Cake

These delightful cupcakes are great as soon as they've cooled, but their carrot-cake moistness and hint of spice really come through the day after they're baked.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Carole Bloom's book The Essential Baker. One of my favorite treats when I was growing up was malted milk balls. I couldn't seem to get enough of them. I vividly remember biting through the crunchy exterior of milk chocolate to find the malt ball inside. Yum! I still love the flavor of malt and believe it goes well with milk chocolate. This cheesecake is inspired by those malted milk balls I loved as a child. It's dense and creamy, with a crunchy cookie crust and a deep malt flavor. As with other cheesecakes, this one has to be made in advance of serving because it needs hours to cool and chill. But it also freezes beautifully, so you can make it well in advance of when you plan to serve it.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from James Peterson's book Cooking. Cakes like this carrot cake or banana bread are different than most cakes in that they call for oil, rather than butter. While the oil doesn't contribute much flavor, especially if you use vegetable oil, it does allow you to serve the cakes cold without them hardening, as they would if they were made with butter. Grate the carrot on the finest holes of a box grater that won't turn it to mush, or use the finest grater attachment on your food processor.

Dried fruit, nuts, and oil-cured olives make this fruitcake something special.

A creamy chocolate pudding fills this rich cake and an easy-to-make chocolate band wraps it up in style.

Store-bought peppermint ice cream will vary in color from pale pink to bright pink.

In this earthy dessert, ground poppy seeds combine with lots of airy beaten egg whites to create a texture that's both rich and delicate. (As a result, a little goes a long way.) A sunny touch of lemon adds zing. Be sure to get your poppy seeds from a good source, since they need to be fresh and can go rancid very quickly.

The only cooking involved here is whipping up a pear-brandy-infused simple syrup; it brings out the sweetness of the pears and acts as the base for a chocolate topping.

Caramel and tart Granny Smiths that turn almost saucy breathe new style into upside-down cake; toasted walnuts, ground with sugar and mixed into the batter, lend moistness, and their flavor is teased out with spices and a nip of almond extract.

A moist, deeply flavored confection studded with rum-soaked raisins and crunchy pecans, this streamlined one-bowl cake will get compliments even for novice bakers. Plus, it keeps for days. To dress up each serving, why not use store-bought eggnog, which has the consistency of custard sauce.

Kumquats, small, oval citrus fruit with an edible peel, start turning up in markets this month. They're candied here for a gorgeous cheesecake topping.

Impress your guests with these individual flourless chocolate cakes. The lack of flour makes the cakes very moist—and causes them to sink a bit in the middle.

This is a wonderfully easy cake with flavors for which Piemonte is known. The best hazelnuts in Piemonte are called tonda gentile delle Langhe—the “gentle round one of the Langhe”—and with a bit of chocolate, you have the match made famous in Torino, gianduja. I love this torte for its versatility as well. I serve it simply with powdered sugar or whipped cream, or you can flank it with a scoop of chocolate ice cream or give it a drizzle of warm chocolate sauce. In Piemonte, I’ve had the torte with zabaglione—and if you turn to page 156, you’ll find a perfect partner in Zabaglione al Caffe` Nero.

To make curls, soften a chocolate bar briefly in the microwave and run a vegetable peeler along one long side.

Moist spice cake layered with cream cheese frosting adds up to one irresistible autumn treat.

This rich dough takes a couple of hours to rise—just set it aside and forget about it.

This simple, slightly crunchy cake needs only a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Remember to add eggs, oil, and milk to your shopping list if your cake mix of choice requires them—or, if you are very short on time, use ready-made cupcakes. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 2 days.