The Easiest Way to Bake a Cake? Start With These 22 Recipes

Baking a cake doesn’t have to be complicated—actually, the easiest way to bake a cake is to start with a recipe that just works. I compiled 22 that are totally foolproof, super delicious, and perfect for any mood or craving. Whether it’s a last-minute dessert or a sweet weekend project, these picks make it almost impossible to mess up. Trust me, this is the kind of baking win we all need.

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

Super Moist Raspberry Ricotta Cake

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

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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

Buttermilk Cake With Praline Topping

A square of cake with a bite taken out. — Buttermilk Cake With Praline Topping. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Try this buttermilk cake that is moist and topped with a delicious brown sugar praline topping for a simple and easy recipe.
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Cake With Praline Topping

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

Cream Cheese-Frosted Hummingbird Cake

A hummingbird cake sliced next to cups of coffee. — Cream Cheese-Frosted Hummingbird Cake. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Cream cheese-frosted hummingbird cake is a simple and incredibly moist cake that uses pineapple and bananas for a tropical twist.
Get the Recipe: Cream Cheese-Frosted Hummingbird Cake

Strawberry Jam Poke Cake

strawberry poke cake cut into slices in the pan. — Strawberry Jam Poke Cake. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This strawberry jam poke cake recipe is a delicious twist on traditional poke cakes, featuring homemade jam seeping into a fluffy buttermilk base. It’s a simple yet crowd-pleasing option for anyone seeking easy poke cakes with vibrant flavor.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Jam Poke Cake

Moist Coconut Layer Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

A moist coconut cake layered with coconut syrup and finished with a creamy coconut cream cheese frosting. Perfect for any coconut lover.
Get the Recipe: Moist Coconut Layer Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

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

Light And Fluffy Southern Caramel Cake Recipe

A frosted cake, perfect for Thanksgiving cakes, is sliced into portions and topped with pecan pieces on a white plate. A cake server and knife with frosting rest nearby on a blue surface. — Light And Fluffy Southern Caramel Cake Recipe. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

Soft butter cake with ground pecans, topped with creamy caramel cream cheese frosting. A Southern classic that’s rich, moist, and perfect for sharing.
Get the Recipe: Light And Fluffy Southern Caramel Cake Recipe

Chocolate Layer Cake With Ganache Frosting

A frosted chocolate layer cake next to a cake server. — Chocolate Layer Cake With Ganache Frosting. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

A rich chocolate layer cake with chocolate ganache frosting. Perfect for chocolate lovers looking for an extra indulgent treat!
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Layer Cake With Ganache Frosting

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

Fluffy Coconut Cake With Lemon Curd Filling

Delicious coconut cake with lemon curd filling and cream cheese frosting. A perfect balance of sweetness and tartness for your next special occasion.
Get the Recipe: Fluffy Coconut Cake With Lemon Curd Filling

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

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

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

Lemon Jello Poke Cake

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is lemon-poke-cake-slice-1-edited.jpg — Lemon Jello Poke Cake. Photo credit: Intentional Hospitality.

This bright and zesty poke cake recipe infuses vanilla cake with tangy lemon Jello and tops it with a fluffy lemon whipped topping. A refreshing choice among poke cakes, it’s perfect for spring and summer entertaining.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Jello Poke Cake

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.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake with a rich ganache frosting and creamy filling—perfectly moist and indulgent for any special occasion.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake With Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Juicy Peach Cobbler Cake Made From Scratch

A close-up of a serving of peach cobbler topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, with a spoon on the side, on a white plate—perfect inspiration for recipes for bakers. — Juicy Peach Cobbler Cake Made From Scratch. Photo credit: Easy Southern Desserts.

This Peach Cobbler Cake has all the fresh peach flavor and juicy peaches you love from cobbler, but with a tender cake top.
Get the Recipe: Juicy Peach Cobbler Cake Made From Scratch

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

Peach Poke Cake

Looking for easy poke cakes with a summery twist? This peach poke cake blends canned peach pie filling with whipped topping for a dessert that’s juicy, simple, and totally satisfying.
Get the Recipe: Peach Poke Cake

Chocolate Souffle Cake (Flourless)

A piece of chocolate cake with raspberries on a plate. — Chocolate Souffle Cake (Flourless). Photo credit: Peel with Zeal.

Get your chocolate fix with this chocolate souffle cake, also called a chocolate fallen cake. A chocolatey soft center with flakey edges.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Souffle Cake (Flourless)

Angel Food Cake Strawberry Shortcake

This homemade Angel Food Cake is made with whipped egg whites, sugar, flour and some flavorings. A must make cake recipe for summer!
Get the Recipe: Angel Food Cake Strawberry Shortcake

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