Pudding cake is just what the title advertises: pudding and cake. The wondrous part is that both components materialize in the same pan. Batter is spread in a pan, then sprinkled with a sugar and cocoa powder mixture and liquid. This top layer filters down, essentially swapping places with the batter. The result is a layer of cake floating on top of pudding. More

Pudding cake is just what the title advertises: pudding and cake. The wondrous part is that both components materialize in the same pan. Batter is spread in a pan, then sprinkled with a sugar and cocoa powder mixture and liquid. This top layer filters down, essentially swapping places with the batter. The result is a layer of cake floating on top of pudding. More

It may have been the '80s entertaining scene or remnants from my mother's childhood, but I remember in candid detail some rather outré desserts being served at parties at home. "Merengón" was a popular one—the large version of Floating Islands, filled with some tropical fruit-based sorbet, as was Baked Alaska, and other icebox cakes that looked exotic and kitschy. For some reason, most of these recollections take on a fading yellowish hue in my mind, like old photos in an album. More

This airy, creamy dessert has a good dose of tropical freshness, provided by mango. More

This beautiful cake gets its flavor from an unexpected source: hibiscus flowers. More

I've enjoyed many an icy glass of agua de jamaica, that crimson beverage that's so popular in Mexico. But it wasn't until recently, when I've been finding myself in New York City's flower district on a nearly weekly basis, that I considered baking with the main ingredient: hibiscus. More

The pillowy interior of these cupcakes is revealed when the meringue tops are gently sawed off. The hollows of the cupcakes are then filled with Nutella and sliced strawberries. More

These meringue-topped cupcakes hold a sweet surprise: sliced strawberries and gooey Nutella. More

Satisfying and dense, this cake is crowned with a granola-based topping that melts and increases in crunchiness as it bakes, turning into a cookie-like shell. Peanut butter, cake, cookie—get all your cravings satisfied in a single bite. More

Satisfying and dense, this cake is crowned with a granola-based topping that melts and increases in crunchiness as it bakes, turning into a cookie-like shell. Peanut butter, cake, cookie—get all your cravings satisfied in a single bite. More