My husband’s service club is doing a dessert auction. People bid on the desserts and often spend well over $100, sometimes as high as $300. So it helps if your dessert is great looking but I am terrible at making layer cakes. I never get them level and have tried all sorts of tricks. I know this is a talented group of people. Please hit me with some dessert ideas!
This is not hard at all, and can be made a day ahead. I’ve made it a dozen times and it turns out exactly the same each time. Everyone loves cheesecake and key limes, right?
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/key-lime-cheesecake-236210
I make Paula Deen’s Whipping Cream Pound Cake for an auction every year. It’s a delicious cake, and I make it in a pretty NordicWare Bundt pan (be sure to grease the pan really well, then you just have to dust it with powdered sugar).
Chocolate Mocha Polka Torte.
1 box of brownie mix
2 cups whipping or heavy cream
3 TBS VERY strong coffee…or 2 TBS instant if you can find it.
4 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Pecans halved
Chocolate to shave.
Get out a set of cake pans. Mix the brownie mix using the cake style ingredients. Divide evenly between two cake pans…and bake until they pull away from the side of the pan…and are done…I’m not sure how long. Regular temp on box.
Let cool for 10 minutes and remove onto wire racks. Let cool completely.
Now,.if you really want to be fancy…you can take a cake knife or thread…and cut each layer in half so you have FOUR layers, But that’s not necessary.
Whip the cream with the coffee and sugar, vanilla.
Put one layer on your nice serving plate…which you will be donating too (head to your favorite resale store).
Cover with a 1/2 of the whipped cream mixture. Put the second layer on…and top with remaining. Put halves of pecans and chocolate shavings on top.
If you do four layers, divide the whipped cream mixture into fourths!
Momofuku Milk Bar Crack Pie
I like the idea of a Bundt cake. Simple and pretty.
I’m thinking a trifle would be spectacular and easy. Here’s a really simple recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/314265/raspberry-trifle
This one looks good too: https://amandascookin.com/traditional-english-trifle/
There are many recipes online.
I find that if the dessert has chocolate frosting on top and fresh raspberries it shows well.
Wow! I think I may have to share some of these with my neighbor whose husband is in the same club. @thumper1 - the coffee is a liquid, correct?
So, you prefer no cakes. And I assume something that can sit out without refrigeration? So whipped cream things would be out.
How about baking up a pan of really decadent brownies than putting it in a nice basket or tray with jars of caramel sauce and hot fudge sauce (either gourmet brands or you can make your own - it’s easy), a jar of cherries (you could go fancy and get the Maker’s Mark ones linked below or some other fancy brand), and a gift certificate to your local ice cream shop. Wrap it up nicely in clear cellophane and a nice ribbon. There’s all kind of extras you could put in depending on how much you want to spend.
If you want something simpler, for an adult audience those rum cakes soaked in the rum/butter syrup are always a big hit.
Yes…make coffee a strong but small liquid. It creates the Mocha part.
If you use instant…add enough water to make a very strong liquid.
Only problem with mine…because of the cream, it’s better not sitting out for a long time…
But it’s a really good recipe!!
Maybe GF would be popular.
http://www.marthastewart.com/1099700/flourless-chocolate-date-cake-salted-caramel-sauce
You could get away with a high quality pre-made caramel sauce. I would use Belle Meade bourbon unless you have something else in the pantry.
No cakes? Fill something like these cups with your favorite mousse and top with some colorful fruit and berries:
https://www.amazon.com/Chocolate-Large-Dessert-Shells-Kosher/dp/B002V8SXXK/
to make something like this:
http://www.homecookingadventure.com/recipes/raspberry-chocolate-cups
Arrange on a tray with some edible flowers… and it will look pretty!
This looks beautiful and the recipe level is described as “easy.” Total time to make it is 54 minutes!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/fresh-fruit-tart-recipe-1916797
I was thinking along the lines of what @doschicos said …have a dessert but spruce up the display of it by providing accompanying items - like she said, or baked in a beautiful baking pan (like a LeCruset) - TJMaxx or Home Goods has some beautiful stoneware at reasonable prices.
Something like a really decadent brownie with assorted toppings would appeal to men, women and people with families - who doesn’t like an awesome brownie?!!
For things like this, visual appeal is very important. People buy with their eyes.
For example, if kids are involved, like a bake sale, put M&Ms on whatever and it sells well. 
For adults, in many crowds, if it has alcohol in it, that’ll help, too.
Think about whether it’ll still look good after sitting out for a few hours.
- Go to grocery store, buy a dessert.
Not fancy enough.
- Go to a locally owned bakery and buy a dessert.
Done.
Go to a NOT locally owned bakery and pass it off as yours. 
I think the Paula Deen tart is the better direction. I’ve done things with puff pastry, yogurt ,lemon curd (comes in a jar!) and pretty fresh fruit. I’m always amused when I get a jillion compliments for what was basically an assembly job. You can throw around some pretty mint leaves too.
If you want something that tastes good - just drown it in chocolate ganache. 
Or you could emulate these guys: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/17/dining/national-pie-championships-baking-doctors.html (JK)
Godiva triple layer dream cheesecake. I’ve made it multiple times and people are impressed. If you can’t find the correct size Godiva bars, ghiradelli is fine also.
http://www.godiva.com/recipes-dream-cake/RecipeArticle15.html
I might have to make multiple items… or at least test them out!
@MaterS - I see problems having the title pronounced