32 better than cake recipes

Homemade birthday cake better than any store-bought cake.

Homemade birthday cake better than any store bought cake.

Homemade Twinkies made with pound cake mix baked in DIY foil molds and filled with a fluffy vanilla cream. A fun copycat recipe that tastes fresher and better than the store-bought original.

WOW. This was AMAZING! I got so many compliments on it, and a few people said they liked it better than pumpkin pie. I have to say I might just agree with that. I made it exactly as it said on the recipe, except I omitted the nuts and added a bit extra cinnamon and some pumpkin pie spice to the cake batter.

Nothing is better than a moist decorative cake during Christmas. With chocolate and raspberries it's sure to satisfy your tastebuds!

Better-than-anything cake with German chocolate base soaked in sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce, topped with whipped topping and crushed Heath or Snickers bars. Make-ahead party cake.

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.

Fresh apple bundt cake packed with three cups of chopped apples and pecans in a thick, oil-based batter. More fruit than cake, with a dense, moist crumb that stays soft for days.

Omie's apple torte loaded with chopped apples and nuts in a buttery cinnamon batter. A dense, rustic German-style apple cake that's more fruit than cake in every bite.

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.

Banana Chocolate Cake with molasses-deepened batter and a full cup of chocolate chips, baked in a springform then split into layers for frosting. Richer and more complex than any standard banana cake.

Old-fashioned yeast-risen coffee cake topped with cinnamon-sugar cream that bakes into a custardy crust. The yeast version is fluffier than batter coffee cakes, with a tender, brioche-like crumb.

Old-fashioned date and pecan cake baked low and slow in a tube pan. More fruit and nuts than batter, with a dense, rich texture similar to fruitcake.

Jeweled candied fruitcake loaded with dates, candied pineapple, whole cherries, and 2 lbs of pecan halves. More fruit and nuts than batter. A stunning holiday gift cake.

Triple layer chocolate cake with cocoa, unsweetened chocolate, and coffee in the batter, topped with a fluffy Italian meringue chocolate frosting. Lower in fat than classic recipes thanks to yogurt and egg whites.

A marbled banana Bundt cake with swirls of chocolate fudge rippled through a moist banana batter, finished with a cocoa drizzle. Lighter than it looks, made with skim milk and just 1/4 cup oil.