Cake… the mere mention of this delicious indulgence is enough to make anyone’s mouth water. To top this, you can find them in an array of flavors with simple and exotic flavors and ingredients. Tastessence brings to you different types of cakes that you can try.
The original cupcake was called so because all the ingredients used were measured by a cupful. A quote from 1887 reads, “Miss Steele made some cup-cake to-day. . . She put a cup of butter and two whole cups of sugar in it.”
The word ‘cake’ is probably the sweetest word that the English language can offer. It is probably so because a cake complements every occasion, making it even more joyous. No wonder, we have a wedding cake, a baby shower cake, a birthday cake, an anniversary cake, a Christmas cake, so on and so forth.
You might have tried quite a few cakes, and you might even have a favorite amongst those, but are you aware that there are over a hundred types of cakes out there that you still haven’t tried? To help you get started at trying new cakes, Tastessence provides a list of different types of cakes along with some pictures to drool on.
Origin: United States
About: Angel cake is a type of sponge cake, made from egg whites, cream of tartar, flour, and sugar. Often baked in a tube pan which resembles a bundt pan. The cake is often drizzled with some glaze or fruity syrup.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: Apples are the main ingredient for this cake along with almonds, walnuts, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The cake is often not glazed or frosted; however, it can be decorated with sliced apples.
Origin: Poland
About: This is a yeasty sponge cake often found with a chocolate or vanilla glaze and icing, garnished with almonds and/or rum.
Origin: Turkey
About: Basbousa is traditional Middle-Eastern cake made from semolina or farina soaked in simple syrup. The syrup is usually infused with coconut, orange flower water, or rose water.
Origin: United States
About: Boston Cream Pie is made from sponge cake and chocolate cake with a layer of custard/cream in between the two layers of cake. It is then glazed with chocolate or ganache, sprinkled with sugar, and decorated with cherries.
Origin: United States
About: Banana cake or banana bread is made from mashed ripe bananas topped with nuts and chocolate.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: Battenberg cake is a simple sponge cake, which when cut into slices give it a checkered pattern. It is decorated with marzipan and jam. The Battenberg cake is generally available in yellow and pink colored sponge cake.
Origin: Germany
About: Baumkuchen is a unique vanilla layered cake with a hollow center. The cake is known for its layers that resemble the rings of a cut tree. In fact, the name of this cake in German translates to tree cake.
Origin: Germany
About: Bienenstich is a yeasty cake, filled with vanilla custard, buttercream, and topped with caramelized almonds. Legend has it, that a bee was attracted to this cake and stung the person who invented it, hence the name.
Origin: Germany
About: This a gorgeous chocolate sponge cake frosted and sandwiched between whipped cream and maraschino cherries. Chocolate shavings are sprinkled all over the cake to give it a richer taste.
Origin: United States, Canada
About: Brownies are flat cakes baked square in a shallow dish. They are often made of flour, eggs, chocolate, cocoa powder, sugar, and butter. They may also contain nuts and chocolate chips. Brownies can be enjoyed with chocolate syrup and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
Origin: Sicily, Italy
About: The Buccellato is a circular cake prepared on special occasions and for that special someone. It is usually given to the godchild and his/her family by the godparents on the day of the christening. This cake contains honey, marsala, aniseed, and raisins. It is often paired with cappuccino or tea.
Origin: United States
About: The Bundt cake is baked in a distinct ring shape with a hollow center. This cake is generally found in one flavor, and often sprinkled with powdered sugar or at times glazed with chocolate.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: The main ingredient of the butter cake is butter. Other ingredients include sugar, flour, and eggs. This cake is made by the creaming method, which means butter and sugar are whisked till it turns fluffy, and eggs are gradually whisked.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: The butterfly cake is a variation of a cupcake and is also known as the fairy cake. This versatile cake can be made in any flavor. The cake is carved out with a spoon to give it a shape that resembles butterfly wings. Buttercream and jam are often preferred as the filling. The wings are further decorated using icing sugar.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: As the name suggests, carrots are the main ingredient for this cake, followed by flour, eggs, sugar, and almonds. Cream cheese, and sugar glaze best enhance the flavor of the cake.
Origin: France
About: Charlotte cake is made from bread, sponge cake, and cookies, while ladyfingers are used to mold the cake lining. Fruit puree or custard, or flavored gelatin, are filled in the layers to give it an intense taste and flavor.
Origin: Greece
About: Cheesecake has a base made from crushed cookies, which is then topped with thick luscious soft cheese, eggs, and sugar.
Origin: United States
About: Chiffon cake is another type of sponge cake made with vegetable oil, eggs, flour, and sugar. It is made in the same way as an Angel cake but with a small change, its aerated properties are combined with meringue.
Origin: France
About: Bouchon is a rich chocolate cake, it has a unique corkscrew shape, and it’s aptly named bouchon―cork in French.
Origin: –
About: Chambord is a brand of raspberry liqueur, which is amalgamated with rich dark chocolate sponge to make the chocolate Chambord cake. It is then dolloped with a bittersweet chocolate ganache.
Origin: –
About: Chocolate is often the base cake for many other chocolate cakes. It is a common sponge cake with cocoa powder added to it while whisking the ingredients together. Ganache, fudge, sweeteners,and vanilla creme are often used in between two layers as icing.
Origin: –
About: Chocolate satin cake is a deep rich and moist chocolate layer cake filled and coated with chocolate ganache.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: A Christmas cake is rum-soaked cake infused with dried fruit such as raisins and almonds, cinnamon, cherries, and whisked into a chocolate cake. Royal icing or glaze are often used to decorate this Christmas treat.
Origin: United States
About: Coconut cake, a popular southern delight, is white or yellow cake made with coconut milk and coconut extract. This cake is frosted and layered with cream cheese or buttercream frosting mixed with grated coconut or coconut flavor.
Origin: Italy
About: The Colomba cake is made from flour, eggs, butter, sugar, candied peel, raisins, almonds, natural yeast, and pearl sugar. Often found drizzled with chocolate.
Origin: Germany
About: This cake does not have any coffee in it, but is often had with coffee. The cake is flavored with cinnamon, spices, nuts and fruits, and drizzled with light glaze.
Origin: Slovenia, Croatia, Germany
About: Cremeschnitte is a vanilla and custard cream cake. There are many regional variations, but they all include puff pastry base and custard cream.
Origin: France
About: The Croquembouche consists of choux pastry balls bound together with caramel. This cake is often made and served for special occasions.
Origin: China
About: Crystal cake is a traditional Chinese dessert and derives its name from its appearance. The cake is shiny, bright, glittering, and translucent, like a crystal.
Origin: United States
About: Cupcakes are made in the shape of miniature cups, hence the name. They are often frosted with rich delicious icing and at times sprinkled with sprinkles and candy.
Origin: France
About: Dacquoise is made from meringue, almonds, hazelnuts, whipped cream, chocolate, and buttercream.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: Date and walnut loaf/cake is heavily induced with dates, walnuts, treacle, and tea.
Origin: Canada
About: Date square/Matrimonial cake is a coffee cake made from cooked dates, candied peel, and oatmeal crumble.
Origin: –
About: Death by chocolate cake is a rich chocolate fudge cake with double the chocolate. A soft delicious chocolate layer cake sandwiched between chocolate ganache, meringue, buttercream, and mousse.
Origin: United States
About: Depression cake originated, during the Great Depression, hence the name. It is made from flour, apples, raisins, prunes, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, walnut, almonds, pecans, and pears.
Origin: United States
About: Devil’s food cake is a rich, moist chocolate layer cake. Sandwiched between rich chocolate or vanilla frosting. The chocolate cake is at times replaced by red velvet cake.
Origin: Scotland
About: Dundee cake is made with oodles of currants, almonds, sultanas, and fruit peels.
Origin: Hungary
About: The Dobos cake has multiple layers of sponge cake. It is frosted with chocolate buttercream. It is coated with a thin caramel topping, with chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: Eccles cake are small round cakes filled with currants, topped with demerara sugar.
Origin: Hungary
About: The Esterházy torte is made with buttercream mixed with vanilla or cognac, sandwiched between multiple layers of almond meringue.
Origin: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
About: The Fat Rascal is a yeast cake made with dried fruit, candied peel, and oats.
Origin: France
About: The Financier is a small, light and moist, sponge cake. Containing almond flour, with ground almonds, and/or almond flavoring. Other ingredients consist of flour, egg whites, and powdered sugar. The cakes are baked in small rectangular loaves.
Origin: Australia
About: Frog cake are shaped exactly as their name suggests. However, they are made from sponge cake, frosted with cream and fondant.
Origin: France
About: Fraisier is a chocolate cake filled with fresh strawberries and crème pâtissière.
Origin: Rome, Italy
About: Fruitcake is a simple cake loaded with dried fruits and nuts, spices, and candied fruits. The cake is often soaked in spirits and nuts.
Origin: China (Funing County, Jiangsu province)
About: Funing big cake is a simple Chinese cake made from sticky rice, sugar, pine nuts, and lard or vegetable oil.
Origin: Italy
About: Genoa cake is a yeasty cake made not so simple by adding pine nuts, and fruits viz. sultana’s, cherries, almonds, candied fruits, and raising.
Origin: United States
About: German chocolate cake is a multiple chocolate layered cake filled and topped with pecan, chocolate, and coconut frosting. It is often garnished with caramel and maraschino cherries.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: Gingerbread is a moist loaf cake made with ginger root, molasses, and honey.
Origin: United States
About: Gooey butter cake is a flat and dense cake. It is sweet and rich, perfect to have with coffee as a coffee cake.
Origin: Denmark
About: Gåsebryst is also known as a cream cake. This cake is made with Danish pastry at the base, topped with custard, jam, whipped cream, and coated with marzipan.
Origin: United States
About: Hot milk cake is a twin layered cake with a sweet mocha icing, topped with fruits, boiled icing, and powdered sugar. The recipe requires scalding hot milk that is poured into the batter to make this cake.
Origin: United States
About: Hummingbird cake is made from fruits viz. banana, pineapple, pecan, vanilla extract, and spices. It is topped with dollops of cream cheese frosting.
Origin: –
About: Ice cream cake is often a three-layered cake, coated and sandwiched between ice cream.
Origin: –
About: An Icebox cake is made of ladyfingers or cookies, sandwiched between jell-o, whipped cream, and pudding that is later set in the refrigerator. Cream is whipped soft and infused with cookies, chocolate, and essence and made into a cake. This cake is also called a zebra cake.
Origin: Italy
About: Italian cream cake is a rich cake containing nuts and sweet creamy fillings.
Origin: France
About: Jelly rolls are sponge cake roles or roulade, filled with buttercream, jam, ganache, fruit or fruit puree, lemon curd,whipped cream, and nuts that are rolled into a log shape. They are then frosted with buttercream icing.
Origin: France, Spain
About: King cake is also known as the Epiphany cake and is made at the end of the Christmas season. This cake has a yeasty base filled with nuts and dried fruits. The cake often decorated with a tiny plastic baby as a representation of Baby Jesus.
Origin: Sweden
About: Kladdkaka is a sticky chocolate cake that is quite similar to a brownie with a soft center. The cake is dusted with powdered sugar and dolloped with whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream.
Origin: Latvia
About: Kliņģeris is another yeasty cake baked in a mold with a hollow center, like the bundt cake mold. The cake is infused with saffron and golden dried fruits and sprinkled with sugar.
Origin: Poland
About: Kolacz is a wheel shaped coffee cake. It is traditionally a pastry that is often used as a wedding cake whole history dates back to the 13th century.
Origin: France (Brittany)
About: Kouign-amann is doughy cake baked in a round baking tin. It is made from bread dough, layered with butter and sugar layers. The sugar and salty butter melts as the cake bakes, giving it layers.
Origin: Denmark, Norway
About: Kransekake is unique as it is made into a series of concentric rings. 18 layers, to be exact, are layered on top of each other. These rings are stuck to each other with a unique icing made from almond paste, egg whites, and sugar.
Origin: Poland
About: Kremówka is made of two layers of puff pastry, sandwiched between whipped cream, custard, buttercream, or sometimes egg white cream, and is dusted with powdered sugar.
Origin: United States
About: Lady Baltimore cake is a popular wedding cake made taller by layers of white cake enveloped and sandwiched in between boiled white icing infused chopped nuts and candied fruits.
Origin: France
About: Ladyfingers are soft sweet sponge cakes made in finger-shaped cake tins. These cakes are used to make other cakes viz. Charlotte cake, Tiramisu. These cakes are sprinkled with powdered sugar before baking. The sugar caramelizes and gives it a crunchy crust.
Origin: Australia
About: Lamingtons are square single-layered cakes that are coated with a thin layer of chocolate ganache or syrup and re-coated with desiccated coconut.
Origin: –
About: Lemon cake batter is infused with lemon zest and a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice, along with buttermilk, vanilla extract.
Origin: France
About: Madeleines are known for their distinctive shell shape. These cakes are simple sponge infused with ground almonds, lemon or orange flower water.
Origin: England
About: Madeira cake is a traditional sponge cake that is sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar and garnished with dollops of whipped cream. This cake best complements tea.
Origin: Denmark
About: Marble cake is made by lightly swirling yellow cake and chocolate cake batter together. Once done, the cake is laced with chocolate frosting.
Origin: France
About: Marjolaine is a multiple layered cake sandwiched between mocha almond, hazelnut butter, whipped cream, and iced with coffee buttercream, or chocolate ganache, topped with toasted almonds.
Origin: –
About: Meringue is a flourless cake made from numerous cakes made of meringue, and filled with custard, mousse, whipped cream, and fruit.
Origin: France
About: Mille Crêpes cake is composed of 20 layers of thin French crêpes sandwiched between vanilla pastry cream.
Origin: France
About: Mille-feuille, also known as a Napoleonkake, is made of caramel or carob flavor and made in the same way as tompouce. The cake has three layers of puff pastry alternating with pastry cream. It is glazed in white icing and chocolate strips, only to be combed later.
Origin: United States
About: Molten chocolate cake is a cross between chocolate soufflé and a flourless cake. It has an ooey-gooey molten chocolate center in the middle. Resembling lava from a volcano―chocolate volcano.
Origin: –
About: A mousse cake is made of layers of mousse and sponge cake, biscuits, meringue, macaroon, or butter cake layers. The cake also consists of a layer of bittersweet chocolate mousse, and another milk chocolate mousse and a few thin layers of chocolate butter cake, frosted with a some ganache.
Origin: France
About: Opera cake has a layer of chocolate, espresso, and almond, called joconde, layered with coffee-chocolate ganache and buttercream.
Origin: Poland
About: Paczki is a round spongy cake made of strawberry, sweet cheese, liqueurs, and chocolate.
Origin: Italy
About: Panpepato is a round cake made of almonds, pine nuts, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange and lime zest, hazelnuts, cocoa, flour, honey, and grape must.
Origin: Italy
About: Panettone is a cross between bread and cake, made in a circular base. The cake contains lemon zest, citron, raisins, and candied orange.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: Parkin is a gingerbread cake made with treacle and oatmeal. It is often baked using golden syrup and sprinkled with extra sugar.
Origin: New Zealand
About: Pavlova is named after a ballerina Anna Pavlova. The cake is made of circles of meringue filled with fresh fruits and whipped cream.
Origin: France
About: Petit four are tiny cakes served with coffee after meals. These are inch-square sponge cakes layered with buttercream and coated with colored fondant and redecorated with fruits, marzipan, nuts, and more icing.
Origin: France
About: Petit Gâteau are small chocolate cakes with a crunchy exterior with a soft and molten center. They are closely related to chocolava cake and are often had with vanilla ice cream.
Origin: Croatia
About: Povitica is a rich and dense yeasty cake made from butter and cream cheese.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: Pound cake is the base of many a cakes. It is a rich dense buttery cake with ingredients used in the same quantity. Many varieties of this cake are found with ingredients like liqueur, extracts, flavors, chocolate chips, candied fruits, lemon and/ or orange zest, dried fruits, coffee, key lime, and other fruits.
Origin: Sweden
About: Princess cake has alternating layers of whipped cream and sponge cake, along with layers of jam and custard, coated with marzipan.
Origin: Germany
About: The Prinzregententorte is made with sponge cake sandwiched between buttercream and chocolate glaze.
Origin: Austria
About: Punschkrapfen is a punch cake made of fine rum infused with nougat, chocolate, cake crumbs, apricot jam soaked in rum. It is glazed in thick pink sugary rum glaze drizzled in chocolate. The cake is similar to the petit four.
Origin: –
About: The Queen cake is a white-layered cake frosted in caramel.
Origin: Japan, China
About: Red Bean cake is made from mashed red beans and gelatin.
Origin: United States
About: The red velvet cake is a simple sponge cake infused with beet root juice and cocoa powder, but nowadays, food color is used instead of beet root, which gives it its distinct maroon color. The cake is topped with a thick white frosting.
Origin: Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago
About: Rum cake is a pound or sponge cake that is soaked in rum, and filled with whipped cream and fresh fruits. The cake is frosted with boiled icing and dried fruits. This cake is often baked in loaf or bundt baking tins.
Origin: Italy
About: Rum Baba are small yeasty cakes soaked in rum and/or hard liquor. They are filled with whipped cream or royal icing.
Origin: Bosnia
About: Ruske Kape cake is made in small round molds and set and cooled, the sides are coated with grated coconut and crushed walnuts. The top of the cake is drenched in chocolate, vanilla, or mocha.
Origin: Austria
About: Sachertorte is a three-layered chocolate sponge cake layered and filled with apricot jam, only to be iced with dark chocolate and whipped cream.
Origin: Lithuania
About: Šakotis means ‘a tree with many branches’, this is probably because the cake is often found in a conical shape. The cake is rotated in front of an open fire as layers are added one on top of the other, giving it a distinct shape. This cake is drenched in chocolate glaze.
Origin: –
About: Savarin is another yeast cake baked in a bundt cake mold, and soaked in orange rum syrup. It is later filled with royal icing and fresh fruit.
Origin: Hungary
About: Seven Layer cake is made of 5 to 7 thin layers and of cake and frosted with chocolate buttercream.
Origin: Lebanon
About: Sfouf is a simple cake made of semolina and almond cake that is flavored with sugar and turmeric.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: Shortcake is a simple sponge cake. The first half of the cake is topped with whipped cream and fruits drizzled with biscuit or scone powder.
Origin: Italy
About: Sicilian Cassata is a round sponge cake moistened by fruit juices or liqueur. Layered with candied peels, ricotta cheese, and chocolate or vanilla filling. It is then coated with marzipan.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: A Simnel cake is a fruit cake with marzipan. The cake is induced with spices, dried fruits, and zest.
Origin: Hong Kong, China
About: Snow Skin Mooncake is made and devoured during a mid autumn festival. It is made from glutinous rice which is later frozen.
Origin: France
About: Soufflé is a light and fluffy cake made with eggs combined with other ingredients like jams, cheese, fruits, chocolate, berries, lemon and lemon zest.
Origin: Netherlands
About: Spekkoek is a multilayer cake containing almonds, cashews, cheese, and dried fruits.
Origin: North America
About: Spice cake is made with an abundance of spices like cloves, allspice, nutmeg, maple syrup, ginger, and cinnamon.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: The sponge cake is the base of almost any cake. It is a light cake that makes the base of many cakes viz., ladyfingers and many other.
Origin: United States
About: Stack Cake is a type of sponge cake in which cakes made of different flavors and frosting are stacked one on top of the other.
Origin: –
About: Strawberry cakes are a simple white sponge cakes infused with fresh and dried strawberries. They are then frosted with royal icing topped with fresh strawberries.
Origin: Germany
About: Streuselkuchen is a yeasty doughy flat cake which is cut into oblong pieces. It is enveloped with streusel a combination of crumbs made from sugar, flour, and fat.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: Swiss roll is a thin sponge cake filled with jam, icing, and whipped cream, then rolled and allowed to set. Then, it is cut into slices.
Origin: France
About: Tarte Tatins are upside down tarts that are made from caramelized fruits.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: Teacakes are a cross between a cake and cookie and served as finger foods. Dolloped with whipped cream and sandwiched between two small discs of sponge cake.
Origin: Dutch
About: Though the number thousand is highly exaggerated, the cake has only 12 layers. The layers are thin and flavorful, often infused with local spices
Origin: Italy
About: Tiramisu has layers of ladyfingers that are soaked in espresso liqueur and layered with mascarpone cheese and custard mixture, and dusted with cocoa powder.
Origin: Spain
About: Tortes are a round, rich, dense cakes that are infused with ground nuts and fruit puree. Unlike cakes, tortes are not layered and are often glazed and topped with fresh fruits and whipped cream.
Origin: Italy (San Marino)
About: A Torta Tre Monti is a three-layered cake made of thin wafers sandwiched between hazelnut or chocolate ganache, and decorated with fondant.
Origin: South America
About: The tres leches cake is a sponge cake soaked in a variety of milk, like evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk, which is topped with whipped cream.
Origin: Scotland
About: Tunis cake is a madeira cake with a thick layer of chocolate cake and coated with marzipan and fruits.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: The upside-down cake is a single-layer vanilla cake. The base of which is layered and made of syrupy sliced fruit topped with cake batter. Once baked and cooled, the cake is turned upside down, making the base of the cake into the top of the cake. Fruits like pineapples, apples, and cherries are often used in the cake.
Origin: United Kingdom
About: The Victoria sandwich cake is a twin-layered sponge cake filled with whipped cream and jam, topped with a light glaze. The cake is often served with tea and sandwiches.
Origin: United States
About: Whoopie pies are a triple amalgamation between cakes, cookes, and pies. It is also known as gob or black moon. Often found in chocolate cake, pumpkin or gingerbread cake, sandwiched between frosting.
Origin: Colombia
About: Wine cakes are made with additional ingredients such as wine, candied fruit, rum, and raisins.
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