A gorgeous, towering layer cake means one thing: This is special. Here, you’ll find our best multi-layered cakes from classics like vanilla, carrot, coconut, and red velvet to modern cakes inspired by Irish coffee and rich hot chocolate. Plus, a handy tip for making your cake stand up straight, even if you cut the layers a little crooked.

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German Chocolate Cake

Chocolate and coconut lovers rejoice! This ultimate recipe for German Chocolate Cake uses a moderate amount of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate—up to 70%—for deeper flavor.

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Pear Ginger Cake with Whipped Cream and Rum-Caramel Glaze

This triple-decker features a tender cake with fresh pears and homemade ginger folded into the batter and a billowy whipped cream filling and frosting topped with luscious rum-caramel glaze.

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Classic Carrot Layer Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

This classic is chock-full of shredded carrots, chopped walnuts, and raisins, plus all the spices you’d expect: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

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Hot Chocolate Layer Cake with Homemade Marshmallows

All the rich flavor of hot chocolate—in cake form. Homemade marshmallows piled on top seal the deal on tall and tasty stunner.

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White Chocolate Macadamia Cake with Raspberry Jam Filling

White chocolate leaves and a sleek coat of white chocolate buttercream give this three-layer beauty a sophisticated look.

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Triple-Lemon Layer Cake

This light and tender cake is flavored with lemon, layered with tangy lemon curd, and coated with a voluptuous lemony butter frosting.

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Southern Devil's Food Cake

This four-layer Southern classic is made with cocoa powder, not chocolate, with a generous spoonful of mayonnaise in the batter to keep the cake moist and rich.

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Vanilla Layer Cake with Vanilla Mascarpone Frosting

Fresh raspberries are placed between layers and on top this ethereal vanilla-bean speckled cake.

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Red Velvet Cake

Red velvet cake is a dessert that everyone oohs and aahs over—it’s tall, dark, and handsome, with deep crimson cake layers and a thick coating of cream cheese frosting above, around, and between.

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Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake

A gingery glazed nut topping and brown-butter-spiked cream cheese frosting are the finishing touches for this spectacular spiced pumpkin cake.

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Outrageous Coconut-Cream Meringue Cake

This cake owes its stunning looks to a billowy meringue frosting that’s spiked and browned all over with a kitchen torch.

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Orange Layer Cake

A bright curd-like filling separates the layers of this sweet family favorite garnished with citrus twists and mint.

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Chocolate Irish Whiskey Cake

This recipe reimagines the classic whiskey-spiked Irish coffee as a decadent mocha layer cake filled with coffee-whiskey whipped cream and topped with white and dark chocolate shavings.

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Lemon Icebox Cake

Layering creamy lemon mousse and angel food cake creates this dessert’s light-as-air texture.

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Orange Marmalade Layer Cake with Grand Marnier Buttercream

A simple vanilla cake and a basic buttercream take a citrusy turn once orange marmalade is and Grand Marnier are added to the frosting. The chocolate curls aren’t just for looks; the orange-chocolate combination is divine.

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