Dessert, Baked Good Recipes

Starlight double-delight cake, the retro Pillsbury bake-off winner where a chocolate-peppermint cream cheese frosting doubles as part of the batter. Two moist mint-chocolate layers, frosted in the same blend.

Sticky pecan bars with a buttery shortbread crust and gooey brown sugar-corn syrup filling loaded with pecan halves. Like pecan pie in bar form, easier to make and easier to share.

No-bake strawberry delight pie with crushed berries folded into vanilla pudding and whipped topping on a graham cracker crust. Five ingredients, 20 minutes of work, then chill.

A no-bake strawberry banana pie with a fluffy gelatin and whipped topping filling layered over sliced bananas in a graham cracker crust. Chill it, slice it, done.

Streuselkuchen: the classic German yeast-risen crumb cake topped with a buttery brown-sugar cinnamon streusel that bakes into a thick, craggy crust. The German bakery favorite for kaffee und kuchen.

Sunshine cake with bright lemon frosting, an airy egg-yolk-and-white sponge baked in a tube pan with lemon zest and extract. Tender, fragrant, finished with a tangy lemon glaze.

Sunshine orange cake made with fresh orange juice, raisins, and a hint of cinnamon. A lighter one-bowl cake with less sugar that's bright, citrusy, and needs no frosting.

Sunshine orange cream cake layered with tangy sour cream and fresh orange slices. A from-scratch sheet cake split into two layers with a bright, creamy citrus filling.

Surprise carrot cake baked in a Bundt pan with a hidden cream cheese filling layered inside the spiced batter. Cut a slice and find a tangy, creamy ribbon running through the center of the cake.

Swedish rosettes are crisp, lacy fried cookies shaped by a decorative iron dipped in batter and flash-fried until golden. A Scandinavian holiday tradition dusted in powdered sugar.

Crisp, melt-on-your-tongue meringue cookies loaded with chocolate chips and chopped pecans. Pop them in the oven, turn off the heat, and let them set overnight. Effortless and addictive.

Thumbprint snowball cookies with walnuts, cinnamon, and lemon zest in the dough, filled with raspberry jam and dusted with powdered sugar. A festive holiday cookie.

Stack spiced almond biscotti into a stunning edible tree centerpiece, cemented with orange marmalade icing. A holiday baking project that doubles as a gorgeous table display guests can eat.

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.

A lighter chocolate strawberry cheesecake made with nonfat cottage cheese, neufchatel, and cocoa on a graham cracker crust. All the creamy richness with a fraction of the guilt.

Truffle cookies with a frozen chocolate ganache center wrapped in chocolate cookie dough, baked and dipped in chocolate icing. Three layers of chocolate in every bite.