142 better cake recipes

A decadent chocolate almond rum cake with ground almonds in the batter, rum-chocolate icing, and toasted flaked almonds pressed all around. A celebration cake with serious depth.

Apple cinnamon cake built on a buttermilk and whole wheat batter, topped with thinly sliced apples and cinnamon sugar. Lighter than a butter-heavy cake, with a tender crumb and warm spice.

Blueberry crumb cake baked in a loaf pan with fresh blueberries folded into a simple batter and topped with a buttery cinnamon-sugar streusel. A homestyle cake that's easy to slice and share.

Low-fat Dutch apple cake spreads a thin, biscuit-like batter under overlapping cinnamon-sugar apples. Egg whites and skim milk keep it light, more fruit than cake in every slice.

Sliced apples layered with cinnamon sugar get topped with a simple cake batter that bakes into a tender crust for an effortless dessert that's halfway between apple crisp and cake.

Vegan self-saucing chocolate pudding cake with walnuts. Hot water poured over cocoa-sugar batter creates a fudgy chocolate sauce underneath as the cake bakes. No eggs, no dairy, total magic.

Cinnamon flop: a simple old-fashioned breakfast cake with a pancake-like batter topped with cinnamon sugar and melted butter. Quick, sweet, and nostalgic.

Herman milk sourdough starter: a sweet, milk-based fermented batter that becomes the base for Amish friendship bread, cinnamon coffee cakes, and quick breads. Pass cups along to friends; the starter never runs out.

A campfire coffee cake made in a cast iron Dutch oven with charcoal. Bisquick batter over pie filling, topped with cinnamon sugar and butter. Wake up the whole campsite with this one.

Sugar-crusted pecans spiked with habanero chile powder, folded into chocolate cake batter for a sweet-heat surprise in every bite. Five ingredients, ten minutes, and your chocolate cake will never be boring again.

Orange madeleines with fresh orange zest and juice folded into a classic French sponge batter. Light, shell-shaped cakes dusted with powdered sugar while still warm.

Microwave upside-down brunch cake with ham, crushed pineapple, and brown sugar under a cornmeal batter. Sweet and savory in under 30 minutes.

A marbled angel food cake with swirled white and lemon-yellow batters, topped with a tangy lemon glaze. Light as air and gorgeous for spring.

Light upside-down cake with canned apricot halves on the bottom, topped with a sponge-like batter made from separated eggs and bread crumbs.

Raspberry angel food cake with fresh berries folded directly into the whipped egg white batter. Light, fat-free, and bursting with pockets of fruit.

Two-ingredient brown rice flour griddle cakes, naturally gluten-free. Ferment the batter overnight for tangy flavor or cook them right away like crepes.