Dessert Recipes

Layered bar cookies with an oat-almond-tahini crumb crust and a rich carob filling made from tofu, ricotta, and maple syrup. A wholesome, caffeine-free treat for health-conscious bakers.

Finnish pecan balls (Finnish snowballs) made with butter, cake flour, and toasted pecans, rolled twice in powdered sugar for a melt-in-your-mouth holiday cookie.

Pineapple upside down cake: classic skillet cake with caramelized brown sugar pineapple and pecan topping. Single-pan dessert that flips into a showstopper.

This cake won me First Prize at the county fair last year. It is very chocolaty.

Pecan tarts with caramel sauce: flaky homemade pastry shells filled with a brown-butter pecan filling, baked golden, then drizzled with silky amber caramel. Individual holiday tartlets worth the effort.

The classic Joy of Cooking devil's food cake with a cooked chocolate custard folded into the batter and whipped egg whites for lift. Finished with caramel icing. A vintage recipe worth mastering.

Feather light angel food cake, a fat-free sponge built on whipped egg whites and cream of tartar, baked tall and cloud-soft, then swathed in a glossy boiled-syrup meringue frosting. Airy, snowy, and pure.

Boston cream pie from scratch with a sponge cake split and filled with vanilla custard, topped with a glossy chocolate ganache glaze. The classic American dessert done right with three handmade components.

Three-layer white chocolate cake with coconut, pecans, and buttermilk topped with a pourable white chocolate frosting. Includes the frosting recipe.

Chocolate sponge roll cake filled with vanilla whipped cream and dusted in powdered sugar. A classic Swiss-roll method built on separated eggs for a light, flexible crumb that spirals without cracking.

Mocha spice roll cake is a warmly spiced sponge rolled around billowy coffee-cocoa whipped cream, then frosted and fork-scored to look like a bark log. A holiday-ready bûche de Noël with cinnamon, clove, and allspice woven through.

Blueberry angel food cake with tender whipped egg whites, juicy blueberries folded through, and a bright lemon glaze drizzled over top. A fat-free springtime dessert that doesn't taste like health food.

Pumpkin snack cake spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and allspice, made lighter with egg substitute and low-fat milk. Soft, moist, and dusted with powdered sugar.

Decadent chocolate mousse cake: a light, airy chocolate cake kissed with orange liqueur and zest, made by folding whipped egg whites into a rich chocolate batter, then frosted with chocolate mousse.

Rocks cookies with oats, brown sugar, figs, nuts, and warm spices in a bumpy, hearty drop cookie. An old-fashioned spiced oatmeal cookie loaded with dried fruit and chopped nuts.

Spiced pumpkin or winter squash cake with a classic cooked caramel frosting. Four autumn spices, buttermilk tenderness, and a rich old-fashioned finish worth the candy thermometer.