Chef John’s Best Cake Recipes
Mark happy birthdays and other celebratory occasions with these sweet recipes.
Chef John knows how to party: he’s got all the best appetizers, dips, and drinks for every holiday and occasion. Despite being “not a cake guy,” Chef John can bake like a champ. Check out these recipes for show-stopping birthday cakes, easy one-pan cakes, and silky-smooth cheesecakes.
Chef John's Hummingbird Cake
Chef John
This cake is traditionally made with three layers instead of two. If you do bake it in three 9-inch pans, "your layers will bake faster than my thicker ones, so start testing early. Remember…skewer don't lie." – Chef John
Chef John's Carrot Cake
Vaughn Heinzelman
This cake can be made in a 9x13-inch pan or in two 9-inch pans. As reviewer Kaley Miller writes, “I personally like the layered cake best, as it gives a better cake-to-icing ratio. We love this recipe!”
Strawberry Crepe Cake
Doughgirl8
No oven required! This layered cake is made with crepes stacked with your favorite cake fillings and frostings. Take a tip from this reviewer and use a skewer to help when slicing it: “This is a spectacular recipe, but cutting it was a nightmare until I figured out a system. Take a thin bamboo skewer, place it vertically into the piece you intend to cut…the skewer holds all the layers together very nicely. Transfer to a plate. Remove skewer. Voila!” – MNLaurie
Russian Honey Cake
Emka
“Absolutely delicious! It was not too sweet as most American cakes are. I made it for a church group and everyone loved it. It only took 1 hour and 45 minutes to make and then I put it in the fridge overnight and served [it] the next afternoon.” – judy
Italian Olive Oil Cake
Jonathan Silva
“Chef John delivers. Easy-to-make cake, with yummy results. Decided to use a bundt pan and it worked out just fine. Appreciated the tip about using the cooling rack over the cake for an ornate powdered sugar look.” – Jonathan Silva
Chef John's Chocolate Decadence
Chef Hunnah
“My sister-in-law has celiac disease. She invited us to dinner, so I wanted to bring a dessert she could enjoy. This is one for the ages. I would make this again and again. We gobbled it up. The four of us had no trouble eating half the cake. Yum! Chocolatey, rich and delicious with the raspberry sauce.” – Chef Hunnah
Lemon Drizzle Cake
kimmy1127
This easy one-bowl cake can be baked in a loaf pan or in a spring-form pan. Topped with a lemon glaze, the cake is delicious on its own, but “absolutely perfect with any and all fresh, seasonal fruit–whether it’s sweet berries, or slices of ripe, juicy stone fruit," says one Allrecipes member.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Jbnewburg
Chef John’s version of the classic uses fresh pineapple chunks in a pineapple juice-rum caramel. “This is the very best pineapple upside-down cake I have ever tasted and the best I've ever made (AND I am a very good cook)! I will be making it for holiday parties, and [will] ask for it for my birthday cake.” – A.S.G.
Torta Caprese (Italian Flourless Chocolate Torte)
Sharon Pickell
How fudgy do you like your cake? Chef John gives you a choice: “If you just whisk everything together, you'll get something firmer and denser. If you separate the eggs, and carefully fold in the whipped whites, you'll have something that rises higher, and is much lighter.”
New York-Style Cheesecake
rikkache
No recipe is foolproof, but this one comes close. “I don’t bake, but with this recipe you can’t go wrong. Making it for second time this week.” – Kristen Milone
Chef John's Chocolate Lava Cake
Richard Zaccone
Single-serve deliciousness: “There were 6 of us, so we doubled the recipe and it yielded 7 servings...we had to draw straws to figure out who got to eat the last one! Needless to say, we can't wait to make this again!” – Tristan Welling
Baltimore Peach Cake
LauraF
This is a German-style yeasted cake, best eaten the day it’s made. Reviewer HelpTheCook writes, “I was born and raised in Baltimore. My mother used to make a peach cake that I really liked–her grandparents were from Germany. Unfortunately, I never got the recipe. After all these years I finally [have] the recipe! It's not real sweet. I love this cake!”
Chef John's Red Velvet Cupcakes (or Cake)
willbullock
Reviewer Carey baked this as a layer cake. “Made recipe exactly, except doubled it to fill two 9" round cake pans. Increased cocoa powder to 8 tbsp total. Baked at 350 for 27 minutes. Good recipe.”
"Burnt" Basque Cheesecake
Romela Bellani
This dramatic-looking cheesecake is so easy to put together, one reviewer made it while wearing flip-flops. “[I made] this all at once, in a blender. (Yay, blenders and flip flops!) Today I made it [again], yeah, it's THAT good! This is so easy and quick. Make it, NOW! Goes great with daiquiris :-}” – ilona
Savory Mac and Cheese Cake
For all the other "not a cake guy" folks out there, we have Chef John's Savory Mac and Cheese Cake.
Lacyanne
“Delicious! This turned out so well and was actually (weirdly) very much like a cake. This is a fun canvas to add lots of flavors and play around with different fats and cheeses. I split it between two pans and it reheated in the air fryer beautifully even though it is tasty at room temperature.” – Lacyanne
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Read the original article on All Recipes.
