194 homemade cake recipes

An upside-down apple cake baked in a skillet over a layer of homemade caramel with golden apples, almond extract, and a splash of amaretto. Flip it out and watch jaws drop.

Strawberry lemon trifle layered with homemade genoise cake, lemon curd filling, kirsch-soaked strawberries, toasted almonds, and whipped cream.

Marbled chocolate cheesecake squares on a fudge cake crust, topped with glossy cherry pie filling. A semi-homemade shortcut that makes 48 rich, creamy bars from one box of fudge marble cake mix.

Spiced pumpkin layer cake built on yellow cake mix with pumpkin, walnuts, orange zest, and pumpkin pie spice, finished with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. A semi-homemade fall dessert with bakery-level results.

Fig garden party cakes layer sponge cake or lady fingers with a homemade dried-fig filling cooked down with peanut butter, butter, and lemon juice. A vintage tea-table dessert with surprising depth.

Peanuts N Candy Halloween cake, a semi-homemade yellow cake mix studded with roasted peanuts, frosted with peanut butter buttercream, and topped with chopped Butterfinger and candy corn. A festive fall party dessert.

7-layer brownie ice cream cake with thin homemade brownie rounds stacked with vanilla ice cream and frozen in a springform pan. A make-ahead frozen dessert that slices like a dream.

Cherry dream squares with an oat-and-cake-mix crust, cherry pie filling center, and a brown sugar crumb topping with nuts. A semi-homemade bar cookie that's part crumble, part pie.

A semi-homemade coffee cake using white cake mix and vanilla pudding for extra moisture. Swirled with cinnamon, cocoa, sugar, and chopped nuts, it bakes up rich and golden for brunch or weekend treats.

Graham cracker cake with blanched almonds and folded egg whites, frosted with a homemade apricot whip made from apricot puree, whipped cream, and vanilla. A vintage two-layer cake with a fruity cream frosting.

Lemon meringue pie reimagined as a cake: a cloud-light, lemon-scented angel food cake split and filled with tangy homemade lemon curd, then swathed in glossy Italian meringue frosting. Airy, bright, and showy.

A lemon cake mix gets a serious upgrade with orange juice and fresh blueberries, then frosted with a homemade citrus cream cheese whipped frosting loaded with fresh orange and lemon zest. Semi-homemade but nobody will know.

Chocolate applesauce bread baked in mason jars for a charming homemade gift. Moist cocoa cake with a hint of almond, sealed fresh right from the oven.

Light chocolate sponge cake rolls around softened ice cream, then freezes into impressive slices. Homemade chocolate sauce drizzles over each serving.

This layered banana cake is loaded with fresh banana slices and creamy vanilla pudding between two soft cake rounds, then wrapped in fluffy frosting. A beginner-friendly semi-homemade banana dessert that comes together fast.

Homemade hot caramel sauce cooked to soft ball stage with butter, half-and-half, and vanilla. A thick, pourable dessert sauce for ice cream, cake, and apple dipping.