15 mexican cake recipes

Mexican Kings Cake (Rosca de Reyes), a yeast-risen Epiphany bread scented with orange flower water, studded with raisins and pecans, and hiding a lucky bean inside. Soft, sweet, and crowned with confectioners' icing.

Mexican chocolate cake with 12 ounces of melted semi-sweet chocolate, ground almonds, Kahlua, and mayonnaise for moisture. Beaten egg whites give it a light, almost flourless texture.

Mexican chocolate wedding cakes rolled in powdered sugar with unsweetened chocolate, brown sugar, butter, and chopped nuts. A rich, crumbly chocolate twist on the classic polvorones cookie.

Mexican baked beans, dried white beans baked low and slow in a tomato sauce with jalapenos, bell pepper, onion, chili powder, cumin, and a touch of molasses. Vegetarian, dairy-free, deeply spiced.

This showstopper three-layer chocolate buttermilk cake gets its velvety crumb from tangy buttermilk and sour cream, while instant coffee deepens the cocoa flavor. Each layer splits in half for six tender tiers.

Judith Olney's chocolate buttermilk cake is a tender triple-layer cake built on tangy buttermilk, a generous hit of cocoa, a whisper of cinnamon, and a splash of coffee that sharpens the chocolate into something deep and grown-up.

White chocolate mousse cake layered between sheets of genoise with candied citrus peel, pine nuts and shaved white chocolate curls. An elegant layered dessert with bright grapefruit, orange and lemon zest running through every bite.

Fresh ginger cheesecake with a ground pecan crust, featuring three forms of ginger: preserves, ground, and fresh grated. A rich, spicy cheesecake baked low and slow, garnished with candied ginger.

Pan De Muertos (All Saints and All Souls Day Bread) recipe

Traditional New Mexican biscochitos with anise seed and cinnamon-sugar topping. These shortening-based cookies are crisp, fragrant, and cut into festive shapes.

Mexican Yuletide cookies (polvorones) with butter, oatmeal, and pecans rolled in powdered sugar while warm. A crumbly, nutty holiday cookie that makes 6.5 dozen from one batch.

Lemon cats' paw cookies piped from almond dough with lemon zest and vanilla, sandwiched and dipped in dark chocolate. An elegant bakery-style cookie worth the effort.

Vegetarian black bean burrito bake with smoky chipotle sour cream, sweet corn, salsa, and melted Monterey Jack. Rolled in whole wheat tortillas and baked until bubbly.

Fudgy chocolate cookie bonbons wrapped around Hershey's kisses (or caramel, Reese's, peanut butter, or mint centers) and drizzled with white chocolate. A classic Pillsbury bake-off cookie with surprise centers.

Hot chile pepper twists: braided cilantro-cornmeal bread stuffed with refried beans, green chilies, olives, salsa, and Monterey Jack. A Tex-Mex stuffed loaf that pulls apart in golden ropes.