37 Easy Cake Recipes for Low-Effort, Celebration-Worthy Desserts
If baking a cake from scratch seems overwhelming, look no further than these easy cake recipes. They provide all the fun of baking, without any of the stress. In this roundup of simple cake recipes, you’ll find a solution to just about every baking quandary. Want to make coffee cake, but don’t have time to soften butter? Melted butter makes it a breeze. Did you forget to buy butter altogether? Bake our easiest-ever vegan chocolate cake with nary a tablespoon of the stuff. And if you balk at turning on the oven—or even if you don’t have an oven—we’ve got you covered with plenty of no-bake options. (Ever wondered if you can bake a cake in a microwave? The answer is yes.) Whether you’re a beginner looking to level up from boxed mix or an experienced baker in need of a celebratory last-minute dessert, these easy cake recipes have a delicious solution, just for you.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne1/37Super-Moist Yellow Cake With Rich Chocolate Frosting
Think of this as the birthday cake of your childhood, all grown-up. Buttermilk gives the chocolate frosting extra tang, while reverse creaming keeps the crumb moist and springy. One thing���s for sure: This easy cake recipe is an all-seasons, all-reasons favorite.
- Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich2/37
Texas Sheet Cake
When time is tight and you need to throw something together for dessert, this easy cake recipe is the perfect crowd-pleaser. Pour the gooey chocolate frosting onto the thin layer of chocolate cake while they’re both still warm, then finish with toasted nuts.
- Photo by Linda Xiao3/37
One-Bowl Ricotta Olive Oil Pound Cake
This one-bowl cake calls for both ricotta and olive oil, making it out-of-this-world moist. The higher quality the ingredients, the more flavorful your cake will be.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart4/37
Fresh Strawberry Cake
Though it’s technically a dessert recipe, we like to keep this simple strawberry cake on the counter for snacking morning, noon, and night.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne5/37
Molten Double Chocolate Mug Cake
Speaking of no-bake desserts, this one doesn’t require you to preheat your oven, either: All the magic happens in the microwave. Start now and you can have molten chocolate cake in as little as three minutes.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Kim6/37
No-Bake Peach Cheesecake With Wheat Thins Crust
For a summery spin on no-bake cheesecake, fold peach jam and whipped cream into the cheesecake filling. The result is sweet, fruity, and light as a cloud.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton7/37
Fresh Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Sure, you can use canned pineapple, but we prefer fresh fruit here. If you’re intimidated by the idea of cutting a pineapple, this step-by-step guide makes it a breeze.
- Photo by Squire Fox8/37
Clementine Pound Cake
The bag of clementines sitting on your counter? They’re begging to be zested into this pound cake batter. The resulting loaf has major chocolate-covered orange peel vibes.
- Photo by Travis Rainey, Food styling by Micah Marie Morton9/37
Easy Coffee Cake
If you want to bake a cake, but forgot to soften your butter ahead of time, we have just the thing for you. This easy recipe starts with melted butter, which gives coffee cake a pleasantly dense crumb—and slashes your prep time.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich10/37
Chocolate Cherry Cake
Make the most of summer cherries in this chocolaty sheet cake, perfect for teatime or casual parties.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell11/37
Mochi Cake, Any Way You Want It
Sweet rice flour makes this adaptable cake gooey-bouncy on the inside and crispy-chewy on the outside. This particular recipe can go in any flavor direction you want: Add cocoa or matcha for bold color or cinnamon and cardamom for spice.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova12/37
Flourless Chocolate Cake
This flourless chocolate cake recipe has been a Gourmet favorite since 1997. Oh, and you only need five ingredients to bake it.
- Photo by Alex Lau13/37
Easy One-Bowl Cherry Upside-Down Cake
This upside-down cake recipe calls for frozen fruit and minimal kitchen equipment, making it a breeze for bakers of all levels. But you do need a tall cake pan, otherwise the batter and burbling fruit will overflow.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich14/37
Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake
When we say this is the easiest chocolate cake in the world, we mean it. You don’t even need eggs, butter, or milk, and you probably have all the ingredients on hand.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Bill Clark15/37
Berry Cream Cheese Cake
Bejewel this one-bowl, no-mixer-needed cake with any berries you’d like. We suggest blueberries or raspberries in the summer or cranberries in the winter.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell16/37
3-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake
This naturally gluten-free dessert is impressive enough for special occasions, but easy enough to make in under an hour.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich17/37
Cold Oven Pound Cake
Always forgetting to preheat your oven? For the easiest—and best—pound cake, don’t even bother. Starting with a cold oven gives the leavening more time to its thing; it also gives the cake a thick, golden crust. No Bundt pan? Bake it in two loaves instead.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton19/37
Bibingkang Cassava (Cassava Cake)
Starchy frozen grated cassava gives this easy cake its bouncy texture, making it naturally gluten-free.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele20/37
Pistachio Cake
This moist, flavorful pistachio cake is incredibly fragrant thanks to the addition of orange zest. Topped with softly whipped cream, this one-layer cake can’t be beat.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kate Buckens21/37
East 62nd Street Lemon Cake
The zest of two whole lemons goes into this cake batter, giving it a real punch of citrus flavor. Oh, and let’s not forget about the lemon glaze drizzled overtop.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone22/37
One-Bowl Milk Chocolate Cake With Chocolate-Caramel Frosting
Not only does milk chocolate give this simple cake a rich, creamy flavor, but it also partners perfectly with dulce de leche in the frosting.
- the new easy, photography by Willam Meppem23/37
Food Processor Carrot Cake
You don’t even need a bowl for this easy riff on carrot cake—just mix all the ingredients in your food processor, then bake. Lightened with ricotta cheese, the complementary cream cheese frosting is one for the ages.
- Photo by Zach & Buj24/37
Castella Cake
The best part about this sponge cake is not its springy, fluffy texture, nor its slim ingredient list: It’s that slices can be frozen for up to a month and reheated for delicious cake anytime.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell25/37
Olive Oil Apple Cake With Spiced Sugar
Grated apple and olive oil contribute moisture to this loaf cake, warmly spiced with cardamom and ginger. Choose your apples wisely for this baking recipe: Gala and Golden Delicious varieties simply melt into the cake, whereas firmer apples, like Granny Smiths, give it a coarser texture.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Claire Saffitz26/37
Lemon Cake With Fruit
This bright, citrusy cake works with a variety of fruits: pears and apples, peaches and plums, or fresh blackberries and blueberries.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Katherine Sacks27/37
3-Ingredient Japanese Cheesecake
This fluffy, jiggly cheesecake is part soufflé, part custard. Though you’d probably never guess it from looks alone, this lightly sweet, airy cake is super simple to make.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert28/37
Vanilla No-Bake Cheesecake With a Chocolate Cookie Crust
The easiest cake is the one you don’t even have to bake. Decorated simply with a dusting of cocoa powder, this cool, oven-free cheesecake is an ideal dessert for summer.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton29/37
Blackberry and Chocolate Ice Cream Icebox Cake
Ice cream cake may sound like a project, but with almost entirely store-bought ingredients (half a pint of ice cream, blackberry jam, and chocolate graham crackers), the only challenge of this recipe is the assembly—and we’ve got a few tips to ensure it goes smoothly.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad30/37
Double Chocolate Layer Cake
Constructing a layer cake doesn’t have to be a whole production. Just look at this chocolate-on-chocolate number: With two sturdy cake layers and ganache frosting to glue it all together, it’s the easiest introduction to stacking cake layers.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell31/37
Orange Chocolate Loaf Cake From Florida
Baking legend Maida Heatter picked this recipe up on a Florida orange grove, where it was served with—what else?—tall glasses of ice-cold OJ. With whipped cream in place of butter in the batter and an orange juice glaze brushed on after baking, it’s perfect for brunch or an afternoon snack.
- Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart32/37
Mascarpone-Filled Cake With Sherried Berries
No need to fuss with buttercream: Sandwich two buttermilk cake layers with whipped mascarpone, then crown the top with lightly macerated berries.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kate Buckens33/37
Chocolatey Chocolate Cake
This chocolate cake is incredibly moist and not too sweet. It’s also almost impossible to mess up.
- Photo by Ben Fink34/37
Whipped Cream Cake
This cake from baking maven Rose Levy Beranbaum trades butter for heavy cream, which provides unparalleled moisture without compromising on tenderizing fat content. And it can be used straight from the fridge—no softening required.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks35/37
Lemon-Blueberry Poke Cake
To make this poke cake extra-easy, use premade jam for the filling. Feel free to switch up the flavors: Swap the lemon for orange zest and juice to make orange cake, or sub in strawberry or raspberry jam.
- Photo by Dayna Smith36/37
Lemon Blossom Cupcakes
You know what’s easier than an easy cake recipe? An easy cupcake recipe. These sophisticated, lemon-flavored ones would be right in place at any celebration—just add sprinkles.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova37/37
Hot Cocoa Cake
This easy cake recipe is good for any time of day: Serve it with tea in the afternoon, whipped cream and berries for dessert, or with coffee the next morning.
Caroline Lange
Joe Sevier
Caroline Lange
Tiffany Hopkins