Cake

Pastel de tres leches is a traditional Nicaraguan Celebration Cake usually reserved for the holiday season. In this recipe we preserve the traditional presentation, and add some typical American holiday flavors. The cake is composed of four components: Sponge Cake, Rum Milk Syrup, Meringue, and Cranberry Compote.

To many people living in the middle of the country, celebration cakes must be chocolate cakes — especially German chocolate cakes. This one embellishes the tradition, using unsweetened chocolate instead of sweet chocolate, a luscious caramel-coconut filling between the layers and lots of creamy chocolate frosting. (By the way, German chocolate cakes have nothing to do with the immigrants who settled in the heartland; the name actually comes from the fact that the cakes were first made with Baker's brand German's sweet baking chocolate.)

These individual Pavlovas are inspired by the popular Australian dessert (named for the Russian ballerina), which combines crisp meringue with whipped cream and assorted fruit. It's easy to form the cups with a pastry bag, but if you don't have one, try this technique: Drop the meringue by half-cupfuls onto the baking sheets, then use the back of a spoon to create a deep, wide indentation in the center of each.

Serve this dense, moist cake with a big bowl of lightly sweetened strawberries.

A festive and refreshing dessert.

Orange syrup sweetens the cake and the fresh fruit that goes with it.

Rosemary Leicht of Bethel, Ohio, writes: "I've been a finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-Off three times, so I'm something of an expert at cooking with prepared doughs and bread mixes. Even though these items are simple to use, many people don't venture beyond the package directions. For each contest, I experimented with dozens of recipes, and some of my favorites have been breakfast dishes and desserts. Nowadays I don't enter as many competitions as I used to, but my family still looks forward to my latest creations." Look for cinnamon chips in the supermarket's baking section.

(CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH NUTS AND RAISINS) Here is a chocolate cake that will delight your palate. Use the best bittersweet chocolate you can find!

This delicious dessert from March in New York has a decadent molten center.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr (includes cooling)

Vanilla and Almond Frosting is an accompaniment for this recipe.

This recipe was created to accompany Apricot Berry Trifle .

Jamie Oliver This dish was created by my mum, Sally Oliver, on the occasion of the birth of her second granddaughter, Daisy Boo Oliver. Be sure the rhubarb you use is nice and juicy, and lay it, pretty side down, over the syrup so it looks nice when you take the cake out of the pan.