A chocolate cake with raspberries and whipped cream on a plate.

Warm Chocolate Cake

10/25/2023

In the mid-1990s, while working as the pastry and event chef for Restaurant Associates’ catering division, the executive chef asked me to come to his office. The chairperson for an upcoming event for 860 guests at the American Museum of Natural History’s Hall of Ocean Life had requested the popular…

A blueberry crumb cake on a glass plate.

Cherry Cheese Kuchen

10/18/2023

I was wondering how to use the pitted sweet cherries in my freezer, and the idea of making a kuchen, a German yeast coffee cake, came to mind. In this Cherry Cheese Kuchen, the cherries are placed atop a vanilla and lemon-scented cream cheese filling, which rests on a circle…

A plate topped with pastries covered in powdered sugar.

Pistachio Madeleines

10/10/2023

A delightful variation on classic Madeleines, these Pistachio Madeleines are baked in the same iconic scallop-edged molds and feature a subtle pistachio and almond flavor. The flavor profile is further enriched by the inclusion of browned butter (Beurre Noisette). A fundamental staple in French cooking and baking, Beurre Noisette is…

A pie with apples and powdered sugar on a plate.

Apple Galette

10/05/2023

Apple picking is a quintessential fall activity in New York’s Hudson Valley. The region boasts numerous orchards, and while I’ve explored many over the years, my personal favorite is Wilklow Orchards in Highland, just outside New Paltz. Wilklow offers a wide variety of apples, picturesque hilly terrain, is dog-friendly (see…

A chocolate cake decorated with a swirl pattern.

Chocolate Cherry Torte

09/28/2023

Throughout The Friday Baking Project, we’ve explored a variety of cakes where chocolate takes the spotlight as the primary flavor. These include French-style chocolate cakes, such as the Reine de Saba and cakes with chocolate fillings such as last week’s Chocolate Mousse Cake or the decadently rich Chocolate Truffe Cake.…

A chocolate cake is sitting on a white plate.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

09/19/2023

This may very well be the ultimate chocolate mousse cake. A luscious Chocolate Charlotte Mousse is layered between three Chocolate Chiffon Cake layers topped with a Midnight Glaze and enveloped in chocolate shavings. The mousse, although rich, is not overly so, and the chiffon cake complements it perfectly. The Midnight…

Marble Pound Cake

09/14/2023

As I hunkered down in the first months of the pandemic, I yearned for comfort foods. In the dessert category, this meant pound cakes. I have always had a thing for a slice (or two) of a good pound cake with tea in the afternoon. And they’re not bad for…

Honey Cardamom Pound Cake

09/06/2023

Honey holds a significant place as one of the main food symbols of the Rosh Hashanah holiday, signifying the hope for a sweet new year. This is why honey cake is a traditional dessert during the holiday season. Yet, the honey cake that many of us remember from our childhood…