170 tarter recipes

Devil's food cake bakes a deep cocoa layer cake with a separated-egg method for extra lift, then tops it with classic boiled chocolate fudge frosting. A tall, old-fashioned chocolate showstopper.

Dark chocolate mousse spiked with Mexican chile powder and espresso, lightened with whipped egg whites instead of heavy cream. Rich, spicy, and impossibly airy.

Two-layer white cake filled with lemon curd, covered in fluffy seven-minute frosting, and pressed with shredded coconut. A classic Southern-style coconut cake with a tangy lemon surprise inside.

Pineapple spice layer cake with crushed pineapple, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice topped with a fluffy cooked seven-minute frosting studded with pineapple. A from-scratch showstopper.

Glazed raspberry fudge cake is a flourless-style chocolate cake brushed with raspberry preserves, then coated in a glossy rum-chocolate glaze. Dense, moist, and finished with fresh raspberries for the ultimate dinner-party showstopper.

Chilled minted pea soup with Boston lettuce and fresh mint, pureed silky and served cold. A vegetarian summer starter that takes 15 minutes on the stove.

Frozen mocha mousse pie made with cultured cream, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and brown sugar whipped to stiff peaks, set in pie crusts. A unique fermented chocolate dessert.

This extravagant salsa is the perfect conversation starter at dinner parties. Can be served with tortilla chips and on burgers.

Friendship cake using yellow cake mix, vanilla pudding, brandied starter fruit, raisins, and pecans baked in a Bundt pan. The shortcut version of the gifted-starter holiday cake.

Crumbed button mushrooms with garlic or tartare sauce.

Puff-top shrimp bisque: individual soup cups crowned with golden puff pastry lids, hiding a creamy shrimp and zucchini bisque. Impressive starter for two.

Rich pureed chestnut soup spiked with amaretto, swirled with cream, and seasoned with nutmeg and cayenne. An elegant starter that turns fresh roasted chestnuts into liquid velvet.

Salt rising bread made with a potato-cornmeal starter fermented overnight. No yeast needed. A heritage Appalachian bread with a unique cheese-like aroma and dense crumb.

Bloody Mary bread uses V8 juice and a splash of vodka in a bread machine dough for a savory, tomato-tinged loaf with a soft crumb. A conversation starter at any brunch table.

Orange appetizers layered with thin red onion, parsley, cilantro, lime juice, and olive oil. A fresh, no-cook Moroccan-inspired citrus salad starter.

Chilled fruit gazpacho with tomatoes, honeydew, cantaloupe, mango, nectarines, and cucumber in fresh orange juice with basil, mint, and a jalapeño kick. A stunning summer starter.