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6. Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins. Bake until the cakes rise and then crack on top, and are gooey inside, 10 to 12 minutes.

7. Let cool slightly, then unmold onto individual plates. Garnish with mint and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

mom’s carrot cake

The carrots we grew were so sweet and delicious that we’d often go out to the garden, pull them one by one out of the ground, and bite right into them, with nothing more than a cursory wipe on our jeans on their journey from ground to mouth. An abundant crop would mean Mom would bake this divinely moist cake, which gave us the best reason ever to pray for a good harvest.

MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon table salt

1½ cups vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups peeled and coarsely grated carrots (from about 6 medium carrots)

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup chopped pecans, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.

2. Into a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt three times. Set aside.

3. In the work bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the oil and sugar until well blended. Add the eggs and beat until well combined. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Add the carrots gradually, in small amounts, folding gently after each addition.

4. Pour into the prepared pans and bake until the cakes are lightly browned on top or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

5. Let the cake layers cool in the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around the outside and turn out onto racks. Flip them over to completely cool right-side up on the racks. If not assembling right away, cover the layers in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 1 day.

6. When ready to fill and frost the cake, hold a serrated knife horizontally and use a gentle sawing motion to shave the domed top off each layer. Fill and frost the cake with cream cheese frosting, using a crumb coat if you have time. Top with pecans.

7. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

apple-spice layer cake with orange buttercream

I found this recipe in one of my aunt’s cookbooks that is old enough to have seemed old when my aunt herself was a child. It’s a great way to celebrate any event in autumn—or to celebrate autumn itself! Layers of spice-infused, walnut-studded apple cake hide an orange-flavored cream cheese filling and are covered with silky orange buttercream.

MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

FOR THE CAKE

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon table salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1¾ cups sugar

3 large eggs

2 cups peeled, cored, and grated apples (from about 2 large apples)

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup milk

1 cup chopped walnuts

FOR THE ORANGE BUTTERCREAM FILLING AND FROSTING

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1½ pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted

¼ cup fresh orange juice

4 teaspoons grated orange rind

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of table salt

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature

FOR THE GARNISH (optional)

1 cup walnut halves

1 apple, thinly sliced

Juice of 1 lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom of three 8-inch cake pans. Line the pans with wax or parchment paper and grease the paper.

2. Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at