A soft sponge with a gooey molten center, chocolate lava cake might be a throwback to the '90s but it's one we want to stick around. At its best, it has a perfectly melty middle and is as rich and extravagant as you want from a showstopper dessert. But it's easy to make errors with chocolate lava cake that make it disappointing. Rather than an oozing center, you can be left with one that has no movement and is basically just sponge cake. Or, maybe you go to turn out your cake only to find it...

Tamales have a reputation for being difficult to make. However, it's not necessarily that they're technically hard to whip up, it's just that they can go awry in various ways. There are mistakes everyone makes with homemade tamales when they're not well-versed in them, but luckily they're easily avoided once you know what to do and what to avoid. Advertisement The trouble is that some of these are small nuances that are easily overlooked by the inexperienced. That's why we spoke to two tamale...

With their flaky exterior and choice of tasty fillings, empanadas are up there with some of the best foods of all time. These little pastries make great snacks, light lunches, or even full dinners if you eat enough of them. But there are some mistakes everyone makes with homemade empanadas that can leave your attempts disappointing. Advertisement You might have your favorite spot to pick them up, but maybe your attempts to make them at home have fallen flat. Even following an authentic...

If you aimed for a perfect Instagram-worthy Yule log and the results were more like something straight out of "Nailed It!," you're not alone. This holiday dessert makes an impressive centerpiece but it isn't easy to pull off. Most first-timers make all kinds of mistakes with Yule logs that can lead to cracks or total collapse. As a recipe developer with experience running a small home bakery, I've made my fair share of these festive faves. However, I also spoke to two experts: Kelly Jacques,...

A gingerbread house is the perfect holiday-season centerpiece. Who wouldn't want to give a cute cottage made of cookies pride of place amid a spread of Christmas desserts? And it seems like they'd be fun to make with your loved ones — until you actually try it and end up bickering over collapsed walls and runny royal icing. It's not an easy feat to pull off and there are all kinds of common mistakes people make with gingerbread houses. We know how tricky it is to pull off the perfect...