Fellow cookbook fans know that this time of year can’t be beat as publishers release a tsunami of books hoping to land a spot on kitchen bookshelves and holiday gift lists.

While we’ve been immersed in books on fresh pasta, soups, appetizers and sauces and learning about culinary cultures throughout the world, our sweet tooth has us turning to a trio of new baking books again and again.

Stock up on butter, put on the coffee and sink in to these delicious offerings.

‘Dorie’s Anytime Cakes’

Dorie Greenspan’s “Dorie’s Anytime Cakes” (Harvest, $35) is the award-winning author’s 15th book, one she considers a love letter to simple cakes. The chapters are helpfully categorized by cake type — round, loaf, small cake, etc. — with one dedicated to frostings, fillings and other flourishes that take a cake from simple to splashy when warranted or desired. The expert “getting started” advice ensures novice bakers will be successful, while the more than 100 recipes appeal to bakers of all skill levels and tastes — even those who don’t like sweets. Many of the recipes conjure treasured memories for Greenspan, so be sure to read the notes. In addition to getting a new recipe, you’ll feel like you’re gaining a friend, too. The whimsical photo illustrations from Nancy Pappas are a delight, but if you’re a baker who relies on photos for direction, you won’t always find it.

Recipes to try: Baked-in-a-Skillet Gingerbread (below) and Old-Fashioned Marble Cake, because marble cake is the best of both cake worlds.

‘Celebrate’

Fans of the “Great British Baking Show” know Paul Hollywood, but might forget that the charming judge in the tent is also a world-renowned baker and bestselling author. His latest book is “Celebrate: Joyful Baking All Year Round” (Bloomsbury, $40), and the name is very appropriate. The book has chapters by the season, with cakes and party bakes getting separate billing. In addition to stellar recipes for drip cakes, mojito cupcakes and the like, you’ll also find savory fare like empanadas, gorditas and a sausage braid. But a favorite part of the book is Hollywood’s introduction, where he urges us to celebrate the seasons, celebrate other cultures and celebrate each other. A great lesson, even if there weren’t bakes to accompany it.

Recipes to try: Pear Bakewell Tart (below) and Chocolate Fudge Cake. Everyone should have a go-to chocolate cake recipe, and this can yours.

‘Ready for Dessert, Revised’

David Lebovitz has just released “Ready For Dessert, Revised,” which revisits the pastry chef’s bestselling book from 2010 but with updated recipes, new recipes and stunning new photography (Ten Speed Press, $37.99). The wide-ranging book, with nearly 175 recipes, goes beyond traditional baking and into custards, souffles, candies, preserves and frozen desserts, making it a well-rounded tome for lovers of all things sweet. It, too, has a robust primer, from ingredients to techniques and equipment (he never bakes without a bench scraper in reach). Of course the recipes are the main attraction — we’ve earmarked too many to count — but Lebovitz’s humor, stories and writing style are just as appealing.

Recipes to try: Banana Cake with Mocha Frosting (below) and Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread, a simple cookie that should be mandatory with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Baked-in-a-Skillet Gingerbread

Makes about 12 servings.

A cake made for the holiday season. It looks great in a cast-iron skillet, but it also will bake nicely in a 9-inch springform pan. Watch the baking time; it will need 40 to 45 minutes in the oven — start testing at the 40-minute mark. From “Dorie’s Anytime Cakes” by Dorie Greenspan (Harvest, 2025).

2 c. plus 2 tbsp. (288 g) all-purpose flour

½ c. (68 g) whole wheat flour

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. fine sea salt

¼ tsp. ground cloves or freshly grated nutmeg

⅔ c. (133 g) sugar

⅓ c. (67 g) brown sugar

5 tbsp. (70 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

⅓ c. neutral oil

1 large egg, at room temperature

⅓ c. unsulfured molasses

¾ c. apple butter, plain or spiced

¼ c. full-fat buttermilk, at room temperature

⅓ c. (45 g) finely chopped crystallized ginger (see Cooking Tip)

About 2 tbsp. sanding or turbinado sugar for topping

About 3 tbsp. Swedish pearl sugar for topping (see Cooking Tip)

Directions

Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Coat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with baker’s or cooking spray. If you don’t have a skillet, use a 9-inch springform pan.

Whisk the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cloves together.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the granulated and brown sugars together with the butter at medium speed for about 3 minutes — you’ll have a pasty mixture.

Pour in the oil and beat for another 2 minutes, occasionally scraping the bowl and beaters — the batter will thin out and become creamy. (Don’t wash the measuring cup — use it for the molasses. The oily slick that’s left in the cup will help the molasses slide out easily.) Add the egg and beat for a minute.

With the mixer on low, beat in the molasses, followed by the apple butter and another scraping. Add half the flour mixture and mix until it just disappears into the batter. Blend in the buttermilk, followed by the remainder of the flour mixture.

When they’re almost incorporated, mix in the ginger. You’ll have a thick, fragrant batter. Scrape it into the pan, nudging it into the corners and smoothing the top. Sprinkle over the sanding or turbinado sugar and then top with the pearl sugar, if using.

Bake for 43 to 48 minutes (if you’re using a springform, start checking after 40 minutes), or until the top of the gingerbread is uniformly puffed all the way to the middle, the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan with a gentle tug and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Transfer the skillet to a rack and let the cake cool until it’s just warm or has reached room temperature before cutting.

Cooking tips: Like all dried fruit, crystallized ginger can harden. To soften, soak it in very hot water for a minute, then drain and pat dry. The double sugar is a wonderful touch, but the cake is just as good plain or dusted with powdered sugar just before serving.

Pear Bakewell Tart

Serves 8 to 10.

From “Celebrate: Joyful Baking All Year Round,” by Paul Hollywood, who included this classic British bake in his new book. Traditionally made with cherries, he used pears, which work beautifully with almond frangipane. “It really is a marriage made in heaven,” he said. (Bloomsbury, 2025).

For the pie dough:

1 c. (200 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra to dust

2 tbsp. powdered sugar

7 tbsp. (100 g) chilled unsalted butter, diced

1 large egg

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 to 3 tsp. ice-cold water

For the frangipane:

7 tbsp. (100 g) unsalted butter, softened

½ c. (100 g) superfine sugar (see Cooking Tip)

2 large eggs, at room temperature

⅓ c. plus 1 tbsp. (50 g) all-purpose flour

¾ c. (75 g) almond flour

Drop of almond extract, optional

For assembling:

7 tbsp. (100 g) apricot preserves

1 (15-oz.) can pear halves in juice, drained (6 pear halves needed)

¼ c. (20 g) sliced almonds

Directions

To make the pie dough: Mix the flour and powdered sugar together in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub in using your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the center.

In a small bowl, beat the egg with the lemon juice and 2 teaspoons cold water, then pour into the well and mix into the flour, using a table knife. Bring the dough together using one hand, adding a little more cold water if needed. Gently knead the pie dough into a ball and flatten to a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out the chilled pie dough on a lightly floured surface to ⅛ inch thick and use to line a 9-inch loose-bottomed tart pan, leaving a little excess overhanging the edge.

Line the tart crust with parchment and fill with a layer of pie weights (or uncooked rice). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the pastry is dry to the touch. Remove the paper and weights and return the tart crust to the oven for about 5 minutes, until it is very lightly colored. Using a small, sharp knife, trim away the excess pastry from the edge. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.

To make the frangipane filling: Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the flour, almond flour and almond extract, if using. Put the frangipane into a piping bag fitted with a ¾-inch plain piping tip.

Spread the apricot preserves over the base of the tart crust. Starting in the center, pipe the frangipane on top in a spiral to fill the crust. Slice the pear halves and arrange the slices, overlapping, on the frangipane.

Bake the tart for 10 minutes, then scatter the sliced almonds evenly on top and bake for an additional 15 minutes until golden. Transfer to a wire rack and cool before releasing the tart from the pan. Cut into slices to serve.

Cooking tip: Using superfine sugar gives a smoother texture. Process granulated sugar in a food processor or coffee grinder to get the same results.

Banana Cake with Mocha Frosting and Salted Candied Peanuts

Serves 12 to 16. Makes one two-layer 9-inch cake.

This tall, scrumptious dessert is made by layering moist banana cake with a ganache-like frosting and topping it all off with handfuls of salted candied peanuts. Who can resist that? From “Ready For Dessert, Revised,” by David Lebovitz (Ten Speed Press, 2025).

For the cake:

2 ½ c. (350 g) all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

16 tbsp. (230 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 ½ c. (300 g) sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tbsp. instant espresso or coffee powder

2 large eggs, at room temperature

6 tbsp. (90ml) buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature

2 c. banana purée (3 to 4 very ripe bananas)

1 ¼ c. (125 g) pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

For the candied peanuts:

1 c. (150 g) raw or unsalted lightly roasted peanuts (see Cooking Tip)

½ c. (100 g) sugar

3 tbsp. water

½ tsp. flaky sea salt, such as fleur de sel or Maldon

⅛ tsp. ground cinnamon

For the frosting:

10 oz. (280 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

½ c. strong brewed coffee or espresso

10 tbsp. (140 g) unsalted or salted butter, cubed, at room temperature

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.

To make the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or by hand), beat together the 16 tablespoons butter and 1 ½ cups sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and espresso powder, then beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until completely incorporated. Mix in half of the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk and banana purée. Stir in the remaining flour mixture, then stir in the pecans or walnuts just until combined. Don’t overmix.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and use a spatula to spread it into even layers. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely.

To make the peanuts: In a medium, heavy skillet over medium heat, combine the peanuts, ½ cup sugar and the water. When the sugar begins to liquefy, begin stirring. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the sugar crystallizes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring, letting the crystallized sugar on the bottom melt and brown slightly. Then, use a heatproof spatula to scrape up the liquefied sugar and continuously coat the peanuts with it, tilting the pan to help the sugar coat the nuts evenly.

Once the peanuts are a bit glossy and coated with syrup (there will still be some sugary crystals on them, which is normal), sprinkle the flaky salt and ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon over them. Stir the peanuts a couple of times, then scrape the candied peanuts onto a baking sheet and let cool completely.

To make the frosting: In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the chocolate and coffee. Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and stir occasionally with a whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the 10 tablespoons butter until combined. Let cool at room temperature until thick and spreadable, 10 to 20 minutes.

To assemble the cake: Run a knife around the sides of the cakes to help loosen them from the pans. Invert one cake onto a serving plate and peel off the parchment. Spread about ¾ cup of the mocha frosting over the surface of the cake. Invert the second cake layer, peel off the parchment, and place it over the frosted cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake.

Coarsely chop 1 cup of the candied peanuts and sprinkle them over the top of the cake.

Cooking tips: If you can’t find raw peanuts, use unsalted roasted peanuts that aren’t too darkly roasted. You can also replace the peanuts with untoasted almonds. The recipe makes more candied peanuts than you’ll need — leftovers are great sprinkled over ice cream or just eaten out of hand. You can also use 1 cup store-bought honey-roasted peanuts in lieu of making your own salted candied peanuts.

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