33 Easy Birthday Cake Recipes That Will Impress Your Friends and Family

This whimsical and elegant cake would impress just about anyone, and the gorgeous chocolate details just scream "party."

Get the Best Choco-Berry Surprise Cake recipe.

This is the brightest, happiest, most joyful looking cake around, and that's what makes it so great for a birthday cake.

Get the Rainbow Cloud Cake recipe.

This springy cake would be picture-perfect for a little girl's birthday party, or any party, really.

Get the Lemon Poppy Seed Cake recipe.

For the chocolate lovers in your life, try this recipe for a rich and indulgent birthday cake. Simply add sparklers or sprinkles for some color.

Get the Rich Chocolate Cake recipe.

Decorate store-bought cupcakes with vanilla buttercream, arrange them in a dress pattern on cardboard, and add candy flowers to fill in the gaps for this unique birthday cake idea.

Get the Vanilla Buttercream recipe.

We all know that one person who is obsessed with strawberry ice cream. This recipe is for them.

Get the Strawberry Ice Cream Cheesecake recipe.

If you're wondering what type of cake is best for birthdays, you can't go wrong with this classic vanilla sheet cake recipe. Plus, it's a great blank slate if you want to get creative with your own DIY decorations.

Get the Classic Vanilla Cake recipe.

This cake looks like a traditional birthday cake on the outside, but keeps things interesting with a strawberry-rhubarb filling.

Get the Strawberry Rhubarb Cake recipe.

Using brownie mix instead of cake mix makes this easy cake extra chocolatey.

Get the Neapolitan Brownie Ice Cream Cake recipe.

This cake is fun to just look at, but we promise it's even more fun to eat.

Get the Coconut Cake recipe.

This recipe creates the ultimate "impress your friends" cake. For a festive, fun, and gorgeous cake, this ombre cake recipe is a beautiful and delicious option.

Get the Pink Ombré Cake recipe.

Can't decide between citrus or chocolate flavors for a birthday cake? This recipe combines both perfectly.

Get the White Chocolate Lemon Cake recipe.

Store-bought mix, with cans of frosting and a few strategic slices, creates a vanilla cake that morphs into the star summer melon. Have a wedge!

Get the Watermelon Cake recipe.

We all have that one friend who only wants the most unique, creative gifts (or cakes). For that friend, there is this textured and delicious chocolate meringue cake. It's as beautiful as it is different.

Get the Chocolate Meringue Layer Cake recipe.

When a friend challenged cooking duo the Casserole Queens to create a unique cannoli recipe, this layer cake featuring orange, ricotta, and chocolate was born.

Get the Cannoli Cake recipe.

Flour Shop's Amirah Kassem's signature masterpiece: six layers of colorful cake hiding a tunnel of sprinkles that spill out in glorious fashion when it's sliced. You can make your own wowza work of art at home with the Flour Shop Rainbow Explosion Cake Kit, available at Williams-Sonoma.

For a cake that's as delicious for breakfast as it is for dessert, try this vanilla pound cake and rhubarb compote combination.

Get the Sour-Cream Vanilla Pound Cake with Rhubarb Compote recipe.

For lovers of key lime pie, this key lime cake is soaked with lime juice and is tart, sweet, and completely delicious.

Get the Key Lime Poke Cake recipe.

Want to create an ombre cake without all of the work? This rhubarb cake is the answer to your wish.

Get the Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake recipe.

This cake is so playful and fun that it would be probably be a beloved option for any adult or kids' birthday party, particularly if it's beach or ocean-themed.

Get the Beach Cake recipe.

Can't decide between bite-sized treats, cupcakes, donuts, cookies, or cakes? These mini pineapple upside down cakes are kind of a combination of all of the above. Put a candle in each one for a fun, playful effect.

Get the Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipe.

This whimsical recipe is ideal for a kid's birthday party, especially if they love animals.

Get the Forest Friends Cake recipe.

This double white chocolate cake provides a beautiful, bright canvas for adding colorful fruit, sprinkles, or other toppings to the design. It can be as simple or elaborate as you want.

Get the Double White Chocolate Cake recipe.

Hosting or attending a themed birthday party? This cake could be a good fit. It could work for a superhero theme, a '70s theme (tie dye, anyone?), or even a unicorn theme. All that color makes a big impact.

Get the Mirror Glaze Cake recipe.

Who says a birthday cake can't be consumed first thing in the morning? This coffee cake would be perfect for a birthday brunch celebration.

Get the Best Freeze-Ahead Coffee Cake recipe.

If you're presenting a birthday cake dessert to someone who likes simple, fresh, or seasonal flavors, a basic apple spice cake could be a great choice. Pair it with some homemade vanilla ice cream for an extra treat.

Get the Apple Spice Cake recipe.

Combining sweet apricot and crunchy, toasty almonds, this recipe might not be your typical birthday cake, but it's a good one all the same.

Get the Almond Apricot Cake recipe.

Bake a basic cake recipe in a sheet pan, then give it a beauty boost with different colors of buttercream dotted on top. Use various piping tips to create an eye-popping pattern.

Get the Simple Sheet Cake Update recipe at A Classic Twist.

Transform a creamy classic into a stunning dessert like this banana split cake, layered with pineapple and strawberry fillings.

Get the Banana Split Cake recipe at Liv for Cake.

Bring a little magic to your kid's next birthday with this enchanted treat by Portland, OR-based baker Michelle Lopez. Layer Funfetti cake mix with homemade vanilla buttercream frosting, then decorating with multicolored frosting and top with a shiny gold horn.

Get the Rainbow Unicorn Cake recipe at Hummingbird High.

For someone celebrating a spring or summer birthday, this bright and fresh lemon sheet cake recipe is simple and delicious.

Get the Lemon Sheet Cake recipe at Butter Be Ready.

This cake just screams "celebration," and it's as decadent as it is impressive-looking.

Get the Chocolate Stout Layer Cake recipe at Butter Be Ready.