Best birthday cake ideas for men

It's not just us girls who love cake, you know! The men in your life might not be bowled over by pretty cupcakes and pink icing, but we reckon they love nothing better than tucking in to a generous wedge of sweet-tasting sponge - particularly when it's their birthday!

Reese's Pieces peanut butter cake
(Image credit: Future)

The men in your life might not be bowled over by pretty cupcakes and delicate decorations, but we reckon they love nothing better than tucking into a generous wedge of sweet-tasting sponge - particularly when it's their birthday.

We've rounded up our best birthday cake ideas for men, including Malteser-covered masterpieces and banana cake classics. He'll love 'em.

As well as traditional bakes, we've included tasty alternatives like cheesecake or a giant Rice Krispie cake. There's definitely something for everyone...

The men in your life might not be bowled over by pretty cupcakes and delicate decorations, but we reckon they love nothing better than tucking in to a generous wedge of sweet-tasting sponge - particularly when it's their birthday!

Father's Day cake

Father's Day cake

If you spoiled your mum rotten on Mother's Day, then why not make your dad feel super-special with this Father's Day cake? If you're planning on making it for his birthday you can just re-write the edible message on top - it's that simple!

Get the recipe: Father's Day cake

Mary Berry’s chocolate cake

Mary Berry’s chocolate cake

Who doesn’t love a rich and creamy chocolate cake? This mouth-watering fluffy chocolate sponge is simple to make. Get the kids to roll their sleeves up and help make it, too – they will love licking the spoon.

Get the recipe: Mary Berry’s chocolate cake

Maltesers layer cake

Maltesers layer cake

We don't know if it's the layers of sponge or the Malteser-encrusted icing, but there's something very butch and blokey about this cake! Not only will he love the crunchy topping and fluffy sponge, but the creamy chocolate ganache makes it extra indulgent, too.

Get the recipe: Maltesers layer cake

Pinata cake

Pinata cake

Pack this cake with his favourite sweets and chocolates and decorate with his favourite flavoured buttercream too. It'll be the perfect surprise!

Get the recipe: Pinata cake

Black Forest gateau cake

Black Forest gateau cake

(Image credit: TI Media Limited)

Bad-boy chef Gordon Ramsay gives the classic pud a masculine twist with

this delectable black forest cake topped with oozing cherry compote. Simply add two spoons and enjoy!

Get the recipe: Black forest cake

Spiced squash ring cake

Spiced squash ring cake

(Image credit: TI Media Limited)

This cake really does taste as good as it looks. The butternut squash makes the sponge extra moist and the thick creamy frosting makes the cake extra sweet - he'll love it!

Get the recipe: Spiced squash ring cake

Reese's Pieces peanut butter cake

Reese's Pieces peanut butter cake

(Image credit: Future)

Imagine Dad's face when you bring him this epic cake on his special day! This cake is massive and is sure to feed the whole family as well as putting a big smile on the luckily man's face!

Get the recipe: Reese's Pieces peanut butter cake

Giant rainbow cupcake

Giant rainbow cupcake

If your hubby or partner is a serious kid at heart, he'll love this impressive rainbow cupcake. Not only is this cake massive, you can cover it with buttercream or melted chocolate and watch his face light up when he cuts into it and discovers a vibrant rainbow sponge!

Get the recipe: Giant rainbow cupcake

Chocolate explosion cake

Chocolate explosion cake

(Image credit: TI Media Limited)

If he loves chocolate, he'll go crazy for this explosion drip cake! Top it with all of his favourite chocolate treats...

Get the recipe: Chocolate explosion cake

Oreo layer cake

Oreo layer cake

This Oreo cake is a real showstopper and really emphasises the flavours in these popular biscuits.

Get the recipe: Oreo layer cake

Stained glass cake

Stained glass cake

This cake really has the wow factor! Instead of doing rainbow colours you could make the stained glass all in your man's favourite colour...

Get the recipe: Stained glass cake

No-bake Snickers cheesecake

No-bake Snickers cheesecake

If the main man in your life doesn't like cake, why not try making a cheesecake for his birthday?

This No-bake Snickers cheesecake is so easy and can be prepared ahead of time!

Get the recipe: No-bake Snickers cheesecake

Martha Collison’s mint chocolate ‘ice cream’ cake

Martha Collison’s mint chocolate ‘ice cream’ cake

This cake has real wow-factor and is packed with flavour.

If he's not a fan of mint, why not adjust the colours and flavours slightly? You could do all chocolate, chocolate and banana or even strawberry and vanilla themed!

Get the recipe: Martha Collison’s mint chocolate ‘ice-cream’ cake

Chocolate giant cupcake

Chocolate giant cupcake

If your man loves cupcakes this GIANT chocolate cupcake is a recipe for success!

Topped with lots of ganache and buttercream, it's truly very rich and indulgent.

Get the recipe: Chocolate giant cupcake

Birthday party giant rice krispie cake

Birthday party giant rice krispie cake

This chewy, no-bake cake is a brilliant alternative if your man doesn't like traditional cake.

It's got chocolate, caramel and crunch - what's not to love? We've decorated it with mini marshmallows and chocolate buttons but you could get creative!

Get the recipe: Birthday party giant rice krispie cake

Lorraine Pascale's chocolate, Guinness and blackcurrant cake

Lorraine Pascale's chocolate, Guinness and blackcurrant cake

If the man in your life loves Guinness and is a fan of chocolate cakes, he’s going to love this showstopper. Layer upon layer of rich chocolate sponge and soft cream cheese frosting. What’s not to love?

Get the recipe: Lorraine Pascale’s chocolate, Guinness and blackcurrant cake

Mary Berry's lemon drizzle cake

Mary Berry's lemon drizzle cake

If the man in your life is not a massive chocolate fan, Mary Berry's classic lemon drizzle cake recipe is a great choice. It's one of our most popular recipes - fresh, zesty, and easy to make your friends and family will love it.

Get the recipe: Mary Berry’s Lemon Drizzle cake

Banana cake with caramel drizzle

Banana cake with caramel drizzle

(Image credit: TI Media Limited)

This delicious banana cake with caramel drizzle is all about the flavour. It's a classic cake that you'll want to whip up for every occasion. The sweet pecans and soft banana sponge makes this cake hard to resist. Your man will love it!

Get the recipe: Banana cake with caramel drizzle

Jessica Dady
Food Editor

Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodTo and has over 11 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodTo, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create how-to videos exclusively for GoodtoEat - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies