30 Cakes With Fruit Fillings and Toppings for Every Occasion

From fresh berry toppings to layers of spiced apples, bake a cake that stars your favorite fruit.

By

Blythe Copeland

Published on July 21, 2023

vanilla sponge cake with strawberry-meringue buttercream — Photo: Ngoc Minh Ngo

The natural sweetness of fresh fruit complements any kind of cake, from the fresh strawberries that top shortcakes in summer to the cinnamon-spiced apples that anchor holiday dessert tables.

But the world of fruit-topped and fruit-filled cakes has room for more than just the usual standbys. These recipes incorporate a variety of fruits, including pears, nectarines, peaches, apricots, plums, grapes, coconut, lemon, oranges, dates, and figs. Luscious marinades, syrups, and crumbles pair with light chiffons, smooth olive oil cakes, and rich chocolate layers—all accented by the sweetest and juiciest fruits Mother Nature has to offer.

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Naked-Fruit Chiffon Cake

Naked-Fruit Chiffon Cake — Lennart Weibull

A light chiffon cake, delicately flavored with lemon zest, holds up against whipped cream filling, a blackberry coulis, and sliced in-season fruit—like pears, figs, plums, and grapes.

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Berry Layer Cake

overhead of purple frosted berry layer cake — Mike Krautter

Three layers of blueberry cake are topped with raspberry-jam-flavored frosting and an array of fresh berries for a showstopping cake that makes the most of summer's best fruits.

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Banana Cupcakes With Honey-Cinnamon Frosting

Honey-cinnamon frosting is a sweet topper for these light banana cupcakes; sliced rounds of the fruit are a cheerful accent.

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Apple-Cinnamon Upside-Down Cake

John Kernick

Cinnamon cake is dressed up with concentric circles of apple slices for a surprisingly simple dessert that looks as good as it tastes.

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Warm Almond-Cherry Cake

Serve up this sweet cherry cake in any season by using frozen berries instead of fresh—or substitute blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries to customize the recipe to your taste.

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Lemon Snack Cake With Raspberry-Cream Cheese Frosting

lemon snack cake with raspberry cream cheese frosting — Chris Simpson

A single-layer lemon cake is easy enough to whip up for a last-minute dessert or after school snack, while the raspberry frosting and fresh fruit topping make this one pretty enough for a dinner party.

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Next-Level Plum Upside-Down Cake

plum cake with knife — Lennart Weibull

Adding buttermilk to this recipe keeps the cake moist and flavorful. The intricate, shingled layout of the plums appears after turning the cake out of the pan.

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Apple Layer Cake with Cream-Cheese Frosting

three layer apple cake on cake stand — Mike Krautter

Cinnamon and ginger add a savory autumn spice to this three-layer apple cake, while the cream cheese frosting (and a few carefully place apple chips) provide a balanced sweetness.

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Cherry Sheet Cake

Cherry Sheet Cake

This quick sheet cake takes just 15 minutes to prepare. Stud the top with thawed frozen cherries and dust with powdered sugar for a dessert that looks like it took all day.

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Bourbon-and-Brown-Sugar Cake with Berries

bourbon and brown-sugar cake with berries — Kate Mathis

While bourbon and brown sugar add depth and sweetness to this cake, it's the topping of coarse sugar—which crisps and caramelizes during cooking—that makes this muffin-inspired cake a favorite.

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Vanilla Sponge Cake With Strawberry-Meringue Buttercream

Strawberrt cake on pink cake stand — Ngoc Minh Ngo

This three-layer chiffon cake calls for 3 pounds of strawberries: they're set into frosting between the layers, pureed into the whipped frosting, and dusted with sugar for a pretty presentation.

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Fig-and-Plum Cake

fig-and-plum cake served in a white dish — Justin Walker

Allow in-season plums and figs to caramelize on top of this almond-cream-filled frangipane cake. The butter-based crust is a decadent finishing touch.

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Strawberry Cake

This light, vanilla-scented cake is studded with fresh strawberries, but works just as beautifully with other fruits (think raspberries or nectarines). Serve it with ice cream for dessert, or treat yourself to a slice alongside coffee or tea for breakfast.

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Blueberry Upside-Down Cake

Gentl & Hyers

Layers of whole berries are sandwiched between a fluffy cake, baked inverted in a souffle dish with brown sugar and served warm with whipped cream.

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Chocolate-Raspberry Cake

Con Poulos

Most fruits taste better when paired with rich chocolate, and this chocolate cake, baked with raspberry liqueur and layered with raspberry filling, is proof.

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Red-Grape Cake With Whipped Creme Fraiche

Red-Grape Cake with Whipped Creme Fraiche — Johnny Miller

Grapes are a less-common addition to cake, but in this nod to Italian olive oil harvest festivals, they take center stage atop a light, lemon-and-sour-cream cake.

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Orange-Almond Cake

Alan Benson

Boiling whole, unpeeled oranges to use in this recipe allows you to incorporate every part of the fruit, pureeing the cooked citrus to flavor the batter and chopping it for a fruit-and-syrup topping.

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Old-Fashioned Berry Shortcake

A berry shortcake is a hit at any party in any season. This twist on traditional strawberry-only versions calls for strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.

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Nectarine Clafoutis

nectarine clafoutis martha bakes — Mike Krautter

A shallow clafoutis—a cross between a pancake and a custard-based dessert—can be served warm from the oven or at room temperature. Sliced nectarines add a sunny finish on top.

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Apple-Pie Cake

apple pie cake on a plate — Sonia Bozzo

Densely stacked apple slices in a homemade crumb crust make this autumn dessert a cross between a thick apple pie and a moist, cinnamon-flavored cake.

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Coconut-Pineapple Loaf Cake

This tropical cake, made with shredded coconut and pineapple chunks, comes together easily and quickly in a loaf pan—so it's perfect for a last-minute treat or taking to a potluck.

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Citrus Cornmeal Cake With Wine-Roasted Strawberries

citrus cornmeal cake — The Ingalls

Fruity coconut and tart orange star in this light, cornmeal-and-olive-oil cake, while strawberries roasted in maple syrup and white wine are an unexpected—but welcome—accompaniment.

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Peach-Almond Cake

Delicate layers of almond cake are brushed with peach schnapps and sandwiched by marscarpone-cream filling. Peaches marinated in caramel-peach sauce tie all the flavors together.

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Honey Cake With Caramelized Pears

honey cake with caramelized pears — Charles Schiller

Honey cake and honey-caramelized pears are a combination inspired by Rosh Hashanah traditions—but delicious for any other occasion, too.

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Nectarine, Plum, and Apricot Upside-Down Cakes

Use 10 to 15 stonefruits of your choice to top these small upside-down cakes; the recipe makes five 6-inch cakes or 36 cupcake-sized treats,

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Coconut Cake With Berries and Cream

Johnny Miller

This twist on traditional tres leches cake swaps in coconut milk for the more typical evaporated milk. Serve with fresh raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, and homemade whipped cream.

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Lemon-Fig Cake

If you prefer sweets that aren't too sweet, this olive oil cake with lemon zest and dried figs is the ideal combination of refreshing—not cloying—flavors.

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Apple-Blackberry Cake

Versatile apples and blackberries top this easy-to-prepare cake, while a brown-sugar-and-cinnamon crumble adds a crisp sweetness.

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Pressure-Cooker Raspberry Upside-Down Cake

raspberry upside down cake — Marcus Nilsson

Let your Instant Pot turn out this vibrant, raspberry-topped cake in just half an hour. While it's cooking, whip up fresh cream to serve alongside.

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Cranberry-Maple Upside-Down Cake

Coarse cornmeal adds a unique flavor to this cake, while cranberries cooked in maple syrup and cinnamon are a sweet-tart fruit topping that works for holiday festivities or weeknight desserts.

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