Holiday table baked goods

You have enough to do, cooking your holiday entree and side dishes. Let someone else help with the baked goods.

Persian-inspired carrot cake

Sisters Nela and Zara Salehi of Atlanta-based Shirini Bakery offer sweet treats that reflect their Iranian-american heritage; they’re made from recipes inspired by their father’s baking. We started with shirin cake (“shirin” translates to “sweet” in Farsi), which goes far beyond the traditional carrot cake. The moist layers include sliced almonds, golden raisins and dried barberries, along with the carrots, and the cream cheese frosting is topped with thin strips of candied carrots. Barberries are one of the surprises here; a bit tart, they are more commonly used in savory dishes. Truly, this is the best carrot cake ever. We couldn’t look at their offerings without ordering a few others, such as the macaroons, which come in the classic almond and coconut flavors, but also cinnamon apple and matcha. We also enjoyed puff pastry sticks dusted with powdered sugar, as well as Persian rice cookies, made of rice flour, flavored with rosewater and topped with poppy seeds. Also, the pistachio cupcakes are amazing.

$14 per 6-inch cake. Order online for delivery, or for pickup at Prep Atlanta. shirinibakery.com.

Vegan cheesecake

Yes, there is such a thing as vegan cheesecake, and when you serve one from Raven Mcgrew of Atlanta-based Madame Gypsy’s Bakery, we can promise you it will be as decadent as any dairy cheesecake. Mcgrew makes her cheesecakes using cashews and coconut as the base, then her imagination runs wild. We sampled several flavors, including the seasonal sweet potato silk cheesecake — perfect for your holiday table. If you’re willing to go with chocolate, Mcgrew offers several options, including the Turtle (vanilla cheesecake with caramel and chocolate ganache, salted pecans and chocolate buttercream) and the Queen of Cups (peanut butter cheesecake topped with homemade peanut butter cups, chocolate ganache and peanut butter buttercream). Mcgrew bakes vegan pastries, too. Gluten-free options are available on request. $65-$70 per 9-inch cheesecake, which serves 10. Order at madamegypsys.com — three days’ notice for pickup or four days’ notice for delivery.

Yeast rolls

“Eat well. Do good. Change lives.” That is the motto of Atlanta nonprofit Just Bakery. The bakers are resettled refugees who receive job training, professional certification and a living wage while making a range of delicious baked goods. Order yeast rolls that need just 20 minutes to emerge hot and fragrant, as well as readyto-serve pumpkin pecan bread, pumpkin cheesecake (both regular and gluten-free), and two varieties of pie: apple and black bottom butterscotch pecan. All are available for pickup Friday through Wednesday in Decatur, Dunwoody and Tucker, or can be delivered for a $5 fee. Just Bakery also is baking its regular assortment of breads, including rosemary and sea salt focaccia. Other treats include jeera biscuits and cheesy garlic bread sticks. $12 per dozen yeast rolls, $30 for pies or regular cheesecake, $35 for gluten-free cheesecake, $5.50 for vegan petite pumpkin pecan bread. Order at justbakeryatl.org.