Have you heard these fun quotes before?

• A party without cake is just a meeting.
• Don’t wait until it’s too late – eat that slice of cake!
• If there’s cake in front of you, then you shouldn’t look any further for joy.
• Always carry a fork with you. Sometimes cake appears without warning.
• Keeping a cake fresh and moist is super easy. You just have to eat it one sitting!

If you read those and laughed – and then thought, “Yeah…I’m a fan of cake!” – have you ever tried to bake one from scratch? If not, you should!

With a recipe and simple ingredients, you can bake something that tastes ten times better than anything you’d make from a box and better than most store-bought.

And with the endless flavors and variations out there, you could bake cakes almost every day and never repeat yourself – and here are a few to get you started.

• The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake: Everyone needs a great chocolate cake recipe – and this is the one! Buttermilk helps to keep this cake super moist, and you’re going to love the chocolate cream cheese buttercream frosting! Grab a big glass of milk and a slice of this cake, and you’ll be very happy.
• The Best Vanilla Cake I’ve Ever Had: A good vanilla cake recipe is the second must-have, and this one does not disappoint. Sally’s Baking Addiction does a good job of sharing five reasons why this is the best vanilla cake ever:
  • 1. Soft, light crumb from cake flour
    2. Fluffy from extra egg whites
    3. Buttery and cakey from creamed butter
    4. Stick-to-your-fork moist from eggs & buttermilk
    5. Extra flavor from pure vanilla extract
  • Of course, if you don’t want vanilla buttercream frosting on your cake – you can easily switch it up! 
• Old-Fashioned Pound Cake: Pound cakes are a classic Southern dessert – often served with afternoon coffee or tea. It got its name from the fact that many older recipes used to contain a pound each of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. While that’s not the case anymore, this recipe is yummy – and pairs well with fresh berries and whipped cream.
• Angel Food Cake: This is another extremely light and fluffy cake – hence the name – and it’s made for all of those delicious berries that ripen during the summer months. Preppy Kitchen calls this “the cake version of a vanilla marshmallow cloud” – and he’s right!
• Best Ever Carrot Cake: Cooking Classy says this cake has/is:
  • • Tender softness. A melt-in-your-mouth texture.
    • Moist crumb. No dryness in the slightest here.
    • Plenty of finely shredded carrots (they add light flavor, nice moisture, and give it such a pretty natural color too).
    • Perfect level of sweetness.
    • Great blend of spices and vanilla for a boost of flavor.
    • Fluffy yet stable.
    • Finished with a decadent frosting. Cream cheese frosting is the only way to go here.
  • If those things sound good to you, then this carrot cake will hit the spot!
• The Best Red Velvet Cake: This red velvet cake has the most amazing color – and flavor! It’s got hints of vanilla and chocolate, and it’s so moist that you’ll find yourself reaching for a second piece. And yes, it’s got a delicious cream cheese frosting that adds just the right amount of sweetness.
• Texas Sheet Cake: This is the ideal cake if you’re going to have a lot of people over as it’s baked in a sheet pan. And while the frosting calls for pecans, if you have anyone coming with a nut allergy, they can be left out without hurting the flavor one bit.

Baking a cake from scratch may take a few extra minutes, but the results are well worth it. Give one of these cakes a try, and just watch the smiles as people bite into your delicious creation.