Cake

Bake this dessert ahead so it can chill overnight.

Make two trifles to serve 30 guests, or make one and round out the dessert table with fruitcake and goodies from the bakery.

Delicious as an afternoon treat with a cup of coffee or tea.

One day I wanted to use up a case of bananas that were overripe, and this cake was the result. The olive oil adds moisture to the cake. You can serve this cake warm; it is very rewarding with Vanilla Ice Cream.

Be sure to make this dessert at least one day ahead to allow the flavors to blend.

Active time: 15 minutes Start to finish: 1 1/4 hour

One of the traditions of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, includes pairing honey with apples, in the hope of sweetness in the coming year. The custom is to dip apple slices into honey. I decided to combine the apples and honey in one cake. The result is moist, subtly spiced, and deliciously sweet. I bake this in a round pan, symbolic of the hoped-for fullness in the new year. This cake can be served not only on Rosh Hashanah but over the course of the year as well.

Pureed fresh mango gives this cheesecake a light and soft texture and subtle tropical fruit flavor.

Debra says this very American made-from-scratch cake, which is truly fast and easy, always gets rave reviews from kids and their parents in Paris.

Serve this tender, moist Bundt cake with the Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote , vanilla ice cream, or just on its own. Decorate with whole strawberries, if desired.

This dessert is a dense and rich chocolate mousse-like cake chilled in a mold.

Since this cheesecake needs to chill for several hours, it's easiest to bake it a day ahead of time.

Jennifer Larson of Beirut, Lebanon, writes: "I had a fabulous lunch at Rosa Mexicano in New York. The warm chocolate cake with sweet tomatillo sauce really stood out. Can you get the recipe?" Chocolate labels can be confusing because there's no official distinction between semisweet and bittersweet. We tested this recipe using Valrhona (56%), which is labeled semisweet, Ghirardelli Bittersweet, and Lindt Bittersweet. We got the best result using Valrhona (56%), but if Valrhona is not available, we recommend Ghirardelli Bittersweet over Lindt Bittersweet for this recipe.

Coffee ice cream, a chocolate-cookie crust and chocolate-covered coffee beans add up to a terrific party dessert. Begin making the cake one day before serving.

This cake and custard sauce can also be made ahead. Both should come out of the refrigerator, to take the chill off, when the first course is served. The accompanying caramelized pears, which require not more than a few minutes to sauté, make a welcome addition to the cool custard sauce and moist cake.

In my New York shop, this recipe calls for a trio of chocolate mousses, white, milk, and dark. But in order to simplify — and to give milk chocolate a chance to shine — I have eliminated the white chocolate mousse. It is a simple layer cake consisting of chocolate génoise and the mousses.