29 Thanksgiving Cake Recipes

Pie usually rules the dessert table, but a good cake can steal the show. Think pumpkin spice, caramel apple, toasted pecans, and maple, all wrapped up in one sliceable dessert.

This roundup gathers 29Thanksgiving cake recipes for every kind of baker. You will find easy dump and poke cakes, cozy bundts, a classic pumpkin roll, and tall layer cakes made for the center of the table.

Sweet potato, cranberry, chai, and pear show up too. Every recipe links back to its original source, so you can grab the full ingredient list and start baking.

1. Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Picture pumpkin pie on the bottom and a buttery, crisp pecan crust on top. The base is a simple whisk of canned pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice, poured straight into a 9×13 pan.

Dry yellow cake mix gets sprinkled over it and patted down, with no stirring at all. Chopped pecans and melted margarine go on last.

It bakes for about an hour at 350°F and feeds 12 to 16 people. Serve each square with a spoonful of whipped topping.

Source details: shesnotcookin.com

2. Caramel Apple Layer Cake

Three soft, cinnamon-spiced layers make this one a true showpiece. Greek yogurt plus a mix of melted butter and oil keep the 6-inch cake layers fluffy and tender.

Between them goes a silky caramel buttercream made with homemade salted caramel sauce. Tart apples cooked with brown sugar and cinnamon turn into a chunky compote that tastes just like apple pie filling.

Salted caramel drips run down the sides to finish it. Plan on about three and a half hours from start to finish.

Source details: teakandthyme.com

3. Pecan Pie Layer Cake

Can’t choose between pecan pie and cake? This two-layer beauty gives you both. The brown sugar cake gets its warmth from cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, plus a cup of sour cream for a soft crumb.

A gooey pecan pie filling cooks on the stove in about 6 minutes, made with corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, and an egg.

A piped ring of vanilla buttercream holds the filling in place between the layers. The rest gets spooned over the top for a glossy pecan crown.

Source details: hostessatheart.com

4. Perfect Pumpkin Layer Cake

Source details: sugarandsparrow.com

5. Apple Cider Donut Cake

All the flavor of a cider mill donut, baked in one big bundt pan. A cup of apple cider and some applesauce go into the batter along with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a pinch of cardamom.

Once the cake cools, brush it all over with melted butter. Then press cinnamon sugar onto the sides with your palms for that classic donut coating.

It bakes in 40 to 50 minutes and serves 12. Any leftover slices are just as good with your morning coffee.

Source details: pinkowlkitchen.com

6. Spice Cake With Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Five warm spices give this cake its cozy flavor: cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Brown sugar, applesauce, and buttermilk keep the crumb extra moist, and the batter is simply whisked together.

The real star is the frosting. Browned butter gets cooled until firm, then beaten with cream cheese for a nutty, caramel-like swirl.

A handful of quick stovetop candied pecans goes on top. Bake it as three 6-inch layers or two 8-inch layers.

Source details: sugarandsparrow.com

7. Heavenly Pumpkin Cheesecake

This creamy pumpkin cheesecake skips the fussy water bath. A chocolate Oreo crust gets pressed into a 9-inch springform pan with no pre-baking.

The filling blends three blocks of cream cheese with brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice. Bake at 325°F until only the center 2 to 3 inches still jiggle.

Chill it for at least 4 hours or overnight, which makes it an easy make-ahead pick. Homemade whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon go on just before serving.

Source details: littlesweetbaker.com

8. Cranberry Orange Cake

Tart cranberries and bright orange make this sheet cake a refreshing break from all the pumpkin. Egg whites, cake flour, and sour cream give it a soft, bakery-style crumb.

Chopped cranberries get tossed in a little flour first so they don’t sink. Then they are folded into the batter with fresh orange zest and juice.

A smooth cream cheese frosting covers the top. Sparkly sugared cranberries and extra zest finish it off, and they look lovely on a holiday table.

Source details: ohsweetbasil.com

9. Maple Pecan Layer Cake

Three tall layers make this maple cake big enough to serve 16. The batter comes together in two bowls with buttermilk, melted butter, real maple syrup, and both white and brown sugar.

Toasted chopped pecans get folded in at the end for crunch in every bite.

Each 9-inch layer bakes in about 30 minutes. The whole cake is then covered in a double batch of French maple buttercream and refrigerated, so serve it chilled.

Source details: cookingwithcarlee.com

10. Caramel Pumpkin Poke Cake

Caramel sinks into every bite of this crowd-sized cake. A simple scratch pumpkin batter with cinnamon bakes in a 9×13 pan for 30 to 35 minutes.

While the cake is still hot, pierce it all over with a fork and pour most of a jar of caramel topping into the holes.

Once cool, it gets a fluffy frosting of cream cheese, powdered sugar, and Cool Whip. Chopped pecans and one last drizzle of caramel go on top. It serves 20, so it suits big gatherings.

Source details: sixsistersstuff.com

11. Sweet Potato Cake

Roasted sweet potatoes give this three-layer cake its moist texture and gentle sweetness. Bake the potatoes first, then mash two cups into a batter warmed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

Toasted pecans or walnuts go between the layers and get pressed all around the sides.

Everything is wrapped in a cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Chill the cake for at least 4 hours so the frosting sets. It keeps in the fridge for up to a week, so you can bake it early.

Source details: melissassouthernstylekitchen.com

12. Caramel Apple Bundt Cake

Fresh apples, applesauce, and Greek yogurt team up to make this bundt cake extra moist. The batter is warmed with cinnamon and nutmeg, and finely chopped apples get folded in last.

It bakes low and slow at 325°F for about an hour. Tent the edges with foil near the end if they start to brown too fast.

The topping is a quick stovetop caramel glaze made from butter, brown sugar, and cream. Spoon it over the cake and let it cool before slicing.

Source details: domesticallycreative.com

13. Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake

A light pumpkin sponge soaks up three kinds of milk in this fall twist on the classic. Egg whites whipped to stiff peaks give the cake its airy texture, so it can drink up all that liquid.

The soak blends evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk with vanilla and pumpkin pie spice.

Cold vanilla whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon go on top. Short on time? The recipe also offers a shortcut that starts with a pumpkin spice cake.

Source details: averiecooks.com

14. Gingerbread Sheet Cake

Molasses and a full tablespoon of ground ginger give this sheet cake its deep, cozy flavor. Everything gets mixed in one bowl in about 10 minutes, with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice adding extra warmth.

It bakes in a 9×13 pan for around 28 minutes and cuts into 16 squares.

Top it with a fluffy maple cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of cinnamon. For a simpler finish, a dusting of powdered sugar works too.

Source details: cloudykitchen.com

15. Pumpkin Bundt Cake With Cream Cheese Filling

Slice into this bundt and you will find a ribbon of sweet cream cheese running through the middle. The pumpkin cake itself tastes a lot like pumpkin pie, thanks to brown sugar, buttermilk, and pumpkin pie spice.

Half the batter goes into the pan, then the cinnamon cream cheese filling, then the rest of the batter.

After about 55 minutes in the oven, it gets a generous drizzle of cream cheese icing. A scatter of chopped pecans on top is optional.

Source details: jocooks.com

16. Spiced Pear Bundt Cake

Four cups of juicy pear chunks fill this bundt cake, along with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Part of the flour is whole wheat pastry flour, and it uses less sugar than most bundts.

While the cake is still warm, brush the top with a cinnamon simple syrup. Then sprinkle on cinnamon sugar for a sweet, crackly finish.

To help it slide right out of the pan, the recipe suggests brushing the pan with melted butter and dusting it with flour before the batter goes in.

Source details: aredspatula.com

17. Carrot Cake

Applesauce and coconut oil are the secrets behind this extra moist carrot cake. Two cups of freshly grated carrots, toasted pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little orange peel go into the batter.

Two 8-inch cakes get sliced in half to make four thin layers.

Each layer is spread with a fluffy cream cheese frosting made with whipped butter. Press more toasted pecans onto the sides, chill for a few hours, and top with carrot shavings for a pretty finish.

Source details: cookinwithmima.com

18. Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding

This British favorite gets a pumpkin makeover. A soft pumpkin cake, sweetened with brown sugar and a little molasses, bakes in a 9×13 pan for 40 to 45 minutes.

While it bakes, simmer a quick toffee sauce of butter, brown sugar, cream, and vanilla.

As soon as the cake comes out, poke holes all over it with a chopstick and pour on most of the sauce. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream and the rest of the toffee sauce spooned on top.

Source details: teakandthyme.com

19. Chai Cake

If you love a chai latte, this is your cake. The two layers are loaded with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and even a pinch of black pepper, while sour cream and buttermilk keep them tender.

The frosting is a pumpkin buttercream. Squeezing the pumpkin puree in paper towels first keeps it thick enough to spread.

Together, the spiced layers and pumpkin frosting taste like a chai pumpkin spice latte. One cake makes 16 slices.

Source details: stephaniessweets.com

20. Butter Pecan Pound Cake

This Southern pound cake starts by toasting chopped pecans in butter right in a skillet. That small step gives every slice a deep, nutty flavor.

The batter is rich, with a cup and a half of butter, white and brown sugar, six eggs, and buttermilk. It bakes in a 10-inch bundt pan at 325°F for 60 to 70 minutes.

A simple vanilla glaze goes on once it cools. Make it with milk, or swap in maple syrup for a fall twist.

Source details: insanelygoodrecipes.com

21. Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake

Thick pumpkin batter meets a crunchy pecan crumb in this cozy 9-inch square cake. The batter gets a touch of maple syrup and buttermilk, plus plenty of pumpkin pie spice.

Half of the brown sugar pecan streusel is swirled into the batter. The rest gets pressed on top before baking for 30 to 40 minutes.

It is a great pick for Thanksgiving morning. The author even found it tasted better the next day, so you can bake it the night before.

Source details: selfproclaimedfoodie.com

22. Salted Caramel Apple Cake

Source details: sugarandsparrow.com

23. Easy Caramel Apple Poke Cake

Need an easy dessert that takes almost no effort? This one starts with a boxed spice cake mix. After it cools for 30 minutes, poke deep holes all over the top with the handle of a wooden spoon.

Apple pie filling gets blended until smooth, then spread over the cake so it fills every hole.

Chill it for at least 2 hours. Right before serving, spread on whipped topping and drizzle with caramel sauce for a caramel apple flavor in every forkful.

Source details: domestically-speaking.com

24. Pumpkin Sheet Cake With Brown Butter Frosting

Moist, fluffy, and nicely spiced, this pumpkin sheet cake is ready in about an hour. The batter uses oil and a whole can of pumpkin puree, and it bakes in a 9×13 pan.

The frosting is the fun part. One stick of butter gets browned, quickly chilled in the freezer, then beaten with more butter, powdered sugar, sea salt, and a splash of cream.

Spread it on in big swoops and add sprinkles if you like. Wrapped well, the cake stays moist for about 3 days.

Source details: acozykitchen.com

25. Jewish Apple Cake

This old-fashioned apple cake is dense, moist, and packed with fruit. Instead of butter, the batter uses vegetable oil and orange juice, which keeps it tender.

Gala apple chunks get tossed in cinnamon sugar, then layered with the batter in a tube pan. You start and end with batter, adding apples in between.

It bakes for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let it cool completely before you take it out of the pan. It cuts into 16 pieces, perfect for a crowd.

Source details: thebeachhousekitchen.com

26. Bourbon Spice Bundt Cake

Three quarters of a cup of bourbon goes right into the batter of this grown-up bundt. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves add warmth, and a box of instant vanilla pudding mix helps keep it moist.

Chopped pecans get folded in before it bakes at 325°F for 65 to 70 minutes.

The glaze is just as rich, made with brown sugar, butter, sweetened condensed milk, and more bourbon. Sprinkle the remaining pecans over the glaze before it sets.

Source details: spicedblog.com

27. Sweet Potato Pound Cake

Two cups of sweet potato puree turn this bundt into a soft, cozy pound cake. Store-bought puree works fine, so there is no need to roast any potatoes.

The batter uses both butter and oil, beaten with white and brown sugar for 5 minutes until fluffy. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and buttermilk round it out.

After about 50 minutes in the oven, it gets a quick brown sugar glaze. Add chopped pecans on top if you like.

Source details: marginmakingmom.com

28. Easy Homemade Butter Pecan Cake

Source details: saltedmint.com

29. Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake

All the gooey swirls of a cinnamon roll, without any yeast or rolling. A box of yellow cake mix gets stirred together with pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, and pumpkin pie spice.

The batter is layered in a 9×13 pan with a brown sugar and cinnamon mix, then swirled with a skewer or butter knife.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. While the cake is still warm, pour on a pumpkin spice glaze and spread it out. Prep takes only about 10 minutes.

Source details: practicallyhomemade.com