Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake
This deeply dark chocolate vegan cake is not just for vegans. This fudge-like cake is also gluten-free, perfect for Valentine's Day and can even be made kosher to enjoy for Passover by making your own confectioners' sugar. The fresh berries on the side are a nice addition to the rich chocolate.
Flourless Honey-Almond Cake
Honey and almonds flavor this simple (and gluten-free) cake. It's lovely for afternoon tea or a spring holiday dessert. Be careful not to overbeat the egg whites--they should be white and very foamy, but not at all stiff or able to hold peaks. If you beat them too much, the cake may sink in the middle as it cools.
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Orange
Arielle Nir Mamiye, culinary director for the Jewish Food Society, confirmed that this cake follows guidelines for Passover and she suggested ohnuts.com as a great spot to find kosher ingredients. For a nondairy topping, try our recipe for Coconut Whipped Cream.
Almond Cake with Pineapple-Rum Filling
This cake is a spin on bizcocho mojadito, which is often served at celebrations in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. We made this gluten-free almond cake using a cup-for-cup blend with xanthan gum, such as King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour. If gluten-free isn't your priority, you can substitute 1 cup all-purpose flour and 3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour for the GF flour.
Vegan Cheesecake
This luscious vegan cheesecake nixes the dairy in favor of a filling made with coconut cream, tofu and cashews or macadamia nuts instead of the traditional eggs and cream. Coconut oil and nuts make for a rich-tasting and crunchy crust, so nobody will miss the butter.
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Almond flour provides the base for this tender gluten-free cake that is filled with carrots, spices and just a hint of coconut. Look for almond flour in the gluten-free baking section of most major supermarkets or natural-foods stores.
Queen of Sheba Cake
This Queen of Sheba cake, a French classic, gets a minor update with less sugar and butter and a whisper of flaky sea salt on top--all of which lets the flavor of a special chocolate shine. Whipping a greater portion of the sugar into the egg whites makes them less easy to overbeat and creates a pleasing crust on top that contrasts with the moist and creamy interior.
Carrot Cake Cheese Ball
This sweet carrot-shaped cheese ball recipe is a clever take on an Easter dessert favorite: carrot cake. Serve with graham crackers, vanilla wafers, gingersnaps or apple slices for dipping fun that both kids and adults will love.
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chile
Intensely chocolaty with a seductive fragrance of almond, chile and cinnamon, this flourless chocolate cake is complex and rich. It's also an easy do-ahead dessert.
Coconut-Butter Mochi Cake with Lime Curd
Mochi (made from glutinous sweet rice flour) is a pillow-like dough that the Japanese fashion into all kinds of confections. In Hawaii it's made into this simple, rich cake with the addition of eggs. We love it with this zesty lime curd topping for an extra-special dessert. Recipe adapted from Chef Greg Harrison, Pacific'O Restaurant.
Strawberry Meringue Cake
This light, flourless cake recipe features crispy, chewy rounds of almond meringue layered with strawberries and whipped cream. For the best results, avoid making the meringue layers on an overly humid or rainy day. The moisture prevents proper crisping.
Gluten-Free Crumb Cake
Have your coffee cake and eat it too with this easy gluten-free recipe that tastes just like the real thing. The addition of yogurt and diced apple makes for a wonderfully moist cake with a crumbly topping, perfect for brunch or for a coffee-break treat.