It’s easy as 1-2-3-4! With these 1-2-3-4 Cake: Four Ways, start with the old-fashioned Basic 1-2-3-4 Cake and twirl it up to entertain throughout the year. Much like pound cake, the 1-2-3-4 gets its name from the proportions of its base ingredients: one cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, four eggs.

We’ve upped the game for hummingbird cake. Traditional cake layers baked with ripe mashed banana, crushed pineapple, and toasted pecans are filled with vanilla bean pudding and sliced ripe bananas, creating a mind-blowing marriage of two dessert favorites: all the classic flavors of hummingbird cake with a rich banana pudding vibe. Enrobed in Vanilla Italian Buttercream, this cake wouldn’t be complete without crumbly vanilla wafer cookies and more fresh banana slices.

A staple in most Mediterranean kitchens, this light, and barely sweet Classic Olive Oil Cake is perfect for an afternoon snack or late-morning tea. A final brush of olive oil just before serving brings the fruity flavor to the front of your palate as soon as you take a bite.

Fresh lemon juice, warm cardamom, and rich vanilla enhance the sweet flavors of fragrant, ripe fresh peaches. Apricots, nectarines, and plums all work well, too! 

Almond-scented cake batter is swirled with traditional frangipane, which adds nutty flavor and tenderness to the crumb of this cake. Studded with berries and gently dusted with confectioners’ sugar, this Berry Frangipane Cake is simple but gorgeous. As a bonus, this recipe calls for frozen berries, meaning this recipe is always in season for baking.

Our Very Vanilla Layer Cake is a celebration in itself—perfect for any occasion. This masterpiece utilizes a delightful array of vanilla products, though it can still be made with just vanilla extract. Two tiers of moist vanilla cake are delicately brushed with Vanilla Simple Syrup, generously filled with luxurious Vanilla Custard, enveloped in a smooth layer of Vanilla Bean Buttercream, and finally crowned with a sprinkle of crunchy Vanilla Sugar. This cake is very vanilla—and thank goodness for that.

Inspired by popular fall festival fare, this recipe takes all the flavors of a fried apple fritter and turns them into a moist and fluffy cake.

From the dense, custardy bottom to the crisp top layer, almond flour amplifies the textures that are characteristic of this classic French Apple-Almond Cake. Additional egg yolks in the cake’s base also boost its custard-like consistency.

If you’re looking for a delicate crumb, bold cocoa flavor, and lofty height, our Cakey Brownies are the answer. Cocoa powder, not melted chocolate, gives these brownies their chocolate flavor, meaning they’re less dense and less fudgy, with a matte, slightly crunchy top. We added milk to help tenderize the batter without weighing down the crumb. While still warm, this brownie will have a closer crumb texture, but as it cools, the crumb becomes more cake-like, soft and spongy. 

It’s official: This is the perfect chocolate chip cookie. At once cakey, chewy, and loaded with melted dark chocolate, it’s everything a chocolate chip cookie should be. Voted #1 for The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie by Food52, this recipe is a clear winner!