1No-Bake Creamsicle Cheesecake
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GOREIf you're a fan of the nostalgic creamsicles, then let us introduce you to your new favorite cheesecake. We incorporated the sweet orange flavors of the classic treat into this ultra-creamy cheesecake with a buttery crust for the ultimate summer treat. One of our favorite things about this recipe? It's a no-bake dream.
Get the No-Bake Creamsicle Cheesecake recipe.
2Tres Leches Cake
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: ERIKA JOYCEA tres leches (which means "three milks" in Spanish) cake is a sponge cake that contains three different types of milks to make it extra moist and tasty. It's basically the original poke cake, and you're going to be obsessed.
Get the Tres Leches Cake recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
3Hostess Sheet Cake
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSONIf you can't get enough of the fudgy, cream-filled cupcakes, then this sheet cake will be your new favorite dessert. Taking inspiration from the classic Hostess dessert, this sheet cake delivers on all the same flavors in an easy, shareable form.
Get the Hostess Sheet Cake recipe.
4Oreo Cookie Cake
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GOREInspired by chocolate chip cookie cakes—the giant cookies sold in malls and grocery stores decorated with frosting piped around the edges and sometimes a big, cursive “Happy Birthday” or "Congrats Grad!" in the middle— this homemade version takes things to the next level by putting cookies in the cookie cake. It’s packed with chopped Oreos (in place of chocolate chips), decorated with a rich Oreo buttercream (in place of plain chocolate or vanilla), and crowned with even more Oreos. What’s not to love, right?
Get the Oreo Cookie Cake recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
5Carrot Cake
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GOREWhether 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 any celebration—this is the one.
Get the Carrot Cake recipe.
6Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: SPENCER RICHARDS Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
7Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER 8Espresso Martini Cheesecake
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GOREFor all the 21+ graduates and espresso martini connoisseurs, this cheesecake is for you. The cheesecake filling is spiked with coffee liqueur and espresso to make it super-rich and creamy, and the top gets the iconic dusting of cocoa powder over an espresso-infused whipped cream. Don’t worry, we’d never leave out the espresso beans either.
Get the Espresso Martini Cheesecake recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
9Copycat Cheesecake Factory Mango Key Lime Cheesecake
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON 10Chantilly Cake
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GOREThere are cakes, and then there’s Chantilly cake, a towering layer cake stuffed with fresh berries and blanketed in whipped cream frosting. The impressive dessert 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. Make it as a spring dessert to enjoy all season long, or as a graduation day dessert to make the day extra special.
Get the Chantilly Cake recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
11Strawberry Pound Cake
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE 12Millionaire's Cheesecake
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCERIf you’ve never heard of millionaire’s shortbread, the inspiration behind this cheesecake, allow us to give you a brief history lesson. Also known as a caramel slice or caramel shortbread, the dessert consists of three layers: buttery shortbread, rich and chewy caramel, and a thick coating of chocolate. The exact origin isn’t well-documented and is also associated with Australian, New Zealand, and British cuisines. The name is said to refer to the fact that the dessert is rich and decadent and an upgrade from regular shortbread. One bite of this cheesecake and you'll see why!
Get the Millionaire's Cheesecake recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
13Lemon-Blueberry Mini Cheesecakes
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER 14Number Cake
Parker feierbach For this cake, we traced our number on the back of an empty cereal box to used it as a stencil—trust us, it's very doable! Use this method (or a number-shaped cake pan, no shade) to write out the graduation year. As long as you top it with a fun assortment of candies and/or fruits, it'll look adorable no matter what.
Get the Number Cake recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
15Spumoni Ice Cream Cake
Suzanne Clements 16Blueberry Mousse Cake
PHOTO: JOEL GOLDBERG; FOOD STYLING: ERIKA JOYCEWhen life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade—make this fruity, white chocolate mousse cake instead. It's rich and SO creamy, but thanks to tart lemon and blueberries won't weigh your palate down.
Get the Blueberry Mousse Cake recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
17White Chocolate Cake
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: TYNA HOANGA classic chocolate cake is always a good idea, but if you are looking to take your graduation celebration over the top, 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.
18Coconut-Lime Layer Cake
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GOREPut the lime in the coconut and bake this stunning layer cake! One of the reasons this cake is SO fun to eat is that it’s not about blasting every component with all the lime and all the coconut flavor, but instead letting each part of the cake bring a little something to the party.
Get the Coconut-Lime Layer Cake recipe.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
19Rum Cake
Parker FeierbachPopular in the Caribbean, rum cake is a vanilla cake that has rum in the batter. We put 1/2 cup of rum in the cake batter and another 1/3 cup in the glaze, so it likely will not get anyone drunk after the alcohol bakes off, but the flavor is still a great way to celebrate a grad who's recently turned 21!
Get the Rum Cake recipe.
20Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake
Andrew bui Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below