Stand Mixer

This almost doesn't need a recipe because it is based on the classic proportions of a pound of each of the four main ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. I have played with the quantities a little bit so that the recipe doesn't make such a large cake. I like to flavor this type of pound cake with just a little vanilla—it keeps the flavor delicate and doesn't mask the lovely flavor of the butter. If you want more vividly flavored pound cake, try any of the variations.

This strawberry roll is elegant in appearance but less rich than a roll covered with whipped cream rather than the light meringue.

I have never understood why pudding has not inspired the same passion as the ubiquitous cupcake. Pudding is Americana personified and every bit as interesting and delicious as any other dessert, but for some reason it is not as glorified as some of its peers. Perhaps it's because pudding is not as visually exciting? In an attempt to add a bit of visual flair to puddin', we created a S'mores version that looks great in a clear glass (or glass container). To us, diner desserts equal layered desserts, and the layers of dark chocolate pudding look terrific with the alternate layers of toasted graham. The marshmallow topping is both tasty and a tad sexy. It’s about time pudding got its groove back.

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 tartlet is complex, but well worth the effort. It sprang from the mind of our bakery's apple-obsessed chef, Eric Wolitzky (he is from the apple heartland of upstate New York), who was attempting to wring more flavor from the traditional apple pie. We’re still huge fans of the classic, but this version—with its perfect ratio of caramel to apple to buttery crust and crunchy topping—is now our must have apple dessert. At the bakery, we put the tartlets out at noon, and they are gone by 12:30 p.m., so we feel fairly confident that people share our new obsession.

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").

Why should kids have all the fun? A lovely way to keep the conversation going long after dessert, these soft, aromatic little confections are like Peeps for adults. Lillet perfumes the marshmallows with orange and honey notes and gives them a haunting buzz.

A Dutch Baby—basically a cross between a pancake and a popover—is tremendously popular in Seattle; according to local lore, it originated at a restaurant there called Manca's. Serve it with fresh berries or nothing more than jam or a lavish sprinkling of lemon sugar.

Judging by the incredulous, delighted looks on the food editors’ faces when they swallowed their first spoonful of what is essentially cold, airy, whipped lemonade, this 19th-century dessert deserves a renaissance. The warm, sunny sweetness of basil infuses the accompanying custard sauce.

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.

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.

The dough gets its slightly tangy flavor from a "sponge" (a mixture of warm water, yeast, and flour that’s allowed to ferment). Timing note: The sponge needs to rest overnight; the dough needs to rise for about eight hours.

At his restaurant, Ford's Filling Station, in Culver City, California, Ben Ford says he strives to serve "things that you don't necessarily identify with traditional comfort food but that give all the [same] nourishment." This signature recipe for flatbread—a very thin "pizza" with sweet shrimp, white bean hummus, melted leeks, caramelized onions, and a scattering of sharp cheese—is comforting and satisfying yet anything but bland or conventional.

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.