1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F (176°C). Butter and flour a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan and set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, salt, and water and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, just until melted and combined. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Place the flour, sugar, and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Add half of the melted butter mixture and whisk until completely blended (the mixture will be quite thick). Add the remaining butter mixture and whisk until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until completely blended before adding the next egg. Whisk in the sour cream and vanilla until smooth.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then invert onto a rack. Let cool completely before glazing.

5. Just before glazing the cooled cake, place the chopped chocolate and agave nectar in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the heavy cream and sugar in a small saucepan and put over medium heat. Stir constantly until the cream is hot and the sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. If the glaze is exceptionally runny, let it sit for a minute or so to thicken.

6. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake, allowing it to drip and dribble down the sides.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Butter a 10-by-13 inch jelly roll pan, line it with parchment paper, and butter the paper as well.

2. Sift the cocoa into a bowl and add the salt. Whisk the eggs and muscovado or brown sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until the mixture is pale and mousse-like, 8 to 10 minutes. Lightly fold in the cocoa in two additions. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth it using an offset spatula. Give the bottom of the pan a couple of sharp taps on the work surface to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake the cake for 8 to 10 minutes, until set and springy to the touch.

3. Place a clean kitchen towel on your work surface and sift a fine layer of confectioners’ sugar on the towel. Carefully turn the hot cake onto the towel. Starting at one short end, carefully roll the cake up with the towel and the parchment paper. You should end up with a short, fat roll. Let cool for 40 to 60 minutes.

4. Gently melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Let cool to room temperature.

5. Beat the chestnut puree, sugar, and vanilla in a food processor until creamy. Add the cooled chocolate and mix until combined.

6. Beat the cream until it forms soft peaks, and then gently fold it into the chocolate chestnut mixture in two additions.

7. Carefully unroll the cake and peel off the parchment paper. Spread the top of the cake with half of the chocolate chestnut mousse, then roll the cake up again and transfer it to a platter, seam facing down. Smooth the rest of the mousse over the exposed surface of the cake. If desired, using the tines of a fork, make lines along its length to replicate tree bark, swirling the ends to create a log effect, and making a few knots on the log, too.

8. Refrigerate the cake for at least an hour. If keeping it for longer than this, loosely cover the cake with plastic wrap and let set at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

9. Just before serving, shower the bûche de Noël with confectioners’ sugar.

1. Butter a 9-inch springform cake pan. Preheat the oven to 375° F (190°C).

2. Place the poppyseeds and grated lemon zest in a small bowl. Heat the milk until hot but not boiling and stir it into the poppyseed mixture. Let it cool while you make the batter.

3. Beat the butter and brown sugar together until very light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, flour, and ground almonds. Gently fold in the zucchini, followed by the poppyseed mixture.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the cake mixture. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and level the surface.

5. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the cake is just firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

6. When the cake is cool, sift the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl. Make a well in the center and add the still-hot melted butter. Stir, adding sufficient lemon juice, a dribble at a time, to achieve a spreadable frosting. Mix in the grated lemon zest.  Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and let it set at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before slicing and serving.

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the sugar and whisk until well blended. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides, spreading it to evenly cover the bottom of the pan.

2. Lightly press the plums into the syrup in a circle along the edge of the pan. Spread the berries in the center of the pan. (You can set the pan aside to stand at room temperature for up to 3 hours.)

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) and position the oven rack to the center position.

4. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl.

5. In another bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Gradually add the sugar to the butter and beat until well combined. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Stir the dry ingredients and the milk alternately into the butter mixture in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Spoon the batter over the topping in the pan.

6. Bake the cake until the top is golden and firm and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Let stand in the pan for 10 minutes.

7. Run a small sharp knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake. Place a plate or platter over the pan. Using oven mitts or pot holders, firmly grasp the pan and platter together, then turn them over. Let stand 3 minutes, then gently lift the pan off the cake. (You should feel and hear a sort of “thwunk” as the cake releases from the pan. We found this timing to work perfectly, the cake releasing slick as a whistle each time. But if for some reason it doesn’t, like maybe you got distracted by Facebook and let the cake sit in the pan too long, just run a towel under very hot water, wring it out, and drape it over the bottom of the pan for a few minutes and try again. If some but not all of the fruit and goo slide out of the pan, well, grab a spoon and a knife and do a little creative reconstructing.) Serve the cake warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired. The cake is, as most cakes, best served the day it is baked.

1. To make the cherry clafouti, preheat the oven to 400° F (204°C). Generously butter a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or a 9-inch baking dish.

2. Add the vanilla, eggs, sugar, milk, kirsch if using, and salt to a blender and blend just a few seconds until combined. Then add the flour and process until smooth, about 1 minute.

3. Pour the batter into the buttered skillet. Scatter the cherries over the batter. Bake until a golden brown crust forms on top and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if you like.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Butter 9-by-13-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper, allowing the excess paper to hang over the edge of the pan.

2. Combine the sour cream and baking soda and let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the lemon zest and vanilla and beat until combined. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, then add the sour cream mixture and beat just until combined.

4. Place the blueberries in another bowl and toss with just a couple spoonfuls of the flour. Sift the rest of the flour over the butter mixture and sift the baking powder over the top. Gently fold just the dry ingredients together, then fold them into the batter, mixing just until combined. Gently fold the flour-coated blueberries into the batter, being mindful not to overmix.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cake to a wire rack to cool completely, either by using the parchment paper as handles or by inverting the cake onto a wire rack and then inverting it again.

6. Frost the cooled blueberry tea cake, if desired, or serve it plain if you prefer.

7. Beat all of the ingredients except the sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually mix in the sugar and beat until smooth. Use immediately.

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (176°C). Line two 9-inch springform or cake pans with parchment circles cut to fit. If not using springform pans, butter and flour the pans.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and shredded coconut. Set aside.

3. Combine the coconut milk and vanilla. Set aside.

4. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and egg whites and mix well. Add a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, switch to a spatula, and stir just until incorporated. Then add half the coconut milk mixture and stir just until incorporated. Repeat, adding half of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining coconut milk mixture, and ending with the remaining flour mixture. Do not overmix.

5. Divide the batter evenly among the two pans. Bake until the top of the cake springs back when pressed lightly with a fingertip and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 45 minutes (or about 20 minutes if making cupcakes). The cake will not color appreciably, so don’t rely on its hue as an indication of doneness. Cool the cakes completely in the pans on a wire rack.

6. Working with one cake at a time, place the wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert the cake onto the rack. Then carefully invert it again so it’s right side up. Repeat with the remaining cake. Using a serrated knife, carefully slice off the mounded portion of one or both cakes to create a flat surface.

7. Place a trimmed cake on a cake stand or platter. Spread a generous portion of the Seven-Minute Frosting over the top. Place the second cake on the first and very thinly coat the top and sides of the cake to seal in the crumbs. This is called a crumb coat. Then go ahead and generously slather the cake with the rest of the frosting. Quickly sprinkle some of the flaked or shredded coconut over the top of the cake. Gently press the rest of the coconut onto the sides. Behold!

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position.

2. To make your shiny, single-use Twinkie molds, start with a piece of aluminum foil, preferably heavy-duty, that’s approximately 14 inches long. It should be just a little longer than it is wide. Fold the foil in half lengthwise, then fold it in half again to create a rectangle that’s about 6 inches long and 7 inches wide. Repeat to make a dozen rectangles.

3. Place 1 sheet of folded foil on your work surface, with the long side facing you. Place a standard-size plastic or glass spice jar on its side in the center of the foil, the jar’s long side also facing you. Bring the long sides of the foil up around the jar. The foil won’t reach all the way around, and that’s okay. Fold the foil in around both top and bottom ends of the spice jar, nice and tight. You’ll end up with a sort of trough situation. (Cookbook author Todd Wilbur has a video of the process here; if you’re impatient, fast forward to 1:10, where the action starts.) Repeat until you have 12 foil Twinkie molds. Spritz the molds with an obscenely generous amount of nonstick spray or use your fingertips to coat the molds with vegetable oil. Place the Twinkie molds on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan.

4. Whisk the flours, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.

5. Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Remove from the heat add the vanilla. Cover to keep warm.

6. Separate the eggs, placing the whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or, if using a hand mixer or whisk, a large mixing bowl) and reserving the yolks in another bowl. Beat the whites on high speed until foamy. Gradually add 6 tablespoons of the sugar and the cream of tartar and continue to beat until the whites reach soft, moist peaks.

7. Transfer the beaten egg whites to a large bowl and add the egg yolks to the standing mixer bowl—there’s no need to clean the bowl (or, if using a hand mixer or whisk, simply place the egg yolks in a separate large bowl). Beat the egg yolks with the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is very thick and a pale lemon color, about 5 minutes. Add the beaten egg whites to the yolks, but do not mix.

8. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg whites and then mix everything on low speed for just 10 seconds (or, if using a hand mixer or whisk, until blended but not thoroughly combined). Remove the bowl from the mixer, make a well in one side of the batter, and pour the melted butter mixture into the bowl. Fold gently with a large rubber spatula until the batter shows no trace of flour and the whites and yolks are evenly mixed, about 8 strokes.

9. Immediately scrape the batter into the prepared molds, filling each with about 3/4 inch of batter. Bake until the cake tops are light brown and feel firm and spring back when touched, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pan containing the molds to a wire rack and allow the cakes to cool in the molds.

10. Just before filling, remove each cake from the foil. Using the end of a chopstick, poke three holes in the bottom of each cake, just like in the bottom of real Twinkies. Wiggle the tip of the chopstick around quite a lot to make room for the filling. (Again, you can see this in action here, beginning at minute 3.)

11. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fit with a small tip (about 1/4 inch across). Pipe the frosting into the holes you created in the bottom of the cakes. As you fill each cake, hold it in your hand and press your palm gently around it so you can feel the cake expand, taking care not to overfill and crack the cake.

12. Unlike real Twinkies, these won’t last indefinitely. They’re best served still slightly warm.