Loaf Cake

Plums and pluots—a hybrid that blends the color of plums with the flavor and soft texture of apricots—have a natural tartness that flatters the accompanying pound cake (which tastes even better if made a couple of days ahead).

Traditionally served as a coffee cake in El Salvador, "quesadilla" cake isn’t made with tortillas but has a pound-cake-like denseness. The unusual addition of parmesan cheese gives the sweet cake its rich depth.

Sometimes simplicity speaks volumes. Our lemon loaf recipe is very straightforward. We do not add poppy seeds, pecans, or any other extraneous ingredient. We really feel that the most important aspect of a lemon loaf is the zingy lemon flavor, and we accentuate it by using a combination of freshly squeezed lemon juice, freshly grated lemon zest, and a mildly sweet lemon syrup. The sour cream gives this loaf a subtle tang and a dense, moist crumb that cannot be achieved with yogurt. If you want to increase the lemony goodness of these cakes, add the simple glaze after the syrup has set and the cakes are cool. This loaf freezes extremely well, so you can double the recipe and make a few extra loaves.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from < by Lauren Chattman. It's simple to doctor plain vanilla ice cream, transforming it into layers of fresh-tasting lemon and blueberry ice cream. Crushed creme-filled sugar wafer cookies add crunch. Dollops of softly whipped cream alongside each slice are a simple and pretty finish.

These tiny cakes make terrific gifts, packaged in sets of three — one of each flavor. The basic vanilla batter is also wonderful for other variations — try orange rind and white chocolate-chip, raisin-walnut, or "the kitchen sink" (that's whatever you need to get rid of in your pantry). I also like to keep some of these loaves in my freezer for impromptu breakfast parties. Just move them to the refrigerator before bed, and they'll be thawed by morning.

"Moist and pretty in color when blackberry, currant, or some such jam was used, [jam cake] was a favorite with pioneer women, for it kept well," James Beard wrote in his American Cookery (Little Brown, 1972). The only thing more that might be said about jam cake is that it is delicious.

Because the more traditional dark fruitcakes aren't really to her liking, senior editor Sarah Belk created this one, filled with her favorite nuts and dried fruits. To make these gifts even more festive, she suggest decorating the glazed cakes with additional dried fruits and nuts.

This bread gets even better if stored for a day. Enjoy it toasted and buttered for breakfast.

This feather-light, sweet-tart bread is as good as it sounds.

These little cakes can be put in the center of a gift basket filled with other goodies, or wrapped in foil and festive holiday paper to be given on their own.

This is perhaps my favorite way to eat pound cake! The fresh light flavor of lemon blends beautifully with the buttery flavor of pound cake. The lemon syrup tenderizes, adds tartness, and helps to keep the cake fresh for a few days longer than usual. Poppy seeds add a delightful crunch. Lemon blossoms and lemon leaves make a lovely and appropriate garnish.