Dessert, Baked Good Recipes

The original NYT plum torte: a quick one-bowl butter cake topped with halved plums and cinnamon sugar that sink into a jammy, custardy top as it bakes. The most-requested recipe in Times history.

Rolled and cut oatmeal cookies with finely chopped rolled oats worked into a buttery shortbread-style dough. Holds shape through cutting, perfect for cookie decorating.

Oslo twists are Norwegian fried cookies with crisp, blistered dough twisted through a center slit. Dusted with powdered sugar, this old-world treat shatters at first bite.

Homemade root beer cake with reduced root beer baked into the batter and a soaking glaze. This from-scratch recipe delivers pure root beer flavor in every tender crumb.

Crispy, chewy, loaded cookies packed with oats, crushed cornflakes, shredded coconut, and chopped pecans. Flatten with a sugar-dipped glass for crackly edges. Makes 4 dozen in just 30 minutes.

Airy chocolate cake made with 7 beaten egg whites and rich cocoa, topped with glossy chocolate chip glaze. Classic chiffon texture bakes in a tube pan for 65 minutes.

Buttery drop cookies with orange extract and flaked coconut. Crisp golden edges, soft centers. This big-batch recipe makes 5 dozen in about 30 minutes of active time.

A festive red velvet cake made with German chocolate cake mix and sour cream, topped with a cooked flour frosting and handmade marzipan holly leaf decorations.

Chocolate fudge bundt cake with both melted unsweetened chocolate and cocoa, brightened with a hint of coffee. Yogurt and canola oil keep the crumb tender for a deep, dark cake without heaviness.

Texas-style sheet cake brownies bake a thin chocolate cake-style brownie in a 9x13 pan, then crown with warm walnut chocolate buttermilk frosting poured over the hot pan. Yields 36 squares.

Lighter pumpkin pie with a gingersnap-graham crust, evaporated skim milk, and mostly egg whites for a lower-fat take. Molasses adds depth, cinnamon and nutmeg do the holiday work.

A deliciously light chocolate marbled angel food cake is filled with raspberry jam, and topped with coffee cream. It's sweet and rich enough to please your sweet tooth, but without too much guilt.

Chewy chocolate oatmeal cookies loaded with cocoa and nuts. Soft centers that stay slightly moist, ready in 25 minutes from start to finish.

Intensely chocolatey bundt cake using boxed mix, instant pudding, and chocolate chips. Rich, moist crumb ready in an hour with minimal effort for maximum impact.

Egg whites beaten to stiff peaks with sugar and cream of tartar bake into this impossibly light angel food cake where almond extract adds subtle nutty fragrance to the cloud-like crumb.

Classic cream cheese cheesecake sweetened with condensed milk instead of granulated sugar, brightened with lemon, finished with a baked-on sour cream layer and fresh strawberries.