Specialty Cakes to Bake at Home
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This post is a Collection of Specialty Cakes You Can Bake at Home. There are cakes for all seasons and reasons. I hope that seeing my creations inspires you to have fun dreaming up specialty cakes that will delight your dear ones.
I love a cake that’s so interesting or unusual, you’ve just got to share it on social media. In recent years, I’ve been able to make many of these specialty cakes at home thanks to the wide array of shaped pans on the market. I treasure the big grins, oohs and aahs, and positive comments that my creations have elicited from family and friends.
Wherever possible I’ve linked the source of each specialty cake pan so you can purchase them for your own baking adventured. I also have a Amazon Storefront dedicated to speciality cakes. You can find that HERE.
Let’s get into some of my favorite unique and delicious cake recipes!
Specialty Cakes to Bake at Home:
These adorable, delicious, and unique mini cakes, that are shaped liked garden vegetables, are a delightful treat for spring and summer entertaining.
BUY: Garden Patch Pan
Homemade Strawberry Shortcakes
Making Homemade Strawberry Shortcakes couldn’t be easier! Today I’m showing you how with my recipe for this classic summer dessert.
BUY: Shortcake Basket Pan
I also used the same pan to make other shortcake varieties including Blueberry Shortcakes and Strawberry Rhubarb Shortcakes.
BUY: Shortcake Basket Pan
Mini Skillet Cookie Cakes
The right mold takes M&M and chocolate chip cookies from ordinary to extraordinary! During my Year of the Skillet, I made these cookie cakes for Christmas, using green and red candy-coated chocolates in tree-and snowflake-shaped mini skillets. Each cookie cake was topped with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
BUY: Mini Skillet Pans
Chocolate Tombstone Snack Cakes
Tasty and eerie. Yes! Adults and children will be bewitched by the red marshmallow filling that’s dripping from these glazed chocolate tombstones. Be warned: These snacks will disappear quickly, so make plenty!
BUY: Tombstone Cake Pan
Chocolate Skull Cake
This dessert will have guests talking about your party long after it’s over. With ganache oozing out the top and a butcher knife stuck in the side, this glazed chocolate skull cake is both spooky and delicious. For maximum effect, display it on a pedestal cake stand in the center of your Halloween tablescape.
BUY: Skull Cake Pan
Gingerbread House Gingerbread Cake
This is another festive and delicious cake. The gingerbread is loaded with seasonal spices, and the cake is decorated with confectioners’ sugar, trees made of green-tinted cream cheese frosting, sugared cranberries, and Christmas candies. To me, one house looked lonely, so I put together a gingerbread house village.
BUY: Gingerbread House Cake Pan and Mini Gingerbread House Cake Pan
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Yule Log (White Birch and Pink Velvet)
I have posted about two different yule logs (White Birch and Pink Velvet) on IBC, and I LOVE each of them. As with any specialty cake, the party theme and preferences of your guests will guide your decisions about the flavor of the yule log and color of the frosting. I promise there will be lots of raves from anyone who is lucky enough to get a piece, or even a peek, of either of these spectacular cakes.
BUY: Yule log Cake Pan (I did not use this pan for my recipes, but it’s a great option!)
More Specialty Cakes to Bake at Home:
Christmas Tree Gingerbread Cake
I have shared a LOT of beautifully decorated Christmas trees on IBC. Among them is this tree-shaped gingerbread cake. It’s adorned with cream cheese frosting (tinted green), confectioners’ sugar, and candy-coated chocolates.
Lemon Yogurt Cake
My favorite part about using specialty pans like these is that you can take a basic recipe and make it look like a masterpiece. That’s what I did with this Lemon Yogurt Cake. It’s a cake recipe I’ve been making for years. Just by using a decorate loaf pan, it looks really special and important. (It’s really delicious too!
BUY: Decorative Loaf Pan
Dense, flavorful, and moist, this classic Lemon Pound Cake recipe is one you’ll turn to again and again. Drizzled with a tangy lemon glaze, it can be served for breakfast, an after-dinner dessert, or anything in between.
Funfetti Coffee Cake
Sometimes you’re in the mood for a fancy cake, but you don’t have a lot of time. Right? May I suggest making this coffee cake in an interesting baking mold? To jazz things up even more, finish the cake with a drizzle of icing followed by colorful sprinkles.
BUY: Decorative Bundt Pan
Beehive Honey Cake
Isn’t this the cutest cake? If you like honey, you’re going fall in love with it! There’s honey in the batter, plus the beehive-shaped cake is topped with a honey frosting and candy bees.
BUY: Beehive Cake Pan (also love this mini Beehive Cake Pan)
Lemon Pistachio Bundt Cake
I made this specialty cake for St. Patrick’s Day. For garnish, I drizzled the cake with lemon icing and sprinkled it with the greenest pistachios I could find. The ridges from the Bundt cake pan are ideal for capturing and showing off all that extra lusciousness.
BUY: Decorative Bundt Pan
Bonus Specialty Cake Recipe Idea:
Bunny Rice Krispies Treat
If you’re not into baking cakes or time is short, you can still use specialty cake pans. I created this attention-grabbing, oversized bunny by pressing Rice Krispies Treat mixture into a well-greased mold. To give the mixture a spring touch, I added purple gel food coloring.
BUY: Bunny Cake Pan
Specialty Cakes Pan Sources:
You may be wondering where to get pans for specialty cakes. I find many fun cake molds-generic ones as well as seasonal shapes-at HomeGoods. (You know I love to shop there.) I’ve also come across a lot of interesting specialty baking pans online. As mentioned above I have linked the pans I’ve used above and created an Amazon Storefront where you can find most of these pans and more of my favorites. Shop HERE!
You can even use vintage molds, depending on the material they’re made from and the condition they’re in. Don’t be afraid to raid your grandparent’s or great-grandparent’s bakeware collection (with permission, of course).
When the next holiday or birthday rolls around at your house, you won’t need to order a cake from the bakery. You can create a one-of-a-kind specialty cake that will be the stuff of memories for your loved ones.
Happy Baking!
More Delicious Recipe Collections:
- My Favorite Pasta Salad Recipes
- The BEST Lemon Recipes
- 11+ Fabulous Sangria Recipes
- A Collection of Delicious and Easy Dip Recipes
- 8+ Go-To Hors D’Oeuvres Ideas
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Michael do you have any suggestions on ensuring the cake releases from the pan? I have a few specialty cake pans but don’t use them because I can’t seem to get them out whole. I’ve tried spraying and then brushing the oil into every crevice but I’ve had several disasters! I Love your recipes!
I bake quite a bit and have always had very good luck with using a healthy spray of PAM Baking Spray with Flour. All my baked goods release easily. :~}
This is such a great question! I’ll be adding a list of my know suggestions. Stay tuned!
xo Michael
Pretty sure you meant ” a pEEk”…lovely cakes nonetheless.
Oh yeah! Correct! Sorry. It was a mistake. This happens from time to time.
xo Michael