23 Birthday Cake Recipes That Will Be the Star of Your Celebration

This adorable cake tastes as good as it looks. It's made with cereal-soaked milk and topped with all your crunchy favorites. It's the perfect birthday cake for kids and adults alike.

Customize this birthday cake recipe with any ice cream you like. The cake has to freeze for at least four hours, so be sure to allow yourself plenty of freezing time before you top it with frosting, traditional rainbow jimmies, and birthday candles ($1, Party City).

This delicious dessert starts with a boxed cake mix, which makes it easy to prepare for any birthday celebration. Use a classic waffle maker ($30, Target) to whip up a whole batch of chocolate waffles, then layer with a banana cream cheese frosting and top with fresh berries. Yum!

Make a gorgeous pink layer cake with all the flavors of your favorite summer drink. Plus, our easy recipe shows you how to create four pretty layers out of two cakes, instead of four! Finish the cake with fresh sugared lemon slices.

This shortcut birthday cake recipe starts with a boxed mix. Dress it up with homemade blueberry sauce and lemon curd. Finish this big-batch dessert with whipped topping and fresh lemon slices.

Test Kitchen Tip: Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

You can't go wrong with a classic chocolate cake for a birthday celebration. Top this delicious cake with a chocolate frosting, or go all out with sprinkles and frosted decorations—just don't forget the candles!

Dress up a plain vanilla cake with the help of a piping bag ($4, Walmart) and our homemade frosting. Decorate your cake with pink ruffles like we did, or opt for a color that matches the party theme.

Don't let dietary restrictions keep you from celebrating with a proper birthday cake. This no-added-sugar recipe is perfect for anyone who is watching their sugar intake—and the best part is, it tastes just as good as regular cake. Instead of topping it with frosting, go with unsweetened whipped cream, tangy dark chocolate swirls, and fresh berries.

This gorgeous cake has Prosecco in the cake batter, and in the filling —what better way to celebrate a birthday? This delicious combination of cake, peach filling and whipped cream frosting is perfect for a grown-up birthday celebration any time of year.

This bright and fun cake is perfect for birthday celebrations—for adults and kids alike! Make a layer cake in your favorite flavor, and decorate with polka-dots made from various colors of fondant.

This fun cake decorating technique is perfect for any flavor of birthday cake; press cookies and sliced berries into a layer of thick chocolate frosting for a mouthwatering dessert. Add a whole strawberry and whole chocolate sandwich cookies ($4, Walmart) to the top of the cake, or add one of each to the top of each slice as you serve this delicious cake.

You don't need amazing decorating skills to create a gorgeous birthday cake. Use a pretty bundt cake pan ($40, Williams Sonoma) to make your favorite cake (we love this Triple-Citrus Pound Cake), then top it with a delicious homemade lemon glaze. No frosting or sprinkles necessary!

This fun cake is the perfect spin on breakfast for dinner—or dessert, in this case. Make a pancake-stack out of six layers of delicious blueberry cake, then top with white chocolate squares, maple syrup and whole blueberries.

S'mores-lovers, prepare yourselves. Layers of fluffy marshmallow frosting, chocolate chips, and graham crackers combine to make a birthday cake you'll never forget.

This birthday cake combines the childhood nostalgia of an ice cream cake with the grown-up flavor of carrot cake. To make it, layer homemade carrot-pecan cake with any flavor of ice cream (we recommend vanilla, butter pecan, or rum raisin) and top with nuts and toasted coconut flakes.

Ice cream cake has always been a birthday classic. Make your own with a boxed cake mix ($1, Walmart) and store-bought ice cream—it's easier than you might think!

Six layers (yes, six) of strawberry buttermilk cake alternate with layers of strawberry cream cheese frosting. Then a thick layer of buttercream frosting envelopes the entire cake in creamy goodness.

This fall cake is perfect for anyone with an autumn birthday, but you can really bake it any time of the year. Nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon give the chocolate cake an unexpected flavor.

This moist white cake gets plenty of crunch thanks to think coconut flakes. As one reviewer raves, "Had been saving this recipe in my drawer as I went a time without an oven, longest month of my life! The cake is SO goooodd! Love it."

This easy gluten-free birthday cake was adapted from our favorite yellow cake recipe. It starts with a homemade flour mix and is finished with a homemade buttercream frosting. Don't skimp on the sprinkles!

Test Kitchen Tip: Turn this recipe into confetti cake by stirring sprinkles into the cake batter.

This birthday dessert mash-up is a cross between classic tres leches cake and strawberry shortcake. Sandwich strawberries between two cake slices, then drench the dessert in creamy milk sauce. Finish with piles of fluffy homemade whipped cream.

The pretty design on top is what sells this stunning cake, but it's simply foreshadowing the creamy, caramel inside.

Test Kitchen Tip: For the best flavor, make this cake the night before serving and frost just before slicing.

This Southern-style birthday cake is extra-moist thanks to buttermilk in the batter. Frost the finished layer cake with a rich caramel frosting and top with a sprinkle of edible flowers ($15, Etsy) like nasturtium, pansy, or violets.