Fans Told Mashed The Absolute Best Cake Flavor - Exclusive Survey

The great cake debate has finally been settled. We surveyed Mashed readers to learn which flavors they believe truly take the cake. At least 27,000 people voted in our exclusive Favorite Cake Flavor Survey, and a clear winner has been decided. 

Despite its festive appearance, Funfetti came in last with only 5% of the vote. Dating back to the 1950s, Funfetti cake is designed to look like colorful confetti, adding a touch of personality to cake batter, but it wasn't the life of this party. Meanwhile, classic vanilla may be one of the original flavors, but it only claimed 20% of voters' hearts. The term is a bit of a catch-all for a group of similarly flavored cakes. The difference in popularity between vanilla and Funfetti is surprising since Funfetti is basically vanilla dressed up with rainbow-colored sprinkles. One fan noted, "Funfetti is being heavily slept on." 

Red Velvet came in at fourth place, winning 16% of the vote. Carrot Cake fared better with 21% of the vote, making it the first runner-up. One YouTuber commented, "Honestly, half the allure of a red velvet or carrot cake for me is the cream cheese frosting." Chocoholics won't be surprised to learn that chocolate cake was the winning flavor with a whopping 39% of the vote. It turns out many of you can't get enough of the rich decadence of old-school chocolate. 

Chocolate is a timeless favorite. According to the History Chanel, the Mayans considered cacao to be handed down from a higher power. Archeologists found signs of people enjoyed chocolate over 5,000 years ago. As for chocolate cake itself, the dessert may date back to 1765 when chocolate syrup was added to cake molds. It's rumored that Napoleon Bonaparte's wife may have enjoyed the first true chocolate cake. However, according to another legend, an American named Sarah Lee developed the recipe in the 1800s. 

Whatever its origin, it's easy to see why chocolate cake is the most popular choice. One person in our survey shared a preference for chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and "a dribble of coffee." However, our survey was limited to five choices, but the cake-savvy public won't limit themselves. Instead, several readers added their own nominee for best cake flavor.

The most upvoted comment nominated yellow cake, "It's basically vanilla but it uses the whole egg. Makes the cake denser and fluffier." Another agreed, "I was looking for yellow on the list. Yellow cake with light chocolate icing is the best!" Other cake fan-nominated flavors included German chocolate, marble cake, angel food cake, lemon cake, and spice cake. If you also avoid staying loyal to one cake flavor, you may find this collection of the best cake recipes inspiring.