28 Delicious Cake Filling Recipes

You can never go wrong with a good old cake. From vanilla to chocolate, there are a number of various sponges you can use to make any birthday or anniversary special.

After all, nothing quite says “Congratulations!” like a beautifully homemade cake.

Problem is, once you’ve made a couple of cakes, you start to run out of ideas of what to put inside them. The filling of a cake is as important as the sponge, so it’s worth knowing the best fillings to go with the best sponge flavors. 

Here are 28 delicious cake filling recipes that are bound to impress every guest!

1. Mascarpone Cake Filling

Mascarpone is a simple yet effective cake filling found in all types of sponge cakes – from vanilla to chocolate. It’s kind of the bread and butter of a cake maker’s knowledge, thanks to its simplicity and delicious flavor.

This mascarpone cake filling recipe is ideal for cake makers of all skill levels, as it guides you through how to make mascarpone from scratch. 

Mascarpone filling goes well with all cakes, including lemon, berry, cheesecake, and even cookies.

2. Raspberry White Chocolate Cake Filling

Nothing goes quite as well with raspberries as white chocolate. The sweetness of the white chocolate coincides with the sweet tartness of the raspberries, making for a delectable combination that is popular in a lot of cakes.

This recipe is easy and quick to make, consisting of white chocolate buttercream mixed in with fresh raspberries. 

Raspberry white chocolate filling goes particularly well with yellow sponge cake.

3. Peanut Butter Frosting

If you love peanut butter, this is the cake filling for you. This peanut butter frosting recipe makes a thick, creamy, smooth, and super rich frosting that works beautifully as a cake filling or a topping to cupcakes.

The inclusion of powdered sugar and vanilla extract helps to balance the nuttiness of the peanut butter with a sweet flavor. 

This filling goes well with any white or yellow cake.

4. Chocolate Ganache Filling

You can’t go wrong with a cake filled with chocolate ganache. Despite its fancy name and elegant appearance, chocolate ganache is surprisingly easy to make and instantly makes any cake look luxurious.

All you need is cream and the right type of cooking chocolate, all of which is explained in this handy recipe!

Chocolate ganache filling goes well with chocolate, white, and yellow cakes. It’s also great for cupcakes and rolling into truffles.

5. Marshmallow Fluff Filling

If you want something that’ll make the kids go crazy, fill the layers of your cake with homemade marshmallow fluff. While you can buy a pot of the stuff at the grocery store, homemade buttercream marshmallow fluff hits different.

You have more control over the consistency and sweetness, making for a deliciously fluffy filling. 

Marshmallow fluff filling works best with vanilla cake. Just be aware that this is an extremely calorific cake filling!

6. Passion Fruit Curd Filling

If you’re looking for a tropical twist, check out this passion fruit curd recipe. Passion fruit curd is the perfect combination of tartness and sweetness, and doesn’t actually take too long to make.

All you need are passion fruits, eggs, granulated sugar, unsalted butter, and a pinch of salt. Plus, the curd can be kept refrigerated for up to a week!

Passion fruit curd filling works best with cakes such as coconut or vanilla. It can also be spread on toast!

7. Cream Cheese Filling

If in doubt, you can’t go wrong with a classic cream cheese filling. While often compared to mascarpone, cream cheese is the softer option that is less rich, which is typically preferred by kids.

It’s quick and easy to make, and works well as both a filling and a frosting. Plus, you only need four ingredients – cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. 

Cream cheese is a fantastic filling for any type of cake!

8. Strawberry Whipped Cream Cheese Filling

If you want a light and fluffy cake filling, look no further than the humble strawberry whipped cream cheese filling.

This cake filling is perfect for a bright spring or summer’s day, and makes you feel like you’re at Wimbledon with the infamous strawberries and cream.

The key to this recipe is to chill the beaters for 10 minutes beforehand, as this speeds up the process. 

This filling works well with vanilla cake.

9. Lemon Curd Cake Filling

Another popular curd filling for cakes is lemon curd. Lemon curd is beautifully creamy and blends the bitterness of the lemon with the sweetness of sugar, making for a tangy yet satisfying spread.

It works particularly well with vanilla and white cakes made of sweet sponges, as the tartness of the lemon helps to neutralize the sugar. 

Plus, if you’ve got some lemon curd leftover from the cake, you can use it as a spread for toast.

10. Oreo Cookies & Cream Filling 

Who doesn’t love Oreos? These amazing cookies are enjoyable alone or even when turned into a cake filling. If you’re a lover of chocolate and sweet treats, then this recipe is for you.

Plus, the recipe is super easy to make, featuring cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, butter, heavy cream, and most importantly, Oreos!

This filling works well between layers of chocolate or vanilla sponge.

11. French Buttercream Filling

If you find regular buttercream a bit too sweet, then you should try French buttercream. French buttercream is creamy and airy, making for a light filling that isn’t too overpowering.

As a result, there’s a lot of room for experimentation if you wish to play around with other flavors! Plus, it works well as a decorative topping to cakes. 

French buttercream works best with any cake, as the filling isn’t overpoweringly sweet.

12. Bavarian Cream Filling

While it’s not the easiest filling to make, Bavarian cream is one of the most rewarding cake fillings. This delightful filling is a cross between frosting and custard, making for a satisfyingly runny cream that is fairly mild in flavor.

Be careful with this filling, however, as it doesn’t do well on freshly baked cakes. Allow time for the cake and filling to cool to prevent spillage!

This filling works particularly well in chocolate cake.

13. Coffee Buttercream Filling

If you’re not a fan of overly sweet buttercream fillings, and you’re looking for something a little more mature, then check out this coffee buttercream recipe.

Coffee buttercream is soft and fluffy, featuring a distinctive coffee flavor that can be adapted to your preference. Plus, this recipe is super easy to follow and adapt!

Coffee buttercream works well with white cakes or coffee and walnut cake.

14. Nutella Buttercream Filling

Who doesn’t love Nutella? Nutella buttercream is the perfect cake filling for those who want something chocolaty without being overpoweringly sweet.

The mixture of chocolate with the nuttiness provides a rich and creamy buttercream that is bound to make people come back for a second slice. Plus, this recipe only takes 10 minutes to complete!

Nutella buttercream is a great filling for chocolate or white cakes.

15. Baileys Irish Cream Buttercream Frosting

If you’re looking for something mature and luxurious, look no further than this Baileys Irish cream buttercream frosting.

This recipe features the beloved whiskey liqueur along with only two other ingredients, powdered sugar and butter, making for a luxuriously creamy and airy mousse filling. It works well both as a cake filling and frosting. 

This filling works especially well with a sumptuous chocolate cake.

16. Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

This one is for the coconut lovers out there. This cream cheese filling features the most wonderful coconut flavor that immediately teleports you to a tropical beach.

The recipe is super easy to follow, using the basic instructions of a classic cream cheese frosting with the important addition of coconut flakes, creating a fluffy and tropical filling. 

This filling works particularly well with coconut-flavored cakes.

17. Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

You can’t beat a good old salted caramel buttercream. It’s the perfect mixture of sweet and salty, and it’s the type of filling people will crave after they’ve had a slice of that heavenly taste.

This recipe is surprisingly simple to follow, providing handy instructions on how to make the best caramel without burning the mixture. 

Salted caramel buttercream filling goes well with chocolate, white, and caramel cakes.

18. Maple Pecan Buttercream Frosting

If you’re baking a cake in fall, it’s time to bring in those wonderful fall flavors with a maple pecan buttercream frosting! This frosting can be smothered on top of or sandwiches between cake layers.

Its deliciously creamy texture is met with the crunch of pecans, making for a unique and addictive cake filling. 

Maple pecan buttercream works best on pecan cakes or any cake featuring nuts.

19. Ermine Frosting

Made of flour, milk, butter, and sugar, Ermine frosting is probably one of the strangest sounding cake filling ideas. However, you’ve got to trust the process!

This old-fashioned frosting is also known as “boiled milk” frosting, and is known for its thick yet airy texture and mild flavor. It’s super adaptable and can be sweetened with fruits and other sweeteners, too. 

Ermine frosting works well with any cake!

20. Raspberry Cake Filling

Sometimes, you just can’t beat a classic raspberry filling to sandwich between cake layers. This cake filling is the perfect mixture of sweet and tangy, meaning it works with virtually any sponge flavor.

This recipe is easy to follow and quick to make – plus, you can use frozen raspberries if the fresh ones are too expensive. 

Raspberry filling (see also ‘28 Incredible Raspberry Dessert Recipes‘) works with any cake flavor, but especially vanilla and white cakes.

21. Blueberry Compote Cake Filling

You just can’t beat a refreshingly sweet fruit cake filling, can you? Blueberry compote is another popular cake filling, consisting of only four ingredients – frozen or fresh blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch.

Once finished, this filling can be used to sandwich together layers of sponge cake, or it can be used as a cupcake filling. 

This cake filling works well with white layer cakes or cupcakes, or a berry cake.

22. Mocha Buttercream Frosting

If you’re a fan of chocolate but you’re looking for something a little more sophisticated than chocolate buttercream, you should consider a mocha buttercream filling for your cake.

This filling features a beautiful chocolate and espresso combination, which isn’t too strong nor too sweet. Plus, you can adapt the strength of the coffee to your liking!

Mocha buttercream works well with chocolate or coffee-flavored cakes.

23. Orange Curd Cake Filling

Another popular fruity cake filling is orange curd! This curd filling helps to bring a delicious citrus flavor to your cake, and while it’s comparable to lemon curd, it’s not nearly as bitter.

Instead, orange curd is satisfyingly sweet and provides a burst of citrus flavors. Plus, you can use the leftover curd for other baked treats or even spread on toast. 

This cake filling works particularly well with vanilla or chocolate cakes – especially if you like the combination of chocolate and orange.

24. Vanilla Custard Cake Filling

Vanilla custard is the perfect cake filling if you want to teleport yourself to a delightful French pâtisserie. This is a luxuriously soft and fluffy cake filling that also works well on other baked goods, especially pastries.

It differs from regular vanilla custard, as this recipe makes a thicker version that is ideal between layers of cake. 

Vanilla custard works well as a cake filling for vanilla cakes, and can be used as a topping, too!

25. Apple Cake Filling

Another fantastic cake filling for fall is this gorgeous apple cake filling. This recipe is basically like taking the insides of an apple pie and sandwiching it between cake layers.

It’s certainly a unique cake filling recipe, but definitely one you’ll want to try again. 

This cake filling works particularly well with spiced cakes, such as cinnamon.

26. Pineapple Cake Filling

Another unique cake filling recipe is this pineapple cake filling. Featuring either fresh or canned pineapple, this filling provides a sweet tartness that immediately takes your taste buds to the tropics.

Not only is this recipe easy to follow, but it only consists of three ingredients – pineapple, granulated sugar, and cornstarch! 

Pineapple cake filling works particularly well with coconut cakes, making for a cake that tastes like piña colada!

27. Banana Cream Cake Filling

Did you know that you can use bananas not just for banana bread (which is yummy in its own right), but also for a banana cream cake filling?

This banana cream filling recipe creates a fluffy, light, and sweet filling that is the perfect way to use up ripe bananas. Just keep in mind that it needs 30 minutes to chill in the refrigerator before layering it between cakes. 

Banana cream works as a great filling for vanilla and chocolate cakes, and (of course) banana cakes!

28. Chocolate Kahlua Filling

Chocolate buttercream is nice, but if you’re looking for a slightly boozier option, check out this chocolate Kahlua filling recipe.

The inclusion of the popular coffee liqueur adds an extra boost of flavor that is slightly sweeter than a mocha buttercream, but provides just enough sophistication for a unique cake filling. 

Chocolate Kahlua filling works well in chocolate cake and even coffee cake.

Conclusion

So, there you have it! Turns out, there are numerous cake filling options available to experiment with. Happy baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Difference Between Frosting And Filling?

The key difference between frosting and filling is that frosting refers to the mixture applied to the outside of a cake (whether it’s the top or around the sides), whereas the filling is sandwiched between the cake layers.

However, both terms are often used interchangeably if the frosting and filling are the same mixture. 

In most cases, the frosting is slightly thicker than the filling, as the frosting is typically used for decorative purposes. However, fillings can also be slightly thicker than frosting to prevent the mixture from dripping out of the cake layers. 

What Are The Five Types Of Cake Fillings?

While there are so many variations of cake fillings, they all typically go into one of five categories: cream cheese, whipped cream, buttercream, ganache, and boiled.

Cream cheese and buttercream are arguably the most popular types of cake fillings, as they are easy to make and provide the best consistency for sandwiching between cake layers. 

However, another type of cake filling that doesn’t fit into these categories is fruit, which can be either in jams, jellies, or compotes. These are slightly runnier than classic buttercream fillings, but provide more of a fruity flavor.