Cream Cheese

Adding sweetened condensed milk to the crust gives this cake a candy-like texture that reminds me of a Twix bar (a childhood weakness I rarely get to indulge since marrying a chef!). That same sweetness accentuates the buttery quality of ripe avocados. Chill it thoroughly, then let the cake sit at room temperature for a bit before you slice it. It’s so refreshing on a hot day.

One of the many reasons you'll be grateful to have a jar of kimchi in your fridge at all times: this throw-together no-cook toast.  It's a low-lift breakfast, lunch, or snack that's ideal for even the laziest of days.

No cocoa means this red velvet cake is a vibrant magenta. To finish: a classic cream cheese frosting and a scattering of chopped pecans.

Take a classic coconut cake, add fresh strawberries to the mix, and what do you get? Pink layers that burst against a bright, white cream cheese frosting.

The secret to the fudgiest, most chocolaty brownies is cocoa powder—not melted chocolate. We borrowed chocolate expert Alice Medrich’s technique, then added a cream cheese topping for tangy balance. 

This is my adult version of cheesecake, full of togarashi. I use it a lot in savory recipes to add spice, but here it gives the cake a sharp, spicy note that helps balance the denseness.

These hamantaschen are filled with a celebration of seeds set in chewy-soft caramelized honey. While poppy is traditional, we threw in sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin as well for variety and crunch.

Your favorite creamy dip—but in a form you (and your kids) can happily eat for dinner. Serve with a salad of bitter greens and a bright vinaigrette.

An overnight freeze solidifies classic brownie batter into something entirely different—a scoopable cookie dough that holds its shape when rolled and then transforms into soft, fudgy, cream cheese-filled cookies in the oven.

Served alongside boozy martinis, this is the classic cheese ball of yesteryear. A few updates make it perfect for family get-togethers and retro-chic parties alike.

Adding orange zest and salt to store-bought jam gives the filling an extra dimension of flavor without creating a lot of extra fuss.

Great pimiento cheese is all about spice. Red peppers and hot sauce are essential to cutting through the richness of the cream cheese and cheddar.

Love cheesy broccoli casserole? Then go for this steak dinner, which mimics those flavors in a simple but elegant way with charred broccolini and a creamy Gruyère sauce.

The creamy flavors of cheesecake meet the fall flavors of pumpkin pie in these indulgent bars.

The caramelized flavor of bourbon and the tang of sour cream add balance to the rich, spiced filling of this cheesecake. Chopped pecans add a nutty dimension to the graham cracker crust.

Earthy-sweet figs and bright lemon zest and juice give these cupcakes worlds of flavor. If you'd like, take them one step further with a silky cream cheese frosting.

No cheesecake roundup would be complete without this one, created by Santa Fe’s Three Cities of Spain coffeehouse (which closed in the mid-1970s) and our absolute favorite in the creamy category.