Congrats, grad! We've pulled together some of our best graduation cake ideas for your celebration.
30 of Our Favorite Graduation Cake Ideas
Updated on Aug. 08, 2024
It’s time to celebrate! One way to make a graduation party more special is to bake your own graduation party cake. These easy recipes aren’t too hard to whip up, plus they feed a whole crowd. From sheet cakes to ice cream cakes to cupcakes, you’ll find the perfect cake for your grad. And don’t forget to fill out the dessert table with these other graduation party desserts.
Banana Split Icebox Cake
One day a friend showed me how to make a traditional icebox cake with just cream and graham crackers. I make it extra special with the fruit. Now everyone at your potluck can have a banana split, no muss, no fuss! —Shelly Flye, Albion, Maine
1/29
2/29
Graduation Sheet Cake
Total Time
40 min
Servings
24 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This delicious dessert will shape your graduation party into a sweet occasion…and then some. “Its surface is perfect for decorating in any way you like,” details Patsy Dean of Sealy, Texas. “We use it year-round for special events.” —Pasty Dean, Sealy, Texas
3/29
Copycat Celebration Cheesecake
Total Time
1 hour 30 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My children were born on the same day five years apart, so I go all out for their celebration. This beauty, with its seven layers, is “sweet!” in more ways than one. The baking and prep is easy, but assembly does take some time, so set aside an afternoon. —Kristyne Mcdougle, Lorain, Ohio
4/29
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
5/29
Peanut Butter ‘N’ Jelly Cake
Total Time
50 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I made this fun and flavorful peanut butter and jelly cake for my son’s first birthday. He just turned 33, and he still has to have his favorite treat. Kids of any age have a hard time turning down peanut butter and jelly—especially when it comes tucked into cake and frosting! —Linda Graybill, Sebring, Florida
6/29
Sour Cream Sugar Cookie Cake
Total Time
40 min
Servings
20 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My husband requested a giant sugar cookie for his birthday. I wanted to do something a bit more exciting than birthday cookies, so I came up with this sugar cookie cake. The secret to a dense, yet cakelike texture is to make sure that you don’t overbake the cake. —Carmell Childs, Orangeville, Utah
7/29
Chocolate Ganache Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Total Time
1 hour 15 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I’ve been baking cakes for years and enjoy trying new combinations of flavors and textures. For this peanut butter cupcake recipe, I blended peanut butter and chocolate. As soon as I took the first bite, I knew I had created something divine! —Ronda Schabes, Vicksburg, Michigan
8/29
Strawberry Crunch Ice Cream Cake
Total Time
35 min
Servings
9 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
While growing up, I loved treats from the ice cream truck that rolled through my neighborhood. This ice cream cake is inspired by one of those crunchy, strawberry novelties. —Lisa Kaminski, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
9/29
Texas Sheet Cake
Total Time
40 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This chocolaty delight was one of my favorites growing up. The Texas sheet cake is so moist and the icing so sweet that everyone who samples it wants a copy of the recipe. —Susan Ormond, Jamestown, North Carolina
10/29
Toffee Poke Cake
Total Time
50 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This toffee poke cake recipe is a favorite among my family and friends. I love making it because it is so simple. —Jeanette Hoffman, Oshkosh, Wisconsin
11/29
Pineapple Pudding Cake
Total Time
40 min
Servings
20 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My mother used to love making this easy pineapple sunshine cake in the summertime. It's so cool and refreshing that it never lasts very long! —Kathleen Worden, North Andover, Massachusetts
12/29
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
13/29
Rainbow Sherbet Angel Food Cake
Total Time
25 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Talk about a dessert that pops off the plate! Sometimes I make this easy cake even more eye-catching by tinting the whipped cream. Use whatever sherbet flavor combination you like. —Bonnie Hawkins, Elkhorn, Wisconsin
14/29
Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Total Time
45 min
Servings
10 cupcakes
From the Recipe Creator:
To help balance the sweetness of this brown sugar cupcake, our Test Kitchen experts created a unique salty frosting. It’s the best of both worlds! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
15/29
Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
Total Time
35 min
Servings
24 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I received this recipe from a minister's wife, and my family loves it. —Brenda Jackson, Garden City, Kansas
16/29
Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Frosting
Total Time
40 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This moist chocolate cake recipe with coffee reminds me of my grandmother because it was one of her specialties. I bake it often for family parties, and it always brings back fond memories. The cake is light and airy with a delicious chocolate taste. This recipe is a keeper! —Patricia Kreitz, Richland, Pennsylvania
17/29
Pineapple Sheet Cake
Total Time
50 min
Servings
about 24 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This sheet cake is perfect for serving to a crowd. It keeps so well that you can easily prepare it a day ahead and it will stay moist. I often bring it to church potlucks, and I have yet to take much of it home. —Kim Miller Spiek, Sarasota, Florida
18/29
Strawberry Cake
Total Time
1 hour 30 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Every year I make this special strawberry jam cake for the Relay for Life cake raffle. It has raised lots of money for a good cause. —Tammy Urbina, Warner Robins, Georgia
19/29
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
20/29
Shortcut Tres Leches Cake
Total Time
55 min
Servings
20 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My mom’s favorite cake is tres leches, a butter cake soaked in three kinds of milk. I developed a no-fuss version that’s rich and tender. —Marina Castle Kelley, Canyon Country, California
21/29
All-American Sheet Cake
Total Time
45 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My sweet and tangy sheet cake piled with fresh whipped cream and juicy fruit is so good, you might just want to eat it for breakfast. —James Schend, Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
22/29
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
23/29
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 of this summery dessert 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
24/29
Coca-Cola Cake
Total Time
50 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
We live in Coca-Cola country, where everyone loves a chocolaty, moist sheet cake made with the iconic soft drink. Our rich version does the tradition proud. —Heidi Jobe, Carrollton, Georgia
25/29
Peaches & Cream Jelly Roll
Total Time
30 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Cake rolls make a lovely presentation for a party, and they are simple to cut into even slices. My father taught me how to make them, and sometimes we get together and make them for family and friends. —Malena Coleman, Rockville, Indiana
26/29
Yellow Cake Recipe
Total Time
40 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This yellow cake will become your go-to recipe for birthdays, but the tender cake with flavorful chocolate buttercream is truly perfect for any occasion. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
27/29
Banana Flip Cake
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Here’s a recipe that will bring back memories of your childhood. Banana flip snack cakes taste just like the banana flips we used to eat when we were kids. —Berta Hagen, Int’l Falls, Minnesota
28/29
Dr Pepper Cake
Total Time
50 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This Dr Pepper cake is my favorite “go-to” recipe for any time I have to take food anywhere. Everyone loves it. When it’s baked in layers rather than in a single layer, its presence makes people say “wow.” It is a crowd-pleaser! —Shannon Parum, Vernon, Texas
29/29
Summer Celebration Ice Cream Cake
Total Time
35 min
Servings
9 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I wanted to make my youngest son an ice cream cake one year for his summer birthday, as he prefers ice cream to the traditional cake. He picked the flavors and I decided to try my favorite brownie recipe as a crust. It worked! —Krista Frank, Rhododendron, Oregon
