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Serves 10 to 12
We like bourbon, but any whiskey will work.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Lane cake is a tall, fluffy, snow-white cake filled with a rich, sweet mixture of egg whites, butter, raisins, and “a wineglass full of good whiskey." Our simplified Lane Cake recipe capped the number of layers at two, and using a food processor streamlined much of the tedious prep work. Replacing sugar with boiled corn syrup in our frosting quickly brought the whipped egg whites to a safe temperature without resorting to a candy thermometer or complicated (and unsafe) guesswork.

Serves 4 to 6

Turbinado, a coarse raw sugar, works especially well in place of the granulated sugar sprinkled on the pastry. Although we liked a mix of berries, virtually any ripe fruit—alone or in combination—will work here. Smooth jelly (rather than chunky jam or preserves) is a must for this recipe.

Serves 8 to 10

If using a hand-held mixer, you will need a very large, deep bowl and should move the beaters vigorously in step 3 to avoid underbeating the egg whites. This pie is best on the day it’s made.

Make your own pâtisserie creation that tastes as good as it looks.

Makes one 9-inch tart

Serves 8 to 10

If you don’t have a vanilla bean, substitute 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract with the butter in step 4. Don’t wash the berries or they’ll lose their flavor and shape.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2012/05/secrets-to-making-a-fabulous-fruit-tart/

Serves 12

This recipe must be prepared with natural cocoa powder. Dutch-processed cocoa will not yield the proper color or rise.

Serves 8

Use a melon baller or a metal teaspoon measure to core the apples. We like to serve the dumplings warm with vanilla ice cream and Cider Sauce (see Cider Sauce recipe). Other sweet, moderately firm apples, such as Braeburns or Galas, can be used in this recipe.

Even opinionated Bostonians approve.

Serves 8 to 10

Be careful not to overbeat the egg whites or they will not combine well with the batter. Try to use a 9-inch sponge cake for this recipe; if using an 8-inch cake, the layer of pastry cream will be on the thick side. Before serving, be sure to refrigerate the finished cake until the glaze has set (this will take at least 2 hours), but do not refrigerate the cake for more than 24 hours or it will turn soggy.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: We needed a tender, flavorful base for our Boston Cream Pie, so we opted for a hot-milk sponge cake. Unlike other sponge cakes, this kind includes some melted butter and warm milk, which makes for a cake with a tender, moist crumb.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2012/09/the-secret-to-boston-cream-pie/