10,000 take recipes

Cherry and almond Christmas cake: maraschino cherries, apricots, ginger, and almonds macerated in amaretto and brandy, baked into a lighter apple-puree batter, then soaked in more amaretto. A boozy, fruit-packed festive cake that keeps for a month.

Tunnel of Fudge cake from scratch with a gooey, fudgy center that forms naturally during baking. A rich chocolate bundt cake with walnuts and cocoa glaze, no cake mix required.

Great chocolate cake built from cocoa bloomed in boiling water, cake flour, and butter for a deep, moist crumb. Topped with whipped cream, strawberries, and chocolate drizzle for shortcake.

Light Welsh-style honey cakes scented with cinnamon and brown sugar, baked in muffin tins with folded egg whites for a tender, fluffy crumb. Dusted with sugar straight from the oven.

Soft gingerbread cake with lard and butter for tender crumb, spiced with ginger and cinnamon, baked until edges pull away from the pan.

Slice and bake gingersnap cookies with molasses, ginger, and cinnamon. Make the dough, freeze in logs, and bake fresh cookies anytime for up to six months.

Rich chocolate fudge cake with a hidden cream cheese butter cream layer baked right in the middle. Topped with glossy chocolate frosting, this three-layer showstopper serves 16.

This easy chocolate cake recipe has been handed down for generations!

Frozen layer cake with coffee, chocolate, and vanilla ice cream stacked on a cinnamon chocolate wafer crust, loaded with crushed toffee bars and served with homemade hot fudge sauce.

Old fashioned pineapple upside down cake baked in a cast iron skillet with a caramelized brown sugar and butter base, pineapple rings, and pecan halves. Served warm with whipped cream.

Microwave pineapple upside-down cake made with yellow cake mix, pineapple tidbits, brown sugar, and maraschino cherries. Ready in 30 minutes with no oven needed.

Chocolate angel food cake hollowed out and filled with orange sherbet. A frozen dessert that pairs airy cocoa sponge with tangy citrus ice. Fat-free cake, too.

Slice-and-bake almond cookies with toasted almonds in a buttery brown sugar dough. Four freezer-ready logs yield 80 thin, crispy cookies baked in 10 minutes.

Milk chocolate bar bundt cake with melted Milky Way bars folded into the batter, plus buttermilk, pecans, and vanilla. A Southern church-cookbook classic with serious richness.

Double chocolate cream cheese cake with a coffee-spiked cocoa batter and a tangy cream cheese chocolate chip swirl baked right in. A one-pan dessert that disappears at potlucks.

Here I adapted an 18th century English spice cake recipe which also makes nice cupcakes.