When dessert needs to please a group, it helps to have a few easy go-to recipes on hand. These 21 cakes and cupcakes are simple to make, full of flavor, and work for birthdays, holidays, or no reason at all. Whether you want something rich, fruity, or classic, there’s a treat here that fits. Keep this list close for the next time you need a crowd-pleaser that actually delivers.
Kit Kat Cake. Photo credit: Honest and Truly.
Molten Chocolate Cakes
These cakes come out soft on the outside with a warm, gooey center that melts in your mouth as soon as you dig in. The rich chocolate flavor makes them feel like something you’d order from a restaurant, but they’re surprisingly easy to make at home. Try these when you want a dessert that always gets people excited without a lot of effort.
Get the Recipe: Molten Chocolate Cakes
Blueberry Pudding Cake
This soft cake is packed with juicy blueberries and has a warm pudding layer on the bottom that makes each bite feel extra rich. The flavor is sweet but not too heavy, and it bakes up with almost no fuss at all. Save this one for when you need a simple, delicious cake that tastes like you spent way more time on it.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Pudding Cake
Red, White, and Blue Bundt Cake
With soft swirls of color and a moist texture, this Bundt cake brings both fun and flavor to the table. It slices clean, looks festive, and always feels like something you’d find in a bakery box. Bake it any time you want a dessert that stands out and pleases a crowd.
Get the Recipe: Red, White, and Blue Bundt Cake
Blueberry Streusel Coffeecake
This buttery cake is topped with a crumbly streusel and filled with tart blueberries that burst with flavor in every bite. It’s soft in the middle, crisp on top, and simple enough to bake anytime. Bring this one out when you need a coffeecake that always gets eaten first.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Streusel Coffeecake
Individual Pineapple Upside-down Cakes
These little cakes are topped with caramelized pineapple and sit on soft cake that soaks up all the sweet flavor. Each one is easy to serve and looks like something you picked up from a bakery. Make them when you want a crowd-pleasing dessert that feels a little extra without much work.
Get the Recipe: Individual Pineapple Upside-down Cakes
Ultra Moist Chocolate Cake
This chocolate cake bakes up soft and rich, with deep cocoa flavor and a texture that stays moist even the next day. It’s simple to make, but it always tastes like it came from a bakery. Keep this one ready when chocolate cake needs to be easy and still get lots of compliments.
Get the Recipe: Ultra Moist Chocolate Cake
Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
These cupcakes mix rich chocolate flavor with a fruity strawberry frosting that brings sweetness and balance to every bite. They look pretty on a tray and always stand out at any gathering. Make a batch when you want cupcakes that taste like they came from a shop.
Get the Recipe: Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
Kit Kat Cake
This soft chocolate cake is wrapped with crispy Kit Kat bars, which adds a fun texture to every slice. The candy outside and the rich cake inside make it feel like something special without being hard to make. Bring this one out when dessert needs to be easy but still feels like a showstopper.
Get the Recipe: Kit Kat Cake
Green Tea Cupcakes
These cupcakes have a soft, light base and are topped with creamy matcha frosting that adds a smooth, earthy flavor. They’re different in the best way and still simple enough for anyone to make. Try them when you want cupcakes that are a little unexpected but always a hit.
Get the Recipe: Green Tea Cupcakes
Carrot Cake
This spiced carrot cake is packed with shredded carrots, soft raisins, and finished with a thick cream cheese frosting that ties it all together. Every bite feels cozy and full of flavor without being too sweet. Keep this one close when you need a cake that always wins over a crowd.
Get the Recipe: Carrot Cake
S’mores Cake
This chocolate cake has layers of marshmallow and a ganache topping, with graham cracker crumbs for a bit of crunch. Each bite feels fun and familiar, like a treat you’d save for something special. Bake it when dessert needs to be rich, easy, and ready to steal the show.
Get the Recipe: S’mores Cake
Cherry Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting
These soft cupcakes are full of cherry flavor and topped with smooth vanilla frosting that brings everything together. The mix is simple but always leaves a lasting impression. Bake these when dessert needs a little pop of color and a lot of flavor.
Get the Recipe: Cherry Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting
Classic Yellow Cake
This yellow cake is soft, buttery, and just sweet enough to make every bite feel right. It’s simple to bake, but it always tastes like a cake that came from a good bakery. Keep it in your lineup for when dessert needs to be easy and always deliver.
Get the Recipe: Classic Yellow Cake
Individual Blueberry Coffeecakes
These small coffeecakes are filled with blueberries and topped with a light crumb that adds just the right texture. Each one is soft, sweet, and easy to grab and go. Make a batch when you need treats that feel homemade but still look polished.
Get the Recipe: Individual Blueberry Coffeecakes
Chocolate Chip Applesauce Cake
This moist cake gets its richness from applesauce and is packed with chocolate chips that melt right into the batter. The flavor is sweet and comforting, and it cuts clean without falling apart. Bake it when you want an old-school favorite that always works.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chip Applesauce Cake
Homemade Ice Cream Cake
This no-bake treat mixes soft cake with layers of creamy ice cream for something cool, sweet, and fun. It looks like it came from a store, but it is surprisingly easy to make at home. Keep it in your rotation for crowd-pleasing cakes that take no time to pull together.
Get the Recipe: Homemade Ice Cream Cake
Kool-Aid Cupcakes
These colorful cupcakes use Kool-Aid to give them a bright look and bold, fruity flavor. They’re soft, simple to bake, and always bring a smile to dessert time. Make them when you want cupcakes that are full of fun and never last long.
Get the Recipe: Kool-Aid Cupcakes
Chocolate Cinnamon Cupcakes
These cupcakes are filled with smooth chocolate flavor and just enough cinnamon to give each bite a warm kick. A layer of ganache on top ties it all together without being too sweet. Bake them when you want something easy that still feels bold and new.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cinnamon Cupcakes
Yogurt Nutella Cupcakes
These soft cupcakes are made with yogurt for a slight tang and have a smooth Nutella center that adds a sweet surprise. The mix of flavors works well and gives each bite a bakery-style feel. Bake these when you need cupcakes that always get noticed.
Get the Recipe: Yogurt Nutella Cupcakes
Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
These bite-sized cupcakes are full of chocolate flavor and have a soft crumb that makes them easy to eat and hard to stop at just one. They’re simple to make but feel like something from a dessert box. Bake a tray when you need something small that still gets all the praise.
Get the Recipe: Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
Mini Hummingbird Cakes
These mini cakes are packed with banana and pineapple, making each one sweet and moist with a soft bite. A smooth frosting finishes them off without overpowering the fruit flavor. Make them when you want a dessert that’s fruity, easy, and always loved.
Get the Recipe: Mini Hummingbird Cakes