[Photographs: Maria del Mar Sacasa]

I've been writing for Serious Eats: Sweets since January of 2011. At first my recipes included everything from ice cream to cookies to cake, but eventually "Let Them Eat Cake" was born and, since then, my focus is blissfully devoted to pondering deeply on cake—layered, icebox, rolled, hand-held.

My favorites are usually nutty, brown butter-based, booze-soaked, dark caramel swirled, or fruit inflected. Click through the slideshow to see my ultimate top ten.

Go Straight to the Recipes

1. Blackberry and White Chocolate Layer Cake
2. Salted Caramel-Chocolate Pudding Cake
3. Coffee & Donuts Cake
4. Date Cake with Bacon and Pecans
5. Chocolate Cake with Cocoa Puffs Frosting
6. Nilla Wafer Banana Cake
7. Brown Butter Pecan Carrot Cake
8. Chocolate Ginger Peace Icebox Cake
9. Bananas Foster Trifle
10. Tres Leches de Coco

About the author: María del Mar Sacasa is a recipe developer, food stylist, and author of the food blog High Heels & Frijoles. Behind her girly façade lurks a truck driver's appetite. Read about her cravings and suffer through her occasional rants on Twitter @HHandFrijoles and see her constant stream of food images on Instagram: mdmsacasa.