Classic Yellow Cake Batter
Layer cake, cupcakes, or loaf cake? Our basic yellow cake batter recipe makes all these and more. This classic, all-purpose batter will help you turn out Raspberry-Cream Layer Cake, Cappuccino-Chocolate Cupcakes, and Chocolate-Vanilla Marble Cakes. The buttermilk in the batter is not only a flavor enhancer with its subtle tang, but it also keeps the cake moist and tender. Be patient creaming the butter and sugar, as this important step ensures the final product is light and fluffy.
25 Easy Cake Recipes That Every Home Baker Should Master
Classics for a reason, these easy cake recipes are just that good. We recommend you give them all a try.
Lemon Cake
Martha loves lemons, and her all-time favorite way to use them is in desserts—like this moist lemon cake recipe that features the citrus in every element. A yellow layer cake with lemon zest and juice in the batter is baked, then brushed with a simple lemon syrup, and sandwiched together with either whipped frosting or lemon curd. Top it with our Whipped Frosting and candied lemon slices—and enjoy!
These Beautiful Bundt Cakes Are Surprisingly Easy to Make at Home
Serve these gorgeously shaped cakes at brunch or for dessert—either way, they're guaranteed showstoppers.
Truly, Madly, Deeply: 12 Chocolate Cake Recipes to Fall in Love With
Get your fix of rich and intense chocolate with a dozen of our top treats.
Our 25 Favorite Cheesecake Recipes
From New York-style to no-bake styles and seasonal spins, you'll find there's a cheesecake here for everyone.
No-Bake Cheesecake
Cheesecake is a fan favorite for good reason; it's a rich, creamy, and irresistible dessert. With this no-bake cheesecake recipe, making it is as simple as enjoying it. An easy press-in graham-cracker crust is filled with a rich cream cheese and condensed milk filling, flavored with vanilla and lemon. After preparing, just refrigerate until set—no cooking necessary. It's a great dessert for summer when you don't want to heat up the kitchen, but it's also a classic any time of year.
One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
A super-easy chocolate layer cake belongs in every cook's recipe repertoire. This chocolate-buttermilk cake is luscious enough for a special occasion, but easy enough for everyday desserts. And the recipe gets brownie points for using just a single bowl. You can also use this cake batter to make two dozen cupcakes: Fill lined tins two-thirds full and bake for 20 minutes, rotating once. A decadent chocolate frosting is the finishing touch and your cake is ready for its star turn at a birthday, anniversary, or pretty much any celebration.
Lucinda's New York-Style Cheesecake
A New York cheesecake is heavy on the cream, so our recipe calls for five packages of cream cheese plus a cup of sour cream. Under the fluffy, decadent filling is a simple graham cracker crust. The trick to making this cheesecake is to cook the filling enough so it sets without cracking the top. Then allow plenty of time for it to chill so you can slice it easily.
Apple-Cider Donut Cake
If you love the apple-cider donuts often sold at farmers' markets, you'll love this cake! Baked in a Bundt pan, it's essentially a giant cakey donut, made a little more wholesome with whole-wheat flour. A blend of olive oil and applesauce helps keep it moist and makes it our favorite fall dessert. This recipe appears in our cookbook, A New Way to Bake and Martha made this recipe on Martha Bakes.
Lemony Angel Food Cake
Remember Mom's heavenly angel food cake? Ours has the same ethereal texture (due to egg whites) but with a bright burst of lemon flavor, thanks to fresh juice and zest. Fluffy citrus cream frosting and pretty candied lemon "daffodils" make it an even more memorable dessert.
Coconut Cloud Cake
What makes this cloud cake so cloud-like? The flour and superfine sugar are sifted four times and the delicate batter is leavened by plenty of beaten egg whites. The result is a light and tender vanilla cake that is the perfect complement to the silky seven-minute frosting that’s used to fill and ice it. Coconut flakes are the final touch, bringing flavor and a light crunch.