5 no-fail baking recipes that turn out perfect every time

Mille-feuille is a classic French dessert that isn’t typically known for being easy to execute. Its literal translation is “thousand sheets” — and any recipe that involves thousands of anything doesn’t sound like a walk in the park. Luckily, this “cheater’s” mille-feuille is guaranteed to impress even the most discerning dinner guests, and no one ever has to know your secret: frozen puff pastry.

To prepare this delicate dish, you just need a large baking sheet and a hand mixer. Once your store-bought puff pastry is baked and golden brown, simply beat the cream and custard and assemble. Yes, it really is that easy.

For beginner bakers, there’s nothing easier than a traditional apple crisp. That’s because there’s no dough or batter associated with this crowd-pleaser. Despite its simplicity, apple crisp is always a welcome addition to any dessert table.

The two most important tools for making this fall favourite are a baking dish and a pastry cutter. This old-fashioned apple crisp recipe calls for an 8” dish; the PADERNO Signature Ceramic Bakeware Set includes four sizes that all promote even heat distribution and can be used as serving dishes as well.

A pastry cutter is another handy tool if you plan on making pies or desserts that require pastry dough. Here, it’s used to cut in cold butter to make a delicious streusel topping. We recommend the T-Fal Stainless Pastry Blender, as its heavy-duty blades resist warping and bending.

There’s something about winter that triggers a desire for baked goods infused with familiar seasonal spices. Enter Greece’s most prized holiday cookie: melomakarona. Soaked in a fragrant honey mixture, these soft cookies are beyond flavourful thanks to notes of orange, cognac, cinnamon and cloves.

While melomakarona requires more ingredients than your standard cookie recipe, it’s also quite easy to assemble. You won’t even need a stand mixer as the instructions call for kneading the dough by hand so you don’t overwork it. You’ll need basic mixing bowls for this recipe, and we always recommend a silicone baking sheet when making cookies. The best-selling MASTER Chef Silicone Baking Sheet guarantees you’ll never have to scrape off — and ruin — another batch that accidentally stuck to your baking tray. The T-Fal Zester is another great kitchen tool to have on hand; use it to grate fresh orange zest here.

Is there a dessert that’s risen to prominence faster than Japanese cheesecake? We think not. The impossibly pillowy dessert may look like a challenge but it’s surprisingly easy to make. All you’ll need for this three-ingredient Japanese cheesecake is a stand mixer and a round cake pan. If you plan on pursuing baking as a regular hobby, a stand mixer is a worthy investment. The 5.5-quart Cuisinart Stand Mixer is a great size for a standard kitchen and is extremely versatile.

The most difficult part of this cheesecake recipe is separating the egg yolks and the egg whites. To get that light-as-a-feather soufflé texture, you’ll need to beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Just be careful not to allow any of the fatty yolks to seep into the egg whites or you won’t get the desired results.

For a dessert that is so widely adored, tiramisu is pretty darn easy to make. You don’t even have to turn on an oven for this classic Italian favourite. What you will need is your handy stand mixer to whip the mascarpone filling, plus a baking dish to serve the finished product in.

The real secret to a standout tiramisu is quality ingredients — so don’t compromise on flavourful ladyfingers, good mascarpone and fresh espresso. And since the main flavour profile in tiramisu is coffee, you’ll want to brew the best espresso you can muster. The MASTER Chef Espresso Maker is an inexpensive option for making a great-tasting stovetop espresso that will permeate through this light but seriously decadent dessert.