You smell it first--a sweet, smoky whiff of whiskey floating above the slice. Depending on what's around the bar, you'll taste Jameson or maybe Jim Beam, baked into a delicate cake that spends a day in an aluminum foil tomb, marinating in its glaze. More

Torta di Olio d'Oliva ($8) is a memorable yet simple way to end any meal at Maialino. More

The name may be silly, but this is a serious slice of cake. Three golden layers of crème fraiche yellow cake, consistently moist with a dense, even crumb. Not excessively sweet, it's everything you'd want in a simple cake. More

Sharing is good, but sometimes you just want the whole thing for yourself. No worries, it's understandable. There's some inherent satisfaction in being able to devour an entire cake, as opposed to just a wedge, slice, or square. Here, we've rounded up five cakes we love, individual-sized treats where you can eat the whole affair to your satisfaction. More

At La Maison du Chocolat, the Pistache ($8.50) is one of the shop's newest creations. More

You don't need to come for a full meal to have the cake; just drop by the Grill room at off-hours for dessert. The coconut cake is served by the slab with vanilla ice cream. More

At Lulu Cake Boutique, the Red Velvet Twinkie is their most popular confection, but there's no shame in loving them all. Even if it means eating three Twinkie flavors in one sitting to decide which is best. More

Black Hound's Praline Cake ($7.50) is more nut than cake, and a fine afternoon treat to split with a friend. More

At the new O Cafe on the corner of 6th Avenue and 12th Street, the Pao del Mel ($3.50) is one of the few goods baked in-house. More

I'm always on the hunt for new bakeries, especially near Serious Eats World Headquarters, so I'd been eagerly awaiting the opening of Lulu Cake Boutique in Chelsea. And I've made quite a few visits over the last two weeks. More