5 Cake Recipes That Will Inspire You To Be A Star Baker

And maybe it'll even inspire you to apply for the next season of The Great Canadian Baking Show. (Casting is open now!)

Recently we asked readers to submit their best cake recipes to celebrate the new season of The Great Canadian Baking Show!

CBC

The winning recipe would then be turned into its very own Tasty video! But more on that later...

Well, the submissions are in, and we want to share some of our faves with you.

CBC

If you want to try them out for yourself, below are some of the cake recipes we received. Important note: These recipes haven't been vetted by a Tasty producer, so we can't tell you how they'll turn out. Let us know in the comments what you think of them!

1. Christina S.'s Cranberry Orange Cake looks almost too good to eat!

Getty Images / Christina S.

Christina knows great flavour combos since this cake is made with layers and layers of orange and cranberry! It's the perfect balance of sweet and tart.

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups flour

1 2/3 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

1 tablespoon orange zest

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs (room temperature)

2/3 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/5 cup milk (room temperature)

1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1 cup fresh cranberries

Cranberry Compote:
2 cups fresh cranberries

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice

Orange Cream Cheese Buttercream:
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (room temperature)

2 tablespoon orange zest

8 ounces cream cheese (softened)

5 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease and flour two 8" cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and orange zest, using the paddle attachment. Add sugar and beat on medium until pale and fluffy for about 3 minutes.

3. Reduce the speed and add the eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Slowly add in flour mixture, milk and orange juice. Mix until everything is incorporated.

4. Toss cranberries in 1 tbsp of flour. Fold cranberries into cake batter.

5. Spread batter evenly between the 2 pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

6. Place cakes on wire racks and cool completely.

7. In a saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, water, and orange juice. Bring to a boil. Simmer until cranberries have broken down and sauce has thickened (about 10 minutes). Let cool and refrigerate until completely cold (about 1 hour).

8. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and orange zest until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add 5 cups of powdered sugar (1/2 cup at a time, otherwise it will make a mess!). Add vanilla. Beat on medium for 5 minutes.

9. Place 1 layer of cake on cake stand. Pipe buttercream around the side of the cake, and fill the centre with cranberry compote. Add the second cake layer on top.

10. Apply a crumb coat of buttercream and allow cake to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

11. Add another layer of buttercream and use various piping tips, bench scrapers and an offset spatula to make it look pretty.

12. Decorate the top with extra fresh cranberries.

13. Enjoy!

2. Alexandra T.'s Baba Babka Cake is a little bit of family history come to life in cake form.

Getty Images / Alexandra T.

This recipe was handed down through the generations — now you'll feel like you're part of the family!

Ingredients

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup corn oil

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup orange juice (store-bought is fine, but you can also squeeze your orange juice fresh)

1 teaspoon vanilla sugar*

1 teaspoon powdered sugar for dusting

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil and flour bundt pan for easy cake removal.

2. Beat eggs, sugar, and oil on medium-high until light and fluffy.

3. Alternate adding flour and orange juice, flour in thirds and orange juice in half cups, starting and ending with flour. Mix on med-low until combined.

4. Add in vanilla sugar and baking powder and mix on med-low until combined.

5. Pour into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 45–60 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 15–20 minutes.

7. Gently shake the sides loose from the pan before removing. If the cake does not release from the side, wait another 5 minutes before turning out.

8. After removing, immediately dust with powdered sugar. This layer will absorb into the cake from the heat.

9. Once the cake is fully cooled, dust with another layer of powdered sugar and serve. Use a bread knife for clean slices.

*Note: If you don't have any vanilla sugar on hand, just replace it with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract! (preferably white vanilla extract)

3. Ashley H.'s Christmas In A Cake transports you to the holiday season.

Getty Images / Ashley H.

Ashley warned us it's a BIG cake so make sure you have a loved one standing by to help devour it.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Buttercream Frosting:
2 cups unsalted room temperature butter

7 3/4 cups sifted confectioners sugar

2-3 tablespoons of milk

2–3 teaspoon peppermint extract

Green food colouring gel

Chocolate Ganache:
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by buttering and lightly flouring. Set aside.

2. For the cake, add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder into a large bowl and whisk thoroughly to combine.

3. Add buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract to the flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and add boiling water to the cake batter until well combined (the batter will be runny, but that results in a moist cake!)

4. Distribute cake batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the chocolate cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then transfer cakes onto a cooling rack. Refrigerate cake layers until it’s time to assemble and frost the cake.

5. For the buttercream frosting, use an electric mixer to whip 2 cups of unsalted and room temperature butter until light and creamy, for about 3–5 minutes on medium/high speed. Once the butter is pale in colour, slowly add sifted confectioners sugar one cup at a time on medium speed. Let the sugar fully incorporate before adding additional sugar.

6. Mix in 2–3 teaspoons of peppermint extract and green food colouring gel into milk and slowly pour in while whipping on high speed for another 3–4 minutes until very light and creamy. Add additional food colouring and flavouring until desired colour and taste is reached. Set aside.

7. For the chocolate ganache, heat up heavy whipping cream in a microwave and then pour the hot mixture over chocolate chips. Mix until well combined and glossy.

8. Prepare this step shortly before assembling your cake so the ganache has time to cool (it shouldn't melt the buttercream or drip down the side of the cake). If it solidifies too much, just pop it back into the microwave.

9. To assemble, slice off the tops of the two cake layers using a large serrated knife. Apply a small amount of buttercream onto the surface that the cake is being built upon (this will anchor them in place). Plop a large dollop of buttercream onto the first layer and smooth out using an offset spatula. Repeat process for the second layer. Apply another dollop of buttercream on the top layer and smooth it out so it covers the top surface. Next, apply more buttercream to the sides of the cake and spread it out thinly creating a "crumb coat". Pop the cake into the fridge for about 30 minutes so the buttercream solidifies and traps the crumbs.

10. Afterward, apply generous amounts of buttercream to the top and sides of the cake spreading it evenly with an offset spatula. Use a bench scraper to smooth the sides of the cake and then feel free to use the offset spatula or a spoon to create interesting textures on the cake. Pop the cake back into the fridge for another 30 minutes.

11. Next, pour the warm chocolate ganache into a fine-tipped bottle and begin pouring it along the top edge of the cake, so the ganache drips down the sides (the cold temperature of the cake will help the ganache solidify). Then, pour the remaining ganache on the top of the cake, smoothing it out with an offset spatula.

12. Finally, put the remaining buttercream into a piping bag with a frosting tip and pipe designs along the circumference of the cake. In between each dollop, place a halved peppermint patty.

13. Enjoy! But first, take photos because this cake is so beautiful you'll want to brag to your friends and family, and share it on social media.

4. Danielle W.'s Ultimate Moist Chocolate Raspberry Cake is the definition of indulgence.

Getty Images / Danielle W

Celebrate a birthday or any special occasion with this cake by Danielle W.!

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour

3⁄4 cup cocoa

1 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk / non-dairy creamer

1⁄2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup boiling water

Raspberry Filling:

1 1⁄2 cup frozen raspberries

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoon lemon juice

1⁄4 cup sugar

Raspberry Buttercream:

3 cups powdered sugar

1⁄3 cup butter, softened**

11⁄2 teaspoon vanilla

1 to 2 tablespoon milk**

1/3 cup of the raspberry filling

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and three 9 inch flour cake pans.

2. Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl, stirring until well blended.

3. Add milk, oil, vanilla, and eggs; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl.

4. Fold in boiling water with a spoon or rubber spatula. Pour into prepared pan(s).

5. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. In a small saucepan, combine all of the raspberry filling ingredients and slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat (keep stirring until thickened for best results).

6. Let cool completely.

7. In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with spoon or electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Fold in raspberry filling. Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time. If frosting becomes too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar.

8. Ice the cake, piping a ring of frosting around the top of each layer and spreading half of the remaining raspberry filling inside the ring.

9. Enjoy!

5. And finally, we have Serena B., who really leaned into chocolate with this Chocolate Lover's Dream cake.

Getty Images / Serena B

Serena notes that the layers could be made vegan by substituting the milk for any plant-based dairy. You'll also likely need to find some vegan-friendly chocolate.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups whole milk

Inside Filling and Frosting Swirls:
1 (8-ounce) packet of cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup whipping cream (35%)

Ganache Topping:
1 cup whipping cream (35%)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Add the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.

3. Pour the the vanilla, vegetable oil, white vinegar, and milk into the mixture of dry ingredients. Whisk to combine until smooth.

4. Line two 8-inch circular cake pans with parchment paper.

5. Evenly divide the batter between the two cake pans and bake for around 25–30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cakes from their pans and let them cool completely.

6. Split both cakes horizontally to create a total of four layers of cake.

7. In a bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and whipped cream, and whip the mixture until smooth.

8. Add half of the powdered sugar, whip until incorporated, and add the other half until fully mixed.

9. Spread the frosting evenly over the first layer of cake and top it with the second layer of cake. Repeat this process until all four layers are added, but leave the top of the cake bare without frosting for now. Set aside a small amount of cream cheese frosting in the refrigerator to be used later to pipe the swirls on top of the cake.

10. To make the chocolate ganache, heat the whipping cream until hot either in the microwave or over the stove, and pour the cream over the chocolate chips, whisking until melted and combined.

11. Pour just enough ganache over the top of the cake to cover it and refrigerate the remaining amount.

12. After around an hour, whip the cooled ganache until stiff peaks form. Use an offset spatula to coat the sides of the cake with the whipped ganache.

13. Stick the slivered almonds onto the sides of the cake.


Optional
- Add two to three tablespoons of the whipped ganache into the cream cheese frosting and mix until incorporated.

- Pipe swirls around the border of the cake with the chocolate cream cheese frosting using the Wilton 1M icing tip.

But which recipe did we pick to become the next Tasty video? You'll find out soon!

Getty Images / BuzzFeed

Tune in to the new season of The Great Canadian Baking Show for more baking inspiration Sundays at 8/8:30 NT on CBC and CBC Gem!

Facebook: GreatCanadianBakingShowCBC

Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.