16 Cakes to Make for Birthdays, Holidays, and for Whenever You Just Want Cake

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16 Cakes to Make for Birthdays, Holidays, and for Whenever You Just Want Cake

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September 22 2020

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When it comes to cake, the range of styles and combinations is endless. That's why we compiled a list of our favorite cakes that represent a variety of different recipes. Here you'll find everything from poke cake to bundt bake to chocolate layer cake—all just begging to be baked. 

  1. Poke Cake

    Just like it sounds, poke cake is any cake you poke holes in after baking, then pour a filling over the cake to soak into all the holes. 

  2. Love Cake

    This Italian cake is a fun one to make for the family. As it bakes, the chocolate layer rises up over the mascarpone layer and the layers literally switch places in the oven. Pretty cool. And pretty delicious.

  3. Lava Cake

    A lava cake is a combination of chocolate cake and souffle. Upon cutting into the baked cake, the cake reveals its liquid chocolate center. (As long as it's not over baked.)

  4. Angel Food, Genoise, and Chiffon Sponge Cakes

    There are many types of sponge cakes, but these are the more common varieties. The differences are slight, but they're there. Angel food cake is made with egg whites only (no yolks) and no fat, such as butter or oil. Genoise sponge cakes are made with whole eggs that are whipped into a foam before melted butter and flour are mixed in. Chiffon sponge cakes are made with whipped egg whites folded into egg yolks, sugar, oil, flour, and liquid. The one thing they all have in common is their light and airy texture. 

  5. Carrot Cake and Hummingbird Spice Cake

    These cakes generally have a warm spice flavor to them. Think cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice... Carrot Cake is generally made with shredded carrots and nuts and sometimes pineapple; whereas Hummingbird Cake is made with ripe bananas and pineapple. Both are excellent with cream cheese frosting.

  6. Red Velvet

    Red velvet cake is really nothing more than chocolate devil's food cake with lots of red dye and a thick cream cheese frosting. But it's still a favorite.

  7. Devil's Food Cake

    The biggest difference between devil's food cake and your basic chocolate cake is that devil's food cake uses cocoa powder instead of baking chocolate. You can enhance the chocolatey flavor even more by adding coffee or, in this case, beets (trust us).

  8. Chocolate Cake

    It's really hard to beat a classic chocolate layer cake, especially when the layers are stuffed with chocolate buttercream. 

  9. Coconut Cake

    People seem to either love or hate coconut. But if you love it, you'll REALLY love this cake. It's four layers of sweet coconut cake and whipped cream frosting—all piled high with a coconut topping. And that's why we call it spectacular. 

  10. Pound Cake

    Pound cake got its name because it was traditionally made with a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, and a pound of eggs. While the proportions may have changed some, it's still just as buttery and delicious. 

  11. Olive Oil Cake

    Olive oil cake is a Mediterranean classic made with, you guessed it, olive oil. It's often flavored with hints of citrus and served topped with whipped cream or fruit. 

  12. Bundt Cake

    Bundt cake pans are simply tube or ring-shaped pans used for coffee cakes or olive oil cakes. Today there are many varieties and flavors of bundt cakes, but perhaps the most classic is the Sour Cream Coffee Cake.

  13. Jelly Roll Cakes

    You've probably seen these around the holidays, often decorated like a chocolate yule log. But you can make a jelly roll cake in almost any flavor. The trick is getting the cake just spongy enough to roll easily without tearing or falling apart. 

  14. Flourless Cake

    A flourless cake is often dense, fudge-like, and really rich. A little slice goes a long way. 

  15. Upside-Down Cake

    An upside-down cake is made by putting the topping in the bottom of the cake pan and placing the batter on top. Once baked, the cake is flipped upside-down so all the goodness from the bottom of the pan becomes the topping. You often see Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes, but we're all about trying new things. 

  16. Cheesecake

    Is it a cake? Does it matter? Cheesecake is generally made with a graham cracker crust that's filled with a sweet cream cheese filling and baked until it's set. We've yet to meet a flavor we didn't like, but this Sunshine Cheesecake always seems to make us smile.