True story: I once spent twelve hours constructing an edible cake tableaux of the pyramids at Giza for my son's fourth birthday party. As impressive as it was delicious, this fleeting food masterpiece of buttery yellow cake and chocolate butter cream was made from scratch with all the love and pride I could muster for the little guy. After the party, my son informed me that while flattered by my effort, next year he'd prefer a store-bought cake with fluorescent green frosting and a plastic race car on top, thank you very much.

Perhaps I was ahead of my time, because old-fashioned cake is the new comfort dessert. Emerging from the birthday ghetto, the moist, creamy crumbs of yesteryear in flavors like chiffon, red velvet and black forest are showing up with increasing frequency - and buttercream is the new ganache. With a little star power from TV bakers like The Ace of Cakes or The Cake Boss, they're ready for their close-up.

Made from scratch, fresh from the bakery or even bought at the grocery store, here are some top picks for having your cake ... and being able to eat it, too. Fresh by Lisa Hemenway: Lisa's top seller, she says, is always her carrot cake made with pineapple, fresh carrots and walnuts. "The cream cheese frosting isn't too sweet or dense, and guys just love it," she said.

Also available by the slice or whole: The "ladies'" lemon gateau, a lemon chiffon cake with lemon curd and whipped cream frosting, and Chocolate Victorian, a chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and frosted with a chocolate glaze.