Dessert/6 recipes

Buttery carob pound cake made with whole wheat flour and honey instead of refined sugar. Baked in a tube pan until dense, moist, and rich with warm, toasty carob flavor.

Kekstorte is a classic German no-bake cookie cake layering crisp butter cookies with rum-spiked cocoa-coconut cream, chilled overnight in a loaf pan until sliceable and rich.

Chocolate syrup cake bakes up moist and rich with a thin batter that turns into a fudgy 9x13 sheet cake. A vintage one-bowl dessert built around a full bottle of chocolate syrup.

Layered banana yogurt cake with toasted coconut, banana syrup, creamy pecan filling, and white snow frosting. A showpiece layer cake with three homemade components.

Crunchy twice-baked biscotti loaded with chopped Heath bars, pecans, and butterscotch extract. Makes 36 to 48 cookies that are built for dunking in coffee, tea, or hot cocoa.

Hazelnut double chunk cookies with toasted hazelnuts, chopped semi-sweet and white chocolate, and a splash of Frangelico. Half the nuts are ground into a paste that makes the dough incredibly rich and nutty.

Buttery pecan coconut cookie balls with a hint of almond, baked golden and finished with a tropical pineapple honey glaze or a roll in powdered sugar. Makes about 6 dozen bite-sized treats.

Applesauce cheesecake: smooth cream cheese cheesecake with applesauce and warm spices on graham-pecan crust, finished with warm pecan caramel sauce.

Old-fashioned Christmas sugar cookies made with a full pound of butter, sour cream, and baking soda. The dough chills overnight for easy rolling and clean cookie cutter shapes.

Goreng pisang are crispy fried bananas in a light rice flour batter rolled in brown sugar. A popular Asian street food dessert served with ice cream.

Mango mousse cake with a sponge cake base, fresh mango puree mousse set with gelatin, toasted almonds, raspberry jam, and whipped cream. An impressive layered French-style dessert.

Pumpkin cheesecake pie made entirely in the microwave with a graham cracker crust, cream cheese filling, and pecan topping. Lemon and orange zest brighten the rich pumpkin custard.

Lemon meringue angel food cake with homemade lemon curd filling and glossy Italian meringue frosting. A three-component showpiece cake for serious bakers who want a stunning result.

Old-fashioned strawberry cake made from scratch with fresh crushed berries folded into the batter and a warm cooked strawberry sauce spooned over every slice. No box mix, no gelatin, just real strawberries.

Chocolate chip banana bread pudding, cubed French bread soaked in a vanilla custard with sliced banana and semisweet chocolate chips, baked in a water bath until set. A cozy, custardy dessert, warm or chilled.

Three-layer moist chocolate cake with whipped egg whites folded into the batter for an airy crumb. Filled and frosted with mocha frosting for a classic from-scratch celebration cake.