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57 Incredible Layer Cakes For Any & Every Occasion

You're about to become everyone's favorite person.

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strawberry crunch cake
Parker feierbach

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again—if you’ve got something to celebrate, NOTHING beats a homemade cake. Whether it’s a holiday like Christmas or Mother’s Day, a season like spring or fall, a birthday or graduation, or just any old weekday, we’ve got all the cake recipes you could ever need. Not a master baker (yet!)? Don’t worry—we’ve got recipes here for every skill level. Check out our 57 layer cakes for ideas, then bust out those cake pans: You’re about to become everyone’s favorite person.

If you really want to impress, baking a cake completely from scratch is the way to do it, but we understand that’s not realistic for everyone and every occasion. Even if you’re lacking in baking experience, tools, or ingredients at home to make it happen, you can still turn out a masterpiece, thanks to the glory that is the store-bought cake mix. You’ll bake it, add some other homemade (or store-bought) ingredients, and voilà—a cake worthy of whoever or whatever you’re celebrating. Check out our lemon blueberry cake, our strawberry crunch cake, our peanut butter cookie dough cake, or our creamsicle ombre cake to see what we mean. Another easy way to impress without a ton of work is to make an ice cream cake like our Cinnamon Toast Crunch ice cream cake, our spumoni ice cream cake, or our strawberry shortcake ice cream cake. Using homemade (no-churn!) ice cream or store-bought will achieve the same impressive results, so you do you. Totally up to you if you want to reveal your store-bought secrets!

If you do want to take your baking to the next level, we’ve got you too. We’ve got recipes here for all the classics, like white cake, red velvet cake, yellow cake, carrot cake, and more, as well as some that are a little extra special, like our pineapple coconut cake, our tiramisu cake, our checkerboard cake, or our Chantilly cake. It’s not just about the cake layers themselves either—the way you decorate your cakes is a great way to take them over the top, particularly for holidays. Check out our turkey cake, our Christmas tree cake, our ghost cake, or our bunny cake to see all the ways you can change it up with the seasons. Pick your favorite cake flavors, then go to town with your buttercream, candies, and decorations. Above all, have fun with it!

Want even more dessert inspiration? Check out our favorite dessert bars, our top no-bake desserts, and our best fruit desserts too.

1

Lemon Blueberry Cake

slice of lemon blueberry cake

Few things scream spring more than the classic flavor combo of blueberry and lemon where the tart sweetness of the blueberries is amplified by the zing of the citrusy lemon. This three-layer cake masterpiece is sure to be a dessert table showstopper at your next celebration.

Get the Lemon Blueberry Cake recipe.

2

German Chocolate Cake

german chocolate cake
AMANDA GRYPHON

This is a sweet, not-too-chocolatey cake that is filled and frosted with rich, sticky coconut and pecan filling. The toasted coconut and pecans mixed with evaporated milk and butter to make a custardy, almost caramel-like filling that is dangerously delicious. It's truly what makes this cake so unique.

Get the German Chocolate Cake recipe.

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3

Spumoni Ice Cream Cake

spumoni ice cream cake
Suzanne Clements

Inspired by the trio of flavors common in Italian spumoni, or molded gelato, this ice cream cake demands attention. With 6 WHOLE pints of ice cream, it feeds a big, hungry crew.

Get the Spumoni Ice Cream Cake recipe.

4

Confetti Birthday Cake

funfetti birthday cake
Parker feierbach

Sprinkles are a classic for a reason—you really can't beat 'em when it comes to making a cake feel extra celebratory. Sprinkle them on top, and around the bottom right after you've frosted your cake to make sure your buttercream is still wet enough that they'll stick.

Get the Confetti Birthday Cake recipe.

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5

Strawberry Crunch Cake

strawberry crunch cake with alternating white and pink layers on a blue plate
Bryce Johnson

Celebrate spring and the return of fresh strawberries with this strawberry shortcake-inspired layer cake. Get ready for some nostalgia too: This cake tastes just like your favorite ice cream bar.

Get the Strawberry Crunch Cake recipe.

6

Pineapple Coconut Cake

pineapple coconut cake
ERIK BERNSTEIN

This fluffy coconut cake is filled with an easy pineapple curd (like a tropical lemon curd!) and finished with a cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut flakes. We love the bigger, unsweetened flakes, but if you prefer sweetened coconut for the outside, it works just as well.

Get the Pineapple Coconut Cake recipe.

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7

Sponge Cake

sponge cake with whipped cream and strawberries
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE

Having this cake in your recipe arsenal will have you ready for anything that gets thrown at you: You can cube it a trifle, crumble it over ice cream, or—our favorite—stack it with whipped cream and berries. The best part? You can also have this entire cake ready in just about an hour.

Get the Sponge Cake recipe.

8

Chantilly Cake

chantilly cake topped with raspberries and blueberries
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

There are cakes, and then there’s Chantilly cake, an impressive dessert that marries the delicious simplicity of a classic yellow cake with the berries and cream combo that makes shortcakes shine. What’s even sweeter? The all-American dessert has a charming origin story that started in a grocery store bakery.

Get the Chantilly Cake recipe.

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9

Tiramisu Cake

tiramisu cake
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: Taylor Ann SPENCER

It’s hard not to love a creamy, light slice of tiramisu, but we especially love it in cake form. Whether you’re looking for a slightly more approachable take on the Italian classic, or are just a tiramisu fanatic looking for a clever twist, this recipe will make for the perfect addition to any celebration.

Get the Tiramisu Cake recipe.

10

Copycat Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake

copycat olive garden lemon cream cake
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

This simple lemon cream cake was a beloved favorite at Olive Garden, until they discontinued it! Don't worry, though—our copycat recipe featuring a vanilla cake with just a hint of lemon, a tart lemon cream filling, and a crunchy vanilla crumble means you can still enjoy it any time you like.

Get the Copycat Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake recipe.

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11

Marshmallow Cake

marshmallow cake
AMANDA GRYPHON

Classic buttercream is great and all, but have you ever had Italian meringue? The not too sweet frosting pairs well with the rich chocolate cake and looks great swirled or toasted on the outside. Pipe it on to make pretty swirls and rosettes, or use a kitchen torch for a s'mores vibe.

Get the Marshmallow Cake recipe.

12

Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake

strawberry shortcake ice cream cake
Andrew bui

This cake has everything you love about the Good Humor strawberry shortcake bars, in a homemade ice cream cake that couldn't be easier. Pro tip: To get clean slices of the cake (we went with triangles, but squares work too), run a chef's knife under hot water before cutting each piece.

Get the Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake recipe.

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13

White Cake

white cake with vanilla frosting and white sprinkles
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

If you’re a vanilla cake fan and have never tried a white cake, you’re in for a treat: This white cake is tender, light, fluffy, and moist, and is layered with the most satiny-smooth vanilla frosting.

Get the White Cake recipe.

14

Carrot Cake

carrot cake with cream cheese icing and pecans
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Whether you think of it as the ideal vehicle for cream cheese frosting (we feel you!) or are in it for its moist, spiced flavor that makes it a standout against standards like vanilla and chocolate, having a quality carrot cake recipe is a must for spring—this is the one.

Get the Carrot Cake recipe.

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15

Mini Chocolate Raspberry Cake

mini chocolate raspberry cake
Andrew bui

Not having a big gathering? Not to worry, this cake is perfect for a mini celebration, and you only need one cake pan to make it!

Get the Mini Chocolate Raspberry Cake recipe.

16

Creamsicle Ombre Cake

creamsicle ombre cake
Parker feierbach

It's surprisingly easy to frost a cake with this ombre effect: Simply split your frosting into 4 bowls, and color each using increasingly more food dye than the last. Pipe them around the cake, then use a bench scraper or offset spatula to smooth them out. Hot tip: Don't skip refrigerating the crumb coat! It makes it a LOT easier to frost once it's been chilled.

Get the Creamsicle Ombre Cake recipe.

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17

White Chocolate Cake

white chocolate cake
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: TYNA HOANG

A classic chocolate cake is always a good idea, but if you want to switch things up a bit, give this white chocolate cake a try. It's soft and layered with a white chocolate mousse and then frosted with a simple cream cheese frosting. We recommend using good-quality bars of white chocolate with this cake, as it will really make a difference.

Get the White Chocolate Cake recipe.

18

Chocoflan

chocoflan with chocolate cake on the bottom and flan on top
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Chocoflan’s beautiful contrasting layers of chocolate cake and flan are totally mind-blowing. Here's the science: While baking, the cake batter aerates and takes shape before the flan has set, so it rises to the top of the pan. The craziest thing is the layers don’t mix at all during the transfer—it's like magic!

Get the Chocoflan recipe.

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19

Pistachio Cake

closeup of pistachio cake with a slice missing on a blue plate
Joel goldberg

Ground pistachios are added in with the flour here to create a subtly green-hued cake with a nutty flavor and texture. There's a hint of cardamom in there to add intrigue, as well. The cake then gets a thin layer of cream cheese frosting for a tangy addition that perfectly ties it all together.

Get the Pistachio Cake recipe.

20

Yellow Cake

yellow cake
Parker feierbach

Yellow cake (basically vanilla cake with extra egg yolks) looks particularly sunshine-y, and goes perfectly with fudgy chocolate frosting. Don't forget to decorate with fun sprinkles!

Get the Yellow Cake recipe.

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