Our Best Fancy Dessert Recipes
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If you need a fancy dessert recipe for a special occasion, we’ve got you covered. Even though these dessert recipes are sure to impress your guests, we’ve snuck in a few shortcuts to help make serving them up a little easier. There’s cakes on this list that start with boxed cake mix, ganaches that come together in the microwave, and even recipes that only require 30 minutes (or less) of hands-on time in the kitchen. With recipes this easy, you can whip up these fancy desserts for your family any day of the week.
Read on for our best fancy dessert recipes that are sure to wow any crowd.
Although this cake is pretty enough to serve at a special occasion, it actually starts with a boxed cake mix so it requires just 30 minutes of hands-on time to pull together.
This decadent recipe transforms the flavors of chocolate covered strawberries into a pretty cheesecake. Plus, the layer of chocolate ganache actually comes together in the microwave.
Layers of peaches, whipped cream, and vanilla cake come together in a trifle dish to create a beautiful centerpiece that’s also delicious.
Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
These lava cakes come together from start to finish in just 35 minutes.
The Hummingbird Cake is a classic layer cake that features three moist cake layers that are packed with pineapples and bananas. The layers are then covered with a cream cheese frosting and finished off with toasted pecans.
Freeze-dried raspberries give homemade meringue a pretty pink hue.
This recipe transforms a sheet cake into miniature cakes so every guest has their own dessert.
Citrus and sugared berries not only give this cake a beautiful finish but add plenty of flavor in the cake layers and in the icing as well.
For the best meringue, make sure your egg whites are at room temperature before you add them to the mixture.
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop styling: Lydia Pursell
Serving bourbon balls on top of a chocolate tart gives them an impressive presentation.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos
Not only does this pavlova cake come together with just 9 ingredients, but it’s also dairy- and gluten-free.
This apple tart is almost too pretty to eat.
You may be surprised to learn that this decadent cake comes together using just 9 ingredients, boxed cake mix being one of them.
Baked meringue serves at the crust for this cheerful pie that was originally published in The Junior League of Tampa’s cookbook in 1961.
Edible flowers such as violas, tuberous begonias, English daisies, or pansies instantly transform mini cakes into party-worthy desserts.
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Sugared Cranberries and Whipped Crème Fraîche are just the embellishments transparent pie needs to give it an elegant finish.
Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
No baking is required to pull together this ice cream cake, just make sure to allow plenty of time for freezing.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Trust us, this homemade cheesecake is worth the extra effort.
This cake will fool your family into thinking you spent all afternoon preparing it, when in reality you’ll need just 20 minutes of hands-on time.
Both the chocolate mousse and white chocolate mousse for these brownie stacks come together in the microwave. Plus, they can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
