Cake

Here's a three-layer cake that makes a sensational finale to any meal.

Layers of toffee-studded, coffee-flavored mousse and chocolate ganache fill an almond and sugar-cookie crust.

At the café this dessert is accompanied by raspberry sauce and topped with whipped cream.

This moist Christmas cake takes its cues from the flavors and spices found in the classic Lebkuchen cookie. It's brushed with an orange-scented honey syrup, frosted with a creamy white chocolate icing and then surrounded by sliced almonds.

Enjoy this dessert at room temperature if you like a creamy texture similar to that of a soufflé, or serve the cake cold if you prefer a dense, fudgey texture.

Cake-making equipment and ingredients can be found at cake and candy supply stores. Be sure to use cake flour, not all purpose flour, and begin preparing the cake two days ahead. Buy one 1-ounce bottle of gel base color in the shade called Bakers Rose to tint both the frosting and the fondant a pale pink. Plastic drinking straws are used to support the middle and top tiers. Buy the straight—not bendable—kind.

Festive and pretty, this do-ahead dessert is a boon for busy hosts.

A celebration of midwestern cherries.

Samali: One of the great sweets of Thessaloniki, made in pastry shops, at home, and hawked from small carts on the streets all around the Kapani market.

This classic chocolate cake gets its unlikely moniker from its color--the same as the deep, rich soil that lines Old Man River. It's usually made in a single-layer rectangular baking pan, but we dressed ours up and fashioned it into a layer cake.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

The French dessert that's known as clafouti is a pancake crossed with a fruit-filled custard. It's best served warm, right from the skillet. If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, any ovenproof variety is fine. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

At the turn of the century, folks were feeling devilish, no longer satisfied with angel food cake, the evangelical treat of the late 1800s. They wanted chocolate and plenty of it, and devil's food cake filled the bill.

A vacherin includes layers of meringue with a creamy filling; its name derives from its resemblance to the rich, round French and Swiss cheeses of the same name. Begin preparing this lovely dessert at least one day before you plan to serve it. Once assembled, the torte can be frozen for up to four days.