Baked goods recipes

Gooey butter cake layers a tender shortbread crust beneath a buttery, corn-syrup-rich filling that bakes into the iconic St. Louis dessert with crisp edges and a soft, almost custardy center. Dust with powdered sugar and slice into squares.

Lemon prairie cake, a Southern-style pound cake with lemon-lime soda for lift and lemon extract for citrus punch. Rich, buttery, and baked in a fluted Bundt pan until golden.

Fat-free orange poppy seed biscotti with no butter or oil, crispy-crunchy from a double bake. Bright citrus flavor from orange zest and concentrate with poppy seed crunch throughout.

Key lime pie loaded with lime zest, juice and a hit of citric acid for an extra-tart punch, set in a ginger crumb crust and crowned with whipped cream. A no-bake, intensely limey twist on the classic.

Mom's Heath Bar cake with a brown sugar buttermilk batter topped with a crumbly streusel and crushed frozen Heath bars. A one-pan toffee-studded coffee cake in under an hour.

Cottage cheese pie is an old-fashioned custard pie with a tangy curd filling lightened by beaten egg whites and warmed with vanilla. A simple, frugal dessert with a creamy texture between cheesecake and custard.

Easy peach cake built on a citrus cake mix, peach pie filling, and topped with a no-bake pineapple cream cheese frosting. A potluck dump cake that comes together in one bowl.

Dried cherry oatmeal cookies with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Chewy, buttery oat cookies studded with tart dried cherries instead of the usual raisins.

Chocolate marbled brownies with a tangy cream cheese swirl baked into a fudgy boxed brownie base, then crowned with warm chocolate frosting. A semi-homemade dessert that tastes anything but.

Grand Marnier pound cake studded with mini chocolate chips and brushed with a warm orange-liqueur syrup. A buttery bundt with a tender crumb and a citrus-soaked crust that keeps the cake moist for days.

Light currant bran muffins made with buttermilk, egg whites, molasses, and safflower oil. Drop-style batter chills 4 hours for a crispy edge and chewy center. Low-fat and fiber-rich.

Chewy butterscotch brownies made with Bisquick, brown sugar, pecans, and coconut. Everything gets mixed in one bowl and baked until golden. The laziest route to a pan of seriously good blondies.

Classic German Lebkuchen: spiced honey bars with almonds and candied citrus peel, glazed with lemon icing and dotted with cherries. Centuries-old Nuremberg Christmas tradition.

Friendship cake starter made with pineapple, cherries, and peaches layered with sugar and brandy over six weeks. A fermented fruit base for holiday fruitcakes.

Cold water chocolate cake with melted unsweetened chocolate, butter, and a splash of cold water for an exceptionally tender, light crumb. A heritage two-layer cake recipe.

Pineapple cake with boiled icing is a one-bowl moist sheet cake with crushed pineapple in the batter and a butterscotch-style brown sugar glaze poured over hot. No mixer required, no creaming, no fuss.