Recipe Roundup

37 Fall Cakes Full of Baking Spice and Everything Nice

Bake your way into cozy mode.
37 Fall Cakes Full of Baking Spice and Everything Nice
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Anna Hampton

Fall cakes hit a sweet spot—as the weather cools, baking feelsrightagain, and the apples, pumpkins, pecans, and warming spices that epitomize the season truly shine in cake form. Below you'll find our favorite fall cake ideas, including easyBundt cakesandloaves, impressive layer cakes forbirthdaycelebrations, and lots of cinnamon-spiced, dinner-party-worthy desserts that celebrate the season. Get ready for gooey caramel and toffee, freshly grated nutmeg, swirls of cranberry, and pops of juicy grapes—once you start baking these cakes, you might forget all aboutpie.

  • Tall apple cake with dripping caramel glaze and walnuts on a cake stand with a black background.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
    1/37

    Caramel Apple Drip Cake With Candied Walnuts

    The best fall cakes bring nostalgic autumnal flavors to life. Grated apples in the filling give this spice cake a moist, dense texture, while the dripping caramel glaze and pretty caramelized walnuts make it a true showstopper for any special occasion.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    2/37

    Majestic and Moist New Year's Honey Cake

    We promise, this is the best honey cake you've ever tasted. It's rich, nicely spiced, and majestic in flavor and stature. Better yet: it keeps wonderfully, if you can hold off on gobbling the whole thing.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
    3/37

    Apple Sticky Toffee Pudding

    Go ahead, give your apple cake a luscious drizzle of toffee sauce.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce
    4/37

    Grape Cake With Hazelnut Streusel

    Any kind (or mix) of seedless grapes will work for this crowd-ready snack cake. We love using Thomcord grapes, which give you all the intense juicy punch of a Concord grape without the annoying seeds.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
    5/37

    Spiced Hazelnut-Pear Cake With Chocolate Sauce

    This cake is scented with nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves—all the crucial elements of pumpkin spice. Wine-poached pears add richness to the dessert and make a stunning presentation.

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  • Photo by Christopher Testani
    12/37

    Double Ginger Sticky Toffee Pudding

    The gooey toffee sauce is both absorbed by the cake and served on the side. For a glossy, polished presentation, brush the still-warm cake with a clean pastry brush after it comes out of the pan, which will remove some of the excess syrup.

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  • 13/37

    Easy Coffee Cake

    This no-mixer cake recipe is one of our favorite options for a relaxed Sundaybrunch.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele
    14/37

    Pistachio Cake

    This fragrant cake pairs shelled pistachios with lots of orange zest. The active prep time is just 15 minutes, and you'll have this cake cooling on your counter in less than an hour.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart
    15/37

    Pumpkin Bread

    Does this pumpkin loaf count as a fall cake? The apple cider, pumpkin purée, cinnamon, and nutmeg in this recipe all emphatically sayyes.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    16/37

    Cranberry-Pistachio Baked Alaska

    Underneath the toasted meringue, you’ll find a surprising lightness that comes from cheery red cranberry sorbet layered with pale green pistachio ice cream and buttery pound cake.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Sean Dooley
    17/37

    Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

    胡萝卜对美丽智慧的泥土味道h cinnamon, allspice, and freshly grated nutmeg. This reader favorite would be a great choice for a fall birthday party.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    18/37

    Basque-Style Sweet Potato Cheesecake

    Inspired by Basque cheesecake tradition, this luscious sweet potato-based marvel is baked until its exterior is a deep copper.

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  • Andrew Purcell, food styling by Carrie Purcell, prop styling by Sarah Cave
    19/37

    Pear and Walnut Upside-Down Cake With Whipped Crème Fraîche

    Ripe pears, cut into thin wedges, are dressed in caramel and walnuts to top this luscious cake. It needs nothing else, but whipping cream into crème fraîche for a topping makes it extra special.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    20/37

    Swirl Spice Cake

    This isn't your average spice cake recipe—the swirl combines finely ground coffee, granulated dried orange peel, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, and fennel seeds.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    27/37

    Tiramisu Bundt Cake

    Love the flavors oftiramisu? Then this recipe from cookbook authorSarah Kiefferhas your name on it.

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  • Photo by Holly Wulff Petersen
    28/37

    Sumac, Spelt, and Apple Cake

    Spelt flour gives this vegan cake a rustic look and nutty flavor, producing a delightfully crunchy crust that hides a soft, moist crumb underneath, with chunks of sweet apple running all the way through.

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  • Photo by Matthew Septimus
    29/37

    Apple Walnut Bundt Cake

    It is great to have this apple Bundt cake in your repertoire; it's easy to make and stays moist and flavorful for five days at room temperature, up to 10 days refrigerated. The caramel glaze is an optional but fabulous accompaniment.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Anna Surbatovich, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    30/37

    Chocolate and Pumpkin Zebra Cake

    We'd like to present your Halloween cake plans. This spooky cake is just right for a party.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
    31/37

    French Spiced Bread

    这个经典的法式香面包味a vibrant spice mixture of star anise, ginger, and cinnamon. It's great for a sweet toast in the morning, or it can be sliced thinly and served with pâté for a pretty party appetizer.

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  • Photo by Antonis Achilleos
    32/37

    Cranberry-Maple Pudding Cake

    This corn and maple pudding is great, but with a healthy helping of whipped cream and cranberry sauce, it's an ideal final course in a fall dinner.

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  • 36/37

    Cranberry Spice Cake

    If you manage to have any leftovers, this moist spice cake makes a nice afternoon treat with a cup of tea. For an extra-tart garnish, serve withCitrus-Cranberry Compote.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell, Prop Styling by Suzie Myers
    37/37

    Caramel Apple Snacking Cake

    Classic caramel apples get reimagined as one of our favorite fall cakes, complete with a glossy top and soft, custardy interior. This is the kind of recipe that easily becomes an annual tradition.

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