Incredible Cake Recipes for Any Occasion

Over 20 incredible cake recipes that are perfect for holidays, birthdays, and any occasion! You’ll find plenty of traditional cake flavors like chocolate and strawberry shortcake, plus tons of unique cakes like peanut butter banana, lemon blueberry, and chocolate chip cookie cake. Gluten free cakes included! Bake these up and enjoy with friends & family.

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gluten free chocolate strawberry cake on a plate

Each year I like to share 1-2 absolutely epic cake recipes, and they unsurprisingly become some of the most popular dessert recipes with AK readers. I typically test and perfect a new cake around Valentine’s Day, but these incredible cake recipes are truly perfect for any occasion.

I think it all started back in 2018 with my now-famous Paleo Chocolate Cake with Paleo Chocolate Frosting. I truly couldn’t believe how delicious this cake was, especially because it was gluten free, grain free, dairy free & paleo-friendly! Since then I’ve created 10-15 more wonderful cake recipes ranging from an amazing carrot cake to a gorgeous lemon blueberry cake.

Many of these cake recipes are gluten and grain free because I’ve fallen in love with the texture and natural sweetness that almond, coconut & oat flour give these cakes. Be sure to check out the recipe blog posts and notes sections, too, because I often have tips on how to make them dairy free and/or vegan! There really is a cake for anyone and everyone in this list.

Tips for frosting a cake

Getting the perfect layers of frosting on your cake, especially round layered cakes, can feel intimidating. Check out all of my tips & tricks for beautifully frosting these cakes:

Let the cake layers cool completely. Make sure to let the cake layers cool completely before frosting them so that the frosting doesn’t soak into the cakes.
Do a crumb coat first. Frost the layers as you normally would and then coat the outside of the cake with a very thin layer of your frosting. Then, place the cake in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before you finish frosting. This is so that the crumbs stick to this layer of frosting and not your main layer.
Adding a drizzle? If you’re adding, say, a chocolate drizzle on top of the frosting layer, be sure to place the cake in the fridge after frosting it and before adding the drizzle. This will allow the drizzle to set properly on top.

The perfect freezer-friendly dessert

That’s right, these cake recipes can be frozen either frosted or unfrosted for up to 2 months! I recommend freezing your cake unfrosted and in individual layers for the best results. Here’s how to do it:

Once the cake layers are cool, simply wrap each individual layer in plastic wrap & aluminum foil.
Place the cakes in a zip-top freezer bag.
When you’re ready to serve, thaw the cake layers in the refrigerator overnight and then let the cake come to room temperature before serving.