You might need to buy:
  • Minute Frosting
  • Lemon Curd
  • Cake
Belongs to AmericnJewl 1-2-3-4 Cake 

This cake gets its name from its proportion of ingredients: 1 cup butter and milk, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups of flour and 4 eggs, and from cupcakes to layers cakes, as a basic, white cake, it does not fail.

You might need to buy:
  • sifted self-rising flour
  • milk
  • pure vanilla extract

Although you can substitute natural cocoa for Dutch-processed, the cake won’t rise as high. If you don’t have baking spray with flour, mix 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon cocoa into a paste and brush inside the pan.

ready in about an hour and 15 minutes; serves 16
You might need to buy:
  • baking soda
  • salt
  • boiling water
  • espresso powder
  • Nonstick baking spray with flour
  • vegetable oil
  • large eggs
  • vanilla extract
You might need to buy:
  • butter/margarine
  • yellow cake mix
  • crushed pineapple
  • cherry pie filling

Almond cake may be a simple and humble Italian dessert, but it’s also remarkably versatile and a natural make-ahead dessert.

Do not substitute low-fat or nonfat milk for the whole milk. Blanched almonds are almonds without their skin. Be careful not to overtoast the almonds or the cake will have a dry, crumbly texture. You can substitute 3 cups whole blanched almonds for the slivered; increase their oven toasting time to 11 minutes and their processing time to 30 seconds in step 2.

This recipe was published in our cookbook The Best Make-Ahead Recipe.

ready in about 50 minutes; serves 8
You might need to buy:
  • salt
  • baking powder
  • whole milk

If the egg whites to be whipped are not at room temperature, set them in a pan placed in hot tap water and stir them until they are tepid. Coconut is very nice as a variation for this cake. Add 2/3 to 1 cup lightly packed sweetened flaked coconut, lightly chopped, to the batter before folding in the egg whites.

ready in about an hour and a half; serves 12
You might need to buy:
  • granulated sugar
  • cake flour
  • baking soda
  • table salt
  • water
  • vegetable oil
  • vanilla extract
  • cream of tartar

Refer to the illustrations below when layering the batter and streusel in the pan. A fixed-bottom, 10-inch tube pan (with 10-cup capacity) is best for this recipe. Note that the streusel is divided into two parts—one for the inner swirls, one for the topping.

ready in about an hour and 20 minutes; serves 12
You might need to buy:
  • Streusel
  • ground cinnamon
  • Cake
  • large eggs
  • sour cream
  • vanilla extract
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • table salt
Belongs to jerseyjenny Wacky Cake 

This moist cake gets even better when served with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

ready in about 45 minutes; serves 6
You might need to buy:
  • all-purpose flour
  • sugar
  • natural cocoa powder
  • baking soda
  • table salt
  • vegetable oil
  • distilled white vinegar
  • vanilla extract
  • water
  • Confectioners' sugar

Almond paste makes the cake a bit sticky, so be sure to coat the wax paper in the pan with cooking spray and dust with flour before spooning in the batter. Combining the almond paste and sugar in a blender or food processor helps incorporate the paste into the batter without lumps. This cake can be made a day in advance; just wrap it in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge.

ready in about an hour and 20 minutes; serves 8
You might need to buy:
  • granulated sugar
  • almond paste
  • Cooking spray
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • large eggs
  • vanilla extract
  • seedless raspberry jam
  • whipping cream
  • powdered sugar