24 Classic Cakes Grandma Swore By—And Now You Can Too!

You know those classic cakes that always remind you of family gatherings and Grandma’s kitchen? Well, I’ve rounded up 24 of those timeless recipes that Grandma used to make, and trust me, they’re just as good as you remember. From rich chocolate layers to light and fluffy lemon sponge, these cakes are the perfect way to bring a little nostalgia back into your baking.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

A slice of chocolate cream cheese cake. — Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

This chocolate cream cheese cake is pure Southern comfort in dessert form. It’s like eating a moist chocolate cake and cheesecake at the same time. The cake’s deep chocolate flavor, paired with a smooth cream cheese chocolate ganache frosting, makes it perfect for any occasion.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Fresh Strawberry Bundt Cake Recipe

A strawberry bundt cake on a platter, sliced. — Fresh Strawberry Bundt Cake Recipe. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Warm Up Your Winter: Southern Classics!

FREE EMAIL BONUS: Southern staples made simply & cozy

A freshly baked strawberry bundt cake is an impressive dessert that is perfect for any occasion and easy to throw together.
Get the Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Bundt Cake Recipe

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

A close-up image of a partially-eaten lemon cake in a rectangular baking dish, with a serving spatula. The cake has a golden-brown crust and is dusted with powdered sugar. You can see a piece has been removed, showing a moist and crumbly interior. — St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Rich and delicious, St. Louis Butter Cake is a classic dessert packed with buttery flavor and a gooey filling.
Get the Recipe: St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake

A slice of chocolate cake with creamy white frosting on a decorative white and silver plate. The rest of the cake is in the background on a dark surface, with a piece cut out and garnished with chocolate shavings. Crumbs are scattered around. — Flourless Chocolate Cake. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Looking for a fabulous dessert that is not quite so sweet, then you are gong to love this rich, decadent, flourless chocolate cake, You’ll never guess what makes the topping spectacular.
Get the Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Cake

Light And Airy Strawberry Mousse Cake

A platter of cut squares of strawberry cake. — Light And Airy Strawberry Mousse Cake. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

This 2-layer strawberry mousse cake combines moist vanilla cake with a luscious strawberry mousse for a burst of strawberry in every bite.
Get the Recipe: Light And Airy Strawberry Mousse Cake

Caramel Heath Bar Cake

caramel health bar cake — Caramel Heath Bar Cake. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Caramel Heath Bar Cake starts with a German chocolate cake mix. Sweetened condensed milk is poured into the holes and then it’s topped with Cool Whip and crushed Heath bars. So EASY and delicious
Get the Recipe: Caramel Heath Bar Cake

Sweetly Southern Coca-Cola Cake With Marshmallows

A metal plate holds a piece of chocolate sheet cake topped with chopped nuts, served alongside two scoops of vanilla ice cream also sprinkled with nuts—a perfect back to school dessert. In the background, there's a baking tray with more chocolate cake and two bottles of Coca-Cola. — Sweetly Southern Coca-Cola Cake With Marshmallows. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

This chocolate Coca-Cola cake is made with the iconic soda, mini marshmallows, and unsweetened cocoa powder for extra rich chocolate flavor.
Get the Recipe: Sweetly Southern Coca-Cola Cake With Marshmallows

Strawberry Layer Cake With Fresh And Freeze Dried Strawberries

Slices of strawberry cake — Strawberry Layer Cake With Fresh And Freeze Dried Strawberries. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

A super moist homemade Strawberry Cake made from scratch with fresh strawberries and freeze dried strawberries.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Layer Cake With Fresh And Freeze Dried Strawberries

Banana Layer Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

A slice of moist, two-layer vanilla cake—a classic among southern sweets—with creamy frosting is being lifted from the whole cake. The swirled frosting and walnut halves on top add a delightful finishing touch. — Banana Layer Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

This moist banana layer cake with rich brown butter cream cheese frosting is a deliciously easy dessert perfect for any occasion.
Get the Recipe: Banana Layer Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Fresh Cherry Coffee Cake With Raspberries

A square serving of coffee cake with raspberries on the side. — Fresh Cherry Coffee Cake With Raspberries. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Make a brunch or breakfast meeting exceptional by serving a cherry coffee cake with fresh fruit instead of streusel.
Get the Recipe: Fresh Cherry Coffee Cake With Raspberries

Old Fashioned Kentucky Butter Cake

A close-up of a sliced bundt cake with a light glaze. The southern dessert is golden brown with a moist, dense interior. One piece is cut and raised on a cake server, revealing the soft cake texture inside. The background includes a white surface and blurred utensils. — Old Fashioned Kentucky Butter Cake. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Kentucky Butter Cake is a Southern staple thanks to its tender crumb that’s soaked in a sweet butter sauce while still warm.
Get the Recipe: Old Fashioned Kentucky Butter Cake

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

A slice of rhubarb pound cake. — Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Grab some fresh rhubarb and add it to a homemade sour cream pound cake for an amazing buttery cake topped with pecans and brown sugar.
Get the Recipe: Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

My Take On Paula Deen’s Gooey Butter Cake

Inspired by Paula Deen, this Gooey Butter Cake has a tender crumb, super-soft filling, and rich butter flavor that lives up to its name.
Get the Recipe: My Take On Paula Deen’S Gooey Butter Cake

Pecan Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

This is truly the very BEST cinnamon coffee cake recipe you’ll ever find. It’s so moist and buttery with rich streusel filling in every bite. You’ll never make another coffee cake recipe after trying this one!
Get the Recipe: Pecan Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

Moist Apple Sheet Cake Recipe With Caramel Frosting

This Caramel Apple Cake is made with spiced apples and rich homemade caramel frosting, like a caramel apple but you can eat it with a fork!
Get the Recipe: Moist Apple Sheet Cake Recipe With Caramel Frosting

Super Moist Raspberry Ricotta Cake

A raspberry ricotta cake sprinkled with powdered sugar. — Super Moist Raspberry Ricotta Cake. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This raspberry cake is a deliciously moist and scrumptious dessert, perfect on its own without any frosting.
Get the Recipe: Super Moist Raspberry Ricotta Cake

Cream Cheese Filled Coffee Cake With Almond Streusel

A sliced cake next to coffee cups. — Cream Cheese Filled Coffee Cake With Almond Streusel. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Always moist, this cream cheese coffee cake is oozing with a dreamy layer of cream cheese, and topped with lemony sugared sliced almonds.
Get the Recipe: Cream Cheese Filled Coffee Cake With Almond Streusel

Chocolate Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Chocolate cake with a decadent cream cheese swirl throughout and then topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Not So Classic Strawberry Shortcake With Frosting

A slice of strawberry shortcake with frosting. — Not So Classic Strawberry Shortcake With Frosting. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

This strawberry shortcake is a layered masterpiece of buttery cake, juicy strawberries, and cream cheese frosting.
Get the Recipe: Not So Classic Strawberry Shortcake With Frosting

From Scratch Chocolate Mud Cake With Marshmallow Frosting

A piece of cake with a bite taken out. — From Scratch Chocolate Mud Cake With Marshmallow Frosting. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This rich, decadent cake recipe has a moist chocolate cake base topped with gooey marshmallows and a homemade butter frosting.
Get the Recipe: From Scratch Chocolate Mud Cake With Marshmallow Frosting

Bakery-Style Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

This super moist and tender lemon poppy seed cake has a buttery, pound cake-like texture with a sweet lemon glaze popping with citrus flavor.
Get the Recipe: Bakery-Style Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Fresh Peach Pound Cake

A slice of peach pound cake with whipped cream. — Fresh Peach Pound Cake. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This fresh peach Old Fashioned Pound Cake Recipe is deliciously moist! Topped with a simple peach glaze for the best summer dessert.
Get the Recipe: Fresh Peach Pound Cake

Effortless Cherry Dump Cake

As delicious as it is easy to make, this Cherry Dump Cake is made with cherry pie filling, cream cheese, and a box of yellow cake mix.
Get the Recipe: Effortless Cherry Dump Cake

Augusta National Moist And Buttery Pound Cake Recipe

Close-up of sliced pound cake dusted with powdered sugar, garnished with fresh blueberries and mint leaves on a white plate. A green cloth and a book with an image of a U.S. state map are partially visible in the background. — Augusta National Moist And Buttery Pound Cake Recipe. Photo credit: Intentional Hospitality.

This easy Augusta National Moist and Buttery Pound Cake Recip has a creamy soft, dense texture perfect for soaking up fresh, juicy strawberries.
Get the Recipe: Augusta National Moist And Buttery Pound Cake Recipe

These 24 classic cakes are not just recipes; they’re tried-and-true treats that your grandma loved, and now you can enjoy them too! From rich flavors to comforting aromas, these cakes are sure to become your new favorites in no time! You can find even more desserts at Easy Southern Desserts.

Explore Recipes

MSN Slideshows