618 better recipes

Israeli upside-down apple cake made with potato starch instead of flour, naturally gluten-free. Whole apples stuffed with walnuts and raisins bake in a caramel base topped with a light sponge.

Golden brown coffee cake is a buttermilk bundt with a brown sugar and walnut crumb layer running through the middle and crowning the top. Tender crumb, caramel notes, breakfast-table classic.

Layered chocolate ripple cake baked in a clay pot with a coconut cream cheese swirl through the center and a milk chocolate cream cheese frosting on top. Lightened with egg whites and nonfat cream cheese.

Toffee bananas are the classic Chinese restaurant dessert: deep-fried banana pieces coated in molten pulled-sugar syrup, then dipped in ice water for a glassy, shatter-crisp shell.

Soft, cinnamon-swirled quick bread made with buttermilk and vanilla, topped with a crumbly streusel that bakes into golden ribbons. No yeast needed. One loaf, one hour, pure warmth.

Crispy deep-fried mushrooms stuffed with savory pork, water chestnuts, and vegetables. These Chinese appetizers are golden and crunchy, perfect for parties. Makes 24.

Elizabeth Taylor's chili topped with golden cornbread, baked right in one casserole dish. Ground beef simmers in tomatoes, chili powder, and a splash of red wine vinegar for bright, bold flavor.

Southern Coke cake made with Coca-Cola in both the chocolate batter and the boiled cocoa-pecan frosting. Marshmallows in the batter melt into gooey pockets as it bakes.

This sugarless banana walnut cake uses only bananas to lightly sweeten the batter.

Crispy onion rings with loads of onion flavor in the batter.

Fudgy chocolate espresso bars with cocoa, instant espresso, and chopped pecans, topped with a whipped chocolate chip frosting. Rich, dense, and deeply caffeinated.

Rich flourless chocolate mousse cake spiked with Cointreau or Chambord, baked in a water bath and topped with billowy whipped cream. An Italian-style showstopper dessert.

Mincemeat-nut bread with chopped walnuts folded into a creamed butter batter. Fruity, spiced, and baked until golden with a tender crumb.

Pineapple banana walnut tube cake with cinnamon and a fresh pineapple icing. Crushed canned pineapple keeps the crumb moist for days. Stir-and-pour batter, no creaming required.

Shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, and chopped nuts fold into spiced cake batter for a moist bundt that's cinnamon-scented and ready in under an hour.

Fresh fig muffins with a tender crumb, chopped ripe figs folded into the batter, and a tall golden top. Late summer breakfast or brunch in 30 minutes.