Get in, Folks, We're Baking Cake for Thanksgiving

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Hear me out: This Thanksgiving, make a cake instead of, or in addition to, pie. I don’t know how we all fell into pie, but like cilantro, it’s just not for everyone. But cake is for everyone, yet we so rarely as adults get a good excuse to eat a really good cake. Thanksgiving—that’s your excuse. It’s the eating holiday and it's time to eat cake. 

Cakes have more flexibility than pie

Don’t get me wrong—I’ve had some damn fine pies in my life. But when it comes to pie, you’ve got fruit pies and your custard-filled pies like pumpkin, and ... that's it, really. Meanwhile, there is a whole world of cakes out there. You can dramatically affect the taste profile of cakes—from a benign olive oil or matcha cake to the sweetness of a funfetti or dark chocolate cake. We haven’t even discussed frosting yet, or fillings, or syrups! All of these help make cakes more complex desserts than a pie could ever be.

Since Thanksgiving dessert is usually a smorgasbord anyway, a cake won’t seem out of place. In fact, among a bunch of pies, a slice of cake may start to seem awfully attractive.  

A classic yellow cake with chocolate frosting is hard to hate

Skip the boxed cakes, and make a yellow cake from scratch, with real chocolate frosting. There is something magical about the combination when you get the perfect ratio of cake to frosting. The duo calls for an accompanying glass of milk.  Combine Sally’s yellow cake recipe with Hershey’s dark chocolate frosting for a layered cake that everyone will keep an eye on throughout dinner.  

Pumpkin carrot cake leans into the holiday

A carrot cake brings the crumb of a traditional cake, without all the cloying sweetness. Lean into the holiday by adding pumpkin to the batter for a richly colored cake with a holiday bent. With cream cheese frosting, you get that slight extra sweetness and creaminess that makes this a real grown-up version of traditional pumpkin pie, in cake form. 

Coconut cloud cake makes a bold statement on the table

Impossibly tall, white and fluffy, a coconut cloud cake takes layers of impossibly light fluffy white cake, marries them to a silky vanilla frosting and then covers it all in coconut flakes for a show stopping picture. Even if you don’t like coconut, you’ll find yourself wanting a slice. With the texture of angel food cake, and a light, slightly sweet taste and scent from vanilla and coconut, this one will appeal to all ages.

If you're an invited guest to a Thanksgiving, a spectacular cake is an awesome way to walk through the door. If it's just a small party at home, a cake is going to be the cherry on top of your Thanksgiving.