24 Easy, 5-Star Cakes Our Readers Can’t Get Enough Of

From pound cakes to poke cakes and everything in between, you love these recipes and so do we.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Published November 07, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
Overhead view of spreading the whipped ganache on the cooled cake for Easy Brooklyn Blackout Cake recipe

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

I've put together many a recipe round-up for Simply Recipes over the years, and I have to say, my favorite to compile and write are always the ones that highlight our 5-star rated recipes. Our readers are what give our recipes life, and I love taking the time to read comments and reviews from home cooks all over the world, sorting through our huge recipe archive to find which ones have stood out and, quite literally, taken the cake.

So it's with great joy that I present these easy cake recipes, the ones readers like you keep coming back to time and time again. They've made their way into so many kitchens, truly earning their place in this round-up. Simple though they may be, they span the gamut from one-bowl cakes to bundt cakes, retro cakes from days past to classics that are popular through the ages.

Whether you're an experienced home baker or just looking to dip a toe in, I bet there's at least one recipe below that will speak to you, so go forth and find it!

Join MyRecipes to save, search, and organize your recipes all in one place! To start saving, click on any recipe below, then tap the heart ❤️ icon.

  • Million Dollar Pound Cake

    Overhead view of a light blue plate with a partially sliced pound cake next to a cake server and knife on a marble countertop

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hauser

    "This is all but IDENTICAL to the pound cake my family has made for 60 years. It was a staple in my school lunches growing up. The exception is this calls for 2/3 c milk rather than 1 c in ours - I shall have to compare. Rather than the leaden texture of some pound cakes, this cake still has a crumb, it keeps well, freezes well, and comes out great in a bundt, tube, or loaf pan. Add it to your repertoire and don't look back." —John W., Reader

  • Easy One-Bowl Carrot Cake

    Slice of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting on a plate, fork holding a small bite of cake.

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "This is the easiest carrot cake I've ever made and possibly the best. The texture and flavor just can't be beat! Everyone loved it." —Dan S., Reader

  • Chocolate Pudding Cake

    two bowls of chocolate pudding cake with scoops of vanilla ice cream next to a baking pan with more cake

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "Loved this recipe! Super easy to make and has a great chocolatey texture. The texture is very rich and it's wonderful served warm." —Stephanie L., Reader

  • Easy French Apple Cake

    slice of Easy French Apple Cake on a dessert plate with a fork in the forground, cake on a serving board

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "Excellent recipe! We make this all the time and are bringing it for dessert this Christmas Eve." —K. Miller, Reader

    Continue to 5 of 24 below

  • Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

    Pumpkin chocolate chip cake in a baking dish

    Simply Recipes / Molly Allen

    "Beautiful cake!" —Ann W., Reader

  • Easy Vanilla Cake

    Slice of vanilla cake with frosting and sprinkles on a plate with a fork

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

    "This vanilla cake recipe is a timeless classic—soft, fluffy, and perfectly sweet, making it an ideal base for any celebration or creative decoration. Its simplicity and elegance never fail to impress." —Bakings, Reader

  • Strawberry Spoon Cake

    pan of strawberry spoon cake (missing a few bites) with a spoon resting in the pan

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "I just made this with frozen strawberries. Oh my goodness! It’s so good and hard to mess up." —Chris C., Reader

  • Coca-Cola Cake

    Two small plates of coca cola cake with forks in front of a metal baking pan of cake all on a wooden tabletop

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hauser

    "I've made this Coca Cola cake twice and it turned out moist and delicious both times. I'd like to add a little trick. Run the knife under hot water before slicing the cake. It avoids the icing from cracking and gives it a nice smooth cut." —Debbie G., Reader

    Continue to 9 of 24 below

  • Migliaccio (Italian Ricotta and Semolina Cake)

    Migliaccio (Italian Ricotta and Semolina Cake)

    SImply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "Loved this cake. It has a texture right between cake and cheesecake. It's not too sweet, which I love, and has a lovely flavor. I'll be making this again!" —Laurel L., Reader

  • Whole Clementine Cake

    A plate of clementine cake, sliced and ready to serve

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon

    "I made this cake tonight and it was really delicious. I had to make a few ingredient substitutions, but I can’t see how you can go wrong with this recipe. The clementine flavor is so refreshing, and the cake was very tender and moist." —Kathryn R., Reader

  • Easy Brooklyn Blackout Cake

    Overhead view of spreading the whipped ganache on the cooled cake for Easy Brooklyn Blackout Cake recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "OMG! This is truly the best chocolate cake. And easiest. I bake a LOT. This is really good. I halved the recipe and made mini Bundts. Did not whip the ganache, just poured it over. Other than those 2 minor things, I made as directed and it’s great." —Jennifer H., Reader

  • Sad Cake

    Parchment Paper Lined Plate With Sad Cake Slices Next to a Mug and a Blue and White Table Napkin

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "This is such a simple and good recipe. I make this when I have unexpected guests coming. It is so good." —Brenda M., Reader

    Continue to 13 of 24 below

  • Zucchini Coffee Cake

    A slice of zucchini coffee cake with crumb topping on a plate with a fork

    Simply Recipes / Molly Allen

    "I really liked this cake! It's moist and well spiced and full of zucchini. It bakes up really well with a nice golden brown color and the crumble adds a nice sweetness." —Stephanie C., Reader

  • Yogurt Cake

    Slices of A slice of Olive Oil Yogurt Cake on a wooden paddle and dusted with powdered sugar.

    Simply Recipes / Lori Rice

    "This was really good! Quick and easy to make!" —Sharon, Reader

  • Italian Love Cake

    A slice of chocolate cake with a creamy filling on a green plate, a fork with a piece

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "Excellent recipe! Just made it as written and once chilled the cake sliced perfectly, looked really nice with the layers and was so light. Not overly sweet and the pudding topping with the whipping cream added was so airy......and it was so cool when the ricotta layer actually ended up on the bottom and cake as the middle layer. This is definitely a perfect dessert for family gatherings and holiday parties." —IntoTheBreach, Reader

  • Coconut Pound Cake

    Coconut Pound Cake on cutting board, sliced.

    Simply Recipes / Wanda Abraham

    "The coconut cake came out perfect my first try sooooo good awesome can't say enough good things about it wonderful beautiful yum." —Gene T., Reader

    Continue to 17 of 24 below

  • Do Nothing Cake

    Overhead view of a glass baking dish of pineapple coconut cake with two slices removed

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Rachel Vanni / Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh

    "I've made this cake twice now... Exactly as the recipe says. It's perfectly delicious!!" —Carolyn, Reader

  • Easy Blueberry Sheet Cake

    Blueberry sheet cake cut into pieces in a baking dish

    Simply Recipes / Molly Allen

    "This was so good, easy to make and a new family fave." —JCATL, Reader

  • Ponderosa Cake

    a slice of Ponderosa Cake on a dessert plate with a fork

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "This was so good. It tasted like a lighter, fluffier banana bread. It had the texture of a coffee cake but the flavor of banana bread. It was not overly sweet, which surprised. It was very good with coffee." —Lindsey D., Reader

  • Hot Milk Cake

    A slice of cake on a plate with strawberries and a fork set on a table with another slice and a baking dish in the background

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "Super easy to make with basic pantry ingredients. The cake domes quite a bit in the center and gets very golden brown when baking. Mine baked for exactly 30 minutes. The crumb structure is really nice, it's super fluffy and the flavor of the cake isn't too sweet." —Stephanie, Reader

    Continue to 21 of 24 below

  • Easy Jam Cake

    A white baking dish with the a baked white spiced cake, with swirled with dulce de leche frosting

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne

    "Absolutely delicious! The dulce de leche buttercream frosting was the perfect balance of sweetness and salt. It was rich, but not heavy, and it paired amazingly with the spiced cake and the jam. Some of the jam set at the bottom, but that was definitely on me - I swirled them more than they should have been. It still tasted amazing tho (it created a jammy bottom, which was actually really nice)." —Munni P., Reader

  • Orange Poke Cake

    Angled view of a slice of orange poke cake and fork on a white and yellow plate with four slices of cake to the side along with a bowl of glaze

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "Super moist, great flavor, the crunch was pleasant and combined with the lemon it almost taste like a fried donut." —Heather N., Reader

  • 7UP Cake

    7UP bundt cake on a plate at a table setting with a glass of soda and a plate with a serving

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

    "Another retro winner! Pound cakes are one of my favorites and this one does not disappoint. The thick crust with the tender, moist fluffy cake inside. The 7-UP really provides a nice sweet, lemon lime flavor. The glaze is a nice hit of sweetness to balance out the not too sweet cake." —Anna T., Reader

  • Banana Sheet Cake

    Banana Sheet Cake Frosted and Cut into Portions in a Glass Baking Dish

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker

    "I have made this cake about 50 times now and it is always a hit, now that I have my own bananas even more are in the future, my house smells amazing right now" —Susi, Reader

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