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Every slice is a winner 
This Best Cakes 6 Ways roundup has something for everyone—simple ingredients, big flavor, and totally bakery-worthy results at home.
Ingredients Orange Crush
Cake
15.25 ounces vanilla cake mix
12 ounces orange soda
1 teaspoon pure orange extract
24 ounces whipped white frosting (two 12-ounce containers)
2 to 3 drops orange gel food color Ding Dong
1 box Devil’s food cake mix
3.4 ounces instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
½ cup warm water
½ cup vegetable oil
Cream Filling
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
Chocolate Ganache
1¼ cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips Cherry Chip
Cherry Chip Cake
½ cup maraschino cherries, finely chopped
⅓ cup maraschino cherry juice
2½ cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter, softened
1½ cups granulated sugar
4 extra-large egg whites, room temperature
1½ cups whole milk
1 teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 to 2 drops red food color
1 tablespoon cake flour
Frosting
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup vegetable shortening
4 cups powdered sugar
4 to 5 tablespoons half-and-half
1 teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
½ teaspoon almond extract
8 maraschino cherries with stems, optional garnish Gingerbread Layer
Cake
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 ¼ cups sour cream
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ cup canola oil
½ cup molasses
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup very hot water
Frosting
12 ounces block style cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
7 to 8 cups powdered sugar, sifted (start with 7 cups, adding more as needed for desired consistency)
2 – to teaspoons heavy cream, start with 2 teaspoons then add the additional 1 teaspoon if needed for smooth and fluffy consistency
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream
Cookie Layer
20 crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (with the cream center)
4 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter, melted
Ice Cream Layer
1 quart chocolate ice cream
1 quart vanilla ice cream (I used vanilla bean)
Hot Fudge Layer
11.75 ounces hot fudge topping
Whipped Cream Frosting Layer
2 cups cold heavy cream
1¼ cups powdered sugar
1½ teaspoons clear vanilla flavoring
Colorful sprinkles (optional garnish) Black Magic
Cake
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk or buttermilk
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup black coffee or 2 shots of espresso with water added to make 1 cup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup vegetable oil
Ganache
12 ounces dark chocolate chips
1½ cups heavy whipping cream
Ingredients Orange Crush
Cake
15.25 ounces vanilla cake mix
12 ounces orange soda
1 teaspoon pure orange extract
24 ounces whipped white frosting (two 12-ounce containers)
2 to 3 drops orange gel food color Ding Dong
1 box Devil’s food cake mix
3.4 ounces instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
½ cup warm water
½ cup vegetable oil
Cream Filling
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
Chocolate Ganache
1¼ cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips Cherry Chip
Cherry Chip Cake
½ cup maraschino cherries, finely chopped
⅓ cup maraschino cherry juice
2½ cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter, softened
1½ cups granulated sugar
4 extra-large egg whites, room temperature
1½ cups whole milk
1 teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 to 2 drops red food color
1 tablespoon cake flour
Frosting
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup vegetable shortening
4 cups powdered sugar
4 to 5 tablespoons half-and-half
1 teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
½ teaspoon almond extract
8 maraschino cherries with stems, optional garnish Gingerbread Layer
Cake
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 ¼ cups sour cream
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ cup canola oil
½ cup molasses
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup very hot water
Frosting
12 ounces block style cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
7 to 8 cups powdered sugar, sifted (start with 7 cups, adding more as needed for desired consistency)
2 – to teaspoons heavy cream, start with 2 teaspoons then add the additional 1 teaspoon if needed for smooth and fluffy consistency
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream
Cookie Layer
20 crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (with the cream center)
4 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter, melted
Ice Cream Layer
1 quart chocolate ice cream
1 quart vanilla ice cream (I used vanilla bean)
Hot Fudge Layer
11.75 ounces hot fudge topping
Whipped Cream Frosting Layer
2 cups cold heavy cream
1¼ cups powdered sugar
1½ teaspoons clear vanilla flavoring
Colorful sprinkles (optional garnish) Black Magic
Cake
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk or buttermilk
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup black coffee or 2 shots of espresso with water added to make 1 cup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup vegetable oil
Ganache
12 ounces dark chocolate chips
1½ cups heavy whipping cream
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