The sun is out, the birds are singing, and there’s a sweet scent in the air. Strawberry season is officially upon us, which means that these strawberry muffins should be at the top of your to-bake list, right along with the requisite strawberry shortcake. Showcasing spring’s finest jewels, these muffins are chock-full of strawberry flavor … Read more
An easy dessert or afternoon snack, this lemon pound cake recipe gets its pillowy crumb from cake flour and six whole eggs. Don’t swap in all-purpose flour here; its higher protein content produces more gluten that would result in a cake noticeably denser and less fluffy. You can, however, make a decent cake flour substitute … Read more
A classic Smith Island cake is a thing of beauty. With its eight (or more) layers of yellow cake, sandwiched together with glossy dark chocolate, all enrobed in a smooth layer of ganache, it’s a dessert that demands attention. Named after its birthplace—a group of three island communities off the Chesapeake Bay—the cake is said … Read more
In Trentino–Alto Adige, mushrooms are cultivated and foraged. The mushrooms found throughout the region have been revered since ancient times and referred to by the ancient Romans as the food of the gods. Found both in cultivation caves and out in the woods growing wild, the bounty lends itself to various uses. Simple buttons, trumpets, … Read more
There’s something so elegant about the simplicity of this flourless chocolate cake recipe. Sometimes called a chocolate torte, it’s a Passover and Valentine’s Day staple for good reason—not to mention an ideal choice for gluten-free dinner parties. With just five ingredients, desserts don’t get much simpler, especially because this fudgy single-layer dark chocolate cake comes … Read more
If the last time you had a chocolate cupcake was at a childhood birthday party, it’s high time to bake a batch. This chocolate cupcake recipe is ridiculously easy—the batter comes together in about 5 minutes, no equipment required. But it delivers big on flavor thanks to a healthy dose of salt, vanilla extract, and … Read more
You probably have everything needed to make this Dutch baby recipe on hand right now. A cross between a fluffy oversized pancake and an eggy crepe, the large-format breakfast favorite is believed to derive from the German pancake pfannkuchen. According to legend, an American restaurateur mistook the word “Deutsch” for “Dutch,” and a misleading moniker … Read more
For shortbread, buttery texture is everything, which is why most recipes limit the liquid they use and rely on eggs as the only binder. Bakers are hesitant to add water, which, when worked with flour, creates gluten. But dry shortbread dough is hard to work with and often results in overly brittle cookies that shatter … Read more
“Chocolate chipless cookies? But like, what even is the point?” asked more than one befuddled colleague when I told them I was developing a chocolate chip cookie recipe minus the chocolate chips. “I don’t know, just the perfect distillation of buttery, butterscotch-y cookie essence?” I replied, wild-eyed, deep in the midst of my 11th batch. … Read more
If a coffee cake and a focaccia had a baby, it would look something like this. Sugar cake is a tradition of the Moravians, a group of Czech Protestants who landed in the same Pennsylvania region as the Amish and Mennonites, and later settled in North Carolina. In 1766, the Moravian church founded Salem, now … Read more