Cake Recipes & Ideas

You can make vibrant buttercream without tons of food dye — just use this one simple tool.

Mess-free is the way to be!

No more puddles at the bottom of the cake!

Just in case you need a reminder!

Don’t have a cake scraper? Use this unexpected kitchen item to help get those sides super smooth.

It’s more than just chocolate! Learn more about the classic dessert’s rich history.

If you have trouble getting the edges nice and sharp, try this hack to get the job done.

No more smushed cake and smeared frosting!

When you go to bake a chocolate cake, it’s pretty easy to find what you’re looking for, right? Sure, there are some that are flourless and fudgy, and others that are tender and fluffy, but they’re all labeled “chocolate.” The opposite end of the spectrum isn’t so simple. There’s a whole lot of terminology to describe what seems to be the same thing. But are white, yellow, and vanilla cake actually the same across the board? Not quite.

While I certainly enjoy the cake portion of a slice of cake or a cupcake, I’m really in it for the buttercream frosting. That thick, sugary frosting brings the sweetest finishing touch to these desserts. There are a few different styles of buttercream, but no matter which one you make, be sure to avoid these mistakes.

Q: I want to make a birthday cake for a friend. Problem is, her birthday is not for two weeks, but I’m seeing her tomorrow.Is there a way to freeze a fully-decorated birthday cake so that it will thaw into something beautiful? Are there certain cake or icing recipes that work best (my friend loves carrot cake).Sent by CarolynEditor: Carolyn, the short answer is yes! Many cakes freeze very well even after being decorated.

Don't cry over broken cake.

On Cupcake Project, I’ve converted every imaginable kind of cake to cupcakes. I’ve made angel food cupcakes, pound cake cupcakes, upside-down cake cupcakes, cheesecake cupcakes, and more! It’s not hard to take your favorite cake recipe and translate it into cupcakes. Here’s the process that I’ve developed over the years. Here are eight steps to get from favorite cake to perfect cupcake recipe.

Q: My mom and I are driving from Minneapolis, MN to Madison, WI next weekend to visit my grandpa for Father’s Day. A few other relatives are coming too. I am in charge of the celebratory dessert and was hoping to make cupcakes as they are festive and enable portion control (my grandpa is on a diet).The problem is, I need to be able to make the cupcakes two days ahead of time, then drive them 5 hours to my grandparent’s house.

This is the one baking rule you should break!

Fact: Most cakes do not need to be refrigerated.