Looking for the perfect birthday cake? Go vintage with classic cakes that everyone will love! From old-fashioned chocolate cake recipes to new (old) faves like sponge cake and peanut butter cake, we have a lineup of cake recipes that deserve a spot in your regular baking repertoire.
Carrot Cake
Can you get more classic than carrot cake? This version from Gimme Some Oven is moist, made with lots of fresh carrots and topped up with a cream cheese frosting that's lick-the-spoon amazing. Get the recipe here.
Vanilla Cake
Can cake be comfort food? We think so! The Flavor Bender shares how to make the very best vanilla cake so you can get the light, buttery comfort cake of your childhood. It's a perfect birthday cake and a perfect just-because cake. Get the recipe from here.
Coconut Cake
If someone in your fam is nuts for coconut cake, you need this recipe from Dinner Then Dessert. It has a light coconut batter, coconut buttercream frosting and toasted coconut topping for triple the coconut goodness. Get the how-to here.
Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream
Decadent chocolate cake. Whipped vanilla buttercream. Need we say more? This classic cake from A Classic Twist is a guaranteed showstopper—don't forget the sprinkles! Get the recipe here.
Angel Food Cake
This angel food cake, courtesy of Life Made Simple Bakes, is truly heavenly. It's light, fluffy, cloud-like and surprisingly simple to whip up. Pair with summer berries for an extra special birthday treat! Get the recipe here.
Chocolate Wafer Icebox Cake
An icebox cake just like Grandma used to make! The Kitchen Magpie has the deets on this cake that combines Nabisco Famous chocolate wafer cookies and whipped cream. (No baking required!) Get the recipe here.
Hummingbird Cake
Have you heard of hummingbird cake? It's a little taste of the tropics: banana cake, crushed pineapple, and a few chopped pecans. If you've never had this classic cake, whip it up ASAP! Get the recipe from Brown Eyed Baker.
Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cake
Peanut butter cake is a southern classic, and we love this version from The View from Great Island! The secret is to pour the hot peanutty frosting right onto the warm cake, then cover the whole thing with roasted peanuts. Get the recipe here.
Fresh Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
This blast from the past cake from Well Plated is the kind of confection your grandma would have made. It's chock-full of real strawberries (not made with gelatin or food coloring), from the strawberry puree to the strawberry cream cheese frosting. Get the berry good recipe here.
Classic Chocolate Cake
You can't go wrong with a layer cake, especially this chocolate cake recipe from The Flavor Bender. It's chocolate on chocolate (a fluffy cake slathered in a creamy chocolate buttercream), so expect every last crumb to disappear. Get the recipe here.
Red Velvet Poke Cake
If one vintage cake is good, two is better! That's why we're digging this cake from Life Made Simple Bakes. It's everything you love about poke cakes, with a red velvet twist. Did we mention the cream cheese frosting? Get the recipe here.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
The beauty of pineapple upside down cake is that the caramelized pineapple topping seeps down into the cake and makes every bite delicious and flavorful. To make your own, grab the classic recipe at Brown Eyed Baker.
Marble Cake
Chocolate cake? Vanilla cake? Both! This cake from Baking Sense is a visual showstopper and the best of both worlds. Find out how to get your swirl on the next time a birthday rolls around! Get the recipe here.
Happy Day Cake
You can't beat a cake that has "happy" right in its title! We love that blogger Toni, of Boulder Locavore, found this recipe in a vintage cookbook—and that it has simple instructions and pure flavors. Get the recipe here.
Classic Victoria Sponge Cake
Love the Great British Bakeoff? Make your own sponge cake with help from The View from Great Island! This classic tea cake involves sandwiching fresh whipped cream and raspberry jam between two layers of yellow cake. Yum! Get the recipe here.
—Abigail Matsumoto
RELATED STORIES:
30 Birthday Desserts That Aren’t Cake
20 Healthy First Birthday Cakes (and Smash Cakes)
7 Birthday Party Hacks That Will Absolutely Save Your Sanity
