Even though the recipe is named Buttermilk Brownies, this is actually the best chocolate sheet cake recipe ever created. The recipe used to be called Texas Sheet Cake and the secret is buttermilk which not only makes the cake more tender, the tiny bit of sourness it adds makes the chocolate taste much more chocolatey. It’s the kind of cake that everyone loves: moist, has just the right amount of frosting, and easy to make.

We give an alt for the buttermilk, but really, spend the extra dollar or so for real buttermilk, the flavor is much better (and you can use the leftover buttermilk for homemade Buttermilk Pancakes on the weekend, which, if you’ve never made them, are also life-changingly wonderful).

—Richard Swearinger

The strawberries we’re getting in grocery stores right now are at an interesting stage, lots of berry flavor and great pucker, but not as sweet as they’ll be later in the season. The best way to enjoy them is to cook them a little—I created this 5-ingredient Strawberry Souffle to be as foolproof and delicious as I know how. The only trick: don’t be too conscientious when you  fold strawberries and egg whites together; undermixing is better than over, in this case.

—Richard Swearinger