Cake

Editor's note: This recipe is from Michele Adams's and Gia Russo's book Wedding Showers: Ideas & Recipes for the Perfect Party. Tart, juicy raspberries are stacked between layers of rich chocolate cake for a delectable and colorful presentation. You can bake this cake the night before the shower and keep refrigerated overnight. Frost and decorate the cake the morning of the shower.

(Sericaia à la Ritz) Editor's note: This recipe is adapted from Jean Anderson. Anderson also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. To read more about Anderson and Portuguese cuisine, click here. The recipe for this unusually light Portuguese "egg sweet" is adapted from the Varanda Restaurant of the Ritz Four Seasons Hotel in Lisbon. At the restaurant, an ice cream made from ameixas d'Elvas (sugarplums from the city of Elvas near the Spanish border) is scooped alongside. However, the sericaia is equally delicious served plain.

We are happy to announce that Marla Orenstein has won our February 2006 "Cook the Cover" contest with her delicious variation on our Chocolate-Glazed Hazelnut Mousse Cake. Marla Orenstein explains her variation:
To me, this rich, heavy chocolate dessert is enhanced with the addition of a complementary tart or sour taste. In this recipe, I have added a new layer—a reduction of sour cherry jam mixed with balsamic vinegar and brandy—between the chocolate shortbread and the chocolate mousse. I find the taste of the whole cake to be more complex and enjoyable as a result.

We are happy to announce that Megan Gill-Kopp has won our September Cook the Cover contest with her delicious recipe for Mexican Turtle Chocolate Mink. I have made some simple changes to create a Mexican twist to Gourmet's Chocolate Mink recipe. I have added cinnamon to the chocolate batter. In addition, I have topped the dessert with a Mexican caramel, cajeta, and toasted pecans. Living in San Diego has opened my eyes, and taste buds, to the wonderful flavors of Mexican cuisine. I couldn't help adding some of those flavors to this recipe. Editors' Note: Cajeta (goat's milk caramel) is available at many supermarkets, some Latino markets and specialty foods shops, and from amazon.com.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Michele Adams's and Gia Russo's book Wedding Showers: Ideas & Recipes for the Perfect Party. Little squares of cake make perfect individual portions. We used our favorite combination of berries picked at their peak, but feel free to use any fruit in season. Bake two days in advance and assemble a few hours before the party.

Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Canyon Ranch Cooks and is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Canyon Ranch.

Healthy bonus: 1 serving of fruit per slice, protein and riboflavin from eggs, calcium from yogurt, fiber, and nearly 1/3 of the RDA for vitamin C from berries

Healthy bonus: 1/2 serving of fruit per slice, potassium from bananas, iron from walnuts

Spiced cakes, like the warm miniature madeleines served at Aix, in Manhattan, seemed the perfect pairing for the hibiscus tea sorbet and basil and orange ice creams . Unlike the madeleines that Aix pastry chef Jehangir Mehta makes, ours are the traditional size.

Tip: Use plain lowfat yogurt in place of sour cream. Result: less fat, great flavor.

The ultimate chocolate cake.

Cake and ice cream in one easy-to-prepare dessert — no baking required. You can make it up to two days before the celebration.

Editor's note: The recipe below is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Lake Austin Spa Resort. This is arguably Mexico's most famous special occasion cake. Tres leches means three milks — typically heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk. Our version opts for a lighter more tropical soaking — reduced-fat coconut milk, fat-free sweetened condensed milk, and skim milk. You would think that all of this fluid infusion would turn the cake to sodden disintegration. But, in fact, it absorbs the liquids beautifully, much as does the equatorial earth absorb a sudden downpour. Accompanied by rum-caramelized bananas and topped with toasted coconut, this cake has become our most popular new dessert.