Desserts

Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts

Brazo de Mercedes

A classic Filipino meringue roll filled with a rich, lemony egg yolk custard. Light, airy meringue wraps a silky sweetened condensed milk custard — perfect for holidays or make-ahead desserts.

Pumpkin Tiramisu

Tiramisu gets the PSL treatment with a pumpkin-tinged custard, warming cinnamon, plenty of whipped cream, and a splash of bourbon for good measure.

Molten Chocolate Mug Cake

This warm, rich chocolate cake with a molten center can be yours in a mere five minutes. It requires little more than a mug and a microwave to make.

5 min

Gluten-Free Fudge Brownies

Just what we want a gluten-free brownie to be: rich and super fudgy. Beating the eggs and sugar for a long time incorporates air into the batter, making for a crackly crust when baked.

Sweet Cinnamon Tamal

Baking a single large-format tamal may not be traditional, but it produces a similarly tender, moist, barely sweet cake with pudding vibes.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

A rich, mousse-like chocolate cake baked in a 20 cm (8-inch) round pan. The edges set while the center stays soft and slightly trembling for a creamy, mousse texture once cooled. Simple one-bowl method yields an elegant dessert in under an hour.

Sinukmani (Biko) with Latik

A classic Filipino sticky rice cake made with glutinous rice cooked in sweet coconut sauce and finished with crunchy toasted coconut curds (latik). Rich, sweet, and chewy—perfect as a celebratory dessert or anytime treat.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars

These no-bake chocolate–peanut butter cheesecake bars are creamy, easy to make, and perfect for potlucks.

5 hr 35 min

Ultimate Chocolate Cake

I’ve been making cakes and pies in the Food52 offices since 2014, and couldn’t be happier that they asked me to develop a new cake to celebrate their 10th birthday. This cake is chocolate, plus chocolate, with a little chocolate (I don’t use the word ultimate lightly). It’s impressive to look at it - but more importantly, it’s so, so delicious, just like these last 10 years have been.

Mudslide Cookies

Rye flour is the secret to these gooey, super-chocolatey cookies. Because rye is a soft grain that doesn't develop gluten when mixed, these cookies have an unbelievably tender crumb, plus the benefit of a sweet, grassy flavor, also from the rye. Toasted pecans and chocolate chips provide a bit of texture. —Matthew James Duffy in his book, "Bread Etc.: Recipes + Techniques for Baking with Sourdough, Yeasted Dough, Pizza Dough + More"

Maialino's Olive Oil Cake

Olive oil cake at its best has a crackling crust and an aromatic oil-rich middle, which, if it held any more moisture, would be pudding. Pulling this off should be easy—there aren't even egg whites to whip and fold, or butter to cream—but it isn't always. This one, however, is perfect, and will ruin you for all others. Recipe from Maialino Restaurant in New York City, where they also serve it at breakfast in muffin form, and they've been known to turn it into a birthday cake, layered with mascarpone buttercream. The recipe is pictured here with Michelle Polzine's Slow-Roasted Strawberries from Genius Desserts by Kristen Miglore (Ten Speed Press, September 2018). Helpful tools for this recipe: Olipac Stainless Steel Olive Oil Dispenser GIR Silicone Grip Whisk Mosser Glass Cake Stand —Genius Recipes

Chewy Chai Gingerbread

Soft and chewy, these gingerbread cookies come together quickly and easily. Using oil instead of butter keeps the rounds moist and lets the warmth of the spices shine. A chai blend, which often highlights ginger and cardamom and includes the surprising heat of black pepper, gives them even more verve. If you don’t have one on hand, you can simply mix your own (see Tip). That spiced coziness is echoed in the glaze, but the cookies are just as satisfying unadorned. (For more of Genevieve's holiday cookie tips, see this article.)

1 hr 30 min

The Food Lab's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Learn the secrets and science behind the best browned butter chocolate chip cookies in this classic recipe from The Food Lab.

1 hr 15 min

Mississippi Mud Pie

Each of this Mississippi mud pie's three mouthwatering layers—crunchy cookie crust, fudgy brownie, and creamy pudding— features a jaw-dropping amount of chocolate, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

5 hr 15 min

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Decadent red velvet brownies layered with a smooth cream cheese swirl — fudgy, chocolatey, and visually striking. Baked in an 8x8-inch pan, these make a rich dessert perfect for sharing or special occasions.

Popcorn Bucket Cookies

These candy-studded cookies take all the fun of your favorite concession stand players and bake them right into and atop a simple sugar dough. Toffee bits feature in a supporting role, never overshadowing the stars (the popcorn and candy, of course). If using gummy candy, be sure to save them for the top; otherwise, the cookies will spread too much as they bake. Feel free to play around with the mix, but make sure your popcorn (microwave or stovetop) is freshly popped for a crisper and more even coating.

1 hr

Red Velvet Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Chewy, tall red velvet cookies studded with semi-sweet and white chocolate chunks. The dough is chilled for shape and deep color, yielding soft-centered cookies with set edges.

Brownie Cookies

Fudgy, crackly-topped brownie cookies with an intense chocolate flavor and a soft, gooey center. Chill the batter for thicker, fudgier cookies and bake briefly for a crisp, crackly top.

Persimmon Cardamom Cake

This bouncy, tender spiced cake celebrates winter persimmons in all their glory. Baking wedged Fuyu persimmons — the squat, tomatolike ones — until their flavor concentrates and their moisture dissipates leaves you with syrupy fruit that doesn’t sog up the cake later. A little coconut extract, a whisper of the tropical, props up the gentle sweet aroma of the orange fruit, with cardamom playing a major role in bringing out its floral, pumpkiny qualities. Whipped cream folded into the batter at the end, a trick from the baker Heather Dekker-Hurlbert, results in a light, even crumb. Thanks to a sprinkling of cardamon sugar on top before baking, the cake gains a glorious caramelized crust with cinnamon toast vibes (but cardamom).

1 hr 45 min

Guinness-Chocolate Sheet Cake

The Guinness-chocolate sheet cake is incredibly moist and rich, with a deep chocolate flavor that’s complemented by the beer’s malty, tangy undertones. Topped with a malted vanilla frosting, it’s a delicious celebration-worthy dessert.

2 hr 55 min

S'mores Cookies

These cookies merge two classics into one. Chocolate chip cookie dough is baked on top of a s’more (in this case, a layer of marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker). After banging the pan mid-way through baking, the melted marshmallow peeks out on top and gives the cookies a perfect, gooey pull. Once cooled, you can flip them over to see the golden brown graham cracker square on the bottom. They’re easy to batch and assemble in advance and you can store them in the freezer to bake off whenever the craving hits. Tips & Tricks - It helps to have the eggs and butter at room temperature so the two will easily blend together and create a more homogeneous and even batter. - It may seem like we’re adding a lot of salt, but since we’re using unsalted butter you’ll need it to balance out the sweetness of the cookie dough. If you don’t have kosher salt and are using table salt instead, decrease the amount of salt by at least ½ teaspoon. - The longer the cookie dough rests, the more flavor will develop. If you don’t want to wait an hour, 30 minutes is better than none.

Filipino Turon

Crispy banana lumpia coated in caramelized sugar — a classic Filipino dessert. Saba (plantain) bananas are rolled with ripe jackfruit in lumpia wrappers, air-fried until golden, then dipped in melted sugar for a shiny, crunchy finish.

Squidgy chocolate pear pudding

This hot, gooey chocolate pud, with dark chocolate and canned pears, can be made ahead and frozen – a perfect no-fuss dinner party dessert

55 min

Classic Chocolate Cake

You can make chocolate cake from scratch with this easy chocolate cake recipe. Moist, decadent, and deep in chocolate flavor, this cake's secret is the unsweetened chocolate added to the batter. The recipe has been passed down through generations.

2 hr 20 min

Millionaire’s Shortbread

Our version of the luxurious bars, featuring buttery shortbread (with a twist!), salty-sweet caramel, and rich chocolate.

Italian Ricotta Cookies

Jessica Hulett’s tender, cakey ricotta cookies taste like the white part of the best black and white cookie you've ever had. The recipe comes from Ms. Hulett’s grandmother Dorie, who used to flavor the cookies with anise, if she used flavoring at all. Adding lemon zest gives the cookies a fragrant brightness. We approve.

1 hr

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

This rich, creamy chocolate cheesecake recipe layers a dark chocolate filling with an Oreo cookie base and silky ganache for the ultimate decadent dessert.

Sunny Lemon Bars Recipe

This recipe is a cross between lemon curd and lemon meringue pie, soft and rich with egg yolks, but thick enough to slice into neat squares.

2 hr 10 min

Nigella Lawson's Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake

On creating this cake, Nigella Lawson explains, "I remember very strongly wanting to create what we call a loaf cake—and what is generally called a pound cake Stateside—that had a richness and squidginess of texture that this form of cake normally doesn't major in." And she did. Recipe adapted very slightly from How to Be A Domestic Goddess (Hyperion, 2005)

Beet Chocolate Cake

Earthy-sweet beet purée gives this gluten-free chocolate cake a red velvet hue but also lends so much buttery moistness that you'd never guess the cake is dairy-free as well.

Glossy Fudge Brownies Recipe | BraveTart

This chocolate brownie recipe uses Dutch cocoa powder, dark chocolate, and brown butter to create a glossy, flaky top and fudgy, full flavor throughout.

1 hr 55 min

Dark Chocolate Flax Bark

Crunchy, seedy flax crackers get topped with dark chocolate and a showering of sea salt for the ultimate sweet and salty snack.

Quick and Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies | BraveTart

Chewy chocolate chip cookies with just-crisp edges, loaded with melted chopped bar chocolate for better flavor than commercial chips.

45 min

Crêpes Suzette

A quick, glossy orange sauce to elevate soft, buttery crêpes. Bright, citrusy and silky — ready in minutes and perfect for coating warm crepes for dessert or brunch.

Gluten-Free Sticky Date Pudding with Toffee Sauce

Medjool dates are a favorite for this recipe, but they can be swapped for the Barhi or Deglet varieties.

Double-Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe

A crisp, flaky crust filled with creamy chocolate custard and topped with an airy vanilla meringue.

5 hr 10 min

Rich and Gooey Chocolate Banana Pudding

Creamy, chocolatey banana pudding made from scratch—perfect for potlucks, summer parties, or a no-bake treat at home.

11 hr 30 min

Three-Ingredient Cranberry Chocolate Bites

Freezing slices of canned jellied cranberry sauce then coating them in a snappy chocolate shell transforms a Thanksgiving side into an irresistible sweet treat, perfect all year round. Thanks to cranberries’ high pectin level, which delivers its characteristic jelly consistency, plus the hefty amount of corn syrup that is commonly found in canned cranberry sauce, these cranberry slices develop a smooth, fudgy, sorbet-like texture when frozen. (Watch Carolina Gelen make this dish in this video.)

2 hr 45 min

Banoffee Doughnuts

with Brulee top

Pecan Cake

This tender butter pecan cake channels all the gooey richness of pecan pie, with toasted nuts and a sticky bourbon caramel glaze.

Peanut Butter Bars

This old fashioned Peanut Butter Bars recipe has a chewy base topped with peanut butter and chocolate glaze. They are perfect for potlucks or parties and can be made in advance or frozen!

Suman (Filipino Sticky Rice)

Simple 4-ingredient suman — Filipino sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves and boiled until tender. A comforting family recipe (how my Lolo makes it) served with a thick coconut-brown sugar sauce and optional toasted coconut.

Peppermint Black-and-White Cookies

A riff on the New York classic black-and-white cookie, featuring refreshing peppermint extract and a sprinkle of festive crushed candy canes.

Chocolate Mousse

Each mouthful of this dessert is a marvel: as light as a meringue pie topping, but with the eggy silkiness of a creamy chocolate custard. This mousse has a particularly airy texture, but is still a little rich from the bittersweet chocolate, which makes it the ideal not-too-sweet dessert. Because the mousse develops an even deeper flavor over time, it’s perfect for parties. You can make it up to five days ahead of time and serve it straight from the refrigerator.

Mom's Citrus Meringue Pie

This meringue pie — from legendary culinary historian, teacher, and author Jessica B. Harris — was named one of Food & Wine's 40 Best Recipes in 2018.

5 hr 40 min

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nutty, chewy cookies made with browned butter and chunky dark chocolate, featuring crisp edges and soft centers. Quick to prepare and perfect for an anytime sweet treat.

Champorado (Chocolate Rice Porridge)

A warm Filipino chocolate rice porridge made with glutinous rice and cocoa—thick, comforting, and slightly sweet. Serve it classic with milk or go savory with fried salted fish or a surprising touch of cheese.

Easy Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

The whole point of carrot cake is that, in its most ideal form, it’s a vehicle for cream cheese frosting, a triple stack of fluffy spiced cake, finished with generous swoops of frosting. Baking the cake batter in a half-sheet pan, then cutting the flat cake into three rectangles delivers thin, even layers and skips the hassle of baking and slicing tall cake rounds. To highlight the tang of cream cheese, this frosting includes sour cream instead of butter. It gives the whole thing a fresh lightness, each forkful equal parts tender cake and silky frosting. The resulting cake looks modern with its sharp angles but can still be cut into classic triangular wedges.

2 hr 20 min

Miso-Caramel Apple Turnovers

These flaky, buttery apple turnovers are filled with sautéed apples and drizzled with a sweet and savory miso-caramel sauce.

1 hr