Cocoa

The flavor of this rich chocolate cake is terrific the day it's baked but becomes even deeper over time; we suggest making it at least one day ahead. And it works particularly well as cupcakes.

A dessert worthy of the finest steak houses in Chicago, Denver or New York. White chocolate and milk chocolate filling and a bittersweet chocolate frosting give a sophisticated spin to an American favorite.

The secret to this rich and fudgy cake is good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder, which provides the smooth taste of chocolate without the fat.

A joint effort by Leigh McLean and Sweet Dreams Bakery in Memphis.

This Italian version of fruitcake is dense, chewy and candy-like. Wrap it in brightly colored cellophane for giving.

The following is a moist and chocolaty cake suitable for many occasions. Use it to form the base for Tepee Birthday Cakes .

Intense chocolate flavor accented with orange highlights this lovely layer cake.

This pull-out-all-the-stops cake for special occasions may be prepared in steps in advance and glazes on the day it is to be served.

This dense orange cake, drizzled with orange glaze, is always a favorite at the annual P-Patch harvest banquet.

Tender chocolate shortbread topped with a rich chocolate ganache just might be the perfect gift for the chocoholics on your list. For an elegant accent, decorate the shortbread with gold leaf, place the cookies on a tray or round platter lined with gold-colored tissue paper, and wrap it all up with cellophane and gold ribbon.

We used waxed candy/muffin liners for these cupcakes, which kept them from sticking and helped them develop attractive domed tops. (Spraying your muffin tins will keep them from sticking but tends to result in flat-topped cupcakes.) The liners are available by mail order from Sweet Celebrations, (800) 328-6722. They are not always well labeled; ask for item #601524 (red) or #502332 (white with gold).