Janet McCracken

It may look like a giant lunchbox treat, but an ultra-smooth ganache and a final flourish of crunchy sea salt make this one elegant cake.

Be sure to start one day ahead; the tapenade-coated roast needs to chill overnight for the seasonings to penetrate the meat. Serve this showstopper with a no-fuss seasonal side, like <epi:recipelink id="51134530">glazed carrots</epi:recipelink>.

"When I was a little girl, my mom imparted her joy of baking by letting me help with my grandmother's pumpkin pie. It's the perfect starter recipe: Just measure, whisk, and bake. I passed this tradition on to my daughters when they were kids, and they've been in charge of making the Thanksgiving pie ever since." —Janet McCracken, deputy food editor

Inspired by a style of cake from California's Miette bakeries, we frost the top and middle layers of this stunner but leave the sides naked to showcase the almond cake. Don't have a pastry bag or star tip to frost the layers? Fill a resealable plastic bag with the frosting, snip off a corner, and pipe away.

This cake is perfect for beginners—it's moist, forgiving, and easy. Jif creamy peanut butter is our favorite for the decadent frosting.

Forget the boxed version you grew up with. This yellow cake gets a rich dark-chocolate frosting with a touch of tang thanks to sour cream. For the best presentation, it's important to cut the cake layers evenly.

This big, fun cake features layers of sponge cake and mint chocolate chip ice cream blanketed with pale-green whipped cream. It's perfect for a kid's birthday party. We like Baskin-Robbins Mint Chip for its thin chocolate shavings. Make sure to clear space in your freezer.