Preheat the oven to 350°.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment.

In a food processor, grind the slivered almonds, sugar, flour, and salt until fine, 10 to 15 seconds.

Add the egg white and extract.

Blend until well mixed, 6 to 8 seconds.

The dough will be a bit sticky.

Roll the dough into 16 balls about 1-inch in diameter, and arrange about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

Slightly flatten the balls.

Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar.

Press 1 almond into the top of each cookie.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes, or until pale golden.

Transfer to a rack.

Cool completely.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Grease a cookie sheet.

Put the nuts and sugar into a food processor and blend until fine, 10 to 15 seconds.

Add the baking powder, bread crumbs, and cinnamon.

Process 5 seconds.

Add the egg and process to form a paste, about 5 seconds.

Roll walnut-size pieces of dough into thin rope shapes, then shape into crescents and put on the cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.

Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Transfer to a rack.

Cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Grease a cupcake pan, or line with paper cups.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Reserve.

Put the butter and sugar in a food processor and process until creamy, 10 to 15 seconds.

Add the egg and process until fluffy, about 15 seconds.

Add the milk and vanilla.

Process until smooth, 8 to 10 seconds.

Add the dry ingredients and pulse 4 to 6 times until just combined.

Fill 12 muffin cups about 2⁄3 full.

Bake until raised and golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the highest cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Transfer to a rack to cool

Preheat the oven to 325°.

Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan and dust with flour.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, mix the pineapple, egg, and vanilla.

Add to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until dark golden brown on top and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven to a rack and cool completely in the pan.

Cut the cake into squares and serve directly from the pan.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment or wax paper.

Grease the paper and the pan sides.

Put the butter and sugar in a food processor and process until soft and fluffy, about 20 seconds.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the eggs and process about 10 seconds.

Add the milk, vanilla, and cheese.

Process about 5 seconds.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.

Add to the processor and pulse 6 to 8 times to blend.

With a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan and level the top.

Bake about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and the center springs back when touched lightly with your fingers.

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack about 8 minutes.

Remove from the pan and cool completely.

Preheat oven to 325°.

Grease a 9- × 13-inch glass baking dish.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour and baking powder.

In a large bowl, with an electric beater or mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff.

Continue beating and gradually add the sugar until the sugar dissolves and the whites are thick and shiny.

Gradually beat in the yolks and vanilla.

Beat on low speed 3 minutes.

Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk until the batter is smooth.

Turn the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven 40 to 45 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the pan on a rack to lukewarm, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce.

In a deep bowl, thoroughly whisk all of the ingredients together.

When the cake is cooled a bit, prick the top of the cake all over with a skewer and gradually spoon the sauce over the cake and leave it to soak 30 to 40 minutes.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Just before serving prepare whipped cream, if using.

Cut the cake in squares and serve cold, topped with Sweetened Whipped Cream, if using.

Dust lightly with cinnamon, if desired.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Put the egg whites in a large mixing bowl.

Put the egg yolks in a small bowl.

In a separate medium bowl mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.

With an electric beater or mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy and white.

Add ¼ cup of the sugar.

And beat until shiny and soft peaks form.

With the same beater, in a separate bowl beat the yolks with the remaining sugar until thick, pale yellow, and fluffy.

Add the yolks to the beaten whites, and using low speed, blend 5 seconds.

With a rubber spatula, in 3 additions, fold the flour mixture carefully into the egg mixture.

Drizzle the melted butter and vanilla over the batter, and stir gently to blend ingredients into a smooth batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown on top, and a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

When done, remove the cake from the oven, and let stand in the pan on a rack 5 minutes.

(Don’t cool cake.

) Meanwhile, prepare the rum syrup.

In a medium pan, stir together the sugar and water.

Bring to a boil, stirring, to dissolve the sugar; then reduce heat to low and simmer 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the rum.

Gradually spoon the hot rum syrup over the hot cake until it is all absorbed.

Cool at least 1 hour before serving.

Cut the cake in wedges while in the pan and serve at room temperature or cold.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Grease the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

Line the bottom with a circle of parchment or wax paper.

Grease the paper and the sides of the pan.

Dust with flour and tap out excess.

In a food processor, grind the almonds with the sugar to a fine, mealy consistency.

Add the flour, baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt.

Pulse 6 to 8 times to mix.

With an electric mixer beat the egg whites until foamy.

Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and continue beating to stiff peaks.

Beat in the egg yolks, 1 at a time on low speed, until the yolks are incorporated.

Fold in the reserved almond mixture.

Gently stir in the rum and vanilla.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack about 5 minutes.

(The cake will sink a little as it cools.

) Remove the ring from the pan and remove the paper from the bottom.

Transfer the cake to a serving plate.

Shortly before serving, dust the cake lightly with confectioners’ sugar.

Cut into wedges and serve.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Grease the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan.

Line bottom with a circle of parchment or waxed paper.

Grease the bottom and sides of the pan.

Put pecans in the food processor and with brief pulses process until finely ground.

(It will yield about 1 cup.

)

Transfer the nuts to a medium bowl and thoroughly mix with the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.

Reserve.

Wipe out the food processor with a paper towel.

Process the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 15 seconds.

Scrape down sides of bowl.

Add eggs and process about 10 seconds.

Add milk and process about 5 seconds.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the reserved flour and nut mixture.

Pulse 10 to 12 times, or until blended to a smooth batter.

Do not overmix.

Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Meanwhile, prepare the syrup.

In a small saucepan, boil sugar and water about 1 minute.

Stir in honey and lemon juice.

Reserve.

When cake is done, cool cake in the pan on a rack 5 minutes.

Then invert onto the rack.

Remove liner.

Invert cake again right-side up onto a plate and spoon syrup gradually over the warm cake.

(The syrup will be absorbed into the cake.

) Allow to sit about 30 minutes before serving to allow absorption; serve at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Grease an 8- × 11-inch glass baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mash the bananas.

Add the milk, sugar, corn syrup, oil, and vanilla.

Mix very well.

Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and stir gently with a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Do not overmix.

Turn the batter into the prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle the nuts evenly over the top.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a rack about 30 minutes.