Cake

This torte is a masterful mix of textures: The top crust bakes up with a hint of crackly crunch, giving way to a moist, light interior studded with tiny bits of hazelnut.

Selma Hurwitz of Potomac, Maryland, writes: "I'm an artist, and I think that without question cooking is very creative. You can't be afraid to experiment in the kitchen. I often get ideas from cookbooks and recipes from friends, and I'll add my own touches. The apple cake is inspired by a cookbook from Michigan — I just added more rum and spices. Both recipes are great for company and freeze beautifully."

Because the blackberry coulis flavors the glaze for this dark chocolate cake, it should be made ahead of the cake.

There's one thing better than a warm chocolate cake: a warm chocolate cake served with a rich cream sauce. This 139-calorie dessert only feels like a splurge.

Sous chef John D. Martin pairs crisp, tart Granny Smith apples with a rich yet fluffy cake that has a crumbly texture.

Concord-grape wine — a traditional part of the Passover feast — gives this delightful spongecake a fruity, almost floral note.

Baker's sugar, a favorite of pastry chefs, is also called superfine sugar. It measures the same as regular but dissolves more quickly. It's available at some supermarkets. You can also make your own by whizzing granulated sugar in a food processor until powdery. To avoid overbaking the pudding cakes, start checking early for doneness.

A new take on carrot cake.

Pouding Chômeur
This dessert shows the English influence on Quebec cooking. "Unemployed man's pudding" is made from ingredients that are inexpensive and abundant in the area. You'll find it on the menu at diners and cafßs all over Montreal.

In this recipe, simple pantry ingredients come together to make a homey cake that's so tender and moist, you'll be fighting over the last piece.

Donald D. Wilson of Sidney, British Columbia, writes: "Your recipe for coffee fruitcake ("The Way We Were," October 2005) reminded me of something our family calls Aunt Maggie's Boiled Raisin Cake. My wife, Frances, claimed she could make the cake just as well as her Aunt Maggie. Frances and I have been married for over 55 years, but guess who has made the cake during all that time?" Raisins, currants, and candied orange peel bring bursts of sweetness to this rich coffee-flavored cake.

Australian crystallized ginger is especially moist; it's sold at some supermarkets and specialty foods stores.

Coconut milk enhances the taste of the white chocolate; kumquats add tang.

This recipe's a family favorite from my Auntie Delores. It's actually a version of bibingka, a Pilipino dessert. I call it coconut cake, because I don't know how to translate "bibingka" into French, and Laurent and I mostly speak French. At home we simply cut it into squares. For a fancy restaurant-style presentation, you can cut it into various shapes using cookie cutters. If you want to cut out shapes, lining the cake pan with parchment paper will make it easier to unmold the cake. Packages of coconut are usually 14 ounces, but an ounce or two more or less won't make a difference.

Use a Bundt pan or any other decorative ten-cup fluted pan.