There is a reason this cake has been on American tables since the 1920s and shows no signs of leaving. It is visually dramatic for something that requires almost no decorating skill. The presentation does itself: caramelized pineapple rings, glossy brown sugar topping, and maraschino cherries in every center, all revealed the moment you flip…
Nobody knows exactly why it is called hummingbird cake. The most popular theory is that the cake is sweet enough to attract hummingbirds. Another suggests the name comes from Jamaica, where the national bird is the doctor bird hummingbird (Trochilus polytmus), and where banana and pineapple are both native ingredients. The most likely explanation is…
Every baker has that one bunch of bananas they forget on the counter. They start yellow. They spot. They turn soft and dark and slightly embarrassing. And then, almost every time, they become banana bread. Not anymore. This easy banana cake does everything banana bread does, and then a few things banana bread simply cannot….
Matcha cake is one of those recipes that either works beautifully or disappoints completely, and the difference almost always comes down to one thing: the quality of the matcha powder you put in the batter. This recipe gets that right from the start. It uses a combination of butter and oil for a crumb that…
A Cake With a Secret History Most people assume red velvet cake has always been red. Not the way it is now. The original red velvet cake, which appeared in American cookbooks and hotel menus as far back as the 1920s, was not the electric crimson you see in bakery windows today. It was a…
If you have only ever had tiramisu cake from an American bakery, the loaded, layer-cake version with frosting and sponge, this recipe is going to surprise you. This is the real thing: a no-bake tiramisu built in a springform pan, layered with espresso-soaked ladyfingers and a rich mascarpone cream, finished with nothing but a heavy…
My first attempt at pistachio cake used a box mix and two packets of instant pudding. It turned out bright green, extremely sweet, and tasted almost entirely of artificial almond extract. I ate three slices because I was hungry, not because it was good. That was eight years ago. I have been quietly working on…
If you need a cake that feeds 20 people, travels well, requires no decorating skills, and tastes better than anything from a grocery store bakery, this is it. One pan. One layer. One hour including cooling time. This easy vanilla sheet cake is the recipe every home baker needs permanently in their back pocket, and…
There is a version of strawberry cake that most of us grew up with. Bright pink, sweet enough to make your teeth ache, built on a box mix and a packet of strawberry gelatin. It was festive. It was cheerful. And the strawberry flavor tasted like the idea of a strawberry rather than an actual…
Bold claim incoming: this is the last carrot cake recipe you will ever need. I do not say that lightly. Carrot cake is one of those recipes where every baker thinks theirs is the best, and where the difference between a good one and a truly great one is almost invisible in the ingredient list….