Dessert

The 23 Most Popular Dessert Recipes of 2022

Epicurious readers couldn’t get enough of these custards, pies, and layer cakes.
Slices of Marjolaine Cake on plates.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

It was a big year for desserts around these parts. We found our new favorite 9-minute chocolate pudding and renewed our love of the carefree comforts of no-bake cheesecake. And even more exciting, 2022 was the year that Epicurious created an interactive cake recipe finder, designed to help you find the cake of your dreams.

Here we’re bringing together the most popular desserts of the year—the sweets that Epi readers cooked and loved and frantically texted to family members. There’s a totally customizable panna cotta, a classic chocolate mousse begging to be topped with a spoonful of barely sweetened whipped cream, and a cake for pretty much every occasion you could dream of.

  • Panna cotta with blueberries lemon zest and jelly.
    Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova
    1/23

    Panna Cotta

    Cool, creamy vanilla panna cotta is the simplest kind of dessert; it only needs a few minutes on the stove, and it sets all on its own in the refrigerator.

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  • Sticky rice mango slices sesame seeds and coconut milk on a plate.
    Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova
    2/23

    Sticky Rice With Mango

    The classic combination of coconut milk, sticky rice, and sweet ripe mango has been a popular Thai dessert for centuries.

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  • A slice of Marjolaine cake with a cup of espresso.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
    5/23

    Marjolaine

    Made with nutty meringue, rich chocolate ganache, and vanilla and hazelnut buttercreams, the marjolaine is the perfect cake for special occasions.

    Get This Recipe
  • Two mugs of Molten Double Chocolate mug cake with scoops of vanilla ice cream.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
    6/23

    Molten Double Chocolate Mug Cake

    Jessie Sheehan's easy 3-minute chocolate mug cake is rich, tender, and moist, with a soft center reminiscent of a molten lava cake.

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  • A Gooey Butter Cake cut into eight pieces on a serving platter with confectioners sugar orange wine and utensils on a...
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
    7/23

    Gooey Butter Cake

    The signature dessert of St. Louis is just what its name suggests—a wonderfully gooey butter cake that doesn’t quite set when baked.

    Get This Recipe
  • Gourmet's Double Chocolate Layer Cake on a serving plate with forks plates and glasses of seltzer on the side.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad
    8/23

    Double Chocolate Layer Cake

    Sometimes nothing but chocolate will do.

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  • Cold Oven Poundcake with powdered sugar being sliced and served.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    9/23

    Cold Oven Pound Cake

    Cold-oven pound cake bakes slowly as the temperature of the oven rises, allowing more time for the leavening agents to lift the cake. Learn more about the technique here, then don’t preheat your oven.

    Get This Recipe
  • A New York style cheesecake being served from a cake stand.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano and Stevie Stewart
    10/23

    Original New York Cheesecake

    This classic recipe turns out a remarkably rich, tangy, smooth, and creamy cheesecake. (Looking for more flavor variations? Check out our full collection of cheesecake ideas.)

    Get This Recipe
  • Yellow cake with shredded coconut topping Danish Dream Cake on a cake stand.
    Photo by Peter Cassidy
    11/23

    Danish Dream Cake (Drømmekage)

    This cake has been a favorite since 1965, when a girl won a baking competition with her grandmother’s secret family recipe.

    Get This Recipe
  • 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
    12/23

    Chocolate Mousse

    This rich and silky chocolate mousse recipe is really just two easy recipes—chocolate custard and whipped cream—combined to make one elegant dessert.

    Get This Recipe
  • A classic pecan pie with a forkcrimped edge and glistening pecan halves in a ceramic pie dish with one slice cut out.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
    13/23

    Classic Pecan Pie

    This easy recipe for homemade pecan pie is loaded with nuts and gets a little verve courtesy of orange zest.

    Get This Recipe
  • Brooklyn blackout cake on a white cake stand with a slice removed on a plate.
    Photo by Justin Walker
    14/23

    Ovenly's Brooklyn Blackout Cake

    With smooth chocolate pudding buttercream sandwiched between layers of moist devil’s food cake, the Brooklyn blackout cake is a dessert fit for chocolate lovers.

    Get This Recipe
Read More
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The Complete Epicurious Cake Recipe Finder
The Complete Epicurious Cake Recipe Finder
Explore our cake recipes finder to find the cake that suits your schedule and your cravings. Click on a cake icon and read more!

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You Say Your Cake Stuck Like It's a Bad Thing?
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Stuck, cracked, or broken in half, there's a serving solution for every cake problem.

Joe Sevier

Marcella Hazan’s 3-Ingredient Dessert Ends Any Meal With Style
Marcella Hazan’s 3-Ingredient Dessert Ends Any Meal With Style
Caffeine, booze, ice cream. This dessert has it all.

Anna Hezel

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How to Pack, Store, and Send Holiday Cookies
We talked to some pros about how to keep those holiday cookies as fresh as possible in the weeks after your baking marathons.

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Glazed Apple Pie Fritters
Glazed Apple Pie Fritters
Apple pie in doughnut hole form? We’re in love.
Buckwheat Crepes With Banana-Sesame Jam
Buckwheat Crepes With Banana-Sesame Jam
Practical to make and feels like a total flex.
Green Goddess Harvest Salad
Green Goddess Harvest Salad
So much more affordable than ordering from those fast casual salad chains.
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The Most-Saved Recipes on Bon Appétit This Week
Like crispy gnocchi caprese and raspberry—brown butter skillet cake.
Gooey Butter Cookies
Gooey Butter Cookies
These playful cookies are reminiscent of St. Louis butter cake, with specks of crunchy rice brittle throughout.
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.