Vanilla

As you knead the dough for this Mardi Gras cake, watch for it to begin to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl. If that doesn't happen (because the moisture content in flour fluctuates with the humidity), add a spoonful or two more flour.

The custard needs to be refrigerated overnight before it's processed in the ice cream maker, so plan accordingly.

A silky-smooth panna cotta with the tang of buttermilk, this dessert is wonderfully easy to pull off. Any leftover sauce would be great spooned over ice cream.

Here's a clean, bright dessert that makes a great finish to any meal and can be prepared days ahead. Plus, who knew that mellow vanilla would go so beautifully with tangy cranberries?

This dressed-up rendition of a classic has a supremely satisfying filling.

I love using this as a frosting or a filling because it is light and creamy, and less sweet than the Classic Americana Icing. It tastes just like whipped cream. Editor's note: This recipe is used as the filling for Sarah Magid's Goldies , an organic take on Twinkies.

This almost doesn't need a recipe because it is based on the classic proportions of a pound of each of the four main ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. I have played with the quantities a little bit so that the recipe doesn't make such a large cake. I like to flavor this type of pound cake with just a little vanilla—it keeps the flavor delicate and doesn't mask the lovely flavor of the butter. If you want more vividly flavored pound cake, try any of the variations.

The secret to these moist cupcakes? Reduced coconut milk.

This pound cake not only keeps well but also intensifies in flavor over the first day or so. It's delicious toasted or served with ice cream.

This rich, creamy pudding is delicious served warm or cold. If you feel like dressing up the dessert a bit, add a cinnamon stick while the rice is cooking, or top the finished pudding with a sprinkling of raisins and a little freshly grated nutmeg just before serving.

Store-bought panettone is the foundation of this raisin and bread pudding. Because the bread is so eggy, it bakes into an extra-silky custard that contrasts with a generous expanse of buttery golden brown crispness on top. (Using a shallow pan is key.)

Dried cherries add a tart and festive flavor.

When adding your hot liquids to the bowl while whisking, it helps to stabilize your bowl by rolling a kitchen towel up into a log, wrapping it into a coil as wide as the bowl's base, then setting the bowl onto it to nest it in place. This recipe makes twice as much pastry cream as is needed for the Pavlovas . Leftover cream can be used to make èclairs, cream puffs, fruit tarts, or breakfast pastries.

"I've never been keen on pineapple," food editor Paul Grimes admits, "so I challenged myself to make a pineapple dessert that I would actually like." Charring the wine-poached fruit caramelizes it and softens its acidity while highlighting its floral notes. With vanilla and a cidery syrup, this dessert feels at once wintery and light.

Vanilla is arguably one of the best scents in the world, and it permeates this tender cake in the form of a simple vanilla sugar. A zesty cranberry filling lies beneath the crumble top.

This comes off as a classic panna cotta, but agar—a thickener made from seaweed—gives it a light mouthfeel; it dissolves on the tongue almost instantly. Slices of mango in citrus syrup enliven the flavors.

In this dessert from Cafe Paradiso, pink peppercorns give the meringues a subtle floral flavor.

This simple sauce is great with the roly-poly.

Instead of being baked in one large dish, this version of the traditional Latin dessert is made in individual ramekins.

Confiture is the sweet version of confit, in which sugar acts as the preservative.