For extra-tall cakes with real visual appeal, reach for the parchment paper and use an easy trick to keep things together ...

Ben Cullen, aka “The Bake King,” recently made a 3-foot-tall cake of the character Maui from “Moana.” (Courtesy: The Bake King) Check out more news from around Hawaii.

For the London-based pastry chef and writer Nicola Lamb, 32, it’s the silky texture of chiffon that appeals most. “There was a time when crunchy bits in cake were popular,” she says.

To Prepare Outer Cake Layer: 1. Preheat the oven to 300F. 2. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate, butter, vanilla, and salt over a double boiler. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. 3. Separate ...