Torte

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.

Get your chocolate fix with this lush torte from executive pastry chef Philippe Niez at The Mayflower Inn & Spa. It tastes so rich, you won't even want seconds!

This easy dessert has it all: chocolate cookie crust; rich, creamy filling; and a glistening tumble of berries on top.

There will be a bit of pistachio paste left over: stir it into your next batch of brownies.

A creamy frozen eggnog mousse layered with paper-thin sheets of crisp chocolate. Be sure to make the chocolate disks and lace before making the mousse filling.

Coarsely ground black pepper lends a spicy note to this dense, moist brownie cake studded with dried cherries and chocolate chips. Cherry Preserves are thicker than cherry jam and give the Black Forest Torte more body. Look for cherry preserves in supermarkets.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. To read Epicurious's review of the cookbook, click here. This giant round of crisp cookie topped with large clump of streusel is a specialty of Mantua, Italy. It's perfect served with a bunch of grapes at the end of a dinner party. Set it in the center of the table and let guests break off pieces.

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.

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

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

This flourless torte is made with a minimum of ingredients — nothing more than walnuts, eggs, and sugar — then generously coated with coffee-flavored whipped cream.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 40 min

To make the very thin layers for this torte, the batter is spread on inverted cake pans. It is important that the batter be spread evenly and that the layers not be overbaked. (Do not use dark metal or non-stick pans.)

A classic Austrian tart gets an American update with this cranberry and apricot filling.

From the White Horse Tavern in Newport, Rhode Island.

Begin preparing this a day ahead.