For snack time and big occasions
Homemade cake recipes
The yogurt cake of your childhood, Sunday's fudgy chocolate cake, the cheesecake that wows: homemade cakes explained simply, with the right techniques to nail them on the first try.
- 76 recipes
- 40 easy recipes
- Most bake in under an hour
Our community's favorite cakes
The ones we make again for every birthday and every snack time.
The classic to know
Chocolate Cake
Dark chocolate, eggs, a little flour and margarine instead of butter: a moist cake you'll end up making with your eyes closed, and one that also works for anyone avoiding lactose. Serve it warm, with a few berries.
See the recipeFor chocolate fanatics
Fudgy cake, brownies, Black Forest, mousse cakes: chocolate in every form.
Tips that make the difference
What separates a recipe that works from one that falls flat.
Everything at room temperature
Take the butter and eggs out 30 minutes ahead: they blend better and the cake rises more evenly.
Weigh, don't measure
In baking, a scale makes all the difference: just 10 g (about a tablespoon) too much flour is enough to make a cake dry.
Don't overmix the batter
Once the flour goes in, mix just until it disappears: overbeaten batter turns tough and rubbery.
Unmold while warm
Wait 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven: hot, the cake breaks; cold, it sticks to the pan.
With fruit, season by season
Cherries in June, plums in early fall, apples and pears all winter long.
Baking guide
Preheated convection oven. Every oven bakes differently: check for doneness 5 minutes before the end.
| Cake | Oven | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fudgy chocolate cake (9-inch / 22 cm pan) | 350°F (180°C) | 20 to 25 min, center still jiggly |
| Yogurt cake, pound cake | 350°F (180°C) | 35 to 45 min |
| Loaf cake (loaf pan) | 325 to 340°F (160 to 170°C) | 45 to 55 min |
| Sponge roll | 400°F (200°C) | 8 to 10 min, no longer |
| Fruit tart on an unbaked crust | 350 to 400°F (180 to 200°C) | 30 to 40 min |
| Cheesecake | 300 to 325°F (150 to 160°C) | 50 to 60 min, then 1 hr in the turned-off oven |
The test: a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (except fudgy chocolate cake and cheesecake, which stay jiggly in the middle).
Cheesecakes
Basque, Japanese, New York: creamy at the center, best made the day before.
For big occasions
Birthdays, Christmas, Epiphany, Easter: cakes that make a splash on the table.
Easy, for beginners
No complicated technique: a bowl, a pan and an oven.
Missing an ingredient?
Out of eggs, no butter, a smaller pan? Ask Breaky AI how to adapt the recipe: it tells you what to swap and how to adjust the baking time.
“I only have 2 eggs instead of 3 for my yogurt cake. What should I do?”
All our cakes recipes
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Your questions
Why does my cake sink after it comes out of the oven?
Most often it's underbaked in the center, or the oven door was opened too early (before two-thirds of the baking time). Too much baking powder can also make it rise very fast, then collapse.
How can I tell when a cake is done?
Insert a knife or a skewer in the center: it should come out clean. The top should also spring back when pressed lightly. Exceptions: fudgy chocolate cake and cheesecake stay jiggly in the center.
Can I replace the butter in a cake?
Yes: use about 80 g of neutral oil for every 100 g of butter in a yogurt cake or a loaf cake. Part of the butter can also be replaced with applesauce or yogurt, for a lighter but slightly denser cake.
How do I store a homemade cake?
A plain cake (yogurt cake, loaf cake, pound cake) keeps 3 to 4 days at room temperature under a cake dome or well wrapped. Cream cakes, cheesecake and fresh fruit tarts keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.