20 Vintage Cake Recipes That Are Filled With The Flavors Of Fall

Inspired by the flavor and texture of an apple cider cake donut, this recipe is just as good for breakfast as it is for dessert.

Candied carrots, cream cheese frosting, and chopped pecans are the ideal finishing touches for three layers of decadent carrot cake.

From afternoon coffee with neighbors to book club or holiday brunch, coffee cakes are the perfect no-fuss but delicious sweet treat for any occasion.

Chocolate is a year-round flavor, but something about the rich color of this Bundt cake—not to mention the shiny chocolate-pecan glaze—makes it perfect for fall. It’s so seasonally appropriate that we even chose it to be the cover star of our November 2024 issue.

The key to a delicious apple stack cake is allowing the cake to cure for two to three days before serving. This technique really allows all the flavors to blend together.

Mayonnaise is the secret to an ultra-moist cake, just trust us on this one. This cake is rich, luscious, and indulgent. Coffee in the mix enhances the chocolate flavor.

Made with four cups of chopped apples, cinnamon, and walnuts (or pecans), this cake includes all of our favorite fall flavors.

Yes, canned tomato soup is the secret of this vintage cake recipe. When mixed with baking soda, the soup makes the cake tender and fluffy—and you won’t taste the tomato flavor.

Submitted to Southern Living in 1978 by Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, North Carolina, the Hummingbird cake has become our most popular cake recipe of all time.

The sheet cake is a Texas icon. It’s topped with a rich fudge icing and toasted pecans for an extra layer of flavor.

This classic cake has been perfected by generations of Southern hosts. Just make sure to allow the cake to completely cool before adding the caramel frosting.

Starting this cake in a cold oven is the secret to its perfect texture. Studded with plenty of black walnuts, it’s also full of nutty flavor, and only requires a light dusting of sugar before serving.

Swap pumpkin for another fall squash with this cake recipe. If you don’t want to peel, slice, and cook butternut squash from fresh for this recipe, canned puree or frozen squash can speed up the baking process.

This unique sheet cake is topped with warm icing that is cooked under the broiler before serving. Plus, it only requires 15 minutes of active time before the oven does the rest of the work.

Mashed potatoes aren’t typically a baking ingredient, but they’re the secret to this moist Bundt cake. Just trust us, it works.

Caramel cakes are a Southern classic, and this vintage recipe puts a delicious spin on the traditional confection with banana cake layers.

The exact origins of apple dapple cake are unknown, but no matter where it originally came from, it has become a classic we return to each fall. Whether you serve with ice cream, coffee, or milk, we’re sure this classic cake will delight your crew.

The warm flavors of a spice cake make it naturally perfect for the cooler weather that sets in during the fall. Add apples into the mix, and you have a super seasonal cake perfect for autumnal entertaining.

This old-school cake is good year-round, but we especially love to enjoy it in the fall, when its rich, moist layers can be served with a hot cup of coffee or tea on a cool fall afternoon.

There’s nothing like a pumpkin-flavored pound cake to celebrate the fall season. A maple butter glaze takes this already flavorful and moist cake to the next level. Serve with a cup of coffee for a warming, fall dessert.