Our Best Fall Cake Recipes

Savor fall flavors—cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin, apples, nuts, cranberries and more—in these delicious, moist cakes.

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Pioneer Wedding Stack Cake

This wonderfully moist and generously spiced six-layer cake is a showy spin on humble applesauce cake.Pioneer Wedding Stack Cake

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Cranberry Orange Upside-Down Cake

Invert this moist cake while it's still warm to reveal a fall kaleidoscope of glistening, tart berries and sweet mandarin oranges.Cranberry Orange Upside-Down Cake

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My My’s Brown Sugar Pound Cake

Patty's grandmother sifted together the flour and baking powder three times before adding them to the batter. We had good results just whisking them together. This recipe comes from Patty Pinner's cookbook Sweets (crownpublishing.com).My My's Brown Sugar Pound Cake

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Quick Black Forest Cherry Cake

This quick twist on the classic German chocolate-cherry cake uses boxed cake mix and cherry preserves. Don't skip the kirsch or brandy; it adds that signature Black Forest flavor.Quick Black Forest Cherry Cake

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Applesauce Spice Cake

No granulated sugar is added to this recipe; the sweetness comes from cider, fruit and applesauce.Applesauce Spice Cake

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Cranberry Layer Cake

This moist white cake combines toasted pecans and refreshing orange peel with cranberries. Orange peel flavors the thick cream cheese frosting, too.Cranberry Layer Cake

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Walnut Cake with Caramel Whipped Cream

Fill layers of walnut cake with caramel whipped cream and drizzle it all with caramel sauce for a rich fall dessert. Walnut Cake with Caramel Whipped Cream

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Chocolate Harvest Fruit-Topped Cake

This spiced chocolate cake brims with seasonal flavors, including a topping of pears, apples and cranberries.Chocolate Harvest Fruit-Topped Cake

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Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cornmeal Cake

A buttery-sweet mixture of apples, cranberries and pecans covers cornmeal cake. Try serving with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream for even more fall flavor!Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cornmeal Cake

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Fresh Apple Cake

This nutty comfort cake from Sharon Buckner of Rhineland, Missouri, gets a sugary top and caramelized gooey bottom as it cooks. Don't be surprised by the thick batter; it will bake into a moist, dense cake.Fresh Apple Cake

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Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

This utterly unforgettable autumn cake layers moist chocolate-pumpkin cake, luscious milk chocolate ganache and fluffy pumpkin-spice whipped cream. The recipe comes from Minnesota blogger Amanda Rettke (iambaker.net).Chocolate Pumpkin Cake recipe See a short video about how to make this cake

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Ginger Carrot Cake

Fresh ginger flavors this classic cake, topped with Double-Cream Cheese Frosting.Ginger Carrot Cake

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Pumpkin-Praline Layer Cake

This nutty layer cake is a favorite dessert with Midwest Living® readers. Whipped cream topping complements a moist filling of pumpkin, brown sugar, pecans, butter and more whipping cream.Pumpkin-Praline Layer Cake

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Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

The famous St. Louis dessert gets a makeover from Emily Hobbs of Springfield, Missouri. She adds pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice to the moist cake.Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

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Bourbon-Apple-Rye Upside-Down Cake

We hid shredded apple in the cake for extra flavor and moistness, but the real star here is the gorgeous array of fall fruit, glazed with bourbon-infused caramel.Bourbon-Apple-Rye Upside-Down Cake

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Chocolate-Pear Spice Cake

Cloves and nutmeg scent your home as the cake bakes, but the toppers are what really sets this dessert apart: chopped chocolate, nuts and homemade pear chips Chocolate-Pear Spice Cake

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Graham Cracker Cake

This special-occasion dessert features a moist cake with crushed graham crackers, cream filling between the layers and brown sugar frosting on the outside. Top with additional graham crackers just before serving if you like.Graham Cracker Cake

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Gingerbread Cake Roll

If this isn't a forkful of fall, we don't know what is. The cinnamon, molasses and maple glaze transport us to bonfires and hayrack rides in just one bite.Gingerbread Cake Roll

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Sandwich Cake

A cream cheese layer and rich chocolate frosting make this pumpkin cake a crowd-pleaser. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Sandwich Cake

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Glazed Gingerbread Cake

Lemon glaze and a sprinkle of crystallized ginger enhance the flavor and presentation of this old-fashioned gingerbread.Glazed Gingerbread Cake

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Apple Upside-Down Cake

Cinnamon, ginger and apples give robust fall flavor to this gooey upside-down cake. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Apple Upside-Down Cake

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Pumpkin Pie Cake

Sprinkle moist pumpkin filling with a cake mix topping for a quick and easy cake. The recipe is from Farmer's Inn in Havana, North Dakota.Pumpkin Pie Cake

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Butterscotch Chip Oatmeal Cake

Chopped pecans and butterscotch pieces crown this easy one-bowl cake.Butterscotch Chip Oatmeal Cake

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Spiced Pecan Sweet Potato Cake

Deborah Biggs of Omaha completes this amazingly moist dessert with Maple Whipped Cream. Spiced Pecan Sweet Potato Cake

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Maple Syrup Cake

Ruth Smiley of Parke County, Indiana, gave us her recipe for Maple Syrup Cake, which she makes in a fluted tube pan. We mixed up an easy maple syrup icing to drizzle over the top. Maple Syrup Cake

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Hummingbird Cake

This tall layer cake, with a medley of flavors from nuts, fruit and spices, comes from the kitchens of Silver Dollar City theme park near Branson, Missouri. Add a sprinkling of pecans on top for even more crunch.Hummingbird Cake

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Broadway Cafe Apple Cake

In the trendy Westport area of Kansas City, Missouri, customers at Broadway Cafe can taste samples of that day's baked goods, including frosted scones, biscotti, coffee cake and this moist apple cake. A generous portion of chopped Granny Smith apples adds flavor and moisture. Be careful turning this apple dessert out of the pan; it's a tender coffee cake.Broadway Cafe Apple Cake

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Pumpkin Cake Roll

Our "twist" on the pumpkin craze. Nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon add even more fall flavor.Pumpkin Cake Roll

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Prairie State Oatmeal Cake

Rolled oats keep this old-fashioned cake moist. You'll love the gooey coconut-walnut topping.Prairie State Oatmeal Cake

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Apple-Butter Cakelets

Caramel sauce adds a creamy-sweet finish to individual Apple-Butter Cakelets created by Midwest Living® in honor of Illinois' Amish bakers. You can choose between two Prairie State ingredients, apples or pumpkins, for this treat.Apple-Butter Cakelets

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Our Best Fall Cake Recipes

1 of 31

Pioneer Wedding Stack Cake

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Cranberry Orange Upside-Down Cake

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My My’s Brown Sugar Pound Cake

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Quick Black Forest Cherry Cake

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Applesauce Spice Cake

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Cranberry Layer Cake

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Walnut Cake with Caramel Whipped Cream

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Chocolate Harvest Fruit-Topped Cake

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Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cornmeal Cake

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Fresh Apple Cake

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Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

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Ginger Carrot Cake

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Pumpkin-Praline Layer Cake

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Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

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Bourbon-Apple-Rye Upside-Down Cake

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Chocolate-Pear Spice Cake

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Graham Cracker Cake

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Gingerbread Cake Roll

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Sandwich Cake

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Glazed Gingerbread Cake

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Apple Upside-Down Cake

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Pumpkin Pie Cake

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Butterscotch Chip Oatmeal Cake

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Spiced Pecan Sweet Potato Cake

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Maple Syrup Cake

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Hummingbird Cake