175 layer cake recipes

This 4th of July make-ahead dessert features multiple layers of sponge cake and strawberry and vanilla ice cream. Perfect to wow a crown this Independence day.

A light, springy chocolate sponge cake made with just six pantry staples and absolutely no eggs or dairy. Two layers sandwiched with fudge icing, dusted with grated chocolate and powdered sugar. Vegan baking at its most unfussy.

Tiramisu-style cake with three sponge layers soaked in espresso-rum syrup, filled with mascarpone cream, and finished with cocoa powder and chocolate shavings. A classic Italian pick-me-up.

Vegan Black Forest cake with whole wheat pastry flour, applesauce, and a kirsch syrup. Cashew-tofu icing replaces dairy whipped cream. Three layers of chocolate cake, cherries, and creamy frosting.

Cider apple cake: a sheet cake layered with thin-sliced apples and a cinnamon-pecan-sugar streusel, built on a batter moistened with dry apple cider. Autumn on a plate.

Chocolate cinnamon cake with almond cream layers a tender whipped-egg-white cake spiced with cinnamon and unsweetened chocolate, topped with a tangy almond-scented sour cream and whipped cream finish.

Meringue trifle layered with homemade meringue pieces, orange liqueur whipped cream, sliced bananas, and drizzled melted chocolate. A crunchy, creamy, no-cake trifle that's all texture.

Boccone Dolce is a stunning Italian meringue layer cake filled with melted chocolate, clouds of whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. Three crisp meringue discs stacked into a showstopping dessert.

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

Pan di Spagna, the classic Italian sponge cake with eggs whipped to a ribbon, cake flour and cornstarch folded gently to preserve air. The foundation for tiramisu, zuppa inglese, and fruit-layered tortes.

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.

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.

Three-layer pineapple meringue torte with crushed pineapple cake, cashew-studded meringue baked right on top, and a pineapple whipped cream frosting.

Pineapple chiffon cake layered with chocolate cookies and a light-as-air gelatin mousse. A no-bake, low-calorie dessert with bright tropical flavor and lemon zing.

Ruth's Whiskey Ice Box Cake is a no-bake vintage dessert: whiskey-spiked gelatin mousse layered between split ladyfingers and chilled overnight in a springform pan. A make-ahead showstopper.

Heart cake without a special pan, made by cutting a round layer in half and setting both halves against a square layer to form a heart, then frosting it pink with strawberry frosting. A clever Valentine's trick.