50 Fruity Cake Recipes You Need to Try ASAP

February 10, 2020
Time Inc. Video Studio
Make your life a little more colorful with our favorite fruity cakes. Whether you're looking for a classic fruitcake, a showstopping upside down cake (we're obsessed with this bright Meyer Lemon Upside-Down Cake and this stunning Blueberry-Peach Upside Down Cake), or something incredibly sweet, quick, and easy (this Peach Cobbler Dump Cake certainly fits the bill), our best cake recipes with fruit will brighten up the rainiest of days. 
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Creamy Peach Icebox Cake

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Creamy Peach Icebox Cake Recipe
Layers of cool and creamy ice cream, sweet pound cake, and juicy fresh fruit hit the spot on a hot day. You only need seven ingredients to create this show-stopping dessert. Here is the secret to getting clean and neat slices: run hot water over the blade of your knife, wipe it with a moist towel, and cut.
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Nehi Orange Poke Cake

Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner
Nehi Orange Poke Cake Recipe
Orange flavor turns up often in African-American cookbooks, whether the cook enlivens biscuits with a bit of sweet citrus juice or uses it to make pecan pie extra special. Mildred “Mama Dip” Council included two recipes for orange-flavored cake in Mama Dip’s Family Cookbook, her collection of recipes and reminiscences.

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Rum Punch Cake 

Jen Causey; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke
Rum Punch Cake  Recipe
Our Rum Punch Cake is a cross between a Jamaican rum cake and a hummingbird cake. It’s got the good qualities of fruitcake, and makes a great fruitcake alternative. There’s tons of moisture, and the pineapple and orange segments add some jewel-toned touches of beauty—plus, adding grenadine gives the cake a fun pink hue.
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Upside Down Pear-and-Gingerbread Cake

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Upside Down Pear-and-Gingerbread Cake Recipe

This is the perfect cake for a week night treat or a casual holiday party. A layer of tender, caramelized pears tops this richly spiced skillet upside down cake. When it is time to put the batter into the pan, use an offset spatula to gently spread the batter without disturbing the layer of pears underneath.

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Meyer Lemon Upside-Down Cake

Photo: Ngoc Minh Ngo; Styling: Kelly All
Meyer Lemon Upside-Down Cake Recipe

A polenta cake from pastry chef Hannah Buoye, of A16 Rockridge in Oakland, was the model for this dense, moist dessert. As the sliced lemons bake under the cake and absorb butter and brown sugar, they take on a marmalade-like quality. Be sure the cake is fully baked before you remove it from the oven (see step 6), or it may sink.

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Hummingbird Cake

Victor Protasio
Hummingbird Cake Recipe
There are a few rules for success in this recipe that make it truly stand out. First, vegetable oil is used instead of butter to get the moist, quick-bread-like texture of the layers. The original recipe, as printed below, calls for 1 1/2 cups of oil.
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Raspberry, Sumac, and Almond Pound Cake

Annie Campbell
Raspberry, Sumac, and Almond Pound Cake Recipe
The nuanced brightness of sumac matched with warming notes of almond and jammy raspberries takes a classic pound cake construct over the top and into pure wow-worthy territory. While it may seem like a lot between the batter and the pound cake’s raspberry-sumac glaze, sumac is a spice you need not be overly reserved with.

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Lemon-Orange Pound Cake

Victor Protasio
Lemon-Orange Pound Cake Recipe
This pound cake is sublime in its simplicity, but we decided to fancy it up a bit with a Bundt pan and two contrasting icings. You can leave out the yellow food coloring gel and have a cake that is just as pretty with a few extra lemon and orange slices for garnish.

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Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake Recipe

Fresh summer peaches turn sticky and sweet when baked in the bottom of a Bundt pan with butter and brown sugar. After you place the peach slices in the ridges of the pan, gently spoon the cake batter over the fruit, then smooth the top with an offset spatula.

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Strawberry-Lemon Crêpe Cake

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Hadas Smirnoff
Strawberry-Lemon Crêpe Cake Recipe

If you’ve ever enjoyed a glass of strawberry lemonade, you know this is a refreshing combination. And this company-worthy crepe cake will make everyone swoon with its ethereal layers and rich lemon filling. Be sure to save the liquid after macerating the strawberries–it’s delicious drizzled over each serving.

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Blueberry-Peach Upside Down Cake

Photo: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Julia Levy
Blueberry-Peach Upside Down Cake Recipe
This stunning upside-down cake is the perfect, easy dessert to showcase your bounty of summer fruit. The cake is tender and moist, with just enough of a delightful toothy texture from the incorporation of cornmeal into the batter. You’ll want to use juicy, ripe blueberries and peaches for best results; however, you could use frozen fruit in a pinch.

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Peach Cobbler Dump Cake 

Aaron Kirk; Food Styling: Marianne Williams; Prop Styling: Christina Daley
Peach Cobbler Dump Cake  Recipe
Pair the crowd-pleasing appeal of peach cobbler with the convenience factor of a boxed cake mix and you have this ridiculously easy dump cake. Requiring only five ingredients, this is the perfect recipe for when you need to whip up dessert in a hurry.
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Strawberry-Banana Pudding Icebox Cake

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Hadas Smirnoff
Strawberry-Banana Pudding Icebox Cake Recipe

Strawberries add brightness to this fun take on banana pudding. Instead of the usual vanilla wafers, use graham crackers, which make neater slices. An instant hit with your family and guests, this recipe makes delicious use of the fresh strawberries you pick up at the local farmers’ market.

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Grilled Pound Cake with Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup

Antonis Achilleos, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Missie Crawford
Grilled Pound Cake with Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup Recipe

Pound cake chars up really nicely on the grill and gets even grill marks. Don’t skip the syrup, because it’s packed with flavor. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, regular lemons will work just fine. The simple syrup will hold up for two weeks, so you can definitely make it ahead of time—or make extra and save it for later. 

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Aperol Spritz Cake

Photo: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Sarah Epperson  
Aperol Spritz Cake Recipe

The delicate blance of sweet, bitter and citrus that makes the cocktail so refreshing also makes for an unusual citrus cake. The inclusion of the orange juice and the Aperol gives the frosting a citrus note, too. 

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Banana Pudding Cake 

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food styling: Emily Nabors Hall and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop styling: Kay Clarke
Banana Pudding Cake  Recipe
One of our testers called this "the ultimate banana pudding in cake form." Tender laters of cake, creamy vanilla custard, and bananas come together to create a mouthwatering dessert. Warning: There won't be leftovers.

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Lemon Naked Cake with Flower Crown

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke
Lemon Naked Cake with Flower Crown Recipe

Perfect for birthdays, showers, or special get-togethers, this flower-topped layer cake is so pretty you won’t want to cut it! Made with a lemon cake mix and Lemon Buttercream frosting, it’s incredibly simple to make, even though it looks impressive. Top with a ring of edible flowers and prepare for complements.

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Strawberry Poke Pound Cake with Strawberry Glaze

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Strawberry Poke Pound Cake with Strawberry Glaze Recipe
Poke cake meets pound cake in this must-make spring dessert. A perfectly moist, dense vanilla pound cake (with a delightful hint of almond) is filled with a fresh strawberry filling—adding to the cake's tender crumb and providing the perfect fruity sweet-tart flavor balance.
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Banana Split Waffle Cake

Time Inc. Video Studio
Banana Split Waffle Cake Recipe
Talk about a birthday breakfast—inspired by the flavors of a classic ice cream treat, this impressive waffle stack makes for such a fun way to kick off an extra-special day. Using store-bought waffle mix keeps this decadent breakfast-for-dessert recipe easy to execute.

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Blackberry Jam Cake

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Blackberry Jam Cake Recipe

Inspired by her Aunt Julie’s blackberry jam cake, Damaris Phillips created this showstopping version. The caramel cream cheese frosting is slightly savory to balance out the sweetness of this three-layer cake.

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Mini Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes

Time Inc. Video Studio
Mini Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes Recipe

Have you hopped on the toaster oven dessert train yet? If not, now is the time. These miniature versions of classic pineapple upside-down cake are delightfully buttery and moist, so easy to whip up, and a great kitchen project to introduce kids to baking. 

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Orange-Walnut Coffee Cake

Victor Protasio
Orange-Walnut Coffee Cake Recipe
A tall cup of joe knows no better match than a wedge of coffee cake. But standard coffee cake can be a lot first thing in the morning. To build a better breakfast cake that won’t send you into midmorning nap mode, we start by building a whole-grain base bolstered with warm spices and brightened up with citrus juice and zest.

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Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

Jennifer Causey
Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake Recipe
A hint of fresh thyme gives this rustic cake a faint herbaceous quality that complements the warmth of cardamom and ginger and the tang of rhubarb. Be patient when turning the cake out of the pan; it may take several minutes for it to fully release.

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Cherry-Thyme Upside Down Cake

Photo: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Julia Levy
Cherry-Thyme Upside Down Cake Recipe
A hint of fresh thyme gives this rustic cake a faint herbaceous quality that complements the warmth of cardamom and ginger and the tang of rhubarb. Be patient when turning the cake out of the pan; it may take several minutes for it to fully release.
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Pineapple-Lime Upside Down Cake

Photo: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Julia Levy
Pineapple-Lime Upside Down Cake Recipe
Fresh lime zest adds just enough of a zingy “something special” factor to our foolproof take on the classic pineapple upside-down cake. This easy cake is a fan favorite for good reason—it’s so simple to make and is loaded with a delicious balance of buttery-caramelized and tropically sweet flavors.

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Tahini-Blueberry Sheet Cake With Strawberry Buttercream

Photo: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson; Food Styling: Pam Lolley
Tahini-Blueberry Sheet Cake With Strawberry Buttercream Recipe
Perfect for a graduation party or summer cookout, this impressive dessert offers the ease and crowd-friendly factor that we associate with a sheet cake, as well as a delightful twist of creativity and surprising vibrancy with the incorporation of tahini and fresh berries.

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Strawberry Upside-Down Cake

Photo: Helen Dujardin; Styling: Kay Clarke
Strawberry Upside-Down Cake Recipe

This perfectly light summer cake comes out beautifully, either way you flip it.

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Apple Spice Bundt Cake with Cider Glaze

Caitlin Bensel
Apple Spice Bundt Cake with Cider Glaze Recipe

Don't be afraid to go 100% whole-grain with desserts; we use all spelt flour here with amazing results. The nutty flour boosts the taste of the butter, spices, and vanilla, unlike all-purpose flour, whose bland nature would dilute those flavors. Be sure to weigh the flour for accuracy; using too much will make the cake dry.

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Banana Upside-Down Pancake Cake

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson; Food Styling: Pam Lolley
Banana Upside-Down Pancake Cake Recipe

 

This incredibly tender, delicious spice cake has a secret… Aunt Jemima pancake mix. That’s right, this brunch-worthy cake starts with boxed pancake mix (but no one would guess it). The added bonus of brown sugary caramelized bananas, toasted pecans, and a hit of rum only makes the idea of cake-for-breakfast all the more appealing. 

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Valentine's Day Cake with Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Photo: Gina DeSimone; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson; Food Styling: Deb Wise
Valentine's Day Cake with Chocolate Covered Strawberries Recipe
Wrapped in whipped cream and chocolate covered strawberries, there’s no doubt—this is the ultimate Valentine’s Day Cake. No specialty shaped pan is required to create this adorable heart cake. All you’ll need is an 8-inch round cake pan and an 8-inch square cake pan to form the heart shape.
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Margarita Cake

Time Inc. Video Studio
Margarita Cake Recipe

It’s everyone’s favorite refreshing tequila cocktail… in cake form. Truly, what could be better? With tart lime curd and tequila syrup, this festive show-stopper cake does justice to the flavors of an authentic margarita. 

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Strawberry and Prosecco-Glazed Granola Coffee Cake

Photo by Daniel Agee
Strawberry and Prosecco-Glazed Granola Coffee Cake Recipe
We’re all for clinking glasses of Prosecco at brunch, but we’re also pretty big fans of drizzling it over coffee cake. Part breakfast, part dessert, part cocktail coffeecake, this recipe is absolutely what you need to make when hosting a friend’s birthday brunch. I mean, just look at the color of the strawberry glaze—isn’t that alone cause to celebrate?

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