23 Buttermilk Desserts to Help You Use Up That Carton

Buttermilk Pound Cake

Now that I’ve retired from teaching, I have more time to bake. This buttermilk pound cake is the one I make most often. It is a truly southern recipe, and one I think can’t be topped—once people taste it, they won’t go back to their other recipes with buttermilk. —Gracie Hanchey, De Ridder, Louisiana

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Decadent Fudge Cake

Everyone loves the rich flavor in this decadent cake made with four types of chocolate. —Anna Hogge, Yorktown, Virginia

Homemade Confetti Cake

This is a moist and fluffy vanilla cake with lots of sprinkles and a whipped vanilla buttercream. It's almost impossible not to feel happy when you see the fun pop of rainbow confetti! —Courtney Rich, Highland, UT

Almond Joy Cake

This is a fantastic Almond Joy cake recipe—tastes just like the candy bar. —Daria Burcar, Rochester, Michigan

Strawberry Buttermilk Skillet Shortcake

This scratch-made strawberry buttermilk cake is a family favorite. The recipe is over 100 years old, and I remember my grandma making it. We still carry on the family tradition by making this old-fashioned recipe each summer. —Claudia Lamascolo, Melbourne, Florida

Mother’s Walnut Cake

Even though Mother baked this tall, beautiful cake often when I was growing up, it was a real treat every time. I like the walnuts in the cake and the frosting. Mother frequently used black walnuts from our trees.—Helen Vail, Glenside, Pennsylvania

Mama’s Buttermilk Coconut Pie

My mama showed me how to make this pie about 40 years ago, just as her mama showed her how to make it. I was 6 when Mawmaw passed away, but I can still remember her cooking in the kitchen in her beautiful cotton dresses dusted with flour. I am honored to teach my daughter how to make this dessert, too. —Lisa Allen, Joppa, Alabama

Chocolate Ganache Cake

Here’s to that chocolate fix we all need! I use cream in both the filling and glaze of this beautiful dessert. —Kathy Kittell, Lenexa, Kansas

Coconut Cake

Our three-layer coconut cake recipe packs plenty of tropical vibes with its sweet coconut flavor and a decadent, creamy frosting.

Coconut Italian Cream Cake

I’d never tasted an Italian cream cake before moving to Colorado. Now I bake for people in the area, and this beauty is one of the most requested. —Ann Bush, Colorado City, Colorado

German Chocolate Cake

German chocolate cake is a towering chocolate-coconut-pecan cake, perfect for your next baking affair.

Buttermilk Cake with Caramel Icing

This fabulous cake and caramel frosting are so tender, it melts in your mouth. It's been a family favorite since the '70s and it goes over really well at church potluck meals. —Anna Jean Allen, West Liberty, Kentucky

Red Velvet Cake

Our red velvet cake recipe is traditionally southern with light, tender, ruby-red cakes held together with a rich vanilla frosting.

Lemon Ricotta Cake

This lemon ricotta cake recipe is a family gem that was passed down from my grandmother and mother. Garnished with shaved lemon zest, the moist four-layer cake is the perfect dessert when you want to impress. —Nanette Slaughter, Sammamish, Washington

Butterscotch Cake

Think of butterscotch cake as German chocolate cake's auburn cousin. The amber-hued cake layers are flavored with butterscotch chips, as are the stripes of chewy, coconut-pecan filling between the cake layers and on top.

Old-Time Buttermilk Pie

This recipe is older than I am…and I was born in 1919! My mother and grandmother made this pie with buttermilk and eggs from our farm and set it on the tables at church meetings and social gatherings. I did the same and now our children make it, too! —Kate Mathews, Shreveport, Louisiana

Pink Lemonade Stand Cake

If you love a moist and creamy cake, this one’s for you. The lemon juice and lemonade give the layers a tangy, citrusy touch, and the cream cheese frosting with sprinkles makes it extra pretty. —Lauren Knoelke, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Lemon Raspberry Buckle

I've given a fresh summery twist to the classic blueberry buckle everyone loves by replacing the blueberries for raspberries (my favorite) and adding sweet and tart lemon curd. This berry buckle cake recipe tastes great with vanilla ice cream! —Jenna Fleming, Lowville, New York

Spiced Devil's Food Cake

One of my mom's friends gave her this recipe when I was a child, and it has been a family favorite ever since. When your chocolate sweet tooth acts up, this really hits the spot! —Linda Yeamans, Ashland, Oregon

Maple Walnut Cake

This maple-flavored cake with candied walnuts honors beloved my grandpa, who made maple syrup when I was a child. It honors his memory and has proven to be a favorite with family and friends throughout the years. —Lori Fee, Middlesex, New York

Chocolate Almond Cake

Fluffy white homemade frosting tops this rich chocolate almond cake. Sliced toasted almonds on top add a little crunch. —Sherri Gentry, Dallas, Oregon

Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies

These pies are soft, cakey cookies studded with tart, juicy blueberries and filled with tangy cream cheese frosting. I bring them to family and school events and they are always the first thing gone! Make sure to continually scrape the side of the bowl with a spatula while mixing the batter and frosting. —Kathy Martino, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Brooklyn Blackout Cake

Multiple layers of chocolate goodness make this Brooklyn blackout cake intensely decadent in the best way possible.

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