Cake

You might wonder why we freeze the chocolate filling for these charlottes before baking them. The coldness prevents the chocolate from overcooking in the oven.

Can be made in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

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.