Cake

Polly Tafrate of South Salem, New York, writes: "I've taken dozens of cooking classes over the years, but some of my best lessons in the kitchen have come from my husband's family. His sister and his mother have shared many delicious recipes with me, including the ones here."

Larry Leichtman of Phoenix, Arizona, writes: "Thirteen years ago, I sold my business in Los Angeles and moved to Phoenix. One of the first things my neighbors discovered about me was that I love to cook. We get together often, and I'm usually the one in the kitchen. Being the cook means never having to do the dishes."

Lovely served at breakfast with butter or cream cheese.

Armelle Curley of Smithtown, New York, writes: "My mother, who was French, traditionally made this almond butter cake for Easter. She ground her own almonds, but I find it's much easier to use almond paste instead. I've been making it now for 70 years — not just for Easter, but for other holidays and special occasions."

Steve Mosel of Bremerton, Washington, writes: "I was in Minneapolis last month for a family wedding and stayed at the Radisson hotel downtown. I'm very rarely impressed by hotel restaurants, but the meal I had at FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar was really wonderful. The Bundt cake I ordered was one of the best desserts I've had outside of my mother's kitchen." Although the recipe calls for baking the cakes in mini Bundt pans, large muffin pans work equally well.

Michael Shrader of Nine Restaurant Group in Palm Springs, Florida, writes: "Both sides of my family cooked a lot when I was growing up, so I've had plenty of inspiration to draw on as a chef. From my mother's Sicilian heritage, I learned about homemade pasta, braised meats, and biscotti—before they became fashionable. My dad is part German, and he was known for his talents working the grill. Now that I'm a professional chef, my entire family is paranoid about cooking for me. I find that funny because I still love their food and look forward to it." This recipe makes two cakes, so freeze one to enjoy at another time.

This recipe sponsored by Black Swan Vineyards

This bread gets even better if stored for a day. Enjoy it toasted and buttered for breakfast.

The following recipe produces a coarse-crumbed cake; for ease of slicing, dip you knife in hot water before cutting each serving.

(TORTA DI RISO CON COMPOSTA DI CILIEGE E ALBICOCCHE) This flourless dessert is popular, especially on the Po River plain. The texture is more like that of a rice pudding than that of a cake. The compote is a refreshing partner. For a treat, uncork a semisweet Lambrusco.

Root vegetables were often used to lend sweetness to eighteenth-century cakes and puddings. The carrot cake layers in this recipe are sandwiched with marmalade and iced with a cream cheese frosting.

The rich flavors in this moist cake intensify with a little bit of age. Though the Armagnac toffee sauce and Armagnac ice cream make festive partners, leftover cake is excellent served plain with tea or coffee. To give extra height to the cake, we call for an 11-cup Kugelhopf pan, a taller-than-ordinary bundt pan (available by mail order from Bridge Kitchenware, tel. 800-274-3435 or 212-838-1901). You may also use a regular 11-cup bundt pan for a slightly broader cake.