Nostalgia on a Plate: Old-Fashioned Cakes Our Grandparents Used to Make

These days, the average home chef typically only bakes cakes for birthdays or special occasions, and a great deal of those home chefs are opting for a box of Betty Crocker cake mix. But we remember heading over to Grandma's house on a random Tuesday evening, being greeted by the smell of a freshly baked cake and a "Hi, honey, come on in!" from our smiling Grandma with flour on her apron. Here are a handful of cake recipes that take us right back to Gram's kitchen.

This fruit-forward cake is as buttery soft as it is juicy and we practically salivate at the sight of it. And it's a pretty sight, too. With glazy pineapple rings and bright red maraschino cherries, pineapple upside down cake is identifiable at the quickest of glances. 

Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe: Sally's Baking Recipes

Related: 25 Simple Depression-Era Desserts That Actually Are Indulgent

Angel food cake is as light and fluffy as cake can get, and we have fond memories of Grandma serving it with whipped cream and fresh berries for a luscious summertime dessert.

Angel Food Cake Recipe: Brown Eyed Baker

Related: 12 Retro Back-of-the-Box Recipes We Still Love

It's all in the frosting with this one, folks. German chocolate cake is tied together with its brown sugar, pecan, and coconut frosting, which is layered on the cake for the ultimate level of decadence. 

German Chocolate Cake Recipe: Tastes Better From Scratch

Similar to angel food cake in terms of its lightness and fluffiness, sponge cake is a bit different, mostly because it includes egg whites and yolks instead of just egg whites, adding a bit more richness to the flavor. It's moist and versatile, and works well as a base for strawberry shortcake-type approaches. 

Sponge Cake Recipe: Drive Me Hungry

Grandma had some patience and skill when she was whipping up coconut chiffon cake. Complementing the cake, the coconut mascarpone filling and white chocolate buttercream frosting send this dessert right over the edge.

Coconut Chiffon Cake Recipe: Southern Living

Related: 10 Classic Southern Cakes You Need To Try

Good ole Texas sheet cake was a staple in Grandma's kitchen, both in the O.G. chocolate form and in the incredibly delicious peanut butter version. The frosting for this cake is absolutely elite, too.

Texas Sheet Cake Recipe: Betty Crocker

Related: No-Bake Icebox Cake Recipes to Cool Your Summer and Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

If there were two things we remember Grandma clinging to in the kitchen on baking days it was sour cream and bundt cake pans. This recipe embraces both, and serves as the perfect starting point to join with fresh berries and glazes.

Sour Cream Pound Cake Recipe: Allrecipes

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Chocolate and cherries belong together as far as we're concerned, and the whipped frosting on (and inside) Black Forest cake adds some lightness to break up the induglence of the rest of the cake. 

Black Forest Cake Recipe: Natasha's Kitchen

Related: 14 Cheap and Delicious '70s Recipes Due for a Comeback