19 simple cake recipes

Grandma Woodall's old-fashioned chocolate brownies made with melted unsweetened chocolate, canola oil, and a simple mixing method. Cake-like, family-recipe brownies in a 9x13 pan.

Amaretto-spiked chocolate cake layered with boozy whipped cream frosting and topped with handmade chocolate trees. A showstopping holiday centerpiece using a simple cake mix shortcut.

Simple but irresistible, this cake is great for dessert after dinner.

A simple but delicious cake that's easy to make and your whole family will enjoy!

Classic carrot cake loaf with grated carrots, cinnamon, chopped nuts, and cream cheese frosting. Baked in loaf pans for easy slicing, this moist oil-based cake is simple to make.

Cajun cake with crushed pineapple batter and a boiled pecan-coconut icing. A simple Southern sheet cake where the pineapple keeps it moist and the sticky topping steals the show.

Moist date cake studded with chocolate chips and pecans, baked in one pan with a hint of cocoa. A nostalgic New England sheet cake that's simple to make and impossible to resist.

Brandy-soaked apples baked into a moist sheet cake with walnuts, raisins, and warm spices. Simple mixing, no mixer needed.

Simple pineapple sheet cake topped with whipped cream and vanilla pudding frosting. Moist, fruity, and effortlessly crowd-pleasing for potlucks.

Easy one-layer chocolate cake made with melted unsweetened chocolate, applesauce, and pecans. Dense, fudgy, and finished with a simple dusting of powdered sugar.

Simple walnut raisin cake with brown sugar and warm spices, simmered then baked low and slow for moist tender squares ready in an hour.

Black chocolate cake made with a boiled chocolate-milk-sugar syrup folded into a simple butter batter. Dense, fudgy, and baked in a single 9x13 pan.

Old-fashioned boiled fruitcake with raisins and warm spices. Simple one-bowl method where you boil fruit first then fold into spiced flour for incredibly moist cake.

Buttery colonial poppy seed cake soaked in milk for a tender, nutty crumb. Dusted with powdered sugar, this heritage recipe is simple to bake and hard to resist.

Chocolate chip cake with a dense, moist sour cream crumb and a full bag of chocolate chips baked in a tube pan. Simple, buttery, and loaded with melted chocolate in every slice.

A homestyle Christmas cake packed with dates, cherries, walnuts, and chocolate chips in a simple egg batter. Bakes into a dense, fruity loaf that wraps up beautifully for holiday gifting.