Hey, if you're going to go to the trouble of sifting, measuring, whisking, preheating, baking, layering, frosting and slicing (we're exhausted just  typing all of that) to get your cake fix, it better be worth it. So when it comes to picking just the right recipe, you better go for one that's tried-and-true. The people have spoken, and these freshly baked beauties totally deserve their place on a pedestal. As of this moment, these cakes have a seriously stunning amount of shining reviews (and the numbers are only going up).

The numbers don't lie. Thousands of fans agree that Ina Garten's chocolatey dream of a cake (pictured above) is simply the best. It achieves a deeply decadent richness with a secret-weapon ingredient: a cup of freshly brewed coffee in the batter.

Tyler Florence's creamy, berry-topped beauty gets its name for a reason: It's seriously the ultimate cheesecake you could ever hope to bake. It's got a homemade graham cracker crust and an expertly executed cream cheese filling, spiked with lemon zest and made even creamier with a cup of sour cream.

A good carrot cake is always a crowd favorite, and Ina's fruity, jam-packed recipe is here to prove it with hundreds of shining reviews. A whole pound of grated carrots goes into the batter for Ina's fan-favorite recipe, but that's not even the half of it. This cake is also loaded up with chewy raisins, crunchy walnuts, and juicy and fresh pineapple, so each bite is extra-chunky — and goes perfectly with classic cream cheese frosting.

At a towering four layers, Ree's sky-high chocolate creation is perfect for birthdays, with its moist, buttermilk-rich cake and airy frosting.

Ina's lemony loaf cake doesn't need a bunch of fluffy frosting to garner hundreds of reviews. Her recipe calls for vegetable oil and yogurt instead of butter for added moistness, and its bright, citrusy flavor screams spring with every slice.

Bonus recipe! For many, the most-important part of any cake is the slathering of frosting. This classic vanilla-flavored buttercream is simply the best, and it can be used to top just about any cake, cupcake or even cookie you bake.

Get more cake recipes from our friends in #ComfortFoodFeast:

Homemade Delish:  No-Bake Mascarpone Cheesecake in a Cup

Napa Farmhouse 1885:  Three Cake Recipes To Get You Through Till Spring

Healthy Eats:  5 Cupcakes That Are Secretly Lighter

The Mom 100: Raspberry Streusel Coffee Cake with Sweet Vanilla Drizzle