• Unsalted butter, for the pan
• 12 ounces, approximately 2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour, plus extra for pan
• 12 ounces grated carrots, medium grate, approximately 6 medium
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/3 cups
• 2 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup firmly packed
• 3 large eggs
• 6 ounces plain yogurt
• 6 ounces vegetable oil
• Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 9 ounces powdered sugar, sifted, approximately 2 cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 9-inch round and 3-inch deep cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

Put the carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 5 seconds. Add this mixture to the carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.

In the bowl of the food processor combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt.
With the processor still running drizzle in the vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F in the center.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition.

Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.

Yield: approximately 2 cups

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 cup hazelnuts
• 3 ounces chocolate (I like to use dark chocolate 65 to 75-percent), broken into pieces
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (I like the salt from Trapani)
• 13 ounces chocolate hazelnut spread, such as Nutella
• 2 tablespoons espresso
• Powdered Sugar, for dusting
• Sweetened whipped cream, optional
• Gelato, optional

• Special equipment: 9- by 3-inch springform pan

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare the springform pan by coating it in a thin layer with 2 tablespoons of the softened butter. Add the cocoa powder to the pan and tap the sides to coat the bottom and sides evenly. Discard any excess cocoa powder.

Put the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven on the center rack until just fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer immediately to a kitchen towel to stop them from cooking. Use the towel to rub off the skins. Set aside to cool.

Lower the oven to 350 degrees F.

Fill a 1- to 2-quart pot with about 1 inch of water and bring it to a bare simmer over medium heat. Place the dark chocolate pieces into a heatproof bowl and set it over the pot and simmering water (this is a bain-marie). The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Let the chocolate melt, and then stir gently. Remove from the heat when melted.

Chop the hazelnuts into small pieces using a chef's knife or a food processor. Make sure you don't turn them into powder.

Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer with the salt until they are almost at stiff peaks. Try not to over-whip.

Mix together the remaining 5 tablespoons butter with the chocolate hazelnut spread in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Stir in the espresso. Add the yolks and stir briskly to combine. Stir in the chopped hazelnuts and melted chocolate.

Add one-fourth of the whipped egg whites to the chocolate hazelnut mixture and stir to lighten the batter. Then gently fold the rest of the egg whites into the batter in 3 additions. Don't over-fold.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake on the center rack of the oven until the sides of the cake start releasing from edges of the pan, 40 minutes. This cake is almost a hazelnut fudge, so no need to poke with a toothpick to check if the inside is ready or not. The cake will come out of the oven nice and fluffy and souffled, but it will deflate to half the size during its cool-off period.

Serve garnished with some powdered sugar and whipped or cream or gelato, if using.

FOR THE CAKE:

• 1 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 3/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed golden brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks, room temperature

FOR THE SYRUP:

• 1 cup dark rum
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

FOR THE CAKE:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F and arrange a rack in the lower third. Brush a 12-cup Bundt pan thoroughly with melted butter, coat with flour, and tap out the excess. Sprinkle nuts in bottom of pan and set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined; set aside. Whisk together milk, ginger, and vanilla in a second small bowl until evenly combined.

Combine butter and sugar in a the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until mixture resembles wet sand and is light, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated and mixture is smooth. Scrape down mixer and sides of bowl. Reduce mixer to low, add 1/3 flour mixture and whisk until just moistened through. Whisk in 1/2 milk mixture and whisk until just moistened. Repeat until all ingredients are added, ending with flour. Transfer batter to prepared Bundt pan and smooth out so batter is even.

Bake until cake is set, golden brown, and a cake tester inserted in middle comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer to a rack, let cool 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack, remove from pan, and let cool completely.

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook until slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes. Strain and set aside to cool slightly.
When cake is at room temperature, use a skewer to poke holes all over the top. Drizzle the syrup into the holes in the cake, small spoonful by spoonful, making sure it goes into the cake and doesn't flow down. Let sit at least 4 hours so the syrup can soak into the cake.

• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup/65 g caster sugar (superfine)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup/50 g powdered hazelnuts
• 2/3 cup/150 ml heavy cream
• Drop vanilla extract
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• Cocoa power, for dusting
• Icing sugar (confectioners' sugar), for dusting

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line an 8-inch by 12-inch/20 cm by 30 cm sided baking sheet with parchment which you've buttered on both sides. Put the eggs and sugar in a glass or metal bowl, set it over a pot with an inch/2.5 cm of simmering water in the bottom (do not let the bowl touch the water) and beat until tripled in volume and very thick and ribbony, like cake batter. This will take about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Sift the flour and nuts over the batter and gently fold together. Pour the batter into the pan so that it is evenly distributed. Bake until slightly golden on top, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, get set up for unmolding the cake: lay a damp tea towel on a cutting board or on the back of another baking sheet. When the cake comes out, flip it onto the towel, carefully peel off the paper, trim the edges it you want, and roll immediately. Set aside to cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes.

Whip the cream into stiff peaks with a hint of vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon. Unroll the cake from the towel and set the towel aside. Sieve over a dusting of cocoa powder and spread the cream over the cake leaving a 1-inch border, and roll the cake up again. Set on a platter seam-side down. Sift over a little icing sugar and cocoa powder. Decorate with a button-row of hazelnuts. Cover and refrigerate until eating, which you'll want to do the same day, preferably within a few hours. Alternatively, save the filling and rolling the cake until an hour or 2 before serving.

• 1/2 cup butter, plus more to butter the molds
• 6 ounces dark chocolate
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus more for the molds
• 2 tablespoons flour

Chuck Hughes' warm and oozy molten chocolate cakes-chocolate indulgence at its best!

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and chocolate together until the chocolate mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Meanwhile, beat together the eggs and sugar with a whisk or electric beater until pale and thick, about 5 minutes.

Pour the melted chocolate in the egg mixture and mix well. Blend in the flour, just until combined.

Butter and lightly sugar 4 (4-ounce) molds, custard cups or ramekins. Tap out the excess sugar. Divide the batter among the molds. At this point you can refrigerate the desserts until you are ready to eat, for up to several hours, then bring them back to room temperature before baking.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bake the molten chocolate on a sheet tray for 8 to 10 minutes, the center will still be quite soft, but the sides will be set. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving with your favorite ice cream.

Cook's Note: Instead of coating the molds with sugar, you can use crushed pistachios or other nuts.

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons liquid red food color
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon distilled white or cider vinegar
• Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and grease the paper.

Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking soda into a bowl and whisk briefly to combine; set aside. Stir the red food color into the buttermilk and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the brown sugar, vanilla, and salt on medium-low speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs and egg yolks slowly, beating and scraping the bowl to ensure that they are completely incorporated. On low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the colored buttermilk. To prevent streaking in the cake, be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl well as you mix the batter. Finally, stir in the vinegar by hand. Divide the batter between the cake pans.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then turn them out onto a wire rack, peel off the paper, and let cool completely.

Make the frosting using 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 stick unsalted butter, 4 cups confectioners' sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

To decorate the cake, place one layer bottom side up on a cake plate. Spread 3/4 cup of the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cake right to the edges. Add the second layer and use the remaining frosting to decorate the sides and top by gently swirling it over the cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until completely blended. Sift the confectioners' sugar onto the mixture in several additions, beating thoroughly in between. Add the vanilla and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy but still holds its shape, 3 to 5 minutes. Use immediately.

Makes about 4 cups

Notes

Excerpted from Desserts From the Famous Loveless Cafe by Alisa Huntsman (Artisan Books). Copyright 2011. Photographs by Karen Mordechai.

• 4 eggs
• 4 1/2 ounces caster sugar (superfine), plus 3 tablespoons for sprinkling or use icing sugar (confectioners'), for dusting
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour

• For the filling
• 6 tablespoons raspberry or strawberry jam
• 8 ounces heavy cream, whipped

Despite appearances, Swiss rolls are in fact very simple to make. The cake itself has no butter in it, so you can feel justified in spreading it with lashings of jam and whipped cream. Use any kind of jam you like; apricot or blackberry, for instance, would do just as well as raspberry or strawberry.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line the base of a 10 by 15-inches Swiss roll or jelly roll pan with greaseproof or parchment paper. Brush the base and sides of the pan with melted butter, and dust with flour.

In a large bowl or in an electric food mixer, whisk the eggs, and sugar together, until light and fluffy, and then add the water, and vanilla extract.

Sift in the flour, about a third at a time, and using a large metal spoon, fold it into the egg mixture.

Pour the mixture gently into the prepared pan, and bake in the oven until the center of the cake is slightly springy and the edges have shrunk a little from the sides of the tin, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Spread out a piece of parchment paper (slightly larger than the tin in size) on a work surface and sprinkle evenly with caster sugar (this stops the roll from sticking to the paper). Turn or invert the pan onto the sugared parchment paper, and then carefully remove the tin and parchment paper from the bottom of the cake.

Place a slightly damp, clean tea or kitchen towel over the cake while it cools- this will prevent it from drying out and cracking when you roll it.

When the cake is cool, spread the jam sparingly over the cake, leaving a 1-inch border. Repeat with the whipped cream. With the longest side facing you, roll up the Swiss roll away from you, then transfer to a plate to serve. Sprinkle the cake with caster sugar or dust with icing sugar to finish.