Baking

Mayonnaise in the batter isn’t as weird as it sounds—it’s just eggs and oil, after all. It’s also why this cake is so moist.

We recommend using a finely ground cornmeal for these; it will give them the ideal texture.

This pie is seasonless: Bake it in fall with fresh cranberries and frozen raspberries and blueberries. Come summer, use the reverse.

Curry crust? Trust us: This lightly spiced crumb will win Best in Show. If you want to take it even further, add a teaspoon of toasted crushed cumin seeds, too.

This chocolate-pumpkin mashup is surprising, yet delicious. It’s so good in fact, that you don’t even have to brûlée the top—though that helps give it its showstopper effect.

We tried all kinds of gingersnaps to make this easy crust. Our favorite? Anna’s Ginger Thins.

If you don’t have (or can’t spare) a cast-iron skillet, this can also be finished off in an 8x8” glass dish for baking.

Pastry chef Kierin Baldwin’s pie dough method is special in a couple of ways. First, she uses a combination of butter, which lends rich flavor, and shortening, which makes the flakiest crusts. The best of both worlds. Her technique of repeatedly flattening and stacking the dough coats the flour with fat, which helps make the crust tender in this pear pie recipe.

Layers of buttered and sugared phyllo pastry are molded in muffin tins to form the crisp crusts for these mini apple croustades.

Forget the boxed version you grew up with. This yellow cake recipe gets a rich dark-chocolate frosting with a touch of tang thanks to sour cream. For the best presentation, it’s important to cut the cake layers evenly. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

This cake is perfect for beginners—it’s moist, forgiving, and easy. Jif creamy peanut butter is our favorite for the decadent frosting.

If you like, serve this chocolate-cinnamon recipe with whipped cream or an extra dollop of yogurt—or, of course, a cup of coffee.

In this gâteau breton aux pommes, or apple cake, apples are caramelized before being baked in buttery batter. Why stop there? Salted caramel sauce lets guests indulge even further.

These delicate cheese puffs always impress. Once you get the hang of the dough, you’ll serve them at every opportunity.

Peggy Loftus, a contributor to Food52, devised these stellar custards.

It may look like a giant lunch-box treat, but an ultra-smooth ganache and a final flourish of crunchy sea salt make this one elegant cake.

Lime zest is a fresh addition to macaroons, and a Microplane is our zesting tool of choice. If you can’t find unsweetened coconut chips, use two 7-oz. bags of sweetened shredded coconut and reduce the sugar to 1 Tbsp.

The late Richard Sax, celebrated cookbook author and champion of home cooks the world over, inspired this flourless chocolate cake—a riff on his iconic chocolate cloud cake.

This simple, moist banana bread recipe can also be baked in three small (5¾x3¼”) loaf pans, which is how you’ll find them at Julia’s stand; cooking time will be 40–50 minutes. For the deepest flavor, use ripe bananas with lots of freckles.

Using frozen berries in desserts is a clever way to add flavor and vibrant color in colder months. Choose a mild honey, such as clover or orange blossom, to let the fruits shine.

Parchment paper is a lifesaver when making this rustic tart. Use it when rolling out the tender, delicate crust (it’ll keep it from sticking), then use it to fold over the edges of the galette.

Part of what gives this cake its light texture is beating the butter and sugar well, so don't rush this step.

This recipe calls for baking one giant cookie, a way to ensure even, consistent ice cream sandwiches.

Once in a while in the Test Kitchen, there’s a dish that we can’t get enough of. This simple, layered dessert is so good, we fought over the last bite.