50 Easy Fall Cakes To Celebrate Sweater Weather
Fall typically means a whole lot of pies and cookies stealing the spotlight, but if you really want to celebrate the season, cake is where it’s at. Nothing screams special occasion like a cake, whether it’s in the form of a simple breakfast pound or Bundt or an elaborate layer cake for dessert. Especially when the recipes are packed with all your favorite fall flavors—apple, pecan, pumpkin, cranberry... Check out our best fall cake recipes—the season’s short, so get to baking.
Looking for a sweet treat for breakfast this fall? Skip the same-old pastries at your local cafe (no shade to banana bread though), and bake your own. Try our cranberry cake, our apple cider donut cake, our apple crisp pound cake, or our apple coffee cake. Looking for more of an afternoon pick-me-up? That’s what cupcakes were made for. Try our pumpkin spice cupcakes, our chocolate-filled pumpkin cupcakes, our sweet potato pie cupcakes, or our football cupcakes. Speaking of football, if you’re as excited about its return as we are, celebrate it! Don’t make the mistake of only serving savory fare on Sunday nights—instead make our football cake (easier than it looks), or go for another simple fall option, like our pumpkin or apple dump cake. Dump cakes are great easy options for low-key weeknight desserts too. If you really want to impress, you’ve gotta go layer cake, cheesecake, or cake roll. Try our sweet potato cake (with marshmallow fluff frosting), our apple crisp cheesecake, our pumpkin cheesecake roll, or our cheesecake-stuffed pumpkins (the pumpkin is the crust). They’ll make anyone you bake them for this fall feel extra special.
Want more fall dessert inspiration? Check out our spookiest Halloween cakes, our best Thanksgiving cakes, and our favorite mini Thanksgiving desserts too.
Cookie Butter Cheesecake Bars
It’s a scientific fact that when you add cookie butter to something, that something becomes infinitely better. We're definitely not opposed to the occasional zhuzhing, and these cheesecake bars are “zhuzh” in a decadent, creamy, oh-so-dreamy dessert form. And did we mention the caramel drizzle topping? There’s a caramel drizzle topping. We're opting for a homemade caramel sauce, but there's absolutely zero shame if you go the store-bought route.
Get the Cookie Butter Cheesecake Bars recipe.
Magic Cheesecake Bars
The classic magic bar, sometimes called “7-layer bars,” consist of graham crackers, condensed milk, gooey chocolate chips (and butterscotch chips), coconut, and nuts. These magic cheesecake bars, though? They take the classic dessert and make it even better, with a buttery graham cracker bottom, chocolate chip bits intertwined in rich cheesecake, all topped with toasted coconut and walnuts.
Get the Magic Cheesecake Bars recipe.
Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Cake
Featuring three layers of tender, lightly spiced apple cidercake sandwiched with apple pie filling, buttery crumble, and salted caramel, this apple crumble cake recipe will delight and impress anyone who’s lucky enough to snag a piece.
Get the Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Cake recipe.
It's The Great Bundt-kin, Charlie Brown
Whether you’re throwing a Halloween bash and need a show-stopping centerpiece dessert, or just really love the Peanuts gang and want your pumpkin patch to be the most sincere, this is the cake for you—it’s the Great Pumpkin, er, Bundt-kin, Charlie Brown!
Get the It's The Great Bundt-kin, Charlie Brown recipe.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
lot of pumpkin cheesecake recipes pile on loads of flavored garnish and décor (caramel! nuts! crazy whipped cream piping!); but for this, our forever favorite version, we’ve stripped it right back and returned the focus to its true essence: a thick, crunchy crust, and a super-creamy, super-pumpkiny filling.
Get the Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe.
Cracker Barrel Coca-Cola Cake
One bite of this Cracker Barrel Coca-Cola cake, and you'll be instantly transported to a rocking chair on a covered front porch playing with that triangle peg board game (IYKYK). Even if you're not familiar with the Southern comfort food stylings of Cracker Barrel, you can trust us that this chocolate cake is real good (I’m talking right up there with Grandma's).
Get the Cracker Barrel Coca-Cola Cake recipe.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Lasagna
Sure, pumpkin pie is delicious, but when you have family over and mouthes to feed, spending hours making pie isn't exactly feasible. This over-the-top cheesecake lasagna, though? It takes 30 minutes to throw together, and once it's assembled, the refrigerator does the rest.
Get the Pumpkin Cheesecake Lasagna recipe.
Sweet Potato Cheesecake
Sweet potato adds a nuttiness and earthy sweetness that takes a normal cheesecake to another, more festive level. Add that to a gingersnap cookie crust, and you've got a spice-filled autumnal twist on a classic we bet you'll make again and again this fall.
Get the Sweet Potato Cheesecake recipe.
Apple Pie Stuffed Cupcakes
Nothing says Thanksgiving like a warm apple pie. Unfortunately, we don't always have time to make and chill pie dough. These cupcakes are the perfect solution!
Get the Apple Pie Stuffed Cupcakes recipe.
Apple Pie Cheesecake
Layered and absolutely stunning, this apple pie cheesecake really changes the game for us. Now we can enjoy two iconic desserts—apple pie and cheesecake—all in one bite.
Get the Apple Pie Cheesecake recipe.
Tres Leches Cake
This tres leches cake recipe is the perfect light and airy dessert and a Latin American favorite. Tres leches means "three milks", and ours contains sweetened condensed, evaporated, and whole milk. It's basically the original poke cake.
Get the Tres Leches Cake recipe.
Brownie Bottom Pumpkin Cheesecake
Let’s face it: Pumpkin anything is a crowd pleaser in its own right. When combined with two of the most popular desserts in the history of dessert creation, it turns into a must-make for every fall occasion.
Get the Brownie Bottom Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe.
Caramel Apple Cheesecake
We're huge fans of the gingersnap crust here—especially since there's caramel involved. But if you're not a fan of the spiced cookie, graham crackers would work well too. (You can use the crust recipe in our pecan pie cheesecake.)
Get the Caramel Apple Cheesecake recipe.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Roll
Ready to kick off pumpkin season with the most impressive (but not intimidating!) fall dessert there is?! Luckily, there's no fret with this pumpkin cake roll. With a few simple tips, you'll have perfect swirls of cake and cream cheese filling that will have everyone oohing and aahing when you slice into it.
Get the Pumpkin Cheesecake Roll recipe.
Apple Cider Donut Cake
In our minds, fall isn't fall 'til we've had at least a dozen apple cider cake donuts. This super-sized version comes together in no time, and there's no deep-frying involved. That's a win in our book!
Get the Apple Cider Donut Cake recipe.
No-Bake Whipped Ricotta Cheesecake
"No-bake" and "whipped" in the same recipe name as "cheesecake"? Sure! This may be the anomaly to cheesecake, but we promise it’s one of the best—we're not being biased—cheesecakes we’ve had. The NY-style, Basque, or Italian ricotta cheesecakes you’re familiar with can step back for a second. The best part of the recipe was eating the filling along the way.
Get the No-Bake Whipped Ricotta Cheesecake recipe.
Skillet Texas Sheet Cake
For a traditional Texas sheet cake, the batter and the icing are prepared separately on the stovetop. Using a skillet eliminates a dish and makes things way more fun. Especially when everyone digs in while it's still warm...with tons of ice cream on top.
Get the Skillet Texas Sheet Cake recipe.
Cranberry Cake
This cranberry loaf cake is the softest one we've ever had and by far our favorite way to use cranberries. The cranberries will burst and release all of their juices while baking making each bite excitingly sweet and tart. The sugar topping adds a subtle crunch and the sour cream keeps this cake moist for days. ??
Get the Cranberry Cake recipe.
Chocolate-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes
These are TOO cute, and actually crazy easy to make. Use your go-to white cake recipe for the batter, or prepare batter using a box mix. Thanks to a perfectly distracting chocolate hazelnut filling, no one will know the difference. ??
Get the Chocolate-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes recipe.
Honey Cake
The honey cake is an underestimated cake. There are no frills, just really good cake. A dusting of powdered sugar is all it needs. Maybe a spoonful of whipped cream or lemon glaze if you are really feeling fancy.
Get the Honey Cake recipe.
Butter Pecan Cheesecake
Toasty, buttery pecans turn a classic cheesecake into an even more decadent and rich dessert. It’s perfect as is, but top it off with whipped cream and even more pecans to make it the best slice of cheesecake you'll ever try.
Get the Butter Pecan Cheesecake recipe.
Sweet Potato Cake
What makes this sweet potato cake so completely irresistible? We think it's the frosting. It's got a super fun secret ingredient—marshmallow fluff! Sweet potato casserole lovers will FLIP.
Get the Sweet Potato Cake recipe.
Turtle Cheesecake
This rich turtle cheesecake takes its inspiration from turtles, a delicious chocolate candy filled with gooey chewy caramel, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate, and crunchy toasted pecans all throughout. This dessert is made for those who love the chewy and crunchy turtle confection and the creamy decadence of cheesecake.
Get the Turtle Cheesecake recipe.
Apple Cider Donut Pound Cake
With fall comes apple cider donut season, the best time of the year. This easy pound cake is everything we love about the donuts. Rich and dense with a cinnamon sugar coating that gets all over our fingers, this cake is warmly spiced and so much easier than frying up a dozen donuts.
Get the Apple Cider Donut Pound Cake recipe.
Pumpkin Cake
We are very pro-cream cheese and pumpkin here at Delish. The two are as classic as peanut butter and jelly. If you prefer a more classic buttercream, use our favorite buttercream frosting. It will still be just as good; feel free to add some cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to your frosting to jazz it up a little.
Get the Pumpkin Cake recipe.
Snickers Cheesecake
This outrageous cheesecake has a creamy milk chocolate center and is topped with plenty of caramel and roasted salted peanuts. Oh, and Snickers, obviously. Hungry? Grab a slice.
Get the Snickers Cheesecake recipe.
Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake
This poke cake can help you skip all the finicky rolling and proofing, but still get all that delicious cinnamon roll flavor (including the cream cheese frosting!).
Get the Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake recipe.
Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake
Attention: The fall dessert of your dreams has arrived. With a rich, buttery Oreo crust and a light, fluffy pumpkin filling, you'll want to eat this cheesecake no matter what time of year it is.
Get the Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe.
Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
We gave the classic flourless chocolate cake an upgrade in the form of LOTS of peanut butter.
Get the Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake recipe.
Basque Cheesecake
Originally created by La Vi?a Bar in San Sebastian, Spain, this cheesecake is baked without a crust and at a higher temperature than its American counterpart, resulting in a caramelized outer layer with a light and creamy middle.
Get the Basque Cheesecake recipe.
Apple Crisp Pound Cake
We dressed this pound cake up for autumn with crisp apples and a buttery crumb topping that you'll want to put over everything. Drizzle the top with a simple glaze to top off this perfect dessert.
Get the Apple Crisp Pound Cake recipe.
No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Figuring out how to make all of the pumpkin desserts during Thanksgiving while the turkey is in the oven can be a nightmare. That's why you need this no-bake cheesecake. It's a major time-saver, and while we love our classic pumpkin cheesecake, we go crazy for the no-bake option.
Get the No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe.
Apple Dump Cake
This classic cake gets its name from its simplicity. "Dump"everything in a baking dish and go. A typical apple dump cake would include apple pie filling, but we've made ours from fresh apples instead (it's a great way to use up an apple orchard bounty!).
Get the Apple Dump Cake recipe.
Apple Crisp Cheesecake
One of the best things about this cheesecake? (Besides that caramel drizzle of course!) Since it's covered in toppings, you can skip the water bath. It might still crack, but no one will care when they're biting into that crunchy oat topping. ??
Get the Apple Crisp Cheesecake recipe.
Pumpkin Dump Cake
As soon as August hits, we basically have pumpkin fever. When you need an easy fall dessert, look no further than this dump cake. All you will need is two bowls and a baking dish to create the perfect combination between cake and pumpkin pie.
Get the Pumpkin Dump Cake recipe.
Pecan Pie Pound Cake
Test drive it this fall, then make it again for Thanksgiving.
Get the Pecan Pie Pound Cake recipe.
Football Cake
This cake has a crazy hack to get the perfect football shape without tedious trimming! Baking off a round cake and cutting a bit from the middle will give you a perfect oval to decorate as a football. It's a great dessert for game day as the NFL fall season kicks off this fall.
Get the Football Cake recipe.
French Apple Cake
This traditional French dessert starts with a simple rum cake batter that’s then filled with chunks of apple, ensuring every bite will be extra flavorful and moist. It’s got an almost custard-like texture and a sugary, crunchy top you’ll love.
Get the French Apple Cake recipe.
Pecan Pie Cheesecake
Take your pecan pie to the next level by turning it into a rich and nutty cheesecake! Extra creamy base + sweet and sticky pecan topping = best fall dessert ever.
Get the Pecan Pie Cheesecake recipe.
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
If you are looking for a perfect pumpkin cupcake, look no further. These easy sweets are full of pumpkin spice and topped with a simple cream cheese frosting. We love it topped with some cinnamon sugar, but more pumpkin spice would also be delicious.
Get the Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes recipe.
German Apple Cake
This gorgeous apple cake is so much easier than it looks. The secret is, after you peel and quarter the apples, you cut them hasselback potato-style. That way, you don't have to worry about stacking the slices and they stay together perfectly while baking!
Get the German Apple Cake recipe.
Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes
Sweet potato pie is a given at Thanksgiving, and it can feel a little weird baking it the rest of the year. Not so when you turn it into cupcakes! This easy recipe uses boxed cake mix to make some of the tastiest cupcakes we've ever had, and we're enjoying them all year long.
Get the Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes recipe.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
This pumpkin coffee cake has a cheesecake layer in the middle that makes it extra decadent. Drizzle it with caramel to give it an extra fall vibe and enjoy it for breakfast or dessert. You might just find ways to eat it at any point in the day.
Get the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Coffee Cake recipe.
Football Cupcakes
Celebrate the return of football season this fall with these over-the-top delicious football cupcakes. Looking for a beverage to pair with your game-day spread? Try our Touchdown Punch—maybe it'll be your lucky charm! ??
Get the Football Cupcakes recipe.
Cinnamon Apple Cake
This cake looks much more difficult to make than it actually is. Spiraling the apples on top will guarantee it's the most elegant-looking dessert in the room. Try and slice the apples as thinly as you can, about 1/4" thick, to make sure the apples are tender as the cake is cooked through.
Get the Cinnamon Apple Cake recipe.
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
This pumpkin crunch cake combines the best of two worlds: a pumpkin pie bottom with a crunchy cake and pecan topping (yes, a pie topped with cake!). The end result of this layered dessert is a delightful cobbler-like treat fit for any fall occasion.
Get the Pumpkin Crunch Cake recipe.
Apple Coffee Cake
Apples work wonders in this easy coffee cake. They add extra sweetness as well as making the cake moist and tender. We love it with Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples, but your favorite baking apple will do the trick!
Get the Apple Coffee Cake recipe.
Pumpkin Bundt Cake With Cinnamon Glaze
The sweet and salty cinnamon glaze sets this cake apart—especially when you get a crunchy bite of salt. Black pepper is another savory spice in the batter, which isn’t something you'd necessarily detect, but like salt, it will enhance the other more common pumpkin spices, like cinnamon and allspice.
Get the Pumpkin Bundt Cake With Cinnamon Glaze recipe.
Cheesecake Stuffed Pumpkin
You could carve pumpkins this fall, or you could choose to fill one with cheesecake. For us, it's no question! The pumpkin will bake with the cheesecake leaving the flesh as an edible crust for the cheesecake. We're going to pull this recipe out all fall long.
Get the Cheesecake Stuffed Pumpkin recipe.
Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
Move over, pineapple! This is our new favorite upside-down cake. This tastes like a spice cake crossed with a caramel apple, and we are into it.
Get the Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake recipe.
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