What's the best cake you've made?

[cransplash]

There are no good bakeries near me, so DH always offers to make my birthday cake every year,

Well, my birthday is coming up and I need to narrow down what I'm going to have him make me.

Can you recommend some of your favorite cake recipes? (No buttercream frosting, please)

[mj0818]

What don't you like about buttercream?

[mj0818]

I love this....
m.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Ganache-Cake-105133

[dorothyinAus]

Chocolate Snack Cake is my go to chocolate cake:

1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Baking Cocoa
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Tablespoons Vinegar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

In one mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, combine water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Pour into a greased 8" square pan. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, until pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool slightly before cutting. Makes 9 servings.

It makes a moist cake that can be served without any frosting or filling, though a light dusting of powdered sugar, sliced, sugared strawberries, or a healthy dollop of whipped cream are not unwelcome. It makes an 8-inch cake, so if you want a frosted layer cake, you will need to double the recipe.

Otherwise, I love this one:
www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2009/01/glazed_lime_cake

again, it's an 8-inch cake that doesn't require frosting, but with just me and DH, any more and the cake will go bad before we can eat it all.

[cransplash]

Thanks ladies. I will definitely check out these recipes. As for buttercream, I just think it is too heavy and sweet for my tastes (including Swiss meringue buttercream.)

[kmmssg]

Beatty's Choc Cake by Ina Garten. I recommend cutting the coffee in the frosting by at least half. Ina REALLY likes strong coffee with her chocolate.

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/beattys-chocolate-cake-recipe/index.html

[mbcdefg]

This cake is great, and just gets better as the days pass and it sits in the fridge: www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipe-details.aspx?id=4754

I use Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder for this cake (and brownies) and I really think it makes a difference.

[purpleme]

pinterest.com/pin/22236591881658012/
yummy carrot cake!

[lindyanne]

Chocolate cake with raspberry curd filling in the layers, raspberry buttercream between the layers (just a tiny bit with extra curd whipped in) and whipped chocolate ganache

[salsaverde]

Tres leches cake by the pioneer woman, best cake ever!

[passthewine]

I could eat Irish Cream Bundt Cake until I'm sick allrecipes.com/recipe/irish-cream-bundt-cake/

[Ashley&Scott]

PW's Strawberry Shortcake

[dragonfly08]

I just made a cake for my girls' birthday party last weekend and it got rave reviews.

The bottom layer was chocolate cake, the top was vanilla (you could use any recipes and/or flavor combos...I had a lot on my plate so I made it easy by using box mixes). It was filled with a layer of chocolate icing and a layer of (eggless) chocolate chip cookie dough. I iced it with vanilla buttercream but regular vanilla would work. Then I decorated it with sugar decorations and M&Ms.