While you may leave the complicated cutting to professional bakers, there's a technique that makes serving ... your guide to ...

Left: Partially Naked Vanilla Cake with kumquats and oranges, $7 per serving, by Alana Jones-Mann. Right: Vanilla Sponge Cake with fresh strawberries, $75 per nine-inch cake, by Lady M Confections.

Then, return the cake to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Step 5. I recommend serving the finished cake while it's still warm, which allows the chocolate to remain slightly melted. There you ...