12 Simple Cakes That Will Wow Your Family

By Jenn Segal

Making a special dessert for any occasion is, well, a piece of cake! From the perfect pound cake to an impossibly moist chocolate chip ricotta cake, these simple cakes are easy to bake and always impressive.

Perfect Pound Cake

Elegant and simple, this rich and buttery pound cake is like the little black dress of dessert.
Gingerbread

Loved by kids and adults alike, this old-fashioned gingerbread is the perfect treat to keep on hand during the cooler months.
Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cake

Adapted from Melissa Weller, this chocolate chip ricotta cake has a rich flavor and an impossibly moist texture.
Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

Loaded with blueberries and bright flavor, this lemon blueberry pound cake makes a wonderful brunch or anytime cake.
French Apple Cake

With chunks of sweet apples nestled in a tender and buttery rum cake, this French apple cake is the essence of simplicity.
Triple Chocolate Loaf Cake

This chocolate loaf cake from Ina Garten tastes as rich and chocolaty as a brownie.
Kentucky Butter Cake

This old-fashioned vanilla butter cake drenched in syrup is the 1963 winner of the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest.
Fresh Strawberry Cake

Jam-packed with fresh strawberries, this strawberry cake is one of the simplest, most delicious cakes you’ll ever make.
Vanilla Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

The perfect dessert to feed a crowd, this vanilla sheet is easy to frost and decorate, easy to transport, and easy to serve.
Cherry Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

The luscious fruit topping on this upside-down cake is the cherry on the cake, literally.
Powdered Donut Cake

Heavy on the butter and nutmeg, this cake has all the flavors of your favorite cake donut in a convenient square shape.
Late Summer Plum Cake

Gently spiced, this jammy plum cake celebrates the summer-into-fall season. Serve it as a brunch cake or for dessert topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.