Dessert Recipes

Basic yellow cake from scratch with cake flour, almond and vanilla extracts, and the classic creaming method that gives it a tender, fine crumb. The blueprint recipe for layer cakes, cupcakes, and birthday cakes you will use again and again.

Uncle Ben's best brownies: one-bowl cocoa brownies with a fudgy, glossy crumb. Butter melted right in the mixing bowl, four eggs for that classic shiny crackle top, and a deep cocoa hit.

Toasted blanched almonds fold into buttery shortbread dough spiked with Cognac and vanilla, then get dusted with powdered sugar while hot for these melt-away cookies with sophisticated European flair.

Chewy cocoa brownies studded with crunchy nuts combine fudgy chocolate flavor with textural contrast in every bite.

Chocolate rum raisin ice cream made with melted chocolate-covered raisins folded into a creamy custard with rum extract. Five-ingredient homemade ice cream churned the easy way.

Light sponge cupcakes filled with vanilla buttercream piped right into the center. A whipped-egg batter bakes airy and tender, then a hidden swirl of pink buttercream makes every bite a surprise.

Slice-and-bake chocolate walnut cookies built on a flourless-style dough with a pound of melted semi-sweet chocolate, espresso, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Crackly tops, fudgy centers, almost no flour.

Avocado buttermilk sherbet blends ripe avocado with tangy buttermilk, honey, sugar, and lemon juice into a soft, pale green frozen dessert. Creamy without dairy fat, tart without sour. Naturally vibrant color, no food coloring.

Old-fashioned pumpkin pie with molasses, evaporated milk, and the four classic spices: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. The grandmother-style holiday pie with a deep, dark filling.

Moist chocolate cake made healthier with whole wheat pastry flour, canola oil, and buttermilk. Hot coffee deepens chocolate flavor for 12 servings.

Homemade chocolate rum ice cream with unsweetened baking chocolate and rum extract. The custard base comes together in the microwave in under 5 minutes. Serves 8.

Halloween pumpkin pie with a from-scratch pastry crust, silky spiced custard, and fresh grated ginger for a livelier kick than the usual canned pie. The kind of pumpkin pie that earns its place on the autumn table.

A vegan pumpkin pie with a silky tofu-set custard, spiced with cinnamon, ginger and mace and sweetened with molasses, in a flaky from-scratch crust. An egg- and dairy-free holiday classic.

Bakery-style fudge brownies with melted unsweetened chocolate, brown and white sugar, corn syrup for chew, and a generous handful of toasted nuts. A big-batch 9x13 pan that yields 24 dense, glossy squares.

Fudgey brownies recipe with melted unsweetened chocolate, butter, and chopped nuts baked into rich, chewy squares with a glossy crackle top.

Berry coffee cake with a soft, yogurt-tender crumb studded with fresh blueberries, raspberries, or whatever berries you have on hand. A simple square-pan breakfast cake ready in 40 minutes.