Cake

Purchased sorbet, frozen yogurt and pound cake make this the season's quickest elegant dessert.

The flavor of this rich chocolate cake is terrific the day it's baked but becomes even deeper over time; we suggest making it at least one day ahead. And it works particularly well as cupcakes.

Russian cheesecakes, like this one served at The Kaleenka in Seattle, are lighter and drier than most American versions. The texture comes from a dry-curd cheese (known here a hoop cheese) common to Russian cooking.

This is a variation on a cake that my mother makes for both dessert and breakfast. The original recipe used a couple of bowls and a mixer, but I've developed a quick saucepan method, and even my mother says it has the same moist, tender texture and flavor.

Freshly grinding the cinnamon—in an electric coffee/spice grinder—takes this breakfast ring to the next level.

This recipe yields an extra cake layer that can be reserved for another time. Wrap it tightly in foil, and freeze it for up to a month. Keeping the cake wrapped, defrost it at room temperature; then serve it with berries and whipped cream or ice cream.

Throughout Abraham Lincoln's political career, his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, would periodically bake for him the Todd family's favorite cake, based on a recipe dating back to 1825. On first tasting it, Lincoln is reported to have said that this white almond cake was the "best I ever ate." That's high praise, but we've made a good thing even better by adding a coffee-cinnamon layer and drizzling the cake with a luscious coffee glaze.

Mango sauce enhanced with crystallized ginger complements this delicious low-fat cake.

Begin preparing this a day before serving.

A dessert worthy of the finest steak houses in Chicago, Denver or New York. White chocolate and milk chocolate filling and a bittersweet chocolate frosting give a sophisticated spin to an American favorite.

The secret to this rich and fudgy cake is good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder, which provides the smooth taste of chocolate without the fat.

(Apple Walnut Cake) This cake's unusual name was taken from the relative who originally passed down the recipe.

A joint effort by Leigh McLean and Sweet Dreams Bakery in Memphis.