Gourmet

The 51 Best Dessert Recipes From Gourmet

These classic Gourmet recipes have stood the test of time.
Photo of a frangipane tart with a serrated knife and a stack of plates and forks on the side.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Bill Clark

The archives of Gourmet magazine are full of treasures both savory and sweet—but since we’ve been focusing on baking lately, we wanted to share a few favorite desserts from the magazine. Below you’ll find the most popular cakes, tarts, cookies, and other sweets from Gourmet, including an astoundingly creamy (and easy!) cheesecake recipe, the perfect dessert for rhubarb season, and more than one option for a classic chocolate birthday cake. (Maybe you need two birthday cakes this year.)

  • Lemon curd tart with two slices removed alongside plates serveware.
    Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell
    1/51

    Lemon Curd Tart With Olive Oil

    Our list of favorite Gourmet desserts starts with this simple lemon tart, which boasts an olive oil and almond crust and a zingy lemon curd filling. Make it early in the day and chill until after dinner.

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  • Chocolate mousse in dessert glasses with whipped cream on top and spoons on the side.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
    2/51

    Chocolate Mousse

    When we think about Gourmet recipes, elegant classics like this mousse come to mind. We promise: If you can use a whisk, you can make this chocolate dessert with ease.

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  • Gourmet's Flourless Chocolate Cake on a serving plate with two slices cut out.
    Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova
    5/51

    Flourless Chocolate Cake

    This flourless chocolate cake is rich and densely chocolaty. It’s just the kind of low-effort, high-reward recipe we love.

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  • Two key lime pies next to slices.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Rhoda Boone
    6/51

    Key Lime Pie

    This version of Key lime pie, which ran in the May 2003 issue of Gourmet, is extra-tangy and downright refreshing.

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  • Orange Chiffon Cake on a serving platter with white background.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    9/51

    Orange Chiffon Cake

    This fluffy, springy cake is a bit like angel food cake but a little richer since there are egg yolks in the mix. Make it for dessert in winter, when the sunshiny citrus will have the most impact.

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  • A creme brulee tart with a slice cut out.
    Photo by Kenji Toma
    10/51

    Crème Brûlée Tart

    How do you make a smooth custard with a crackling burnt-sugar top even better? Put it in a flaky tart shell.

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  • Photo of Cobbler MacGuire in a pie dish with a slotted spoon on the side.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Liza Jernow
    13/51

    Blackberry Cobbler Maguire

    This cobbler riff is made with a biscuit-like dough that gets rolled out, scattered with juicy blackberries, and then spiraled into a log.

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  • A round cake covered in toasting meringue with flames shooting from the top against a pink backdrop.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    14/51

    Baked Alaska Saint Pierre

    The year: 2004. The recipe: Baked Alaska. This refreshing citrus-forward take on the classic features spongy génoise, orange ice cream—a silky combination of store-bought vanilla ice cream and bittersweet marmalade—and tangy orange sorbet. And fire, of course.

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37 Birthday Cake Recipes to Make All Your Wishes Come True
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Gallery
37 Birthday Cake Recipes to Make All Your Wishes Come True
Gifts are nice and all, but nothing beats homemade birthday cake.
Put Mayonnaise in Your Cake, Just Like Grandma Did
Put Mayonnaise in Your Cake, Just Like Grandma Did
Mayonnaise has been helping bakers make softer, moister cakes for nearly a century.

Genevieve Yam

Say Goodbye to Bad Yellow Cake
Say Goodbye to Bad Yellow Cake
A better yellow cake—one that’s moist, tender, and full of flavor—is possible.

Genevieve Yam

Meet Me in St. Louis—or My Kitchen—for Gooey Butter Cake
Meet Me in St. Louis—or My Kitchen—for Gooey Butter Cake
Gooey butter cake is the Midwestern dessert that keeps on giving.

Genevieve Yam

This Classic French Cake Tastes Like the World's Best Candy Bar
This Classic French Cake Tastes Like the World's Best Candy Bar
This majestic cake—beloved by chefs all over—is worth making for your special celebration.

Genevieve Yam

53 Chocolate Desserts for Days When a Basic Bar Just Isn’t Enough
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53 Chocolate Desserts for Days When a Basic Bar Just Isn’t Enough
What do we want? Chocolate. When do we want it? All the time.
Crunchy Veg Salad With Dates and Fried Shallots
Crunchy Veg Salad With Dates and Fried Shallots
Elegant enough for a dinner party centerpiece, sturdy enough to take the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Glazed Apple Pie Fritters
Glazed Apple Pie Fritters
Apple pie in doughnut hole form? We’re in love.
Green Goddess Harvest Salad
Green Goddess Harvest Salad
So much more affordable than ordering from those fast casual salad chains.
Nuoc Cham Chicken Salad
Nuoc Cham Chicken Salad
A spicy-funky upgrade for lettuce cups, sandwiches, and more.
The Most-Saved Recipes on Bon Appétit This Week
The Most-Saved Recipes on Bon Appétit This Week
Like crispy gnocchi caprese and raspberry—brown butter skillet cake.
Giant Garlic Knot
Giant Garlic Knot
This savory babka is braided with a whole head of garlic, fresh parsley, and salty Parmesan.