Sernik is a cheesecake from Poland, stemming from old Christian and Jewish traditions. It is made with eggs, sugar, and twaróg - a type of curd cheese that has been used in desserts for hundreds of years. It is believed that sernik originated in the 17th century, when King Jan III Sobieski brought the recipe with him after his victory against the Turks at the Battle of Vienna.

Today, there are many varieties of sernik, some baked, some unbaked, but it is usually made on a layer of crumbly cake. Often times raisins, chocolate sauce, or fruits are also added to sernik, and one of the most popular varieties of the dessert has a sponge cake as its base and is covered with jelly and fruit on top. 

One of the most popular Swedish desserts is a rich chocolate cake known as kladdkaka. This classic Swedish creation combines eggs, cocoa (or chocolate), butter, sugar, and flour into a dense and luscious dessert. During baking, the cake should always remain moist in the center, while the outer layer is transformed into a thin, crunchy coating.

Since the cake is incredibly dense, and typically heavy on the bitter chocolate or cocoa, it is usually dusted with a delicate layer of powdered sugar, and traditionally served with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream on the side. It is one the most beloved Swedish desserts, typically enjoyed during fika, a traditional Swedish coffee break.

Also known as vdolek, pecák or lopaták, Valašský frgál is a traditionally made, round-shaped sweet cake with toppings, produced in the Moravian Wallachia region in the south-eastern part of the Czech Republic.

The cake has a diameter of about 30 centimetres and is golden in color when fully baked. On the surface, there is a crumble that can be additionally sprinkled with sugar, cinnamon, and gingerbread crumbs, or drizzled with butter. Nearly half of the finished product (42-48%) consists of the topping, which can be made from dried pears (the most popular variety), jam, fruits, curd cheese, poppy seeds, walnuts, cabbage, kohlrabi, or carrots. 

Medovik is a popular Russian layered honey cake consisting of honey-infused, almost biscuit-like sponges that are coated with thin layers of cream. Although there are numerous variations of the cake, the custard is usually prepared with whipped cream or various combinations of condensed milk and butter.

It is believed that the cake first appeared in the 1820s and was initially created for the wife of Alexander I of Russia. The addition of condensed milk probably originates from the Soviet era, while modern variations may include berries or even chocolate. 

Torta Caprese is a dark chocolate cake made without any flour. This specialty of the Italian island of Capri consists of dark chocolate, eggs, sugar, almonds, and butter. It is characterized by its dense chocolate texture and a layer of powdered sugar on top.

The cake is often garnished with halved strawberries or raspberries, while the restaurant versions are often served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Although the origins of torta Caprese are quite murky, many believe that it was invented by mistake, when a cook left out the flour from a recipe. 

Pão de Ló de Ovar may be the most famous Portuguese cake, dating back to the 18th century when it was made in convents by nuns. The earliest written evidence about this sponge cake dates back to 1781, in a book called Irmandade dos Passos, where it is said that pão de Ló de Ovar was a sweet offered to the priests who took the wooden framework to carry the statues in the Holy Week procession.

This creamy sponge cake is traditionally made from eggs, sugar, and flour, and today, it is often seen at most food fairs in Portugal. The cake is popular throughout the country, not just in the municipality of Ovar, where it is traditionally produced.

Ferrara's pastry chefs created torta tenerina in the early 1900s to honor Elena Petrovich, the queen of Montenegro and the wife of the Italian King Vittorio Emanuele III. The name of this Italian classic translates to tender cake, and with only five ingredients - chocolate, butter, eggs, sugar, and cornstarch, this flourless dessert truly lives up to its name.

Torta tenerina has a light, meringue-like crust that holds its rich, yet incredibly light and tender chocolate heart. This traditional treat is found in almost every patisserie in Ferrara, but it is also equally popular throughout the country.

A signature specialty of the Krönner Confectionery and Café, Agnes Bernauer torte is a Bavarian almond meringue layer cake filled with coffee buttercream. The cake is comprised of several light and airy almond meringue discs that are layered with coffee buttercream filling and roasted almond flakes, then finished off with a thin layer of cream coating and some more roasted almonds on top.

This original delicacy was created to honor a young lady called Agnes Bernauer, Duke Albert III of Bavaria’s beloved one, who was condemned to death by drowning in the Danube River by Albert’s father, Duke Ernst. Apart from this special dessert, the tragic history of Agnes Bernauer had also been the inspiration of renowned Friedrich Hebbel’s eponymous tragedy, as well as Carl Orff’s folk musical Die Bernauerin. 

New York-style cheesecake is different from other cheesecakes mainly because of its heavy and dense texture that feels extremely smooth and rich. Its flavor should be sweet and tangy, not citrusy, chewy, or starchy. It is believed that the first New York-style cheesecake was made by Junior’s in the 1950s.

The magic formula includes heavy cream, eggs, vanilla, cream cheese, and (optionally) sour cream, while the base usually consists of a sponge cake crust or graham cracker crust.