Top 40 Best Layer Cake Recipes (2024)

The best layer cake recipes to make when it´s time to celebrate! When a single sponge cake won't do, opt for layers filled with decadent frostings and fillings and wait for the compliments to pour in.

This list of reliable layered cake recipes with fillings has every flavor imaginable, from chocolate layer cakes and fruity layer cakes to fan favorites like red velvet, peanut butter, and vanilla. If you're looking for impressive layer cakes, you've come to the right place.

Best Layer Cakes

1. Triple Chocolate Cake

What a showstopper! Chocoholics will adore this triple-layered cake that packs so much chocolate flavor it shouldn't be allowed. Moist chocolate sponge layers are filled with the creamiest chocolate whipped ganacheand finally glazed with a decadentchocolate ganachedrip. Simply put, it's divine.

2. Lotus Biscoff Cake

This Lotus Biscoff cake recipe features the most amazingly moist brown sugar sponge cake layers, Biscoff spread, and Biscoff buttercream (specifically mousseline cream). With flavors of caramel, cinnamon, brown sugar, and spice, it is irresistible, and what's more, you can easily make it by following my step-by-step baking instructions.

If you love Biscoff desserts, this one is for you.

3. Pink Cake

A pretty pink layer cake is perfect for those girly lunches, baby showers, princess parties, or simply because you like the color. You could even surprise a loved one with it on Valentine's Day! With vanilla and cream cheese notes, it has really well-balanced sweetness and tastes deliciously light and fluffy.

Check out these other pink desserts.

4. Napoleon Cake

A Napoleon Cake is a classic Russian layer cake made from crunchy, buttery puff pastry layers and vanilla pastry cream. You can choose to garnish with cream and finely crushed puff pastry bits or be a bit more adventurous and decorate this puff pastry cake with fresh berries. Puff pastry desserts will always impress a crowd; this is no exception.

5. Chocolate Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

The combination of chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting is truly heavenly. And this chocolate and cream cheese layer cake is exceptionally moist, too, with an unbelievably rich chocolate flavor. It strikes a perfect balance of sweetness and is surprisingly easy to prepare, so if you're looking for easy layer cake recipes for beginners, try this! This triple-layer chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting is ideal for any celebration or get-together.

6. Red Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Mousse

Try this lighter twist on a beloved classic layer cake. This Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Mousse features vibrant red, incredibly moist layers filled with a fluffy cream cheese mousse. Without a doubt, it's the ultimate Red Velvet Cake recipe with its airy mousse-like texture and decadent layers; I guarantee you'll love it.

7. Nutella Cake

Chocolate and hazelnut lovers, this one is for you. This Chocolate Nutella layer cake is an ideal dessert for those who would love the blend of moist chocolate sponge cakes filled and frosted with indulgent Nutella mousseline cream (German buttercream) and adorned with chopped hazelnuts. The mix of textures is insane, and the flavor is to die for.

8. Hazelnut Cake

This Hazelnut Cake is undeniably exceptional, and it tastes just as good as it looks. It features tender, buttery hazelnut sponge layers and a velvety hazelnut mousseline cream elevated with hazelnut praline paste, and the recipe is surprisingly easy to follow. Hazelnut desserts are one of my favorites, as they are so rich, earthy, and delicious.

9. Strawberry Crunch Cake

If you love fruity desserts and a mix of smooth and crunchy textures, then you'll certainly adore this simple and scrumptious Strawberry Crunch Cake! It takes inspiration from the iconic frozen Strawberry Shortcake Ice cream bars but in the form of a moist three-layer cake.

It's bursting with fresh strawberry goodness, a delightful yet light cream cheese frosting, and a beautiful decoration of strawberry crunch.

10. German Chocolate Cake

This German chocolate cake recipe is incredibly delicious and moist, with the most exceptional chocolate flavor and butterscotch frosting. To finish, it is generously studded with pecans and coconut that give it some crunch that is simply divine.

What makes it even better is that this German layer cake is actually very uncomplicated, and you can actually whip it up in no time without any special equipment.

11. Ferrero Rocher Cake

If you love Ferrero Rocher candies, you will love this Ferrero Rocher layer cake. It also makes the ultimate celebration cake as it looks so impressive and boasts moist chocolate hazelnut sponges, silky Nutella mousseline cream (cooked chocolate pastry cream enriched with Nutella and butter), lots of crunchy hazelnuts, and crushed Ferrero Rocher chocolates. A showstopper!

12. Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Mousse Filling

I'm not sure if a more perfect flavor pairing exists than carrot cake with cream cheese. And this tender homemade carrot cake recipe is packed with spices and layered with delicious, airy cream cheese mousse, so it tastes light and airy at the same time as being rich and tasty.

13. Austrian Sacher Torte Cake

If you have been to Austria, you might have tried this rich chocolate cake that is a Viennese specialty. And now you can make it yourself at home, trust me, you won't be disappointed! A super moist chocolate sponge is layered with apricot jam and then glazed in the glossiest chocolate ganache frosting. It's rich, decadent and refined.

14. Rainbow Cake

You'll have so much fun making this rainbow layer cake. The colorful layers and moist and tasty, and a super easy, light cream cheese frosting separates them and cloaks the whole dessert. So this is both a super delicious layer cake recipe and a really fun cake to make from scratch. You will love it!

Detailed step-by-step instructions make layer cake recipes easy, and I always include them.

15. Victoria Sponge Cake

Pretend you are royalty and serve this classic British sponge layer cake, made famous by Queen Victoria. Fresh whipped cream and strawberry compote are layered with vanilla sponge and topped with more cream, fruit, and a dusting of powdered sugar.

16. Vanilla Layer Cake

This is one of those vanilla layer cake recipes you'll make again and again. It has layers of vanilla cake and a delicious passionfruit curd and vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream filling and frosting that is so irresistible. What's more, it is suitably impressive to look at, so will work perfectly for any special occasion.

17. Tiramisu Layer Cake

This cake is a delicious twist on a classic tiramisu, full of tiramisu-inspired flavors. The sponge is soaked in espresso, and the creamy frosting is truly a dream. Each bite captures the taste and texture of this classic Italian dessert, and everyone will definitely want a second helping.

18. Baklava Layer Cake

If you love baklava as much as I do, you'll be thrilled with this discovery of a baklava layer cake recipe. With all the delicious honey nut flavor of the classic Middle Eastern dessert, this 3 layer cake recipe works as a birthday cake or cake for a special occasion and would taste amazing with a cup of coffee.

Special mention has to go to the honey walnut filling and honey buttercream; it is out of this world.

19. Black Forest Cake

Featuring moist chocolate cake layers, a fresh cherry filling, and a light whipped cream frosting, my mile-high Black Forest cake is a total showstopper! Make it even more stunning by garnishing with mini chocolate chips, chocolate shavings, and fresh cherries on top. Beautiful, delicious, and surprisingly easy, this cake is sure to be the star of your dessert table!

20. Butterscotch Pumpkin Chocolate Cake

A butterscotch, chocolate pumpkin layer cake makes an excellent alternative to traditional Thanksgiving pies, don't you think? And what's more, you can bake it ahead of time and freeze the cake layers to save you time on the day. Pumpkin season will definitely be good this year...

21. Lemon Blackberry Cake

This is one of those layered lemon cake recipes that everyone will want the recipe for afterward. The lemon honey cake layers are filled with two layers of sweet blackberry jam and one of tangy lemon curd. And then, it's covered in the smoothest honey blackberry buttercream. Top with fresh blackberries to create a cake that is as pretty as a picture.

If you love lemon layer cake recipes like this, check out my other lemon desserts.

22. Peanut Butter Chocolate Layer Cake

You'll have fun decorating this one, but make sure you buy extra for snacks! This layer cake recipe features layers of moist chocolate cake, complemented by peanut butter frosting and topped with chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups. It's a rich, delectable, and delightfully enjoyable dessert!

23. Snickers Cake

Have you ever eaten a Snickers bar? Now you can enjoy it in cake form. There's soft chocolate cake, salted caramel buttercream, peanut butter buttercream, salted caramel, and a generous amount of crushed peanuts on top to garnish. And the best thing about this cake is that you can prepare all the components in advance and then assemble them when you need to.

24. Raspberry Vanilla Cake

I love the ombre effect on the frosting of this raspberry layer cake. And the recipe even includes how to make your own jam filling! This recipe is also full of tips on how to bake the best layer cakes, which is just how I like it. Baking is a science, so it needs precision.

Check out these other raspberry desserts.

25. Salted Caramel Cake

The salted caramel craze shows no signs of slowing down, and I am personally very happy about that. In this salted caramel layer cake, a silky caramel buttercream is sandwiched in between layers of delicious brown sugar sponge and then topped with more oozy caramel. I'll bet you can't actually wait to bake it!

26. Brown Butter Peach Layer Cake

There's peaches and cream, and then there's peaches and brown butter. The nuttiness of the brown butter is elevated by a touch of almond flour in the cake batter, and the peach filling is spiked with cinnamon. So, all in all, this really isn't a layer cake recipe you should skip.

27. Apple Pie Layer Cake

In this apple pie layer cake recipe, buttery cake layers are encased in a creamy cheesecake, and apple pie filling with crispy pie crust crumbles to give some crunch. The rich cheesecake taste, soft sponge, and crispy pie crust combine to make the most incredible layer cake you surely won't be able to resist.

28. Chocolate & Pistachio Naked Layer Cake

You'll surely agree that this Chocolate Pistachio Naked Cake is a three-layer marvel with moist chocolate cake layers, rich dark chocolate ganache, crunchy chocolate crumble, and luxurious pistachio buttercream. All stacked together perfectly to show off the contrasting colors and flavors. But what's hard to believe is that it issurprisingly easy to assemble!

29. Piña Colada Cake with Buttercream Frosting

I'm a huge fan of consuming co*cktails with a fork. And a piña colada cake has to be one of my new favorite layer cake recipes. It's a coconut cake covered with vanilla buttercream, and you'll find sweetened coconut flakes around the exterior which is finally decorated with buttercream rosettes and topped with the cutest dehydrated pineapple roses. Did I mention there's also a sweet-tart pineapple rum filling in between the layers? Surely it's a dream dessert.

30. Fresh Cherry Cake

I love the taste of fresh cherries. The cherry filling in this cherry layer cake only takes five simple ingredients, and the moist vanilla cake is topped with a sweetened buttercream frosting that ties everything together perfectly. You can swap the cherry variety for sour cherries, too, if you prefer that flavor combination.

31. Hummingbird Cake

Get a taste of the tropics with banana, pineapple, toasted pecans, and the smoothest cream cheese frosting. As you may have guessed, I love beautiful tall layer cakes, and this one is a stunner. The sponge is reminiscent of banana bread, and then there is crushed pineapple, reduced pineapple juice, chopped pecans, and warm spices that give a Caribbean-like taste.

32. Chocolate layer cake with blackberry Italian buttercream

You won't be able to get enough of this silky Italian meringue buttercream that's flavored with blackberry. It works so well with the chocolate sponge cake, and when piped between layers to make a towering layer cake, it is simply a showstopper. Certainly, this would make a truly amazing centerpiece dessert at a party, and you could also swap the fruits and make a chocolate raspberry cake instead of blackberry.

33. Dulce De Leche Cake

This thin layered cake has the most incredible caramel flavor; everyone will want the recipe! And because the layers of sponge are so thin, soaked in syrup, and then layered with creamy dulce de leche frosting, every bite is perfectly soft, moist, and delicious.

34. Spiced Vanilla Chai Cak

As a tea lover, I love it when Fall arrives and the cozy vibes set in. Chai is a must-have in my tea collection and transforming these spices into a cake sounds like a fabulous idea that's perfect for the turning seasons. Your kitchen will be filled with an incredible aroma, and the vanilla elevates it to divine.

35. French Opera Cake

Do you want layer cake recipes? I deliver. A classic French opera cake is one of the original layer cakes, with six layers of almond sponge cake, three layers of coffee French buttercream, three layers of rich chocolate ganache, and a smooth chocolate glaze that cloaks the entire thing. It is pure French decadence, personified.

36. Seven Layer Bar Cake

And this cake has even more layers! Seven, to be exact. The addition of a graham cracker crust is inspired, as are the coconut chocolate chip cake layers, gooey coconut and pecan filling, butterscotch buttercream, and a chocolate drip. The contrast of textures within each slice is, simply put, out of this world.

37. Blackberry Almond Cake

There are a few more specialist ingredients in this layer cake recipe than you might expect, but it's well worth taking the time to find them. And if you love the taste of almonds, this is certainly a cake for you. The sponge and frosting are almond flavored, and the curd is a sinfully tasty mix of blackberry purée and lemon juice. It's certainly super tasty!

38. Peanut Butter Lover's Cake

Peanut butter lovers, this one is for you. Not one, not two, not three, but four layers of moist peanut butter cake, the fluffiest peanut butter frosting, and a nice dose of peanut butter ganache on top? Four layer cakes are where it's at. I can't begin to describe how good it is.

What's more, the steps are fairly simple even though the cake looks so professional. Certainly, no one will believe you didn't buy it at a fancy bakery!

39. Cookies and Cream Cake

This really is the ultimate Cookies And Cream layer cake. This cake has an Oreo cookie crust, dark chocolate cake layers, cream cheese filling, and then an Oreo buttercream, too.It looks so dramatic with its monochrome colors, and anyone who loves Oreo cookies will adore this amazing layered dessert.

Just be sure to buy enough Oreo cookies, as I am sure some will certainly disappear as you are decorating it.

40. Fraisier-Style Strawberry Layer Cake

Cake enthusiasts will love this tall and beautiful strawberry layer cake that has such a fresh fruity taste with fresh strawberries and delicious vanilla crème diplomat filling. It's a sight to behold, too, with a gorgeous cake drip and fresh fruit garnish.

And you can try my classic Fraisier cake too if you love this one.

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