Although we’ve all had carrot cake at some point in our life, the recipe you use is more important than usual when it comes to the end product. Fortunately, this recipe is time-tested and guaranteed to give you one of the best cakes you’ve ever tasted. Even if you don’t make carrot cake very often, you’re sure to make this one again and again. Here’s how you do it:

2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 cups of canola oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
3 cups of shredded carrots
1 cup of chopped walnuts
cream cheese frosting

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease up a Bundt cake ring.
2. Beat together your sugar, canola oil, eggs and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl.
3. In another bowl, combine your flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mix.
4. Stir in the carrots and walnuts as well.
5. Pour the batter into your Bundt pan and bake it for 50 to 60 minutes.
6. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool.
7. When it’s done, frost the outside with cream cheese frosting and enjoy!

Red velvet cake in general is one of the more indulgent and delicious desserts out there—but this recipe is something special. It has the silkiest, most delicious texture and packs plenty of chocolatey flavor in every bite. Like most iconic cakes, the mileage you get from them can depend quite a bit on the recipe you use. Fortunately, this one is a winner. Here’s how you make it:

Cake:
1/2 cup of softened butter
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 eggs
2 bottles of red food coloring
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups of cake flour
2 tablespoons of baking cocoa
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of buttermilk
Frosting:
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1/2 cup of cold water
2 cups of softened butter
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups of confectioners’ sugar

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together your butter and sugar until it turns light and fluffy.
3. Add in your eggs one at a time and beat well between each one.
3. Beat in your food coloring, vanilla and vinegar also.
4. In a side bowl, whisk together your flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
5. Gradually mix in your dry ingredients and your buttermilk, alternately.
6. Flour and grease two nine-inch rounds before pouring your batter into each one.
7. Bake the cakes for 20 to 25 minutes.
8. Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool all the way.
9. Make your frosting by mixing the water and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium heat.
10. Stir and cook for about two or three minutes, until the mix thickens. Cool the whole thing to room temperature.
11. Separately, beat your butter and vanilla together until it turns light and fluffy.
12. Beat the butter and cornstarch mixture together before gradually adding confectioners’ sugar.
13. When the frosting is light and fluffy, frost the cake between layers and all around.

Have you ever had hummingbird cake before? This one is a little less common today, though it’s still no less delicious than any of the other recipes on this list. When made correctly, this cake has a wonderfully moist and sweet texture, with hints of fruit and sugar throughout. Perhaps its nectar-like texture gave this cake it’s iconic name… though the explanation is not entirely clear. Regardless, it tastes incredible. Here’s how you make it:

Cake:
2 cups of mashed bananas
1 1/2 cups of canola oil
3 eggs
1 can of crushed pineapple, undrained
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 cup of chopped walnuts
Pineapple Frosting:
1/4 cup of shortening
2 tablespoons of softened butter
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon of salt
6 cups of confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup of unsweetened pineapple juice
2 teaspoons of half-and-half
chopped walnuts

1. In a big bowl, beat together your oil, bananas, eggs, pineapple and vanilla until it’s well-combined.
2. In a side bowl, mix your flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
3. Gradually add the dry mix into the wet ingredients until it’s blended. Stir in your walnuts as well.
4. Grease and flour three nine-inch round pans and pour your batter into them.
5. Bake the cakes at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes; cool them for 10 minutes before taking

When it comes to sumptuous chocolate cakes, it’s hard to beat a well-made Black Forest cake. In case you haven’t had it before, it’s a delicious mix of rich chocolate and tart cherries. With the right recipe, this dessert can be one of the tastiest things you’ll ever eat. Fortunately, this is that recipe. Here’s how you do it:

Cake:
1 cup of whole milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup of canola oil
3 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 cups of flour (plus two tablespoons)
2 cups of sugar
3/4 cup of baking cocoa
1 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
3/4 teaspoon of salt
Filling:
2 cans of pitted, tart cherries
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of cornstarch
3 tablespoons of cherry brandy
Whipped Cream:
3 cups of heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup of confectioners’ sugar

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two nine-inch rounds with parchment paper. Grease up the paper as well.
2. In a big bowl, beat together your eggs, milk, oil and vanilla until they’re well-combined.
3. In a side bowl, whisk together your flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat that gradually into the wet mixture.
4. Pour the batter into the pans and bake it for 30 to 35 minutes.
5. When they’re done, cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool the rest of the way.
6. Make your filling by draining the cherries and keeping half a cup of the juice. In a saucepan, whisk together your sugar, cornstarch and cherry juice. Add the cherries and cook over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring throughout.
7. Take the pan off the heat and add the brandy before letting it cool all the way.
8. In a big bowl, beat your cream until it thickens and add confectioners’ sugar. Keep beating until it forms stiff peaks.
9. Finally, cut each cake in half horizontally to make four layers. Top each layer with one and a half cups of whipped cream and three quarters of a cup of the filling, leaving an inch at the edge. Repeat this with all the layers and frost the outside with the whipped cream!

Pound cake is one of the more versatile kinds of cake that there is. Still, this 7-Up version of pound cake is particularly special. Aside from the same buttery and delicious flavor, this one also has an added kick of light and lemony flavor found in the iconic soda. This recipe goes back a long ways and it still hasn’t lost any of its zest. Here’s how you make it:

Cake:
1 1/2 cups of softened butter
3 cups of sugar
5 eggs
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 cups of flour
3/4 cup of 7-Up
Glaze:
1 1/2 cups of confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice
1-2 tablespoons of 7-Up
1/2 teaspoon of lime or lemon zest

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In the meantime, grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt cake pan as well.
2. In a big bowl, cream together your butter and sugar until they turn light and fluffy.
3. Add your eggs one at a time and beat everything together.
4. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla as well.
5. Add your flour and 7-Up alternately, beating everything together after each addition.
6. Pour the batter into your Bundt pan and bake it for 65 to 75 minutes.
7. When it’s done, cool the cake for 20 minutes in the pan before transferring it to a wire rack.
8. To make the glaze, mix together your confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and 7-Up in a bowl until it reaches the right texture. Stir in the zest as well.
9. Finally, drizzle the glaze over the cake and serve!

This cake is particularly unique and tastes delicious. The Lady Baltimore cake is a Southern recipe that is usually made for weddings, and is based on a classic white cake recipe. Still, it has additional flourishes of a homemade frosting, chopped nut topping and some delicious candied fruit as well. It’s simple enough to make and is sure to wow any party guests you might have. Here’s how you do it:

Cake:
3 1/2 cups of cake flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
2 cups of sugar
16 tablespoons of softened, unsalted butter
1 cup of whole milk
1/2 teaspoon of rose water
8 egg whites
Icing:
4 cups of sugar
6 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon of rose water
1 1/2 cups of chopped pecans
3/4 cups of minced raisins
2 tablespoons of candied orange peel, minced
5 dried figs, minced

1. In a bowl, mix your raisins and figs. Add brandy and toss the bowl to combine everything.
2. Cover the bowl and let it sit for two hours so the brandy absorbs. Give the bowl a stir occasionally.
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and put parchment paper in the bottom of three eight-inch round cake pans. Grease the paper as well.
4. In a big bowl, mix together your flour, sugar, orange zest, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. Add your buttermilk, butter and vanilla before beating everything on low for 30 seconds so it is just combined.
6. Beat the mixture on medium for two minutes. Add the egg whites and beat for another two minutes.
7. Pour your batter into the prepared pans and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool them in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to wire racks.
8. In a big bowl, cream your butter so it turns fluffy.
9. Beat in your confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and cream until it reaches the right texture.
10. To make the filling, take a cup of the frosting out, put it in a bowl and add your pecans and raisins.
11. Finally, assemble the cake by spreading your filling on the top of the cakes and stacking them. Spread frosting all around the outside and serve.

Though we’ve all had banana bread and banana nut muffins, not as many of us have had a true banana cake. If you like the flavors of those other dishes, you owe it to yourself to try this sweet and fruity dish. As with all the other recipes, this one is simple enough to make and ends up tasting incredible. Here’s how you make it:

Cake:
2/3 cup of shortening
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 eggs
2 cups of mashed bananas
1 cup of whole milk
3 cups of flour
1 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 package of softened cream cheese
1/4 cup of softened butter
4 cups of confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
salt

1. Cream together your shortening and sugar in a bowl until it turns light and fluffy.
2. Add your egg yolks individually, beating the mix after each one.
3. Add bananas and milk as well, mixing everything until just combined.
4. In a side bowl, mix your flour, baking soda and salt. Add it to the creamed mix and beat it for two more minutes.
5. In another bowl, beat your egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter as well.
6. Pour the batter into a greased baking pan and bake it at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool it on a wire rack when it’s done.
7. To make the frosting, beat your cream cheese and butter together.
8. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and salt and beat everything until it turns smooth.
9. Finally, spread the frosting over the cake and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.

Although we’ve all probably had butter pecan-flavored ice creams, the butter pecan cake is a little less common. Still, the flavor is incredibly rich, sweet and delicious. The cake has a Southern flavor and goes well with all kinds of different meals. As always, the cake is simple enough to throw together and is sure to be a hit at any parties you may be having. Here’s how you do it:

Cake:
2 2/3 cups of chopped pecans
1 1/4 cups of softened butter
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
3 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of milk
Frosting:
1 cup of softened butter
8-8 1/2 cups of confectioners’ sugar
1 can of evaporated milk
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1. Begin by putting your pecans and a quarter cup of butter in a baking pan.
2. Bake everything at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes until toasted and set it aside.
3. In a bowl, cream together your sugar and butter until it turns light and fluffy.
4. Add your eggs in one at a time and beat the mix together well. Add vanilla as well.
5. Mix your flour, baking powder and salt together in a side bowl.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the mix gradually, alternating with the milk. Beat everything together between each addition.
7. Stir in one and a third cups of toasted pecans as well.
8. Pour your batter into three greased and floured nine-inch round pans.
9. Bake the cakes for 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Let them cool for 10 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool.
10. Make your frosting by creaming together butter and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl.
11. Add milk and vanilla and beat everything until it turns smooth. Stir in the rest of the pecans.
12. Spread the frosting between the layers and all around the cake.

This one is another fluffy, sweet and unique cake that you may not have had any time recently. Regardless, the lazy daisy cake is a deliciously light dessert dish with a kick of coconut that’s sure to be a hit with the whole family. As with all these recipes, it’s easy enough to throw together and is sure to become a new favorite. Here’s how you make it:

Cake:
2 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of cake flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of butter
Frosting:
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of melted butter
2 tablespoons of half-and-half
1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut

1. Beat together your eggs, sugar and vanilla on high in a large mixing bowl until it turns thick (for about four minutes)/
2. Mix together your flour, baking powder and salt and gradually add it to the egg mix. Beat everything on low until it combines.
3. Heat up your milk and butter in a saucepan until the butter melts.
4. Add the butter mix to the batter and beat everything together so it turns thin.
5. Pour the batter into a greased baking pan and bake it at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. When it’s done, let it cool slightly.
6. Make the frosting by beating together the ingredients in a bowl.
7. Spread the frosting over the top of the cake while it’s still warm and broil it in the oven for three to four minutes. Serve when it’s done!

Last but not least, this pineapple upside-down cake is another unique and delicious favorite that has certainly earned its popularity. As the name suggests, it has plenty of fruity flavor and gets prepared upside-down so that you can flip it when it’s done. If you were looking for a show-stopping dessert that your party guests may have never tried before, this is a good one to make. Here’s how you do it:

1/3 cup of melted butter
2/3 cup of brown sugar
1 can of sliced pineapples
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
3 eggs, separated
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
9 maraschino cherries

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine your butter and brown sugar in an ungreased square baking pan. In the meantime, drain your pineapple and keep a third of a cup of juice.
3. Put nine of the pineapple slices in a single layer on the bottom of the baking pan.
4. Sprinkle pecans on top of the pineapples and set the dish aside.
5. In a bowl, beat together your egg yolks until they turn thick. Add sugar and keep beating together.
6. Add vanilla and pineapple juice and keep mixing everything together.
7. Mix your flour, baking powder and salt together and add that to the batter as well.
8. Scoop your batter into the pan and bake it for 30 to 35 minutes.
9. When it’s done, let it stand for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a plate.
10. Put a cherry in the middle of each of the pineapple slices and enjoy!