31 Thanksgiving Cakes to Wow the Table
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Pies get all the Thanksgiving dessert fanfare (and we couldn’t be happier for them, truly), but Thanksgiving cakes are just as worthy of celebration. In case you’re wondering, the concept of a “Thanksgiving cake” is not prescriptive. Any cake you place on your Thanksgiving table, after all, shall become a “Thanksgiving cake.” Still, many of our top candidates call on the fall flavors we associate with quintessential Thanksgiving pies, with no fiddly pie crust to fuss over (no offense, crust!).
Love pecan pie? Try your hand at a delightfully chewy miso-and-maple-pecan butter mochi cake. If pumpkin pie’s your MO, redirect your pumpkin purée to a streusel-topped pumpkin crumb cake or a silky pumpkin cheesecake. We’ve got apple desserts of the cake variety aplenty: nutty upside-down cakes, an apple cider loaf inspired by doughnuts, and a dramatically tall number sandwiched with apple butter. Among this collection, we also have low-fuss sheet cake recipes for easy serving, fudgy chocolate cakes for those absolutely done with fall spice, and even an ice cream cake if you feel so inclined. Cupcakes too! Go forth and find the Thanksgiving cake recipe that feels right to you.
Photograph by Joe Lingeman, food styling by Shilpa Uskokovic, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua1/31Carrot Sheet Cake With Cream Cheese Whip
This Thanksgiving cake idea blends carrots directly into the batter instead of shredding them, resulting in a sunset orange treat, soft from the purée and remarkably easy to make. The whipped cream cheese frosting is light and airy—a mousse-like delicacy.
Photograph by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Marc Williams2/31Southern-Style Caramel Cake
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Shuai Wang, Prop Styling by Megan Forbes and Christina Hussey3/31Miso-and-Maple-Pecan Butter Mochi Cake
This chewy treat combines the best qualities of Hawaiian butter mochi and classic Southern pecan pie. It has all the nutty richness you expect from pecan pie filling, and the miso tempers any cloying sweetness.
Photograph by Yudi Ela Echevarria, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Sean Dooley, Special thanks to Frank's House4/31Coconut and Cardamom Cake
A sweet, buttery batter gets a kiss of coconut extract and floral ground cardamom. Toasted coconut flakes, meanwhile, lend tons of flavor and crunchy-chewy texture.
Photography by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco5/31Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake
All the creamy tang and autumnal color of a pumpkin-flavored cheesecake, none of the usual cheesecake drama. This cake likes to burn—a dark top with cracked sides isn’t just expected; it’s very much encouraged.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Floral Styling by LaParis Phillips7/31Chocolate Sheet Cake With Brown Butter Frosting
The Bon Appétit staff is perennially obsessed with this cake. It features a one-bowl, no-mixer-needed batter and an unparalleled buttercream laced with toasty brown butter. It will blow your guests away.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kaitlin Wayne, prop styling by Christina Allen8/31Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
You’d hardly be able to tell this decadent chocolate cake, with two layers of fluffy sponge and swooshes of fudgy frosting, is gluten-free. In lieu of all-purpose flour, you’ll mix up a gluten-free flour blend with nutty oat flour, mochiko, and xanthan gum.
Photograph by Christopher Testani, Food styling by Victoria Granof, prop styling by Alex Brannian9/31Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
This classic dessert never goes out of style. While the cake bakes, rings of canned pineapple caramelize in a butter-and-brown-sugar syrup hidden below the batter, giving it its hallmark glossy, bronzed topping.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi10/31Red Velvet Sheet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
Our take on red velvet reinvests in its chocolate origins, employing the unsweetened kind to produce a fudgy, rich crumb with just the right amount of squish.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Frances Boswell11/31Apple-Hazelnut Rye Cake
Big chunks of tart baking apple, toasted hazelnuts, dates, and a little rye flour come together to make this autumnal cake, which is dressed in a tangy lemon buttercream.
Photo by Chelsie Craig12/31Buttery German Apple Cake
This reader-submitted apple cake has the power to make you forget about making the apple pie. It’s that good. It uses a simple method to get that professional shingled look without the tedious layering of each apple slice.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni13/31Flourless Chocolate Meringue Cake
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca14/31Double Banana Cake
Banana bread lovers rejoice: This lush cake doubles down on the fruit, with overripe ones in the batter, and sturdier ones sliced and nestled between the cake layers.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell16/31Sour Cream Coffee Cake
A pretty Bundt cake is an elegant addition to any holiday dessert table. This one’s sprinkled in the center with cinnamon, sugar, and pecans (walnuts or pistachios work just as well) and does double duty as Friday brunch.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Pearl Jones17/31Basically Carrot Loaf Cake
By all means, go for BA’s Best Carrot Cake if you’re going all out cake for Thanksgiving. However, if you know you’ll have a few desserts, consider this reasonable loaf cake, which is far easier to steal slices from all day long.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell, Prop Styling by Suzie Myers18/31Caramel Apple Snacking Cake
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell, Prop Styling by Suzie Myers19/31Pumpkin Spice Crumb Cake
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman20/31Appalachian Apple Stack Cake
Slather store-bought apple butter (or homemade apple butter if you’re feeling very ambitious!) between layers of this warmly spiced cake. It makes for a dramatic slice reveal.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kat Boytsova, prop styling by Gerri Williams21/31Sick Day Spice Cake
Cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, and vanilla, lend warm and sweet notes to this recipe without overpowering the light, buttery crumb of the cake. A cinnamon-scented buttermilk glaze adds a bit of sweet tang to the top.
Photograph by Christopher Testani, Food styling by Victoria Granof, prop styling by Alex Brannian22/31Sweet Potato Loaf Cake With Dark Chocolate Ganache
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou and Natasha Pickowicz, prop styling by Rebecca Bartoshesky24/31Tiramisù Layer Cake With Mascarpone Mousse
In this riff on classic Italian tiramisu, quality sweet Marsala (the kind for drinking, not cooking) gives the cake a boozy, fragrant edge that plays well against espresso’s bitterness.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley, Food Styling by Kendra Vaculin25/31Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cake
If you love to pick the crunchy crumb topping off baked goods, this ice cream cake is for you. One batch of “crunchies” (a technical term, obviously) is used three ways: pressed into a crust, folded into store-bought vanilla ice cream, and scattered across the cake.
Photo by Chelsie Craig26/31Easy Sheet Cake With Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting
With a simple yellow cake and a tangy chocolate cream cheese frosting, this sheet cake was made for easy entertaining. The perimeter of sprinkles is encouraged (especially if you get little turkeys or other holiday paraphernalia) but not required.
Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Micah Morton28/31Spiced Chocolate-Pumpkin Cake With Pumpkin Glaze
Olive oil, cinnamon, and cayenne combine to highlight the earthy, floral flavors of pumpkin and chocolate in this plush Mexican chocolate–inspired loaf from cookbook author Yossy Arefi.
Photograph by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Sophie Strangio29/31Sweet Potato Cake With Salted Cream Cheese Frosting
Photo by Oriana Koren, food styling by Lillian Kang, prop styling by Jillian Knox31/31Cinnamon-Roll Pound Cake
Like the classic cinnamon roll (but in cake form), this Thanksgiving cake idea gets swirled with a brown sugar-cinnamon spice mixture and drizzled with cream cheese icing.
