This recipe is adapted from “The Silver Palate Cookbook,” written by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso, who through their store in Manhattan, the Silver Palate, introduced bisteeya and poppy-seed dressing to the Upper West Side. For many, their cookbook, originally published in 1982, was a book of revelations: even if you hadn’t mastered the art of French cooking, a meal of chicken Marbella and an indulgent dessert, cooked with confidence, was not beyond your grasp. Enter this decadent chocolate cake, whose title belies its incredible simplicity. The ingredients take hardly any time to whip together, and it bakes in a tube pan for under an hour. Gild it with a gooey chocolate frosting, and feed it to those you love with good cheer.

Featured in: The Way We Eat; Book Of Revelations. 

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE:

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing pan
• 1 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring the pan
• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

FOR THE FROSTING:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
2. Cut the chocolate and butter into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water over them; let stand until melted. Stir in the vanilla and sugar, then whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time.
3. In a small bowl, mix the baking soda and sour cream and whisk into the chocolate mixture. Sift the flour and baking powder and add to the batter, mixing thoroughly.
4. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not too dry. Stir a quarter of the egg whites thoroughly into the batter. Gently fold in the remaining whites.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set on the center rack of the oven and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, unmold and cool completely before frosting.
6. To make the frosting: Place all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan over low heat and whisk until smooth. Spread on the cake while the frosting is still warm.

If you are a fan of lemon curd or the classic French tarte au citron, you will love this cranberry version. To minimize kitchen time, make it in stages, preparing the crust and curd a day or two in advance. The finished tart keeps well for a couple of days too. The wheat-free hazelnut crust is adapted from a cookie recipe from the pastry chef and writer David Lebovitz’s popular website.

Featured in: Gluten Free (If Not Guilt Free) Thanksgiving Desserts. 

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE HAZELNUT CRUST:

• 1 ¼ cups/180 grams raw hazelnuts
• 1 cup/125 grams rice flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup/112 grams sugar
• 6 tablespoons/100 grams softened butter, more as necessary

FOR THE CRANBERRY CURD:

• 12 ounces/340 grams cranberries
• 1 cup/225 grams sugar
•  Juice and peel (orange part only) of 1 orange
• 4 ounces/113 grams softened butter (1 stick)
• 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks

PREPARATION

1. Make the crust: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Put hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until skins darken and crack. Put roasted nuts in a clean towel and rub off skins. Discard skins and let nuts cool.
2. In a food processor, grind nuts with half the rice flour until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add remaining rice flour and salt and pulse briefly.
3. Cream sugar and butter in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon for a minute or two until pale and thick. Add nut mixture and combine until dough comes together. If it seems crumbly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons softened butter or a little cold water.
4. Press dough evenly into a 10-inch French tart pan; use half the dough for the sides and half for the bottom. Prick bottom with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes (or several days if desired).
5. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake chilled tart shell about 15 minutes until lightly brown. Cool.
6. Make the cranberry curd: Put cranberries, sugar and orange juice and peel in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until cranberries have popped and softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food mill or medium mesh sieve and press cooking liquid into a bowl. Whisk the butter into the warm liquid.
7. Put eggs and egg yolks into a bowl and beat lightly. Slowly whisk a cup of warm cranberry liquid into the eggs to temper, then combine both and whisk together. Wipe out pot if necessary, return liquid to pot and cook over low heat until nearly bubbling and thickened, about 10 minutes. If using immediately, let cool to room temperature. If working ahead, cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap (press wrap against curd) and refrigerate. (Curd may be cooked up to 1 day ahead.)
8. Pour cooled cranberry curd into the cooled prebaked tart shell and smooth top with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes to set curd. Cool on a rack. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

This is a rich, fragrant ginger cake with a crunchy raw-sugar coating and moist crumb. The combination of grated fresh ginger root and powdered ginger, along with black pepper and cloves, gives it a particularly intense spice flavor. Make sure to use a good stout here. Since you’ll only use part of a bottle, choose one you’d be happy to finish off while the cake is in the oven.

As with most gingerbread, this is a good keeping cake, and can be made a day or two ahead. Store it wrapped in foil at room temperature. Then serve it with cream whipped with a little crème fraiche or sour cream for tartness, which will offset all that crunchy sugar coating the cake.

Featured in: A Company Worthy Ginger Cake With Molasses And Stout. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 125 grams raw (Demerara) sugar (1/2 cup)
• 1 cup stout
• 1 cup molasses
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 340 grams all-purpose flour (2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 210 grams dark brown sugar, lightly packed (1 cup)
• 200 grams granulated sugar (1 cup)
• ¾ cup safflower oil

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a Bundt pan well with the softened butter. Coat the entire pan with raw sugar so that it sticks to the butter. Turn the pan over to dump out any excess sugar.
2. Add the stout and molasses to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Carefully whisk in the baking soda and let cool to room temperature. Be careful as the stout mixture will bubble up.
3. Sift together the flour, ground spices, pepper and salt. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the fresh ginger, eggs, vanilla extract, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for five minutes.
5. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the oil. Mix for another 5 minutes. Slowly add the stout mixture and mix for another 5 minutes.
6. Carefully add the dry ingredients in two parts, mixing well in between each addition.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes and then flip upside down to release while still warm. Let cool completely.
8. 
   

Something magical happens when you layer crepes with cream to build a cake. The flavors intensify, you improve the cream to crepe ratio and there are more crispy edges. And then there is the dazzling moment when you present the ethereal cake and slice into it to reveal a whole world of fine rings. This cake, with light hazelnut crepes and rich chocolate cream, isn't difficult to make (though the first crepe in the pan is always a flop; don't get discouraged). It does take some time, though, to make and assemble. Just keep the image of the gorgeous final product in your mind as you work.

Featured in: The Magic Of Crepe Cake.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CREPES:

• 4 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
• 2 cups/473 milliliters whole milk
• ½ cup/118 milliliters heavy cream
• 1 cup/145 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 cup/90 grams hazelnut meal
• ¼ cup/50 grams sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons/57 grams unsalted butter, melted, plus more butter for greasing pan

FOR THE CHOCOLATE CREAM:

• 6 ounces/170 grams high-quality chocolate, 64 percent cocoa, finely chopped
• ⅓ cup/67 grams sugar
• ⅓ cup/40 grams cornstarch
• ¼ cup/25 grams good quality cocoa powder
•  Pinch kosher salt
• 2 ½ cups/591 milliliters whole milk
• 6 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons/29 grams unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons/45 milliliters brandy or strong coffee

FOR SERVING:

• 1 cup/236 milliliters heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
• 3 tablespoons/27 grams chopped, toasted hazelnuts
•  Cocoa powder, for dusting

PREPARATION

1. Prepare the crepe batter: Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, milk and cream in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, hazelnut meal, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in some of the milk mixture. Gently whisk from the center of the well, making a thick, smooth batter. Then, while whisking, gradually add remaining milk mixture and whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla and butter. (Alternatively, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on low speed until smooth.) Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours.
2. Prepare the chocolate cream: Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and set a fine mesh sieve over the bowl. In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt. Whisk in some of the milk to create a thick paste. Gradually add remaining milk while whisking until mixture is smooth and well-combined. Whisk in egg yolks and add butter.
3. Cook milk mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly and occasionally scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a rubber spatula. Once the mixture comes to a boil and becomes very thick, about 5 minutes, whisk it vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. Press hot cream mixture through the sieve into the bowl with the chocolate. Let it stand for 2 minutes, then mix it until smooth and well-combined. Add brandy or coffee and stir to combine. Use a rubber spatula to stir the mixture until it has cooled to about room temperature and is smooth and silky. Cover with plastic wrap, pressed into the surface of the custard, and chill until ready to use.
4. Cook the crepes: Melt a little bit of butter in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and let the pan get hot. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add a scant 1/4 cup (about 3 tablespoons) crepe batter to one side of the pan. (You don’t want to use too much batter or you’ll have thick crepes.) Quickly tilt and swirl the pan to spread the batter to an even thickness across the bottom of the pan and about 1 inch up the sides.
5. Return the pan to the heat and cook crepe until very lightly golden and set on one side, about 45 seconds. Tuck a small offset spatula under the edge of the crepe, grab onto it with your fingers, and quickly flip it over. Cook until light golden brown on the other side, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Slip crepe onto a rack to cool. Once crepes are cool, transfer them to a baking sheet and cover with a light towel to keep them from drying out. Continue with remaining batter, occasionally wiping out the skillet with a paper towel and very lightly buttering the skillet every few crepes as needed. You should have 20 to 24. (You need 20 for the cake.)
6. To assemble, stir the cream until smooth. Lay 1 crepe on a cake plate. Using an offset spatula, cover with a thin layer of chocolate cream (2 to 3 tablespoons), leaving a 1/4-inch border. Cover with a crepe and repeat to make a stack of 20, with the best-looking crepe on top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
7. To serve, top with whipped cream, nuts and dust with cocoa.

Like all the best devil’s food cakes, this six-layer beauty has a deeply fudgy flavor and a light and feathery texture. In between the tender cake layers, a black pepper and vanilla buttercream creates a soft and creamy contrast to the dense fudge frosting on the top and sides. With six layers and two frostings, this cake is definitely a project, but one well worth making if you want to impress. And you can make it in stages. The frostings can be made up to a week ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Bring them to room temperature and briefly beat with an electric mixer before assembling the cake. The cake layers themselves can be baked a day ahead. Store them, well-wrapped, at room temperature.

Featured in: Two Frostings Are Better Than One. 

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE

• 10 tablespoons/140 grams unsalted butter, softened, more for greasing pans
• ⅔ cup/70 grams unsweetened natural (not Dutch-processed) cocoa powder, more for pans
• ¾ cup/180 milliliters whole milk
• 2 cups/200 grams cake flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons/10 grams baking soda
• ½ teaspoon/3 grams baking powder
• ½ teaspoon/3 grams kosher salt, more as needed
• 1 ¾ cups/350 grams granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons/10 milliliters vanilla extract

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 5 large egg whites
• 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
•  Large pinch kosher salt
• 3 sticks plus 2 tablespoons/365 grams unsalted butter, softened
• 1 vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
• 1 teaspoon/5 grams coarsely ground black pepper

FOR THE FUDGE FROSTING

• 1 ½ cups/300 grams granulated sugar
• 1 cup/240 milliliters heavy cream
•  Pinch kosher salt
• 6 ounces/170 grams unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 8 tablespoons/112 grams unsalted butter, diced
• 2 teaspoons/10 milliliters vanilla extract

PREPARATION

1. Make the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 8-inch round baking pans, line the bottoms of each with a round of parchment paper and grease the paper. Use a little cocoa powder to coat the insides of the pans, rotating pans so the cocoa comes up the sides, then tap out excess.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and 2/3 cup boiling water. Whisk in milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, until incorporated. Beat in vanilla. With the mixer running on low speed, beat in a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half the cocoa mixture. Add remaining portions, alternating between two mixtures. Beat until smooth.
4. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake until the centers of the cakes are firm to the touch, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes; turn them out onto the rack to cool completely. (Peel off parchment paper if it sticks to the cakes.)
5. Make the buttercream: Fill a medium pot halfway with water (or use a double-boiler) and bring to a simmer. In a heatproof bowl that fits over pot, whisk together egg whites, sugar and salt. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar dissolves and mixture reaches 140 degrees on a candy or instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes.
6. Using an electric mixer, whip until completely cooled and thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in butter a little at a time, until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. Beat in vanilla bean seeds and pepper.
7. Using a serrated knife, slice each cake in half horizontally. Place one bottom layer on a large platter or cake stand. Top evenly with a thin layer of buttercream. Repeat, alternating between cake and frosting, ending with a layer of cake. Cover cake loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare fudge frosting. (Cake can rest in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.)
8. Make the frosting: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, heavy cream and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Scrape mixture into a bowl. Stir in chocolate, butter and vanilla until smooth. Set bowl over a larger bowl filled with ice. Use a hand mixer or an immersion blender with the whisk attachment to whip until mixture is thick and cool, about 5 minutes. Spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake.

9. Tip

   • Measurements for dry ingredients are given by weight for greater accuracy. The equivalent measurements by volume are approximate.

This dessert, loosely based on a Sephardic orange cake, uses whole clementines, peels and all, for a flavor rich in citrus. The cooking time may seem long, but much of it doesn’t require much attention from the baker. And the first step, reducing the fruit, may be done ahead of time.

Featured in: In The Kitchen With Clémentine And Ruth. 

INGREDIENTS

• 5 medium clementines
•  Spray cooking oil
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups almond flour or very finely ground blanched almonds
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
•  Powdered sugar, chocolate glaze or candied clementines, for garnish

PREPARATION

1. Place whole unpeeled clementines in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 2 hours, adding more water as needed. Remove clementines with a slotted spoon and, once cool enough to handle, halve and remove any seeds or other hard bits. Purée in a food processor or blender and set aside. (May be done up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.)
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking oil, line bottom with parchment paper and spray paper with oil.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together with the sugar, salt and clementine purée. Add the almond flour and baking powder and stir until just combined.
4. Pour into prepared pan and bake until edges are golden brown and starting to pull away from sides of pan, about 1 hour. Transfer to wire rack set over baking sheet. After 10 minutes, run a knife around edge of pan to loosen cake; remove cake from pan. Peel off parchment paper and return cake to wire rack to cool completely. Decorate with dusting of powdered sugar, or with chocolate glaze and/or candied clementines.

This is similar to the original recipe that began the red velvet craze. It was developed by the Adams Extract company in Gonzales, Tex. The original recipe, popularized in the 1940s, called for butter flavoring and shortening and is usually iced with boiled milk, or ermine, frosting.

Featured in: Red Velvet Cake: A Classic, Not A Gimmick. 

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup /113 grams butter, at room temperature, plus 2 tablespoons to prepare pans
• 3 tablespoons/22 grams cocoa powder, divided
• 1 ½ cups/300 grams sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons/10 milliliters vanilla
• 2 tablespoons/30 milliliters red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon/6 grams salt
• 1 teaspoon/5 grams baking soda
• 2 ½ cups/320 grams flour, sifted
• 1 cup/236 milliliters whole buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon/15 milliliters vinegar
•  Ermine icing (see recipe), or other fluffy white icing

PREPARATIOn

It’s worth tasting a few brands of graham crackers to find one you particularly like — preferably one with whole-wheat flour and a good dash of salt and honey or molasses. Try a health-food store or Whole Foods for organic and low-sugar brands. (Graham flour was devised in the 19th century as a healthful alternative to white flour.) Fresh, fluffy cream cheese with a minimum of fillers and stabilizers is also worth seeking out for this recipe. This recipe works fine with supermarket cream cheese and graham cracker crumbs (or dark chocolate cookie crumbs) in the crust, but the filling must be made with top-quality chocolate to get the full effect: milky cream cheese, tangy sour cream and the slight bitterness of chocolate playing against the sweet crunch of the crust. That’s how it’s been made since 1984 at the Saltry restaurant in Halibut Cove, off the southern Alaska coast. All of the ingredients (as well as the equipment, furniture, staff and customers) arrive by boat — except for the magnificent salmon, oysters, halibut, cod and mussels that are caught or harvested nearby.

Featured in: Beyond Salmon Burgers. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups/170 grams graham cracker crumbs
• ½ cup/100 grams light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons/50 grams (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup/250 milliliters sour cream
• 8 ounces/250 grams best-quality semisweet chocolate, preferably Callebaut, broken into pieces
• 1 ½ pounds/700 grams cream cheese
• 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
• 3 eggs

TO FINISH:

1. Heat oven to 250 degrees. Line a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter, and use fingers to mix well. Press firmly into prepared pan, evenly covering the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides. Refrigerate until ready to bake.
3. In a microwave or the top of a double boiler, heat sour cream and chocolate together just until chocolate is melted. Mix until smooth.
4. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar together until smooth and fluffy, at least 2 minutes. Mix in eggs one at a time. At low speed, gradually pour in chocolate mixture and mix until smooth.
5. Pour filling over the crust in the pan and bake about 1 1/2 hours, until top is set and dry but still jiggles in the center when you shake the pan.
6. Set aside to cool and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 days.
7. For garnish, place graham crackers in a thick sealable plastic bag and crush, using your hands or a pot, into irregular crumbs. In a small skillet, melt butter until it foams. Add crumbs and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted and fragrant.
8. When ready to serve, gently remove sides of springform pan. Serve chilled cheesecake in slices, sprinkled with crumbs and drizzled with chocolate ganache (if using).

In this festive recipe, Dorie Greenspan reinterprets the classic French bûche de Noël, a Christmas cake fashioned to look like a Yule log. Instead of the usual chocolate cake filled with ganache, she bakes a fragrant lightly spiced sponge cake and fills it with pecan cream cheese filling, while billowing marshmallow frosting evokes a snowdrift. It’s a project to make and can take the better part of a day. Or split it up and make the components over a few days. Either way it’s time well spent. There’s no holiday dessert more spectacular than this.

Featured in: Oh, Go Ahead, Lick The Pages.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PRALINE:

• 1 cup/120 grams pecan halves or pieces
• ⅓ cup/70 grams granulated sugar

FOR THE CAKE:

• 4 tablespoons/60 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled, more for buttering parchment
• ¾ cup/100 grams all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup/30 grams cornstarch, sifted
• ¾ teaspoon/4 grams ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon/4 grams ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon/1 gram fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon/1 gram black pepper
• 6 large eggs
• ¾ cup/150 grams packed light brown sugar
•  Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting and rolling

FOR THE FILLING:

• 8 ounces/225 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
• 8 tablespoons/115 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
•  Pinch of fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon/3 grams ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons/10 milliliters vanilla extract

FOR THE FROSTING:

• ½ cup/120 milliliters egg whites (from about 4 large eggs)
• 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
• ¾ teaspoon/3 grams cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon/15 milliliters vanilla extract

PREPARATION

MAKE THE PRALINE:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and place a rack in center. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Spread pecans on sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Stir and set aside in a warm spot.
2. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1/4 cup/60 milliliters water. Place over medium-high heat. Cook sugar, washing down sides of pan if needed with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until sugar turns a medium amber color.
3. Remove pan from heat and add nuts. Stir with heatproof spatula or wooden spoon to coat nuts with syrup. Spread nuts on baking sheet and cool completely. (Praline can be made up to a day ahead; store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.) Finely chop 1/2 cup praline; coarsely chop the remainder.

MAKE THE CAKE:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12- by 17-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Butter the paper, dust with flour and tap out excess.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper.
3. Have a wide skillet about 1/3 full of simmering water on the stove. Using a stand mixer, whisk together eggs and brown sugar. Set the mixer bowl in the pan of simmering water. Whisk nonstop until mixture is very warm to the touch, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Using the mixer, beat sugared eggs until they have more than doubled in volume and have reached room temperature, 7 to 10 minutes. Switch to a spatula and fold in flour mixture in two additions. Pour melted butter into a small bowl, scoop a big spoonful of batter over it and stir. Pour butter mixture into batter in bowl and fold it in. Scrape batter out onto prepared baking sheet and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
5. Bake until cake is golden brown, lightly springy to touch and starting to pull away from sides of baking sheet, about 15 minutes. Transfer pan to cooling rack for no more than 5 minutes; you want to roll the cake while it’s hot.
6. Lay a cotton or linen kitchen towel (not terry cloth or microfiber) on counter and dust generously with confectioners’ sugar. Run a table knife around sides of cake and invert onto towel. Carefully peel away parchment. Lightly dust cake with confectioners’ sugar. Put parchment back on cake, with the clean side against the cake. Starting at a short end, roll cake into a log; don’t worry about cracks. Return rolled up cake (still in towel) to rack and let cool, seam side down.

MAKE THE FILLING:

1. Put cream cheese, butter and salt in bowl and, using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Beat in cinnamon and vanilla. If using immediately, stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped praline. If not, leave praline out, transfer filling to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. (Whisk chilled filling to return it to spreadable consistency, then add praline.)

FILL THE LOG:

1. Unroll log and carefully remove parchment; leave cake on kitchen towel. Beginning with a short end, gently roll up cake, peeling away towel as you go. Unroll cake onto the towel or a clean piece of parchment.
2. Spread filling across surface of the cake, leaving a scant 1-inch border uncovered on the long sides. Starting from short side, roll up cake, trying to get as a tight a roll as you can. Place cake on a parchment-lined cutting board, cover and chill for 30 minutes.

MAKE THE FROSTING:

1. Put egg whites in clean, dry bowl of electric mixer with whisk attachment. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cream of tartar and 1 cup/240 milliliters water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover and boil for about 3 minutes. Uncover and attach a candy thermometer to pan and cook until it reads 242 degrees. When sugar reaches 235 degrees, begin beating whites on medium speed. If you get to the point where the whites look as if they are about to form stiff peaks and syrup is not at 242 degrees yet, lower mixer speed and keep mixing until sugar is ready.
2. At 242 degrees, with mixer on medium speed, stand back and carefully and steadily pour hot syrup into bowl. Try to get syrup between side of bowl and the whisk. Add vanilla and keep beating until frosting cools to room temperature, about 5 minutes. You will have a shiny marshmallow frosting, which you should spread immediately.
3. Remove cake from refrigerator. Frost on the cutting board and then transfer to a serving platter, or put it on platter now. To keep the platter clean during frosting, tuck strips of parchment under the log, putting just a sliver of the parchment under the cake and leaving the lion’s share to protect your platter.If ends of log look ragged, trim them. Using an offset spatula, table knife or the back of a spoon, swirl frosting all over cake in a thick layer. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to set frosting and firm up filling. Sprinkle cake with coarsely chopped praline before serving.

It is hard to believe in this day and age – when salted caramel ice cream is almost as ubiquitous as vanilla – that desserts in which salt plays a starring role was once a newfangled concept. This recipe, an adaptation of one attributed to the pastry chef Claudia Fleming, came to The Times in a 2000 article by Amanda Hesser about the development of that very trend, and it is a perfect example of how it's done right. Layers of silky caramel and dark chocolate ganache topped with a sprinkling of crunchy, snow-white fleur de sel make this an unforgettable combination of flavors and textures.

Featured in: There's A New Flavor In Town And It's . . . Salt; Dessert Traditions Go Over The Shoulder. 

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CHOCOLATE DOUGH:

• ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 large egg yolk
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

FOR THE CARAMEL FILLING:

• 2 cups sugar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup corn syrup
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons creme fraiche (available at specialty food markets)
•  PInch of salt

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

PREPARATION

2. Prepare chocolate dough: In bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Beat until smooth. Add egg yolk and vanilla, and beat until blended.
3. Sift flour into dough mixture. Beat on low speed until combined. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch tart pan. (You can use a 9-inch pan, but the crust will be thicker and the caramel may take longer to set in step 4.)
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line tart with foil, and fill with dried beans, rice or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, and bake until pastry is dry and set, another 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
5. Prepare caramel filling: In a large saucepan, bring sugar, water and corn syrup to a boil. Stir or swirl the pan occasionally, until mixture is a medium amber color, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Caramel will continue to cook and darken off of the heat. Carefully but quickly whisk in the butter, cream, creme fraiche and salt until smooth (mixture will bubble up). Pour hot caramel into tart, and allow to cool and set, at least 1 hour.
6. Prepare chocolate glaze: Place chocolate in a bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour hot cream over chocolate and whisk until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Pour glaze over tart, tilting tart for even coverage. Refrigerate until tart is set, at least one hour, then sprinkle with a few granules of fleur de sel. Keep refrigerated until serving.

Christmas is only two days away, and if you still need a quick homemade food gift or are invited to someone’s house and want to bring a treat, I have some fabulous recipes to satisfy both needs.

I always love to cook, but this time of year the aromas coming out of my kitchen are almost magical. It’s such a wonderful feeling to make food for people I love, and I relish making gifts from my kitchen.

My first recipe is a Dark Chocolate Truffle Pie, which is seriously rich and intense, so cut it into small slices. It’s absolutely luscious if you love dark chocolate. If you want to make it lighter, you could use milk chocolate. I was originally going to make truffles for this column, but truffles, while easy, can be time-consuming because you have to chill the chocolate and then melt more chocolate to coat the truffles. With Christmas days away, I wanted a speedy recipe, so I took most of the ingredients I would use in truffles and transformed them into a pie. I added marshmallows to make this a little lighter.