It’s a special occasion (or just a random Tuesday), and you are looking for a way to celebrate. We have just the thing: cake. A gorgeous, mouth-watering, decorated layer cake, to be exact! Have you just baked up your favorite cake recipe, made a batch of frosting, and don’t know what to do next? It’s time to learn how to stack and decorate cakes like a pro and start creating sky-high, sugar-filled masterpieces!

‘Tis the season of gift giving, celebrating, and feasting! Your social calendar is probably filling up with family gatherings, friendly get-togethers, and holiday parties, while the number of shopping days left are disappearing before our eyes. Afraid to face the mall crowds or can’t seem to find enough hours in the day, but hate showing up empty-handed?

Julia Child famously said that a party without cake is just a meeting. Preach it, Julia. If you were to take one thing away from our story this week about layer cakes, it is that there is always a good reason to make and eat cake. From elaborate dinner parties to bridal brunches to afternoon tea with a close friend, layer cakes make any occasion better. This week we have five gorgeous cake recipes, each studded with little tips and intelligence on baking better layer cakes. Which is yours?

This Riesling rhubarb crisp cake has it all: tender white cake, rhubarb-strawberry compote and matching buttercream, a crispy oat crumble, and a fanciful, ruffled finish. It’s the perfect cake to bake when you’re feeling like showing off your cake-baking skills or looking for a weekend project to tackle when you want to spend the day in the kitchen.

When you’re looking for something beyond vanilla, but still aiming to please a crowd, try a classic lemon cake. Something as simple as lemon might get overlooked in a world of salted caramel, velvety raspberry, and matcha-everything, but this lemon supreme cake is anything but ordinary. With three layers of lemon-soaked cake blanketed in satiny vanilla buttercream, this little cake makes for an exceptional dessert for anything from a bridal brunch to afternoon tea to a birthday party.

Craving cake, but don’t necessarily have an occasion to make one for? Well then it’s a pretty good thing that you don’t need to wait until your birthday to make this honey-apple cake. This recipe falls under what I call “casual cakes,” meaning cakes that are perfectly suitable for Sunday brunch, afternoon tea, or any random Wednesday night when you need to fulfill a relentless cake craving without having to make something completely over the top.

Strawberry shortcake is the ambassador of summer, showing off juicy berries like jewels. It’s usually a humble dessert built on a biscuit, but here we turn it into a towering showstopper of cake, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. Yet it brings drama without fuss; this is layer cake the easy way. This cake stands four-layers tall, each one too gorgeous on its own to be hidden behind a blanket of frosting or smothering of chocolate sauce (although that totally works for other cakes).

Sometimes there are so many reasons why we should DIY instead of buying pre-made goods at the store. From being more cost-efficient to making things healthier, building your own homemade pantry might seem to be more hands-on, but it sure has its perks. Even something as commercialized as marshmallow cream can be made better and tastier at home. This marshmallow fluff recipe proves just that. This fluff is light and creamy, and it has a smooth, real vanilla taste.

For a seasoning salt with a sweeter side, try this Raspberry Peppercorn Salt. It is great on fish, grilled vegetables, and fresh fruit. And, it’s pink! The raspberry flavor is subtle, but the color is certainly not. It would also go well with a pear salad or sprinkled on juicy watermelon. A pinch of this vibrant salt is a quick way to jazz up almost any summer dish. Although this blend uses fresh ingredients, it will keep quite well in the cupboard for several weeks — at least!