I recall once reading a book where the main character liked to choose unusual sundae toppings. She might have pineapple, butterscotch and whipped cream on top of two scoops of chocolate fudge and blueberry ice cream. Inevitably, the staff would cringe as she ordered, but I couldn't help but wonder if she was on top something. Is there a certain point at which more flavors just taste better? The number of ingredients is probably a matter of personal preference, and the ultimate sundae might even be defined by its price tag, but these are eight of our top sundae combinations and you won't go wrong with any of them:

A classic sundae starts with vanilla ice cream and is topped with hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, chopped nuts and a cherry. Don't forget to put some sauce on the bottom, too!

A peanut butter cup sundae should begin with chocolate ice cream, followed by swirls of softened peanut butter, lots of hot fudge and a topping of crushed Butterfingers, for added texture and crunch.

Strawberry shortcake sundaes are layered affairs, with strawberry and vanilla ice cream sandwiching layers of pound cake pieces, before being topped with strawberry sauce and, of course, whipped cream. A drizzle of butterscotch adds just the right twist. 

A baked Alaska sundae starts with brownie pieces, vanilla ice cream and a meringue topping. Whether you want to set it on fire with a splash of warmed rum is up to you, but browning the topping with a mini kitchen torch is crucial. Marshmallow can be substituted for the meringue, but should still be browned.

A rocky road sundae has a base of rich chocolate ice cream (or actual rocky road, if you have it), a generous amount of marshmallow fluff, fudge sauce and toasted nuts. If the nuts are lightly salted, the contrast is even better.

A coffee sundae consists of coffee ice cream, chocolate ice cream and crushed chocolate covered espresso beans and is topped with shots of espresso and/or Kahlua. Fudge on the bottom and whipped cream on top are crucial to this sundae.

Banana splits are often considered to be in a category of their own, apart from sundaes, because they aren't served in sundae cups. To make it into a real sundae, use Neapolitan ice cream instead of individual scoops of flavors, and layer them with strawberry sauce, hot fudge, whipped cream, nuts, sprinkles and a cherry. Devoted banana split fans might want to add crushed pineapple into the mix, too.

Peach and apple pies, summer favorites, can be transformed easily into sundaes by layering vanilla ice cream with warm pie fillings (or warm pie, if you have it) and a generous topping of warm caramel sauce.