Dessert, Cake Recipes

Flourless chocolate mousse cake with a pound of butter, bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate, strong coffee, and 8 eggs. Dense, fudgy, and intensely chocolatey with no flour at all.

Orange angel food cake with cardamom caramel sauce and tropical fruit compote of mango, passion fruit, kiwi, and blood orange. A three-part make-ahead showstopper for dinner parties.

White chocolate mousse cake layered between sheets of genoise with candied citrus peel, pine nuts and shaved white chocolate curls. An elegant layered dessert with bright grapefruit, orange and lemon zest running through every bite.

Three-layer pumpkin cake with cinnamon and cloves, topped with billowy seafoam frosting made from brown sugar and egg whites. Layered with chopped walnuts between each tier.

Baked vanilla cheesecake in a homemade shortcrust pastry with beaten egg whites folded in for a lighter, souffled texture. A from-scratch cheesecake with a delicate, airy crumb.

Four-ingredient chocolate Bundt cake made with chocolate cake mix and softened chocolate ice cream. Incredibly moist with double chocolate richness in every slice.

Chocolate-filled cake roll with a light sponge cake and chocolate pudding filling, dusted with cocoa. A lighter jelly roll dessert made with reduced sugar and skim milk.

Hummingbird cake stacks three layers of banana-pineapple-pecan cake under tangy cream cheese frosting. Southern church-supper royalty, no mixer required, just stir and pour. The crumb stays moist for days thanks to fruit and oil.

Great-Grandma's lemon cake with real butter, lemon zest and juice, and beaten egg whites folded in for a light crumb. A heirloom loaf cake recipe that makes two freezer-friendly loaves.

Caramel-glazed apple cake with overlapping apple slices on a buttery batter base, topped with cinnamon sugar and melted butter. A rustic sheet cake that caramelizes beautifully in the oven.

Whacky cakes are the Depression-era chocolate classic reworked for a pizzelle iron: no eggs, no butter, no milk. Vinegar and baking soda do the lift. Vegan, fast, kid-friendly.

Lighter cheesecake made with blended cottage cheese and low-fat sour cream on a graham cracker crust. A slimmed-down dessert topped with cherry pie filling or fresh fruit.

Lower-fat ricotta cheesecake with no crust, no cream cheese, and no sour cream. Light and fluffy with lemon zest and vanilla, topped with fresh strawberries.

Chocolate Irish cream bundt cake built on cake mix, instant pudding, vodka, and Irish cream liqueur. A boozy, doctored-mix dessert with showpiece bundt presentation.

Orange butter cake with fresh orange juice, zest, brown sugar, and graham cracker crumbs in the batter, finished with a Grand Marnier-spiked tropical cream cheese spread.

Cotton Cake: a vintage chocolate layer cake where mashed potato keeps the crumb cloud-tender, layered with marshmallow filling and a cloud of foaming icing on top.