5 Best Cake Recipes You Can Easily Bake At Home

Is there anything more delicious than a decadent slice of cake, perfectly baked and beautifully frosted? For beginner bakers, the thought of baking a cake entirely from scratch could be daunting.

You might find yourself wondering how to make a cake or even where to begin. You may find yourself trying to find the best cake recipes on the internet. Well, then let’s just say that you’ve landed at the right spot.

Luckily, I have a few cake recipes for beginners, including a delicious buttercream frosting that can be changed to suit any kind of cake. For those a bit more comfortable in the kitchen, I have a few advanced homemade cake recipes from scratch. So from beginner bakers to experienced ones, all of you are going to find an interesting cake recipe below. Enjoy!

Best Cake Recipes to Make At Home

1. Classic Yellow Cake Recipe

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

Total Time: 45-55 minutes

Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 1 c unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened, do not melt
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 yolks, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp butter flavoring (optional)
• 1 c buttermilk, room temperature

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. Grease and lightly flour two 9 inch round cake pans. Set aside.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.
5. Mix in the eggs and yolks individually, mixing after each egg.
6. Mix in vanilla extract and butter flavoring.
7. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk.
8. Mix until batter is fluffy, being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl (batter will be thick).
9. Let batter rest for 5 minutes.
10. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans and use an offset spatula to spread into an even layer.
11. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
12. Place on a cooling rack until pans are warm enough to touch, then carefully remove cake from pans and allow to cool completely.
13. Frost and enjoy!

2. Gingerbread Cheesecake with Pecan-Graham Crust Recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

Total Time: 9 hours 35 minutes, including cooling time

Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients  

• 6 ounces gram crackers (about 11 crackers), plus a more, chopped, for serving.
• 1/2 c pecans, plus more, chopped, for serving
• 1 Tbsp, plus 3/4 c sugar, divided
• 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• Three 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 c sour cream, room temperature
• 1/3 c heavy cream, room temperature
• 2 Tbsp molasses
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, plus 2 yolks, room temperature
• Grated lemon zest for serving

Directions

Crust

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.
2. Pulse pecans, graham crackers, and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a food processor until fine crumbs form.
3. Add butter and pulse to combine.
4. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch springform and press evenly on the bottom and one inch up the sides.
5. Bake until fragrant and beginning to color, approximately 7-10 minutes. Set on wire rack to cool.

Cheesecake

1. Reduce temperature on oven to 325˚F
2. Beat sour cream, cream cheese, molasses, heavy cream, cornstarch, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and the remaining sugar on medium speed until smooth.
3. Mix in vanilla.
4. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, mixing slightly after each egg.
5. Spread mixture into cooled crust.
6. Bake until edges are set but center still wobbles slightly approximately 40 minutes.
7. Turn oven off and let stand, in the oven, for 30 minutes.
8. Let cool completely in the springform for 4 hours.
9. Once cool, let refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
10. Run a knife between the cheesecake and pan before releasing the spring. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with pecans, graham crackers, and lemon zest.

3. Sinfully Delicious Chocolate Cake

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time: 35-40 minutes

Total Time: 50-60 minutes

Servings: 12-20 Slices

Ingredients

• 2/3 c butter, softened
• 1 2/3 c sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 2/3 c baking cocoa
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/3 c milk
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting or your favorite frosting

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. Grease and lightly flour one 9×13 pan. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar until creamed.
5. Mix in eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg.
6. Mix dry ingredients into wet, alternating with milk.
7. Mix until batter is smooth.
8. Pour batter evenly into prepared pan and use a spatula to even the layer.
9. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cake tests done.
10. Place on cooling rack until warm enough to touch, then remove cake from the pan and allow to cool completely.
11. Dust with confectioners’ sugar or frost with your favorite frosting.

4. Simple Buttercream Frosting Cake Recipe (with variations)

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time: None

Total Time: 10-15 minutes

Servings: Makes enough frosting for one 9×13 or two 9 inch round cakes

Ingredients 

Classic Buttercream

• 1 1/2 c butter, room temperature
• 5 2/3 c confectioners’ sugar, sifted after measuring
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 Tbsp milk or cream
• Pinch of salt

Strawberry Buttercream 

• 1/2 c fresh or frozen strawberries, pureed and strained

Chocolate Buttercream 

• 1 1/3 c cocoa powder

Directions  

1. Using a whisk attachment, whip butter until light and creamy. This should take approximately 7 minutes on medium-high speed. Whipping less will result in a less airy buttercream.
2. Mix sifted confectioners’ sugar, by the rounded spoonful, on medium speed. Mix well before adding more sugar.
3. Add vanilla extract, salt, and milk or cream.
4. Whip on high for 3 minutes until frosting is very light and fluffy.
5. Optional: Additional mix-ins or flavorings can be added to create your desired buttercream flavor.

5. Hummingbird Cake Recipe

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

Ingredients Required For Cake

• 1 c butter (2 sticks), softened
• 2 c granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 3 c all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 c buttermilk
• 1 1/2 c mashed ripe bananas (about 4 medium)
• One 8-oz can crushed pineapple
• Frosting, recipe follows

Ingredients Required For Frosting

• 1 c butter (2 sticks), softened
• Two 8-ounce packages softened cream cheese
• 2 c confectioners’ sugar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Directions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. Grease and lightly flour three 9-inch cake pans. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
4. In a large bowl, mix together butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs individually, mixing well after each egg.
6. Mix dry ingredients into wet, alternating with buttermilk.
7. Mix bananas and pineapple, whipping until combined.
8. Evenly distribute batter between three pans, tapping pans on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
9. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Frosting 

1. Cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners’ sugar by the spoonful, mixing well after each addition. Mix in lemon juice and vanilla. Mix well.