Cakes are simply the best. A perfectly baked moist cake is one of life’s simple pleasures. Baking cakes at home can be just as fun as eating them as long as you have the right recipes! I am going to share The 50 Best Cake Recipes in the World, as rated by you! All of the frosting recipes can be found here.
The Best Cake Recipe
What makes one specific recipe “the best cake recipe”? It is based on a couple of key factors.
Popularity & Consistency: Year after year Chocolate Cake is rated the most popular by people all over the world. There is something magical about a perfectly moist cake that is packed with rich chocolate flavor. Not only does it taste amazing, but it often takes us back to the wonderful memories of childhood.
Now, I know that some people like a sheet cake and some like a layer cake piled high with frosting and some folks just want to enjoy a cake that reminds them of special occasions growing up but that also adheres to their current dietary needs. The recipe I am sharing below is all of that! Perfect every time and beyond delicious.
The Perfect Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup (210 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (90 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (112 g) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 cup (237 g) freshly brewed coffee
Instructions
- Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and mix until combined.
- In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Pour the batter into two 8-inch round prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350°F, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out mostly clean (not wet).
- Cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Notes
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More Chocolate Cakes
Chocolate Craving Cake
Chocolate Craving Cake has the most decadent, rich chocolate flavor without a whole lot of fuss. Then, it’s paired with a chocolate frosting that is nothing like I have ever imagined!
Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
When I came across this recipe I knew I had to make it, and I was not disappointed! This Chocolate Cake Recipe is seriously rich and amazingly decadent.
Chocolate Brownie Cake
Chocolate Brownie Cake is one of the easiest chocolate cakes I have ever made, but also one of the most delectable! I bake it for every occasion, including holidays.
Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix
Skip the box! This homemade chocolate cake mix bakes up rich, moist, and chocolatey with simple pantry ingredients and a splash of coffee for depth.
skinny chocolate cake
This moist and rich skinny chocolate cake is made with wholesome ingredients like yogurt, applesauce, and whole-wheat flour—lightened up but full of flavor!
Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake is a moist and rich chocolate cake with mayonnaise as a key ingredient. This unexpected twist on a classic favorite is sure to delight your taste buds. And, this recipe is made with only seven ingredients that you probably already have on hand!
Chocolate Espresso Cake
I love what coffee does to chocolate. I decided to kick it up a notch and create a Chocolate Espresso Cake recipe. As you can imagine, it is a magical experience!
One Bowl Chocolate Fruit Cake
One Bowl Chocolate Fruit Cake is two layers of chocolate cake, separated with homemade whipped cream and topped with more whipped cream and fresh fruit. And, the cake batter is all combined in one bowl, which makes this cake as easy to make as it is delicious and beautiful!
Chocolate Avocado Cake
This Chocolate Avocado Cake is an insanely delicious, moist, rich, decadent cake that you would never know had avocado in it!
Chocolate Depression Cake {Wacky Cake}
This Chocolate Depression Cake is a moist cake made without any milk, eggs, or butter. It is topped with a creamy chocolate frosting for the ‘icing’ on the cake!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ooey Gooey Cake
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ooey Gooey Cake takes my Chocolate Ooey Gooey Cake to a new level–a peanut butter level! With a layer of peanut butter in the cake as well as a chocolate peanut butter ganache, this cake will be your new favorite variety of my Ooey Gooey Cakes!
Dark Chocolate Cake with Buttermilk Pecan Frosting
This Dark Chocolate Cake with Buttermilk Pecan Frosting is a showstopper! Moist and flavorful and practically no-fail.
Oreo Earthquake Cake
This gooey, rich, delicious Oreo Earthquake Cake is layered with Oreo cookies, chocolate cake, cream cheese, and more chocolate that is an explosion of flavor in every bite!
White Cakes
The Perfect {Bakery Style} White Cake
The Perfect {Bakery Style} White cake is a beautiful, moist, and light cake with the perfect crumb. The cake has a soft, velvety texture, a subtle sweetness, and a delightful combination of vanilla and almond flavors. It is perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a birthday celebration or a simple treat for yourself! Not only is the cake delicious on its own, but it is also a wonderful base for decorating.
White Cake Recipe
I love a good white cake (some folks call this “plain cake” or “vanilla cake”). But sometimes I just want it for a snack and not make a layer cake. In those moments, this is my go-to recipe!
White Zucchini Cake
This soft and tender white zucchini cake is subtly sweet, made with shredded zucchini for moisture, and topped with a rich chocolate frosting.
Coconut Cake
This light and fluffy coconut cake is made with coconut oil, coconut milk, and pure coconut extract for rich tropical flavor in every bite.
Sprinkles Cake
If you are looking for a delicious and FUN cake to make this is it! This sprinkles cake recipe is a big cake, 3 full layers, that packs a big flavor punch!
Yellow Cakes
Homemade Yellow Cake Mix
This Yellow Cake Mix is the perfect way to get rid of box mixes or the perfect gift for a friend! This recipe also makes the perfect Birthday Cake!!!
Happy Birthday Cake!
UPDATE: I have updated this recipe and created the ULTIMATE Birthday Cake! Happy, Happy Happy Birthday Cake! This sweet cake is easy to do and tastes SO good! Happy Birthday Cake Today I just used my new favorite white cake recipe and then a rich chocolate buttercream. The pairing is easy, the result is fantastic!…
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake is an American classic! Since the 50’S moms and grandmas have been making Ooey-Gooey Cakes for all to enjoy.
Pound Cakes and Bundt Cakes
I prefer to use my GOOP recipe on bundt pans, as the cakes always release so beautifully!
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
By far the best Cream Cheese Pound Cake I have ever eaten or shared! This pound cake recipe will surely become a classic in your home. I can’t recommend it enough!
Chocolate Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
I love the contrast in textures and flavors in this cake. A rich chocolate bundt paired with a smooth and creamy cream cheese filling is a match made in heaven!
Vanilla Pound Cake
Beautiful, simple, and oh so moist… this Vanilla Pound Cake is a baker’s best friend!
Chocolate Pound Cake
Chocolate Pound Cake is a decadent treat that combines the best of chocolate and cream cheese for a dessert that’s sure to satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth. Whether enjoyed on its own or paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it’s a delightful indulgence for chocolate lovers! I love this recipe because those glorious chocolate crumbs seem to melt into your mouth.
Lemon Pound Cake
Save this one for your recipe box! Perfect texture, flavor, and crumb… this Lemon Pound Cake wins awards!
Lemon Surprise Cake
Why did I call this a lemon “surprise” cake? Because it has lemon-lime soda as an ingredient! I was a bit shocked that one little can of soda can make such a wonderful difference in a cake, but it did
Harvest Chocolate Bundt Cake
A few decorating tips, a few colors of buttercream, and a phenomenal chocolate bundt cake are all you need for this easy peasy Harvest Chocolate Bundt Cake!
Vanilla Poppyseed Cake with Raspberry Topping
This moist vanilla poppyseed cake is bursting with warm vanilla flavor, finished with a light glaze and a sweet-tart raspberry topping. Perfect for any occasion!
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake starts with the perfect delicate yet dense cake crumb of my Cream Cheese Pound Cake. It is then filled with strawberry sauce and topped with a strawberry cream cheese frosting so every bite is full of that sweet strawberry flavor!
Cinnamon Apple Moonshine Cake
Super moist and loaded with apples and the best McCormick Ground Cinnamon, Cinnamon Apple Moonshine Cake is topped with a moonshine caramel glaze that takes the cake to the next level!
Kentucky Butter Crunch Cake
I didn’t think this pound could get any better (it is so good without any frosting) but this glaze absolutely enhances it and takes it to the next level!
Seasonal/Carrot Cakes
Homemade Carrot Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting
The best Carrot Cake Recipe you will ever try. This homemade carrot cake is bursting with flavor and moisture! But one of my favorite things about this cake is (in my opinion) the best cream cheese frosting on the planet.
Carrot Cake
Carrot Cake is a classic dessert made with shredded carrots, spices, oil, pineapple, and added pecans for a nutty crunch in every bite. Then, the cake is topped with cream cheese frosting. It’s the perfect cake to share at celebrations, potlucks, or if you are simply craving carrot cake!
Easy Carrot Cake Recipe
This semi-homemade Easy Carrot Cake Recipe is the recipe everyone will be begging you for. I have fooled everyone with this cake… it tastes 100% homemade, but I use a time saving (and flavor adding) trick… find out what secret ingredient I use to add depth and richness to my cake!
Hummingbird Cake
This classic southern Hummingbird Cake has a flavorful light and moist crumb full of bananas, cinnamon, and pineapple, all surrounded by a smooth cream cheese frosting. The decoration is simple but elegant, sure to be a family favorite!
Pumpkin Spice Snack Cake
Pumpkin Spice Snack Cake is a dense and moist snack cake that is easy to make and full of everybody’s favorite fall pumpkin spice flavor!
Maple Pecan Snack Cake
There is something deliciously great about the blend of maple syrup and pecans. This easy to make cake is the perfect combination of the maple flavor and nutty crunch. It goes wonderfully with a cup of coffee, or simply as a snack on its own.
Lemon Earthquake Cake
Lemon Earthquake Cake is a dessert that starts with a layer of coconut and macadamia nuts, followed by a lemon cake and cream cheese swirl, all topped and baked with white chocolate chips.
Sheet Cakes
Almond Pecan Sheet Cake
If you love almond flavoring, this is the cake for you! The cake is perfectly moist with the softest texture and then paired with an almond vanilla pecan frosting. SO GOOD!
Rocky Road Sheet Cake
Everyone loves a perfect chocolate cake, which this recipe is. But adding melted chocolate, marshmallows, and cashews on top sure takes this cake to the next level!
Texas Turtle Sheet Cake
Love Sheet Cake? You are going to flip for this over-the-top Texas Turtle Sheet Cake! The best Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake topped with caramel, chocolate, and pecans.
Raspberry Cheesecake Sheet Cake
When you combine slightly tart fresh raspberries with creamy cheesecake and rich chocolate cake, you have a match made in heaven!
Salted Caramel Sheet Cake
This Salted Caramel Sheet Cake is going to take your sheet cake game to a whole new level. Deliciously moist sheet cake, cooked to perfection, and topped with an ooey-gooey blend of melted caramel, toffee bits, chocolate chips, and sea salt.
Ding Dong Sheet Cake
Ding Dong Sheet Cake is a decadent dessert with two layers of chocolate cake sandwiched together with a creamy filling and topped with chocolate frosting. The finished cake resembles a giant, elevated version of the popular chocolate-coated snack cake known as a “Ding Dong.” It makes for a stunning and indulgent treat that is sure to delight chocolate lovers!
Cookies and Cream Sheet Cake
Cookies and Cream Sheet Cake combines the classic taste of vanilla (or white) cake with the chocolate taste of Oreo™ cookies, topped with buttercream made with more Oreos. It is sure to satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth, especially if you love all things Oreo cookie!
Seasonal/Occasion Cakes
- Countdown Cake – New Year’s Eve
- Ruffle Heart Cake – Valentine’s Day
- Shamrock Cake – St. Patrick’s Day
- Bunny Ear Cake – Easter
- Basket of Flowers Cake – May Day
- Mother’s Day Cake (pictured above)
- Patriotic Rose Cake – Memorial Day
- Father’s Day Cake
- 4th of July Cake
- No Bake Caramel Shortbread – Summer
- Pencil Cake – Back to School
- Cauldron Cake – Halloween
- Pumpkin Pie Cake – Thanksgiving
- Christmas Wreath Cake
- Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Zucchini Cakes
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Amazingly rich and decadent, this Chocolate Zucchini Cake is what all chocolate cakes should strive to be. It is so easy to make and no one will notice the zucchini in the cake, but they will be happy it’s there as soon as they take a bite and see how moist this cake is!
Zucchini Cake Recipe
This Zucchini Cake recipe is a delicious spice cake stuffed with zucchini and topped with a thick cream cheese frosting. It’s a great way to sneak in some vegetables while enjoying a delightful and moist cake! It’s also perfect for any occasion and an excellent way to use up zucchini from your garden or the market.
White Zucchini Cake
This soft and tender white zucchini cake is subtly sweet, made with shredded zucchini for moisture, and topped with a rich chocolate frosting.
Zucchini Banana Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
This Zucchini Banana Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting is the perfect marriage of light and sweet!
Zucchini Double Chocolate Cake
This is the best Chocolate Zucchini Cake, ever. Totally moist, full of amazing flavor, and destined to be your go-to recipe! Even if you just make the cake part of the recipe, you will be blown away by how dense and rich it is!
Lemon Blueberry Cake
This cake is seriously amazing. The combination of lemons and blueberry is timeless, and adding in zucchini (courgettes) is the BEST way to add moisture! I used whole fresh blueberries in the cake and then added copious amounts of lemon flavor and zest to the cake and frosting.
Zucchini Brownies
These Zucchini Brownies are unbelievably moist and rich. A chocolate lovers dream!
Cheesecakes
- Perfect Cheesecake Recipe (pictured above)
- Chocolate Cheesecake
- Snickerdoodle Cheesecake
- Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
- No-Bake Cheesecake
- Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Oreo Cheesecake Cake
- Snickers Cheesecake Cake
- Neopolitan Cheesecake
- Brownie Bottom Cheesecake
Cake Basics
Most traditional cakes call for a standard mix of ingredients: sugar, butter, leavening, and gluten (flour). Keeping a few basic ingredients on hand, and using them correctly, will ensure that your cakes are perfect every time!
Sugars
Sugar is essential in cakes as it’s what makes them taste sweet. When you mix up a cake batter and beat sugar into fat or eggs the sugar crystals cut into the mixture, creating thousands of tiny air bubbles that lighten the batter. While baking, these bubbles expand and lift the batter, causing it to rise in the pan.
Altering the sugar in a recipe can have a dramatic effect. When a white cake turns out moist and tender the sugar ratio is good. But if you try changing the recipe by using more or less sugar than the recipe calls for, the result may be a dense, flat or tough cake.
The most common sugar for cakes is granulated.
Fats
The function of fat in cakes is an interesting one! There are two general methods for utilizing fats in cake baking; the creaming method and the all-in-one method. Fats are used differently in each case.
Creaming Method
The creaming method produces a soft, yet sturdy cake. The cake is usually great for stacking in layers as well for bundt cakes.
Simply put, it is mixing sugar into butter (fat) to help produce air bubbles that will expand during baking due to vaporization. This helps make the final product rise. Sugar and butter will also lighten in color and expand in volume during creaming. Eggs are beaten into the batter one at a time. Typically, the additional liquids and dry ingredients are then added alternately.
When using the creaming method, all ingredients should be at room temperature. The creaming method is best utilized with a stand mixer or hand-held mixer, as it can take anywhere from 3-8 minutes. The best speed for combining sugar and butter is medium to low as a high speed could heat up the fats too quickly.
All in One Method
If you have ever seen a recipe that says “one bowl” or “pour batter into the pan” it is probably an all-in-one method cake. They tend to be very moist and use oil instead of butter. (Such as Carrot Cake)
The all-in-one method is the easiest of all the cake baking methods. These cakes tend to have more liquid than others.
Eggs
Eggs play an important roll in cakes. They add structure, color, and flavor to our cakes and cookies.
There are two main components to an egg, the whites, and the yolks. For instance, a whipped egg white can help and Angel Food Cake rise. An egg yolk can transform a white cake into a beautiful yellow cake. Most recipes call for a whole egg.
It is important to use eggs at room temperature and to make sure you have the right size. I prefer large to extra large eggs in my cakes and will often specify for you. The difference between the two is usually 1-2 teaspoons in volume and while interchanging them won’t destroy a recipe, using the right size can help to create the perfect cake.
Leaveners
In cake recipes, the two most common leaveners are baking soda and baking powder.
Baking soda is bicarbonate of soda. It neutralizes the acidity of certain ingredients in the batter, allowing the cakes to turn golden brown in the oven.
Baking powder is a combination of bicarbonate of soda plus cream of tartar, an acidic ingredient. Baking powder alone can give cakes a lighter texture.
Flour
The main difference in flours found in the grocery store is the amount of protein they contain. A cake recipe should have the specific flour listed that is uses, but if it doesn’t, you can usually assume they mean all-purpose.
All-purpose flour, or plain flour, is an all-around good flour to use for baking. All-purpose has a protein content of 10-13% and it consistently performs well.
Cake flour is best for cakes and bakes very tender layers. It has 8-9% protein, one of the lowest in protein content.
Bleached and unbleached flours are basically interchangeable in cake recipes.
Salt
Without a doubt, this is one ingredient I use in all my baking. Salt enhances flavor and without it, the cake could just taste like a sugar overload. Without this flavor enhancer, the secondary flavors in a cake fall flat as the sweetness takes over. Salt can also act as a protein strengthener, helping to achieve the perfect cake.
Once you have all the basics covered, creating the perfect cake is easy no matter what the recipe.
My list of cake recipes is always expanding and I love being able to add tried and true recipes. If there is a cake recipe that you love that you don’t see here, please feel free to comment below! And as always, if you make any of these recipes tag @iambaker on Instagram and use the hashtag #iambaker. Happy Baking!
Always u r recipe good ..bt 1 request plz share eggless cake recipe ..
Have you a recipe for Italian Cream Cake?
Amanda, do you have a recipe for a strawberry fluff cake? I tasted one and it was divine so extremely moist, Next in line, I love key lime
It’s really superb
Each and every single recipes are amazing..
By seeing these cakes I just cant guess what to say..
Honestly, you’ve shared some really scrumptious cake recipes here and oh my gosh I’m totally drooling over it right now!
I really like your recipes. I need a recipe for Angel Food cake from scratch. I live in Australia and you can’t buy the mix here.
Here is a great recipe: https://iambaker.net/angel-food-cake-with-roasted-strawberry-sauce/
Love your page, I love to cook and I have learned a lot by reading your articles and of course tasting the cakes too.
Thanks
Hello! I live in South America, it’s hard for me to find some ingredients like buttermilk and sour cream. Could you guide me in how to make them or what I can substitute them for.
Thanks
is there an easy recipe for butter cake, and a recipe for ” Black Bottom Cake “