James Beard Award–winning dessert columnist Aleksandra Crapanzano has the secret to confidently, casually chucking a cake in the oven while you pour yourself another glass of wine and get back to the table: Make like a French girl. That is, keep it classic, put your trust in a time-tested recipe, and—while you’re totally free to riff—resist the urge to overcomplicate things.

Crapanzano would know: She spent her childhood in Paris,
where she learned that some very good cakes take just five
minutes. And dessert doesn’t have to be flashy to impress.
In her new cookbook, Gâteau, she shares her Rolodex of fantastic French cakes that you won’t spend three days psyching yourself out over—with tips on how to build confidence in the kitchen. (Throw in a bit of lavender here, raspberries tossed in sugar there, a couple tablespoons of Grand Marnier in the buttercream…)