BA's Best Dessert Recipes
These 29 recipes are part of our BA's Best collection. Check out all of the recipes that made the list.
Alex Lau1/29Four-Layer Chocolate Birthday Cake with Milk Chocolate Ganache and Nutella Buttercream
This recipe calls for dark chocolate in the ganache to balance out the sweetness of the Nutella. For a more kid-friendly cake, use milk chocolate. (Check out all of the recipes that made the list.)
Photograph by Emma Fishman, Prop styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi2/29BA's Best Cheesecake
Room temperature ingredients ensure a smooth and creamy texture; take the cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs out of the refrigerator about 2 hours ahead of time. (Check out all of the recipes that made the list.)
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Leslie Raney Garetto8/29Classic Chocolate Mousse
Dark chocolate and espresso add the slightly bitter notes needed to balance this dessert. Remember, the higher the cacao percentage, the less sweet the chocolate. Check out the key step video, shot with our Nest overhead cams. (Check out all of the recipes that made the list.)
Alex Lau10/29Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles
Three ingredients: Make sure they count. Great chocolate makes great truffles. These will soften quickly at room temperature, so chill them well before rolling, and don’t let them sit out before serving. (Check out all of the recipes that made the list.)
Alex Lau12/29Lemon Bars
Baked lemon bars will be stable and set at room temperature. Unbaked bars should be refrigerated until ready to serve, otherwise the lemon curd will soften. (Check out all of the recipes that made the list.)
Alex Lau13/29Rice Pudding
We know raisins are controversial in rice pudding, so rather than fan the flames, we kept them separate. (But guys, there’s rum.) (Check out all of the recipes that made the list.)
14/29True Vanilla Ice Cream
There's nothing, um, vanilla about our homemade version of the classic. Of course, it also makes a great base for your favorite flavor upgrades. (Check out all of the recipes that made the list.)
15/29Yellow Layer Cake with Chocolate–Sour Cream Frosting
Forget the boxed version you grew up with. This yellow cake 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. (Check out all of the recipes that made the list.)
Photo by Laura Murray, styling by Anna Bilingskog.16/29Cocoa Brownies
The best—and easiest—brownies you'll ever make. This recipe belongs in your repertoire. (Check out all of the recipes that made the list.)
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Carla Gonzalez-Hart17/29Ultimate Sugar Cookies
These sugar cookies are crisp yet tender, keep their shape when baked, and yes, taste great, too. (Check out all of the recipes that made the list.)
Photo by Romulo Yanes18/29Salty Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Finishing your cookies with a delicate, flaky salt like Maldon brings out the chocolate flavor and tempers the sweetness, creating the ultimate sweet and salty snack. (Check out all of the recipes that made the list.)
Alex Lau20/29Key Lime Pie
Using coconut oil in place of some of the butter suggests hints of the tropics, and yogurt folded into the whipped cream reinforces the tang of the lime juice. (Check out all of the recipes that made the list.)
Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott21/29Vanilla Bean Tarte Tatin
Don’t wait too long before inverting this tart; the caramel will stick if it gets cold. (Check out all of the recipes that made the list.)
Gentl & Hyers22/29Sour Cherry Pie
Adding almond flour to the pastry dough makes for a super-tender, toasty-looking crust. (Check out all of the recipes that made the list.)
Alex Lau23/29Peanut Butter Cookies
What makes these cookies The Best? Well, there’s a few reasons actually. We call for natural peanut butter so that you can dial the sugar and salt amounts exactly. Instead of just adding roasted peanuts from the can, we roast them a second time for even more peanutty flavor. And the pan of water in the oven creates a burst of steam that gives the finished cookies the perfect crunchy-chewy texture. Now you know!
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness29/29Best Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies
