Cake

Flourless cakes with a pudding-like center.

(Toasted Almond, Cinnamon and Chocolate Torte)

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

To save time, simply skip the topping.

English toffee enhances both the cake and topping of this delicious treat.

Majorca, Spain When this dessert is made on Majorca, rum-soaked raisins are baked on top. Here the filling is flavored with rum; then the cake is served with a strawberry compote.

For best results, use a dark baking chocolate with high cocoa butter content (about 30 percent), such as Valrhona or Callebaut.

Yellow cornmeal in the batter adds great texture to this homey dessert. Top each piece of the warm cake with vanilla ice cream.

(Gâteau de Pommes Grand-Mère) Sautéing the apples in butter (along with a splash of Calvados) before adding them to the batter lends an extra dimension of richness to this very simple apple cake. Enjoy a wedge with a cup of coffee in the morning or as a welcome afternoon snack with tea.

Chill the orange curd overnight before using.

This cheesecake is very light and fluffy, unlike more traditional cheesecakes, which are creamy and dense.

A wonderfully homey cake that's equally good with afternoon tea, after a meal, or for breakfast with a cup of Italian roast coffee. Maple sugar is available at some supermarkets and at many natural foods stores.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 6 hr (includes chilling) Chillingsworth, in Brewster on Cape Cod, was one of several restaurants that caused a great deal of mail to flow into our You Asked for It department during the '60s and '70s. This homespun lemon roll is part of its legacy.

We tested this recipe with Lindt, Valrhona, Ghirardelli, and Callebaut bittersweet chocolates, all of which worked equally well. Our favorite, however, was Valrhona, which made for an especially rich-flavored gianduia. For this recipe you will need heavy-duty foil (thicker and wider than regular foil) to waterproof the springform pan.

Here's a terrific quick bread for any time of day. If there's any left over, this bread is great when lightly toasted and spread with some cream cheese. For an added tart flavor, substitute cranberries for half the apples.