November 2010
To make this dessert more than a mere elegant centerpiece, we ditched the dull, dry cake and started over with the fudgiest, most deeply chocolaty foundation we could find.
January 2007
Can a homemade version of this fancy chocolate and apricot-flavored Viennese cake compete with the real deal? We say, unequivocably, yes it can.
January 2005
This cake has made it into the dessert hall of fame, but a closer look reveals shortcomings: faint chocolate flavor, microsuede-like texture, and a complicated mixing process.
November 2012
This multilayered showpiece of meringue and buttercream coated in ganache might just be the best dessert you’ll ever make—plus you can prepare it the day before.
December 2006
Well-made ricotta cheesecake is light and delicate, but poorly made versions suffer from a grainy, wet consistency. Could we smooth out this classic Italian recipe?
November 2011
We knew this showstopper French dessert was both elegant and delicious. Now that we’ve perfected its various components, we can say it’s reliable as well.
November 2000
We created a cake that is easy to roll but still moist, tender, and full of chocolate flavor. With the cream, ganache, and mushrooms, this cake also makes the ultimate yule log cake.
November 1995For the best version of this traditional cake, use light molasses, equal parts of whole milk and buttermilk, and melt the butter before adding it to the batter.
January 2008Spice cakes can be bland and leaden. Could we create a tender, airy cake with convincing spice flavor that stands up to a rich cream cheese frosting?
September 2001
Some apple cakes turn out shellacked and inedible
while others are eggy and sodden. Fifty apple
cakes later, we discovered a better way.
