When I learned that baking powder wasn’t invented until the late 1840s, I wondered how cakes ― which need some type of leavening agent to produce a fluffy, soft crumb ― used to get made. Ancient Roman ...

Based on a coffee syrup-soaked genoise sponge (thought to have originated in Italy) and layered with coffee buttercream, this French classic is the perfect cake for a celebration. Credit: Alan Benson ...