As much as I love a good pie, summer cakes can be just as delightful and rewarding for dessert.
There’s something wonderful and simple about a cake full of fresh fruit. Summer cakes are also generally simple cakes. These are things where fruit is the star and the fancier decorating or frostings can be saved for other seasons.
A summer cake is a celebration of not only the natural season but of the abundance of flavor and fruit from the earth. Use these recipes for inspiration and remember that many fruits can easily be substituted for one another.
Like the cherry recipe in general but aren’t a fan of cherries? Substitute berries instead. Most importantly use that fruit up and share it with family and friends this summer season.
Summer Cake Recipes
Make the most of summer fruits and vegetables with these ideas for simple and delicious cakes.
Berry Cakes
Fresh summer berries are a delight to behold and their bright colors and sweet flavors make for a variety of delicious cakes.
Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Moist, fluffy, and full of decadent chocolate raspberry flavor this cake is perfect for summer.
Fresh Berry Cake
Use any berry or combination of berries in this simple cake that whips up in no time.
Grain-Free Fresh Berry Cake
Keep that cake grain-free with this recipe that highlights mixed berries for a summer treat.
Blueberry Bundt Cake
Bundt cakes are always amazing desserts and this version is full of blueberries and comes with a gorgeous naturally colored glaze.
Strawberry and lemon polenta cake
The contrast of soft berries with crunchy coconut and cornmeal is sure to be a welcome treat.
Beautiful Brownie Strawberry Shortcake
Chocolate and strawberries are a natural combination - why not get them in a shortcake version?
Stone Fruit Cakes
Peaches, plums, nectarines all make for different and unusual cakes that are just as at home for a sweet breakfast as they are simple birthday celebrations.
Nectarine Cake
Make the most of late summer fruit with this easy to whip up nectarine cake. Moist and lightly sweet it is a beautiful and delicious dessert.
Plum Cake with Plum Jam Frosting
Tart, sweet, and lightly spiced this delicious cake is simple and yet elegant enough for a birthday celebration.
Peach Breakfast Cake, a New Take on an Old Favorite
Who says we shouldn't have cake for breakfast? At least this gave gives us a helping of of fresh fruit with it.
Apricot Upside-down Cake
Upside down cakes are always fun and delicious. This apricot version is sure to delight with its easy and tastiness.
Spiced Plum Upside Down Cake
Spices and late summer plums combine delightfully in an upside down cake that crosses that line between summer fruit and autumn spice delightfully well.
Cherry Cakes
Sweet and sour cherries provide a wide range of flavor that go well with everything from cream to chocolate and everything in between.
Sour Cherry Cake
Chocolate and sour cherries combine in a simple but oh-so-tasty cake perfect for company or family meals.
Cherry Bakewell Cake
Sponge cake layered with cream and cherries seems so simple and yet the end result is something so special.
Rustic Sour Cherry Cake
Sour cherries make a great pie, of course, but they also make a tasty rustic pie.
Cherry Coffee Cake
Sunday brunch needs cake too and this cherry coffee cake would be more than perfect!
Chocolate Cherry Loaf Cake
Chocolate and cherries really do go hand-in-hand so why not combine them into a simple loaf cake?
Cherry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Get all those glorious cherry cheesecake flavors in a simple to bake cake.
Vegetable Cakes
While the fruits of summer make amazing cakes, we should not forget that vegetables do too. These are sure to inspire creative use of all your garden abundance.
Radish Bread
A moist loaf cake that is lightly sweet and without any distinguishable radish flavor that can easily be breakfast or dessert.
Chocolate Beetroot Cake
Forget using dyes, especially artificial dyes, and color your chocolate cake naturally with some beets for a delicious and moist cake.
Easy Zucchini Crumb Cake Recipe
Zucchini is always abundant and this crumb cake recipe is a perfect way to use it up and share with friends in a new way.
Lemon and Cucumber Cake with Gin Icing
The creativity of some cooks never ceases to amaze me - cucumber in a cake with lemon and gin? Sounds so different and yet so very amazing!
Lemon Blueberry Squash Bread
Get summer fruit and vegetables in one simple loaf cake with this recipe that uses yellow squash and blueberries in the same batter.
