Although this Coffee Cake with Espresso Glaze & Cardamom Crumble doesn't really have all that much to do with seasonal cooking or local purveyors, it's just too good of a cake not to share. The cake part is perfectly flavored and textured with a moist crumb and slight tang thanks to the sour cream in the batter. After the cake bakes and cools, it's finished with a coffee glaze that seeps inside, acting as a glue for the cardamom-scented crumble topping. It's one of those wonderfully deceptive recipes that at first looks like nothing fancier than your run-of-the-mill coffee cake, but one bite and the rich coffee flavors and aromatic cardamom are instantly apparent. More

Say hello to your new best friend, Birthday Cake French Toast. This recipe breathes new life into birthday cake that is past its prime, making use of the dry texture to absorb a rich, eggy mixture, which is then pan-fried (frosting and all) to yield a new breed of French toast that's beyond decadent. In the tradition of over-the-top morning foods such as Cadbury Creme Eggs Benedict, this makes for a sugar bomb of a plate, tasting far better than it has any right to, in a so-bad-it's-good sort of way. More

It's not easy being green. It is, however, exceedingly easy to eat green, especially when we're talking about zucchini cake. More

These Portuguese-Russian from The New Portuguese Table by David Leite cakes are gorgeous. Toasted, ground walnuts and almonds are incorporated into the clove scented batter, and then lightened with whipped egg whites. Once the cake is baked and cooled it is topped with a pristine layer of vanilla butter cream, sprinkled with more ground nuts and then sliced into perfect little squares. For an added layer of flavor you can spread the cakes with bitter orange marmalade before topping them with the buttercream. More

This cake is plain enough to be cut into cubes and included in a basket of bread and muffins, but with plenty fresh fruit it could be the centerpiece of a meal. If you make it a day in advance, warm it in the oven before serving. More

Out of all of the incredible dessert in The Boozy Baker by Lucy Baker the one that I was most looking forward to trying was this Lemon Layer Cake with Campari Frosting. I love limoncello, and seems like a ingredient that should be used in baking projects way more often than it is. And Campari and soda is one of my favorite drinks, especially in the summer months. I was curious to see how its somewhat bitter and herbaceous flavors would lend themselves to a dessert. Incorporating these two Italian favorites into a pink frosted layer cake seemed like they might just be the best summer dessert ever. More

It's pretty much impossible for me to pass up an olive oil cake, no matter if it's being offered at a restaurant, in a bakery, or in recipe form. There's something about the lightness of the cake combined with the green and fruity flavors that the olive oil lends—I find it absolutely irresistible. So when I came across this recipe for Orange-Glazed Olive Oil Cake with Fleur de Sel from The Perfect Finish by Bill Yosses, I made sure I had all the ingredients on hand, then made a beeline for the kitchen to start baking. More

This Plum Biercake from The Boozy Baker by Lucy Baker is a dessert that brings together the summery flavors of sweet plums with the deep, wintry flavors of gingerbread. The thick batter is enriched with dark beer to make for an incredibly moist cake and an intriguing flavor that varies depending on the beer you use. More

Not only do I prefer the texture of boxed cake, I also love the ease. Open a box, dump in a few ingredients and in two minutes you have batter. Would it be possible, I wondered, to create a homemade, gluten-free, one bowl cake recipe? Turns out, the answer is yes. This cake, which was inspired by the classic gluten-filled Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" recipe, comes together quickly. White rice flour, cornstarch, and just a little sweet rice flour combine to create a cake that has a texture that's very similar to boxed cake—only better. More