This cake, thought to have first appeared in the 1920s, has had such names as pineapple glacé and pineapple skillet cake.

Sometimes seen with a lemon filling, this is one of the oldest “fancy” layer cakes and a great southern tradition.

This classic spongecake is thought to have originated with German settlers—a thrifty use of the many egg whites left over after making noodles. Apocryphal perhaps…delicious nonetheless.

With the addition of a citrus custard as a filling and a sprinkling of coconut over the frosting, this would be known as a Robert E. Lee cake.

This recipe, all the rage at the turn of the previous century, makes the quintessential layer cake—old-fashioned and toothsome.

Perhaps no other dessert typifies the excess of the 1980s more than this flourless chocolate cake—which makes for an interesting parallel to the fancy cakes of the 1880s.

This recipe, from Claudia Fleming, former pastry chef at New York City's Gramercy Tavern, is superlative—wonderfully moist and spicy.

Potato pancakes with smoked salmon—a nod to Scandinavia—are an elegant take on bagels and lox. We love the contrast between the crisp pancakes and the soft, succulent salmon....

No cheesecake roundup would be complete without this one, created by Santa Fe's Three Cities of Spain coffeehouse and our absolute favorite in the creamy category.

Want to make a wedding cake but are intimidated? This cake is for you. Layered with blackberries and garnished with roses, it is a showpiece.