20 Warm and Spiced Fall Cake Recipes

Fall cake recipes are my favorite way to welcome the cooler weather. As soon as the first chilly mornings arrive, I start baking again, and my kitchen fills with the smell of cinnamon, apples, and warm butter. A simple cake on the counter makes any afternoon feel a little more special.

I rounded up 20 fall cakes for every kind of occasion, from easy coffee cakes and loaf cakes to bundt cakes, pear and fig cakes, and a few gluten-free and vegan options.

Some are perfect for a family breakfast or an afternoon coffee, while others are made for holiday tables and casual get-togethers.

20 Fall Cake Recipes That Taste Like Autumn

#1 Italian Polenta Cake

Polenta cake is a classic Italian-style cake with a tender, slightly crumbly texture from the cornmeal. It’s simple and rustic, and it isn’t overly sweet.

Serve a slice with your morning coffee or afternoon tea, or dress it up with fresh fruit and a spoonful of whipped cream.

Why I love it: Simple, rustic, and made with pantry staples.

Get the recipe: Polenta cake

#2 Apple Coffee Cake Struesel Topping

This apple coffee cake has a crunchy streusel topping and works just as well for breakfast as it does with an afternoon coffee.

Serve it warm or cold. For dessert, add vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of toffee sauce, or swap the apples for plums or other fruit in season.

Why I love it: One cake for breakfast, coffee time, and dessert.

Get the Recipe: Apple Coffee Cake Struesel Topping

#3 Blackberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

This coffee cake has three layers of good things: a buttery blackberry cake, a tangy cream cheese layer, and a cinnamon brown sugar streusel on top.

The tart berries and creamy filling balance the sweetness, which makes it a lovely choice for brunch or when guests stop by.

Why I love it: Creamy, fruity, and crumbly in every slice.

Get the Recipe: Blackberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

#4 Caramel Apple Bundt Cake

This bundt cake is moist, nicely spiced, and loaded with chunks of apple, so you get fruit in every bite.

The caramel glaze poured over the top makes it look special, and it’s a great one to bring to a fall get-together.

Why I love it: Spiced apples and caramel in one beautiful cake.

Get the Recipe: Caramel Apple Bundt Cake

#5 Apple Cinnamon Skillet Cake

This apple cinnamon skillet cake is baked in a cast iron skillet, with diced apples and chopped pecans folded into a cinnamon-spiced batter. The texture sits somewhere between a moist cake and a coffee cake, so it works for breakfast as well as dessert.

Applesauce takes the place of butter, which keeps the cake moist for days, and flax eggs make it dairy-free and vegan-friendly. Serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon.

Why I love it: One skillet, plenty of apples, and a cake that’s easy to make dairy-free.

Get the Recipe: Apple Cinnamon Skillet Cake

#6 Fig Cake

Figs are one of the sweet treats of the season, and this fig cake lets them shine in a simple, comforting dessert.

It’s lovely served with tea or coffee, or after a relaxed family dinner.

Why I love it: A simple way to enjoy figs in season.

Get the Recipe: Fig Cake

#7 Gluten Free Fig Lemon Yogurt Cake

This gluten-free cake combines lemon, yogurt, and fresh figs for a moist, tender crumb with a bright, fresh flavor.

It’s baked in a springform pan, so it’s easy to slice and serve. A good choice when you’re baking for friends who avoid gluten.

Why I love it: Moist, lemony, and made with fresh figs.

Get the Recipe: Gluten Free Fig Lemon Yogurt Cake

#8  Butternut Squash Apple Cake 

This butternut squash apple cake is naturally sweet, soft, and fragrant with cinnamon. Grated butternut squash and apples are cooked down first, then folded into an almond flour batter with raisins and cranberries, so there’s no wheat flour and no refined sugar.

It’s gluten-free and easy to cut into squares for a grab-and-go snack. Enjoy it warm for breakfast or cold from the fridge with a cup of tea or coffee, and add a spoonful of whipped cream if you want it to feel like dessert.

Why I love it: Fall flavors in a simple, gluten-free cake that keeps well.

Get the Recipe: Butternut Squash Apple Cake 

#9 Pflaumenkuchen Plum Cake

Pflaumenkuchen is a traditional German plum cake, and it’s a lovely way to use juicy plums when they’re in season.

It works for any occasion, from an afternoon coffee to a weekend dessert.

Why I love it: A classic German cake with juicy fruit on top.

Get the Recipe: Pflaumenkuchen Plum Cake

#10 German Spiced Apple Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

This is a traditional German-style apple cake with warm spices, topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting.

It’s ideal for fall gatherings, and the tender apple cake and tangy frosting go beautifully together.

Why I love it: Warm spices and tangy frosting in every bite.

Get the Recipe: Apple Cake

#11 Apple Fritter Cake

If you love apple fritters, you’ll love this cake. It’s moist, filled with tart apples, and topped with cinnamon streusel.

A drizzle of sweet vanilla glaze finishes it off, so every slice tastes like a treat from the bakery.

Why I love it: All the flavor of an apple fritter in cake form.

Get the Recipe: Apple Fritter Cake

#12 Cranberry Cake With Butter Sauce

Tart cranberries bake into a soft cake, and the warm butter sauce poured over the top makes it extra cozy.

It’s lovely served warm.

Why I love it: Warm butter sauce makes every slice feel special.

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Cake With Butter Sauce

#13 Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

This soft, perfectly spiced cake is filled with sweet apples and topped with a crunchy double cinnamon streusel.

It’s a good one to prepare ahead for an overnight breakfast, and a drizzle of caramel sauce makes it feel like dessert.

Why I love it: Crunchy topping, tender cake, and plenty of cinnamon.

Get the Recipe: Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

#14 Chocolate Pear Cake

This chocolate pear cake is made without flour or butter, so it’s naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.

It’s very moist and simple to make, which makes it a lovely choice when you’re baking for friends with dietary restrictions.

Why I love it: Rich chocolate and tender pears without flour, butter, or dairy.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Pear Cake

#15 Apple Cake Traybake

This apple traybake is soft and moist, with layers of sweet cinnamon apples, and it only needs one tray.

It’s easy to make for a crowd, and it’s delicious served warm with a little custard.

Why I love it: Simple one-tray baking with layers of cinnamon apples.

Get the Recipe: Apple Cake Traybake Romanian Apple Cake

#16 Pear Upside Down Cake

This pear upside-down cake has a sweet, tender crumb and a topping of caramelized pears and brown sugar.

When you flip it over, the glossy fruit on top makes it look beautiful with almost no decorating.

Why I love it: Caramelized pears make it pretty and delicious.

Get the Recipe: Pear Upside Down Cake

#17 Pumpkin Spice Rum Cake

This pumpkin spice rum cake is a Bundt cake that’s moist, warmly spiced, and full of fall flavor. Pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg go into the batter, and chopped pecans line the bottom of the pan for a little crunch.

A buttery rum glaze is spooned slowly over the cake so it soaks in. It starts with a boxed cake mix, which keeps it easy for Halloween parties, Thanksgiving, or any time you’re feeding a crowd.

Why I love it: Pumpkin, spice, and rum in one easy Bundt cake.

Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Rum Cake

#18 Vegan Pear Cake

This vegan pear cake is fluffy, moist, and airy, with juicy pears and a shiny golden topping.

It’s easy to make, and the recipe includes helpful tips so it turns out well every time.

Why I love it: Light, moist, and completely vegan.

Get the Recipe: Vegan Pear Cake

#19 Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake

This pumpkin tres leches cake starts with a doctored yellow cake mix flavored with pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice, which keeps the baking easy. Once it cools, the cake is poked all over and soaked with three milks until it turns soft and creamy.

A layer of whipped topping goes on just before serving. It needs at least four hours in the fridge, and overnight is even better, so it’s a great make-ahead dessert for Thanksgiving or any fall get-together. One 9×13 pan feeds a crowd.

Why I love it: A soaked, creamy tres leches with all the cozy pumpkin spice flavor.

Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake

#20 No Bake Pumpkin Mousse Cake

This creamy pumpkin mousse dessert sits on a graham cracker crust, and you don’t need to turn on the oven.

It’s easy, it works for any occasion, and it’s a nice way to enjoy pumpkin flavor without any baking.

Why I love it: Creamy pumpkin flavor with no oven needed.

Get the Recipe: No Bake Pumpkin Mousse Cake Perfect For Fall