Everyday Cakes

In one shape or another, sweet, spicy gingerbread has been popular for centuries. During the 1600s, in fact, gingerbread making was such serious business that only certain bakers had rights to make it.

You can use any seedless jam or preserves to fill this jelly roll, although a red raspberry or strawberry looks especially festive.

Make delicious use of day-old bread with our easy pudding recipe -- great for young chefs -- and a pumpkin variation that's a scrumptious addition to your Thanksgiving table.

Serve up this sweet, moist Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake, full of rich chocolate chips, walnuts and cinnamon.

Inspired by a mermaid cake she'd seen, Jocelyn Schauer of Charlottesville, Virginia, crafted this Hula Dancer cake for her daughter's fourth birthday.

Sconelike biscuits and sugared strawberries make this classic dessert even sweeter.

Celebrate the new school year with this sharp-looking dessert, great for a classroom potluck or back-to-school social.

Crisp fall weekends bring on hearty appetites, and this single-layer cake, which owes much of its moist sweetness to applesauce, is a sure way to satisfy.

It's a win-win combo -- buttery shortbread and sweet, tangy raspberry jam. As their name suggests, these tasty triangles won't hold up to rough handling, but they make for a pretty presentation at a potluck.

Create some buzz at your little honey's garden-, flower-, or bug-themed party with this simple cake and its cookie swarm.

Dance Dance Revolution® contest or retro disco bash? Whatever the party plan, turn up the fun at your music-lover's birthday with this oversize MP3 player.

Ask any birthday buccaneer if he wants a piece of this swashbuckling cake, and you'll get a resounding, "Aye, matey!" Surround it with chocolate coins for an even more treasured treat.