Sweeten up your picnics, potlucks and barbecues with one of these spectacular summer cake recipes. From peach cake with pecan streusel to ricotta cheesecake with fresh raspberries, there’s a flavor for everyone on this list.
This peachy cake is heavy on the crunchy streusel topping and spiced with fragrant cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. I love it as a coffee cake for brunch, but it’s also wonderful topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream after dinner. GET THE RECIPE
Popular in Latin America, tres leches cake is a light and fluffy cake soaked with a mixture of three milks: sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream. In this version, rum is added to the soaking liquid and a simple rum-spiked dulce de leche glaze covers the cake. My husband calls it “heaven on earth.” GET THE RECIPE
You can have this simple, pretty and delicious cake mixed up and baking in the oven in under 15 minutes. GET THE RECIPE
Also known as chocolate lava cakes, these individual-sized treats have oozing molten centers. They can be prepared ahead of time, stored in the fridge, and then baked at the last minute. Top them with vanilla ice cream for a rich summertime treat. GET THE RECIPE
If there were ever a cake for lemon lovers, this is it. Lemon zest and lemon juice are added to the batter, which lightly perfume the cake. Then, while the cake is still warm from the oven, it’s doused with a lemon syrup to further enhance the lemon flavor. Finally, the cake is drizzled with a tart lemon glaze, which adds a pop of intense lemon flavor in every bite. GET THE RECIPE
Studded with juicy red grapes with hints of vanilla and citrus, this simple Italian-style cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch or tea. It’’s traditionally made during the grape harvest season to use up the small grapes not going for pressing. GET THE RECIPE
Rich and tender from the addition of sour cream, and jam-packed with chocolate chips, this is the kind of old-fashioned, homey cake that appeals to just about everyone — and it’s super-simple to make. GET THE RECIPE
Fresh plums soften into jammy, mulberry-colored pockets as they bake into this simple summer cake. Serve it for brunch or dessert topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. GET THE RECIPE
Spoon into these lovely little cakes and discover a delightful surprise: the batter magically separates while baking into a fluffy cake atop a luscious lemon pudding. They have all the tart-sweet flavor of a lemon pie with none of the fuss, and they make a wonderful light dessert. GET THE RECIPE
Inspired by the “Obsessive Ricotta Cheesecake” in Gina DePalma’s Dolce Italiano, Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen, this cake is a hybrid between an American-style cheesecake and an Italian-style cheesecake. The best part is that it’s easy to make: unlike most cheesecakes, you don’t have to worry about the top cracking (or fuss with a water bath) because it all gets covered with fruit anyway. GET THE RECIPE
