Which flavours of cake is good?

Let them to eat cake! According to Encyclopedia Britannica, this famous (albeit overused) line likely wasn’t actually said by Queen Marie-Antoinette during the French Revolution, but it does reflect how much people around the world love their sweet slices of cake. According to the Nibble, the ancient Egyptians were the first to bake proto-cakes and bread on hot stones. The first cakes were made with wild yeasts, and towards the 18th and 19th centuries, bakers started adding leavening agents like eggs and eventually baking soda and baking powder to encourage cakes to rise. There are hundreds of various types of cakes available today, with a wide range of flours, fruits, nuts, chocolate, and other tasty ingredients.

Although we would want to believe that all cakes are excellent, there are very strong views regarding which varieties “take the cake.” And if you’re going to spend time mixing, baking, and decorating your cake, why would you pick a type of cake that you don’t enjoy eating in the first place? These are some of our favorite (and, coincidentally, bottom-tier) cake flavors.

27. Ice cream cake

Ice cream cake is by far the most impractical kind of cake that can be made. Although you would think that layering sheets of cake with tooth-achingly sweet ice cream would be a good idea, wait until you try to slice it on a hot summer day.

Anyone who has experience baking an ice cream cake sponge knows that cooling the cake to ensure that the ice cream doesn’t melt, as well as making sure the ice cream is soft enough to spread, is a flat-out nightmare. And if you miss the “DIY” step, you’ll be left with the plastic taste of Carvel frosting. Also, many ice cream cakes contain much too much sugar, which may easily satisfy youngsters under the age of ten but does not necessarily satisfy adult taste buds. What about the cake’s redeeming qualities? We’ll notify you as soon as we locate any.

26. Icebox cake

Icebox cake is one of the most simple desserts to prepare at home. You’ll just need some wafer cookies, cream, sugar, and whatever textural elements you plan to add to the cake — like chocolate, pretzels, nuts, or syrups. Then place the cake in the freezer for a few hours, and there you have it!

One of the cake’s redeeming aspects is its simplicity of preparation. But, you won’t get the subtle crumb of a sponge, and the entire dessert can easily become overwhelmed by the cream-to-cookie ratio.

25. Funfetti cake

Giving a youngster a unicorn on a plate is the equivalent of giving them a Funfetti cake. Sprinkles mixed into the sponge generate streaks of color that seem incredibly young and vibrant to the eye but taste average when you bite into it. The sprinkles can easily become gritty and get stuck in your teeth, while the sheer sweetness of the icing (which can be made as a buttercream, whipped, or glaze) may result in you only taking two bites before walking away.

24. Orange cake

Everything with orange veers dangerously close to being too artificial and attractive. Adding too much orange juice, zest, or extract to a cake can disrupt every flavor, while adding too little will leave your guests thinking it’s just vanilla chiffon cake. Orange cakes fare better than other varieties on our list because they have the potential to amplify other flavors like chocolate or vanilla. When dealing with orange-flavored stuff, though, proceed with care.

23. Poke cake

A poke cake is a sort of cake that is produced by poking tiny holes in the top of a sponge cake and filling it with gelatin or pudding. Although this is a good technique to add taste to an otherwise flavorless sponge, it may cause a slew of sensory difficulties. If the gelatin does not set correctly, the sponge will get soggy, turning the whole poke cake into a wobbling mess.

22. Pineapple upside-down cake

A pineapple upside-down cake may be visually appealing, but the mechanics of baking one are anything from simple. To make this cake, add a layer of caramel to a pan, then pour in the cake batter and bake until golden brown. The difficulty is to flip the cake such that the pineapple layer is facing up without dislodging any of the pineapple or cake. If you cut the pineapple rings too thick, they will not cook as quickly as the sponge. If your pineapple rings are too thin, it will crumble into the cake. There are just too many factors to consider while constructing this dessert.

21. Pound cake

Pound cake can take on many different flavor profiles, including traditional vanilla, lemon, vanilla, and even chocolate. The density of this cake, however, distinguishes it from others. There is no icing or decorative garnishes while eating top-of-the-line pound cake. It’s just you and a block of cake that, if thrown hard enough, might break a glass. Pound cake, which derives its name from the fact that it originally needed 1 pound of sugar, flour, butter, and eggs, may be overly thick and does not resemble the spongy, soft, sweet birthday cake we adore, according to Britannica.

20. Coconut cake

Coconut cake covered in meringue and shavings

What exactly does coconut taste like? If you’re looking for a Southern coconut cake, the answer is simple: sweet. Although coconut has little taste on its own, it may provide a nostalgic texture to the surface of a cake. To get a strong coconut flavor in a cake, you’re going to have to use an entire coconut arsenal of coconut extract, coconut shavings, and coconut cream. Otherwise, your cake is basically a mediocre white or yellow cake with a sprinkling of coconut on top. This cake is perfect for anybody who like coconut flavors. If you’re not sure about the coconut taste, make a basic chocolate cake instead.

19. Lemon poppyseed cake

Since poppyseed has essentially little taste, a more flavorful accompaniment (in this instance, lemon) is absolutely required. Lemon poppyseed cake is in the middle of our ranking because it has a better balance of flavor than other cakes that are sickeningly sweet. A lemon curd layer adds structure to a lemon poppyseed cake, and cream cheese frosting helps to balance out the sharpness.

18. Strawberry cake

Strawberry cake may be made in a variety of ways. Strawberry shortcake, which is a vanilla sponge or angel food cake topped with whipped cream and macerated strawberries, is one of the most popular strawberry-inspired cake options you can find in the United States. Strawberry cake is sold on street corners in Japan and consists of a genoise sponge topped with whipped cream and strawberries. Both of these cakes elevate the strawberry flavor beyond the florescent pink-colored boxed cake mix you can find at the grocery store (which, we should note, you should never consider buying if you have other flavors to choose from).

17. Chocolate lava cake

Chocolate lava cake is a fad that should have gone long ago. To get the perfect chocolate lava cake, according to Gemma Stafford, you have to bake it just enough that the inside remains runny, but not underbake it to the point of collapse. These cakes are difficult to make, and the molten center invariably adheres to your spoon when you attempt to eat it. Is it a one-of-a-kind item? Sure. Yet, it is not realistic for us to retain in our cake repertoire.

16. Cheesecake

When we say cheesecake is overrated, we mean it. While you can make different types of cheesecake (the Cheesecake Factory alone offers 36, per its website) getting the perfect texture for a cheesecake is something that takes a lot of practice. When it comes to making different flavoring for cheesecake — we have to argue that adding a distracting layer of peanut butter or dulce de leche distracts from the fundamental mistakes in the traditional cheesecake itself. Quit adding weird things and simply make cheesecake.

We should also mention that the categorization of cheesecake as a cake is debatable. Per the Collin Street Bakery, cheesecake is actually a tart because it is enclosed on three sides with a pastry shell, can have its top decorated, and does not require baking to be safe to eat.

15. Honey cake

Honey cake is a common Jewish dessert eaten on Rosh Hashanah, but it can also be found with variations across Europe. The cake is sweetened with and decorated with honey but can also include ingredients like nuts, dulce de leche, and whipped cream frosting. Honey cake may be cooked in a pan or as a layer cake; the taste is more flowery than cakes sweetened just with granulated sugar. While the honey moistens the sponge, it may easily overpower the sweetness of the icing (if you plan to make a layered cake).

14. Marble cake

Marble cake is ideal for folks who struggle to make choices. Although the marble cake may look difficult to make, it involves simply swirling chocolate and vanilla cake batter together to make a unique new pattern. Although having the best of both worlds, the taste of the marble cake does not tilt either chocolate or vanilla. It’s rather bland, and if you get enough of one flavor, it overpowers the other — thus defeating the purpose of having two flavors of cake in one.

13. Black Forest cake

In a single phrase, Black Forest cake may be overpowering. You get copious layers of decadent chocolate cake, sweet buttercream, cherries, and chocolate ganache — along with the important addition of cherry kirsch that, by definition, makes a cake a Black Forest cake. The tastes of the cherries and chocolate work well together in this cake, however getting all of the flavors in one mouthful might be overpowering. If you want a cake with all the bells and whistles, this is it. But, if you want a simpler and more customisable cake taste, you should go elsewhere.

12. White cake

White cake is a delicate sort of vanilla cake that is used for weddings and other special occasions. Since it is leavened with egg whites and baking powder, the crumb texture is delicate. While the crumb structure on a white cake is something of beauty, the flavor is as exciting as its color. There is very little flavor in a white cake, and you’ll find that the bland taste of the cake makes any failures you make in the buttercream more apparent.

11. Apple cake

Apple cake is a moist, flavorful cake made with autumnal spices, baking apples, and an optional crumb topping. It tastes like a cross between apple pie and coffee cake.

Since it is fluffy and soft without being overly thick, apple cake is ideal for breakfast or after supper. On a chilly day, the spices, which might include cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, feel like a warm embrace. The only major downside to this kind of cake is that it isn’t really made to add frosting to, so it’s not always the best type of cake to use for celebrations or ostentatious parties. Nevertheless, if you leave the apple cake on your kitchen table on a Sunday morning, it will be gone by the evening.

10. Spice cake

Spice cake often contains a bold mix of cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, but some recipes may also call for a bit of dried ginger for heat or cardamom for zest. The spice cake receives our seal of approval in terms of taste. Nevertheless, since there are few ingredients, this cake may become exceedingly thick and stodgy. You can also add cream cheese icing to provide a sweet relief from the spice and include chopped nuts for texture.

9. Pumpkin cake

If you like pumpkin spice, we’re sure pumpkin cake is on your list of favorite cake tastes. Canned pumpkin puree is a must-have baking ingredient since it provides a lot of moisture to cakes, cupcakes, and everything in between. And if you’re not crazy about pumpkin-everything during the fall, you can rest assured that pumpkin cake isn’t that flavorful on its own. You can amplify the flavor of your pumpkin cake by adding more spices and a higher ratio of canned pumpkin, or just use the ingredient to take your spice cake up a notch.

8. Carrot cake

Carrot cake taste is diverse and contains an essential element that helps break up the monotony of the spiced sponge. Depending on your carrot cake recipe, you may also add chopped nuts or dried fruits to the dough for added texture. As a result, carrot cake is a more versatile cake taste than others. Plus, although the most common frosting for carrot cake is homemade cream cheese icing, you can also keep your cake naked and know you’ll still have enough reprieve from the flavor of the sponge.

7. Coffee cake

At first glance, you might think coffee cake is an inflexible variety of cake, but in reality, you can enhance the flavor of coffee cake with the addition of fruit, chocolate ganache (like in a chocolate Turkish coffee cake), or chopped nuts. The crumb strudel topping serves as the cake’s “icing,” so you won’t need to add a layer of cream cheese or buttercream anytime soon. If you wanted to add a little extra decadence, try a sprinkling variation on the standard coffee cake recipe.

6. Hummingbird cake

Hummingbird cake is a classic Southern cake made from a moist mixture of mashed banana and crushed pineapples with the accent of toasted pecans. This cake is loaded with tropical tastes, and you can even add a splash of rum to take your Southern treat to the next level. While hummingbird cake is often served as a layered cake with cream cheese frosting, you could also stick to a traditional American buttercream or opt for a light vanilla glaze. This cake is a platter of Southern hospitality.

5. German chocolate cake

Old-fashioned German chocolate cake isn’t the stodgy, overtly chocolatey cake you may be dreaming of — but we can argue it’s even better. The cake is prepared with a dark chocolate sponge and topped with a buttercream icing twist. Evaporated milk, chopped pecans, vanilla essence, and coconut shavings are used to make the buttercream. There is an opportunity for a reprieve from the chocolate sponge (which doesn’t happen with other varieties of chocolate cake), but you truly have to pair the pecans, coconut, and chocolate together for a true German chocolate cake — which creates some inflexibility.

4. Yellow cake

Yellow cake is the cake world’s Swiss Army knife. We have a lot of nostalgia from eating yellow cake with chocolate frosting at birthday parties and celebrations — and even more fond memories of baking it in the kitchen from a Duncan Hines box. While the yellow cake lacks the taste of our other top choices, it is versatile in terms of icing and flavoring. You can use a buttercream frosting (chocolate or vanilla) to ice your cake and decorate it with chopped fruits, nuts, or candies — all without upsetting the vanilla undertone of the cake.

3. Chocolate cake

When we say “chocolate cake,” we’re referring to the stick-to-your-ribs, significant-other-just-broke-up-with-you, dense cake that everyone dreams of. You may prepare a classic chocolate layer cake with fudge icing or a sheet cake for a crowd. You might also deviate from the norm by serving the rich chocolate sponge with vanilla or cream cheese buttercream. It’s more flavorful than yellow cake but has the same versatility that allows you to get creative with the recipe.

2. Red velvet cake

How does red velvet cake taste? It is a difficult question to answer. Red velvet cake has the same depth as chocolate cake, but with a slight buttermilk tang and a sweet cream cheese icing. The complexity of flavor and sensations in a red velvet cake (along with its astonishing color, which was originally attributed to the use of certain types of cocoa powder used in the sponge, per Southern Living), is what makes red velvet cake one of our timeless favorites.

1. Devil’s food cake

The top-tier cake taste is without a doubt devil’s food cake. Since the devil’s food cake is widely recognized as the predecessor to the red velvet cake, you will see some of the same complexities in flavor and texture between the two. Because of its fluffy but moist texture, Devil’s food cake rates higher than chocolate cake. Also, since devil’s food cake has a little more baking soda than other forms of cake, it has a more intense chocolate taste without becoming too stodgy.

Although the devil’s food cake is commonly associated with chocolate buttercream, you can also add other flavors to the mix that complement the chocolate. A pinch of orange zest is one of our favorite additions to devil’s food cake.