There’s always a reason to eat cake: Whether it’s for a special occasion such as a birthday, anniversary, farewell party, or simply because of a dessert craving, cake is often the perfect indulgence. And, with so many different cake varieties available, there’s a cake for practically every mood and occasion. Cake is like pizza or ice cream in best red velvet cake recipe it has to be really bad in order for it to become inedible. So, while most cake is good cake, particular varieties of cake tend to suit specific occasions.

While certain types of cake are not necessarily superior to others, some cakes are only meant to be consumed at certain times of the year. The kind of cake you like depends largely on personal preference. That being said, the flavor profile of some cakes means that they are unlikely to ever attain gold standard in the world of cake flavors. If you’re ordering a cake or venturing out to your local bakery, it’s best to make an informed decision about your cake flavor of choice.

There’s so much to learn about cake, from classic recipes to the best and most popular types of cake! White cake is technically a regular vanilla cake: According to Bakerpedia, the only difference between the two is that only egg whites are used in white cake. A white cake recipe also incorporates vanilla extract, milk, and almond emulsion. Cake flour, rather than all-purpose flour, is used to make white cake. A cake that calls for the omission of egg yolks is not ideal. Since egg yolks tend to add a moisturizing quality to cakes, white cakes tend to be dry unless baked by an experienced baker.

The one benefit of white cake is that the texture is lighter and fluffier. It’s a more delicate cake that feels more festive and would suit some special occasions. Something about white cake just doesn’t feel right. However controversial this statement may be, it needs to be said: Chunks of fruit don’t belong in cake.

Pies, crisps, crumbles, and cobblers all work well with fruit. There’s no shortage of fruit-worthy desserts. So when it comes to apple cake, it just feels unnecessary to throw chunks of apple into an already fluffy cake. According to The Baltimore Sun, a Jewish version of the apple cake is made with oil rather than butter and is often consumed at festivals such as Hannkah. Most types of apple cake do have a moist and delicious taste that feels quite festive.

It’s a lovely flavor, and if it’s one that was part of your childhood, it may have special appeal. Since this dessert has a name like devil’s food cake, you might expect this cake to be extra decadent. If you do try this cake, though, you’ll be disappointed. The cake is delicious, but its name is a bit misleading. In fact, devil’s food cake is just chocolate cake with a bit of edge. According to Allrecipes, devil’s food cake is made with extra baking soda to give it a fluffier texture than traditional chocolate cake.

Extra fluffy chocolate cake is great, but the devil’s food cake really doesn’t need the special title that distinguishes it from the regular chocolate cake. This is an amped-up chocolate cake that does not deliver on its promise of a sinful, rich, luscious chocolate cake. Fruit and cake simply do not pair well together, and strawberry cake is no exception. That being said, something about the image of bright pink icing slathered on an even brighter pink cake conjures up images of sickly sweet childhood birthday cakes. Strawberry cake might be delicious, but most renditions are way too artificially sweet to be considered anything better than average. There’s something about Pepto-Bismol-colored food that just doesn’t sit right, especially because there are plenty of ways to incorporate strawberries into a dessert that do not taste so artificial. Strawberry shortcakes are a great example of how a strawberry dessert should be made.