Cake

Loaded with fruit, this dessert is cut and served as you would a cake, but the texture is that of a pudding. To keep the meal kosher when your menu includes meat, omit the whipped cream frosting and serve this with nondairy topping and the berry sauce. Begin the cake a day ahead.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

So quick, so easy and so good.

This decadent dessert is even better made a day ahead, so the flavors can mellow overnight in the refrigerator.

Angel food cake gets its ethereal fluffiness from whipped egg whites, which also keep it friendly to the waistline and healthy for the heart. The unused egg yolks may be saved for making such real indulgences as Crème Anglaise, custards, or lemon curd.

This rich dessert is perfect for the holidays and other special occasions.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Purchased pound cake is sliced and toasted or grilled, then dressed up with a luscious chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream.

This torte consists of three flavors of ice cream or frozen yogurt that are layered with Nutella, a creamy hazelnut-chocolate spread available in specialty foods stores and most supermarkets. (Look for it where the peanut butter is sold.) The Nutella freezes firmly on the ice cream, but is soft enough to cut through.

A bourbon-laced cream filling and rich chocolate glaze turn the classic layer cake into something really special.

If you don't have the pastry rings we call for in this recipe, you can use 1/2-cup muffin cups. However, the batter will fill 6 muffin cups, making smaller cakes.

Extra-virgin olive oil is the the secret ingredient in this moist, dense, lightly sweet cake. Perfect as an afternoon snack or for breakfast with a cup of fluffy cappuccino.

To create a basket-weave design, follow the instructions at the bottom of the recipe.

You can use Meyer lemons in this cake for a lighter, more floral flavor.

This recipe was developed by Houston pastry chef Carrie Hart with the assistance of Girl Scout Amanda Marlow.

Among favorite desserts of the decade were waffles, served with ice cream and syrup, as well as this easy cake's ancestor. The treat reached its maximum popularity with the increasing availability of canned pineapple and the marketing efforts of the Dole Company. Today's widely available fresh fruit-spiked with ginger, macadamia nuts and orange zest-gives a great result.