Torte

The filling is wonderfully creamy, like ice cream, but is made without using an ice cream machine. Be sure to have plenty of extra fruit to go along with the torte.

A rich candy-bar-like dessert that can be made in stages, and even completed three days before a party. Fresh strawberries make a nice garnish.

A tweed cake gets its name from the classic wool fabric it resembles. The effect is achieved by folding coarsely grated chocolate into the batter before baking. If you can't find matzo cake meal, you can grind batches of regular matzo meal in a clean electric coffee/spice grinder until it's the consistency of flour.

Perfect for celebrations, the elegant torte has a filling of strawberries and chocolate ganache, which is also used as the frosting.

This makes a rich but surprisingly light, torte. An absolute, worth-the-price-of-the-book winner. Mashed sweet potatoes make a great substitute for the traditional pureed chestnut paste. Chestnut puree is available kosher, but I have never been able to find it "kosher for Passover." It may seem unusual, but I can assure you of two things — it tastes divine and it is easier than buying fresh-in-the-shell chestnuts, roasting, poaching, and grating them to get them ready for this cake. You can also serve this in squares, as French-style "petit fours." The glaze slicks this up but is not necessary—a dusting of cocoa is just fine.

The cake layers are brushed with Strega, an Italian liqueur flavored with herbs and flowers. Removing the torte from the freezer an hour before serving allows the whipped-cream frosting to soften, while the filling remains frozen.

Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 4 hr A wonderful welcome to spring, this butter- and oil-free torte gains its richness from pecans. If you want to keep the cake pareve, or if you intend to serve it several times, leave it unfrosted.

The frozen berry sabayon is smooth and creamy, like ice cream.

We tried several different brands of whole-wheat and found that Pepperidge Farm loaves have a slight sweetness that works especially well in this torte.

This recipe, adapted from The Viennese Pastry Cookbook: From Vienna with Love, by Lilly Joss Reich, requires a Rehrucken mold—a loaf pan with a rounded, ridged bottom.

You'll find halvah—Middle Eastern sesame seed candy—in the refrigerated deli case at the supermarket.

This torte has a crisp top that shatters when cut and a fudgy tart cherry center.

A rich chocolate-raspberry truffle filling highlights this updated Linzertorte.

This delicate cake can be prepared a day before serving. Try this easy orange sauce over ice cream, too.

This beautiful torte can be prepared three days before serving.

What to drink: Offer robust French roast coffee, but also a vintage or ruby Port.