14 party recipes

Lighter pumpkin pie with a gingersnap-graham crust, evaporated skim milk, and mostly egg whites for a lower-fat take. Molasses adds depth, cinnamon and nutmeg do the holiday work.

Make it ahead to save some time for your party day, and it tastes delicious when it comes out of the oven and freshly baked.

Party date cake is a big-batch chocolate date loaf topped with sugar, chopped nuts, and chocolate chips. Served warm in slices with whipped cream for a crowd-sized dessert.

Pink maraschino cherry layer cake with cherry juice in the batter, chopped nuts, and fluffy 7-minute icing. A retro party cake with a pretty blush color and sweet cherry flavor throughout.

A layered no-bake Christmas dessert with a pecan shortbread crust, cream cheese filling, swirled chocolate and vanilla pudding, and whipped topping. Four layers of crowd-pleasing holiday indulgence.

Party rye pizza: cocktail rye rounds topped with sausage, melted Velveeta, mozzarella, and tomato paste. Make-ahead freezer appetizers ready in 8 minutes.

Garlic curry vinaigrette mixes garlic powder, curry, mustard, and cayenne with cider and white vinegars. A bold, flavor-packed dressing that scales to a full gallon for catering or party prep.

Mexican beef casserole layered with flour tortillas, creamed corn, Rotel tomatoes, enchilada sauce, and two cheeses. A crowd-pleasing party dish with serious heat.

Chocolate hazelnut mascarpone torte layering a coffee-deepened chocolate butter cake with framboise-spiked mascarpone cream, fresh raspberries, and caramelized hazelnuts under a glossy chocolate ganache glaze.

Oreo Midnight Cake with a crushed Oreo crust, semi-sweet chocolate cake, vanilla cream filling, and cocoa frosting. A multi-layer chocolate-Oreo showstopper from scratch.

A show-stopping 4-layer banana cake with stiff meringue folded into the batter, filled with vanilla custard, and frosted with a silky cooked flour-butter frosting laced with almond extract. This is banana cake at its most dramatic.

Chocolate coconut cake roll spirals a light cocoa sponge around a fluffy cherry-coconut whipped cream filling. Rolled warm so it won't crack, then chilled and dusted with powdered sugar. A retro showstopper.

Velvet devil's food layer cake with coffee and cocoa for deep chocolate flavor, plus a silky coffee buttercream frosting. A bakery-style two-layer showstopper (Part 1).