Cake Flour

For many Southerners the holidays wouldn't be the same without coconut cake. Because coconuts can be difficult nuts to crack — especially for cooks new to the task — we offer an easy method that involves baking the coconut briefly (which does not alter the coconut's flavor appreciably). If the coconut doesn't crack while in the oven, it will once force is applied.

"The Farm of Beverly Hills has the most incredible, delectable giant brownies!" says Cindy Grand of San Francisco, CA. "They taste more like fudge with a light, crunchy surface. Would you help me get the recipe?" These are probably the fudgiest brownies we've ever tried—in fact, they seemed too rich to serve in giant squares, so we've cut them smaller. They taste even better the day after they're baked.

If you think novelists do research only in libraries, think again. Culinary mystery writer Diane Mott Davidson has a different approach: She caters. Far-fetched? Not when your perennial protagonist is one Goldy Schulz, a caterer who has cooked her way through such delicious mysteries as Dying for Chocolate and Killer Pancake, stories that include the author's own enticing recipes and mentions of cranberry and orange, both significant flavors in her comfort-dessert memory file. "My husband was in the Navy and was often away at sea, so there was little opportunity to cook," she says. "One day I was with some Navy wives, and somebody set out a cranberry-orange bread. I raved about it. Not long after that, I drove to Norfolk to meet my husband's ship, and stayed with the woman who had baked the bread. While I was there, she slipped another loaf of it into my suitcase. It was the nicest thing anybody could have done." Prepare the cranberry glaze for this lovely orange layer cake a day ahead to allow it to firm up and chill. And consider presenting the finished cake as a gift; you're sure to make someone's day.

Only 1/3 cup of flour is used in this recipe, so the cake has a deliciously dense texture.

Unlike most scones, these have an unusually light, cakelike texture.

Taller, heavier-weight paper molds — typically used for individual panettone, the Italian holiday bread — are used instead of regular muffin papers to create a more elegant look. Vanilla and Almond Frosting is an accompaniment for this recipe.

Italian fruitcakes with Frangelico chocolate sauce If you don't have the mini Bundt molds called for, oversize muffin cups (about one-cup capacity) can be used instead. Begin preparing this at least a week ahead.

This simple white cake has a lemon curd filling and glaze. Big cakes like this are typical special-occasion desserts in the South.

The cake layers are brushed with Strega, an Italian liqueur flavored with herbs and flowers. Removing the torte from the freezer an hour before serving allows the whipped-cream frosting to soften, while the filling remains frozen.

Here's a fine-textured cake with a luxurious cream cheese and whipped cream frosting.

The pastry for this tart is very light and crisp. For best results, handle it as little as possible and keep it cool. You will need a 12 1/2- by 1-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom, available at cookware shops and by mail order from Bridge Kitchenware, tel. (800) 274-3435 or (212) 838-1901.

Maple syrup isn't exclusive to New England; Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin produce it, too. And walnuts — a perfect partner for maple syrup — are harvested throughout Missouri. The sweet syrup and crunchy nuts team up here in an old-fashioned pound cake.

Moist, billowy, light as a feather, and perfumed with fresh orange juice and zest, this is an incomparably refreshing cake. If you live in a part of the world where oranges grow, you could not ask for a more appropriate and aromatic adornment than orange blossoms, but fresh daisies also convey the lighthearted spirit of this lovely cake. A serving contains only 129 mg. of cholesterol.

Adding Beaumes-de-Venise — a delicate, fruity dessert wine — keeps this cake moist and adds a whole new dimension to its flavor. Combining blackberries with blackberry preserves for the topping brings out the best in the berries, whether they’re tart or sweet. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

This variation on the classic Irish apple cake has a top and bottom crust made from a biscuit-like dough. You can cut this cake into wedges or dish it out with a spoon like a cobbler.