When you want to make something special, these homemade cakes are best.

), these are our best made from scratch cake recipes.

There’s no shame in using a boxed cake mix (we do it all the time!)

Devil’s Food Cake

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but sometimes an occasion or craving calls for something that’s made from scratch.

Made in one bowl (frosting too!

), with no special equipment needed, this dense and fudgy cake lives up to its name.

Southern Living White Poinsettia Sheet Cake with Cranberry-Orange Filling

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And you’re free to frost it three different ways.

Plus, it offers a change from traditional chocolate or vanilla cakes.

If this homemade cake is good enough for Dolly, it’s good enough for us!

Southern Living Chocolate Cake with Spiced Chocolate Buttercream sliced on a plate to serve topped with chocolate curls

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We think of it as a combination of lemon cake and lemon meringue pie.

Though the icing is time consuming, our Test Kitchen says it’s worth the effort.

Using a fun geometric Bundt pan adds extra pizzazz to this stunner of a recipe.

Southern Living Brown Butter Cake baked as a layer cake and cupcakes

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It just may become a new family favorite.

And it’s time you learned it, too.

It’s easy to make and is a fantastic birthday cakejust add sprinkles.

Bananas Foster Cake

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The cream cheese-peanut butter frosting is so good, you’ll want to lick the spatula.

Best of all, it only requires 26 minutes of hands-on time.

Classic Coconut Cake

This is a dessert that’s only fit for a coconut fanatic.

Southern Living Chocolate Birthday Cake on a cake plate to serve

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Top with large flakes of toasted coconut to complete this coconutty masterpiece.

Blueberry-Lemon Cake

Sweet blueberries and tart lemon are a beautiful pair for spring and summer gatherings.

When topped with more berries, it is the prettiest centerpiece for any celebration.

Southern Living Strawberry Cake with a slice out to serve

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Baked in a Bundt pan, the batter includes buttermilk for a hint of tanginess and extra leavening.

Slice it up and serve with coffee for an any-time-of-the-day treat.

Mississippi Mud Cake

Southerners young and old love this marshmallow-topped cake recipe.

Lemon Meringue Cake - Southern Living

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Pumpkin Cake

There’s no gourd display that can stack up to this layered pumpkin cake.

And it’s more delicious than any pumpkin-spiced coffee could ever be.

Canned tomato soup adds moisture and sweetness to a classic spice cake with cream cheese frosting.

cookies and cream cake

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One of the most popular recipe is for Coca-Cola cake, a chocolate cake enriched with the fizzy soda.

Ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, and molasses make the layers so aromatic and flavorful.

Strawberry-Rose Snack Cake

This Strawberry-Rose Cake will wow supper club.

Southern Living Chocolate Bundt Cake

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(It is just oil and eggs, after all.)

Homemade candied carrot curls really gild the lily, but they are entirely optional.

We love this cake all year but especially in winter, when citrus is at its peak.

Southern Living Strawberry Vanilla Cake sliced on a cake plate to serve

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Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake

This pound cake recipe is fluffy, flavorful, and totally decadent.

This stunning version has a peach filling and a meringue frosting that’s spiked with peach schnapps.

A salty-sweet vanilla wafer cookie crumble on top is the perfect finishing touch.

Italian Cream Cake

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But it’s the brown sugar frosting that really steals the show.

Substitute any other bang out of berry or chopped strawberries.

And a sheet cake makes it easy to transport to the celebration.

1234 Cake

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Texas Skillet Cake

Only a Southerner could makeTexas Sheet Cakeeven more, well, Southern.

We upped the ante on this Lone Star classic by making it in a cast-iron skillet.

Serve it warm with ice cream for the ultimate treat.

Peanut Butter Cake Recipe

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“This cake is absolutely delicious.

It’s also visually beautiful,” wrote one reviewer.

Fresh mint leaves in the chocolate cake batter and creamy frosting make the flavor both refreshing and intense.

Southern Living Classic Coconut Cake fully assembled on a cake plate to serve

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The salty-sweet browned butter frosting will have them licking their plates.

In addition to the frosting, there’s homemade Strawberry-Lemonade Jam spread between each layer.

Caramel-Frosted Pound Cake

Pound cake covered in homemade caramel frosting?

Pineapple-Coconut Cake

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Key Lime Icebox Cake

When is a Key lime pie not a pie?

When it’s an icebox cake!

Hummingbird Cake

This is the most popular cake recipe inSouthern Livinghistory for a reason.

million dollar pound cake - southern living

Credit:Will Dickey

And it looks gorgeous too!

It’s moist, flavorful, and finished with an even more delicious Ermine frosting.

The only 22 minutes of hands-on time is yet another reason to try this sweet dessert.

Blueberry-Lemon Cake

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The pink glaze adds an impressive finish to a moist and buttery pound cake.

Frequently Asked Questions

A homemade cake will stay fresh for about three to four days.

After three or four days, the cake’s texture will lose its moisture.Refrigerated cakewill remain fresh for longer.

Lemon Raspberry Cake

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If the cake has a buttercream frosting, enjoy the cake within a month.

Fresh Apple Cake

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Chocolate-Raspberry Cheesecake - Southern Living

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Southern Living Glazed Buttermilk Donut Cake glazed on a cooling rack

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Mississippi Mud Cake

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Southern Living Swiss Roll Cake pouring the ganache over the cake

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Pumpkin Cake - Southern Living

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Eclair Cake

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Southern Living Tomato Soup Cake on a cake plate with a slice cut on a plate beside

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Little Layer Chocolate Cake

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Southern Living Banana Layer Cake With Caramel Icing on a platter to serve with a piece cut

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Coca Cola Chocolate Cake

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Sweet Potato Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting decorated with a sprinkle of chopped pecans on the bottom

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Strawberry-Rosé Snack Cake

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Southern Living Louisiana Crunch Cake

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Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

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Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake - Southern Living

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Wacky Cake slices on blue plates

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Cream Cheese Pound Cake

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Gingerbread Latte Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream Frosting

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Ultimate Carrot Cake

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orange chiffon cake on cake stand with cups of coffee

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Old Fashioned Pound Cake

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Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake

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King Cake

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Homemade Yellow Cake

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Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake

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The Lane Cake

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Banana Pudding Poke Cake

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Fudge Cake Recipe

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Pumpkin-Spice Bundt with Brown Sugar Icing and Candied Pecans

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Blueberry-Cornmeal Cake

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Classic Birthday Cake

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Key Lime Pound Cake

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Texas Skillet Cake

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Cinnamon Coffee Cake

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German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting

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Lemon Loaf Cake

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Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake_WD0156-S

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Cherries-and-Cream Icebox Cake

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Snowy Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream

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Mint Chocolate Chip Cake

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Pecan Pie Cake

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Strawberry-Lemonade Cake

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Cranberry-Orange Cake with Orange Buttercream

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Apple Butter Pound Cake with Caramel Frosting

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Caramel-Frosted Pound Cake

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Key Lime Icebox Cake

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Hummingbird Cake 40th Anniversary

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Strawberry Birthday Cake

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Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

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Angel Food Cake

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Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake

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Southern Living Mahogany Cake sliced and ready to serve

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Banana Cream Pie

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Southern Living Strawberry Pound Cake on a platter to serve

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