Bake Sale Classics: Cakes

Updated: October 11, 2014
Add beauty to your bake sale table and cash to your coffers by offering classic cakes that are sure to sell.
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Sour Cream-Lemon Pound Cake

Photo: Randy Mayor
Sour Cream-Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
Pound cakes are ideal for bake sales because they're easy to make, easy to transport, and always popular. Another plus is that you can bake pound cakes ahead of time and freeze until the day of the sale.
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German Chocolate Cake

German Chocolate Cake Recipe
For cakes with decorative toppings or icings that are a bit messy, make sure you display them in cake domes with sturdy bases and clear plastic lids. Clear lids are preferable so you can show off the beauty of the cakes. Buy disposable cake domes from a local bakery or a grocery store deli, or ask if they might donate some for your cause.

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Rum Cake

Rum Cake Recipe
Interestingly, this cake is always a top seller at church bake sales. It's also popular with those doing the baking as well! It's a great cake for bake sales since the topping is a simple sprinkle of powdered sugar instead of a delicate frosting.
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Hazel's Fresh Coconut Cake

Oxmoor House
Hazel's Fresh Coconut Cake Recipe
You can charge top dollar for this impressive three-layer cake since it's covered in fresh shredded coconut. Southerner Hazel Burwell has been making this stately cake for her family for over 40 years, so you know it's good.

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Chocolate-Swirled Pound Cake

Photo: Ralph Anderson
Chocolate-Swirled Pound Cake Recipe
Pound cakes are dense and heavy, so be sure to place the cake on a sturdy cardboard base. Since there's no icing to deal with, you can wrap this cake tightly in clear plastic wrap and still keep the chocolate visible.

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Hummingbird Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Karin Olsen
Hummingbird Cake Recipe
You just can't have a bake sale in the South without this all-time favorite cake featuring banana, pineapple, chopped pecans, and a luscious cream cheese frosting. This recipe is the most requested recipe in the history of Southern Living magazine.
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Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting Recipe
This 5-Star recipe for basic yellow cake with chocolate frosting is always a favorite, and you can make this one even more appealing by garnishing with edible flowers, sprinkles, nuts, or chopped candy. Bake and sell in a disposable baking pan.

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Basic White Cupcakes

Photo: Beth Dreiling; Styling: Buffy Hargett
Basic White Cupcakes Recipe
Cupcakes are all the rage these days. Package and sell individual cupcakes for customers to go ahead and enjoy, or sell boxes of a dozen. Check with a local bakery to see if you can purchase some cake boxes to use for your sale. If your event is for charity, the bakery might be willing to donate a few.

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Honey's Carrot Cake

Howard L. Puckett
Honey's Carrot Cake Recipe
The most popular cakes at any bake sale are usually the recipes that certain individuals are known for in the community. If you don't have anyone in your group who specializing in carrot cake, we highly recommend Honey's. Be sure to include the garnishes as these little extras are what help the cake to sell.
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Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake

Howard L. Puckett
Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake Recipe
Coke™ is the magic ingredient in this popular cake that shows up at covered dish suppers and family reunions across the country. Prepare it for the bake sale in a disposable foil pan and cover with foil or clear plastic wrap.

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Chocolate-Red Velvet Layer Cake

Chocolate-Red Velvet Layer Cake Recipe
This stunning six-layer cake is the one that will steal the show at your bake sale. If the demand is high, you might consider auctioning it off to the highest bidder, especially if the purpose of your bake sale is to raise money for a charity.
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