Need to make a birthday cake in a pinch? We've got plenty of festive and easy birthday cake recipes that will please adults and kids alike!
32 Quick and Easy Birthday Cake Recipes
Updated on May 11, 2023
Mamaw Emily’s Strawberry Cake
My husband loved his Mamaw’s strawberry birthday cake recipe. He thought no one could duplicate it. I made it, and it’s just as scrumptious as he remembers. —Jennifer Bruce, Manitou, Kentucky
1/32
2/32
Homemade Confetti Cake
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This easy birthday cake recipe is moist and fluffy 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, Utah
3/32
Rustic Honey Cake
Total Time
45 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
When my boys were young, they couldn’t drink milk but they could have yogurt. This was a cake they could eat. And it’s one dessert that doesn’t taste overly sweet, which is always a nice change of pace. —Linda Leuer, Hamel, Minnesota
4/32
Lemon Sheet Cake
Total Time
30 min
Servings
24 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Lemon pie filling lends a splash of citrus flavor to a convenient cake mix, and a rich cream cheese frosting gives the cake sweetness. My family likes this dessert cold, so I cut it into squares and freeze it before serving. —Alyce Dubisar, North Bend, Oregon
5/32
Coconut-Lemon Ice Cream Cake
Total Time
30 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My family loves this lemon ice cream cake anytime. The sweet cream of coconut and tart lemon juice make a delicious combo, and the streusel adds a nice crunch. —Janet Gill, Canton, Ohio
6/32
Peanut Butter Chocolate Poke Cake
Total Time
45 min
Servings
20 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
When my family is planning a get-together, I can count on three or four people to ask if I'm bringing this dessert. If you don't have a chocolate cake mix, use a white or yellow one and stir in 3 tablespoons baking cocoa. —Fay Moreland, Wichita Falls, Texas
7/32
Lime Angel Food Cake
Total Time
35 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
For this easy birthday cake recipe, I took a store-bought angel food cake and turned it into this special dessert with a lovely lime cream frosting topped with toasted coconut. It went over big! —Nancy Foust, Stoneboro, Pennsylvania
8/32
Classic Chocolate Cake
Total Time
50 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This recipe was on a can of Hershey's cocoa way back in 1943. I tried it, my boys liked it, and I've been making it ever since. I make all my cakes from scratch, and this is one of the best! —Betty Follas, Morgan Hill, California
9/32
White Texas Sheet Cake
Total Time
40 min
Servings
20 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This cake gets better the longer it sits, so I try to make it a day ahead. My mother-in-law introduced this deliciously rich sheet cake to me. With its creamy frosting and light almond flavor, no one can stop at just one piece! —Joanie Ward, Brownsburg, Indiana
10/32
Contest-Winning Chocolate Angel Food Cake
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
When I take this different kind of angel food cake to church bake sales, it goes before I can get it on the table!—Mary Ann Iverson, Woodville, Wisconsin
11/32
Coconut Cake
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I found this coconut cake recipe in a newspaper many years ago and modified it to suit my taste. This is my all-time favorite cake, and my family and friends absolutely love it. —Lynne Bassler, Indiana, Pennsylvania
12/32
Margarita Cake
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This margarita cake is perfect on a warm day. You’ll be surprised at how closely it tastes like the real thing. —Dawn Lowenstein, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
13/32
Yummy Chocolate Cake
Total Time
35 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My husband and I are trying to eat lighter but still crave sweets. This moist, healthy chocolate cake really helps with that. With the rich frosting, it makes a decadent treat! —LaDonna Reed, Ponca City, Oklahoma
14/32
Strawberry Poke Cake
Total Time
50 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
That classic spring treat—strawberry shortcake—takes on a wonderful new twist with this strawberry poke cake recipe. Strawberry gelatin and strawberries liven up each pretty slice of this lovely layered cake that's made from a convenient boxed mix. —Mary Jo Griggs, West Bend, Wisconsin
15/32
Pineapple Breeze Cake
Total Time
30 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This lovely cake features ladyfingers, a creamy filling and a crushed pineapple topping. It’s a special treat for my large family. —Barbara Joyner, Franklin, Virginia
16/32
Cherry Pudding Cake
Total Time
50 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
A cross between a cake and a cobbler, this cherry dessert is awesome. Add it to your list of trusty potluck recipes, because this one is sure to go fast. —Brenda Parker, Kalamazoo, Michigan
17/32
Pina Colada Tube Cake
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
We named this a “pina colada” cake because it has coconut, pineapple and rum. It’s a soothing finish at the end of a big spread. —Debra Keil, Owasso, Oklahoma
18/32
Cranberry Crunch Cake
Total Time
40 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
New Jersey is known for its cranberries, and this cake is a delicious way to use them. The marshmallows melt and seep through the cake, making it moist and very tasty. It’s great for brunch or just with a cup of coffee! —Adelaide Krumm, Manasquan, New Jersey
19/32
Chocolate Comfort Cake
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This moist and delicious chocolate cake is usually the first dessert to go. People even eat the crumbs. It’s always my top choice for family get-togethers. —Ellen Riley, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
20/32
Berry Dream Cake
Total Time
45 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I use cherry gelatin to give a boxed cake mix an eye-appealing marbled effect. It's so festive-looking. Top it with whatever fruit you like! —Margaret McNeil, Germantown, Tennessee
21/32
Angel Food Cake
Total Time
50 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
For our daughter's wedding, a friend made this lovely, airy angel food cake from a recipe she's used for decades. It really is one of the best angel food cake recipes I've found. Serve slices plain or dress them up with fresh fruit. —Marilyn Niemeyer, Doon, Iowa
22/32
Strawberry-Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
Total Time
55 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I prepare this colorful and easy birthday cake recipe quite often in the summer when fresh rhubarb is abundant. People actually line up for a piece. —Bonnie Krogman, Thompson Falls, Montana
23/32
Pig Pickin’ Cake
Total Time
40 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This is one of my favorite easy birthday cake recipes. It’s moist and light yet so satisfying. I’ve been adapting it for years and now it’s almost guilt-free. —Pam Sjolund, Columbia, South Carolina
24/32
One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
Total Time
50 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This cake mixes up quickly and bakes while we enjoy our dinner. My son, David, loves to help decorate it. —Coleen Martin, Brookfield, Wisconsin
25/32
Cherry Poke Cake
Total Time
45 min
Servings
20 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I serve this cherry cake for get-togethers because it’s so easy. No one will know your secret is adding a package of cherry gelatin to a boxed cake mix! —Margaret McNeil, Germantown, Tennessee
26/32
Orange and Pear Upside-Down Cake
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
10 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I love cooking with my cast-iron skillet, whether it’s to make a main dish or dessert. This upside-down cake is quick and easy. —Linda Persall, Cullman, Alabama
27/32
Hazelnut Cake Squares
Total Time
35 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
When one of my daughters is asked to bring a dish to a church function, a birthday party or any special occasion, she asks me for this recipe. It is so easy to prepare because it starts with a cake mix. It doesn't need icing, so it's perfect for bake sales too. —Brenda Melancon, McComb, Mississippi
28/32
Black Forest Upside-Down Cake
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
The divine flavors of this simple Black Forest cake will impress your guests and leave you with many requests for the recipe! —Kimberly Campbell, Wheeling, West Virginia
29/32
Root Beer Float Cake
Total Time
45 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I add root beer to both the cake batter and fluffy frosting to get that great root beer float taste. Serve this moist cake to a bunch of hungry kids and watch it disappear! —Kat Thompson, Prineville, Oregon
30/32
Rainbow Sherbet Angel Food Cake
Total Time
25 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Talk about a dessert that pops. Sometimes, I make this easy birthday cake even more eye-catching by coloring the whipped cream, too. Use whatever sherbet flavor combination you like. —Bonnie Hawkins, Elkhorn, Wisconsin
31/32
Lemon Blueberry Dump Cake
Total Time
55 min
Servings
15 servings (3 cups lemon topping)
From the Recipe Creator:
This sweet-tart cake recipe is so much fun to make with my grandkids. They love just "dumping it all in" and watching it magically become a pretty, delicious dessert. —Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada
32/32
Raspberry Cake
Total Time
45 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Jazz up plain cake with raspberry gelatin and frozen berries. Spread with a light, fruity whipped topping (or this whipped topping substitute), the festive results make a cool and refreshing dessert. —Marion Anderson, Dalton, Minnesota
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