31 Epic Dessert and Baking Recipes for When You Need a Project

Sometimes you just need a baking task that'll keep you busy: a cake or bread or tart that requires attention, and might just put you into a calmer, more relaxed state. It's not that these recipes are too difficult for beginners to take on—no need to be intimidated!—but they are all the sort of project that can occupy you for a while. The payoff (a mega-sized homemade candy bar, or a cardamom bun like the one you'd track down in Paris) is just the icing on the cake.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova1/31Glazed Cinnamon-Cardamom Buns
These cardamom-scented rolls are briochelike and streaked with a sweet, buttery cinnamon filling.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Diana Yen2/31Giant Chocolate Candy Bar with Peanuts and Nougat
This giant treat of nougat fluffy enough to eat by the forkful layered with soft peanut-studded caramel and covered in chocolate is what sweet dreams are made of.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews3/31Italian Easter Bread
This fragrant Italian Easter bread is flavored with vanilla, almond, and candied orange peels.
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott4/31Chocolate-Covered Marshmallow Cookies
This ambitious Mallomars-inspired recipe is a project: Make the (wheat-free!) cookie base and top with marshmallow on day one; enrobe in chocolate on day two.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson5/31Chocolate-Filled Croissants
This many-stepped project is the perfect thing to occupy you on a rainy day. First, you'll roll and cut the dough into 16 rectangles, then roll the dough around the chocolate. After a rise, you'll bake them, spritzing the oven with a spray bottle to add some steam.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks6/31Coffee Doughnuts with Coffee Glaze
Cold brew concentrate lends robust coffee flavor to these crispy cake doughnuts. Need a refresher on frying technique? Here's our guide to frying without fear.
Dan Forbes7/31French Macarons With Raspberry-Rose Buttercream
To create patisserie-perfect macaroons, Sandra Holl uses very finely ground almond flour. You'll also need a pastry bag and plain pastry tip. You can split this project recipe into several days, making the cookies a day ahead, and the filling up to a week ahead.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Diana Yen8/31Orange Sweet Rolls
These thinly-rolled pastries are made with both orange zest and juice for a full burst of sweet citrus flavor.
Photo by Alex Lau9/31BA's Best Morning Buns
Too many morning buns for your crowd? This recipe halves easily.
Photo by Alex Lau10/31Salted Caramel–Chocolate Tart
A chocolate tart shell filled with a soft-but-stable caramel filling and swoops of chocolate ganache is the kind of dessert that's perfect for a romantic dinner. Or just, you know, a Tuesday night.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton11/31Molasses Sandwich Cookies With Coffee Cream
Adding ground coffee to both the cookie dough and the filling turns these cookies into something much more interesting than your average spice cookie.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks12/31Caramel Apple Drip Cake With Candied Walnuts
This showstopper of a cake recipe is topped with homemade caramel sauce and homemade candied walnuts. Cream cheese frosting balances the nutty richness with a lovely tang.
Jonathon Kambouris13/31Parker House Rolls
Is there any meal that wouldn't be made better with a basket of Parker House rolls? Shingling the pieces of dough takes a minute, but the buttery top is well worth the effort.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson14/31Baked Alaska Saint Pierre
Truly showstopping, Baked Alaska is an exercise in contradictions: the flaming, meringue-coated confection houses layers of ice cream and cake within.
