I tried 8 of Ina Garten's most popular desserts, and the best one was the easiest to make

Garten's tiramisu is featured in her cookbook, "Family Style," and in an early episode of her show, "Barefoot Contessa." 

The Food Network star said she wanted to whip up the classic dessert for her husband, Jeffrey.

"Tiramisu was to the 1990s what Pasta Pesto was to the '80s — it was done, done, and overdone," Garten wrote in her cookbook. "Now that it's not so pervasive, I dragged out my old recipe and rediscovered a dessert that's delicious, can be made in advance, and requires no cooking!" 

To make Garten's tiramisu, which serves eight, you'll need: 

• 6 extra-large egg yolks at room temperature 
• 30 Italian ladyfingers (Garten recommends the brand Savoiardi) 
• 17 ounces of mascarpone cheese 
• 1 ½ cups of brewed espresso 
• ½ cup of good dark rum 
• ¼ cup of sugar 
• Bittersweet chocolate, shaved or grated 
• Confectioners' sugar (optional)

Garten's tiramisu is very quick and easy to put together, which is always a huge plus. But I couldn't find the Savoiardi ladyfingers she recommends at my grocery store, and the American ladyfingers I used were far too fluffy to work well with her recipe. 

I thought the filling tasted lovely, especially with the punch of dark rum. But I still prefer my dad's delicious no-bake chocolate cake, which has a similar flavor but a far better texture thanks to the use of Nilla wafers. 

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's tiramisu here.

This apple spice cake was among the many recipes that Garten developed while working at her Barefoot Contessa store. 

"We used to have all kinds of cakes like this out on the bakery counter, and you could come buy a whole cake, but you could also buy a piece," Garten said in an early episode of her "Barefoot Contessa" show.

"It's not fancy," she added. "Just really delicious and earthy, and you always want to come back for more." 

To make Garten's apple spice cake, you'll need: 

• 1 ½ pounds of Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and ¼-inch diced 
• 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature 
• 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup of chopped pecans 
• 1 cup of golden raisins 
• 1 cup of granulated sugar 
• 1 cup of dark-brown sugar, lightly packed 
• ½ cup of dark rum (Garten recommends Mount Gay) 
• ¾ cup of vegetable oil 
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract 
• 2 teaspoons of grated orange zest (2 oranges) 
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder 
• ½ teaspoon of kosher salt 
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon 
• ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg 
• ½ teaspoon of ground ginger 
• ⅛ teaspoon of ground cloves 
• Vanilla ice cream for serving 
• Caramel sauce for serving 

Garten's apple spice cake is full of delicious fall flavors. The rum-soaked raisins reminded me of caramel, infusing some sweetness to the tart Granny Smith apples. Each bite was filled with the delicious nuttiness of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and I loved the surprising zing of the orange zest. 

The cake wasn't too sweet, so I even enjoyed a few slices at breakfast during the week. But I recommend following Garten's instructions and pairing it with ice cream and caramel for the "perfect dessert." 

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's apple spice cake here.

Garten has many chocolate cakes in her recipe repertoire, but she says this chocolate cake with mocha frosting is a "dessert everyone will remember."  

To make Garten's chocolate cake, which serves 12, you'll need: 

• 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature  
• 2 cups of sugar 
• 1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) of unsalted butter, at room temperature 
• 1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour 
• ⅔ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder 
• ⅔ cup of half-and-half 
• ⅔ cup of hot tap water 
• 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract 
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt 
• 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder 

To make the frosting, you'll need: 

• 12 ounces of bittersweet chocolate 
• 1 ¼ cups of heavy cream 
• 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter (diced), at room temperature 
• 1 tablespoon of Kahlúa
• 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder 
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract 

Garten's chocolate cake with mocha frosting has a fantastic texture that reminded me of her Beatty's Chocolate Cake (more on that soon). The cake is springy and light, and the chocolate flavor is well-balanced thanks to the addition of Kahlúa and espresso. 

But the mocha frosting didn't stand out to me compared with the buttercream in Beatty's Chocolate Cake. Although it was easier to make than the latter dessert and tasted delicious, I didn't find myself craving seconds or thirds as I have with other Barefoot Contessa desserts. 

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's chocolate cake with mocha icing here.

Garten's blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake appears in her most recent cookbook, "Go-To Dinners," where she writes that everyone who makes this recipe "can't believe how easy it is!" 

She also shared the cake on Instagram to celebrate Mother's Day in May 2023.

"For Mother's Day, let mom sleep in while you bake her my Blueberry Ricotta Breakfast Cake," she wrote in the caption. "It's so easy to make — and who wouldn't love cake for breakfast?!!!" 

Garten's cake also got the top spot in my ranking of Barefoot Contessa breakfast recipes.

To make Garten's breakfast cake, which serves eight, you'll need: 

• 2 cups (12 ounces) of fresh blueberries 
• 1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of whole-milk ricotta 
• 1 cup of granulated sugar 
• 10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) of unsalted butter, at room temperature 
• 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature 
• 2 tablespoons of sour cream 
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract 
• 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
• Sifted powdered sugar, for dusting

The sweet blueberries and zingy lemon keep the flavor interesting, and the cake was also extremely easy to whip up in the morning. 

I made the cake for my mom just before Mother's Day, and she was also a fan. 

"This was superb," she declared after trying her first few bites. "I give it a 10/10." 

Garten's recipe is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dinner, and I've loved making it for everyone. 

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake here.

Garten's outrageous brownies were a huge hit at her Barefoot Contessa store, which she ran for 18 years after leaving a job at the White House. 

Garten's brownies are also featured in her first cookbook, "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook." In the recipe description, Garten says her brownies were so popular at Barefoot Contessa that she sold "like a thousand a week." 

To make a serving of 20 (large) brownies, you'll need: 

• 1 pound of unsalted butter
• 1 pound plus 12 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 ounces of bitter chocolate
• 6 extra-large eggs
• 3 cups of chopped walnuts 
• 2 ¼ cups of sugar
• 1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons of instant-coffee granules
• 2 tablespoons of pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Garten's outrageous brownies taste incredible, so I'm not surprised that they used to fly off the shelves of her store. The brownies are decadent and delicious and don't take much time or effort. I love how the walnuts provide some contrast to the rich chocolate — each bite is moist and gooey, with just a bit of satisfying crunch. 

Whenever you need a great dessert to bring to a party or gift a relative or friend, Garten's outrageous brownies are a surefire hit. 

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's outrageous brownies here.

Garten's chocolate chunk blondies, inspired by chocolate chunk cookies, appear in her 2012 cookbook "Foolproof."

"Who doesn't love chocolate chunk cookies?" she writes in the recipe description. "This is the same thing — made into bars."

Garten also notes that chocolate chunks have a "more intense chocolate flavor than chips," and that this recipe delivers "moist, delicious blondies, every time!"

To make Garten's blondies at home, you'll need:

• 1 ¼ pounds of semisweet chocolate chunks
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ pound (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups of chopped walnuts
• 1 cup of light-brown sugar, lightly packed
• ½ cup of granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt

I should note that I opted to skip the walnuts for this recipe and accidentally bought chocolate chips instead of chocolate chunks.

The blondies still came out fantastic, so feel free to use either based on your preference or what's already in your kitchen!

Garten's blondies are so moist and luscious that there's sure to be some chocolate dripping down your fingers. But the mess is worth it for the delicious treat, which had a crispy crust that gave way to a middle so fluffy it reminded me of an extra-soft cookie.

"Three words: chunky, decadent, delicious," my friend Kayla said when I asked for a review.

I also loved that this dessert was as quick as it was cheap. There's no better pick than this when you're looking for a way to impress people without breaking the grocery-store budget.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's blondies here.

Garten actually got the recipe for Beatty's Chocolate Cake from her friend Michael Grimm, who frequently appears on "Barefoot Contessa." 

The cake was named after Grimm's grandmother Beatty, who would bake it for her husband and the customers on his milk deliveries, said Grimm's friend Monte Mathews, who shared the famous cake's origin story on his blog Chewing The Fat. 

To make Beatty's Chocolate Cake, you'll need: 

• 1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour (plus more for pans) 
• 2 cups of sugar 
• 1 cup of freshly brewed hot coffee 
• 1 cup of buttermilk (shaken) 
• ¾ cup of cocoa powder 
• ½ cup of vegetable oil 
• 2 extra-large eggs at room temperature 
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt 
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract 

The chocolate frosting requires: 

• 6 ounces of good semisweet chocolate 
• 2 sticks (½ pound) of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups of powdered sugar (sifted) 
• 1 extra-large egg yolk at room temperature 
• 1 tablespoon of instant coffee granules (such as Nescafé) 
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract 

When I first tested and reviewed Beatty's Chocolate Cake, I wrote that it's "packed with chocolate and still light as air — a true feat." It's deliciously rich yet fluffy and moist, and the buttercream is truly the perfect icing on top with its hint of sweetness. 

Beatty's Chocolate Cake still tastes great days later, making it perfect for leftovers. While it's not the quickest or easiest cake to make, the work was extremely worth it. This is a cake you make for someone you really love. 

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's Beatty's Chocolate Cake here.

Garten previously told Epicurious the mocha chocolate icebox cake was one of her go-to recipes, and was inspired by a "fabulous caterer" friend. 

"I thought it was such a good concept that I was going to do it with something more interesting," she said. "So I took Tate's chocolate-chip cookies, and I added Kahlúa and cocoa powder. I made it into mocha whipped cream and then layered those and put it in the refrigerator, and, oh my God, it makes grown men weep."

To whip up the cake at home, you'll need: 

• 3 (8-ounce) packages of Tate's Bake Shop chocolate-chip cookies
• 12 ounces of Italian mascarpone cheese
• 2 cups of cold heavy cream
• ¼ cup of Kahlúa liqueur
• ½ cup of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• Semisweet chocolate (for the garnish)

If you can't find Tate's Bake Shop at your local supermarket, Garten recommends using another thin, crisp chocolate-chip cookie for the recipe instead. 

Garten's mocha chocolate icebox cake was the first dessert I had made from scratch in a long time, and it's beyond simple and fun to whip up. 

The cake looks extremely impressive, thanks to its 10 layers, which you can easily see in each slice — and tastes even better.

The Tate's cookies give the cake a rich and buttery flavor that will satisfy every sweet tooth, and I loved how the mocha whipped cream paired with the crunch of the chocolate-chip cookies.

This is also one of those cakes that gets better each day it sits in the fridge, which was a delightful treat to look forward to as my family and I finished it all week. 

It might not make a grown man cry, but anyone who tries this cake will be thinking about it for a long time. I know I still am, and I can't wait to make it again and again. 

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's mocha icebox cake here.