Baked goods recipes

Poppy seed kolaches made from a soft yeasted dough with mace and lemon zest, filled with a homemade poppy seed, raisin, and cinnamon filling. A Czech-Texan bakery classic.

Wheat-free Italian cream cake made with rice flour and buckwheat flour, loaded with coconut and nuts, topped with honey cream cheese frosting. A naturally sweetened, gluten-friendly Southern showstopper.

Rocky road cake: a moist devil's food bundt loaded with chocolate chunks, marshmallows, raisins, and nuts. Mayonnaise in the batter keeps every slice tender and rich.

Almond Brown Sugar Biscotti: classic twice-baked Italian cookies with anise, brown sugar warmth, and chopped almonds. Crisp, dunkable, makes 3 dozen and stores for a month.

A Southern classic bundt cake made with butter cake mix, sour cream, and a hidden ribbon of cinnamon-brown sugar-nut filling swirled through the center.

Yeasted cinnamon buns with a brown sugar swirl, tangy cream cheese filling pressed into each center, and a sweet vanilla glaze drizzled on top. Bakery-level from scratch.

Garlicky whole wheat focaccia studded with provolone and fresh oregano, dimpled and drizzled with toasted garlic oil that pools in every dent. A hearty semolina crumb under a crackly, golden top.

Tropical pound cake made with fruit yogurt for a moist, tender crumb and subtle fruity flavor. A simple one-bowl bundt cake with only eight ingredients.

Milk chocolate chip cheesecake built on nonfat cream cheese and egg whites, studded with milk chocolate chips throughout. A lighter cheesecake recipe that delivers the chocolate-and-cream flavor without the heavy fat content.

A spiced sheet cake packed with grated carrots, mashed bananas, toasted coconut, and pecans. Warm cloves and mace set it apart from ordinary carrot cake. Cuts into 24 squares and freezes well.

Buttery banana muffins with sour cream create an incredibly moist crumb that stays fresh for days. A family favorite that's simple enough for weekend baking with kids.

Loaded carrot cake packed with crushed pineapple, coconut, walnuts, and cinnamon, topped with chocolate cream cheese frosting. A moist, oil-based cake baked in two loaf pans.

Lemony strawberry cheesecake builds a cinnamon-zwieback crust under a citrus-bright cream cheese filling, crowned with cooked strawberry topping. A retro three-layer dessert.

Classic Southern sweet potato pie with boiled sweet potatoes whipped smooth with butter, sugar, cinnamon, evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla. This recipe makes two pies, because one is never enough.

Fermented mincemeat made with venison or beef tongue, suet, apples, dried fruit, red wine, cider, and brandy. A six-to-eight-week crock cure transforms the ingredients into the deep, boozy filling of old hunting cabin Christmas pies.

Clinton's Chips are oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with old-fashioned oats, two sugars, and a generous load of semisweet chocolate chips. Crispy-edged, chewy-centered, and ready in 30 minutes.