Cake

This layered dessert gets its name, volador, from the way the edges of the pastry "fly up" as they bake. The combination of thin, crackly pastry with creamy dulce de leche is unbeatable in its simplicity. Don't worry if the torte doesn't slice neatly—it's meant to be an informal dessert, the kind that invites guests to swipe crumbs from the serving platter and dip them into stray puddles of dulce de leche. It's too good to let a single bite go to waste.

The attraction of mile-high desserts is undeniable. Unfortunately, the taste doesn't always pay off. Sometimes there is an imbalance in the layering (too much filling, too much frosting), so we tried to balance this version flavorwise while still making it look delicious. The base is a chocolate cake we use regularly at the bakery; we filled it with a not-too-sweet buttercream. A cake this tall covered in white frosting would be too sweet, so instead we added a chocolate glaze that drips down the sides.

This recipe wasn't created, per se; it was a happy accident. One of our new (though lovely) bakers was working on a tray of brownies and pulled them out too early from the oven. They were too underdone for sale, so we cut some out, pressed them into the bottom of a springform pan, and used them as the base of our cheesecake. It has been on our menu ever since.

In the past few years, bakers have been upping the ante with chocolate desserts (think of your local American bistro's "warm chocolate cakes with gooey chocolate centers").

Here comes the sun: Topped with graceful fans of candied fennel and bathed in a golden syrup, this lemony upside-down cake is a cheery sight. The fennel's subtle sweetness and beautiful form are quite sophisticated, but the cake's buttermilk crumb is pure homey delight. A cloud of whipped cream makes a fitting accompaniment.

The Hot Toddy—for centuries, the classic remedy for a freezing-cold night—is, writes cocktail historian David Wondrich in Imbibe!, "one of the clearest signs I know that there is a providential plan to the universe." The subtle, malty flavor of good Scotch whisky is carried in this instance by a pudding cake, which separates into two layers as it bakes. Eat this while it's still warm from the oven.

The floral notes of Meyer lemons meld with lavender in the most heavenly way in this light, golden cake. The secret to the moistness of the tender layers is olive oil—a common ingredient in Provençal cakes—and they take well to the bright lemon curd and loose billows of lavender-honey cream.

Ground ginger and crystallized ginger amp up the flavor of the cake; fresh ginger adds a spicy hit to the fresh strawberries. The Bundt pan is coated with raw sugar before the batter is added, giving the cake a sparkly crust.

The secret to these moist cupcakes? Reduced coconut milk.

This cake is light as air— and infused with flavor, thanks to a little grated orange peel. A deep, dark caramel sauce and a stunning fruit compote make the dessert dinner-party-worthy. Be sure not to use a pan with a nonstick coating. Because this cake is cooled upside down in the pan, you want the cake to stick to the sides a bit.

This rustic cake gets a zing from a tangy lemon glaze. The sauce dresses up the cake for dessert (or brunch).

Traditionally served as a coffee cake in El Salvador, "quesadilla" cake isn’t made with tortillas but has a pound-cake-like denseness. The unusual addition of parmesan cheese gives the sweet cake its rich depth.

This pound cake not only keeps well but also intensifies in flavor over the first day or so. It's delicious toasted or served with ice cream.

This is a taste of prewar Hungary, from the family repertoire of my dear friend, Judy Abrams, gifted teacher and poet. Based on ground walnuts and leavened only with eggs, this light, fudge-luscious cake has not a jot of butter or flour, making it Passover-perfect for meat or dairy meals. To conclude a meat meal, it is delectable plain or dusted fancifully with confectioners' sugar (a Passover recipe without cornstarch below) or glazed with a simple chocolate icing. For a dairy dish, cover the torte in swirls of lightly sweetened whipped cream or serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream on the side, accompanied by a steaming cup of strong cappuccino. Enjoy this beautifully moist and virtually no-fail torte not just on Passover, but year round. When well wrapped (without icing), it keeps very well, tasting even better a day or two after it is made. As with all nut pastries, be sure the walnuts you are using are very fresh-tasting.

Buttermilk and cake flour are the secrets to the incredibly light texture of this sophisticated cake with its gooey caramel topping. It's baked in a cake pan on a baking sheet to prevent the dates from getting tough.

This fudgy cake is packed with intense, chocolaty richness.

For dessert, Grimes was inspired by something from Vienna, a little farther along the Danube: linzertorte. It's traditionally made with hazelnuts and raspberry jam, but this version, with its warmly spiced almond pastry and vivid apricot filling, spoke to Grimes of the highly polished coffeehouses in that part of the world. Cooking dried apricots with brandy and sugar allows you to control the sweetness quotient, and the result is all about the magically musky, tangy fruit.