginger.

Whatever you decide to use, all of these spices are perfect for the holiday season.

16. Million Dollar Cake

This recipe is worth its weight in gold…or a million dollars. This recipe is unique and combines classic flavors like yellow cake, cream cheese, and mandarin oranges.

While it’s hard to pick just one ingredient from this recipe, the secret ingredient has got to be the instant pudding mix.

Pudding mix helps make your cake more dense and flavorful. Even though this recipe calls for mandarin oranges, you can swap them out for valencia oranges or navel. Or, if you want to get creative, try using kiwi as the top layer.

17. The Best Coconut Loaf Cake

Are you looking for more ways to incorporate coconut into your baked goods? If so, then we have the perfect recipe for you.

The secret ingredient in this flavorful cake recipe is unsweetened coconut milk.

This brings out the natural flavor of the coconut and helps make all the ingredients moist.

If you don’t have unsweetened coconut milk, you can use sweetened coconut milk or change it up a bit and add rice milk, evaporated milk, or soy milk instead.

18. Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

As we approach the holiday season, there’s no tastier treat than pumpkin cake.

This easy cake recipe is perfect for fall and winter and will make everyone at your dinner table happy.

The secret ingredient in this recipe is the pumpkin pie spice, which elevates the flavor of the pumpkin puree.

If you don’t have pumpkin puree, you can swap it out for sweet potatoes or even butternut squash. These are two alternatives that taste great with pumpkin pie spice or even some cinnamon.

19. Salted Caramel Pound Cake

If you’re looking for good cakes to bring to this year’s holiday party, look no further than this tasty and decadent salted caramel pound cake.

The secret ingredient in this cake recipe is caramel sauce, which you can either buy pre-made or make yourself.

If you don’t have caramel sauce or the ingredients to make it, you can swap it out for some chocolate or hazelnut spread. It will still taste great and be the perfect dish for any get-together.

20. The Most Amazing Red Velvet Cake

Red velvet tastes great, and we just so happen to have stumbled upon the most amazing recipe you’ll ever eat.

The secret ingredient in this dish is a bit surprising: distilled white vinegar.

The vinegar is a necessary component of red velvet cake because it adds some acidity, which helps balance out the sweet chocolate.

If you don’t have distilled white vinegar, you can swap it out for either lemon juice or cream of tartar. This is one recipe that you’ll want to make time and time again.

21. A Lemon Cake to Die For

Have you ever stumbled upon a recipe that tastes so good that you can’t stop thinking about it long after the meal has ended?

This recipe will cause just that. This cake recipe is chock-full of sweet and sour lemons, so it’s not surprising that instant lemon pudding mix is the secret ingredient you can’t ignore.

While the instant pudding mix makes your cake richer, the lemon flavoring pairs well with the lemon juice.

This recipe calls for traditional yellow cake, but you could use vanilla or strawberry cake instead.

22. 7 Up Cake (With Cake Mix)

If you like 7 Up soda, you’ll love this unique recipe that incorporates the popular soft drink. 7 Up is made up of lemon and lime flavors, so lemon juice is the secret ingredient you can’t ignore.

This elevates the flavors of the 7 Up soda to create a unique cake recipe that everyone who eats it will love.

If you don’t have 7 Up soda, you can swap it out for another soda that tastes similar to Sprite or even Mountain Dew.

If you’re looking for unique cake recipe ideas, this is one you shouldn’t overlook.

23. Blueberry Dump Cake (Blueberry Cobbler Dump Cake)

Blueberries are an antioxidant superfood that’s packed with great nutrients to get your day started.

So, why not add them to your next cake recipe? Blueberry dump cake is essentially a crumble and perfect for a cold night in watching your favorite film.

The secret ingredient in this dish is brown sugar, which helps balance out the tartness of the blueberries and makes everything a little bit sweeter.

If you don’t have brown sugar, you can swap it out for some traditional granular sugar instead.

This tasty cake recipe is best served warm with vanilla or butter pecan ice cream cold scoop.

24. Homemade Cinnamon Roll Cake

A cinnamon roll in cake form…what could be better? We all love the warm, ooey-gooey center of a cinnamon roll, and with this recipe, you’ll get all the best parts of the roll 100% of the time.

The secret ingredient is ground cinnamon, which could be swapped out for some allspice or nutmeg.

This substitute will change the flavor profile slightly, but it’ll still taste great. If you’re looking for the best cake recipes, don’t skip over this one.

25. Easy Banana Magic Cake

Banana cake that tastes great and is so easy to make, you’ll think it’s magic.

The secret ingredient in this dish is the mashed banana, as this gives not only more genuine flavor to the cake but also a textural Ingredients.

If you’re using fresh bananas, make sure they’re nearly brown for the best consistency.

In baking, the riper the banana, the better. If you don’t have fresh bananas you can use, don’t fret. You can easily swap them out for some banana extract.

26. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Poke Cake

Does anyone in your family love Reese’s peanut butter cups? If so, they’ll go crazy for this unique and flavorful poke cake recipe.

Poke cakes live up to their name and have a bunch of holes on the top that allows the sauce to filter through.

The secret ingredient in this cake recipe is, of course, peanut butter. While this recipe calls for chocolate cake mix, you can experiment and swap it out for some vanilla or white cake mix.

You could even experiment with a little German Chocolate cake.

27. Orange Creamsicle Cake

Orange creamsicle cake is irresistibly sweet and perfect for your child’s birthday party.

The orange flavor pops and makes you feel like you’re drinking an orange soda but in tasty cake form.

The secret ingredient in this dish is orange juice, which helps bring out that citrusy flavor.

If you’re using fresh orange juice, make sure you’re not using one with pulp in it. If you don’t have orange juice, you can use orange extract, vinegar, or even Grand Marnier.