Dessert Recipes

Grandma's apple cake loaded with 4 cups of chopped apples and nuts in a moist, cinnamon-spiced oil batter. No mixer needed, baked in a tube pan and dusted with powdered sugar.

Traditional British steamed pudding studded with sweet sultanas and wrapped in greaseproof paper. This classic Spotted Dick is proper old-school comfort food, best served with hot custard poured over the top.

Chocolate rice pudding made with Mexican chocolate, cinnamon, and vanilla, set with gelatin and layered with Kahlua-spiked whipped cream. A rich Mexican-inspired dessert.

Rich, fudgy brownies made with real unsweetened chocolate, butter, and pecans, topped with a homemade chocolate icing. Baked in a jelly-roll pan for thin, chewy squares.

Falling chocolate cake with raspberry sauce: individual molten-centered chocolate cakes with a cracked top and gooey interior, served with bright raspberry sauce and ice cream.

Mom's secret sweet potato pie with boiled sweet potatoes, nutmeg spice, corn syrup, and a custard filling that sets perfectly for clean slices every time.

Old-fashioned chocolate cake with crushed peppermint stick candy folded right into the batter. A tender cocoa layer cake with a cool, pepperminty crunch. Straight out of a mid-century church cookbook.

A light, fat-free poppy seed bundt cake built on apricot puree and egg-white meringue, finished with a tangy lemon glaze. A clever lower-cal cake that doesn't taste compromised.

Streusel apple pie with a creamy sour cream custard binding tender chopped apples and a hint of lemon zest in a single crust. A tangy, rich twist on classic apple pie, easy enough for any baker.

Fruited cheesecake: a creamy ricotta cheesecake on a vanilla wafer crust, crowned with fresh fruit arranged in concentric circles and glazed with currant jelly. A bakery-style summer dessert for eight.

Old-fashioned single-layer butter cake topped with sweetened whipped cream frosting. Simple vintage recipe using cream of tartar and baking soda for tender crumb.

Twice-baked citrus walnut biscotti, crisp with anise and bright lemon and orange zest, then half-dipped in glossy tempered chocolate. Crunchy Italian cookies built for dunking in coffee.

Apple cream pie with sliced apples baked in a cinnamon-nutmeg custard made from half-and-half and melted butter. A simpler, creamier take on classic apple pie.

Pound cake brownies blend buttery pound cake richness with melted chocolate and chopped nuts. Dense, fudgy bars with a tender crumb, dusted with powdered sugar.

King cake for Mardi Gras, a sour cream yeast dough rolled with cinnamon-sugar butter, shaped into an oval ring, and decorated with purple, green, and gold sugars. New Orleans tradition at home.

Gingered apricot hand pies made from refrigerator biscuits filled with chopped dried apricots, dark brown sugar, and ground ginger. Quick, half-moon pastries crimped with a fork and baked golden. A shortcut dessert ready fast.