30 Thanksgiving Cake Recipes for a Festive Celebration!

Thanksgiving cakes recipes for a festive dinner celebration!

We may usually serve pie during Thanksgiving. But when it comes to dessert, a majority of us would agree that nothing really beats a good slice of cake. And nobody can really stop you from serving a cake on your Thanksgiving feast!

Everybody gets excited when someone brings out the cake. And maybe, changing the usual Thanksgiving menu under the dessert category will be just the perfect way to end a good night with your family and friends.

Hence, we’ve come up with a list of cakes having the traditional Thanksgiving flavors. So expect these to go well with any type of Thanksgiving menu that you have planned out!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin

Pumpkins are widely used not only during Thanksgiving, but the entire fall season. It is believed that the Native Americans brought pumpkins as gifts for the first settlers, teaching them how to use these too.

This led to the tradition of making pumpkin pie every Thanksgiving. But as we have already established, a cake can be better than a pie!

So, here are a couple of pumpkin cake recipes for your Thanksgiving feast!

1. Chocolate pumpkin cake

A triple-layer pumpkin spice chocolate cake with orange cream cheese frosting.

chocolate pumpkin
Image from Country Living

Main ingredients:

  • Pumpkin puree
  • Cocoa
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg

Visit Country Living for the full recipe!

2. Pumpkin cake with salted caramel frosting

A moist and flavorful cake topped with salted caramel frosting and candied pecans.

with salted caramel frosting
Image from Glorious Treats

Main ingredients:

  • Pumpkin puree
  • Ginger
  • Cloves
  • Nutmeg
  • Corn syrup
  • Pecans
  • Cream cheese

Check out Glorious Treats for this amazing recipe!

3. Pumpkin cake with maple cream cheese frosting

A moist pumpkin cake with chocolate ganache filling between layers and topped with maple cream cheese frosting.

with maple cream cheese frosting
Image from Cake by Courtney

Main ingredients:

  • Pumpkin
  • Cream cheese
  • Maple syrup
  • Dark chocolate chips

Visit Cake by Courtney for the full recipe!

4. Pumpkin spice cake

An easy pumpkin spice cake with a heavenly caramel glaze.

Thanksgiving cakes recipe - pumpkin spice cake
Image from The Pioneer Woman

Main ingredients:

  • Pumpkin puree
  • Pumpkin pie spice
  • Cinnamon
  • Vanilla extract
  • Sweetened condensed milk

Visit The Pioneer Woman to get this yummy recipe.

5. Pumpkin cheesecake with cookie crust

This cheesecake uses a pecan cookie crust and a light and fluffy cheesecake packed with pumpkin spice flavors.

Thanksgiving cakes recipe - pumpkin cheesecake with cookie crust
Image from Country Living

Main ingredients:

  • Pecan nuts
  • Pumpkin puree
  • Pecan Sandie cookies
  • Cream cheese
  • Sour cream
  • Cinnamon
  • Ginger
  • Nutmeg

You can get the full recipe from Country Living.

6. Pumpkin pie cake

A pumpkin cake with two different fillings – toasted marshmallow and pumpkin pie – topped with vanilla buttercream.

Thanksgiving cakes recipe - pumpkin pie cake
Image from Cake by Courtney

Main ingredients:

  • Pumpkin
  • Marshmallows
  • Vanilla
  • Cinnamon
  • Ginger
  • Nutmeg
  • Sour cream
  • Marshmallow fluff

Check out the full recipe from Cake by Courtney.

7. Spice cake with cinnamon cream cheese and pumpkin buttercream

A spice cake that gathers classic fall flavors together topped with cinnamon cream cheese and pumpkin buttercream.

Thanksgiving cakes recipe - spice cake with cinnamon cream cheese and pumpkin buttercream
Image from Tornadough Alli

Main ingredients:

  • Cinnamon
  • Pumpkin
  • Pumpkin pie spice
  • Buttermilk
  • Nutmeg
  • All-spice
  • Cream cheese

Check out the full recipe from Tornadough Alli!

8. Pumpkin sheet cake with cream cheese frosting

A soft and moist cake packed with spiced pumpkin flavor and topped with a sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting.

Thanksgiving cakes recipe - pumpkin sheet cake with cream cheese frosting
Image from Cooking Classy

Main ingredients:

  • Canned pumpkin
  • Pecans
  • Cream cheese
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Ginger
  • Cloves

You can find the full recipe at Cooking Classy.

9. Pumpkin roll

A no-fuss and simple recipe that gives you a log of soft and moist pumpkin cake with luscious cream cheese swirls.

Main ingredients:

  • Canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree
  • Cream cheese
  • Powdered sugar
  • Cinnamon

Check out the full recipe on The Soccer Mom Blog!

Cranberry

What is Thanksgiving without cranberries?

It is believed that the pilgrims and the American Indians had them during the very first Thanksgiving.

Today, cranberry sauce is a very important part of every Thanksgiving meal as it helps cut through the heaviness of the food on the table. It also provides a delightful flavor!

Hence, here are cake recipes that make use of cranberries or cranberry sauce!

1. White chocolate cranberry cake

A layered cake that combines the tartness of cranberries with the irresistible sweetness of white chocolate.

Thanksgiving cakes recipe - white chocolate cranberry cake
Image from My Cake School

Main ingredients:

  • White chocolate baking bars
  • Cranberries
  • Cream cheese
  • Vanilla extract

Visit My Cake School for the recipe!

2. Sparkling cranberry white chocolate cake

A moist and flavorful cake bursting with fruity cranberry flavor on the inside.

Main ingredients:

  • Cranberries
  • White chocolate chips
  • Powdered sugar
  • Sour cream
  • Vanilla extract

Drop by at Life, Love and Sugar for the full recipe!

3. Orange cranberry cake

A cake packed with flavors of orange and cranberries topped with cream cheese frosting.

orange cranberry
Image from Liv for Cake

Main ingredients:

  • Cranberries
  • Orange
  • Cream cheese
  • Vanilla

Get the full recipe from Liv for Cake.

4. Cranberry coffee cake

A moist coffee cake with cranberry sauce filling glazed with white chocolate.

cranberry coffee
Image from Garlic and Zest

Main ingredients:

  • Cranberry sauce
  • White chocolate chips
  • Almonds

Get this yummy recipe from Garlic and Zest!

5. Cranberry sauce upside down cake

A simple upside down cake that you can create with your excess or leftover Thanksgiving cranberry sauce.

Main ingredients:

  • Cranberry sauce
  • Cinnamon
  • Vanilla

See what it takes to make this recipe from Katherine Martinelli!

6. Cranberry apple upside down cake

A simple upside down moist cinnamon spice cake topped with brown sugar glaze and cranberries and apple.

Main ingredients:

  • Cranberries
  • Apple
  • Cinnamon
  • Cloves
  • Nutmeg
  • Ginger
  • Buttermilk
  • Dark brown sugar

Visit Sally’s Baking Recipes to see the full recipe!

Sweet Potato

The sweet potato may not have been served on the first Thanksgiving meal, but it did start to appear as a Thanksgiving trend as a replacement for those who are not fond of pumpkin.

A common favorite during Thanksgiving is combining sweet potatoes with marshmallows. But you can do a lot more than that for dessert!

Here are some sweet potato cake recipes to consider for your Thanksgiving spread!

1. Sweet potato cake

A sweet potato cake with toasted marshmallow filling between layers topped with pecan buttercream and toasted pecans.

sweet potato cake
Image from Cake by Courtney

Main ingredients:

  • Sweet potatoes
  • Marshmallows
  • Marshmallow fluff
  • Pecans
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Ginger
  • Vanilla extract

Get the full recipe from Cake by Courtney!

2. Sweet potato blueberry chocolate cake

A gluten-free, vegan chocolate cake topped with chocolate sauce, fresh berries, and nuts.

sweet potato blueberry chocolate
Image from brownble

Main ingredients:

  • Sweet potatoes
  • Blueberry
  • Dates
  • Cocoa
  • Dark chocolate chips
  • Vanilla extract

Check out brownble for the full recipe!

3. Sweet potato cake with cashew cream

A gluten-free sweet potato cake topped with cashew cream frosting.

Sweet potato cake with cashew cream
Image from Tuulia

Main ingredients:

  • Sweet potato
  • Maple syrup
  • Cashews
  • Almond milk
  • Almond flour
  • Brown rice flour
  • Ceylon cinnamon
  • Vanilla powder

To get the full recipe, visit Tuulia!

4. Rich carrot cake with sweet potato

A richly flavored moist carrot cake with sweet potato topped with cream cheese frosting.

Rich carrot cake with sweet potato
Image from Your Recipe Blog

Main ingredients:

  • Carrots
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Apple
  • Pineapple
  • Walnuts
  • Cinnamon
  • Cloves
  • Lemon juice
  • Cream cheese

Visit Your Recipe Blog for the instructions and full ingredient list!

5. Sweet potato sour cream cake

A moist cake that combines the flavors of sweet potato, sour cream, and butter topped with whipped mascarpone cream.

Main ingredients:

  • Sweet potato
  • Mascarpone cream
  • Pecans
  • Sour cream
  • Honey

Check out Bakes by Brown Sugar for the complete ingredient list and recipe!

Apple

Apples grow in abundance during the late part of the year. And you can still go apple picking in November!

Apple pies are very common desserts during the holidays but did you know that there are great cakes that revolve around apples too? Check out these cake recipes that you can add to your Thanksgiving dinner!

1. Apple pie cake

A cake that combines apple pie filling, buttercream frosting, and delicious apple pie crust.

Apple pie cake
Image from The Cake Blog

Main ingredients:

  • Apples
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Cloves
  • Cocoa
  • Lemon juice
  • Vanilla extract
  • Pie crust

Visit The Cake Blog to learn how to do this recipe!

2. Apple cinnamon layer cake with salted caramel frosting

A cake that captures all the classic flavors of fall topped with pecan nuts.

Apple cinnamon layer cake with salted caramel frosting
Image from Country Living

Main ingredients:

  • Apples
  • Unsweetened applesauce
  • Pecan
  • Pure vanilla extract
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Allspice

Get to know the full recipe from Country Living.

3. Applesauce cake

An easy and fuss-free cake best served with powdered sugar dusting, a dollop of whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel on top.

Applesauce cake
Image from The Pioneer Woman

Main ingredients:

  • Applesauce
  • Apple pie spice
  • Maple syrup
  • Walnuts
  • Vanilla extract

Visit The Pioneer Woman for the yummy recipe!

4. Caramel apple cheesecake

A dense and creamy cheesecake topped with apple slices and caramel.

Caramel apple cheesecake
Image from The Pioneer Woman

Main ingredients:

  • Apple
  • Cream cheese
  • Jarred caramel topping
  • Cinnamon
  • Graham cracker crumbs

Check out The Pioneer Woman for the full recipe!

Maple

Thanksgiving is the time for maple. Most Thanksgiving recipes have maple syrup or maple sugar in them whether it may be for appetizers, the main course, or side dishes.

Of course, it is a widely used ingredient for Thanksgiving desserts too. So why not go for a maple cake this Thanksgiving?

1. Maple caramel carrot cake

A spiced carrot cake infused with sweet maple syrup and topped with cream cheese frosting and maple caramel.

Maple caramel carrot cake
Image from Liv for Cake

Main ingredients:

  • Carrots
  • Pure maple syrup
  • Cream cheese
  • Vanilla
  • Pecans
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Ginger
  • Cloves

Visit Liv for Cake for the full recipe!

2. Maple cake with cream cheese frosting and maple glazed nuts

An old-fashioned moist sweet maple cake coated with sweet cream cheese and topped with maple-glazed nuts.

Maple cake with cream cheese frosting and maple glazed nuts
Image from Parsley and Icing

Main ingredients:

  • Sour cream
  • Maple syrup
  • Almonds
  • Walnuts
  • Cinnamon
  • Vanilla
  • Cream cheese

You can view the full recipe at Parsley and Icing

Ginger

Most people would associate gingerbread with Christmas, but it’s great for Thanksgiving too! In fact, you can eat this one all year long if you want to.

The best thing about gingerbread is that it goes well with almost everything. You can mix it with chocolate, nuts, berries, and any type of frosting and the results are great.

Check out these gingerbread cake recipes we found that are perfect for Thanksgiving!

1. Gingerbread cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting

Two layers of moist and thick gingerbread cake topped with sweet cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

Gingerbread cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting
Image from The Novice Chef

Main ingredients:

  • Applesauce
  • Molasses
  • Cinnamon
  • Ginger
  • Nutmeg
  • Cloves
  • Cream cheese
  • Vanilla

Drop by The Novice Chef to get the full recipe!

2. Spicy gingerbread cake

A moist gingerbread cake packed with dark, spicy flavor.

Spicy gingerbread cake
Image from Hummingbird High

Main ingredients:

  • Stout beer
  • Ginger
  • Cinnamon
  • Cardamom
  • Nutmeg
  • Cloves
  • Dark molasses
  • Cream cheese

Check out Hummingbird High for the complete recipe!

Coconut

For most areas, coconut trees provide a bountiful harvest and you can actually do a lot of things with coconuts. That is one crop to be thankful for.

So why not make a coconut cake for Thanksgiving?

One thing about coconut cakes is that they can be very moist and soft. That intense coconut flavor hits you and you feel like you are transported somewhere in the tropics!

1. Coconut angel food cake with Greek yogurt frosting

A sweet angel food cake topped with Greek yogurt icing and topped with coconut, pecans, and fresh fruit of your choice.

Coconut angel food cake with Greek yogurt frosting
Image from Top with Cinnamon

Main ingredients:

  • Egg whites
  • Shredded coconut
  • Greek yogurt
  • Fresh fruit of choice

Visit Top with Cinnamon for the full recipe!

2. Creamy coconut cake

A buttery cake that is infused with a mixture of condensed milk and coconut cream. It is then topped with coconut whip and toasted coconut.

creamy coconut
Image from Belly Full

Main ingredients:

  • Cream of coconut
  • Coconut flakes
  • Condensed milk
  • Cool whip

Visit Belly Full for the recipe!

Last thoughts

As you can see, there is always room for cake in a Thanksgiving feast! Who says they do not belong?

Try out any of the recipes above and give your nearest and dearest an irresistible treat this Thanksgiving!

Looking for more ideas for Thanksgiving? Check this out!

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These cake recipes will definitely bring excitement to your Thanksgiving dinner!

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