Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes 20 Old-Fashioned Cakes Like Grandma Used To Make By Jenna Sims Jenna Sims Jenna is a Senior Digital Editor for Southern Living and joined the team in 2014. She writes, produces, and assigns content with a focus on email growth and commerce content. She covers a range of topics in the lifestyle space from holiday gift guides to new product launches to tips for cooking with your air fryer. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on August 4, 2024 Close Photo: Will Dickey; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee Whether you spent time in the kitchen with Grandma helping her bake cakes or just enjoyed talking with her while enjoying a slice, we're sure every bite of cake was always delicious when it was whipped up in her kitchen. From sheet cakes to layer cakes to bundt cakes and more, these classic cake recipes are just like the ones Grandma used to whip up. Whether Grandma was baking a cake for a special occasion or to enjoy after Sunday supper, they were always made with plenty of love. 25 Classic Cakes Everyone Should Bake At Least Once 01 of 20 Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Alison Miksch; Prop styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food styling: Mary-Claire Britton Grandma knew that mayonnaise is the secret ingredient to moist chocolate cake. get the recipe 02 of 20 Homemade Yellow Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke If Grandma always made her yellow cakes from scratch rather that reaching for a boxed mix, this simple recipe will replicate the taste of her homemade slices. get the recipe 03 of 20 Tomato Soup Cake Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Grandma knew soup wasn't just for lunch and dinner. Baking soda cuts the flavor of canned tomato soup, but the soup still adds sweetness and moisture to this layer cake. It might be unusual, but grandma knew this recipe was good. Soon you will too. get the recipe 04 of 20 Classic Coconut Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox This classic coconut cake has coconut extract, flaked coconut, and coconut shavings on the ingredient list, so there's not shortage of flavor. get the recipe 05 of 20 Hummingbird Cake Southern Living This layer cake is a classic Southern recipe that's sure to be passed down for generations to come. get the recipe 06 of 20 Angel Food Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Grandma probably knew that the trick to getting Angel Food Cake to come out of the pan easily is to let it cool upside down. get the recipe 07 of 20 Mississippi Mud Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke This cake that's made in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish proves that cakes don't have to be made in layers to be delicious. get the recipe 08 of 20 Classic Red Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Molly Bolton/Southern Living Cream cheese frosting pairs perfectly with homemade red velvet cake layers. get the recipe 09 of 20 Wacky Cake Will Dickey; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee Grandma probably always had the ingredients on hand to make this cake without having to make a trip to the store. get the recipe 10 of 20 Old-Fashioned Pound Cake Jennifer Davick Whether served plain or with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream, you can't go wrong with old-fashioned pound cake just like Grandma used to make. get the recipe 11 of 20 Strawberry Poke Cake Photographer: Alison Miksch / Food Stylist: Melissa Gray / Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Grandma knew that the secret ingredient to pretty (and delicious) poke cakes is gelatin mix, such as Jell-O. get the recipe 12 of 20 Sock It To Me Cake Hannah Zimmerman / Southern Living Turn pantry staples into this seemingly simple Bundt cake that gets plenty of flavor from a vanilla icing being drizzled on top with a ribbon in the middle that's made with a mixture of brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon. get the recipe 13 of 20 German Chocolate Cake Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis This decadent cake is worth spending a few hours in the kitchen to pull together. get the recipe 14 of 20 Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke The true wow-factor comes when it's time to flip this upside-down cake over after it comes out of the oven. get the recipe 15 of 20 Fresh Apple Cake Hannah Zimmerman Grandma knew that a homemade cake is the best way to enjoy fresh, in-season apples. get the recipe 16 of 20 1234 Cake with Chocolate Frosting Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner This cake is so easy to make, you may never reach for a boxed mix again. get the recipe 17 of 20 The Ultimate Carrot Cake Alison Miksch Carrot cake is elegant enough to be the centerpiece of a holiday meal, but delicious enough to be made without needing a special occasion. get the recipe 18 of 20 Caramel Cake Jennifer Davick Homemade caramel frosting is sandwiched between caramel cake layers in perhaps one of the most classic cakes found at Southern gatherings and this no-fuss recipe will take you right back to grandma's kitchen. get the recipe 19 of 20 The Lane Cake Hector Sanchez Featured in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, The Lane Cake has remained popular ever since. get the recipe 20 of 20 Chocolate-Zucchini Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox We highly encourage you start adding zucchini to cake recipes. Just as it shines in casseroles, the veggie creates moist and tender texture to this favorite. get the recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit