I loved that we got a request for a blog post on this topic! Food is near and dear to my heart, and desserts are especially so. There is something so satisfying about baking delicious treats to try and share with others. One summer as a kid, I baked hundreds of peanut butter cookies simply because I enjoyed making them so much.
That joy did not lessen as I grew older. My roommates freshman year at BYU were bombarded with all kinds of my stress-relieving baked goods. Even now, one of my methods of coping with stress is to try out a new dessert recipe from my Pinterest boards. Of course, one of the only things better than baking the desserts is eating them! So without further ado, I present the first installment of cake vs cheesecake vs pie!
*This post contains affiliate links which means I’ll get a commission when you make a purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting This Blue Dress!
All About Cake
Cake is such an incredible dessert! There are so many delicious flavors, textures, and ways to eat it. Cupcakes, sheet cake, birthday cake, ice cream cake, wedding cake, upside down cake, and the list just goes on. It’s the customary dessert for many of the iconic celebrations in our lives, and we take both the taste and decoration of cakes seriously.
One of the best parts of cake is that it’s hard to mess up. No matter where you buy your cake or which recipe you try, you’re bound to end up with something pretty tasty. Cake is also generally less expensive than either pie or cheesecake, which is a definite plus in my book.
Just like any dessert, there are definitely some cakes that are better than others. Here are a few of my top recommendations!
Homemade Cakes
If you are making the cake yourself and either need to quickly whip up a dessert or don’t trust yourself to make something from scratch, I actually love the Betty Crocker Super Moist collection. My go-to’s are the Triple Chocolate Fudge and the White mixes, but I haven’t tried one from this line yet that I don’t love. They’re easy, they’re fast, they’re inexpensive, and honestly pretty delicious. Pair these cakes with either Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines ready-made frosting, and you are set for a dessert people will love!
Another great homemade option is a crockpot cake. This particular BTS crockpot cake recipe has been a hit with everyone I have shared it with, and it’s bound to get you some attention at your next potluck or dinner party! It’s quite dense, but in a delicious way. I’m typically not a caramel person but I LOVE this recipe. The cake is extremely rich, so it stretches to feed quite a few people. I recommend pairing it with vanilla ice cream.
Crock pot cakes have a rich, dense flavor or molten melty goodness inside!
My next recommendation is this incredible shortcake recipe my sister Maegan makes. I’m a chocolate girl through and through, but I love switching it up every now and again with something like this shortcake. Topped with strawberries and fresh whipped cream, this treat is unbeatable for a refreshing and delicious dessert. (Recipe coming soon!)
Finally, I have an unusual homemade cake option for you if you are on a diet or need a cake with fewer calories. A few years ago, our sister-in-law Tara told my brother she didn’t want a birthday cake because she was on a diet. He refused to let her go through a birthday without some type of birthday cake, so we made her this watermelon cake from Paleo Recipes. Definitely something to keep in mind for those in your life who need a gluten-free or low-calorie option!
Restaurant Cakes
Now that you’ve seen some options you can make yourself, how about we show you some of our favorite restaurant cakes? My favorite cake to date is The Brooklyn Blackout from The Chocolate Dessert Cafe in Orem, Utah. If you’re a local Utah Valley person or have reason to visit here, I highly recommend trying out this little dessert cafe. They also deliver to the MTC if you have any loved ones there! This cake is a moist and rich chocolate cake layered with chocolate ganache frosting. It’s seriously incredible.
As far as national chain options, PF Chang’s has the most amazing dessert called the Great Wall of Chocolate. This is the most classic “cake” of our favorite restaurant cakes. This six-layered chocolate cake has chocolate frosting and is rolled in chocolate chips. Even if you’re not a fan of the main dishes in this restaurant, it’s worth going just to try this mouth-watering dessert.
My sisters all agreed that if you have not tried Olive Garden’s Black Tie Mousse Cake, you are missing out! This creamy selection has a layer of decadent chocolate cake ascended by a layer of dark chocolate cheesecake and topped a custard mousse and chocolate fudge. To finish it out, the edges are rolled in mini chocolate chips. It’s the perfect way to finish off a date night or girls night out!
Our next choice is the Molten Chocolate Cake from Chili’s. The edges are a perfect molded texture and the center is a molten chocolate lava. The cake is warm and gooey and delicious and is topped with cold vanilla ice cream and even more chocolate. The contrast in temperatures is delightful and the flavors are very rich. There is even a Salted Caramel Molten Cake option if you are not in the mood for chocolate. I dare you not to order a second one.
Of course, I couldn’t write about cakes without giving a cupcake option!
Although I typically prefer homemade cupcakes, there is a place back home that I know has fabulous cupcakes. Both my younger sister Madison and now my younger brother Dalyn have worked for a little cupcake shop in Columbia, Missouri called Smallcakes. It’s actually a franchise of a worldwide cupcakery that has been on the show Cupcake Wars so check to see if you have one near you! My sister Maegan has several near her in Kansas City!
They have a variety of delicious flavors of both cupcakes and frostings, and they are always beautifully hand-frosted. Along with their normal cupcakes, they sell seasonal flavors and “cupcakes of the day” which will leave you coming back again and again to try all of their addicting flavors.
My personal favorite? The Hot Fudge Sundae cupcake.
Find a Smallcakes location near you, or check out Madison’s fabulous cupcake tips to make your own!
Finally, I wanted to give you a good ice cream cake option. I have never understood why ice cream cakes have been confined to birthday celebrations by most of the country. What better way to make a cake better than to pair it with ice cream??
My favorite ice cream cake is hands down the Midnight Delight from Coldstone. They have a create-your-own option, and I literally created the Midnight Delight cake minus one of the toppings before I found out they already make an almost identical ice cream cake. It’s perfection. Not only is there actual chocolate cake instead of the gooey fudge bits some ice cream cakes have, but there are layers of chocolate ice cream and chocolate shavings as well. The layers of cake and ice cream are wrapped in chocolate fudge ganache with more chocolate shavings and frosting swirls. It is absolutely wonderful and should not be confined to birthdays. Go try one out today!
For amazing cake inspiration, check out our Everybody Loves Cake Pinterest Board, or Delicious Desserts if you’re looking for another sweet treat.
So what’s your favorite cake?
I won’t turn down any of them. Pie and cheesecake would be hard to choose between for myself.
HI Kage! I have a hard time deciding between these desserts as well. They are all just so good!
Oh my gosh my mouth is watering!
Hi Heather! Mine is as well. These desserts are SOO good!
Hi. What cake is that in the picture? The original pic, looks like a carrot cake?