50 Thanksgiving Cakes Full Of Seasonal Flavor

This family recipe is loaded with apples, cinnamon, and walnuts channeling the warm flavors of the fall all into one delicious cake.

The precursor to red velvet, this old-school cake with a classic ermine frosting requires a little bit of work to assemble, but it’s well worth it. There are no other cakes quite like it.

If you like apple cider and cinnamon sugar coated donuts, you’ll loved this Bundt cake inspired by the two. The tender cake is full of fall spices, as is the sugar-coated exterior.

Can’t decide between making pumpkin pie or a pumpkin cake? Good news! You don’t have to with this recipe. It might not be as impressive looking as a layer cake, but it’s just as delicious and easy to serve for a buffet-style meal.

Put all those extra sweet potatoes you already have on hand for side dishes to good use with this easy and seasonal Bundt. We give you two tasty glaze options so you can decorate it to your tastes.

This is a year-round stunner. Made with tangy buttermilk, flaked coconut, and a nutty cream cheese frosting, it combines some of our favorite elements from other classic Southern layer cakes into one towering showstopper.

You don’t have to stick to layer cakes or decorative Bundts for Thanksgiving. Sometimes a simple and seasonal crumb cake like this, with a hot cup of coffee or after dinner drink, is all you really need.

“Made this last year and it might beat out pumpkin pie for me!” says one Southern Living reader of this cake. Enough said.

Banana cake isn’t exactly a classic Thanksgiving treat, but slathered in a silky caramel frosting, this family recipe shared with us would be a welcomed addition to any holiday table.

Three words: maple butter glaze. If that doesn’t convince you to make this cake, we don’t know what will.

Introducing a standard chocolate cake made lively (and maybe a tad naughty) by a generous splash of bourbon. We’re not talking tablespoons, but rather a whole half cup. Combined with the nuttiness of the browned buttercream, and you’ve just found a suave and sophisticated addition to the dessert table.

Cranberries aren’t only for sauce. Case in point: This cranberry-orange cake with orange buttercream. The zingy fruit is a great way to top off a decadent meal, thanks to the addition of fresh orange juice, orange zest, and sugared cranberries on top.

Dusted with powdered sugar, this classic pound cake can’t be beat. This go-to crowd-pleasing dessert is only a handful of ingredients and 30 minutes of hands-on time away. Whether you’re a long-time baker or a novice cake-maker, this recipe is a winner.

The beauty of this bananas fosters cake is that you can make it as simple or as elaborate as you want. If you’re juggling other Thanksgiving dishes, keep it easy and skip the banana roasting. If this is your only contribution to the table, go all out and brûlée banana slices for the garnish.

Cranberry deserves to shine on Thanksgiving in cake on the dessert table just as it does as sauce on the dinner table. This tart berry confection comes together using fresh cranberries and classic cake ingredients, just as all the best recipes do.

The Battenberg Cake is the wow cake in your repertoire. Also known as a church window cake, checkerboard cake, and domino cake, it’s a delight to cut into, if only for its distinct pattern. This particular edition includes raspberry jam sandwiched between alternating cake blocks.

The Bundt pan makes even the simplest of cakes feel extraordinary, and this carrot Bundt cake is a showstopper in itself. With a silky maple-cream cheese frosting and sprinkling of toasted pecans, crystalized ginger, and carrot chips, it’ll look like you spent hours making it (when it was really nothing at all).

Another Southern classic (this one hailing from Dallas), the German chocolate cake commands a presence on your dessert table. The towering three layers of cake are slathered in a thick, coconut-pecan concoction that provides a contrasting crunch.

Don’t overlook figs as a fall dessert star this year. Fig jam whips into a delightfully sweet cake, best topped with a simple buttermilk glaze to tie it all together.

For this Pistachio Bundt Cake, you’ll grind the nuts fresh, giving the cake a deep, rich flavor and delicious, crumbly texture. Fold it all into the buttery batter that’s punctuated with sour cream and almond extract for a unique addition to your Thanksgiving dessert spread.

The beauty of the Bundt is its deceptive simplicity. With the assistance of just one pan, an elaborate cake can be yours. We suggest this twist on the classic eggnog beverage: a spiked eggnog Bundt. With the addition of heavy cream, a quarter cup of bourbon, and a drizzle of glaze, it’s a rich cake that announces the arrival of the holidays.

If you want an easy cake for your Thanksgiving menu, this persimmon cake is a sure winner. Only one bowl and some elbow grease are required for this nutty, spicy cake that includes cinnamon and toasted walnuts.

This pumpkin cake is homey and old-fashioned but packs the charm between thick layers of cake and frosting. Buttermilk adds a tang, and the spiced whipped cream complements the dense layers for a lightness in every bite.

No need to worry about the pie crust for this nutty delight. It’s got the classic pecan pie filling you love with a browned butter frosting that’s to die for.

It looks rustic, but don’t be fooled. You’ll want to whip out your candy thermometer for this one. If you’re short on time, opt for the fluffy chocolate filling—but the cooked icing is well worth the effort.

This Bundt cake features all of the great ingredients found in a classic hummingbird cake, such as pecans, pineapples, and cream cheese, but in an updated version that doesn’t require frosting layers. Top with a rich cream cheese glaze for your icing fix.

Nothing quite screams fall like apples and spices. This simple cake is no-fuss and packed with grated Fuji apples, whose sweetness and juiciness lend the cake a beautiful flavor and moist texture.

A beloved Southern classic is always in style. All the usual signature ingredients—banana, pineapple, and pecans—find their way onto the Thanksgiving table with this recipe.

This is one of the prettiest cakes you can make for the fall—and it requires only 20 minutes of hands-on prep time. Drizzled and dripping with a delicious apple brandy-caramel sauce, this cake looks great and tastes even better.

This decadent holiday dessert includes rum in both the glaze and cake, plus it’s as easy to make as it is tantalizing. The recipe comes from Mildred “Mama Dip” Council, of the famed Mama Dip’s Kitchen in Chapel Hill, NC.

Nothing screams fall like pumpkin-spice anything. Everyone will love this classic-style Bundt cake even more with its candied pecans and rich, buttery icing. It’s a true grand finale dessert.

A sweet coconut filling takes this coconut cake to the next level—it’s seriously good. Top with a super creamy, fluffy coconut frosting and toasted coconut shavings, and you’re set with a dessert almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

You can’t really go wrong with a classic carrot cake. Your Thanksgiving crew will love this one, complete with a brown sugar-cream cheese frosting.

This dessert is always a winner in the fall with the Southern crowd. Butter, brown sugar, and pineapple cook together at the bottom of a skillet to make a deliciously gooey topping for this cake.

A classic caramel cake is about as Southern as it gets, so why not feature it this year at the Thanksgiving family meal? The frosting is the most important thing to get right in a caramel cake, so pay attention and don’t stop stirring.

If you want simple, old-fashioned, and delicious, this chocolate cake is as good as it gets. Southerners know Duke’s mayonnaise is as useful in desserts as it is on a sandwich. This ultra-moist cake proves it.

It doesn’t get any cuter than this, folks. Our homemade Maple Whipped Cream makes these Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes absolute showstoppers.

There’s no need to choose between a pecan pie and a decadent layer cake when this Pecan Pie Cake with Browned Butter Frosting is on the table. This showstopping dessert will wow your Thanksgiving crew.

Boxed cake mix gets paired with all of your favorite apple pie ingredients to create one of the easiest Thanksgiving cakes you’ll ever make. It only takes 15 minutes of hands-on time.

Pound cake and caramel apples meet in this fall favorite that combines delicious pound cake with an Apple Butter filling and sweet caramel frosting.

This from-scratch recipe calls for simple pantry ingredients to create a buttery cake that’s flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, and pecans. A 1960s favorite, Sock It To Me Cake deserves a revival on your Thanksgiving dessert spread.

Now here’s an idea: Skip the casserole and save those potatoes for a cake instead. This cake is full of all the seasonal flavor your taste buds can desire before being topped off with decadent cream cheese icing.

There never was a more Southern cake than our Caramel-Frosted Pound Cake. It serves wonderfully as a dessert or decadent breakfast when an indulgence is requested. And when better a time to indulge than Thanksgiving?

Does it get any easier (or more seasonal) than our Pumpkin Dump Cake? We think not. Set aside just 10 minutes of hands-on time for a showstopping dessert that is bound to be your new favorite fall dessert.

One of our all-time favorite dessert recipes, this cake is sure to be an instant hit and new classic to close your Thanksgiving feast. A fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting coats a cake loaded with apples, cinnamon, and nuts. You may break a sweat stirring the thick batter, but it’ll be well worth it.

Brown Butter Toffee Frosting is the star of the show in this buttery vanilla layer cake. Toasted pecan halves and flaky sea salt are the cherry on top of this winning Thanksgiving dessert.

Dessert doesn’t get more moist than this rich, apple-filled cake. The cream cheese filling, homemade praline frosting, and toasted pecans will call your Thanksgiving guests back for seconds.

The delicately swirled frosting will draw intrigued Thanksgiving guests in, and just one bite of the decadent pumpkin cake will get them hooked.

This make-ahead cake is as convenient as it it delicious. It tastes best after sitting pretty in your cupboard for two to three days.

As if carrot cake needed a fall makeover, this recipe is as good as it gets. Use a heavy hand to spoon on the luscious Mascarpone Frosting and drizzle on the Apple Cider Caramel Sauce.