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avocado crema in a grey bowl

June 16, 2025 Blog

Avocado Crema

This avocado crema is my go-to for steak salad dressing, tacos, nachos, and more. It's so versatile and has the perfect amount of spice and zip. Best part? It only takes 10 minutes to make! Just blend it all together and go!

Since I've been keto again, I've been looking for ways to add fat to my salads and this is the perfect way. The sour cream, mayonnaise, and avocado add much needed fat to my steak salads or steak tacos to make this the perfect keto salad dressing.

What's In This Blog Post

  • Ingredients
  • How To Make The Dressing

Ingredients

Because I follow the keto diet and my boyfriend does carnivore(ish), we like to keep our ingredients pretty clean with no sugar. We also stay away from seed oils so I like to use avocado mayo from primal kitchen or you can make your own mayo.

I prefer to use sour cream for my crema but some recipes call for greek yogurt which also works really well!

Depending on how big your avocado is, you might want to thin your avocado crema out with some extra lime juice, milk, or water.

How To Make The Dressing

This recipe could not be easier. Just add all your ingredients to the blender and you're done! You can adjust the spice level to your preference. I like a little spice myself!

If your crema is too thick you can add in more lime juice, milk or water to thin it out. I usually add more lime juice because I love that zesty kick!

I'm using my ninja blender to make my dressing because it chops everything up super fine and makes this cilantro lime dressing ULTRA creamy but any kind of blender will do. Heck, you can even mix by hand if you needed to. Just chop up the cilantro and garlic first and add it in with everything else and mix.

Recipe

avocado crema in a grey bowl
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Cilantro Lime Dressing

Creamy cilantro lime dressing with avocado and just hte perfect amount of spice!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Total Time10 minutes mins
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 ounces
Calories: 54kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise I prefer avocado mayonaise
  • ¼ cup lime juice about 2 limes
  • ¼ cup cilantro
  • 3 whole garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 whole ripe avocado optional
  • ½ teaspoon chili pepper flake optional

Instructions

  • Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor
  • Blend until combined

Notes

If your dressing is too thick, you can add heavy cream, water or more lime juice to make it more fluid.

Nutrition

Serving: 2ounces | Calories: 54kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 113IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.1mg
close up of sausage gravy on biscuits

May 15, 2025 Breakfast

Keto Sausage Gravy

I LOVE this keto sausage gravy because it's just my regular sausage gravy, but without any flour as a thickener. It's perfect over my keto biscuits. Or if you're not into keto, this still goes perfectly with my flaky buttermilk biscuits!

The first time I made this keto sausage gravy for my partner, he was blown away. He couldn't believe it was keto. I really think it's the spices that take this gravy over the top. And if you're not keto? Well, I still think you will love this recipe. My kids sure do!

What's In This Blog Post

  • Ingredients
  • How To Make The Sausage Gravy
  • FAQ
  • Other Recipes You Might Love

Ingredients

The secret to this thick and creamy sausage gravy is the cream cheese. The perfect ingredient (in my opinion) to thicken and cream a sauce with no added carbs.

If you don't have any cream cheese on hand, you can always thicken your gravy with some tapioca flour or arrowroot powder. Two common ingredients used in keto recipes for thickening.

I'm using oregano, sage, and thyme for my spices, but you can really use anything you like. Fresh or dried also works.

How To Make The Sausage Gravy

close up of cooking sausage with spices
  1. Preheat a medium frying pan over medium heat.
  2. Once the pan is hot, add some avocado oil to the pan.
  3. Add your sausage with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili flakes, onion powder, thyme, sage, and oregano.
  4. Brown your breakfast sausage and break it up into pieces with your spatula as it cooks.
  5. Once your sausage is done cooking, add in the cream and the cream cheese in small pieces.
  6. Bring the mixture to a simmer and whisk gently to break up the cream cheese.
  7. The gravy will thicken as it cools.
  8. Serve the gravy over my fluffy keto biscuit recipe and top with fresh green onions.

FAQ

Can you eat almond flour on keto?

Yes! Almond flour is low in carbs and high in healthy fats. It's a popular substitute for traditional flour in baking and cooking, allowing keto dieters to enjoy many baked goods and dishes

What are other ways to thicken gravy without flour

You can make a rich, thick gravy that's keto by using flour alternatives such as coconut flour, almond flour, flaxseed meal, and sunflower seed flour, xanthan gum, heavy cream, sour cream, or cream cheese.

Other Recipes You Might Love

Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
bacon cheddar biscuits on parchment paper on metal pan
Cheddar Chive Biscuits
closeup of strawberry shortcake on blue plate
Strawberry Shortcake
gluten free cake
Gluten Free Vanilla Cake
close up of pink macarons
French Macarons

Recipe

close up of sausage gravy on biscuits
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Keto Sausage Gravy

Thick and flavorful sausage gravy that's low carb and keto! Pairs perfectly with my keto biscuits.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time12 minutes mins
Total Time17 minutes mins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 cups
Calories: 1011kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

  • 1 pound breakfast sausage
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¾ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon sage
  • ½ teaspoon chili flake optional
  • 2 ½ cups heavy cream
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat a medium frying pan over medium heat.
  • Once the pan is hot, add some avocado oil to the pan.
  • Add your sausage to the pan with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili flakes, onion powder, thyme, sage, and oregano.
  • Brown your breakfast sausage and break it up into pieces with your spatula as it cooks.
  • Once your sausage is done cooking, add in the cream and the cream cheese in small pieces.
  • Bring the mixture to a simmer and whisk gently to break up the cream cheese.
  • The gravy will thicken as it cools. Serve the gravy over my fluffy keto biscuit recipe!

Video

https://youtu.be/RYxcBOAYslg

Notes

No cream cheese? You can use other things to thicken the gravy like xantham gum or arrowroot powder! 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 1011kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 100g | Saturated Fat: 52g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 33g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 286mg | Sodium: 1459mg | Potassium: 486mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2825IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 2mg
close up of keto biscuits on a plate

May 3, 2025 Recipe

Fluffy Keto Biscuits

These keto biscuits are my go-to for making biscuits and gravy. They are light, fluffy, gluten-free, and only take 12 minutes to bake. Even my kids prefer them over traditional biscuits!

You won't believe how soft and fluffy these keto biscuits are! They have an amazingly soft texture and flavor. Perfect for sweet or savory meals.

What's In This Blog Post

  • Ingredients
  • How To Make Keto Biscuits

Ingredients

There are no special ingredients in this recipe except maybe the almond flour but if you're into making more keto recipes, you will see that almond flour is very common.

Superfine almond flour is what I prefer for baking.

Mozzarella cheese is commonly used in keto baking to bind things together and create a good structure. I like to get the big bags from Costco because we also use a lot of mozzarella cheese in keto baking.

Eggs are used to add moisture and structure.

How To Make Keto Biscuits

Making these biscuits could not be easier. It's the perfect breakfast for a lazy weekend.

  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF
  2. Combine the almond flour, mozzarella, baking powder, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl.
  3. Add in the softened butter and work it into the dry ingredients with your hands until you create a crumbly mixture.close up of keto biscuit mix
  4. Add in the eggs and whisk vigorously with a fork to combine everything together. The dough will look lumpy and wet.close up of keto biscuit dough
  5. Grease your muffin tins with some butter.
  6. Place two heaping tablespoons of batter into the muffin tin.keto biscuit dough in a muffin pan
  7. Bake the biscuits for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown on top.
  8. Remove the biscuits from the oven and brush them with more melted butter if you prefer.
  9. Enjoy!

Recipe

close up of keto biscuits on a plate
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Keto Biscuits

Keto biscuits made with almond flour, mozzerella cheese, and eggs make biscuits so delicious, no one will even know they are gluten free and low carb!
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time12 minutes mins
Total Time17 minutes mins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 9 biscuits
Calories: 180kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 1 muffin pan

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups almond flour
  • ¾ cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter soft but not melted
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons salted butter melted

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400ºF and grease a muffin pan with butter.
  • Combine the almond flour, mozzarella cheese, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
  • Add the softened butter to the almond flour mixture and work it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles and crumbly mixture.
  • Add the eggs in and mix vigourously with a fork until a lumpy dough is created.
  • Place about two Tablespoons of the biscuit batter into each muffin tin.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes or untll they are golden brown.
  • Brush the melted butter onto the tops of the biscuits and serve warm.

Video

Notes

Don't overmix your dough, it will be lumpy and wet and that is totally normal and helps create that perfect biscuit texture.
You can make these biscuits without a muffin pan, they will just be flatter like a cookie.

Nutrition

Serving: 1biscuit | Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 304mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 323IU | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 1mg
gold drip on a white cake

April 22, 2025 Frosting and Icing

Drip Cake Recipe

A drip cake is so pretty and easier than you think to make! All you need is a little water ganache, gold dust, and oil!

gold drip on a white cake

I wish I had this recipe 15 years ago. I've tried SO many different ways of making a pretty drip cake with gold dust and usually I have to paint the gold on. SUCH a pain!

This way is SO much easier. I used this gold drip to make this funfetti cake for my funfetti cake and it looks sooo pretty!

Ingredients

Gold dust - It doesn't really matter what type of dust you use or the color. The results are the same. I used a gold highlighter dust that is super shiny but you can use anything you want.

Oil - I used regular vegetable oil but any kind will work.

Candy melts - I haven't tested this recipe with regular chocolate. Candy melts are made with crisco and doesn't contain cocoa butter so the ratio is perfect and doesn't get too hard but I think any type of ganache would work the same way.

How to make a drip cake

  1. Start with a freshly decorated and chilled cake.
  2. Combine the gold dust and oil together until it makes a thick paste.close up of gold paste
  3. Mix them together the candy melts and the water.
  4. Melt them in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir until smooth. bowl of water ganache
  5. Coat the inside bottom area of your piping bag with the gold dust mixture. You only need to worry about 2" of the bottom area not the whole inside of the piping bag. close up of piping bag with gold
  6. Cut the tip off the piping bag and pipe the gold drip onto the cake.
  7. The cake should be cold, this will help the drip set up faster.
  8. Your drip cake is complete!

Recipe

gold drip on a white cake
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Gold Drip Cake

How to make a drip cake with a shiny gold chocolate drip
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Total Time5 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 ounces
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 1 Piping Bag

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons gold dust
  • ¼ teaspoon oil
  • 6 ounces candy melts
  • 1 ounce water
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Combine the water and candy melts together in a bowl
  • Heat the candy melts and water in a microwave for 30 seconds or until they are melted
  • Stir until smooth
  • Combine the gold dust and oil together and mix until combined
  • It should be a thick paste. If it's too thin, add more gold powder. If it's too thick, add a drop of oil.
  • Coat the bottom inside of your piping bag with the gold mixture.
  • Add the water ganache mixture and pipe!

Notes

You can use any color dust you want for this technique
Make sure your water ganache isnt too hot when you pipe it onto the cake
Piping onto a cold cake works best

Nutrition

Serving: 1ounce
sliced focaccia on a wooden board

February 20, 2025 Recipe

Easy Sourdough Focaccia Recipe

This sourdough focaccia recipe takes ZERO effort. No kneading is required, just time. Mix the ingredients together, plop them in a bowl to rise in a warm spot, transfer to your pan with a metric ton of olive oil, fresh rosemary, and salt, let the dough rise again, and then bake! So soft, fluffy, chewy, and has the perfect crispy crust.

Sourdough focaccia might be my favorite thing to make with an active sourdough starter, aside from my sourdough bread.

This really great recipe for beginner sourdough makers. It's endlessly adaptable. Switch up the rosemary for thyme, fresh onions, olives, ham and cheese, bacon, garlic... the options are endless! If you love my easy focaccia recipe, you are going to LOVE my sourdough focaccia recipe!

My favorite thing about making sourdough focaccia is that if you or someone you know has issues digesting gluten (like my dad), they may have an easier time eating sourdough-based products. The reason is that the fermentation process involved in breaking down some of the gluten proteins in the flour makes it potentially less likely to trigger digestive issues compared to regular wheat bread. Read more about why some gluten-sensitive people can still eat sourdough bread.

Sourdough Focaccia Ingredients

Sourdough focaccia is made with really simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand. 

Sourdough starter - The #1 ingredient you need for success is a happy, active, bubbly sourdough starter. If you haven't used your starter in a while, make sure you've fed it for a few days before you need it so it's nice and strong. If you don't have a sourdough starter, you'll need to make one! It takes about a week to get your starter ready to use. 

Bread Flour - I love Caputo brand bread flour which is not processed like the flour in the USA and doesn't have any additives. You can absolutely use all purpose flour if you prefer. Bread flour will result in a chewier bread while all-purpose flour will make a softer, moister focaccia.

Olive oil - Focaccia needs a nice olive oil! I always use the olive oil from Costco because we go through SO MUCH and it works great for me but use whatever you have on hand. 

Flaky sea salt - For the best focaccia, you'll want a nice flake salt. I love Jacobsen sea salt which is made right here in Oregon!

Rosemary - To me, focaccia isn't right without some rosemary! But you can add any toppings you like! 

Honey - You can use sugar but honey adds a little flavor that is just fantastic!

Garlic Powder - I prefer to add the powder into the dough rather than sprinkling on top or adding raw garlic to the toppings because it tends to burn.

Making The Dough

This is a two-day process so make sure you allow yourself enough time for all the steps. I like to make my dough about 12 hours before I plan on baking my focaccia.

  1. Whisk the sourdough starter, warm water, and honey together in a bowl until everything is dissolved.
  2. Add in the flour, garlic powder, and salt and mix until a soft sticky dough forms. 
  3. Cover the top of the dough and let it rest for one hour in a warm place for 30 minutes.  focaccia bread ingredients in a mixing bowl
  4. Remove the wet dough from the bowl and fold it onto itself (see video) to form a ball. This is also called a coil fold and just helps gluten start to develop and strengthen. Sourdough focaccia dough in a bowl

    This is a high-hydration dough (contains a lot of water) so if it seems very loose and sticky compared to other doughs you have worked with, don't worry! That is the way it should be!
  5. Place the dough back into a large bowl. Make sure the sides of the bowl are lightly oiled.

For more focaccia inspiration, try my focaccia bread art recipe!

First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)

  1. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and leave it to rise overnight at room temperature for at least 12 hours. The dough may double or even triple in size so make sure it's big enough. The ideal room temperature is between 68ºF-80ºF. The warmer the room, the faster the dough will rise. sourdough focaccia dough rising in a bowl

Second Rise

  1. The next day, add a thin coat of olive oil onto the bottom of the sheet pan.
  2. Dump the dough onto the sheet pan and flip it over so all sides of the dough are coated in oil.sourdough focaccia dough on an oiled sheet pan
  3. No need to stretch the dough, let the dough rest for 1-2 hours at room temperature or until it's very puffy and has lots of bubbles developing.
  4. Preheat your oven to 425ºF (220ºC).

Baking The Focaccia

  1. Press your oiled fingers into the dough and gently wiggle to create deep divots throughout the surface of the dough.fingers pressing into focaccia dough
  2. Drizzle about two Tablespoons of olive oil on top of the dough so they settle into all those little divots we made.
  3. Add some flaked sea salt, finely chopped rosemary, or any other different toppings like shallots, cherry tomatoes or cheese. Check out my sourdough bread art tutorial for more inspiration.sourdough focaccia dough
  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the bread is golden brown.
  5. For best results, remove the focaccia from the pan immediately and cool on a wire cooling rack so it keeps its crispy crust.

Recipe

sliced focaccia on a wooden board
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Sourdough Focaccia

Sourdough focaccia is some of the easiest breads you can make! Just mix everything together, let it rise, dimple it with some olive oil, rosemary, and salt and bake! SOOO soft, chewy, and delicious!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Rising14 hours hrs
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 12 pieces
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

  • 75 grams Sourdough Starter
  • 400 grams Water Warmed to 110ºF
  • 25 grams Honey
  • 500 grams Bread Flour
  • 10 grams Salt
  • 2 grams Garlic Powder
  • 35 grams Olive Oil
  • 2 grams Fresh Rosemary Finely chopped
  • 2 grams Flake Salt

Instructions

  • 12 hours before you want to bake your sourdough, mix together the sourdough starter, warm water, and honey together in a large bowl.
  • Add in the flour, salt, and garlic powder and mix until combined.
  • Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. This allows time for the flour to hydrate and the gluten begin to activate.
  • With wet hands, pull the edges of the dough upwards until they won't stretch anymore then fold over onto itself. Repeat on all four sides of the dough. (see the video for a demonstration).
  • Cover the dough with lightly oiled plastic wrap and place it in a warm place (65ºF-80ºF) for 12 hours (overnight). Keep in mind that if your room is colder or hotter, the bread may rise slower or faster.
  • The next morning, cover your sheet pan in a thin even layer of olive oil.
  • Transfer the dough to the sheet pan and cover it again with plastic wrap to rise again for 1-2 hours or until very puffy and bubbly. The dough will spread as it rises.
  • Preheat your oven to 425ºF.
  • Dimple the top of the dough with oiled fingers. Drizzle the top of the dough with more olive oil, flake salt, and chopped rosemary (or toppings of your choice).
  • Bake your focaccia for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove the bread from the pan after it's done baking and let it cool on a wire rack before cutting into it.

Video

Notes

You can use bread flour or all-purpose flour. Bread flour will result in a chewier bread with a more open crumb. All-purpose flour will result in a softer bread with a less open crumb that is more moist.
You can use any toppings you prefer like fresh herbs, tomatoes, shallots, garlic, or other fresh vegetables. Use what you like!
The warmer the room, the faster your focaccia will rise. If your room is on the colder side, then it might take longer for the focaccia to rise so adjust your timeline accordingly.
close up of a slice of cheesecake with strawberry and chocolate on top

January 17, 2025 Cheesecake

Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe

This classic strawberry cheesecake recipe with fresh strawberries is my favorite dessert to make during Oregon's famous hood strawberry season! The crisp graham cracker crust, silky smooth cream cheese filling, and sweet strawberry topping really is the perfect balance of flavors and textures.

I love making cheesecake for Valentine's day and it happens to be my partner's favorite dessert. This year instead of making my mini heart cheesecakes I'm going classic but adding some chocolate curls because that just sounds so yummy! Like a chocolate-covered strawberry but on your cheesecake.

If you've made my cherry cheesecake you know how super simple making a fresh fruit topping can be and you'll never need to go to the cheesecake factory again!close up of cherry cheesecake with chocolate curls on top

This is a classic cheesecake recipe meaning the cream cheese is mixed with sour cream and whipping cream which makes the cheesecake lighter and creamier than a New York style cheesecake which is much firmer and denser.

This recipe does use a water bath because it makes a far superior creamy cheesecake that is not overbaked on the outside and is deliciously creamy throughout. But don't worry—I'll show you how to make a water bath foolproof and leakproof! If you don't want to do a water bath I have notes on how to make cheesecake without a water bath in the notes section of the recipe below.

Table Of Contents

  • Strawberry Cheesecake Ingredients
  • Secrets To A Flawless Cheesecake
  • How To Make The Graham Cracker Crust
  • How To Make The Cheesecake Filling
  • Baking The Cheesecake In A Water Bath
  • How To Make The Strawberry Topping
  • How To Make Chocolate Curls
  • Cheesecake Assembly
  • Other Cheesecake Recipes You'll Love

Strawberry Cheesecake Ingredients

strawberry cheesecake ingredients

Making cheesecake isn't that complicated but make sure you have all your ingredients ahead of time before you start the process and make sure your eggs, sour cream, heavy cream, and cream cheese is at room temperature so you have a super smooth and lump-free filling. 

  • Clear Jel - I prefer using Clear Jel instead of cornstarch because the strawberry sauce looks less cloudy, much shinier, and not as gummy. If you like the look you might want to buy some ahead of time! You can use corn starch if you don't want to bother. Cornstarch is stronger than Clear Jel so use half as much corn starch.
  • Fresh or frozen strawberries - If it happens to be strawberry season, those will always have the best flavor! If you're making this recipe off-season then use frozen strawberries because they are picked and frozen at peak ripeness and will have the best natural flavor. 
  • Sour cream and heavy whipping cream is used to lighten the texture of this cheesecake so the final product is lighter and creamier than a New York style cheesecake recipe.
  • Lemon juice and a little lemon zest will brighten up the flavor of the strawberry topping.
  • I prefer classic Philidelphia (full fat) cream cheese which results in the best texture and flavor.
close up of cheesecake with strawberry topping

Secrets To A Flawless Cheesecake

The first secret is to make sure all your cold ingredients like the cream cheese, eggs, sour cream, and heavy cream are all at room temperature so that your ingredients mix together easily and you don't have any lumps.

The second secret to this super smooth and silky cheesecake texture is ensuring you don't overbake it! I always use a thermometer to check the center instead of relying on the jiggle test.

The third secret is to use a water bath to avoid over-baking, sinking, and too much browning. If you don't want to do a water bath that's totally ok! I have alternate baking instructions for no water bath in the notes of the recipe card below.

The fourth secret is something I discovered while creating my classic cheesecake recipe and that is turning the oven off at the end of baking and leaving the cheesecake in the oven for one hour so that the cheesecake SLOWLY cools down. This prevents cracking. 

How To Make The Graham Cracker Crust

Making the graham cracker crust could not be easier. Crush, mix in sugar and butter, press, and bake! Easy peasy.

  1. Crush the graham crackers in a plastic bag with a rolling pin to make the graham cracker crumbs and then mix them with the sugar and melted butter. Alternatively, you can put the graham crackers into a food processor with the sugar and melted butter and get it all done in one step.graham crackers in a food processor
  2. Pro-Tip: Place a circle of parchment paper into the base of the cheesecake pan before placing the graham cracker filling on top so that the cheesecake is easily removed from the base later.parchment paper in the base of a cheesecake pan
  3. Press the graham cracker mixture onto the sides of the pan and the base as evenly as you can. Take care not to make the corners or the base too thick or it will be hard to cut through. I like to use a small measuring cup or drinking glass to press the crumbs very tightly onto the bottom and halfway up the sides of the cake pan.close up of graham cracker mixture in a cheesecake pan with a measuring cup
  4. Bake the crust in an oven preheated to 350ºF for 5 minutes then let it cool on a wire rack. 

How To Make The Cheesecake Filling

  1. Lower the oven temperature to 325ºF.
  2. Place your room-temperature cream cheese into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on low until the cream cheese is extra smooth and no longer lumpy. You don't want to incorporate any air which will cause cracks and lumps.close up of cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer
  3. Sprinkle in your granulated sugar while mixing on low until combined. close up of cream cheese mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer
  4. While mixing on low, add in the room-temperature sour cream, honey, and heavy whipping cream and mix until combined. 
  5. Add in your room-temperature eggs one at a time, on low speed, letting each one mix in fully before adding in the next. Again, do your best not to mix in any air. close up of cheesecake filling with eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer
  6. Next, add the salt and vanilla extract. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure all of the cream cheese is incorporated.close up of finished cheesecake filling in the bowl of a stand mixer

Baking The Cheesecake In A Water Bath

I always bake cheesecake in a water bath because it gives the BEST results, even baking at a low temperature. If you don't want to fuss with this part you can skip it. You'll have a little more browning on top but it will be covered by the strawberry topping anyway and no one will know.

  1. The best way to bake a cheesecake in a waterbath is to put the 9" cheesecake pan inside a 10" cake pan to prevent leaking. Then you can place this pan into a larger pan with water. The waterbath prevents the cheesecake from browning and cracking.
  2. Pour your cheesecake filling onto your prepared cheesecake crust.
  3. Place both pans into your preheated oven in the center of the lowest rack.
  4. Fill the larger outer pan with water until the water reaches about ¾ of the way up the sides of the pan.
  5. Bake the cheesecake for 60 minutes without opening the oven door.
  6. Check the internal temperature of the cheesecake with a thermometer pen to see if you've reached 150ºF (65ºC) or give the side a little tap and see if the cheesecake is set but the center should still be a bit wobbly. Crack the oven door and turn off the oven. Allow the cheesecake to cool for an additional hour inside the oven. This slow cooling will stop any cracks from forming and ensure a perfectly creamy cheesecake from edge to center.image of the oven door cracked
  7. Once the cheesecake has cooled for one hour, you can carefully remove it from the water. For best results, refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours before slicing.closeup of cooked cheesecake

How To Make The Strawberry Topping

  1. Place your sliced strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla into a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a simmer. frozen berries in a saucepan shot from above
  2. Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes until it's thickend and reduced by ⅓.Reduced strawberry mixture
  3. Combine your Clear Jel and water together and then pour it into your strawberry mixture and cook it for one minute until it thickens.close up of strawberry mixture shot from abovew
  4. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool slightly.
  5. Fold the cooked mixture with your sliced strawberries.freshly sliced strawberries in a saucepan with strawberry reduction
  6. Let the strawberry sauce cool completely (it will thicken as it cools) before placing it on top of the cheesecake.

How To Make Chocolate Curls

Make sure you're using real chocolate here. I like using Lindt 70% chocolate bars. This is my method for how to temper chocolate in the microwave. Tempering your chocolate will give you delicious, crisp chocolate curls that melt in your mouth. Adding anything like butter or crisco will make your chocolate soft and gummy.

chopped chocolate
melted 1 minute
melted 10 seconds
stirred until fully melted
  1. Chop up your chocolate and place it into a medium bowl.
  2. Melt in a microwave for one minute and stir. Continue melting in 10 second bursts until it's 75% melted. 
  3. Continue stirring until fully melted. 
  4. Spread the chocolate thinly onto your stone countertop or on the back of a metal sheet pan. I like to practice this part a few times with small amounts until I get the hang of it. Remember you can always re-temper your chocolate!
  5. Once the shine comes off the chocolate, you can use a bench scraper to push your chocolate at a 45º angle, developing a curl. It may take a couple tries to get it right. And don't worry if they aren't perfect! Even the cracked chocolate curls will look beautiful on the cheesecake. 
Place tempered chocolate on the counter
Wait for the shine to go matte
Use a bench scraper at a 45º angle to make the curls

Cheesecake Assembly

Remove your cooled cheesecake from the base of the cheesecake pan. Place it onto a cake platter or plate. Spoon your strawberry topping on top. Pile your chocolate shavings in the center and serve!

strawberry cheesecake with strawberry sauce and chocolate curls on top

This really is the most delicious cheesecake you'll ever have! It has the perfect texture. I believe this will be your go-to cheesecake recipe from now on!

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Recipe

close up of a slice of cheesecake with strawberry and chocolate on top
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Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe

Homemade strawberry cheesecake with a crisp buttery graham cracker crust, a fresh strawberry topping and homemade chocolate shavings
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time2 hours hrs
Cooling6 hours hrs
Total Time8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 331kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 1 Stand mixer with paddle attachment
  • 1 9" cheesecake pan

Ingredients

For The Cheesecake Crust

  • 6 ounces graham crackers crushed
  • 3 ounces unsalted butter melted
  • 3 ounces granulated sugar

For The Cheesecake Filling

  • 24 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
  • 5 ounces granulated sugar
  • 1 ounces sour cream room temperature
  • 1 ounces heavy cream room temperature
  • 1 ounce honey
  • 3 large eggs warmed to room temperature
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ Tablespoon vanilla extract

For Strawberry Topping

  • 16 ounces frozen strawberries or fresh if in season
  • 16 ounces fresh strawberries
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces water
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 Tablespoons ClearJel or 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
  • 1 ounce cool water for the ClearJel or Cornstarch
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Graham Cracker Crust

  • Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Move the bottom oven rack to the lowest place in the oven. Place the second oven rack in the middle of the oven.
  • Grind the graham crackers in a food processor or roll them in a large Ziploc bag with a rolling pin until they're finely crushed.
  • Combine together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar in a medium bowl until it forms together. 
  • Place a parchment paper round in the bottom of the 9" springform pan (optional) to prevent sticking.
  • Pour your graham cracker mixture on top of the parchment round and spread it evenly. Press down firmly with a flat measuring cup to compress the crust into the bottom and edges.
  • Bake the crust for 8 minutes at 350ºF and then let it cool. You should be able to smell the toasty crust near the end of the baking time. 
  • Wrap the cheesecake pan in two layers of heavy duty tinfoil to prevent leaking. Or if you have a 10" cake pan you can put that around the cheesecake pan as a barrier.
  • Fill the pan with your cheesecake filling.
  • Place the cheesecake pan into a larger pan with at least 2" of space around the cheesecake pan. Place them into the preheated oven in the middle of the baking rack.
  • Carefully pour water into the outer pan until its ¾ of the height of the cheesecake pan.

Making the Cheesecake Filling

  • Lower the oven to 335ºF and place a sheet pan or roasting pan on the bottom rack and fill it ¾ of the way with hot water. Your cheesecake will sit on the rack above the water.
  • Place your room-temperature cream cheese into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or you can use an electric mixer. Beat the cream cheese on low until extra smooth and no longer lumpy.
  • Sprinkle in your granulated sugar while mixing on low until combined. Mixing the cream cheese and sugar until super smooth will make your cheesecake texture extra creamy.
  • Add in the room temperature sour cream and heavy cream while mixing on low.
  • Pour in your room temperature eggs one at a time, on medium speed, letting each one combine fully before adding in the next. 
  • Next, add the salt, honey and vanilla extract. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure all of the cream cheese is incorporated.
  • Pour the cream cheese mixture into your cooled graham cracker crust.

Baking the Cheesecake

  • Bake the cheesecake at 300ºF for about 60 minutes and do not open the oven door during baking. The cheesecake should be set, but still slightly jiggly in the center and have an internal temperature of 150°F. It will continue to firm up as it sits and cools down.
  • If it hasn't hit 150ºF yet or still is too jiggly in the center, continue baking in 10 minute increments until it's done baking.
  • Turn off the oven and crack the oven door open. Let the cheesecake cool inside the oven for 60 more minutes. This prevents cracking.
  • Remove the cheesecake from the oven and place it into the fridge to cool for 6 hours or ideally, overnight. Wait to cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap until it is fully cool, so it doesn’t condensate and drip moisture onto the top of the cheesecake.
  • Run a knife around the outside of the cheesecake to separate it from the pan, or use a kitchen torch to lightly warm the outside and remove the springform pan.

Making the Strawberry Topping

  • Combine together the frozen strawberries, water, salt, and sugar, lemon juice and zest in a large saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. 
  • Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the mixture has thickened and reduced by ⅓.
  • Use a whisk to crush the strawberries and make the mixture into more of a sauce.
  • Combine together the ClearJel (or cornstarch) in a separate cup to make a slurry.
  • Add the ClearJel mixture to the simmering strawberries and cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly until thickened.
  • Let the strawberry topping cool before placing it on top of your cheesecake in an even layer.

Chocolate Curls

  • Chop a bar of chocolate that contains cocoa butter in the ingredients (I like the brand Lindt) into small pieces and place it into a medium sized, microwave safe bowl.
  • Microwave the chocolate for 1 minute and stir.
  • Continue microwaving the chocolate until it is 75% melted.
  • Stir the chocolate without heating until it is fully melted. If you have a few un-melted bits its ok.
  • Spread the chocolate in a even layer on your stone countertop (granite, quartz or similar) or on the back of a metal sheet pan.
  • Wait until the shine disappears from the surface. This should only take about 30 seconds to happen.
  • Use a bench scraper at a 45º angle to push into the chocolate and create your chocolate curls.
  • Top your strawberry cheesecake with chocolate curls right before serving.

Video

Notes

Important Things To Note Before You Start
1. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature or even a little warm (eggs, buttermilk, butter, etc) to ensure your batter does not break or curdle. 
2. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 
3. Practice Mise en Place (everything in it's place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
Notes For Success
If you don't have fresh, in-season strawberries, then use frozen. Frozen berries are picked at the peak of ripeness and will taste much better than fresh, out of season strawberries.
If you don't want to use a water bath you can skip it. You will have some browning on top of your cheesecake and a slightly uneven texture inside but it will still be delicious and the strawberry topping will cover the browning!
A vanilla bean in place of vanilla extract will taste delicious in this recipe.
Make sure you are using real chocolate for the chocolate curls not chocolate bark, chocolate melties or another chocolate substitute. If there isn't any cocoa butter in the ingredients, it's not real chocolate. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 292mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 795IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg
close up of oatmeal raisin m&m cookie

December 18, 2024 Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin M&M Cookie Recipe

This oatmeal M&M cookie recipe makes giant soft and chewy oatmeal cookies with tons of M&M candies and sweet raisins. These are the PERFECT Christmas cookies for the oatmeal cookie lover in your life.

I've never been a big fan of oatmeal raisin cookies and didn't think may other's loved them either but I was very mistaken! Many of my friends and family LOVE oatmeal raisin cookies and I never knew!

Then when my partner told me his FAVORITE Christmas cookie was his Mom's oatmeal raisin cookies with M&M's added in, I knew I had to see what all the fuss was about.

So I re-created the recipe that I got from his mom and they were pretty good but you know me, I had to make some tweaks! I felt like the original recipe was lacking a little moisture and flavor. So I added in a little butter, an extra egg yolk, a pinch of nutmeg, and some honey so that those centers stay SUPER soft and chewy.

I have to admit, I LOVE these oatmeal raisin cookies! The M&M's add a wonderful crunch when you bite into the soft cookie as well as some sweetness from the chocolate to balance out the raisins and spices.

Oatmeal Raisin M&M Cookie Recipe Ingredients

This oatmeal raisin M&M cookie recipe uses very simple ingredients. I had everything I needed on hand except the rolled oats but they are easy to get at the grocery store.

  • Old-fashioned oats are the best oats for baking. Their flat round shape holds up well during the baking process and gives you that perfect "chew" and texture. Avoid quick oats which will not hold up to the baking process. Steel-cut oats should also be avoided because they create a coarse and hard texture that isn't ideal for baking.
  • Baking powder and baking soda is needed for rise and for flavor.
  • Dark brown sugar is necessary for a chewy cookie because it naturally keeps the cookie softer for longer as well as adding tons of flavors. If you don't have dark brown sugar, you can use light brown sugar even white sugar with molasses as a substitute.
  • Cinnamon, anise, nutmeg, and vanilla extract are the perfect spices 
  • Vegetable shortening is key for the best oatmeal cookies. You can definitely use melted butter or even melted coconut oil but nothing will keep your cookies as moist and chewy as good ol' vegetable oil.
  • Butter is a great way to add more flavor without sacrificing structure and moisture.
  • Honey helps keep moisture in the cookie because its hygroscopic and draws moisture into the cookie.
  • Whole Wheat Flour gives a lot of flavor and texture to these cookies and help them keep their size.

How To Make Oatmeal Raisin M&M Cookies Step-by-Step

  1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF (148ºC).
  2. Spread your oats onto a baking sheet in an even layer and toast them in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Be sure to stir the oats every 5 minutes so they brown evenly. Toasting your oats first will add even more flavor and result in a chewier cookie.
  3. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or brush with cake goop.
  4. Set your oats aside to cool on a wire rack.
  5. Sift together your flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg in a medium bowl and set it aside.Close up oatmeal raisin m&m cookie dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer
  6. In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached (or you can do this with a hand mixer or whisk), cream together the brown sugar, butter, and vegetable shortening, until it's light and fluffy.close up creamed butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer
  7. Add in the vanilla extract and honey and stir to combine.
  8. While mixing on low, add the eggs in one at a time. Allow the first to fully mix in before adding the next. Mix until combined.close up of adding eggs to the oatmeal cookie mixture
  9. While mixing on low, add the flour mixture to the shortening mixture in three parts.
  10. Stir in the oats, raisins, and M&M's, and set the dough aside. close up of oatmeal raisin m&m cookie ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer
  11. Measure the dough out into ⅓ cup scoops (about 100 grams of dough). You can also use a cookie scoop if you have one.cookie dough on a kitchen scale
  12. Place the dough onto your prepared baking sheets.
  13. Flatten the dough into a disk about 4" across. close up of cookies on a sheet pan
  14. Bake the cookies for 9 minutes or until they are very lightly browned. Be careful not to over-bake them so they keep their soft centers. Baking time may vary depending on your oven.close up of oatmeal raisin m&m cookies on a red plate

FAQ

Why are my cookies hard?

You are over-baking your cookies. The center of your cookies should still be soft and will set up after they cool. This is the secret to a soft and chewy cookie.

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Recipe

close up of oatmeal raisin m&m cookie
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Oatmeal Raisin M&M cookies

Giant soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies that stay soft for days! Packed full of m&ms in every bite.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time9 minutes mins
Total Time19 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 cookies
Calories: 385kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 1 large cookie scoop
  • 2 cookie sheet pans

Ingredients

  • 9 ounces old fashioned oats toasted
  • 9 ounces whole wheat flour
  • 3 ounces shortening
  • 2 ounces unsalted butter softened
  • 5 ounces white sugar
  • 4 ounces brown sugar
  • 5 ounces raisins
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Sift together your dry ingredients (flour, spices, baking powder, and baking soda) and set them aside.
  • Cream together the shortening and the butter until smooth.
  • While mixing on low, sprinkle in the white and brown sugar and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy.
  • Mix in the vanilla and the honey.
  • While mixing on low, add in the eggs, letting each one mix in fully before adding in the next.
  • While mixing on low, add in the dry ingredients and toasted oats, and mix until combined.
  • Mix in the raisins and M&Ms until blended in and then set the dough aside.
  • Scoop the dough immediate using a 3 ounce cookie scoop or divide into 12 equal balls.
  • Place the cookie dough on a prepared cookie sheet 2" inches apart. The dough does not spread very much.
  • Bake the cookies at 350ºF for 9 minutes then remove them from the oven and let them cool for five minutes.
  • Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and cool fully on a wire rack.

Video

Notes

Toasting your rolled oats will result in a better texture and flavor of the cookie.
If you don't want to use honey you can use maple syrup or corn syrup.
Don't overbake your cookies. They should still be a little soft in the center when you pull them out. 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 307mg | Potassium: 316mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 187IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg
close up of a slice of lemon tart with creme fraiche and a raspberry on a white plate

July 17, 2024 Pies And Tarts

The Best Lemon Tart Recipe

This truly is the best lemon tart recipe (tarte au citron) you'll ever make! The tart crust (pâte sucrée) is buttery and crisp and the mock crème fraîche is super creamy with a hint of tang. The lemon custard filling is the perfect amount of tart and sweet and has the texture of Crème Brûlée. The secret ingredient is heavy cream resulting in the smoothest, creamiest, dreamiest lemon tart you've had outside of the South of France.

close up of a slice of lemon tart with creme fraiche and a raspberry on a white plate

To make a true classic lemon tart you begin by making the tart shell which is extremely simple. Just blend up everything in a food processor or stand mixer, let it chill for an hour, roll it out, then bake it in the tart pan. Baking the tart shell ahead of time (blind baking) will ensure the crust is nice and crisp before you add in the lemon custard filling for the final bake which only takes 20-30 minutes. 

You can top your lemon tart with some homemade crème fraîche or use the mock crème fraîche in this recipe and some freshly sliced lemons, strawberries, raspberries or even just a dusting of powdered sugar if you prefer. close up of lemon tart on a blue plate

I brought two of these lemon tarts to my neighbor's Bastille Day celebration and I was so happy when it received rave reviews! Truly one of the most impressive lemon desserts you can make.

Lemon Tart Ingredients

Overhead shot of lemon tart ingredients
  • Organic Lemons - I learned on a recent trip to the Amalfi coast that using organic lemons can greatly improve the taste of your recipes if you are using the zest. Some grocery store lemons have wax and sometimes left over pesticides or other sprays on the skin of the lemon that can not only taste bad but be harmful if eaten.
  • European Style Unsalted Butter - Buy the good stuff! Cheap butter contains more water and less butter solids resulting in a wet and sticky dough that can get tough instead of puffing up and becoming the crispy buttery crust you want. Go with unsalted so you can control the salt level in your crust.
  • Heavy Whipping Cream - The addition of cream takes the lemon custard filling to another level! Sometimes, it is also referred to as double cream. We will also use some to make the mock crème fraîche.
  • Yogurt - This adds a little tanginess to the whipped cream but is easier to make than standard crème fraîche.
  • Whole Eggs - We're using whole eggs to set our custard. If you can find some farm fresh eggs then your tart will have a beautiful yellow color. The darker the yolks, the more yellow your tart will be since the lemon juice doesn't really have a color.

Making the Tart Dough

  1. First, in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached, mix the room temperature butter, salt, and powdered sugar until it's smooth.
  2. Next, add in the room-temperature eggs and lemon zest and mix until smooth. If your mixture looks curdled, don't worry, just keep mixing until it comes together.tart crust ingredients mixed together in a bowl
  3. Add in the flour in thirds until the mixture just begins to come together. Do not over-mix.close up of tart crust dough mixed together in a bowl
  4. Form the dough into a flat disk and then wrap the dough in some plastic wrap and refrigerate it for one hour. If you skip this step your tart dough will sink down the sides of the pan during baking.tart dough in a rectangle shape covered in plastic wrap

Preparing the Tart Shells

  1. Lightly dust the surface of your workbench and your rolling pin with flour. 
  2. Roll the tart dough out to ⅛" thick, moving the dough every 1-2 rolls to make sure it's not stuck to the surface of the workbench.tart dough rolled out on a kitchen counter
  3. Carefully lift the dough up with your hands or roll it gently onto your rolling pin and place it inside your 9" tart tin (make sure it is the kind with a removable bottom). tart dough placed into a tart tin with leftover dough draped over the sides
  4. Use your fingers to press the dough into the edges of the tart pan. These ridges help keep the tart dough from falling down the sides of the tart tin while baking.
  5. Trim off the excess dough with a knife and set it aside to use in another tart or you can freeze the dough to use later.tart dough in a tart pan with leftovers trimmed off
  6. Place your tart shell in the freezer for 30 minutes.

How To Blind Bake Your Tart Shell

Blind baking ensures the tart shell will be crisp and buttery instead of soggy which can happen when baking desserts with very liquidy fillings.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (176ºC)
  2. Crumple up a piece of parchment paper (not wax paper) and place it into the tart shell.
  3. Fill the parchment up with pie weights or dry beans. This will hold the shell down and keep it from puffing up during blind baking.close up of pie weights in a tart shell with parchment paper
  4. Place the tart shell on a sheet pan and bake it for 25 minutes.
  5. After 25 minutes, remove the parchment paper will pie weights and continue baking for 10 more minutes. If the top edge of the tart starts to get too brown you can place a pie crust protector on top.tart shells on baking sheets halfway through blind baking
  6. Remove the tart shell from the oven and lightly egg wash the inside of the crust. This helps to seal the shell from the moisture of the liquid filling. Continue baking for 5 more minutes or until the interior is an even golden brown.egg washing tart crust
  7. Set the tart aside to cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.close up of blind baked lemon tart

How to Make the Lemon Tart Filling

  1. For best results, use fresh lemon juice, not bottled. Zest and juice your lemons, taking care to make sure no lemon seeds are in the juice.
  2. Combine the heavy cream, eggs, and sugar in a large measuring cup and blend until smooth using an immersion blender (or you can use a regular blender if needed) until its smooth. Lemon tart filling in a glass bowl
  3. Slowly stream in the lemon juice and lemon zest while blending until smooth. I used an immersion blender for this but you could use a regular blender.blended lemon tart filling in a clear bowl
  4. Pour the mixture into a heavy-bottomed medium-sized sauce pan and heat over medium heat while whisking constantly to prevent scalding. Heat the mixture to 120ºF (48ºC) then remove it from the heat. Heating the mixture helps dissolve the sugar and helps the custard set faster in the oven.pouring lemon tart filling into a saucepan
  5. Pour the filling through a fine sieve back into the measuring cup and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes so that any bubbles and foam can rise to the top. Scoop the foam off from the top before pouring the filling into the tart shell.

Assembling the Lemon Tart

  1. Reduce the oven heat to 250ºF.
  2. Place the lemon tart shell onto a sheet pan and into the middle of the oven on a sheet pan.
  3. Carefully pour the lemon curd filling into the tart shell until it reaches the top edge of the tart shell. It's much easier to do this in the oven than try to move the full tart shell into the oven after filling it.pouring lemon filling into blind baked tart shell in the oven
  4. Bake the tart for 25-30 minutes or until the center of the tart has a very slight wiggle when you tap the edge of the tart tin but the edges do not move. Make sure you do not over-bake your tart or it will begin to curdle and be very dry instead of having that perfect creamy texture.
  5. Remove the lemon tart from the oven and place it into the fridge to chill for 3-4 hours before topping with mock crème fraîche and fresh fruit if desired.

Making the Mock Crème Fraîche

  1. Place the whipped cream and powdered sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment attached.
  2. Whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form.whipped cream at soft peaks
  3. Add in your yogurt (I used lemon yogurt for extra flavor) and mix until firm but soft peaks form.whipped cream and yogurt in a mixing bowl with whisk
  4. The cream should hold it's shape but don't over-do the mixing or it will look curdled.mock creme fraiche
  5. Serve the lemon tart with freshly piped cream, fresh berries, and enjoy!slice of lemon tart with creme fraiche and fresh raspberries

FAQ

How do I know when a lemon tart is done?

The tart shells will be medium brown in color. A white or light brown shell indicates that it is underbaked. Allowing your tart shell to get darker in color will bring out all of the caramelization of the butter and sugar together which is what gives your tart shell flavor!

Chef Christophe Rull recommends checking on your tart shell’s progress every 10 minutes while baking. Depending on the oven you are using, the back of the oven may distribute more heat than the front. For instance, if you notice that the shells on the back of the oven are darker in color than the tarts on the front, rotate the baking sheet to distribute more heat to the underbaked shells.

What does pâte sucrée mean?

Pâte sucrée is French for “sugary dough.” 

Why did my lemon tart crack?

It can be either from the oven being too hot or for over-baking. It's best to bake a custard-style lemon tart at a lower temperature for longer to avoid cracking and to stop baking when the center is still jiggly and the edges of the tart are set.

How long do lemon tart last in the fridge? 

Lemon tarts will stay fresh for 1-2 days if you store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

  What is the difference between a lemon tart and a lemon meringue pie? 

The biggest difference between lemon tarts and lemon meringue pies is that lemon meringue pies will be topped with a mountain of meringue. Lemon meringue pie topping is made using eggs, cream of tartar, sugar, and vanilla extract that is whipped on high speed to produce fluffy, creamy peaks of light and creamy meringue. 

  How do I know when a lemon tart is done? 

The tart shells will be medium brown in color. A white or light brown shell indicates that it is underbaked. Allowing your tart shell to get darker in color will bring out all of the caramelization of the butter and sugar together which is what gives your tart shell flavor!

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Recipe

close up of a slice of lemon tart with creme fraiche and a raspberry on a white plate
Print Recipe
4.80 from 5 votes

The Best Lemon Tart Recipe

This amazing lemon tart has a crisp buttery crust, creamy lemon filling that's not too sweet and not too sour and is topped with a super easy mock creme fraiche.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time2 hours hrs
Refrigeration1 hour hr
Total Time3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 732kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 9" Tart Pan
  • 1 Lemon Zester
  • 1 Lemon Juicer

Ingredients

Pâte Sucrée

  • 8 ounces unsalted butter
  • 4 ounces powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 12 ounces Flour all purpose
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Lemon Tart Filling

  • 5 ounces lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
  • 7 large eggs
  • 8 ounces sugar
  • 6 ounces heavy cream

Mock Crème Fraîche

  • 4 ounces heavy cream
  • 6 ounces yogurt
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Tart Shell

  • First, in the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the room temperature butter and powdered sugar with the paddle attachment. Mix until it is smooth.
  • Next, add in the eggs, and lemon zest and mix until combined.
  • Mix in the salt and and flour until just combined.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and press into a disc shape. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • Divide the tart dough in half (the other half can be used for another tart or be frozen for later use).
  • Roll the tart dough out to ⅛" thick
  • Place the dough into the 9" tart pan and press firmly against the bottom and sides.
  • Trim off the excess dough and freeze the tart for 30 minutes.
  • Place some crumpled up parchment paper and pie weights into the tart pan.
  • Place the tart pan on a sheet pan and bake in the oven at 350ºF for 25 minutes.
  • Remove the parchment and pie weights and continue baking for 10 minutes.
  • Brush the tart with egg wash and continue baking for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove the tart pan from the oven to cool and reduce the temperature to 280ºF

How to Make the Lemon Filling

  • Zest and juice your lemons, being sure to remove any seeds and set aside.
  • Place your eggs, sugar, cream, and zest into a large container and blend using an immersion blender (or regular blender) until smooth.
  • Slowly add in the lemon juice while blending and mix until smooth.
  • Add the mixture to a medium sized saucepan over medium heat and warm the mixture to 110-120ºF then remove it from the heat and set it aside for 15 minutes.
  • Skim any bubbles that arise to the surface before filling your tart shells.

Assembling the Lemon Tart

  • Place your tart shell (still in the pan) onto the sheet pan in the oven in the middle of the rack.
  • Carefully pour the lemon filling into the tart pan up to the brim of the shell.
  • Bake the tart for 25-30 minutes or until the center is still wobbly but the outer edges of the tart are set.
  • Remove the tart from the oven and refrigerate for 3-4 hours before decorating with fresh fruit and creme fraiche.

Mock Crème Fraîche Instructions

  • Whip your heavy whipping cream in the bowl of your stand mixer until soft peaks form.
  • Add in the yogurt
  • Continue mixing on low until firm but soft peaks form and it can hold it's shape.

Notes

Important Things To Note Before You Start
  1. Practice Mise en Place (everything in its place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time. Then, have them ready before you start. This will reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
  2. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch, etc). Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and ultimately help ensure the success of your recipe. 
  3. Wash your lemons well so no wax or residue is left on the lemon zest.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 732kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 290mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 209mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 1522IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 3mg
close up of windowpane test being performed on dough

January 2, 2024 Culinary Techniques

Windowpane Test For Bread

A windowpane test is an important step to making sure your dough is ready to use. We test by taking a small piece of dough and gently stretching it between your fingers to the point that you can see light shining through it. This is where it gets the windowpane name. This is a simple test we perform to see if our dough has developed enough gluten through mixing and is ready to bake or needs to be mixed longer.

What's In This Blog Post

  • How To Do The Windowpane Test
  • Why Does The Windowpane Test Work
  • What type of flour is best for making dough?
  • When Should You Do The Windowpane Test

If you've somehow found this post and don't know what a windowpane test is or maybe you just heard the word before but didn't understand its significance, let me explain. 

The windowpane test is especially helpful if you are new to making bread dough, pizza dough, or any kind of rich dough with yeast and needs a lot of mixing and you just don't know when your bread recipes are done mixing. Terms like "mix until smooth" or "mix until the dough bounces back" are very vague.

close up of a smooth ball of dough on a workbench

When I was first learning to bake bread in my early 20's, I had no idea what I was looking for and often wondered WHY my bread was not rising as expected. It wasn't until I attended pastry school in 2010 that this very short demonstration on the best ways to check for gluten development changed my whole outlook on baking bread. 

Now I never have under-mixed dough.

How To Do The Windowpane Test

  1. After your dough has been mixing in your stand mixer (or if you're mixing by hand) and the rough texture of the bread begins to smooth out and "cleans" the bowl, that is a good time to test your dough. close up of dough in a mixing bowl
  2. Take a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball and press it flat to about ¼" thick. Let it rest on the workbench for 5 minutes which allows the gluten strands to relax and will give you a more accurate representation of how much gluten is developed. 
  3. Begin slowly stretching the dough with your fingers. The center will get thinner and thinner until you form a thin membrane. If you can stretch the dough to the point you can see light shining through without breakage, your dough is likely ready to bulk ferment (your first rise).close up of hands pulling dough very thinly
  4. If your dough tears, feels sticky or rough, then you need to mix your dough for longer until you have enough gluten development to perform the window pane test successfully. Proper gluten development can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes of mixing time so be patient.

Why Does The Windowpane Test Work

Gluten changes as it's handled. The dough becomes smoother, stronger, less wet and less lumpy as more gluten strands are developed through kneading.

What you are seeing when you look at a smooth ball of dough are strands of protein (glutenin and gliadin) linked together in a very fine web along with yeast, water, and small gas bubbles released from the yeast. The more strands you have, the more small gas bubbles are trapped during the proofing process. These gas bubbles heat up during baking and improve the overall rise and volume of the dough.

What type of flour is best for making dough?

Bread flour, all purpose flour or 00 flour works best for making doughs that needs a lot of gluten development because it contains more protein that can produce stronger gluten strands about 12.7% rather than all-purpose flour which is at about 11%. Double 00 flour has between 12% and 13% protein content which is pretty high and most often used for pizza dough or pasta. For context, pastry and cake flours have less protein, about 7% to 10%, respectively.

When gluten is underdeveloped and weak, it cannot trap air, resulting in a flat or dense loaf of bread. 

When Should You Do The Windowpane Test

You should perform a windowpane test whenever you are unsure of the gluten development in your dough. This test is especially helpful to new bakers or when you are working with a new recipe that you're not sure what it should look and feel like. 

Sometimes when you use whole wheat flour or other types of gritty flours it can be hard to tell when your dough has the right elasticity to handle these doughs carefully.

close up of woman holding dough in her hands to do the windowpane test

Breads that are enriched with eggs and butter such as brioche, panettone, or fast bread are especially difficult to develop gluten because of the added fat. These breads are always good for performing a windowpane test. 

You do not need to perform a windowpane test if you are making a bread that will be resting for a long time such as sourdough or overnight focaccia. The reason for this is that gluten can also develop with time, not just kneading. So a dough that is undeveloped on day one can be very developed on day two. 

Keep in mind that yeast will break down gluten as it ferments. So you don't want to leave your dough to proof for too long or your bread could collapse during baking. If you think you may have over-proofed your dough, perform the windowpane test after fermentation and shaping to see if it still holds together.

close up of creamsicle cake

June 8, 2023 Blog

Orange Creamsicle Cake

Everyone loves orange desserts and Orange Creamsicle cake is a wonderful addition to all your summer parties! A vanilla orange cake that is bursting with orange flavor and topped with a fluffy mascarpone or whipped cream frosting that no one will be able to resist.slice of orange cake

The flavor combination of tart orange sherbet and creamy vanilla ice cream is classic and so nostalgic! A combination of tart, sweet, and tangy flavors creates the perfect balance. The ingredients in this cake recreate that childhood memory in a cake that won't melt in your hand! It is the perfect summer dessert. 

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Ingredients

Orange juice concentrate: This ingredient is perfect for getting the most orange flavor into the cake. It is orange juice that has had a lot of the water removed, so the orange flavor is intense. This is why you add cold water to it when you make a pitcher of orange juice from concentrate. It adds a lot of flavor without too much liquid. You will need to cook your orange juice down if you are using fresh, to remove some of the water. 

Citric Acid: This is a weak, naturally occurring acid found in citrus fruits and is what you taste on the outside of sour candies. A little bit adds some tartness, but you don't want to add too much as it will throw off the chemical balance of the cake. 

Orange zest: Orange juice adds a lot of flavor, but the zest is where the fragrant uniquely orange flavor and smell come from. Adding orange zest gives the cake another layer of flavor and has the whole house smelling like an orange grove

Cake Flour: This type of flour has a protein level of 9% or less, so look for a flour that specifies protein content or ask your local flour supply. If you’re located in another country, you can find cake flour but it might need to be ordered online. In the UK, look for Shipton mills cake and pastry flour. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

I love making sheet cakes because they don't require a ton of complicated decorating. Mascarpone frosting or stabilized whipped cream both go really well with this cake, it all depends on your preference. Top with some fresh orange slices and you're ready to serve!

Making Orange Cake

  1. Preheat your oven to 335℉ and make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature (milk, eggs, orange juice, butter). 
  2. Prepare a standard rectangle 9-inch x 13-inch sheet cake pan with cake goop on the sides and parchment paper on the bottom. This recipe will also work in two 8" round cake pans.
  3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine together the cake flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk and set aside.dry ingredients in a glass bowl
  4. Measure the milk, orange juice concentrate, oil, eggs, extracts, and zest in a small bowl and whisk to combine. pouring milk into a bowl of orange concentrate
  5. Add the room-temperature butter to the dry ingredients in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand.hand holding mixed dry ingredients
  6. Add in ⅓ of the wet ingredients mixture, turn it up to medium speed, and mix for one full minute. The batter will look lighter in color and fluffier. Make sure to scrape the bowl.hand pouring cup of liquid into stand mixer bowl
  7. Add in the drops of food color and citric acid and mix until combined.hand holding food coloring bottle
  8. Slowly pour in the remaining liquid and mix on low speed until just combined. 
  9. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake it for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. pouring cake batter into a pan
  10. Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan, and then flip it out onto a cooling rack. You can also leave it in the pan and serve it from there.hands lifting a cake out of pan with parchment paper
  11. Once the cake has cooled completely, place it on a serving tray.placing a cake on a cooling rack

Making Mascarpone Frosting

  1. Mascarpone frosting is the perfect pairing, but stabilized whipped cream is a great, light combination as well.
  2. In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese and mix with the whisk attachment or an electric mixer. 
  3. Once the chunks have smoothed out, add the vanilla and powdered sugar and blend until combined. 
  4. In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks. pouring whipped cream into a bowl
  5. Fold about 2 cups of whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Repeat with the remaining cream until it's all incorporated.

Decorating the Cake

  1. Frost the top (and sides, optional) of the cool cake with a plentiful amount of fluffy mascarpone frosting. covering a rectangle orange cake with white frosting
  2. Slice fresh oranges into wedges and place them on top of the cake in a geometric pattern. slicing oranges with a knife
  3. Pipe some shells of frosting in a pattern on top of the cake.
  4. Store this cake wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Because of the mascarpone cheese frosting, the frosted cake needs to be refrigerated if you are not serving it within 2 hours. The whipped topping can melt at warmer temperatures, so take note if it is exposed to sunlight.orange creamsicle cake

FAQ

Can I use fresh orange juice instead of concentrate?

Yes, if you use fresh orange juice straight, it will have a lighter orange flavor than the concentrate. Or, you can cook the orange juice down to remove some water so the flavor is more concentrated. 

What if I can't find Mascarpone cheese? 

You can substitute mascarpone cheese with some similar options, however, the taste will be slightly different. You can sub cream cheese, creme fraiche, ricotta cheese, blended cottage cheese, or full-fat sour cream. 

Can I use this cake as a layer cake?  

Yes, this cake is very stable. Using the reverse creaming method creates a great cake to layer and stack. You can bake it in cake rounds or squares, it would be a really pretty wedding cake! 

Can I make this an orange poke cake? 

Absolutely! Use the end of a wooden spoon and poke holes in the baked cake while it is still in the pan. Then pour a prepared box of orange jello over the cake and let it soak in the fridge until it sets up.

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slice of orange cake
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Orange Creamsicle Cake

This orange creamsicle cake tastes just like the frozen ice cream bars I used to enjoy when I was a kid. The secret is using real orange juice concentrate, orange zest and a super creamy frosting. This orange creamsicle cake recipe will be a huge hit, having you humming the ice cream truck song all day long. 
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Chilling Time1 hour hr
Total Time2 hours hrs
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 1097kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 1 9" x 13" cake pan

Ingredients

Orange Cake Ingredients

  • 10 ounces cake flour
  • 10 ounces granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon citric acid optional
  • 6 ounces unsalted butter softened
  • 7 ounces orange juice concentrate defrosted at room temperature
  • 4 ounces milk warmed
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons orange extract
  • 1 zest orange
  • 2 ounces vegetable oil
  • 1-2 drops yellow food coloring
  • 1 drop orange food coloring

Mascarpone Frosting

  • 16 ounces mascarpone cheese softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Orange Cake

  • Preheat your oven to 335℉ and make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature (milk, eggs, orange juice, butter). 
  • Prepare a standard rectangle 9-inch x 13-inch sheet cake pan with cake goop on the sides and parchment paper on the bottom. This recipe will also work in two 8" round cake pans.
  • In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine together the cake flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk and set aside.
  • Measure the milk, orange juice concentrate, oil, eggs, extracts, and zest in a small bowl and whisk to combine. 
  • Add the room-temperature butter to the dry ingredients in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
  • Add in ⅓ of the wet ingredients mixture, turn it up to medium speed, and mix for one full minute. The batter will look lighter in color and fluffier. Make sure to scrape the bowl.
  • Add in the drops of food color and citric acid and mix until combined.
  • Slowly pour in the remaining liquid and mix on low speed until just combined. 
  • Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake it for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. 
  • Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan, and then flip it out onto a cooling rack. You can also leave it in the pan and serve it from there.
  • Once the cake has cooled completely, place it on a serving tray.

Making Mascarpone Frosting

  • In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese and mix with the whisk attachment or an electric mixer. 
  • Once the chunks have smoothed out, add the vanilla and powdered sugar and blend until combined. 
  • In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks. 
  • Fold about 2 cups of whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Repeat with the remaining cream until it's all incorporated.

Decorating the Cake

  • Frost the top (and sides, optional) of the cool cake with a plentiful amount of fluffy mascarpone frosting. 
  • Slice fresh oranges into wedges and place them on top of the cake in a geometric pattern. 
  • Pipe some shells of frosting in a pattern on top of the cake.
  • Store this cake wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Because of the mascarpone cheese frosting, the frosted cake needs to be refrigerated if you are not serving it within 2 hours. The whipped topping can melt at warmer temperatures, so take note if it is exposed to sunlight.

Notes

  1. Weigh your ingredients to avoid cake failure. Using a kitchen scale for baking is super easy and gives you the best results every single time. 
  2. Make sure all your cold ingredients are room temperature or slightly warm (butter, milk, eggs, to create a cohesive batter. Curdled batter causes cakes to collapse.
  3. No buttermilk? You can make your own buttermilk 
  4. To prevent blueberries from sinking, I wash them (to get them wet) then roll them in flour. Then I add them to the batter halfway through baking
  5. Do not fall for the "just add cornstarch to regular flour" trick. It does not work for this recipe. Your cake will look and taste like cornbread. If you can't find cake flour, use pastry flour which isn't quite as soft as cake flour but it's better than all-purpose flour. 
  6. Make your own pan release (cake goop!) The best pan release ever! 
  7. If you're in the UK search for Shipton mills cake and pastry flour. If you're in another part of the country, search for low protein cake flour.
  8. Need more help with making your first cake? Check out my how to decorate your first cake blog post. 
  9. Mascarpone frosting is the perfect pairing, but stabilized whipped cream is a great, light combination as well.
  10. In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese and mix with the whisk attachment or an electric mixer. 
  11.  

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 1097kcal | Carbohydrates: 97g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 73g | Saturated Fat: 45g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 281mg | Sodium: 381mg | Potassium: 402mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 68g | Vitamin A: 2671IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 213mg | Iron: 1mg
closeup of cake slice on a white plate

June 6, 2023 Blog

Eggless Chocolate Cake

This moist eggless chocolate cake recipe is so good you won't even notice it's eggless! This one-bowl recipe uses basic ingredients and is so easy to make. Pair it with an eggless, flour-based, ermine frosting or chocolate ganache. closeup of cake slice on a white plate

To find the best egg replacer, I decided to use my easy chocolate cake recipe as the base recipe and tested out different types of egg replacers to see which one made the best-tasting eggless cake. Keep in mind that if you decide to do your own testing with a different recipe, you might find that a different egg replacer works better for you.

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Ingredientseggless ingredients

Applesauce: The most important ingredient in this recipe is of course the unsweetened applesauce, which is what we are using in place of eggs but be sure to read the full blog post for other egg substitutes that you might want to try. 

Coffee: This enhances the chocolate flavor of the cake, and it does NOT taste like coffee. If you don't want to use coffee though, you can just use hot water. 

Cocoa powder: I'm using Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder but you can use any kind you like.

Step-by-step instructions

This is a very easy, one-bowl cake recipe and is a great recipe for anyone who likes chocolate cake. You just add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mix for two minutes, add the coffee and it's done! Ermine is my favorite frosting because it's light, fluffy, and not too sweet. Other good options for eggless frosting are my traditional American buttercream, stabilized whipped cream, or ganache chocolate frosting.

Making the cake

  1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and prepare two 8"x2" cake pans with cake goop or another preferred type of pan release and parchment paper. spreading cake goop on a cake pan with a pastry brush
  2. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for a few seconds until combined. You can also do this with a hand mixer and a large bowl if you prefer.
  3. Add in the applesauce, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl. adding applesauce to chocolate cake batter in a mixing bowl
  4. Turn the mixer down to low and add in the hot coffee and mix until just it's just combined. adding coffee to chocolate cake mixture
  5. Pour the batter into your prepared cake pans.pouring eggless cake batter into cake pan
  6. Bake the cakes in your preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  7. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes and then flip them out to cool on a wire rack. I wrap my cakes in plastic wrap and freeze them for at least 30 minutes to lock in moisture.eggless chocolate cake

Making ermine frosting

  1. Whisk together your flour and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 2 minutes to toast the flour. Be careful not to burn it! flour and sugar in a large saucepan
  2. Slowly add in your milk, whisk to combine, and bring your heat to medium-high.adding milk to the sugar and flour mixture in a saucepan 
  3. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisk continuously until it is thick and pudding-like. Once it's simmering, cook for one minute more to make sure the flour taste is cooked out. ermine frosting base in a large saucepan with a metal whisk
  4. (Optional) If your mixture has any lumps, place a colander on top of a heat-proof bowl and push your mixture through and into the bowl. Transfer the mixture into a heat-proof bowl or a shallow cake pan if you want it to cool down faster. straining ermine frosting base
  5. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap so that it is touching the surface without any air bubbles in between, this will prevent a skin from forming on the top of the mixture. Let cool in the refrigerator for a few hours until it's completely cooled down. Or you can spread it onto a sheet pan and freeze it for 30 minutes to cool faster. If it's even a little warm it will melt your butter later.covering ermine frosting
  6. Add your softened butter to the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk on high until very light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. closeup of whipped butter in a mixing bowl
  7. Place the cooled flour mixture into a piping bag and slowly pipe it into your butter as you whip at medium speed. Incorporating the base slowly ensures a smooth buttercream. piping bag with ermine base above mixing bowl
  8. Add in your vanilla and salt, then mix until everything is light and creamy. If you have a lot of bubbles you can mix your frosting on low with the paddle attachment to make it smoother. Ermine frosting sets up after a few hours, so you'll want to use it immediately. It does not freeze or store well.

Assembling the cake

If you want more information on how to frost and fill your cake the first time, you can check out my tutorial on how to decorate your first cake.how to make a cake tutorial

  1. Trim the domes off your cooled cake so it's nice and level.knife cutting through an eggless chocolate cake layer
  2. Add a nice thick layer of your ermine frosting on top and make it even with your offset spatula.adding ermine frosting on top of the cake layer
  3. Add your second layer of cake on top.adding the second layer of cake to the frosting layer
  4. Frost the entire cake in a thin layer of ermine frosting and then refrigerate it for 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.covering the cake in a thin layer of buttercream
  5. Apply your final coat of buttercream and smooth out the edges.smoothing out the frosting with an offset spatula
  6. Use a 1M piping tip in a piping bag to add a rope border around the top of the cake and finish with some fun sprinkles. piping a rope border on top of the cake
  7. This cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 6 hours, then cover the cut part in plastic wrap and refrigerate. closeup of cake with white frosting and colorful sprinkles

Egg Replacements

Let's dive into some of my most successful experiments on my journey to find the best egg replacer.

What do eggs do?

Eggs have two jobs. To bind the ingredients together and create a structure that traps air and helps the cake rise. Egg yolks can also add flavor and moisture to a cake. So if we remove the eggs, we need to find something else that can do that job.

Applesauce

A common replacement for eggs is ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce per egg. The pectin in the applesauce acts as a binder much like an egg does while also adding moisture like an egg would. unsweetened applesauce recipe

This makes the best, rich chocolate flavor and texture in my opinion. The applesauce cake layer had a great taste, texture, and only a slight divot at the top of the cake.eggless cake cut in half

Banana

My second test was with an unripe banana. I decided to go with a green banana since it's starchier and has more pectin than when it's ripe and the starches turn to sugar. The unripe banana actually worked really well but you could definitely taste the banana. Not a bad flavor at all but if you don't like bananas, it might not be the best choice. chocolate cake cut in half

Pectin

So this got me thinking, maybe I could try STRAIGHT PECTIN. Why not right? I combined 1 Tablespoon of powdered pectin with 3 Tablespoons of water per egg.

The pectin didn't work QUITE as well as I had hoped. It fell a bit and was a bit crumbly but maybe after some tweaking of amounts of liquid and fat, it could work. The best part was that it didn't leave behind any aftertaste so it's definitely worth more experimenting.cake cut in half

Ground flax

Ground flax is another popular replacement. When combined with water and given time to rest, the flax makes a gluey substance that resembles the structure of an egg as well as some fat. I found that the flax was not quite strong enough to support the cake and it left behind an odd sort of flavor and texture. Flax might be better in cookies or muffins in my opinion. 

Yogurt/buttermilk

Another option is using Greek yogurt or buttermilk as a replacement. I actually thought the rise on this worked out really well. The cake was very moist and fudgy. The center fell a TINY bit but I think if I reduced the liquid a bit then it would be perfect so yogurt is another great option.chocolate cake sliced in half

Tofu

The last thing we tested was blended tofu which worked surprisingly well but was a little dry and crumbly. You could add more fat to the recipe to account for the dryness. Maybe even half tofu, half applesauce.chocolate cake sliced in half

Commercial egg replacer

I also tested just a traditional egg replacer and it did pretty well. It was a little dry but had good structure and is a really good option if you want to have a pretty good egg replacer on your shelf to use at any time. I used the Bobs Red Mill Commercial egg replacer but there are tons of brands out there. Just look for them in the baking aisle or buy them online.cake sliced in half

The best egg replacers

Now that you know the results of my tests, you can do some of your own testing with your favorite recipe. Let me know if you find something that works for you!

The amounts listed below are equal to one egg

  1. Commercial egg replacer - 1 Tablespoon replacer + 2 Tablespoons water
  2. ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce + ½ teaspoon extra baking powder
  3. ½ large ripe banana mashed + ½ teaspoon extra baking powder
  4. 1T pectin powder + 3T water
  5. 1 Tablespoon Ground Flax + 3 Tablespoons Water. Let sit for 5 minutes before using.
  6. 4 Tablespoons Soy Yogurt
  7. ¼ cup silken tofu blended (may need to add 2 ounces more oil, yogurt, or butter to the recipe for extra moisture)

FAQ

Can this cake be made into an eggless vanilla cake?

This eggless cake recipe is formulated to be a chocolate cake, but we're working on testing a vanilla option. I would recommend starting with a good vanilla cake recipe that has AP flour and the traditional mixing method for the best results

Can I bake this cake in a different-sized cake pan?

Yes, you can use the cake batter and frosting calculator below to calculate the exact amounts.

Can I color the ermine frosting?

Yes, you can with regular gel food coloring but it works best with lighter colors.

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Eggless Chocolate Cake Recipe

How to make the best eggless chocolate cake recipe with ermine frosting. Tastes so good, you won't even notice it's eggless!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time40 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 cups
Calories: 1694kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

Eggless Chocolate Cake

  • 12 ounces all purpose flour
  • 16 ounces granulated sugar
  • 4.5 ounces natural cocoa powder like Hershey's
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 5 ounces unsweetened applesauce
  • 9 ounces buttermilk or regular milk plus 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar
  • 9 ounces hot coffee
  • 5 ounces vegetable oil
  • 1 Tablespoons vanilla extract

Ermine Buttercream

  • 14 ounces granulated sugar
  • 3 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 16 ounces milk
  • 16 ounces unsalted butter softened but not melted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Eggless Chocolate Cake

  • Preheat your oven to 350ºF and prepare two 8"x2" cake pans with cake goop or another preferred type of pan release and parchment paper. 
  • Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for a few seconds until combined. You can also do this with a hand mixer and a large bowl if you prefer.
  • Add in the applesauce, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl. 
  • Turn the mixer down to low and add in the hot coffee and mix until just it's just combined. 
  • Pour the batter into your prepared cake pans.
  • Bake the cakes in your preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  • Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes and then flip them out to cool on a wire rack. I wrap my cakes in plastic wrap and freeze them for at least 30 minutes to lock in moisture.

Making ermine frosting

  • Whisk together your flour and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 2 minutes to toast the flour. Be careful not to burn it! 
  • Slowly add in your milk, whisk to combine, and bring your heat to medium-high. 
  • Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisk continuously until it is thick and pudding-like. Once it's simmering, cook for one minute more to make sure the flour taste is cooked out. 
  • (Optional) If your mixture has any lumps, place a colander on top of a heat-proof bowl and push your mixture through and into the bowl. Transfer the mixture into a heat-proof bowl or a shallow cake pan if you want it to cool down faster. 
  • Cover the mixture with plastic wrap so that it is touching the surface without any air bubbles in between, this will prevent a skin from forming on the top of the mixture. Let cool in the refrigerator for a few hours until it's completely cooled down. Or you can spread it onto a sheet pan and freeze it for 30 minutes to cool faster. If it's even a little warm it will melt your butter later.
  • Add your softened butter to the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk on high until very light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. 
  • Place the cooled flour mixture into a piping bag and slowly pipe it into your butter as you whip at medium speed. Incorporating the base slowly ensures a smooth buttercream. 
  • Add in your vanilla and salt, then mix until everything is light and creamy. If you have a lot of bubbles you can mix your frosting on low with the paddle attachment to make it smoother. Ermine frosting sets up after a few hours, so you'll want to use it immediately. It does not freeze or store well.

Assembling the cake

  • Trim the domes off your cooled cake so it's nice and level.
  • Add a nice thick layer of your ermine frosting on top and make it even with your offset spatula.
  • Add your second layer of cake on top.
  • Frost the entire cake in a thin layer of ermine frosting and then refrigerate it for 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
  • Apply your final coat of buttercream and smooth out the edges.
  • Use a 1M piping tip in a piping bag to add a rope border around the top of the cake and finish with some fun sprinkles. 

Video

Notes

  1. No buttermilk? You can make your own buttermilk 
  2. Weigh your ingredients to avoid cake failure. Using a kitchen scale for baking is super easy and gives you the best results every single time. 
  3. Make sure all your cold ingredients are room temperature or slightly warm (butter, milk, eggs, to create a cohesive batter. Curdled batter causes cakes to collapse.
  4. Make your own pan release (cake goop!) The best pan release ever! 
  5. Need more help with making your first cake? Check out my how to decorate your first cake blog post. 
  6. A stand mixer works best for this cake recipe, but you can also use a hand mixer. Just go by look and consistency instead of time while mixing, you will have to mix for longer. I use a Bosch Universal Plus mixer!

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 1694kcal | Carbohydrates: 218g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 92g | Saturated Fat: 62g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 1041mg | Potassium: 735mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 151g | Vitamin A: 2089IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 251mg | Iron: 7mg
close up of coffee crumb cake

May 30, 2023 Quick Breads

Cinnamon Coffee Crumb Cake

This coffee crumb cake is so moist and buttery with a swirl of cinnamon inside, huge crumbs on top, and a generous drizzle of cream cheese espresso glaze! It's truly the perfect breakfast and only takes minutes to make. You can bake it ahead and have it ready for gatherings or have a slice every morning with your coffee. No one said you had to share!close up of coffee crumb cake

This delicious cake is a mashup of the New York crumb cake and a classic coffee cake. The perfect complement to any cup of coffee or tea. 

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Ingredientscoffee crumb cake ingredients

Sour Cream adds moisture to the coffee cake and can also be substituted with Greek yogurt. If you don't have sour cream you can use buttermilk or any of these buttermilk substitutions. 

Espresso in the cream cheese glaze adds that extra special something. It's rare to have actual coffee in coffee cake recipes, but I felt like it needed it! 

Brown sugar is used in both the cinnamon swirl and crumb topping. The crumb mixture is like a chunky cinnamon streusel and the moisture in the brown sugar helps hold it together. 

 

Step-By-Step Instructions

The 3 components of this coffee crumb cake are the coffee cake, the cinnamon sugar filling for the center of the cake, and the coarse crumb topping.

Making the crumb topping

  1. Add the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, cinnamon, and soft (almost melted) butter to a large bowl. Mix together with a spoon or spatula to combine until most of the flour is combined.crumb cake topping ingredients in a clear bowl
  2. Use your clean hands to press the topping together. You should have very chunky crumbs, some large and some small. If it’s too crumbly and dry, microwave it for about 5 seconds to melt the butter more, then work it with your hands until it comes together. crumb topping

Making the cinnamon sugar filling

  1. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to a medium bowl and mix together to combine. If it’s really lumpy, sift it together. sifting cinnamon filling

Making the coffee cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8”x4” loaf pan with pan release on the bottom and up the sides. I recommend using cake goop! Or you can line the bottom and sides with parchment paper to easily flip it out later. You can also use an 8”x8” nonstick square cake pan, it will just take less time to bake. If you want to use a larger bundt pan, make 1 and a half batches of this recipe.
  2. Make sure your butter, sour cream, egg, and cream cheese are all room temperature so that the ingredients combine together well. I place my eggs (still in the shell) into a bowl of warm water for a few minutes and leave out the butter and sour cream for a few hours. If needed, I microwave them for a few seconds until they are room temperature or even slightly warm.
  3. Place the butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed and cream together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. (Or longer if you’re using a hand mixer.) butter and flour creamed together
  4. Add your egg, sour cream, and vanilla to the creamed butter and mix until cohesive. If it has big chunks of cold butter in there, one of your ingredients was too cold.butter and sugar creamed together on a whisk
  5. Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on medium-low speed until the batter is thick and just combined. If your flour is really lumpy, sift these dry ingredients before adding them to the mixer.
  6. Place half of the batter into the greased loaf pan and smooth it out in an even layer.coffee crumb cake in a loaf pan
  7. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling on top until it’s completely covered.cinnamon sugar mix on cake batter
  8. Add the rest of the cake batter on top. smoothing cake batter with spatula
  9. Sprinkle the thick crumbs evenly on top, covering the surface of the loaf.adding cake crumbs on top of coffee cake batter in loaf pan
  10. Bake at 350ºF for 40-50 minutes and rotate halfway through for even baking. When a toothpick comes out clean from the center, it’s done!baked coffee crumb cake
  11. Rest the loaf at room temperature until the pan is completely cool, about 2 hours. Do NOT flip your cake out while it’s warm, it could collapse.
  12. Loosen the edges with a knife, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the cake, and flip it upside down to remove it from the pan. close up of coffee crumb cake on a plate

Making cream cheese glaze

  1. Place the softened cream cheese in a large bowl and blend it until smooth with a hand mixer or whisk. 
  2. Slowly pour in the melted butter a little at a time. Do not pour it all in there at once or you could end up with a soupy cream cheese mess.adding melted butter to cream cheese
  3. Add the vanilla, sift in the powdered sugar, and mix until you don’t see any lumps.cream cheese espresso glaze
  4. While mixing, pour in the coffee (or espresso, milk, or water) a little at a time. Keep adding until you get the desired consistency of a glaze. I like a thinner glaze so it’s easy to pipe.glaze in a piping bag
  5. Place the glaze into a piping bag and drizzle on top of the loaf. You can also use a spoon or a plastic bag with the corner cut off.drizzling glaze over crumb cake loaf
  6. Enjoy this cake at room temperature for up to three days. To keep the coffee crumb cake moist, store it in a plastic bag or wrap it with plastic wrap.

FAQ

Can I add other toppings to this cake?

Make this recipe your own! When assembling the loaf in the pan, add your favorite toppings/fillings like blueberries, dried fruit, or even swirl in cream cheese filling.

How long is this cake good for?

Enjoy at room temperature for up to three days. To keep the coffee crumb cake moist, store it in a plastic bag or wrap it with plastic wrap.

What's the difference between coffee cake and crumb cake?

Crumb cake has a thicker layer of chunky streusel crumbs on top of a buttery vanilla cake. Coffee cake has less streusel on top but more cake. 

Does coffee crumb cake have coffee?

Most modern coffee crumb cake recipes don't have coffee in them, although original early versions of the dessert did. This recipe uses coffee in the glaze, but its name implies the drink it's best served with. 

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Recipe

close up of coffee crumb cake
Print Recipe
4.84 from 37 votes

Coffee Crumb Cake Recipe

Moist and buttery with a swirl of cinnamon inside, huge crumbs on top, and a generous drizzle of cream cheese espresso glaze! It's truly the perfect breakfast treat and only takes minutes to make.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Total Time55 minutes mins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 530kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • Hand Mixer Or Whisk
  • 8" x 4" Loaf Pan, 2.5" tall or 8" x 8" square nonstick pan

Ingredients

Cake

  • 3 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
  • 4 ounces granulated sugar
  • 6 ounces all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 5 ounces sour cream room temperature

Cinnamon Swirl

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 ounce light brown sugar sifted

Crumb Topping

  • 6 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter almost melted
  • 3 ounces light brown sugar
  • 2 ounces granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Glaze

  • 2 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 ounce unsalted butter melted
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 ounces powdered sugar
  • 4 teaspoons coffee or milk, water or espresso
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

  • Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to a medium bowl and mix together to combine. If it’s really lumpy, sift it together. 

Making the crumb topping

  • Add the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, cinnamon, and soft (almost melted) butter to a large bowl. Mix together with a spoon or spatula to combine until most of the flour is combined.
  • Use your clean hands to press the topping together. You should have very chunky crumbs, some large and some small. If it’s too crumbly and dry, microwave it for about 5 seconds to melt the butter more, then work it with your hands until it comes together. 

Making the coffee cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8”x4” loaf pan with pan release on the bottom and up the sides. I recommend using cake goop! Or you can line the bottom and sides with parchment paper to easily flip it out later.
    You can also use an 8”x8” nonstick square cake pan, it will just take less time to bake. If you want to use a larger bundt pan, make 1 and a half batches of this recipe.
  • Make sure your butter, sour cream, egg, and cream cheese are all room temperature so that the ingredients combine together well. I place my eggs (still in the shell) into a bowl of warm water for a few minutes and leave out the butter and sour cream for a few hours. If needed, I microwave them for a few seconds until they are room temperature or even slightly warm.
  • Place the butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed and cream together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. (Or longer if you’re using a hand mixer.) 
  • Add your egg, sour cream, and vanilla to the creamed butter and mix until cohesive. If it has big chunks of cold butter in there, one of your ingredients was too cold.
  • Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on medium-low speed until the batter is thick and just combined. If your flour is really lumpy, sift these dry ingredients before adding them to the mixer.
  • Place half of the batter into the greased loaf pan and smooth it out in an even layer.
  • Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling on top until it’s completely covered.
  • Add the rest of the cake batter on top. 
  • Sprinkle the thick crumbs evenly on top, covering the surface of the loaf.
  • Bake at 350ºF for 40-50 minutes and rotate halfway through for even baking. When a toothpick comes out clean from the center, it’s done!
  • Rest the loaf at room temperature until the pan is completely cool, about 2 hours. Do NOT flip your cake out while it’s warm, it could collapse.
  • Loosen the edges with a knife, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the cake, and flip it upside down to remove it from the pan. 

Making cream cheese glaze

  • Place the softened cream cheese in a large bowl and blend it until smooth with a hand mixer or whisk. 
  • Slowly pour in the melted butter a little at a time. Do not pour it all in there at once or you could end up with a soupy cream cheese mess.
  • Add the vanilla, sift in the powdered sugar, and mix until you don’t see any lumps.
  • While mixing, pour in the coffee (or espresso, milk, or water) a little at a time. Keep adding until you get the desired consistency of a glaze. I like a thinner glaze so it’s easy to pipe.
  • Place the glaze into a piping bag and drizzle on top of the loaf. You can also use a spoon or a plastic bag with the corner cut off.
  • Enjoy this cake at room temperature for up to three days. To keep the coffee crumb cake moist, store it in a plastic bag or wrap it with plastic wrap.

Video

Notes

  1. All my recipes are measured in ounces, not cups. Cups leave way too much room for error and a scale is super simple to use. It's my #1 recommended tool for baking success. You can watch my video on how to use a kitchen scale if you're not familiar.
  2. For this recipe, I'm using a Bosch universal plus mixer! You can use a kitchen aid or a hand mixer if you like, any mixer will work. You can try to use a whisk, but it will take a while to fully cream the butter and sugar.
  3. Make sure your butter, sour cream, egg, and cream cheese are all room temperature so that the ingredients combine together well.
  4. If you don't have sour cream you can use buttermilk or any of these buttermilk substitutions. 
  5. For your pan release, I recommend using cake goop! Or you can line the bottom and sides with parchment paper to easily flip it out later.
  6. I'm using an 8" x 4" Loaf Pan, 2.5" tall. You can also use an 8”x8” nonstick square pan, it will just take less time to bake. If you want to use a larger bundt pan, make 1 and a half batches of this recipe. You can also use this recipe to make muffins!
  7. Make this recipe your own! When assembling the loaf in the pan, add your favorite toppings/fillings like blueberries, dried fruit, or even swirl in cream cheese filling.
  8. After your cake is done baking, make sure to rest it at room temperature until the pan is completely cool, about 2 hours. Do NOT flip your cake out while it’s warm, it could collapse.
  9. All my recipes are measured in ounces, not cups. Cups leave way too much room for error and a scale is super simple to use. It's my #1 recommended tool for baking success. You can watch my video on how to use a kitchen scale if you're not familiar. 
  10. You might be wondering what kind of mixer I am using. I'm using my favorite mixer, which is the Bosch universal plus mixer! You can use a kitchen aid or a hand mixer if you like, any mixer will work. You can try to use a whisk, but it will take a while to fully cream the butter and sugar.
  11. Sour Cream adds moisture to the coffee cake and can also be substituted with Greek yogurt. If you don't have sour cream you can use buttermilk or any of these buttermilk substitutions. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 341mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 948IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1mg

May 26, 2023 Cake

Blackberry Cake

This blackberry cake recipe is made with swirls of blackberry puree, whole blackberries, and blackberry buttercream! Add a hint of lime to bring out the fresh flavor.

What makes this cake extra special is the boost of lime flavor! Using lime zest in your recipe will get a more concentrated flavor, resulting in a cake that's packed with bold summer flavors you will love!  If you're familiar with my fresh strawberry cake recipe then this will be very similar.

Table of contents

  • Special Ingredients
  • Step-by-step Instructions
    • Making Blackberry Puree
    • Making Blackberry Cake
    • Making Blackberry Buttercream
    • Decorating the Cake
  • FAQ
  • More recipes you'll love

Special Ingredients

Blackberries: You can use fresh or frozen blackberries to make the puree in this cake. Frozen berries are flash-frozen at the peak of ripeness, so they have the best flavor. It's best to use fresh, juicy blackberries for the center and top of the cakes.

Lime: I really like the combination of blackberry and lime because the tartness brings out the flavor of the berries. You can also use lemon juice and lemon zest instead if you prefer to make a lemon blackberry cake. You could also switch out the berries in my lemon blueberry cake too!

Buttermilk: The acidity in buttermilk not only breaks down the gluten structure, making baked goods more tender, but it also adds a delicious flavor. If you do not have buttermilk you can make your own buttermilk substitute using milk and white vinegar or substituting sour cream.

Step-by-step Instructions

The key to blackberry cake is making a puree of concentrated blackberry flavor, and mixing that into our cake and buttercream. I recommend making the puree first, then the cakes, and making the buttercream while the cakes are cooling.

Making Blackberry Puree

  1. Combine lime juice and cornstarch to make a slurry and mix until there are no lumps.  frozen blackberries in a saucepan
  2. Mix the blackberries and salt in a saucepan and use an immersion blender to make the filling smooth.  immersion blender blending frozen blackberries in a saucepan
  3. Turn on the heat and cook down the berries. Keep stirring to keep the puree from cooking too quickly on the bottom of the pan.
  4. Once the puree has thickened up slightly, remove it from the heat and stir in the lime zest. pouring blackberry puree into a glass bowl
  5. Transfer the puree to a large bowl to cool to room temperature. You will use about 6 Tablespoons of the puree to add to your cake. About ¼ to ½ cup of puree will be for the buttercream. If you choose to strain the seeds out of all of the puree, add a couple of extra ounces of berries to account for the loss in straining. I chose to leave the seeds in for the cake and strain the seeds out for the buttercream. The seeds can be left in for the buttercream too, your choice. 
  6. Store leftover puree in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for 6 months.

Making Blackberry Cake

  1. Heat oven to 335º F/168º C and prepare two 8"x2" round cake pans with cake goop or another pan release and parchment paper if you prefer.
  2. Measure out the buttermilk and place 4 oz in a separate measuring cup. Add the oil to the 4oz of buttermilk and set aside. 
  3. Add your eggs and lime zest to the remaining milk and gently whisk to combine. Keep the lime juice separate, you will add this at the end. adding lime zest to buttermilk and eggs in a measuring cup
  4. Place the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. I'm using my Bosch universal plus mixer but you can use a hand mixer, just mix for longer. 
  5. Turn the mixer onto the slowest speed (setting 1 on Kitchen Aid mixers). Slowly add chunks of your softened butter until it is all added. Let everything mix until it looks like coarse sand. adding softened butter to dry ingredients in a stand mixershowing the coarse sand texture of cake batter
  6. Add your milk/oil mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Mix on medium (speed 4 on KitchenAid) for 1 full minute to develop the structure. Don't worry, this will not over-mix the cake. Because it is AP flour you do not need to mix as long as cake flour (more gluten, less time needed). closeup of cake texture on a spatula
  7. Scrape the bowl. This is an important step. If you skip it, you will have hard lumps of flour and unmixed ingredients in your batter. If you do it later, they will not mix in fully.
  8. Slowly add in the rest of your milk/eggs/zest ingredients in 3 parts. Next, pour in the lime juice with the last addition of liquid, stopping to scrape the bowl one more time halfway through. Your batter should be thick and not too runny. adding egg mixture to mixing cake battercloseup of cake texture on a spatula
  9. Fill your pans ½ full with cake batter.
  10. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of room-temperature puree over the batter. Use a small spatula or knife to gently fold the puree in to create a swirl effect into the batter.swirling blackberry puree into cake batter in pans
  11. Add the floured blackberries to the top of the batter. Do not push them down as their weight will cause them to sink anyway as the cake heats up. adding fresh blackberries to blackberry cake batter in cake pans
  12. Place the cakes in the preheated oven. I start by baking for 30 minutes for  6" and 8" cakes and 35 minutes for 9" and larger cakes and then checking for doneness. If the cakes are still really jiggly, I add another 5 minutes. I check every 2 minutes after that until I'm close and then it's every 1 minute. Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs. 
  13. After the cakes have cooled for 10 minutes or the pans are cool enough to touch, place a wire rack on top and flip the cakes over to remove them from the pans. Let them rest on a cooling rack to cool completely, or wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer.hand with an ovenmitt holding a blackberry cake pan

Making Blackberry Buttercream

  1. Strain out the seeds of the blackberry filling. This is optional but it will make a smoother texture when scraping the sides.
  2. Place the egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip on high speed for 3-5 minutes. An electric mixer and a large mixing bowl will also work, just mix for longer. egg whites and powdered sugar in a stand mixer bowl
  3. Add the softened butter in small chunks then vanilla and salt. Whip on high until light and fluffy and white, about 8 to 10 minutes.hand adding a stick of butter to a stand mixer bowl
  4. Add about ½ cup of the blackberry purée to the buttercream and continue to whip until combined. adding blackberry puree to buttercream
  5. Mix in about 1-2 drops of pink food coloring to enhance the color if you choose. 
  6. Optional: switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low for 15-20 minutes until all air bubbles are gone.paddle attachment with pink buttercream
  7. Stored it in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator or for 3 months in the freezer. 

Decorating the Cake

If you haven't ever decorated a cake before, you might want to check out my blog post on how to decorate your first cake. It goes over everything from tools to techniques.

how to make a cake tutorial
  1. Once your cakes are chilled, trim off the dome and brown edges of the cake. This is optional but makes for pretty slices. blackberry cake on cake board
  2. Place your first cake layer onto a board.
  3. Spread on about ¼" of your blackberry buttercream.
  4. Layer some fresh blackberries into the buttercream.layering fresh blackberries in blackberry buttercream
  5. Spread some more buttercream on top of the blackberries and then add your next layer of cake.
  6. Repeat the process with layer two and then add your final layer of cake on top.  blackberry cake layers with blackberry buttercream
  7. Cover the whole cake in a thin layer of buttercream. This is the crumb coat.  blackberry cake covered in blackberry buttercream
  8. Place the cake into the fridge or freezer for 20 minutes to set the buttercream layer.
  9. Apply your final coat of buttercream and use a bench scraper and offset spatula to make it nice and smooth.
  10. Decorate the top of the cake with more dollops of buttercream, fresh berries and some lime zest. I used a 1M piping tip for this design. blackberry cake
  11. Store your blackberry cake in the fridge until you're ready to serve it. It's best to eat soft cake, so make sure you take it out of the fridge a few hours before you serve it. Cold butter makes a cold cake taste dry!

FAQ


How long does blackberry puree last

Blackberry puree lasts for up to 2-3 days in the refrigerator if kept in an airtight container. 


Can you freeze blackberry puree?

Yes, you can freeze blackberry puree! Pour your leftover blackberry puree into ice cube trays or baby food containers, and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you're ready to use your puree, remove the container from the freezer to allow it to thaw, and then use the puree to use for another baking recipe, smoothie, or even a homemade popsicle.


What kind of flour is best to use for this cake?

I use all-purpose flour in this recipe because the cake needed just a little more structure to hold those big juicy berries. AP flour has more protein and less starch, so it is just a little stronger than cake flour. The higher acid in the batter tenderizes the gluten proteins as well, so you do not end up with a tough cake. Too much acid in the batter will cause the protein to become too weak and the cake will be crumbly and dense. It's a very fine balance to find the right texture and keep the colors bright!

Why is my blackberry cake green?

When the acidic blackberries bake with baking powder, they oxidize and turn green. Lowering the alkalinity of the batter and using baking soda instead kept the blackberries that nice, deep purple/red color. For an even deeper purple, you can add a few drops of violet food coloring to the puree.

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Berry Wash (How to Make Fresh Berries Last Longer)

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Fresh Berry Cake Filling 

Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Cake Recipe

Recipe

Print Recipe
4.84 from 60 votes

Blackberry Lime Cake

The best blackberry cake is made with fresh blackberries and a hint of lime. This incredibly moist and tender cake goes so well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a hot summer day.
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Decorating time1 hour hr
Total Time2 hours hrs
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 1550kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 2 8"x2" round cake pans or three 6" pans
  • Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments
  • Immersion blender

Ingredients

Blackberry Cake

  • 8 ounces buttermilk slightly warm
  • 3 ounces vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon lime zest (About 1 lime)
  • 1 Tablespoon lime juice
  • 12 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 11 ounces granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter softened
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (For dusting on blackberries)
  • 4 ounces blackberries (You can use frozen, but don't thaw them)

Blackberry Puree

  • 16 ounces fresh or frozen blackberries
  • 1 tablespoon lime zest
  • 2 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt

Blackberry Buttercream Frosting

  • 24 ounces unsalted butter room temperature (You can use salted butter but it will affect the taste and you need to leave out additional salt)
  • 24 ounces powdered sugar sifted if not from a bag
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 6 ounces pasteurized egg whites room temperature
  • 2 ounces blackberry puree (You can add more if you want to)
  • 1 drop Americolor electric pink food coloring (Optional)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Blackberry Puree

  • Combine lime juice and cornstarch to make a slurry and mix until there are no lumps.  
  • Mix the blackberries and salt in a saucepan and use an immersion blender to make the filling smooth.  
  • Turn on the heat and cook down the berries. Keep stirring to keep the puree from cooking too quickly on the bottom of the pan.
  • Once the puree has thickened up slightly, remove it from the heat and stir in the lime zest. 
  • Transfer the puree to a large bowl to cool to room temperature. You will use about 6 Tablespoons of the puree to add to your cake. About ¼ to ½ cup of puree will be for the buttercream. If you choose to strain the seeds out of all of the puree, add a couple of extra ounces of berries to account for the loss in straining. I chose to leave the seeds in for the cake and strain the seeds out for the buttercream. The seeds can be left in for the buttercream too, your choice. 
  • Store leftover puree in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for 6 months.

Making Blackberry Cake

  • Heat oven to 335º F/168º C and prepare two 8"x2" round cake pans with cake goop or another pan release and parchment paper if you prefer.
  • Measure out the buttermilk and place 4 oz in a separate measuring cup. Add the oil to the 4oz of buttermilk and set aside. 
  • Add your eggs and lime zest to the remaining milk and gently whisk to combine. Keep the lime juice separate, you will add this at the end. 
  • Place the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. I'm using my Bosch universal plus mixer but you can use a hand mixer, just mix for longer. 
  • Turn the mixer onto the slowest speed (setting 1 on Kitchen Aid mixers). Slowly add chunks of your softened butter until it is all added. Let everything mix until it looks like coarse sand.
  • Add your milk/oil mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Mix on medium (speed 4 on KitchenAid) for 1 full minute to develop the structure. Don't worry, this will not over-mix the cake. Because it is AP flour you do not need to mix as long as cake flour (more gluten, less time needed). 
  • Scrape the bowl. This is an important step. If you skip it, you will have hard lumps of flour and unmixed ingredients in your batter. If you do it later, they will not mix in fully.
  • Slowly add in the rest of your milk/eggs/zest ingredients in 3 parts. Next, pour in the lime juice with the last addition of liquid, stopping to scrape the bowl one more time halfway through. Your batter should be thick and not too runny. 
  • Fill your pans ½ full with cake batter.
  • Spoon about 2 tablespoons of room-temperature puree over the batter. Use a small spatula or knife to gently fold the puree in to create a swirl effect into the batter.
  • Add the floured blackberries to the top of the batter. Do not push them down as their weight will cause them to sink anyway as the cake heats up. 
  • Place the cakes in the preheated oven. I start by baking for 30 minutes for  6" and 8" cakes and 35 minutes for 9" and larger cakes and then checking for doneness. If the cakes are still really jiggly, I add another 5 minutes. I check every 2 minutes after that until I'm close and then it's every 1 minute. Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs. 
  • After the cakes have cooled for 10 minutes or the pans are cool enough to touch, place a wire rack on top and flip the cakes over to remove them from the pans. Let them rest on a cooling rack to cool completely, or wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer.

Making Blackberry Buttercream

  • Strain out the seeds of the blackberry filling. This is optional but it will make a smoother texture when scraping the sides.
  • Place the egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip on high speed for 3-5 minutes. An electric mixer and a large mixing bowl will also work, just mix for longer. 
  • Add the softened butter in small chunks then vanilla and salt. Whip on high until light and fluffy and white, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Add about ½ cup of the blackberry purée to the buttercream and continue to whip until combined. 
  • Mix in about 1-2 drops of pink food coloring to enhance the color if you choose. 
  • Optional: switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low for 15-20 minutes until all air bubbles are gone.
  • Stored it in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator or for 3 months in the freezer. 

Decorating the blackberry cake

  • Once your cakes are chilled, trim off the dome and brown edges of the cake. This is optional but makes for pretty slices. 
  • Place your first cake layer onto a board.
  • Spread on about ¼" of your blackberry buttercream.
  • Layer some fresh blackberries into the buttercream.
  • Spread some more buttercream on top of the blackberries and then add your next layer of cake.
  • Repeat the process with layer two and then add your final layer of cake on top.  
  • Cover the whole cake in a thin layer of buttercream. This is the crumb coat.  
  • Place the cake into the fridge or freezer for 20 minutes to set the buttercream layer.
  • Apply your final coat of buttercream and use a bench scraper and offset spatula to make it nice and smooth.
  • Decorate the top of the cake with more dollops of buttercream, fresh berries and some lime zest. I used a 1M piping tip for this design. 

Video

Notes

  1. To keep the blackberries and puree from turning blue and green during baking the acidity level had to be higher, when the acidic berries touch the alkaline they oxidize and turn green. Lowering the alkalinity of the batter kept the blackberries that nice deep purple red color. 
  2. I used AP flour in this recipe because the cake needed just a little more structure to hold those big juicy berries. AP flour has more protein, less starch, so is just a little stronger than cake flour. The higher acid in the batter tenderizes the gluten proteins as well, so you do not end up with a tough cake. Too much acid in the batter will cause the protein to become too weak and the cake will be crumbly and dense. It's a very fine balance to find the right texture and keep the colors bright!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 1550kcal | Carbohydrates: 168g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 96g | Saturated Fat: 59g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 317mg | Sodium: 572mg | Potassium: 301mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 128g | Vitamin A: 3137IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 3mg
close up of sliced lemon pound cake

May 25, 2023 Blog

Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

This lemon pound cake recipe is absolutely divine! A super moist and tender crumb with a dash of lemon and a delicious buttermilk glaze. It's so easy to bake up for last-minute guests or bring to a special occasion.

close up of sliced lemon pound cake

If you're looking for a super moist and lemony pound cake with a velvet smooth crumb, this is the one for you. I've had my fair share of dry pound cake so when I was testing recipes, super moist was my #1 goal without losing that classic pound cake denseness and texture. Truthfully though, the real star of this lemon pound cake is the tart lemon glaze made with buttermilk. It's the perfect sweet and zesty topping and really gives this lemon pound cake its WOW factor!

Table of contents

  • Making Lemon Pound Cake
  • Making Lemon Buttermilk Glaze
  • How to flavor pound cake
  • FAQ
  • Related Recipes

Moist pound cake ingredients

Buttermilk adds much-needed moisture but it's also acidic which breaks down the gluten in the flour, resulting in a very tender and moist crumb. For the glaze, we're using powdered buttermilk instead of fresh because it adds a ton of flavor without making the glaze too thin.

Cake flour makes the pound cake incredibly light but if you can't get your hands on cake flour, all-purpose will still work just fine. Just replace two Tablespoons of flour with cornstarch and sift together. Be very careful not to over-mix which will make your pound cake tough and hard.

Baking powder gives the pound cake just enough lift to make it light without losing that classic pound cake texture.

Lemon extract and lemon zest together bring out the bright lemon flavor in this cake. You can easily switch these out for other flavors if you prefer. 

powdered buttermilk

Making Lemon Pound Cake

  1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and make sure the rack is in the center of the oven.
  2. Prepare your 5"x9" loaf pan with cake goop or any kind of preferred pan release. If you don't have loaf pans, you can use bundt pans or even cake pans.
  3. Weigh out your wet and dry ingredients using a scale instead of using measuring cups for a more accurate recipe, and bring your ingredients to room temperature. When your wet ingredients are room temperature or even a little warm, they will mix together more easily and your lemon pound cake will have a better texture.
  4. Sift together your cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then set aside.lemon pound cake dry ingredients
  5. Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light, white, and fluffy. If your butter is too cold, your butter and sugar are not going to cream very easily.close up of creamed butter and sugar on a green spatula
  6. While mixing on low, add in your room temperature eggs, one at a time, letting each mix in fully before you add in the next. I'm using a stand mixer, but you can also use a hand-electric mixer if you'd like. Scrape the sides of the bowl.adding eggs to pound cake ingredients
  7. Add the lemon extract and zest to the buttermilk and set aside.
  8. While mixing on low, add ⅓ of the buttermilk mixture, then ⅓ of the flour mixture, repeat two more times with the remaining flour and buttermilk mixture and mix until just combined. Don't overmix. adding buttermilk to mixing bowladding flour to pound cake mixture
  9. Pour your cake batter into a prepared 5"x9" loaf pan and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly. lemon pound cake batter in a blue loaf pan
  10. Cool it for 10 minutes, then flip the cake onto a wire rack. If you want extra moisture, add a simple lemon syrup to the top straight out of the oven.lemon pound cake on a cooling rack
  11. Let the cake cool at room temperature or wrap the whole cake in plastic wrap and freeze it to lock in the moisture. 

Making Lemon Buttermilk Glaze

  1. Combine the powdered sugar, salt, buttermilk powder, and lemon juice in a large bowl.lemon buttermilk glaze ingredients in a bowl
  2. Mix until smooth with a hand mixer or whisk. Make sure to spend enough time beating the mixture so you don't have lumps.lemon buttermilk glaze in a bowl
  3. Add in your softened butter and mix until smooth and creamy. lemon buttermilk glaze on a blue spatula
  4. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake (I put mine on a cooling rack over a pan to catch the glaze) and then garnish with fresh lemons if you like.glazing lemon pound cake

How to flavor pound cake

Don't like lemon? No problem! You can flavor this pound cake in so many different ways with simple ingredients! Leave out the lemon zest and replace it with fresh blueberries or raspberries. Add a layer of cream cheese frosting or mix in some chocolate chips. You can also add vanilla extract and add in some spices to make a spice pound cake! Replace the buttermilk with pumpkin puree for a yummy pumpkin pound cake. The options are truly endless!

close up of pound cake sliced

FAQ

Can I use a bundt cake pan?

Yes, you can absolutely make this lemon loaf cake in a bundt cake pan. Double it to make sure you have enough batter, and bake it for longer.

Can I use lemon juice to add more lemon flavor?

Lemon juice actually doesn't have a lot of lemon flavor and it adds a lot of liquid to the recipe. For true lemon lovers, try adding more lemon zest and extract.

What if I don't have buttermilk? What can I use as a substitution?

You can use regular milk plus 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar as a buttermilk substitute or you can check out my buttermilk substitute blog post for more substitutions.

Why is it called pound cake?

Pound cake first came from Europe around the 1700s. A typical pound cake was made of one pound of butter, flour, sugar, and eggs. This type of cake was very heavy, dry, and dense. The only sort of lift in the cake came from the eggs.

The difference between a pound cake and a regular cake is how dense the cake is. A pound cake usually only has a glaze or is paired with whipped cream and berries because of how heavy it is while a traditional cake is much lighter in texture and can therefore be paired with richer fillings and frostings. Pound cakes are typically baked in a loaf pan or a bundt cake pan and take much longer to bake than a traditional cake.

What is the best flour to use for pound cake?

I find that cake flour makes a very light and fluffy pound cake. All-purpose will also work just fine, Just replace two Tablespoons of flour with cornstarch and sift it together. Be very careful not to over-mix which will make your pound cake tough and hard.

Related Recipes

Moist Lemon cake recipe

Lemon blueberry cake recipe

Lemon raspberry cake recipe

Homemade lemon curd recipe

Recipe

close up of sliced lemon pound cake
Print Recipe
4.57 from 16 votes

Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake

Moist and tender lemon pound cake with a lemon buttermilk glaze. This is the perfect easy cake to throw together for a last-minute gathering, brunch, or spring dessert. Works great in a bundt pan too!
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time40 minutes mins
Chilling Time30 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 464kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 5-inch by 9-inch loaf pans
  • Stand mixer or hand mixer

Ingredients

Lemon Pound Cake

  • 4 ounces unsalted butter softened but not melted
  • 8 ounces granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 8 ounces cake flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 5 ounces buttermilk room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon zest

Lemon Buttermilk Glaze

  • 6 ounces powdered sugar sifted
  • 2 ounces fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons buttermilk powder
  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter very soft but not melted
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Lemon Pound Cake

  • Preheat your oven to 350ºF and make sure the rack is in the center of the oven.
  • Prepare your 5"x9" loaf pan with cake goop or any kind of preferred pan release. If you don't have loaf pans, you can use bundt pans or even cake pans.
  • Weigh out your wet and dry ingredients using a scale instead of using measuring cups for a more accurate recipe, and bring your ingredients to room temperature. When your wet ingredients are room temperature or even a little warm, they will mix together more easily and your lemon pound cake will have a better texture.
  • Sift together your cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then set aside.
  • Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light, white, and fluffy. If your butter is too cold, your butter and sugar are not going to cream very easily.
  • While mixing on low, add in your room temperature eggs, one at a time, letting each mix in fully before you add in the next. I'm using a stand mixer, but you can also use a hand-electric mixer if you'd like. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
  • Add the lemon extract and zest to the buttermilk and set aside.
  • While mixing on low, add ⅓ of the buttermilk mixture, then ⅓ of the flour mixture, repeat two more times with the remaining flour and buttermilk mixture and mix until just combined. Don't overmix. 
  • Pour your cake batter into a prepared 5"x9" loaf pan and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly. 
  • Cool it for 10 minutes, then flip the cake onto a wire rack. If you want extra moisture, add a simple lemon syrup to the top straight out of the oven.
  • Let the cake cool at room temperature or wrap the whole cake in plastic wrap and freeze it to lock in the moisture. 

Making Lemon Buttermilk Glaze

  • Combine the powdered sugar, salt, buttermilk powder, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
  • Mix until smooth with a hand mixer or whisk. Make sure to spend enough time beating the mixture so you don't have lumps.
  • Add in your softened butter and mix until smooth and creamy. 
  • Pour the glaze over the top of the cake (I put mine on a cooling rack over a pan to catch the glaze) and then garnish with fresh lemons if you like.

Video

Notes

  1. If you can’t get your hands on cake flour, all-purpose will still work just fine. Just replace two Tablespoons of flour with cornstarch and sift together.
  2. If you want to make your pound cake EXTRA moist you can brush on some simple syrup right out of the oven or you can add in 2 ounces of vegetable oil to the liquids in the recipe.
  3. Don't forget to grease your pans! Using cake goop is the best way to make sure your loaf doesn't stick to the pan.
  4. Weigh out your ingredients using a scale and bring ingredients to room temperature. When your ingredients are room temperature or even a little warm, they will mix together more easily and your lemon pound cake will have a better texture.
  5. You can use regular milk plus 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar as a buttermilk substitute or you can check out my buttermilk substitute blog post for more substitutions
  6. If you don't have buttermilk powder for the glaze, use 2 Tablespoons of real buttermilk and add an extra ¼ cup of powdered sugar. 
  7. I recommend using a nonstick metal pan, but if you want to use a glass pan, bake for an extra 10 minutes. 
  8. To bake this in a bundt pan, double the recipe to make sure you have enough batter and bake for longer. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 464kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 245mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 567IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg

350 f 40-45 mins

sliced olive oil cake

May 24, 2023 Cake

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Olive oil cake is the perfect dessert if you're craving something sweet but don't have a lot of time. It's a simple cake made by whipping eggs and sugar with olive oil and flavorings and then adding a flour mixture with buttermilk powder as the secret, tangy ingredient. sliced olive oil cakeIf this is your first time making olive oil cake, prepare yourself for a cake that's not too sweet and has a hint of olive oil flavor. The bright and fresh lemon flavor really comes through, and the powdered sugar on top gives just a hint of sweetness. 

Olive Oil Cake Ingredients

Olive oil is obviously key to an olive oil cake, so you want to use good quality oil. Technically, it would also work to use canola or vegetable oil, but you won't get that rich flavor as you would from extra-virgin olive oil.

Buttermilk powder adds a little bit of tang to this recipe. It also adds lightness to the cake and helps lead to a better texture.

Lemon zest is optional, but you'd be surprised how much citrus flavor can come from zest alone. Orange zest or other flavorings would also be yummy.

Making the Lemon Olive Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat an 8" cake pan with cake goop or parchment paper. You can also use a springform pan or loaf pan if you prefer, just adjust the baking time. coating a pan with cake goop
  2. Mix the eggs and granulated sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed and mix until it's light in color and fluffy. whipped eggs and sugar in a bowl
  3. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in between the whisk blades and the side of the bowl and mix until combined. drizzling olive oil into a stand mixer bowl
  4. Switch to the paddle attachment and add the water, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and lemon zest, then mix until combined.zesting a lemon into a bowl
  5. Add the flour, buttermilk powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl and whisk it to combine.
  6. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients while mixing on low, and mix until combined.adding a bowl of flour to a stand mixer bowl
  7. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread out the top with a spatula.cake batter in a pan
  8. Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes until it's golden brown and a toothpick comes out of the center clean. 
  9. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. If you're making it ahead, wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it until you're ready to serve. olive oil cake on a cooling rack
  10. Place the cake on a serving plate and dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar. I put a little paper heart in the center to make this fun pattern. You can also top it with fresh lemons, lemon curd, or fresh berries. lifting a paper heart off a cake
  11. Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. You can refrigerate it if you'd like, but this cake tastes best at room temperature. slice of olive oil cake

FAQ

Can I change the flavor of this lemon olive oil cake?

Yes, this is such an easy recipe to customize! You can switch out the zest and extract for any flavorings that you like.

Is olive oil cake healthier than regular cake?

Olive oil is one of the healthiest oils you can have, so it's already a better choice than most cakes. You can also substitute the sugar for monk fruit or another alternative sugar option.

What do you put on top of olive oil cake?

Fresh fruit and powdered sugar are the perfect, light toppings for an olive oil cake. It doesn't need anything heavy like buttercream, but whipped cream frosting, lemon curd, or ice cream would also pair nicely.

Related Recipes

Lemon blueberry cake

Buttermilk lemon loaf cake

Lemon raspberry cake

Lemon blueberry scones

Recipe

sliced olive oil cake
Print Recipe
4.84 from 6 votes

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

This lemon olive oil cake recipe comes together in less than 1 hour with simple ingredients you already have at home. The perfect cake for a weeknight, a special occasion, or a dinner party.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 cups
Calories: 655kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 1 8" x 2" cake pan

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1.5 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 lemon zest
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅛ cup buttermilk powder
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar for dusting
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat an 8" cake pan with cake goop or parchment paper. You can also use a springform pan or loaf pan if you prefer, just adjust the baking time. 
  • Mix the eggs and granulated sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed and mix until it's light in color and fluffy. 
  • Slowly drizzle the olive oil in between the whisk blades and the side of the bowl and mix until combined. 
  • Switch to the paddle attachment and add the water, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and lemon zest, then mix until combined.
  • Add the flour, buttermilk powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl and whisk it to combine.
  • Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients while mixing on low, and mix until combined.
  • Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread out the top with a spatula.
  • Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes until it's golden brown and a toothpick comes out of the center clean. 
  • Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. If you're making it ahead, wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it until you're ready to serve. 
  • Place the cake on a serving plate and dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar. I put a little paper heart in the center to make this fun pattern. You can also top it with fresh lemons, lemon curd, or fresh berries. 
  • Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. You can refrigerate it if you'd like, but this cake tastes best at room temperature. 

Notes

  1. Use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil. Technically canola or vegetable oil would work, but you won't get the same flavor.
  2. Fresh fruit and powdered sugar are the perfect, light toppings for an olive oil cake. It doesn't need anything heavy like buttercream, but whipped cream frosting, lemon curd, or ice cream would also pair nicely. 
  3. Make your own pan release (cake goop!) The best pan release ever! 
  4. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients for the most accurate recipe. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 
  5. Practice Mise en Place (everything in its place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 655kcal | Carbohydrates: 84g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 368mg | Potassium: 318mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 209IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 3mg
slice of angel food cake with strawberries on top

May 23, 2023 Cake

Angel Food Cake Recipe

This Angel food cake is insanely soft and fluffy and melts in your mouth. It has a light marshmallowy flavor that will have you eating more than one slice! Top it with some stabilized whipped cream and fresh berries for a new favorite recipe.slice of angel food cake with strawberries on top

Not all cakes need butter to be delicious! It’s bright white on the inside with a golden brown crumb around the exterior. This tall, tender, and timeless cake has a cloud-like crumb and light flavor, the perfect cake for fresh fruit. Making this cake at home is easy and you’ll love the result, perfect for snacking or an amazing dessert.

Table of contents

  • Ingredients
  • How to Separate an Egg
  • Making Angel Food Cake
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Related Recipes

Ingredientsbowls of ingredients for angel food cake

Egg whites are the main ingredient in this angel food cake recipe. There are no leaving agents, so the egg whites and sugar whipped into a meringue is all of the structure of the cake. A small amount of flour is then folded into the egg whites to make the cake. You can use fresh egg whites carefully separated from the egg yolk or you can use pasteurized egg whites from a box. The fresh ones will whip up a little higher, but I tested both and they both make a nice angel food cake.

Cake flour has the least amount of protein so it makes a really light texture. Also, you don't agitate the flour much, just barely fold it in and then bake it. This is what gives the angel food cake that spongy light-as-air texture.

Cream of tartar is an acid, a byproduct of fermenting grapes into wine. Its scientific name is potassium bitartrate, aka potassium hydrogen tartrate or tartaric acid. The added acid to the egg whites helps the protein stabilize, allowing the stiff peaks to hold up while folding and baking.

How to Separate an Egg

  1. Set up 3 bowls, one for the yolks, one to crack the whites into, and one for all the egg whites. The reason we have the 2nd and 3rd bowls is if you mess up and accidentally get some yolk in the 2nd bowl, it won't ruin all of your already separated eggs.hands cracking an egg over a bowl
  2. Crack the egg on a flat surface and gently break it apart with two hands. Then hold it over the 2nd bowl and slowly move the yolk back and forth between the two eggshells. Be careful to not break the yolk. Once all the white is in the 2nd bowl, add the yolk to the 1st bowl and pour the whites into the 3rd bowl. Repeat until all your eggs are separated. Save your leftover egg yolks to make lemon curd or pastry cream or French buttercream. Egg yolks can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.pouring egg whites into a bowl

Making Angel Food Cake

  1. Preheat your oven to 375ºF. It's important that the oven is fully pre-heated before you put the cake in the oven, which can take up to 30 minutes. 
  2. To ensure your bowl and whisk are clean, wipe them out with a clean towel and some white vinegar to remove any bits of fat that might be there. hand cleaning out a metal bowl
  3. Sift together the first quantity of sugar, flour, and cornstarch into a large bowl and set it aside.pouring sugar
  4. Weigh the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a food scale. Whip with the whisk attachment on medium for 30 seconds until they start to get foamy. foamy eggs in a stand mixer bowl
  5. Reduce the speed to low and add in your cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla.adding a bowl of vanilla to a stand mixer bowl
  6. Continue mixing on low and begin sprinkling in the second amount of remaining sugar. sprinkling sugar into a stand mixer bowl
  7. Increase to medium speed and whip the mixture to soft but firm peaks. They should look glossy and moist and the peaks should gently fold over when you scoop them. meringue on a whisk
  8. Sift the dry ingredients into the egg mixture about ⅓ cup at a time and gently fold them together with a rubber spatula. Refer to the video to see how to fold properly. The idea is to avoid knocking any air out of the meringue while folding to keep the batter very fluffy. sifting dry ingredients into a bowl of meringue
  9. Repeat this sifting and folding process until all of the flour mixture has been folded into the meringue.sifting dry ingredients into a bowl of meringue
  10. Carefully pour the angel food cake batter into an ungreased tube pan (ungreased angel food cake pan). You need the cake to stick to the sides of the pan to help it rise while it's baking.adding batter to an angel food tube pan
  11. Slide a knife or offset spatula through the batter to pull out any big air bubbles that might be trapped in there. Smooth the top with a spoon so the batter is level.running a spatula through batter
  12. Bake the angel food cake in the oven on the center rack for 40-45 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown and the top springs back when you touch it. baked angel food cake in the pan
  13. Take the cake out of the oven and cool it upside down for about 1 hour. Some tube pans have little feet that hold the pan upside down or the center tube might just be a little taller than the sides. If your pan doesn't have these options you can cool the pan upside down on a wine bottle to keep it elevated. Cooling the cake upside down helps the cake keep its volume.upside down angel food cake in the pan
  14. Once the pan is completely cool, you can slide a butter knife between the cake and the pan to detach the cake. If it's an invert pan with a removable bottom, you can push it out now or just give the cake a couple of gentle shakes to get the cake to come out.  sliding a knife around the edges of an angel food cake in the panflipping an angel food cake out of the pan
  15. I like to dust the top of the cake with some powdered sugar and add some whipped cream and fresh strawberries but the possibilities are endless! This is easiest to slice with a serrated knife.angel food cake topped with whipped cream and strawberries
  16. Store the cake at room temperature for up to 4 days (without whipped cream) in an airtight container or covered it with plastic wrap.closeup of angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute anything for Cream of Tartar? 

Yes, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice for every ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar. So in this recipe, you can use 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. It can be left out as well, the egg whites just may not whip as firm or hold their shape as well.

Do I Have To Use An Angel Food Cake Pan

Angel Food Pans - An angel food cake pan is designed specifically for this cake because it has flat sides to assist in the rising of the cake. It needs to stick to the sides of the pan so it can help it rise while baking. Also, the center is designed so that it can be cooled upside down and not disturb the top of the baked cake. 
Bundt Cake Pans - These will not work for angel food cake because the intricate design will not allow the cake to release. Since we're not using any pan release, we have to cut the cake away from the sides and that's not possible with a bundt cake pan. 
Loaf Pans - A 9" x 5" loaf pan can work, just make sure to not grease this either. When it comes out of the oven, turn the pan upside down and rest the handles on jars, cans, or cups on top of a cooling rack. Let it cool until the pan is completely cool (about 2 hours).
Cake Pans - You can bake this angel food cake recipe in a standard cake pan. Just remember not to grease the pan. You can put a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan to help it release but don't put any on the sides. Only fill the pans halfway to allow for rising.

Why Did My Angel Food Cake Shrink?

After your angel food cake is done baking, it needs to cool completely upside down to set the structure of the cake. If you turn it over then the cake will collapse in on itself as it cools. 
Also, make sure that you do not overwhip your egg whites. They should be at nice soft peaks. Over-whipping your eggs can cause your cake to shrink.

Do I Need Cream Of Tartar?

If you're using pasteurized egg whites, yes. If you're using fresh egg whites... probably. Cream of tartar is basically citrus that adds stabilization to the egg whites and helps prevent your meringue from collapsing. So if you're using fresh eggs and really don't want to use it, you can leave it out. But it's going to help your meringue stay nice and strong, so I like to use it.

Can I flavor the angel food cake with anything else? 

Yes! I love to fold some shaved chocolate into the batter as I'm folding in the whites, for a chocolate chip angel food. You could also swap the vanilla for lemon extract or almond extract, and add some lemon zest for a bright flavor. 

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour? 

Technically yes, but the airy texture of the cake will be different. It will be a denser cake and a less tender crumb, because of the extra gluten from the flour making it slightly tougher.

Related Recipes

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

Charlotte Cake

Lemon Pound Cake

Lofthouse Cookies

Recipe

slice of angel food cake with strawberries on top
Print Recipe
4.86 from 27 votes

Angel Food Cake Recipe

This angel food cake recipe makes the lightest, fluffiest, and most cloud-like cake you'll ever taste. This homemade Angel food cake is fat-free and has very little flour so it's also one of the healthiest dessert options.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
cooling1 hour hr
Total Time3 hours hrs
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 cups
Calories: 345kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • Stand mixer or hand mixer
  • Whisk Attachment

Ingredients

Angel Food Cake Recipe

  • 1 ½ cups egg whites (fresh or pastuerized)
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ¼ teaaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup sugar first quantity
  • ¾ cup sugar second quantity
  • 1 ¼ cup cake flour
  • ¼ cup cornstarch

Strawberry Topping

  • 2 cups fresh strawberries trimmed and quartered
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Strawberry Topping

  • Combine the strawberries, sugar, zest, and lemon juice together in a bowl and set aside while the angel food cake is cooling. The sugar will dissolve over time and create a delicious syrup!

How to Separate an Egg

  • Set up 3 bowls, one for the yolks, one to crack the whites into, and one for all the egg whites. The reason we have the 2nd and 3rd bowls is if you mess up and accidentally get some yolk in the 2nd bowl, it won't ruin all of your already separated eggs.
  • Crack the egg on a flat surface and gently break it apart with two hands. Then hold it over the 2nd bowl and slowly move the yolk back and forth between the two eggshells. Be careful to not break the yolk. Once all the white is in the 2nd bowl, add the yolk to the 1st bowl and pour the whites into the 3rd bowl. Repeat until all your eggs are separated. Egg yolks can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.

Making Angel Food Cake

  • Preheat your oven to 375ºF. It's important that the oven is fully pre-heated before you put the cake in the oven, which can take up to 30 minutes. 
  • To ensure your bowl and whisk are clean, wipe them out with a clean towel and some white vinegar to remove any bits of fat that might be there. 
  • Sift together the first quantity of sugar, flour, and cornstarch into a large bowl and set it aside.
  • Weigh the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a food scale. Whip with the whisk attachment on medium for 30 seconds until they start to get foamy. 
  • Reduce the speed to low and add in your cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla.
  • Continue mixing on low and begin sprinkling in the second amount of remaining sugar. 
  • Increase to medium speed and whip the mixture to soft but firm peaks. They should look glossy and moist and the peaks should gently fold over when you scoop them. 
  • Sift the dry ingredients into the egg mixture about ⅓ cup at a time and gently fold them together with a rubber spatula. Refer to the video to see how to fold properly. The idea is to avoid knocking any air out of the meringue while folding to keep the batter very fluffy. 
  • Repeat this sifting and folding process until all of the flour mixture has been folded into the meringue.
  • Carefully pour the angel food cake batter into an ungreased tube pan. You need the cake to stick to the sides of the pan to help it rise while it's baking.
  • Slide a knife or offset spatula through the batter to pull out any big air bubbles that might be trapped in there. Smooth the top with a spoon so the batter is level.
  • Bake the angel food cake in the oven on the center rack for 40-45 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown and the top springs back when you touch it. 
  • Take the cake out of the oven and cool it upside down for about 1 hour. Some tube pans have little feet that hold the pan upside down or the center tube might just be a little taller than the sides. If your pan doesn't have these options you can cool the pan upside down on a wine bottle to keep it elevated. Cooling the cake upside down helps the cake keep its volume.
  • Once the pan is completely cool, you can slide a butter knife between the cake and the pan to detach the cake. If it's an invert pan with a removable bottom, you can push it out now or just give the cake a couple of gentle shakes to get the cake to come out.  
  • I like to dust the top of the cake with some powdered sugar and add some whipped cream and fresh strawberries but the possibilities are endless! This is easiest to slice with a serrated knife.
  • Store the cake at room temperature for up to 4 days (without whipped cream) in an airtight container or covered it with plastic wrap.

Video

Notes

  1. BEFORE YOU START – For best results, use a food scale to weigh your ingredients. Converting this recipe to cups could lead to failure. Read my blog post on how to use a scale for more information.
  2. I'm using my Bosch Universal Plus mixer for this recipe, you can use a KitchenAid mixer with a metal bowl or a hand mixer. 
  3. There is no baking powder or rising ingredient in this recipe. The only thing that creates lift is the egg whites, so be sure to whip them up to be super light and fluffy. All the air is going to give the cake its lift! 
  4. Make sure you use a metal bowl to make the meringue, and that the bowl is super clean. Any grease will prevent your egg whites from whipping up. You can even wipe it out with a little bit of white vinegar to be extra cautious.
  5. Remember to not let a speck of egg yolk into your egg whites. Any lingering yolks could stop your meringue from whipping up.
  6. You can use pasteurized egg whites instead of fresh. If you use pasteurized, you MUST also use cream of tartar to help stabilize. 
  7. The cornstarch in this recipe helps to keep the cake super light and fluffy and not too dense or "eggy."
  8. When folding your meringue and flour together, sweep underneath the meringue with a spatula and gently drag up through the center to fold on top. Be careful to never smash or mix vigorously, be patient! 
  9. DO NOT GREASE YOUR PAN! Angel food cake cools upside down, so it actually needs to stick to the sides of the pan. This ensures that the cake doesn’t collapse in on itself while cooling.
  10. A tube pan is best to use for angel food cake. The large tube in the center helps bring some of the heat up through the middle of the cake, baking it faster and more evenly. You cannot use a bundt cake pan, but you can use a 9”x5” if needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 8ounces | Calories: 345kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 354IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 0.4mg

May 19, 2023 Cake

Red White And Blue Cake

This red, white, and blue cake is the perfect cake to celebrate the Fourth of July or memorial day. Sandwich a red cake and a blue cake together with vanilla ice cream and top it all off with stabilized whipped cream. When you slice into it, it's so fun to see the red, white, and blue stripes appear!

close up of red white and blue cake with slice taken out of the front

Ever since I made my Oreo ice cream cake, I've been obsessed with making more and more ice cream cakes! They are SO easy and fun! If you don't want to make an ice cream cake though, just divide the batter into 3 bowls when coloring them and leave one white layer for the center.

PRO TIP – You definitely want to make this cake at least 1 day in advance because you have to freeze the cake and ice cream layers before you assemble it. Ideally, the cake should be totally frozen (at least 6 hours) before you serve it to prevent premature melting.

close up of red white and blue ice cream cake on a white plate
 

Ingredients

red white and blue ice cream cake ingredients separated into bowls

Buttermilk: This vanilla cake recipe is my white velvet buttermilk cake which I often use to make colored layers of cake. Buttermilk tenderizes the gluten in the cake flour, which is already soft, creating a melt-in-your-mouth feel with this cake crumb. Learn how to make your own with milk and vinegar, sour cream, or Greek yogurt in my buttermilk substitutes blog post.

Cake Flour: This recipe works best with cake flour because the layers are nice and moist. If you can't find cake flour in your area then I recommend you try my white cake recipe or doctored white cake mix which uses all-purpose flour. The cake is a bit more firm but still very very tasty.

Ice Cream: The best part about this cake is that you can use any flavor of ice cream, as long as it's white! Cookies and cream, cookie dough, or chocolate chips would also be delicious.

Whipped Cream: Any type of whipped-topping like stabilized whipped cream, CoolWhip, or Bettercreme is going to work well with ice cream cake because it doesn't get too hard while frozen. If you're traveling a long distance with your cake, use a more stable buttercream like easy buttercream or American buttercream frosting.

Food Coloring: I like using Americolor food coloring gel but you can use whatever colors you like. Just keep in mind that some blue food coloring might look more purple or green once it's baked. That's why I recommend using Americolor super red for the red cake, and electric blue food coloring because I know it bakes up a nice bright, true blue.

How to make a red, white, and blue cake

If you're making this into an ice cream cake, I recommend a two-day process. First, make the cake layers and let them cool, then make the ice cream layer and let that chill for 6 hours, assemble the cakes and cover the whole cake in whipped cream and decorate with some sprinkles. If you don't want to make the ice cream layer, divide the batter into 3 bowls and leave one of them white, just bake for less time!

Making the Red and Blue Cake Layers

  1. Preheat your oven to 335ºF (170ºC) and prepare two 8"x2" cake pans with cake goop or your preferred pan release.
  2. Bring your buttermilk, egg whites, and butter to room temperature (a little warm is even better) so that your ingredients mix together smoothly and your cake bakes up properly. If you don't have buttermilk, check out my buttermilk substitutes blog post for alternatives.
  3. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. bowl pouring flour into a stand mixer mixing bowl
  4. Divide your buttermilk in half. Combine ½ of the buttermilk with the oil and set aside. combining milk with oil in a measuring cup
  5. Combine the other ½ of the buttermilk, egg whites, and vanilla extract together, whisk to break up the eggs, and set aside.  adding vanilla to milk and eggs in a bowl
  6. Add your softened butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low until the mixture resembles coarse sand. close up of cake batter texture in a females hand
  7. Add in your buttermilk/oil mixture and let it mix until the dry ingredients are moistened, then bump the speed up to medium (setting 4 on my KitchenAid, speed 2 on my Bosch) and let it mix for 2 full minutes to develop the cake's structure. If you don't let your cake mix on this step your cake may not rise properly. The batter should look white and fluffy and not broken or curdled.
  8. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then reduce the speed to low. Add in your egg white mixture in three batches, letting the batter mix for 15 seconds between additions. Mix until everything is combined. The finished cake batter should look smooth and not curdled. adding milk mixture to cake battercloseup of finished cake batter on a spatula
  9. Divide your cake batter evenly into two bowls. I like to weigh my cake pans so that I know each layer is even. adding cake batter to a clear bowl on a kitchen scale
  10. Add 1 Tablespoon of red food coloring to the first bowl and stir until fully mixed. I like the Super Red gel food color by Americolor.mixing red food coloring into white cake batter
  11. Add 1 Tablespoon of electric blue food coloring to the second bowl and stir until fully mixed. adding blue food coloring to white cake batter
  12. Pour each cake batter into a prepared 8"x2" round cake pan.red and blue cake batter in cake pans
  13. Bake the layers for 30-35 minutes or until the center bounces back when you lightly touch it. finished red and blue cake layers on a cooling rack
  14. Once your layer is baked, remove it from the oven and immediately tap it on the countertop to release excess air. This helps prevent shrinking as the cake cools.
  15. Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan and then flip the cake out onto a wire rack.turning baked cake layers onto a cooling rack
  16. Once your cake has cooled down a little, carefully trim off the dome of your cake layer so it's nice and flat on top. cutting the dome off the finished cake layers
  17. Wrap your warm cake in plastic wrap and place it into the freezer until it's time to assemble the red white and blue ice cream cake. PRO TIP – Freezing your cake while it's still warm locks in the moisture, you can then freeze your cake for a few days without it drying out.

Making the Ice Cream layer

  1. Take the ice cream out of the freezer 30 minutes before you need to use it to allow it to soften.
  2. Cover the inside of an 8" cake pan in aluminum foil or parchment paper.  putting aluminum foil inside a cake pan
  3. Spread the softened ice cream into the cake pan evenly and smooth out the top.  placing softened ice cream into an aluminum foil lined cake pansmoothing ice cream in an aluminum foil lined cake pan
  4. Place it back into the freezer overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours.

Making Stabilized Whipped Cream

  1. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let it bloom for 5 minutes. If you don't want to use gelatin, check out my stabilized whipped cream blog post for 5 other substitutes.sprinkling gelatin into cold water
  2. Microwave the gelatin for 15 seconds and then stir. If the gelatin isn't fully melted continue melting in 5-second increments until the liquid is clear. Don't over-heat it. melted gelatin on a spoon
  3. Add 1 Tablespoon of cream to the gelatin and stir to combine. Set aside while you make the whipped cream.
  4. Begin whipping your heavy whipping cream in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed.
  5. Once the whipped cream is thick and foamy, add in the powdered sugar and the vanilla.adding vanilla to whipping cream
  6. Continue whipping the cream until you see lines beginning to form in the surface of the cream (soft peaks).
  7. Reduce the speed to low and then begin drizzling in the melted gelatin in a steady stream. adding gelatin mixture to whipping cream
  8. Continue mixing until firm peaks (holding their shape but still creamy) form but don't over-mix it or it will begin to curdle and turn to butter. finished whipped cream on a green spatula

Assembling the Cake

  1. Place your frozen blue layer cake onto your cake platter or cake board and apply a thin layer of whipped cream to the top.blue cake layer on a cake board
  2. Unwrap your ice cream layer from the foil and place it on top of the blue layer, then spread another thin layer of whipped cream on top. unwrapping ice cream cake layer from aluminum foilice cream layer on top of blue cake layer
  3. Add the second layer of cake on top.red cake layer on top of ice cream and blue cake layer
  4. Cover the outside of the cake with more whipped cream and smooth it out with your offset spatula and bench scraper. If it starts to melt, freeze it after doing the crumb coat before doing a final coat of frosting on the entire cake.smoothing red white and blue ice cream cake with bench scraper
  5. Pipe the remaining frosting with a 1M piping tip and piping bag to make a cute shell border.  piping a border with a piping bag and 1M piping tip
  6. Place the red white and blue ice cream cake into the freezer until you're ready to serve it.
  7. Right before serving, you can add some patriotic sprinkles, fresh berries, and fresh strawberries on the outside and on top of the cake. Leave this part to the end so that the berries don't get all soggy and the sprinkles don't melt and get weird-looking after being frozen. adding strawberries and blueberries to the top of the ice cream cake
hand pulling a slice of red white and blue ice cream cake out of the main cake

FAQ

How do you keep an ice cream cake from melting?

Work very quickly! Have your frosting ready to use. Place your cake back into the freezer in between steps if needed. Make your room as cold as possible.

Can I put an ice cream cake in the fridge?

You can move your cake from the freezer to the fridge 30 minutes before you are ready to serve it. Your cake should not be permanently stored in the fridge or it will melt.

How to make ice cream cake gluten-free

You can make any of my cake recipes gluten-free by replacing the flour with Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free baking mix or another kind of gluten-free flour like Cup4Cup. Make sure your ice cream is also gluten-free (check the ingredients) because sometimes ice cream contains wheat.

How do you cut an ice cream cake?

Take the cake out of the freezer and place it into the fridge or let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cutting. Use a knife dipped in hot water before slicing.

What frosting is best to use for ice cream cake?

I’m using stabilized whipped cream for this recipe because it will soften at the same rate as the ice cream filling. Any type of whipped-topping like CoolWhip or Bettercreme is going to work well. If you’re traveling a long distance with your cake, use a more stable buttercream like easy buttercream or American buttercream. Then store the cake in a cooler with dry ice to keep everything from melting, especially during warmer weather.

Other Recipes You'll Love

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

Red Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Berry Chantilly Cake

Recipe

close up of red white and blue cake with slice taken out of the front
Print Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Red White And Blue Ice Cream Cake

Red and blue layers of moist vanilla cake and vanilla ice cream make the most festive 4th of July cake ever! You won't believe how easy it is to make your own ice cream cake!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time40 minutes mins
freezing1 day d
Total Time1 day d 50 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 208kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer
  • Two 8"x2" cake pans
  • Tin foil
  • Bench scraper or spatula

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

  • 14 ounces cake flour
  • 13 ounces granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 5 ounces egg whites room temperature
  • 4 ounces vegetable oil
  • 10 ounces buttermilk slightly warm and divided into two cups evenly
  • 6 ounces butter unsalted and softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 Tablespoon super red food coloring, I use Americolor gel colors
  • 1 Tablespoon electric blue food coloring

Ice Cream Layer

  • 48 ounces vanilla ice cream

Stabilized Whipped Cream

  • 16 ounces Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 3 ounces Powdered Sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Powdered Gelatin I use KNOX
  • 2 Tablespoons Cool Water
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 2 Tablespoons Red White And Blue Sprinkles For garnish
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • NOTE: It is SUPER IMPORTANT that all the room temperature ingredients listed above are room temperature and measured by weight so that the ingredients mix and incorporate correctly. Learn more about how and why to use a scale for baking in my tutorial.

Making the Red and Blue Cake Layers

  • Preheat your oven to 335ºF (170ºC) and prepare two 8"x2" cake pans with cake goop or your preferred pan release.
  • Bring your buttermilk, egg whites, and butter to room temperature (a little warm is even better) so that your ingredients mix together smoothly and your cake bakes up properly. If you don't have buttermilk, check out my buttermilk substitutes blog post for alternatives.
  • Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. 
  • Divide your buttermilk in half. Combine ½ of the buttermilk with the oil and set aside. 
  • Combine the other ½ of the buttermilk, egg whites, and vanilla extract together, whisk to break up the eggs, and set aside.  
  • Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low until the mixture resembles coarse sand. 
  • Add in your buttermilk/oil mixture and let it mix until the dry ingredients are moistened, then bump the speed up to medium (setting 4 on my KitchenAid, speed 2 on my Bosch) and let it mix for 2 full minutes to develop the cake's structure. If you don't let your cake mix on this step your cake may not rise properly. The batter should look white and fluffy and not broken or curdled.
  • Scrape the sides of the bowl and then reduce the speed to low. Add in your egg white mixture in three batches, letting the batter mix for 15 seconds between additions. Mix until everything is combined. The finished cake batter should look smooth and not curdled. 
  • Divide your cake batter evenly into two bowls. I like to weigh my cake pans so that I know each layer is even. 
  • Add 1 Tablespoon of red food coloring to the first bowl and stir until fully mixed. I like the Super Red gel food color by Americolor.
  • Add 1 Tablespoon of electric blue food coloring to the second bowl and stir until fully mixed. 
  • Pour each cake batter into the cake pans.
  • Bake the layers for 30-35 minutes or until the center bounces back when you lightly touch it. 
  • Once your layer is baked, remove it from the oven and immediately tap it on the countertop to release excess air. This helps prevent shrinking as the cake cools.
  • Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan and then flip the cake out onto a wire rack.
  • Once your cake has cooled down a little, carefully trim off the dome of your cake layer so it's nice and flat on top. 
  • Wrap your warm cake in plastic wrap and place it into the freezer until it's time to assemble the red white and blue ice cream cake. PRO TIP – Freezing your cake while it's still warm locks in the moisture, you can then freeze your cake for a few days without it drying out.

Making the Ice Cream layer

  • Take the ice cream out of the freezer 30 minutes before you need to use it to allow it to soften.
  • Cover the inside of an 8" cake pan in aluminum foil or parchment paper.  
  • Spread the softened ice cream into the cake pan evenly and smooth out the top.  
  • Place it back into the freezer overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours.

Making Stabilized Whipped Cream

  • Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let it bloom for 5 minutes. If you don't want to use gelatin, check out my stabilized whipped cream blog post for 5 other substitutes.
  • Microwave the gelatin for 15 seconds and then stir. If the gelatin isn't fully melted continue melting in 5-second increments until the liquid is clear. Don't over-heat it. 
  • Add 1 Tablespoon of cream to the gelatin and stir to combine. Set aside while you make the whipped cream.
  • Begin whipping your heavy whipping cream in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed.
  • Once the whipped cream is thick and foamy, add in the powdered sugar and the vanilla.
  • Continue whipping the cream until you see lines beginning to form in the surface of the cream (soft peaks).
  • Reduce the speed to low and then begin drizzling in the melted gelatin in a steady stream. 
  • Continue mixing until firm peaks (holding their shape but still creamy) form but don't over-mix it or it will begin to curdle and turn to butter. 

Assembling the Cake

  • Place your frozen blue layer cake onto your cake platter or cake board and apply a thin layer of whipped cream to the top.
  • Unwrap your ice cream layer from the foil and place it on top of the blue layer, then spread another thin layer of whipped cream on top. 
  • Add the second layer of cake on top.
  • Cover the outside of the cake with more whipped cream and smooth it out with your offset spatula and bench scraper. If it starts to melt, freeze it after doing the crumb coat before doing a final coat of frosting on the entire cake.
  • Pipe the remaining frosting with a 1M piping tip and piping bag to make a cute shell border.  
  • Place the red white and blue ice cream cake into the freezer until you're ready to serve it.
  • Right before serving, you can add some patriotic sprinkles, fresh berries, and fresh strawberries on the outside and on top of the cake. Leave this part to the end so that the berries don't get all soggy and the sprinkles don't melt and get weird-looking after being frozen. 

Video

Notes

Important Things To Note Before You Start
 
1. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature or even a little warm (eggs, buttermilk, butter, etc) to ensure your batter does not break or curdle.
2. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch, etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 
3. Practice Mise en Place (everything in its place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
4. Freeze your cakes and ice cream layer a minimum of 6 hours before assembling the cake. 
6. If the recipe calls for specific ingredients like cake flour, replacing it with all-purpose flour and cornstarch is not recommended unless specified in the recipe that it’s ok. Substituting ingredients may cause this recipe to fail. 
7.  Gel food coloring works best for this cake, I like to use Americolor super red and electric blue. Using liquid food coloring will not have the same desired effect. 
8. If you don't have buttermilk, check out my buttermilk substitutes blog post for alternatives.
9. No cake flour where you live? Try searching for Shipton mills soft cake and pastry flour, or use any flour that has a protein content of 9% or less.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 111mg | Potassium: 60mg | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 0.2mg
tiramisu cheesecake cut open

May 19, 2023 Cheesecake

Tiramisu Cheesecake

This no-bake tiramisu cheesecake is soon to be one of your favorite desserts. Layers of mascarpone and cream cheese filling, crunchy Oreo crust, espresso-soaked ladyfingers, and chocolate ganache combine to make a perfect bite in every mouthful.tiramisu cheesecake cut open

Whether you love or hate traditional tiramisu, I guarantee you'll want to eat this entire cake in one sitting. Tiramisu cheesecake is very easy to make and is the perfect dessert for special occasions.

Table of contents

  • Ingredients
    • Making the Oreo Crust
    • Making the Cheesecake Filling
    • Assembling the Tiramisu Cheesecake
    • Making the ganache drizzle
  • FAQ
  • Related Recipes

Ingredientsbowls of ingredients for tiramisu cheesecake

Mascarpone Cheese is tangy, sweet, and extra smooth Italian cream cheese. It's what gives tiramisu and this recipe that special something.

Oreos make a great crust for a no-bake cheesecake, but you can also use chocolate graham cracker crumbs instead.

Coffee is a classic ingredient for tiramisu, and you can use whatever brand type you like! Just make sure the coffee is cooled down so it doesn't melt the filling.

Making the Oreo Crust

I'm using a cake pan with a cake ring and acetate because that is what I had on hand but you can definitely use a traditional cheesecake springform pan and that works great as well.

  1. Add the Oreos to a food processor and blend while pouring in some melted butter. Mix until combined and it comes together.pouring melted butter into a food processor of oreos
  2. Line an 8" cake ring or springform pan with acetate and tape it together.cake ring and pan lined with acetate
  3. Place an 8" cake board at the bottom of the cake ring and transfer the entire ring to the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan for easy transportation. 
  4. Add the blended Oreo crust to the bottom of the cake ring and press it evenly to the edges. Set it aside.spreading cookie crumbs into the base of a cake pan

Making the Cheesecake Filling

  1. Blend the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese on low speed until smooth in a large bowl with an electric mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.blended mascarpone and cream cheese in a bowl
  2. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and mix until it's all combined and smooth.adding vanilla to bowl of frosting
  3. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream on medium speed until stiff peaks form (just holding their shape). Do not overwhip the cream!blending a bowl of heavy whipping cream
  4. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until it's combined.whipped cream and mascarpone frosting in a bowl

Assembling the Tiramisu Cheesecake

  1. Spread half of the cheesecake batter on top of the Oreo crust with a rubber spatula. Pro-tip: Use a piece of acetate to evenly smooth the surface of the cream all the way to the edges.layer of cheesecake in a cake pan
  2. Soak the lady fingers in a bowl of espresso for about 10 seconds. You can make the ladyfingers from scratch, or use store-bought if you prefer.soaking ladyfingers in a bowl of coffee
  3. Place the soaked ladyfingers on top of the cheesecake mixture to completely cover the top. You can break a few in half or squish them to fit around the corners.laying a layer of ladyfingers on top of cheesecake
  4. Spread the remainder of the cheesecake filling on top of the ladyfingers. spreading a layer of cheesecake on top of ladyfingers
  5. Refrigerate the tiramisu cheesecake for at least 6 hours or until the mascarpone cheesecake has set.
  6. Take the cheesecake out of the pan, remove the cake ring, and carefully peel off the acetate. If you used a springform pan or cake pan, wrap it in aluminum foil and use hot water on the sides to help it remove easier.unwrapped tiramisu cheesecake
  7. Add a dusting of cocoa powder to the top of the cheesecake to cover all of the white spots.tiramisu cheesecake with cocoa powder on top
  8. Chill the finished tiramisu cheesecake in the fridge while making the ganache. Topping it with ganache is optional, but makes it really pretty.

Making the ganache drizzle

These photos are for a big batch of ganache but the process is the same.

  1. Heat the cream in the microwave or over the stove until it is just steaming.saucepan of heavy cream on the stove with a whisk stirring
  2. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes.whisk pushing down chocolate under cream
  3. Whisk the chocolate and cream together until smooth and fully combined.whisk in smooth chocolate ganache
  4. Let it cool for a few minutes to make sure it doesn't melt the top of the cheesecake.
  5. Place the ganache into a piping bag and drizzle it on top of the cheesecake in long strips. You can add a few dollops of whipped cream, chocolate curls, or chocolate shavings on top if you'd like.piping ganache on top of a cheesecake
  6. Cut the cheesecake and enjoy! Store this dessert covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days. Don't let it sit out at room temperature for longer than 4 hours.slice of tiramisu cheesecake

FAQ

Is no-bake cheesecake as good as baked cheesecake?

The main difference between a no-bake cheesecake and a baked cheesecake is the texture. A baked cheesecake is creamy, fluffy, and full, while a no-bake cheesecake is usually more dense and smooth. Both are delicious, and a no-bake cheesecake takes a fraction of the time to make.

What kind of cheese is used in tiramisu?

This Italian dessert is typically made with mascarpone, which is like a buttery, sweet Italian cream cheese. This recipe also has cream cheese for added flavor and smooth texture. Make sure both are at room temperature or slightly warm!

What does tiramisu cheesecake taste like?

This tiramisu cheesecake is creamy and sweet from the cheesecake, has elements of crunch from the Oreo crust, and doesn't have an overwhelming coffee flavor. The mascarpone, cream cheese, and ganache balance out the rich coffee syrup.

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Recipe

tiramisu cheesecake cut open
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Tiramisu Cheesecake

Why pick one Italian dessert when you can have both? Combine classic Italian tiramisu, and creamy cheesecake in this no-bake cheesecake recipe! This delicious cheesecake is a subtle nod to the classic tiramisu but with a creamy cheesecake layer and the perfect crunchy texture from the Oreo crust.
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Chilling Time1 hour hr
Total Time1 hour hr 28 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 874kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 1 8" cake ring or a cake pan
  • Acetate

Ingredients

Cheesecake Filling

  • 1 cup mascarpone cheese softened
  • 2 cups cream cheese softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 cups heavy cream

Oreo Cookie Crust

  • 1.5 cups oreo cookies
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter melted

Ladyfinger layer

  • 10 whole ladyfingers homemade or storebought
  • 1.5 cups strong coffee cooled

Decoration and Ganache drip

  • 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • 2 ounces heavy whipping cream
  • 0.25 cup Dutched cocoa powder for dusting
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Oreo Crust

  • Add the Oreos to a food processor and blend while pouring in some melted butter. Mix until combined and it comes together.
  • Line an 8" cake ring or springform pan with acetate and tape it together.
  • Place an 8" cake board at the bottom of the cake ring and transfer the entire ring to the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan for easy transportation. 
  • Add the blended Oreo crust to the bottom of the cake ring and press it evenly to the edges. Set it aside.

Making the Cheesecake Filling

  • Blend the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese on low speed until smooth in a large bowl with an electric mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
  • Add the vanilla and powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and mix until it's all combined and smooth.
  • In a separate bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream on medium speed until stiff peaks firm. Do not overwhip the cream!
  • Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until it's combined.

Assembling the Tiramisu Cheesecake

  • Spread half of the cheesecake batter on top of the Oreo crust with a rubber spatula. Pro-tip: Use a piece of acetate to evenly smooth the surface of the cream all the way to the edges.
  • Soak the lady fingers in a bowl of espresso for about 10 seconds. You can make the ladyfingers from scratch, or use store-bought if you prefer.
  • Place the soaked ladyfingers on top of the cheesecake mixture to completely cover the top. You can break a few in half or squish them to fit around the corners.
  • Spread the remainder of the cheesecake filling on top of the ladyfingers. Pro-tip: Use a piece of acetate to evenly smooth the surface of the cream all the way to the edges.
  • Refrigerate the tiramisu cheesecake for at least 6 hours or until the mascarpone cheesecake has set.
  • Take the cake out of the pan, remove the cake ring, and carefully peel off the acetate. If you used a springform pan or cake pan, wrap it in aluminum foil and use hot water on the sides to help it remove easier.
  • Add a dusting of cocoa powder to the top of the cheesecake to cover all of the white spots.
  • Rest it in the fridge while making the ganache. Topping it with ganache is optional, but makes it really pretty.

Making the ganache drip

  • Heat the cream in the microwave or over the stove until it is just steaming.
  • Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes.
  • Whisk the chocolate and cream together until smooth and fully combined.
  • Let it cool for a few minutes to make sure it doesn't melt the top of the cheesecake.
  • Place the ganache into a piping bag and drizzle it on top of the cheesecake in long strips. You can add a few dollops of whipped cream, chocolate curls, or chocolate shavings on top if you'd like.
  • Cut the cheesecake and enjoy! Store this dessert covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days. Don't let it sit out at room temperature for longer than 4 hours.

Notes

Make sure to bring the mascarpone and cream cheese to room temperature, or slightly warmed, so that they combine together smoothly. 
Oreos make a great crust for a no-bake cheesecake, but you can also use chocolate graham cracker crumbs instead.
Coffee is a classic ingredient for tiramisu, and you can use whatever type you like! Espresso will give the strongest, most concentrated coffee flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 874kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 72g | Saturated Fat: 43g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 179mg | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 335mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 2325IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 5mg
closeup of strawberry shortcake slice on a white plate

May 17, 2023 Blog

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

This strawberry shortcake cake recipe is 4 layers of moist vanilla cake with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries. Make the cake from scratch or doctor up a cake mix if you're looking for an easy version. Super light, summery, and the perfect cake to bring to a birthday party, BBQ, or picnic. 

closeup of strawberry shortcake slice on a white plate
 

Typically, "shortcake" refers to a tender flaky biscuit but I wanted to transform the traditional strawberry shortcake into an actual layer cake while still staying true to those very distinct flavors. I had TWO slices of this cake after the photographs were done because it's SO good! 

Table of contents

  • Strawberry shortcake cake ingredients
  • Making a Strawberry Shortcake Cake
    • Making the Vanilla Cake
    • Making the Whipped Cream
    • Assembling the Strawberry Shortcake Cake
  • FAQ
  • Related Recipes

Strawberry shortcake cake ingredients

Strawberries - The best time to make this cake is during strawberry season, which is May through August in the pacific northwest. Late summer strawberries are actually the tastiest because they get the most warmth and sunshine, aka flavor! 

Cake Flour- Cake flour has a protein level of 9% or less so look for a flour that specifies protein content or ask your local flour supply. If you're in the UK, search for Shipton Mills soft cake and pastry flour. I don't recommend doing the homemade cake flour hack (replacing some flour with cornstarch) for this recipe because of the reverse creaming method. The texture of the cake will be more like cornbread because of the extended mixing. If you’re located in another country, you can find cake flour but it might need to be ordered online. In the UK, look for Shipton mills cake and pastry flour. 

Stabilized Whipped Cream- Stabilized whipped cream makes it easier to stack cakes so that it doesn't melt. I like to stabilize it with gelatin, but you can also stabilize it using corn starch or pudding mix or powdered milk, or 5 ways shown in my blog post. 

Making a Strawberry Shortcake Cake

I recommend making the vanilla cake layers either the day ahead or early enough so that they have time to chill. Then wash your berries to let them dry, and make the whipped cream right before you're ready to use it. The stabilized whipped cream will start to set up quickly, so it can't be chilled and reused.

Making the Vanilla Cake

  1. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature, meaning the milk, eggs, and butter should not be even a tiny bit cold. This will ensure that the cake batter mixes together correctly and you'll get a better rise and texture in your final cake. 
  2. Preheat your oven to 335ºF and prepare two 8"x2" round cake pans with cake goop or another preferred kind of pan release and parchment paper. 
  3. I like to pre-measure all my ingredients and have them ready to go so that mixing goes very easily and I don't forget anything. To measure we are using a scale. If you haven't used a scale before, don't be intimidated. It's actually easier than using cups and way fewer dishes (yay). You can get a great scale online or in any local store that sells kitchen equipment. 
  4. Divide your milk in half and add your oil to one half and add the eggs and vanilla to the second half. Set them aside. pouring oil into milk in a measuring cup
  5. Place your cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached. dry ingredients going into a mixing bowl
  6. Add in your softened butter and mix at low speed until the flour mixture resembles a coarse sand texture. hand holding butter over dry ingredients in a mixing bowlvanilla cake ingredients in a mixing bowl
  7. Add your milk/oil mixture and increase the speed to medium. Let your cake batter mix for 2 full minutes. Scrape after 1 minute if you need to. The texture should be light, white, and fluffy after 2 minutes. Don't worry you won't overmix it. vanilla cake ingredients close up on a blue spatula
  8. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add in the milk/egg mixture in a steady stream until it's all added in. This takes me about 1 minute. Once the egg mixture is all mixed in, your cake batter is ready to bake!closeup of vanilla cake batter on a blue spatula
  9. Divide your cake batter into your cake pans evenly and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center bounces back when you lightly touch it. vanilla cake on a cooling rack
  10. Let your cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes or until the pan is just barely warm to the touch.
  11. Turn the cake out onto a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way or pop them into the freezer to cool them down faster. For me, it takes about an hour and then they are chilled and ready to go. You can also fully freeze your cakes (wrapped in plastic wrap) and that will help seal in the moisture and keep them moist until you're ready to frost your cakes. 

Making the Whipped Cream

  1. Add your powdered gelatin to the cold water and let it bloom for 5 minutes. blooming gelatin in water
  2. Start mixing your 24 ounces of heavy cream in the stand mixer with the whisk attachment until it begins to look thick and foamy. Add the powdered sugar and the vanilla.  adding vanilla to whipped cream mixture
  3. Continue mixing until you start to see lines forming on the surface of the whipped cream (soft peaks)
  4. Microwave the gelatin for 15 seconds and stir. The gelatin granules should look transparent. If they aren't fully melted then go for another 5 seconds.
  5. Add 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream to the melted gelatin and stir.
  6. Drizzle the gelatin mixture into the heavy cream mixture and continue mixing on medium until firm peaks form. Don't over-mix it!adding gelatin mixture to thickened whipped creamclose up of stabilized whipped cream

Assembling the Strawberry Shortcake Cake

  1. Start by slicing your cakes length-wise (tort) with a serrated knife so the layers are thinner. torting a vanilla cake layer
  2. Slice 1 lb of washed strawberries but keep 4-5 whole for decorating the top.slicing strawberries
  3. Place the first layer of cake onto your cake board or cake platter and apply a thin layer of your stabilized whipped cream.
  4. Arrange a single layer of your sliced berries on top of the whipped cream.
  5. Cover the sliced berries in another layer of whipped cream so the top is nice and flat. adding whipped cream to strawberries on a slice of cake
  6. Stack your next layer of cake on top of the berries and whipped cream and repeat the process. I like to leave the sides of the cake without any frosting, but you can cover it if you like.adding cake layer on top of whipped cream and strawberries
  7. Finish with a few dollops of whipped cream and whole berries on top of the cake!adding strawberries to the top of strawberry shortcake
  8. I highly recommend refrigerating the cake until you need to eat it because it will make it much easier to slice. If you plan on refrigerating the cake overnight, then wrap the cake in plastic wrap first to keep it from drying out.
closeup of strawberry shortcake on a blue plate

FAQ

Can you make this recipe into cupcakes?

It's better to use my vanilla cupcake recipe so the cupcakes don't shrink. Put strawberries into the center of the cupcake by cutting a small piece of the cupcake out and then frost with stabilized whipped cream.

Does this cake need to be refrigerated?

Yes, because of the fresh berries and the whipped cream. However, cold cake can taste dry so it's best to bring the cake out of the fridge a few hours before you are going to eat it so it has a chance to come to room temperature. 

How far in advance can you make this strawberry shortcake

You can make this cake a day in advance but it can dry out in the fridge so you should brush the layers of vanilla cake with simple syrup and then wrap the cake in plastic wrap to help it stay moist.

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Recipe

closeup of strawberry shortcake slice on a white plate
Print Recipe
4.80 from 67 votes

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

​Nothing says summer like this strawberry shortcake cake! Super moist and fluffy layers of vanilla cake layered with juicy strawberries and stabilized whipped cream. If you love traditional strawberry shortcake then you will LOVE this layer cake version. 
Prep Time25 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time55 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 1070kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • Two 8"x2" round cake pans
  • Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments

Ingredients

Vanilla Shortcake

  • 10 ounces milk room temperature, divided evenly into two measuring cups
  • 3 ounces canola oil
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 Large eggs room temperature
  • 13 ounces cake flour
  • 13 ounces sugar
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter room temperature

Stabilized Whipped Cream

  • 24 ounces heavy whipping cream
  • 4 ounces powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons gelatin I use KNOX brand
  • 3 Tablespoons cold water
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream for the gelatin
  • 16 ounces fresh strawberries washed and sliced for the filling
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Vanilla Cake

  • Bring all your ingredients to room temperature, meaning the milk, eggs, and butter should not be even a tiny bit cold. This will ensure that the cake batter mixes together correctly and you'll get a better rise and texture in your final cake. 
  • Preheat your oven to 335ºF and prepare two 8"x2" round cake pans with cake goop or another preferred kind of pan release and parchment paper. 
  • Measure out your ingredients with a food scale. If you haven't used a scale before, don't be intimidated. It's actually easier than using cups and way fewer dishes (yay). You can get a great scale online or in any local store that sells kitchen equipment. 
  • Divide your milk in half and add your oil to one half and add the eggs and vanilla to the second half. Set them aside. 
  • Place your cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached. 
  • Add in your softened butter and mix at low speed until the flour mixture resembles a coarse sand texture. 
  • Add your milk/oil mixture and increase the speed to medium. Let your cake batter mix for 2 full minutes. Scrape after 1 minute if you need to. The texture should be light, white, and fluffy after 2 minutes. Don't worry you won't overmix it. 
  • Reduce the speed to low and slowly add in the milk/egg mixture in a steady stream until it's all added in. This takes me about 1 minute. Once the egg mixture is all mixed in, your cake batter is ready to bake!
  • Divide your cake batter into your cake pans evenly and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center bounces back when you lightly touch it. 
  • Let your cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes or until the pan is just barely warm to the touch.
  • Turn the cake out onto a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way or pop them into the freezer to cool them down faster. For me, it takes about an hour and then they are chilled and ready to go. You can also fully freeze your cakes (wrapped in plastic wrap) and that will help seal in the moisture and keep them moist until you're ready to frost your cakes. 

Making the Whipped Cream

  • Add your powdered gelatin to the cold water and let it bloom for 5 minutes. 
  • Start mixing your 24 ounces of heavy cream in the stand mixer with the whisk attachment until it begins to look thick and foamy. Add the powdered sugar and the vanilla.  
  • Continue mixing until you start to see lines forming on the surface of the whipped cream (soft peaks)
  • Microwave the gelatin for 15 seconds and stir. The gelatin granules should look transparent. If they aren't fully melted then go for another 5 seconds.
  • Add 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream to the melted gelatin and stir.
  • Drizzle the gelatin mixture into the heavy cream mixture and continue mixing on medium until firm peaks form. Don't over-mix it!

Assembling the Strawberry Shortcake Cake

  • Start by slicing your cakes length-wise (tort) with a serrated knife so the layers are thinner. 
  • Slice 1 lb of washed strawberries but keep 4-5 whole for decorating the top.
  • Place the first layer of cake onto your cake board or cake platter and apply a thin layer of your stabilized whipped cream.
  • Arrange a single layer of your sliced berries on top of the whipped cream.
  • Cover the sliced berries in another layer of whipped cream so the top is nice and flat. 
  • Stack your next layer of cake on top of the berries and whipped cream and repeat the process. 
  • Finish with a few dollops of whipped cream and whole berries on top of the cake!
  • I highly recommend refrigerating the cake until you need to eat it because it will make it much easier to slice. If you plan on refrigerating the cake overnight, then wrap the cake in plastic wrap first to keep it from drying out.

Video

Notes

1. Using cake flour will make these vanilla shortcake layers SUPER moist and tender. If you don't have cake flour you can use my white cake recipe instead. 
2. Keep your berries fresh for up to a week by using my natural berry wash. 
3. Don't want to use gelatin? Check out my blog post for more ways to stabilize your whipped cream. 
4. Cake flour has a protein level of 9% or less so look for a flour that specifies protein content or ask your local flour supply. If you're in the UK, search for Shipton Mills soft cake and pastry flour.
5. I don't recommend doing the homemade cake flour hack (replacing some AP flour with cornstarch) for this recipe because of the reverse creaming method. The texture of the cake will be more like cornbread because of the extended mixing.
6. Make your own pan release (cake goop!) The best pan release ever! 
7. Need more help with making your first cake? Check out my how to decorate your first cake blog post. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 1070kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 69g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 233mg | Sodium: 252mg | Potassium: 458mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 67g | Vitamin A: 2153IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 201mg | Iron: 1mg
chocolate fudge frosting on a cupcake

May 9, 2023 Frosting and Icing

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

This silky-smooth chocolate fudge frosting will remind you of that classic canned frosting but without any of the preservatives. It’s the perfect indulgent chocolate frosting to keep on hand for your favorite cake. It pairs perfectly with a deep chocolate cake, a classic yellow layer cake, or any of your favorite treats!chocolate fudge frosting on a cupcake

Homemade fluffy chocolate fudge frosting is super simple to make using staple ingredients you probably have in your pantry. Two kinds of chocolate and butter make this super rich and easy to spread. I much prefer it over a tub of store-bought frosting, and you can whip it up in under 10 minutes total. The perfect complement to cake or just dipping with pretzels or graham crackers. 

Ingredients

There are 2 types of cocoa powder, dutch process cocoa powder and natural cocoa powder. A Dutch-process cocoa powder has a noticeably darker hue and will result in a dark chocolate frosting. Dutch process cocoa also has a smoother, more mellow flavor that's often associated with earthy, woodsy notes. Dutch-process cocoa powder starts with cocoa beans that have been washed in an alkaline solution of potassium carbonate, which neutralizes their acidity. So, dutch-process cocoa powder is neutral. Because it is neutral, it does not react with baking soda.

Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor, giving the frosting a richer flavor. Coffee is optional, you can use hot water or milk instead if you prefer. 

Corn syrup adds a glossiness to the frosting that makes it shiny. It also adds a little sweetness and keeps it from setting up too hard. 

Making Chocolate Fudge Frosting

  1. Add the chocolate chips, coffee, vanilla, and corn syrup to a microwave-safe bowl.pouring corn syrup into a bowl of chocolate
  2. Melt the chocolate mixture together in the microwave. Heat for 30 seconds and stir and then heat in 10-second increments and stir until it is fully melted and smooth. Let the chocolate mixture cool, but not harden. mixing a bowl of chocolate with a spatula
  3. Mix the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle on high speed for about 1 minute until light and fluffy. You can also use a large bowl and an electric mixer if you prefer.spatula of chocolate frosting mix
  4. Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the butter mixture and mix until it is smooth and fluffy. The desired consistency of the frosting will be different depending on the temperature. If it is too stiff, warm it up slightly in the microwave and stir. If it is too soft let it sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes to set up.pouring a bowl of chocolate to a bowl of frosting
  5. The frosting can be used immediately to frost a cake or put into a piping bag for decorations. yellow cake in chocolate frosting on a cake plate
  6. Cover it with plastic wrap and stored it at room temperature for 3 days. If you plan to keep it longer, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.bowl of chocolate frosting 

FAQ

What's the difference between chocolate frosting and chocolate buttercream? 

Chocolate buttercream is made by adding chocolate to a buttercream recipe. You can make chocolate buttercream from Swiss buttercream, American buttercream, and Italian buttercream and just add the melted chocolate and cocoa powder to any recipe. Buttercream has a creamy consistency, light and airy. The chocolate fudge icing flavor is much more intense and the consistency is thicker and fudgy, not as much air is whipped into it. 

Does chocolate fudge icing need to be refrigerated?

This frosting does not need to be refrigerated if you are going to use it right away. As long as the frosting is covered or stored appropriately it is ok to be stored at room temperature for a couple of days. I recommend refrigerating it if you are not going to use it within 2-3 days as it does contain butter.

What is fudge icing made of?

This chocolate fudge frosting recipe is made with butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, corn syrup, coffee, vanilla, and chocolate chips. Some recipes use heavy cream to make the frosting more like American buttercream, but this stays nice and soft, doesn't crust, and is extra luscious and shiny.

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Recipe

chocolate fudge frosting on a cupcake
Print Recipe
4.59 from 167 votes

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

This homemade chocolate frosting recipe comes together quickly with just a few ingredients! The best chocolate fudge frosting has a classic fudgy texture with an ultra-rich, deep chocolatey flavor. You’ll eat it with or without cake! 
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Total Time15 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 863kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 1 Stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer

Ingredients

  • 2 cups unsalted butter softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup corn syrup
  • ¼ cup coffee
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add the chocolate chips, coffee, vanilla, and corn syrup to a microwave-safe bowl.
  • Melt the chocolate mixture together in the microwave. Heat for 30 seconds and stir and then heat in 10-second increments and stir until it is fully melted and smooth. Let the chocolate mixture cool, but not harden. 
  • Mix the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle on high speed for about 1 minute until light and fluffy. You can also use a large bowl and an electric mixer if you prefer.
  • Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the butter mixture and mix until it is smooth and fluffy.
    The desired consistency of the frosting will be different depending on the temperature. If it is too stiff, warm it up slightly in the microwave and stir. If it is too soft let it sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes to set up.
  • The frosting can be used immediately to frost a cake or put into a piping bag for decorations. 
  • Cover it with plastic wrap and stored it at room temperature for 3 days. If you plan to keep it longer, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Notes

  1. As long as the frosting is covered or stored appropriately it is ok to be stored at room temperature for a couple of days. I recommend refrigerating it if you are not going to use it within 2-3 days as it does contain butter.
  2. A Dutch-process cocoa powder has a noticeably darker hue and will result in a dark chocolate frosting. Dutch process cocoa also has a smoother, more mellow flavor that's often associated with earthy, woodsy notes.
  3. Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor, giving the frosting a richer flavor. Coffee is optional, you can use hot water or milk instead if you prefer. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 863kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 64g | Saturated Fat: 40g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 430mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 1440IU | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 4mg
vintage cake with fresh flowers

May 2, 2023 Cake

Vintage Cake With Buttercream Piping Recipe And Tutorial

Do you love a vintage cake design? Obsessed with those perfectly piped buttercream borders? You Can learn how to recreate the timeless beauty of vintage design and it's easier than you think. These beautiful retro cakes are perfect for Mother's Day, bridal showers, baby showers, and even birthdays. 

There is no special flavor for this delicious cake, you could even use a doctored boxed cake mix but I am especially fond of my white velvet cake which tastes amazing and like a classic wedding cake flavor. 

closeup of buttercream frosting

I'm using my easy vanilla buttercream recipe but you could use Italian buttercream, stabilized whipped cream, swiss meringue buttercream, cream cheese frosting, American buttercream, or even white chocolate ganache. If it's pipeable, you can use it. 

What's In This Blog Post

  • Equipment Needed
  • How To Fill A Piping Bag
  • Practicing Your Piping
  • How To Prepare Your Cakes
  • How To Make A Vintage Cake Step By Step
  • FAQ

Equipment Needed

  • Piping Tips
  • Piping Bags
  • Food Coloring (optional)
  • Cake Board

How To Fill A Piping Bag

  1. Place your piping tip into your piping bag. 
  2. Cut the tip of the bag off just enough so that the tip of the piping tip comes through the bottom but is still secure in the bag.
  3. Add one cup of buttercream into the piping bag and twist the top. You should only have enough buttercream in the bag to feel comfortable in your hand.
  4. Squeeze the buttercream down towards the piping tip and now your bag is ready for piping. 

Practicing Your Piping

closeup of vintage heart piped cake

If you've never piped with buttercream before, doing some practicing can help! You can pipe right onto a cake board for practice and then scrape it off and reuse the buttercream. Here is a video example of how to do some piping techniques. 

How To Prepare Your Cakes

Need more info on how to frost and fill your cake like a pro? Check out my free tutorial on how to make a cake.

  1. Bake your round cake layers and let them cool.two vanilla cakes cooling on a rack
  2. Prepare your buttercream frosting and color it if you desire.
  3. Freeze your cakes for an hour or refrigerate them in plastic wrap overnight so they are firm enough to handle while frosting. 
  4. Trim the brown edges off the tops and sides of your cake.
  5. Fill your cakes with whatever filling or frosting that you like. three layers of vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream
  6. Cover your cake in a thin layer of buttercream (The crumbcoat) and refrigerate your cake until the buttercream is firm. crumbcoat cake
  7. Apply your final coat of buttercream to the cake and smooth it out carefully.close up of final coat of buttercream
  8. Now you have the perfect canvas to make the perfect cake! 

How To Make A Vintage Cake Step By Step

To get the vintage look, you want to layer your buttercream accents. Start with larger tips to lay down a base and continue with smaller and smaller piping.

  1. Make sure your buttercream is very smooth and bubble-free. I like to use an immersion blender to make it super creamy.
  2. Place your chilled cake onto the cake board.
  3. Use a round cutter or piece of paper (space key) to mark equal spaces around the top ⅓ and bottom ⅓ of the cake. This will be the guide for the ruffles later. The space key should be about 3" wide. 
  4. Apply your first piped border around the base and at the top of the cake. I chose to do a shell border using a 1M piping tip.buttercream cake with borders piped
  5. Pipe a reverse shell on top of the base border and below the top border with an open star tip Wilton 18.buttercream cake with borders piped
  6. Following the guidelines that we made earlier, use your Wilton 104 to make some ruffles. The round part of the tip should be pointing up. This is easiest if your cake is on a turntable.buttercream details piped on a white cake
  7. Pipe a round pearl border on top of the ruffles using a round Wilton #4 piping tip.
  8. Pipe some trios of shells to form a fleur d' lis on the points of where the ruffles meet using a Wilton #16 star tip. vintage buttercream cake
  9. Pipe some small dots between the fleur d' lis in groups of three.
  10. Pipe some stars around the top of the reverse shell border, at the base of the fleur d' lis, and anywhere else you like with some pink buttercream and the Wilton #16 tip.
  11. Finish the top of your vintage cake with some fresh flowers.

Hungry for more vintage cake techniques? These cake trends are inspired by a technique called Lambeth and used by career pastry chefs to make the most beautiful and elaborate vintage cake designs. Sometimes used with royal icing to make the most delicate and beautiful layers of detail. 

FAQ

What is a vintage cake?

What Are Vintage Cakes? Vintage cakes are vintage or “retro” because they've been around (and around and around) for centuries. They're known for their frilly, over-piped design and can be traced back to the French Rococo style of the 1700s – an age known for its ornate and gilded designs.

What kind of frosting do you use for vintage cakes?

Vintage cakes are made with buttercream frosting using traditional piping techniques. Think buttercream swirls, lace, basketweave, and frills. Mix it all together in a variety of colors, patterns, and shapes and you get this delightful on-trend current style.

Recipe

vintage cake with fresh flowers
Print Recipe
4.50 from 4 votes

Vintage cake with vanilla buttercream

How to make a beautiful vintage inspired buttercream cake with fresh flowers! This cake is perfect for Mother's day, small weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays and more!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time40 minutes mins
Decorating1 hour hr
Total Time1 hour hr 50 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 1488kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 1M wilton piping tip
  • #18 wilton piping tip
  • 104 wilton piping tip
  • #4 wilton piping tip
  • #16 wilton piping tip
  • 1 Tall bench scraper
  • 1 Turntable
  • 1 8" cakeboard or plate
  • 1 6" cake cardboard
  • 6 Piping Bags
  • 1 Offset Spatula

Ingredients

White Velvet Cake Ingredients

  • 14 ounces cake flour
  • 13 ounces granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 1 Tablespoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 5 ounces egg whites room temperature
  • 4 ounces vegetable oil
  • 10 ounces buttermilk room temperature or slightly warm
  • 6 ounces butter unsalted and softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Easy Buttercream Frosting

  • 24 ounces unsalted butter softened
  • 24 ounces powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 6 ounces pastuerized egg whites
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • NOTE: It is SUPER IMPORTANT that all the room temperature ingredients listed above are room temperature and measured by weight so that the ingredients mix and incorporate correctly.
    Heat oven to 335º F/168º C
  • Prepare three 6"x2" cake pans with cake goop or preferred pan spray. Fill your pans about ⅔ of the way full of batter. 
  • Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Mix for 10 seconds to combine. 
  • Combine ½ cup of the milk and the oil together and set aside. 
  • Combine the remaining milk, egg whites and vanilla together, whisk to break up the eggs and set aside. 
  • Add your softened butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low until mixture resembles a coarse sand (about 30 seconds). Add in your milk/oil mixture and let mix until dry ingredients are moistened and then bump up to med (setting 4 on my kitchenaid) and let mix for 2 minutes to develop the cakes structure. If you don't let your cake mix on this step your cake could collapse. 
  • Scrape your bowl and then reduce speed to low. Add in your egg white mixture in three batches, letting the batter mix for 15 seconds between additions. 
  • Scrape down the sides again to make sure everything has incorporated then pour into prepared pans. Bake 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly but the cake has not begun to shrink yet from the sides of the pan. 
    IMMEDIATELY TAP PAN FIRMLY on countertop once to release the steam from the cake. This stops the cake from shrinking. 
  • Let cakes cool for 10 minutes inside the pan before flipping them out. The cake will shrink a bit and that is normal. Flip onto a cooling rack and let cool fully. I chill my cakes before handling or you can wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them to trap moisture in the cake. Thaw on the countertop while still wrapped before frosting. 

Buttercream Frosting

  • Place your egg whites, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
  • Mix on high for 5 minutes
  • Reduce the speed to low and slowly add in your softened butter in small pieces until it's all added in.
  • Mix on high for 5 minutes or until your buttercream no longer tastes of butter and tastes sweet
  • Switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low for 5-15 minutes until your buttercream is very soft and doesn't have any bubbles.

Notes

IMPORTANT: Make sure all your ingredients are at room temp and you're using a scale to measure. Substituting ingredients may cause this recipe to fail. (see notes at the bottom of the recipe)
Important Things To Note Before You Start
1. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature or even a little warm (eggs, buttermilk, butter, etc) to ensure your batter does not break or curdle. 
2. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 
3. Practice Mise en Place (everything in it's place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
4. Chill your cakes before frosting and filling. You can cover a frosted and chilled cake in fondant if you wish. This cake is also great for stacking. I always keep my cakes chilled in the refrigerator before delivery for easy transporting. 
5. If the recipe calls for specific ingredients like cake flour, replacing it with all purpose flour and cornstarch is not recommended unless specified in the recipe that it’s ok. Substituting ingredients may cause this recipe to fail. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1488kcal | Carbohydrates: 170g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 88g | Saturated Fat: 55g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 232mg | Sodium: 794mg | Potassium: 309mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 131g | Vitamin A: 2716IU | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 1mg
the best mothers day cake ideas text over buttercream cupcake photo

May 2, 2023 Blog

The Best Mother's Day Cake Recipes

These are the best Mother's day cakes to make for Mom on her special day. From a simple moist pound cake, classic carrot cake with lots of cream cheese frosting, easy bundt cake, layered chocolate cake, or a show-stopping cake with layers of sweet frosting, this blog post covers them all. Even if you've never made a cake before, you'll find the best Mother's day cake ideas right here.

I'm going to start with some super easy cake recipes for beginners and slowly work our way towards more complicated layered cakes and desserts. Use the table of contents below to look through the different types of cakes you can make or just scroll down and prepare to blow Mom away with your amazing baking skills this year!

Pound Cake

close up of sliced lemon pound cake

A classic moist lemon pound cake is always a favorite and pretty darn easy to make. Top with a nice glaze and some fresh edible flowers or fruit and you've got the perfect Mother's day brunch dessert.

Mom's Blackberry Sponge Cake

close up of blackberry sponge cake on a white plate

I have to start this off with my own mom's favorite dessert. We not only made this blackberry sponge cake for Mother's day but it was a pretty common dessert growing up, especially during the summertime when fresh blackberries were in abundance. This cake is really more like a cobbler but I had to include it for nostalgia's sake.

Bundt Cake

Honey Cake with slice removed

I love a beautiful bundt cake! There's just something so satisfying about them. I've got a TON of bundt cake recipes on the blog but I especially love the chocolate bundt cake (for the chocolate lover) or the honey bundt cake which is SUPER moist cake.

Sheet Cake

close up of texas sheet cake on a serving spoon

Don't underestimate the power of a pretty sheet cake! They are seriously coming back in style and could not be easier to make. You COULD use a box mix and I won't judge you but you might want to check out my WASC (White Almond Sour Cream) recipe that makes a simple box mix taste a MILLION times better but is still super easy to make. If you like piping on cakes this is the perfect cake to practice some easy borders or buttercream flowers and even write a nice message in the center! looking for a chocolate sheet cake? Check out my classic Texas sheet cake recipe.

Blueberry Pancake Cake

This is a great cake for kids to make for Mom. All you need is your favorite pancake mix and some blueberries. Mix it all together and bake it in a cake pan! Top with some whipped cream and fresh berries and serve it to Mom breakfast in bread style. Don't forget the coffee!

If you're in a practical joker mood you can also dress your blueberry pancake cake up to look like an actual stack of pancakes using my pancake cake tutorial! Pretty easy to do and fun!

Olive Oil Cake

This cake might sound a little strange to you but olive oil cake is actually quite delicious and a beautiful cake to serve at a Mother's day dinner. The texture is light and extremely moist. I like to serve this cake straight from the pan or transfer it to a pretty cake plate. Be careful, you might just eat the entire cake all by yourself.

Carrot Cake

Carrot cake with pineapple and brown butter cream cheese frosting

I absolutely LOVE LOVE carrot cake. Every time I see it on the menu I have to try it. This is my favorite carrot cake recipe and has tons of freshly grated carrots, toasted pecans for crunch (you can leave them out if you don't like them), and of course lots and lots of delicious cream cheese. Even though this is a layered cake, it's fairly easy to make and the frosting is nice and rustic.

Rich Chocolate Cake

easy chocolate cake recipe

This is my favorite chocolate cake recipe! It's a one-bowl method so it's easy to make. Frost it with my favorite rich chocolate ganache recipe and some fresh strawberries and you've got the perfect gift for your chocolate-loving mama.

Red Velvet Cake

close up of red velvet cake slice

This classic Southern red velvet cake has always been one of my favorite flavors for a Mother's day dessert. This beautiful cake only takes one bowl to make and is frosted with a smooth and creamy cream cheese frosting. The secret to this classic southern recipe is of course, buttermilk!

Coconut Layer Cake

southern coconut cake made with toasted coconut and coconut cream cheese frosting

Coconut cake makes a truly show-stopping cake! Super moist layers of cake with generous layers of frosting and lots of shredded coconut. If your mom loves coconut she will love this cake.

Pink Velvet Cake

slice of pink velvet cake with whipped cream frosting and fresh raspberries on a white plate

One of the most (if not the most) popular cake recipes on the blog. This pink velvet cake is a very light and delicate cake that isn't too sweet with stabilized whipped cream between those cute pink layers.

Berry Chantilly Cake

close up of berry chantilly cake

Is mom obsessed with the berry chantilly cake from whole foods? Well, you COULD just go buy another one or impress her with this homemade version!

Strawberry Cake

fresh strawberry cake recipe

This fresh strawberry cake has an incredibly moist texture and is made with fresh strawberries and fresh fruit. It takes a bit more work since you have to make the strawberry puree first but the cake has such a bright flavor, it's definitely worth it!

Lemon Cake

close up of lemon slice

I looooove this lemon velvet cake filled with fresh lemon curd! It uses lots of lemon zest and lemon oil so you have a truly natural flavor. It's also easy to turn into a lemon raspberry cake by folding in some fresh raspberries or a lemon blueberry cake. This is one of the moistest cakes I have ever had.

Rose Cake

close up of rose cake

This rose cake may look complicated but it's actually really easy to add edible flowers to your Mother's day cake. Just make sure you source them from a place that hasn't sprayed them with pesticides (aka mom's garden).

Flower Bouquet Cupcakes

Ok again, not really a CAKE but still a super cute idea and if you love to pipe buttercream flowers, this is really a fun one! Plus what could be easier to serve? Learn how to make this beautiful cupcake bouquet with buttercream flowers here.

Angel Food Cake

close up of an angel food cake slice

The lightest, fluffiest, and most beautiful Mother's day cake in my opinion. Nothing looks prettier than fresh strawberries on top of that snow-white cake. Angel food cake is a type of sponge cake and is a little trickier but totally doable! The sweetness of the strawberries and whipped cream is all you need with this light and fluffy cake.

German Chocolate Cake

close up of german chocolate cake

The first time I made this German chocolate cake I was surprised that the chocolate flavor is not that strong. This is a lighter chocolate cake but the homemade coconut pecan filling is truly the star! This is a family favorite in my house.

Mirror Glaze Cake

chocolate mirror glaze cake with gold drizzle on a black plate

Nothing says I really know what I'm doing in the kitchen like a mirror glaze cake! These cakes are mostly mousse and topped with a beautiful shiny glaze.

Cheesecake

slice of cherry cheesecake on a black plate

Is cherry cheesecake technically a cake? Well, either way, I know I love cheesecake and would absolutely LOVE someone to make me one! If you're not into cherries, you can always go with my classic cheesecake recipe with the PERFECT texture.

Ice Cream Cake

closeup of oreo ice cream cake slice

You may not immediately think of this ice cream cake for Mother's day but it's a really fun cake to make for a family celebration. Use your favorite cake and ice cream to make it your own.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

flourless chocolate cake with fresh raspberries

Need a gluten-free cake for Mother's day? This is a fantastic decadent flourless chocolate cake with no gluten!

Tiramisu Cheesecake

If you love tiramisu, then this is a great option! A twist on the classic dessert and in my opinion, much easier to make! This is a great dessert to make in advance and keeps well in the fridge. This makes a big cheesecake, enough for the whole family to enjoy

Charlotte Cake

charlotte cake on a blue platter

Another beautiful cake that is really visually stunning is the classic Charlotte cake. The lady fingers can be a bit hard to make if you haven't ever done it before but if you're nervous you can also use pre-made ones as well but of course, the homemade ones will taste divine!

Lunchbox Cakes

heart shaped cake in a to go box

I'm obsessed with the lunchbox cake trend. Not only are these tiny gorgeous cakes adorable but they are perfect to slip into mom's lunchbox to brighten up her day.

Vintage Piped Cake

Ok if you want to get REALLY fancy you can't go wrong with these over-the top over-piped vintage cakes that almost look like tiny wedding cakes! If you're a caking pro or just really know your way around an offset spatula, this might be the perfect cake to make.

Did I miss your favorite? tell me in the comments what you're making for Mother's day!

cupcake bouquet

May 1, 2023 Cupcakes

How To Make A Cupcake Bouquet With Buttercream Flowers

cupcake bouquet

This is how you can make a very simple cupcake bouquet with buttercream flowers. This is the perfect dessert to bring to a Mother's Day brunch, bridal showers, or even baby showers. All you need are some cupcakes, a piping bag with piping tips, buttercream frosting, and a special occasion to bring your beautiful cupcake bouquet.  

closeup of buttercream flowers

What's In This Blog Post

  • Tools Needed
  • Ingredients Needed For A Cupcake Bouquet
  • How To Make The Vanilla Cupcakes
  • How To Make The Colors Of Frosting
  • Step By Step Instructions
  • FAQ

Tools Needed

  • Leaf tip
  • 1M piping tip
  • #2 round piping tip
  • #6 round piping tip
  • ​Small star tip
  • ​Flat tip
  • Piping bags
  • Cake board
  • Food coloring (yellow, pink, purple, green)

Ingredients Needed For A Cupcake Bouquet

vanilla cupcake ingredients.

How To Make The Vanilla Cupcakes

This is my favorite basic vanilla cupcake recipe and makes about 24 cupcakes but you could use any cupcake recipe or even a box mix. I especially love Duncan Hines cake mix to make red velvet cupcakes or chocolate cupcakes because it's just so quick and easy. These cupcakes are mixed using the reverse creaming method which makes a very moist and closed crumb but requires more mixing. Don't worry, you won't over-mix!

  1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line your cupcake pans with cupcake liners.cupcake pan with white cupcake liners.
  2. Combine the vanilla and buttermilk and set it aside. 
  3. Combine the eggs and oil in a separate container and set it aside. whisking eggs and oil together in a measuring cup.
  4. Place the cake flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached. 
  5. Add the softened room temperature butter in small pieces and mix on low until the mixture resembles coarse sand.adding flour to a stand mixer bowl.
  6. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes to develop the cupcake texture. It will be very light and fluffy. a spatula showing the texture of the cake batter mixture before adding the eggs and oil.
  7. Reduce the mixing speed to slow and slowly add in the egg mixture and mix until the cupcake batter is homogenous. hand adding the egg and oil mixture to the mixing bowl.
  8. Scoop your cupcake batter into your lined pans with a cupcake scoop or spoon. They should be ⅔ of the way full (about 1.5 ounces) for the best dome.Cupcake pan with filled cupcake liners ready to bake.
  9. Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes or until the center is just barely set. If you're making mini cupcakes, bake for less time. 
  10. Let your cupcakes totally cool before you frost them.finished baked vanilla cupcakes in the cupcake pan.

How To Make The Colors Of Frosting

The first thing you need to do is make your vanilla buttercream and get it colored. I chose a nice yellow, pink, purple and a pale green but you can always choose different colors depending on what you like best. 

  1. Place your egg whites, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla into the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment attached. egg whites and powdered sugar in a stand mixer bowl
  2. Mix on high for 5 minutes. 
  3. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add in your unsalted butter in 2" pieces until it's all added in. hand adding a stick of butter to a stand mixer bowl
  4. Mix on high for 5 minutes or until it looks light, fluffy, and no longer tastes like butter. It should have a sweet vanilla taste and just melt in your mouth.
  5. Switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low for 10 minutes to help remove bubbles.picture showing the texture of the buttercream after using the paddle attachment.
  6. Divide your buttercream into different bowls. I saved some of the white as well for some roses, buds, and the bow.close up of coloring buttercream
  7. Add a drop of food coloring of your choice to each bowl and mix until well blended. 
  8. I used an immersion blender to get out any remaining bubbles and make the buttercream really smooth for piping. italian meringue buttercream colored light pink in a bowl with a spatula

Step By Step Instructions

To see a video tutorial of how to make these buttercream flowers, check out the video at the bottom of this blog post in the recipe card.

  1. Arrange your cupcakes on a cake board or platter. Place a dollop of buttercream under each cupcake to prevent them from sliding around.cupcakes arranged on a cake board surrounded by bowls of buttercream
  2. I find it easier to pipe directly on the board but if you want to hold the cupcake and then place it onto the board if this is your first time piping flowers and that works better for you. 
  3. Start with your 1M piping tip and some white buttercream to make some white rosettes. Some people also like to use Russian piping tips if you don't feel comfortable with your cake decorating skills.close up of white buttercream rosette on a cupcake
  4. Follow up with the drop flower tip for the hydrangea flower. I did pink and purple hydrangea cupcakes.pink, purple and white buttercream flower cupcakes
  5. Then add your yellow petal flowers. These look kind of like garden roses to me. closeup of buttercream flower cupcakes
  6. Fill in the edge of the cupcake with some green buttercream and the leaf tip. close up of buttercream leaves
  7. I like to go back in and add some small blobs of green and then white in the center to look like buds. This is a great way to just give the whole cupcake bouquet a finished look. Some people like to use little squares of tissue paper in between the cupcakes to fill the gaps and that works just fine too.closeup of buttercream flower cupcakes
  8. I also added some more white buttercream flowers using a small star tip to fill in some gaps. 
  9. Now I'm using a round piping tip and some green buttercream to make the buttercream stems coming down from the flowers. buttercream flower stems
  10. I used a flat piping tip to make a little bow with some white buttercream but you could use a round piping tip as well. 

The best thing about this cupcake bouquet is that it's so easy to serve. Everyone just grabs a flower! No need to cut and serve. 

closeup of finished cupcake bouquet

FAQ

Do you need to refrigerate the cupcake bouquet?

These cupcakes taste best at room temperature so no need to refrigerate.

How do you store leftover cupcakes?

Store leftover cupcakes at room temperature lightly covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Recipe

cupcake bouquet
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Cupcake Bouquet With Buttercream Flowers

How to make a beautiful cupcake bouquet with buttercream flowers. The perfect dessert for Mothers Day, baby showers, bridal showers, or birthdays.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Decorating Time30 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Calories: 209kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 6 Piping Bags
  • 1 9"x13" cake board
  • 6 piping tips
  • 24 cupcake liners
  • 2 cupcake pans
  • 1 Immersion blender optional

Ingredients

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

  • 10 ounces cake flour
  • 9 ounces granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 4 ounces vegetable oil
  • 5 ounces buttermilk room temperature or slightly warm
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Easy Buttercream Frosting Recipe

  • 6 ounces pasteurized egg whites
  • 24 ounces powdered sugar
  • 24 ounces unsalted butter softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Vanilla Cupcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line two cupcake pans (or a muffin pan will do) with paper liners. You can also bake one pan at a time if you only have one cupcake pan. This recipe will make about 24 cupcakes.
  • Combine the vanilla and buttermilk in a separate measuring cup and set it aside. 
  • Next, add the eggs and oil to a separate bowl then whisk and set them aside. 
  • Add the cake flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. You can use a large bowl and an electric mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer, just mix for longer. Use these photos as a guide instead of mixing by time. 
  • Then add the softened butter to the rest of the dry ingredients and mix on low until the mixture resembles a sandy texture. Depending on how soft your butter is, this might take a minute or two. 
  • Pour the milk mixture into your dry ingredients and increase the speed to medium (speed 4 on a KitchenAid, speed 2 on a Bosch). Mix for 1 ½ minutes to develop the fluffy structure of the cupcake. The batter will go from being yellow to a fluffy white.
  • Slowly add your egg mixture in three parts and mix on low until it's fully combined.
  • Fill your liners ⅔ of the way full with the cupcake batter. I use my kitchen scale to measure out 1.5 ounces of batter per cupcake.
  • Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes or until they are just starting to turn golden brown and the center of the cupcake springs back when you lightly touch it. I rotate my cupcakes halfway through baking for even browning. If you’re making mini cupcakes, bake for less time.
  • Let your cupcakes cool in the pans for five minutes, then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Place your favorite frosting into a piping bag with a tip, I like a 1M or a 2F, and pipe a swirl on top. I love using my easy vanilla buttercream and topping them with a few sprinkles. Swiss meringue buttercream or strawberry buttercream would also be delicious.

Making Easy Buttercream

  • Place the pasteurized egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Combine the ingredients on low and then whip them on high for 4-5 minutes (until shiny) to dissolve the powdered sugar.
  • Now add in the salt and vanilla extract. If you want to add in any food coloring, now is the time.
  • Add in your softened butter piece-by-piece, then whip it on high. It will look curdled at first. This is definitely normal. It will also look pretty yellow, just keep whipping.
  • After your buttercream looks like this, remove about 1 cup of buttercream and melt it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
  • Pour it back into the whipping buttercream to bring it all together.
  • Whip it on high for 8-10 minutes until the buttercream is white, light, and shiny. If it tastes like sweet ice cream, then it’s ready!
  • Finally, switch to a paddle attachment and mix the buttercream on low speed for up to 15-20 minutes to make the buttercream ultra smooth and remove any air bubbles. This step is optional, but if you want really creamy frosting, you don’t want to skip this final step.
  • For extra white buttercream, add a drop of purple food coloring. The purple counteracts the yellow in the butter, toning the buttercream to make it white.

Cupcake Bouquet Assembly

  • Place your cupcakes onto your cake board
  • Pipe your buttercream flowers onto the cupcakes
  • Add your buttercream stems and bow

Notes

  1. For the best rise, fill your liners ⅔ with cupcake batter or 1 ½ ounces per cupcake
  2. Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before mixing your batter (milk, butter, eggs). 
  3. Use clear vanilla extract for that “classic grocery store cake” flavor. Use good quality vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or even a vanilla bean for true vanilla flavor. One vanilla bean = 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. 
  4. Preheat your oven to 350ºF for 30 minutes before baking to give your cupcakes a good rise and set the dome. 
  5. Baked cupcakes can be frozen for up to 6 months.
  6. Buttermilk is essential to this recipe because it adds flavor and moisture. If you have whole milk and white vinegar or lemons, you can make your own buttermilk substitute.
  7. Cake flour is what makes these cupcakes extra soft and fluffy. If you don't have cake flour, you can try using my cake flour substitute recipe, or try searching for "Shipton Mills soft cake and pastry flour."

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 198mg | Potassium: 93mg | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 0.2mg
lemon blueberry scone on a cooling rack

May 1, 2023 Biscuits and Scones

Lemon Blueberry Scones

These Lemon Blueberry Scones are delightful any time of day, but I love warm scones right out of the oven. Fresh juicy berries combined with dried blueberries and lemon zest add a bright, concentrated flavor to these easy homemade scones. Served plain or topped with sweet lemon glaze they will be the first thing to go at any occasion they are invited to! lemon blueberry scone on a cooling rack

This is such an easy recipe! I love a cream scone because it keeps the scone super moist, comes together really quickly, and is nearly fail-proof. The fresh and dried blueberries combined are the best because you get the juiciness of a blueberry and the concentrated flavor of dried blueberry.

Lemon Blueberry Scone Ingredientsingredients for lemon blueberry scones in bowls

Heavy cream: Cream scones are my favorite scones! Using heavy cream in this recipe adds moisture and fat. This makes tender scones, less crumbly, more cakey, and moist. Some scone recipes use cold butter, which has less moisture and more fat, resulting in a drying flakier scone. Since I decided to use some dried fruit in these scones, the extra moisture from the cream helps plump the dried fruit slightly, resulting in them releasing a more concentrated flavor. 

Blueberries: Dried Blueberries have so much flavor! All of the water is removed and they are left with all of that amazing blueberry flavor and sweetness, which works really well in a baked good. Using dried with fresh blueberries combines the concentrated flavor with the juicy blueberries tartness, and as they bake they release that gorgeous deep blueberry color.  So in this scone recipe, you are getting all of the best parts of a juicy berry. I chose to use frozen blueberries so that they keep their shape as I mix the scone dough. You can buy fresh berries and pop them in the freezer for about 30 minutes to firm them up before adding them to the dough. 

Lemon: The lemon zest in this scone dough is subtle but so important to enhance the flavor of the berries. It adds an extra depth of lemon flavor that makes a good scone great. The glaze on top of the scones is a burst of tangy fresh lemon juice, balancing the sweet scone perfectly. Make sure your lemons are room temperature or even slightly warmed in the microwave for a second, as they will release more juice and oils.

Making the Lemon Blueberry Scone

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper. 
  2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and zest in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Make sure the zest is dispersed and not clumped up.dry ingredients in a glass bowl
  3. Add the dried blueberries and the frozen blueberries and gently toss to combine. Pro-tip: Frozen blueberries keep their shape while mixing the scone dough together, and dried blueberries have a more concentrated flavor. hand adding a cup of dried blueberries to a bowl of dry ingredients
  4. Add the heavy cream to the dry ingredients and begin mixing gently, take note to not crush the blueberries. You can use a wooden spoon or spatula, but it may be easier using your hands as this is a thick strong dough. pouring cream from a container into a glass bowl of flour
  5. Mix until the dough just begins to stick together. There may still be some drier pockets. If the dough is not sticking together at all you can add a few extra tablespoons of cream until it begins to form a dough ball. scone dough in a glass bowl
  6. Dump the dough out onto a prepared baking sheet and form the dough into an 8" round disk. You can use a cake ring or cake pan to press it into if you have one.8" cake ring over scone dough
  7. Place the sheet pan in the freezer for 20-30 minutes so the dough firms up and the flour has a few minutes to hydrate. Baking cold scones will help them keep their shape as they bake. 8" mound of scone dough on a sheet pan
  8. Once the dough round has chilled, cut it into 8 equal wedges. cutting a disc of scone dough with a knife
  9. Brush the tops of the scones with some heavy cream and add a few blueberries on top.brushing the tops of scones with cream
  10. Space the wedges out so they don't bake back together when they expand in the oven.scones spread out on a sheet pan in a circle
  11. Place them into a preheated oven, and bake the scones for 15-18 minutes. The scones should be slightly golden brown on the edges and feel firm when pressed with a finger. baked scones on a sheet pan

Making the Lemon Glaze

  1. Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, salt, and lemon zest in a large bowl with a whisk or an electric mixer.mixing glaze ingredients with a hand mixer
  2. Add the warmed/soft butter to the glaze and whip for a few seconds until combined, smooth, and slightly fluffy. If the glaze looks lightly separated, warm it for just a few seconds in the microwave and whip it again. The butter should blend into the glaze. If you are not using the glaze right away, be sure to cover it so that it does not form a crust. butter and glaze in a glass bowl
  3. Using a pouring cup or a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the tops of the cooled scones, as much or as little as you prefer. pouring glaze on top of scones
  4. Let the glaze finish dripping and dry before stacking or storing the scones.hand holding a scone
  5. To store the scones, transfer them to an airtight container or wrap them with plastic wrap and store them at room temperature for up to 4 days. If you choose to freeze the scones to be eaten at a later date, freeze them before glazing and glaze them when you are ready to serve for the best results. Un-glazed scones can be refreshed in the oven, bake for 8 minutes at 300°F, then let cool and glaze.

FAQ

Can I use a plant-based alternative to cream? 

Most plant-based milk doesn't contain enough fat to make this recipe successful. However, you could substitute it with a can of full-fat coconut milk. The final result may vary based on the fat content. 

Can I use different berries? 

The best part of this lemon blueberry scones recipe is its versatility. You can swap out the blueberries and lemon zest for any other fruit or flavor. Chocolate chips, orange zest and currants, poppy seeds, or even savory, some bacon and chives, ham and cheese, so many delicious options! 

Can I double this recipe? 

Yes, this recipe multiplies very easily and you can shape it into any shape you want. You can form it in a square and cut small squares, or even use a round biscuit cutter and make round scones.

What is the secret to making good scones?

To get light, and fluffy scones, the trick is to not overmix your dough. Cream scones are harder to overmix than butter scones because the cream combines with the dry ingredients more easily. I also like using a food scale to weigh my ingredients and mix the dry ingredients together to make sure they are all accurate and combined well. 

Recipe

lemon blueberry scone on a cooling rack
Print Recipe
4.60 from 5 votes

Lemon Blueberry Scones

This perfect cream scone recipe is made with 2 kinds of blueberries, lemon zest, and tart lemon icing. The best part is that there's no cold butter required! These easy blueberry lemon scones are delicious for breakfast with your morning coffee, brunch, Mother’s Day, or a perfect treat with afternoon tea time!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Chilling Time30 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 scones
Calories: 407kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

Lemon Blueberry Scone Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
  • ¼ cup dried blueberries
  • ½ cup frozen blueberries or fresh
  • 1 cup heavy cream plus a few extra Tablespoons in case the dough is dry

Lemon Glaze Ingredients

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup lemon juice or more depending on consistency)
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter very soft or slightly melted
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Lemon Blueberry Scones

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F and prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper. 
  • Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and zest in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Make sure the zest is dispersed and not clumped up.
  • Add the dried blueberries and the frozen blueberries and gently toss to combine. Pro-tip: Frozen blueberries keep their shape while mixing the scone dough together, and dried blueberries have a more concentrated flavor. 
  • Add the heavy cream to the dry ingredients and begin mixing gently, take note to not crush the blueberries. You can use a wooden spoon or spatula, but it may be easier using your hands as this is a thick strong dough. 
  • Mix until the dough just begins to stick together. There may still be some drier pockets. If the dough is not sticking together at all you can add a few extra tablespoons of cream until it begins to form a dough ball. 
  • Dump the dough out onto a prepared baking sheet and form the dough into an 8" round disk. You can use a cake ring or cake pan to press it into if you have one.
  • Place the sheet pan in the freezer for 20-30 minutes so the dough firms up and the flour has a few minutes to hydrate. Baking cold scones will help them keep their shape as they bake. 
  • Once the dough round has chilled, cut it into 8 equal wedges. 
  • Brush the tops of the scones with some heavy cream and add a few blueberries on top.
  • Space the wedges out so they don't bake back together when they expand in the oven.
  • Place them into a preheated oven, and bake the scones for 15-18 minutes. The scones should be slightly golden brown on the edges and feel firm when pressed with a finger. 

Making the Lemon Glaze

  • Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, salt, and lemon zest in a large bowl with a whisk or an electric mixer.
  • Add the warmed/soft butter to the glaze and whip for a few seconds until combined, smooth, and slightly fluffy.
    If the glaze looks lightly separated, warm it for just a few seconds in the microwave and whip it again. The butter should blend into the glaze. If you are not using the glaze right away, be sure to cover it so that it does not form a crust. 
  • Using a pouring cup or a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the tops of the cooled scones, as much or as little as you prefer. 
  • Let the glaze finish dripping and dry before stacking or storing the scones.
  • To store the scones, transfer them to an airtight container or wrap them with plastic wrap and store them at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Notes

  1. If you choose to freeze the scones to be eaten at a later date, freeze them before glazing and glaze them when you are ready to serve for the best results. Un-glazed scones can be refreshed in the oven, bake for 8 minutes at 300°F, then let cool and glaze.
  2. Preheat your oven 30 minutes ahead of time to give the biscuits the best lift.
  3. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 
  4. Practice Mise en Place (everything in its place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.

Nutrition

Serving: 1scone | Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 449mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 531IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 2mg
slice of cake coming out of a pancake cake

April 26, 2023 Cake

Blueberry Pancake Cake

This blueberry pancake cake is soft, fluffy, and full of tangy buttermilk flavor and fresh blueberries. The best part is that it’s made from very basic ingredients and a pancake mix! A realistic-looking stack of pancakes made of fondant brings this easy cake together. slice of cake coming out of a pancake cake

Don’t be intimidated by the fondant work of this cake, it comes together really easily with just a few ingredients. You also don’t have to make the fondant pancakes, as the cake and buttercream alone make a delicious treat! Forget the cinnamon rolls, blueberry pancake cake will be a new brunch favorite! 

Table of contents

  • Ingredients
  • How to Make a Blueberry Pancake Cake
    • The Blueberry Pancake Cake Layers
    • The Maple Buttercream Frosting
    • Assembling the Cake
    • The Pancake Fondant Decoration
    • The Gelatin Syrup and Butter
  • FAQ
  • Related Recipes

Ingredientsbowls of ingredients for pancake cake on a table

Pancake mix: Most types of pancake mix will work for this cake, but I like the flavor of Krusteaz buttermilk pancake mix. There is already all-purpose flour, sugar, egg whites, and leavening in this mix, so just adding wet ingredients makes it into a cake!

Blueberries: Fresh and juicy blueberries add bursts of flavor to this cake. Frozen blueberries will also work for the inside of the cake, no need to thaw them! But dried blueberries won’t work as well. 

Fondant: Making the fondant “pancakes” as decoration is totally optional, but it’s so fun and easy to make it look like a realistic stack of pancakes. 

Gelatin: Just like the "fondant pancakes", the gelatin syrup drips are optional. They add a fun gummy element to the cake that brings it to life! 

How to Make a Blueberry Pancake Cake

This cake just by itself or with frosting is delicious as it is! If you want to take it up a notch and make it look like a realistic stack of pancakes, you can make the fondant strips, gelatin syrup, and fondant butter. I would make the cake layers the day ahead and frost and decorate on the day you're going to serve.

The Blueberry Pancake Cake Layers

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF/176ºC and prepare three 8-inch round cake pans with cake goop, parchment paper, or another preferred pan release. You can also bake this in a sheet pan, 9" cake pans, or a bundt pan. hand brushing a cake pan with cake goop
  2. Add the pancake mix and milk to a large bowl and whisk it together until just combined. Do not overmix! It’s okay if the flour mixture is lumpy.pouring milk into a bowl of pancake mix
  3. Fold in the fresh blueberries and let the mixture sit for 2 minutes.adding blueberries to a bowl of pancake mix
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.weighing a pan of cake batter on a food scale
  5. Bake the cakes for 15 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  6. While the cakes are still warm, brush the tops with melted butter. brushing the top of a cake with melted butter
  7. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then flip the cakes out onto a wire rack.cake layer flipped onto a cooling rack
  8. Cool the cakes completely at room temperature, or wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes or overnight.

The Maple Buttercream Frosting

  1. Mix the room-temperature butter in a large separate bowl with a hand mixer until smooth.mixing butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer
  2. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix until it's fully combined.mixing butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl
  3. Pour in the vanilla and maple syrup and mix together until the frosting is smooth, light, and fluffy.maple frosting in a large bowl

Assembling the Cake

  1. Trim the top of the 2 cake layers so they are flat, and leave the 3rd full to be the top. 
  2. Place the first cake layer down on a cake board and spread a layer of buttercream evenly across the top. Pro-tip: For extra blueberry flavor, add some homemade blueberry sauce in between layers. spreading frosting on a layer of cake
  3. Repeat this process with the remaining 2 layers. stacking a 3rd cake layer on top of 2 others
  4. Spread a thin layer of frosting around the entire cake as a crumb coat. Leave the cake at room temperature while you decorate so that the buttercream stays sticky. spreading a crumb coat of frosting on a cake

The Pancake Fondant Decoration

  1. Add the Everclear and brown food coloring to a medium bowl and mix them together. This will be your “paint” for coloring the golden brown edges of the pancakes.adding brown food gel to a bowl
  2. Color about a pound of fondant with a few drops of ivory food coloring.hands stretching fondant
  3. Sprinkle powdered sugar on the work surface and roll out about ½ cup of fondant into long strips, about ½  inch thick.hands rolling a long strip of fondant
  4. Cut the strip in half lengthwise with a pizza cutter.pizza cutter cutting a fondant strip in half lengthwise
  5. Starting at the bottom, place a strip on the cake with the flat-cut side facing the cake. It should stick to the buttercream, but you can dab a little bit of water to help.hands placing a strip of fondant against a cake
  6. Spread some of the brown mixture with a paintbrush onto the top and inside of the fondant strip. It doesn’t need to be fully covered or perfect, it will just help the fluffy pancakes look more realistic.hand painting a strip of fondant on the outside of a cake
  7. Repeat steps 3 through 6 and works up to the top edge of the cake. cake covered up halfway in fondant strips
  8. Roll out a piece of fondant into a large circle about ½ inch thick. Then place it on top of the cake and paint it to look like a pancake.brushing food color onto fondant on top of a cake
  9. Use a small ball modeling tool to create small dots on the side of the fondant to represent air bubbles.making dots in fondant with a modeling tool

The Gelatin Syrup and Butter

  1. Sprinkle gelatin onto a small bowl of cold water and microwave it for about 15 seconds until just melted.
  2. Add a few drops of brown food coloring and mix it together. bowl of brown gelatin mixture
  3. Drizzle spoonfuls of gelatin “syrup” from the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides.drizzling brown gelatin mixture down the side of a cake
  4. Pour the rest of the gelatin mixture on top of the cake. 
  5. Color about ¼ cup of fondant yellow and form it into a ½ inch thick rectangle.hands holding yellow fondant
  6. Cut the yellow fondant into 2 equal-sized squares with a knife or bench scraper. These will be the “butter” pieces. cutting yellow fondant squares with a bench scraper
  7. Add some fresh blueberries and the “butter” pieces on top of the cake before the gelatin fully cools. hand placing blueberries and fondant butter on top of a cake
  8. Now serve and enjoy! This cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days. blueberry pancake cake

FAQ

What is the difference between cake mix and pancake mix?

The funny thing about both cake mix and pancakes mix is that you can add water to the dry ingredients, put it in a cake pan, and it’ll bake up into a cake! Cake mixes are typically sweeter, have vanilla and other flavorings, and need to be mixed until they’re smooth and cohesive. 

What is a pancake cake?

A pancake cake is just pancake batter baked into layers of cake. It’s delicious by itself, but cover it in buttercream and decorate it with fondant to make a realistic-looking stack of pancakes, and it’s a true “pancake cake.” 

Can I flavor my pancake cake?

Adding blueberries to this recipe makes them taste like sweet blueberry pancakes. You can also add chocolate chips, vanilla extract, lemon zest, or lemon juice to flavor this recipe.

What frosting goes with a pancake cake?

This frosting recipe is a maple buttercream, but cream cheese frosting or stabilized whipped cream would also pair well. 

Related Recipes

Blueberry Muffins

Sourdough Discard Pancakes

Lemon Blueberry Cake Recipe

Brown Butter Buttermilk Pancakes

Recipe

slice of cake coming out of a pancake cake
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Blueberry Pancake Cake

Cake for breakfast? Absolutely! This blueberry pancake cake is actually made from a buttermilk pancake mix and you only need milk and blueberries to bake it up into three delicious layers. Some maple buttercream frosting and fondant bring this cake to life as a realistic-looking stack of pancakes. 
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Decorating Time30 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 cups
Calories: 743kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 3 8" x 2" cake pans

Ingredients

Blueberry Pancake Cake

  • 4 cups pancake mix Krusteaz buttermilk
  • 2 ⅔ cups milk
  • 2 ½ cups fresh blueberries or frozen
  • ¼ cup melted butter for brushing

Gummy "Syrup"

  • 2 teaspoons gelatin powder
  • ½ cup cold water
  • 1-2 drops brown food coloring

Fondant Decoration

  • 1 pound white fondant
  • 1-2 drops ivory food coloring for the pancakes
  • 1-2 drops yellow food coloring for the butter
  • 3 Tablespoons Everclear
  • 4 to 5 drops brown food coloring for the pancake edges

Maple Frosting

  • 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
  • 7 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon salt
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

The Blueberry Pancake Cake Layers

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF/176ºC and prepare three 8-inch round cake pans with cake goop, parchment paper, or another preferred pan release. 
  • Add the pancake mix and milk to a large bowl and whisk it together until just combined. Do not overmix! It’s okay if the flour mixture is lumpy.
  • Fold in the fresh blueberries and let the mixture sit for 2 minutes.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
  • Bake the cakes for 15 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • While the cakes are still warm, brush the tops with melted butter. 
  • Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then flip the cakes out onto a wire rack.
  • Cool the cakes completely at room temperature, or wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes or overnight.

The Maple Buttercream Frosting

  • Mix the room-temperature butter in a large separate bowl with a hand mixer until smooth.
  • Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix until it's fully combined.
  • Pour in the vanilla and maple syrup and mix together until the frosting is smooth, light, and fluffy.

Assembling the Cake

  • Trim the top of the 2 cake layers so they are flat, and leave the 3rd full to be the top. 
  • Place the first cake layer down on a cake board and spread a layer of buttercream evenly across the top.
  • Repeat this process with the remaining 2 layers. 
  • Spread a thin layer of frosting around the entire cake as a crumb coat. Leave the cake at room temperature while you decorate so that the buttercream stays sticky. 

The Pancake Fondant Decoration

  • Add the Everclear and brown food coloring to a medium bowl and mix them together. This will be your “paint” for coloring the golden brown edges of the pancakes.
  • Color about a pound of fondant with a few drops of ivory food coloring.
  • Sprinkle powdered sugar on the work surface and roll out about ½ cup of fondant into long strips, about ½  inch thick.
  • Cut the strip in half lengthwise with a pizza cutter.
  • Starting at the bottom, place a strip on the cake with the flat-cut side facing the cake. It should stick to the buttercream, but you can dab a little bit of water to help.
  • Spread some of the brown mixture with a paintbrush onto the top and inside of the fondant strip. It doesn’t need to be fully covered or perfect, it will just help the fluffy pancakes look more realistic.
  • Repeat steps 3 through 6 and works up to the top edge of the cake. 
  • Roll out a piece of fondant into a large circle about ½ inch thick. Then place it on top of the cake and paint it to look like a pancake.
  • Use a small ball modeling tool to create small dots on the side of the fondant to represent air bubbles.

The Gelatin Syrup and Butter

  • Sprinkle gelatin onto a small bowl of cold water and microwave it for about 15 seconds until just melted.
  • Add a few drops of brown food coloring and mix it together. 
  • Drizzle spoonfuls of gelatin “syrup” from the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides.
  • Pour the rest of the gelatin mixture on top of the cake. 
  • Color about ¼ cup of fondant yellow and form it into a ½ inch thick rectangle.
  • Cut the yellow fondant into 2 equal-sized squares with a knife or bench scraper. These will be the “butter” pieces. 
  • Add some fresh blueberries and the “butter” pieces on top of the cake before the gelatin fully cools. 
  • Now serve and enjoy! This cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days. 

Notes

  1. It’s important to not overmix the cake mix, or it will have a dense texture. The light and fluffy texture comes from mixing just until the batter is incorporated.
  2. You can also bake this in a sheet pan, two 9" cake pans, or a bundt pan. Just bake them at different times.
  3. Practice Mise en Place (everything in its place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
  4. For extra blueberry flavor, add some homemade blueberry sauce in between layers. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 743kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 375mg | Potassium: 219mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 78g | Vitamin A: 1276IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 181mg | Iron: 1mg
fork going through a slice of peanut butter sheet cake

April 19, 2023 Cake

Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake

This peanut butter Texas sheet cake recipe is packed with peanut butter flavor from the soft cake and gooey peanut butter glaze. Similar to the chocolate Texas sheet cake, this huge and tasty peanut butter version comes together in just 30 minutes. Bring it to a party of peanut butter lovers and the entire cake will disappear!fork going through a slice of peanut butter sheet cake

This really is the easiest cake you could make because there's no special decorating required and you can serve it right out of the pan. My favorite part of this cake is when the glaze sets up and almost becomes like a peanut butter fudge on top of the cake. You could also get fancy and do chocolate icing or cream cheese frosting on top of the peanut butter cake.

Table of contents

  • Ingredients
  • Making a Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
    • The Peanut Butter Cake
    • The Frosting
  • FAQ
  • Related Recipes

Ingredients

Sugar: Adding both brown sugar and granulated sugar to the dry ingredients adds extra moisture to this cake. I love how the richness of the brown sugar brings out the true peanut butter flavor.

Buttermilk: The tanginess from the acidity of the buttermilk is crucial to the moisture and flavor of this cake. Check out my buttermilk substitutes blog post for alternatives, or replace the buttermilk with equal parts of sour cream.

Peanut butter: Creamy, salted peanut butter will work best for this recipe. If you're using unsalted, just add another ½ teaspoon of salt to the cake.

Making a Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

The trick to this cake is the timing of making the glaze. You want to start making the glaze while the cake is in the oven so that the cake rests for 5 minutes and you pour warm glaze onto the warm cake. If you make your glaze too quickly, you can keep whisking it over low heat to keep it liquid.

The Peanut Butter Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare a large sheet pan with cake goop or pan spray and parchment paper. A 12×17 jellyroll sheet will work well.hand using brush to brush cake pan release on sheet pan.
  2. Combine eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk in a separate mixing bowl and set it aside.hands pouring bowl of eggs into measuring cup.
  3. Combine the sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt, in a large mixing bowl.hands using hand mixer to whisk dry ingredients in bowl.
  4. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.hand holding spatula mixing butter in stove pot.
  5. Add the peanut butter and milk and bring it to a simmer, then remove it from the heat and set it aside. hand using spatula to scoop peanut butter into stove top.
  6. Add the hot peanut butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir until completely combined. hands using hand mixer to mix together batter in bowl.
  7. Next, add the egg mixture to the batter and mix until combined.hands pouring measuring cup of wet ingredients into bowl of batter.
  8. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.hand pouring bowl of batter into sheet pan.
  9. Bake the cake for 15 minutes until the center of the cake springs back when touched. Pro-Tip: Make the frosting while the cake is baking.final photo of sheet cake that has been baked.
  10. The frosting will spread best over a warm cake, so let it cool for only 5 minutes before adding the glaze.

The Frosting

  1. Combine butter, buttermilk, and peanut butter in a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat.hand pouring cup of cream into stove pot.
  2. Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla until combined and the sugar is dissolved. Pro-Tip: If the mixture is too thick, add a tablespoon of water at a time. If it's too runny, add ¼ cup of powdered sugar.hand using hand mixer to whisk together powdered sugar and peanut butter glaze.final photo of peanut butter glaze on spatula.
  3. Spread peanut butter icing onto the warm cake with a spatula. The glaze should be at an easy-spreading consistency and will be set up when it cools.hand pouring bowl of peanut butter glaze onto baked sheet cake.
  4. Serve the whole cake directly on the sheet pan and store leftovers at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.peanut butter texas sheet cake in a pink pan

FAQ

Does a Texas sheet cake need to be refrigerated?

Not technically, but if you're going to continue to serve it for longer than four days, or if you live in a hot area, it will stay fresher in the refrigerator.

Can I make this recipe into a chocolate cake?

Yes! It's the same process, just take out the peanut butter and add cocoa powder. The traditional Texas sheet cake is usually a delicious chocolate cake topped with nuts and chocolate frosting. Both this and the chocolate are incredibly moist and tender cakes.

Why is it called a Texas sheet cake?

It is unclear whether or not the Texas sheet cake originated in Texas. Some say the recipe first showed up in a Texas newspaper, others say it gets its name from being big like the size of Texas. Either way, this recipe is a real crowd-pleaser and is widely known as a symbol of friendship and hospitality.

What size pan should I use for a Texas sheet cake?

A half sheet pan is typically about 13″ wide by 18″ long and is about 2″ tall. You can also use a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan as long as it has sides. You may have to slightly adjust your batter recipe and baking time, or bake leftover batter as cupcakes if you’re using a smaller pan.

Related Recipes

Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake

Peanut Butter Chocolate Eggs

Moist Peanut Butter Cookies

Lofthouse Copycat Cookies

Recipe

fork going through a slice of peanut butter sheet cake
Print Recipe
4.24 from 13 votes

Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake

This is a moist peanut butter sheet cake glazed with creamy peanut butter frosting that soaks into the cake. A little bit of tangy buttermilk takes this cake to a whole new level. The perfect cake for large gatherings, birthday parties, weddings, and BBQs.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 334kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 1 Hand mixer optional

Ingredients

Peanut Butter Cake

  • ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup buttermilk

Peanut Butter Glaze

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk
  • 3 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup peanuts optional, for decoration
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

The Peanut Butter Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare a large sheet pan with cake goop or pan spray and parchment paper. A 12×17 jellyroll sheet will work well.
  • Combine eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk in a separate mixing bowl and set it aside.
  • Combine the sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt, in a large mixing bowl.
  • Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add the peanut butter and milk and bring it to a simmer, then remove it from the heat and set it aside. 
  • Add the hot peanut butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir until completely combined. 
  • Next, add the egg mixture to the batter and mix until combined.
  • Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
  • Bake the cake for 15 minutes until the center of the cake springs back when touched. Pro-Tip: Make the frosting while the cake is baking.
  • The frosting will spread best over a warm cake, so let it cool for only 5 minutes before adding the glaze.

The Peanut Butter Glaze

  • Combine butter, buttermilk, and peanut butter in a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat.
  • Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla until combined and the sugar is dissolved. Pro-Tip: If the mixture is too thick, add a tablespoon of water at a time. If it's too runny, add ¼ cup of powdered sugar.
  • Spread peanut butter icing onto the warm cake with a spatula. The glaze should be at an easy-spreading consistency and will be set up when it cools.
  • Serve the whole cake directly on the sheet pan and store leftovers at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.

Notes

  • Cake goop on its own will release your cake from the pan with no problems. If you're using another type of pan release, you may want to have a layer of parchment paper for protection.
  • A half sheet pan is typically about 13″ wide by 18″ long and is about 2″ tall. You can also use a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan as long as it has sides. You may have to slightly adjust your batter recipe and baking time, or bake leftover batter as cupcakes if you’re using a smaller pan.
  • If your glaze is too thick, you can add 1-2 Tablespoons of water to thin it out to the desired consistency.
  • If your glaze is too runny, add ¼ cup of powdered sugar.
  • Feel free to add toasted peanuts to your Texas sheet cake
  • If you don’t have a sheet pan you can use any kind of cake pan, cupcake, or even a loaf pan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 201mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 348IU | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
raspberry buttercream on a vanilla cupcake

April 17, 2023 Frosting and Icing

Raspberry Buttercream

This is the best raspberry buttercream recipe made from real raspberries! Thick raspberry filling made from delicious fresh raspberries or frozen berries mixed into creamy easy vanilla buttercream frosting. It pairs perfectly with white chocolate raspberry cake, pink velvet cake, or lemon raspberry cake.raspberry buttercream on a vanilla cupcake

​​The trick to this raspberry buttercream frosting is getting the raspberry puree to the right consistency. The longer the berries are reduced, the thicker they will become and the more flavor will be concentrated. When raspberries are fresh, juicy, and warmed by the sun, there’s nothing like it, but frozen raspberries are a wonderful alternative that gives the same vibrant raspberry flavor.

Table of contents

  • Ingredients
  • Making Raspberry Filling
  • Making Fresh Raspberry Buttercream
  • FAQ
  • Related Recipes

Ingredientsbowls of ingredients for raspberry buttercream

Raspberries: If you have fresh berries available then this is a great way to use them and save that seasonal flavor. If not, frozen berries are just as good because they are picked at the peak of ripeness and flash-frozen. The freezing process starts to break down the berries, so as they thaw they will release their juices and break down quicker in the cooking process. Freeze-dried raspberries won’t work as well in this buttercream, because the butter will prevent the raspberries from rehydrating and releasing their flavor (and they are expensive).

Pasteurized Egg whites: Pasteurized egg whites are heat-treated (like milk) so they are safe to eat without cooking. They usually come in a box carton in the egg aisle. If you don’t have pasteurized egg whites then you can use my Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe instead. 

Butter: Using good quality, real butter is best, but you can substitute it with margarine, vegan butter, or vegetable shortening. I can’t guarantee the taste will be the same, but you can use whatever is your preference! You can also mix the raspberry puree into any of my buttercream recipes, like Swiss meringue buttercream, American buttercream, and even cream cheese frosting.

Making Raspberry Filling

  1. Add your raspberries and sugar to a medium saucepan over medium heat.hand pouring sugar onto raspberries in a pot.
  2. Heat your raspberry puree until it begins to bubble. Increase the heat to medium-high heat if needed.raspberries bubbling while being cooked in a pot.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the water and the ClearJel (or cornstarch) and mix until smooth. Don’t just add the ClearJel (or cornstarch) directly to the hot liquid or you’ll end up with lumps of thickener in your filling.hands whisking water and cornstarch together.
  4. Add the ClearJel mixture (or cornstarch slurry) to the hot liquid and mix with a rubber spatula for one more minute to thicken the mixture.hand pouring cornstarch slurry into cooked raspberries in a pot while stirring.
  5. Add in the lemon juice and lemon zest and continue cooking for one more minute until thickened.hand pouring lemon juice into raspberry mixture in a pot.
  6. If you do not want seeds in your raspberry filling, press the filling through a fine mesh strainer to remove them.straining the seeds out of raspberry filling
  7. Transfer the mixture to a heat-proof container and cover it with plastic wrap (so that it’s touching the surface) and allow it to cool to room temperature or place it into the refrigerator to cool before using it.finished raspberry filling in a mason jar.

Making Fresh Raspberry Buttercream

  1. Place the pasteurized egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on low until combined. egg whites and powdered sugar in a stand mixer bowl
  2. Bump up the speed to medium-high and mix for 3-5 minutes until white and glossy.glossy mixed egg whites and powdered sugar in a stand mixer bowl
  3. Add the softened butter in small chunks then vanilla and salt while the mixer is on medium speed.hand adding a stick of butter to a stand mixer bowl
  4. Whip on high speed until light and fluffy and white, about 8 to 10 minutes. When it tastes like ice cream and no longer tastes buttery, it’s done!glass bowl full of buttercream
  5. Optional: switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 15-20 minutes until all air bubbles are gone or until your desired consistency.smooth buttercream in a stand mixer bowl
  6. Add about ½ cup of the strained raspberry purée to the buttercream and continue to mix until combined. adding raspberry filling to a bowl of buttercream
  7. Mix in about 1-2 drops of pink food coloring to enhance the raspberry pink color if you choose. squeezing a bottle of food coloring into a stand mixer bowl
  8. If the buttercream is splitting, it's probably too cold. Microwave about a cup of the buttercream and mix it back in, or use an immersion blender to emulsify the buttercream.
  9. Stored it in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator or for 3 months in the freezer.black spoon filled with raspberry buttercream

FAQ

Would this be the same with other berries like blueberries or blackberries? 

Yes, follow the recipe the same way for other berries. You can choose to swap the lemon for lime or orange too for a different combination. 

How do you keep raspberry buttercream from splitting?

If the buttercream begins to separate, warm a little in the microwave and add it back to the batch, make sure you let it mix long enough to allow the puree to fully emulsify with the butter. 

Do I have to make raspberry filling or can I use store-bought? 

You can use raspberry jam or raspberry sauce from your local grocery store. However, store-bought won't have the same intense berry flavor as making it from frozen or fresh fruit. It will also contain more sugar, changing the flavor of the final product. 

Can you add fresh fruit to buttercream?

You don't want to add just straight-up chopped strawberries or raspberries to the buttercream. The best way to flavor buttercream with fruit is to cook the fruit into a puree first and pour that into your already prepared buttercream.

Related Recipes

White Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Pistachio Cake with Raspberry Filling

Lemon Raspberry Cake

Pink Velvet Cake

Recipe

raspberry buttercream on a vanilla cupcake
Print Recipe
4.82 from 11 votes

Raspberry Buttercream

This easy raspberry buttercream recipe made from real raspberries is sweet, bursting with fresh raspberry flavor, and has the slightest hint of lemon. It's similar to Swiss meringue buttercream, so it's perfect for stacking cakes, is great under fondant, and is so easy to make!
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Chilling Time1 hour hr
Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 cups
Calories: 1031kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

Raspberry Filling

  • 16 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries
  • 5 ounces granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 4 ounces cool water
  • 1 Tablespoon corn starch

Raspberry Buttercream

  • 4 ounces pasteurized egg whites
  • 16 ounces powdered sugar can add more if you want sweeter frosting
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 16 ounces unsalted butter slightly warm
  • 4 ounces raspberry puree
  • 1-2 drops pink food coloring optional
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Raspberry Filling

  • Add your raspberries and sugar to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  • Heat your raspberry puree until it begins to bubble. Increase the heat to medium-high heat if needed.
  • In a small bowl, combine the water and the ClearJel (or cornstarch) and mix until smooth. Don’t just add the ClearJel (or cornstarch) directly to the hot liquid or you’ll end up with lumps of thickener in your filling.
  • Add the ClearJel mixture (or cornstarch slurry) to the hot liquid and mix with a rubber spatula for one more minute to thicken the mixture.
  • Add in the lemon juice and lemon zest and continue cooking for one more minute until thickened.
  • If you do not want seeds in your raspberry filling, press the filling through a fine mesh strainer to remove them.
  • Transfer the mixture to a heat-proof container and cover it with plastic wrap (so that it’s touching the surface) and allow it to cool to room temperature or place it into the refrigerator to cool before using it.

Making Fresh Raspberry Buttercream

  • Place the pasteurized egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on low until combined. 
  • Bump up the speed to medium-high and mix for 3-5 minutes until white and glossy.
  • Add the softened butter in small chunks then vanilla and salt while the mixer is on medium speed.
  • Whip on high speed until light and fluffy and white, about 8 to 10 minutes. When it tastes like ice cream and no longer tastes buttery, it’s done!
  • Optional: switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 15-20 minutes until all air bubbles are gone or until your desired consistency.
  • Add about ½ cup of the strained raspberry purée to the buttercream and continue to mix until combined. 
  • Mix in about 1-2 drops of pink food coloring to enhance the raspberry pink color if you choose. 
  • If the buttercream is splitting, it's probably too cold. Microwave about a cup of the buttercream and mix it back in, or use an immersion blender to emulsify the buttercream.
  • Stored it in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator or for 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 1031kcal | Carbohydrates: 122g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 62g | Saturated Fat: 39g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 247mg | Potassium: 148mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 106g | Vitamin A: 2083IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
bunny butt cake on a cake board

April 5, 2023 Cake

Bunny Butt Cake

This bunny butt cake is an easy Easter cake that everyone of all ages can enjoy. It makes an adorable display on any dessert table and it’s deceptively easy to make! This big bunny is a vintage design that is getting new life, moms and grandmas had great ideas and I love giving them a modern moment! bunny butt cake on a cake board

Made with our simple one-bowl vanilla cake, easy buttercream, some fondant, and a bag of shredded coconut, this cake comes together from start to finish in about 3 hours.

Table of contents

  • Ingredients
  • Making a Bunny Butt Cake
    • Making The Easy Vanilla Cake
    • Easy Buttercream Frosting
    • Preparing the fondant bunny feet and ears
    • Making the cake pop dough tail and feet
    • Assembling the Bunny Butt Cake
  • FAQ
  • Related Recipes

Ingredientsingredients for a bunny butt cake

Sweetened Shredded Coconut: This bag of goodness is so versatile! It is a great addition to cake batter to flavor a cake as well as an easy way to decorate the outside of your cake. 

Easy Buttercream: This frosting is great for these fun quick projects because it comes together fast and tastes great. The consistency is great for the “grass” but also for sticking the white coconut for the bunny texture. 

Vanilla cake (One Bowl): This cake recipe is perfect for this project because it is fast and easy. The cake is sturdy and handles well, so no worries about it crumbling or breaking apart once it has cooled. All simple ingredients are found on a baker's shelf, nothing obscure or hard to find. I kept the flavor vanilla, but you could add coconut extract to change the flavor to match the decor.

Making a Bunny Butt Cake

This is an easy cake to make, but it does have 5 different components to come together. I recommend you make the fondant bunny ears and feet first, then vanilla cake and cupcakes, then the frosting, the tail and feet, and finally assemble it all together.

Making The Easy Vanilla Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 335ºF (168ºC) and prepare one 7-inch hemisphere-shaped cake pan or a 2-quart ovenproof bowl of equivalent size, with cake goop or another pan release.
  2. Measure out all of the ingredients using a digital kitchen scale. Pro-tip: You can mix the wet and dry ingredients separately for a finer texture, or just measure and add directly into the bowl of your stand mixer for fewer dishes.
  3. In a large bowl, combine and mix together the buttermilk, butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla. The wet ingredients should all be slightly warm.easy vanilla cake wet ingredients
  4. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment on low speed.easy vanilla cake dry ingredients
  5. While the mixer is on low speed, pour the wet ingredients slowly into the dry ingredients.adding wet ingredients into dry ingredients
  6. Mix the batter on medium speed and mix for 1 minute until the batter is combined and looks like pancake batter. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are combined.close up of easy vanilla cake batter
  7. Pour cake batter into the dome cake pan and then fill 6 prepared muffin cups with the remaining batter.
  8. Bake the cupcakes in the same oven as the cake, but set a time to remove them at 12-15 minutes.
  9. Use an empty 6-inch cake pan as a stabilizer for your dome pan while it is baking. Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  10. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes and flip it out onto a wire rack. Pro-tip: If you plan to frost and decorate the cake on the same day, you can place the cakes into the freezer unwrapped for about an hour or until they are cold (but not frozen). If you plan to decorate your cake at a later date, then you will wrap the cakes in plastic wrap first before freezing them.

Easy Buttercream Frosting

  1. Place the egg whites and the powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Use the whip attachment and combine the ingredients on low speed, and then whip them on high for 4-5 minutes (until shiny) to dissolve the powdered sugar.stand mixer bowl filled with meringue
  2. Then, add the salt and the vanilla extract. hand adding vanilla to powdered sugar mixture in a mixing bowl.
  3. Add in the softened butter piece-by-piece, and whip it with the whisk attachment to combine. It will look curdled at first. This is normal. It will also look pretty yellow, keep whipping.hand adding chunks of butter into bowl
  4. Whip it on high speed with the whisk attachment for 8-10 minutes until the buttercream is white, light, and shiny. If it tastes like sweet ice cream, then it's ready!hand holding whisk covered in frosting
  5. Finally, switch to a paddle attachment and mix the buttercream on low speed for up to 18-20 minutes to make the buttercream ultra smooth and remove any air bubbles.smooth buttercream in a stand mixer bowl
  6. Color about 2 cups of buttercream green for the grass and prepare a piping bag with a grass tip.green and pink buttercream in bowls
  7. Color about 2 cups of buttercream pink for the body of the bunny, or leave it white if you prefer.

Preparing the fondant bunny feet and ears

  1. Make the ears and feet a day ahead so that they have time to dry, or you can buy a cute little set already made. fondant bunny ears and feet
  2. Color about 2 ounces of white fondant with pink food coloring for the details in the ears and feet.jar of pink food coloring and white fondant
  3. Roll the white and pink fondant very thin on a surface prepared with cornstarch to avoid sticking.hands rolling out white fondant with a rolling pin
  4. While the fondant surface dries slightly, trace ears and feet shapes on a piece of paper and cut them out. This is to make a guide for your blade while cutting out the shapes.cutting paper with scissors
  5. Cut all of the white and pink shapes out with a sharp blade.cutting fondant shapes out with an exacto blade
  6. Using a brush moistened with water, brush the pink bits and stick them to the white bunny's feet and ears.brushing water onto a piece of pink fondant
  7. Bend over one ear and lay all of the cutouts on a tray lined with parchment paper to dry. The ears need extra dry time to stand up.Placing fondant ears and feet on a sheet pan

Making the cake pop dough tail and feet

  1. Crumble the cupcakes in a large bowl.Mashing cupcakes in a bowl with a fork
  2. Add about ½ cup of buttercream to the crumbs and mix them together until it forms a dough. You can use another tablespoon of the buttercream if the dough is still crumbly.Adding buttercream to a bowl of cupcake crumbles
  3. Using your hands, create one big cake ball of dough for the tail and 2 smaller balls for the feet. I elongated the shape of the feet so they are a little more rabbit-like and so they match the fondant feet.scoops of cake pop dough
  4. Roll the tail ball and feet in the shredded coconut.rolling a ball in shredded coconut
  5. Let the cake dough balls set up in the fridge for 10 minutes while you assemble the bunny.

Assembling the Bunny Butt Cake

  1. Trim the bunny cake so that the dome can sit level and trim the cake board to fit evenly with the cake. trimming the edges off a cake board
  2. On a large round cake board or platter, place the baked domed cake flat side down in the center.hands placing a dome cake on a cake board
  3. Spread a generous layer of easy buttercream evenly over the cake.spreading buttercream on a cake
  4. Press the shredded coconut onto the side of the cake until fully covered.covering a dome cake in coconut
  5. Add two wooden skewers to the top-back of the dome cake and add the tail. adding a cake pop dough ball onto 2 skewers on a cake
  6. Using a dollop of buttercream, stick the bunny feet in the desired locations.adding a ball of cake pop dough to the back of a cake
  7. Pipe the green grass buttercream around the bottom edge of the bunny's body and fill in the remaining space on the platter.piped grass around a bunny cake
  8. Use another dollop of buttercream on the foot pads and stick the bottoms of bunny feet with the toes facing down.bunny cake fondant feet
  9. Next, add the fondant ears on the front of the bunny with a dollop of buttercream.bunny cake ears
  10. Sprinkle colorful jellybeans or chocolate eggs around in the "grass".adding jelly beans to a bunny butt cake

FAQ

Can I use cake mix?

Yes, that is a great way to make this cake even easier! You can use any flavor you choose, strawberry cake, chocolate cake, or even banana cake would be good! Make sure you fill at least 3 cupcakes first so that there is enough batter for the dome cake. However, the quantity of batter should be the same between a box mix and the scratch recipe.

Can I make this into cupcakes?

Yes, you can make super cute bunny butt cupcakes with this recipe and mini fondant or marshmallow ears. This vanilla cake can make 24 cupcakes.

What if I don't have fondant?

Using candy melts, you can pipe the same shapes. It will harden even quicker than the fondant!

Can I torte this cake and fill it?

Yes, slice the dome in half and fill it with buttercream, lemon curd, jam, or ganache. You could even hollow the center of the cake and fill it with candy, sprinkles, or mini marshmallows for a fun surprise!

Related Recipes

Carrot Cake bars

Cream Cheese Frosting without powdered sugar

Coconut Cake

Copycat Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs

Recipe

bunny butt cake on a cake board
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Bunny Butt Cake

This is an easy and adorable colorful Easter Bunny Butt Cake that makes a memorable Easter cake, a festive centerpiece, and a fun way to celebrate spring! 
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Decorating Time2 hours hrs
Total Time3 hours hrs
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 1561kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 1 7" hemisphere-shaped cake pan or a 2-quart ovenproof bowl of equivalent size
  • 1 Cupcake Tin
  • 6 cupcake liners

Ingredients

Easy Vanilla Cake

  • 16 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 16 ounces granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 Large eggs slightly warm
  • 5 ounces vegetable oil
  • 10 ounces buttermilk slightly warm
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter melted
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Easy Buttercream

  • 6 ounces pasteurized egg whites from a box
  • 24 ounces powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 24 ounces unsalted butter softened

Decorating

  • 1 cup white fondant
  • 1 teaspoon green food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon pink food coloring
  • 1 bag sweetened shredded coconut
  • ¼ cup jelly beans
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Easy Vanilla Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 335ºF (168ºC) and prepare one 7-inch hemisphere-shaped cake pan or a 2-quart ovenproof bowl of equivalent size, with cake goop or another pan release.
  • Measure out all of the ingredients using a digital kitchen scale. Pro-tip: You can mix the wet and dry ingredients separately for a finer texture, or just measure and add directly into the bowl of your stand mixer for fewer dishes.
  • In a large bowl, combine and mix together the buttermilk, butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla. The wet ingredients should all be slightly warm.
  • Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment on low speed.
  • While the mixer is on low speed, pour the wet ingredients slowly into the dry ingredients.
  • Mix the batter on medium speed and mix for 1 minute until the batter is combined and looks like pancake batter. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are combined.
  • Pour cake batter into the dome cake pan and then fill 6 prepared muffin cups with the remaining batter.
  • Bake the cupcakes in the same oven as the cake, but set a time to remove them at 12-15 minutes.
  • Use an empty 6-inch cake pan as a stabilizer for your dome pan while it is baking. Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes and flip it out onto a wire rack. Pro-tip: If you plan to frost and decorate the cake on the same day, you can place the cakes into the freezer unwrapped for about an hour or until they are cold (but not frozen). If you plan to decorate your cake at a later date, then you will wrap the cakes in plastic wrap first before freezing them.

Easy Buttercream Frosting

  • Place the egg whites and the powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Use the whip attachment and combine the ingredients on low speed, and then whip them on high for 4-5 minutes (until shiny) to dissolve the powdered sugar.
  • Then, add the salt and the vanilla extract. 
  • Add in the softened butter piece-by-piece, and whip it with the whisk attachment to combine. It will look curdled at first. This is normal. It will also look pretty yellow, keep whipping.
  • Whip it on high speed with the whisk attachment for 8-10 minutes until the buttercream is white, light, and shiny. If it tastes like sweet ice cream, then it's ready!
  • Finally, switch to a paddle attachment and mix the buttercream on low speed for up to 18-20 minutes to make the buttercream ultra smooth and remove any air bubbles.
  • Color about 2 cups of buttercream green for the grass and prepare a piping bag with a grass tip.
  • Color about 2 cups of buttercream pink for the body of the bunny, or leave it white if you prefer.

Preparing the fondant bunny feet and ears

  • Make the ears and feet a day ahead so that they have time to dry, or you can buy a cute little set already made. 
  • Color about 2 ounces of white fondant with pink food coloring for the details in the ears and feet.
  • Roll the white and pink fondant very thin on a surface prepared with cornstarch to avoid sticking.
  • While the fondant surface dries slightly, trace ears and feet shapes on a piece of paper and cut them out. This is to make a guide for your blade while cutting out the shapes.
  • Cut all of the white and pink shapes out with a sharp blade.
  • Using a brush moistened with water, brush the pink bits and stick them to the white bunny's feet and ears.
  • Bend over one ear and lay all of the cutouts on a tray lined with parchment paper to dry. The ears need extra dry time to stand up.

Making the cake pop dough tail and feet

  • Crumble the cupcakes in a large bowl.
  • Add about ½ cup of buttercream to the crumbs and mix them together until it forms a dough. You can use another tablespoon of the buttercream if the dough is still crumbly.
  • Using your hands, create one big cake ball of dough for the tail and 2 smaller balls for the feet. I elongated the shape of the feet so they are a little more rabbit-like and so they match the fondant feet.
  • Roll the tail ball and feet in the shredded coconut.
  • Let the cake dough balls set up in the fridge for 10 minutes while you assemble the bunny.

Assembling the Bunny Butt Cake

  • Trim the bunny cake so that the dome can sit level and trim the cake board to fit evenly with the cake. 
  • On a large round cake board or platter, place the baked domed cake flat side down in the center.
  • Spread a generous layer of easy buttercream evenly over the cake.
  • Press the shredded coconut onto the side of the cake until fully covered.
  • Add two wooden skewers to the top-back of the dome cake and add the tail. 
  • Using a dollop of buttercream, stick the bunny feet in the desired locations.
  • Pipe the green grass buttercream around the bottom edge of the bunny's body and fill in the remaining space on the platter.
  • Use another dollop of buttercream on the foot pads and stick the bottoms of bunny feet with the toes facing down.
  • Next, add the fondant ears on the front of the bunny with a dollop of buttercream.
  • Sprinkle colorful jellybeans or chocolate eggs around in the "grass".

Notes

  1. The best investment you can make when you’re getting started with baking is a digital kitchen scale! Weighing your ingredients will help you avoid cake failure. Using a kitchen scale for baking is super easy and gives you the best results every single time. 
  2. Practice Mise en Place (everything in its place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
  3. Need more help with making your first cake? Check out my how to decorate your first cake blog post. 
  4. Make sure all of your cold ingredients (e.g. butter, eggs, milk) are at room temperature or a little warm. Why? Because we want to create an emulsion and allow the ingredients to fully mix together. 
  5. Make your own pan release (cake goop!) The best pan release ever! 
  6. I recommend you make the fondant bunny ears and feet first, then vanilla cake and cupcakes, then the frosting, the tail and feet, and finally assemble it all together.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 1561kcal | Carbohydrates: 194g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 84g | Saturated Fat: 52g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 287mg | Sodium: 697mg | Potassium: 218mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 147g | Vitamin A: 2824IU | Vitamin C: 0.001mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 3mg
Carrot cake bar held up by a server

April 3, 2023 Brownies and Bars

Carrot Cake Bars

These easy carrot cake bars with cream cheese frosting are simple to decorate, serve and eat. A pecan shortbread crust under this springy cake creates a hybrid cake bar that you can eat with your hand or a fork! This is a great recipe for when you have little time to put together a dessert for a crowd.Carrot cake bar held up by a server

Is it a bar or is it cake? Both! This cake bar will satisfy a carrot cake lover and maybe even convert some carrot cake haters. I love the cute but simple decor covering an amazing flavor of warm spices and flavors in a moist tender cake. This is a good one to add to your Easter recipes!   

Table of contents

  • Carrot Cake Bars Ingredients
  • How to Make Carrot Cake Bars
    • Making the Crust
    • Making Carrot Cake
    • Making Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Assembling the Carrot Cake Bars
  • FAQ
  • Related Recipes

Carrot Cake Bars Ingredientsbowls of ingredients for carrot cake bars

Carrots are obviously the key to this recipe, but it's important to use good-quality ingredients. If you don't like the stringy texture of graded carrots, you can pulse them in a food processor to break down the shreds for a more consistent cake texture. You can grate your own, or a good cheat is buying shredded carrots from the store.

Oil is the key to moisture in this cake. Many of our cake recipes use butter like the white velvet cake, coconut cake, and even my chunky carrot cake recipe, but oil will keep this cake moist even if it's cold or at room temperature.

Spices enhance the flavor of the carrot, and you can customize the spice combinations to your liking. I kept it simple, but allspice and cloves are good additions to carrot cake as well.

Buttermilk adds a tangy flavor to the cake and it tenderizes the crumb. If you do not have buttermilk you can substitute by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice to a cup of regular milk. Check out my buttermilk substitutes blog post for more recipes.

How to Make Carrot Cake Bars

There are 4 separate components to making these carrot cake bars; the cookie crust, the carrot cake, the cream cheese frosting, and the piped carrot decorations. This cream cheese frosting recipe is made without powdered sugar and has a cheesier flavor and smoother consistency. If you like a sweeter frosting though, try my traditional cream cheese frosting.

Making the Crust

  1. Spray a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350°F and position the rack in the center of the oven. Pro-tip: If you line the pan with parchment paper, leave some overhang and it will be easy to lift the cake out of the pan.Hand spraying a pan with a can of pan release.
  2. Grind the cookies and salt into crumbs in a food processor. Hands adding a bowl of cookies into a food processor
  3. Melt the butter in the microwave and then add it to the crumbs and pulse briefly to combine.Hand adding melted butter into a food processor
  4. Press the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the baking pan, then set it aside while you mix the cake. Pressing crust into a baking pan

Making Carrot Cake

  1. Shred the carrots using a food processor with a grating attachment or by hand with a box grater.
  2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside.Glass bowl of dry ingredients for cake
  3. Combine the buttermilk and vanilla extract, and set aside. 
  4. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until combined.Hand adding oil to a stand mixer bowl
  5. Add the eggs one at a time, letting each combine fully before adding the next.Hand adding a bowl of eggs to a stand mixer bowl
  6. Turn the mixer to medium speed and mix until it lightens in color, about 2 minutes. Mixed batter in a stand mixer bowl
  7. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the flour mixture and then half the buttermilk mixture. Repeat the process with the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients until everything is combined.Hand adding a bowl of flour to a stand mixer bowlHand adding buttermilk to a stand mixer bowl of batter
  8. Stop the mixer, and then fold in the carrots with a spatula. Hand adding a bowl of carrots to batter
  9. Pour the carrot cake batter over the pressed crumbs and bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out of the cake clean. Hands with oven mitts removing a carrot cake from the oven

Making Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. Make sure the butter and cream cheese are both slightly warm and at the same temperature. If one is colder than the other, they will not mix together properly and create lumps.
  2. Begin mixing the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until it's smooth.adding a bowl of cream cheese to a glass stand mixer bowl
  3. Then, add the butter in chunks and mix until incorporated. Pro-Tip: Using an electric mixer works really well for cream cheese frosting because it emulsifies the butter and cream cheese quickly. Just be careful not to over-mix.adding a bowl of butter to a glass stand mixer bowl
  4. Once the butter is incorporated, add the granulated sugar and vanilla. Continue to mix for 30 seconds to 1 minute until smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Hand pouring a container of sugar into a stand mixer bowl
  5. Cover with plastic wrap until you are ready to frost the cake. Keep the remaining frosting in the refrigerator as cream cheese frosting should not be stored at room temperature for more than 4 hours.

Assembling the Carrot Cake Bars

  1. Once the cake has fully cooled, remove the cake from the pan and place it on a cutting board or the plate you choose to serve it from. The cake can also be left in the cake pan for transporting and serving as well. To remove this cake, loosen the edges of the cake with a knife. Place a board on top of the cake pan, then flip it out and remove the pan.inverting a cake out of a rectangular pan onto a cutting board
  2. Then, place the serving board or plate on the cake (bottom side up) and flip it back over so the top of the cake is upright again.Rectangular carrot cake on a wooden cutting board
  3. Spread an even layer of cream cheese frosting on top of the moist carrot cake and create some pretty rustic swooshes with an offset spatula. Carrot cake frosted in cream cheese frosting
  4. Put about ½ cup of cream cheese frosting in a small bowl, add a drop of orange food coloring, and mix it together. Repeat this with a few drops of green food coloring in another bowl.bowls of orange and green frosting
  5. Fill 2 piping bags, the orange fitted with a small round tip and the green fitted with a leaf tip.piping bags of green and orange frosting
  6. Score lines on the top of the frosting to determine the number of servings you would like.Hands scoring lines in the top of frosting
  7. Pipe a carrot shape on top of the bars with the orange frosting by starting thin and getting thicker at the top.Hand piping a carrot on top of frosting
  8. Using the green frosting, add some leaves on top of the carrot.piping green frosting leaves next to a frosting carrot
  9. Cut the cake bars, cleaning the knife between cuts to avoid drag.carrot cake bars on a cutting board
  10. Keep the remaining cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This cake also freezes well for up to 2 months. carrot cake bar on a plate

FAQ

What's the difference between carrot cake bars and a carrot sheet cake?

If you love carrot cake you will love carrot cake bars! It's basically the same thing except this cake holds together well and has a crunchy bottom crust which allows it to be handled without a plate and a fork. However, it still has the signature cream cheese frosting for the classic carrot flavor

Do I have to have a crust?

No, you can omit the crust part altogether. Just make sure the bottom of the prepared baking dish is well coated with cake goop to avoid sticking. This easy carrot cake recipe can easily be baked in a square pan or round pans for cake layers as well.

Do I have to use shredded carrots?

Similar to coconut, some people don't enjoy the texture of shredded carrots in their cake. You can take them a step further and pulse them in a food processor to break down the shreds for a more consistent cake texture. If the shredding of the carrots is holding you back, most grocery store produce sections will have bags of freshly grated carrots.

What can I substitute for buttermilk?

If you don't have buttermilk you can substitute the same amount of sour cream for this recipe, or add a tablespoon of lemon juice to regular milk. Check out my buttermilk substitute blog post for more info.

Related Recipes

Coconut Cake

Carrot Cake with Pineapple

Easy M&M Cookies Recipe

Cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar

Recipe

Carrot cake bar held up by a server
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Carrot Cake Bars

Carrot Cake Bars are my new favorite way to eat carrot cake. Enjoy all of the flavors of a classic carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in a casual, fun way! Soft, moist, and perfectly spiced, these dessert bars make a quick snack, easy dessert, or breakfast treat! 
Prep Time25 minutes mins
Cook Time35 minutes mins
Chilling Time30 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 bars
Calories: 765kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 1 9" x 13" rectangular metal pan

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Bars Crust

  • 1 box pecan or vanilla shortbread cookies
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 pinch salt

Carrot Cake

  • 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 cups shredded carrots

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 2 cups cream cheese softened and room temperature
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter softened and room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Crust

  • Spray a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350°F and position the rack in the center of the oven. Pro-tip: If you line the pan with parchment paper, leave some overhang and it will be easy to lift the cake out of the pan.
  • Grind the cookies and salt into crumbs in a food processor. 
  • Melt the butter in the microwave and then add it to the crumbs and pulse briefly to combine.
  • Press the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the baking pan, then set it aside while you mix the cake. 

Making Carrot Cake

  • Shred the carrots using a food processor with a grating attachment or by hand with a box grater.
  • Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside.
  • Combine the buttermilk and vanilla extract, and set aside. 
  • Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until combined.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, letting each combine fully before adding the next.
  • Turn the mixer to medium speed and mix until it lightens in color, about 2 minutes. 
  • With the mixer on low speed, add half of the flour mixture and then half the buttermilk mixture. Repeat the process with the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients until everything is combined.
  • Stop the mixer, and then fold in the carrots with a spatula. 
  • Pour the carrot cake batter over the pressed crumbs and bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out of the cake clean. 

Making Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Make sure the butter and cream cheese are both slightly warm and at the same temperature. If one is colder than the other, they will not mix together properly and create lumps.
  • Begin mixing the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until it's smooth.
  • Then, add the butter in chunks and mix until incorporated. Pro-Tip: Using an electric mixer works really well for cream cheese frosting because it emulsifies the butter and cream cheese quickly. Just be careful not to over-mix.
  • Once the butter is incorporated, add the granulated sugar and vanilla. Continue to mix for 30 seconds to 1 minute until smooth and the sugar is dissolved. 
  • Cover with plastic wrap until you are ready to frost the cake. Keep the remaining frosting in the refrigerator as cream cheese frosting should not be stored at room temperature for more than 4 hours.

Assembling the Carrot Cake Bars

  • Once the cake has fully cooled, remove the cake from the pan and place it on a cutting board or the plate you choose to serve it from. The cake can also be left in the cake pan for transporting and serving as well.
    To remove this cake, loosen the edges of the cake with a knife. Place a board on top of the cake pan, then flip it out and remove the pan.
  • Then, place the serving board or plate on the cake (bottom side up) and flip it back over so the top of the cake is upright again.
  • Spread an even layer of cream cheese frosting on top of the moist carrot cake and create some pretty rustic swooshes with an offset spatula. 
  • Put about ½ cup of cream cheese frosting in a small bowl, add a drop of orange food coloring, and mix it together. Repeat this with a few drops of green food coloring in another bowl.
  • Fill 2 piping bags, the orange fitted with a small round tip and the green fitted with a leaf tip.
  • Score lines on the top of the frosting to determine the number of servings you would like.
  • Pipe a carrot shape on top of the bars with the orange frosting by starting thin and getting thicker at the top.
  • Using the green frosting, add some leaves on top of the carrot.
  • Cut the cake bars, cleaning the knife between cuts to avoid drag.
  • Keep the remaining cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This cake also freezes well for up to 2 months. 

Notes

  1. Carrots are obviously the key to this recipe, but it's important to use good-quality ingredients. If you don't like the stringy texture of graded carrots, you can pulse them in a food processor to break down the shreds for a more consistent cake texture. You can grate your own, or a good cheat is buying shredded carrots from the store.
  2. Oil is the key to moisture in this cake. Many of our cake recipes use butter like the white velvet cake, coconut cake, and even my chunky carrot cake recipe, but oil will keep this cake moist even if it's cold or at room temperature.
  3. Spices enhance the flavor of the carrot, and you can customize the spice combinations to your liking. I kept it simple, but allspice and cloves are good additions to carrot cake as well.
  4. Buttermilk adds a tangy flavor to the cake and it tenderizes the crumb. If you do not have buttermilk you can substitute by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice to a cup of regular milk. Check out my buttermilk substitutes blog post for more recipes.
  5. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature or even a little warm to ensure your batter does not break or curdle. 
  6. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 765kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 525mg | Potassium: 376mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 60g | Vitamin A: 10031IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 3mg

March 29, 2023 Frosting and Icing

Cream Cheese Frosting Without Powdered Sugar

Cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar is the ultimate light and tangy frosting. It's not too sweet, super smooth, and cheesier than your regular cream cheese frosting without any starchy aftertaste. It’s the perfect complement to red velvet cake, but also a great dip for fresh berries, and a topping for cinnamon rolls or blueberry muffins!Glass bowl of cream cheese frosting

I’ve made a lot of versions of cream cheese frosting over the years, but this recipe is one of my favorite, pipeable frostings. Traditional cream cheese frosting is often easy to over-mix. The granulated sugar doesn't melt the cream cheese like powdered sugar does though, so this recipe stays more structured and is harder to over-mix.

Ingredientsbowls of ingredients for cream cheese frosting on a table

Granulated Sugar: I love using granulated sugar because the grit of the sugar crystals helps fluff up the butter and cream cheese, giving the frosting a thick texture. Because of the moisture content of the cream cheese, the sugar dissolves, leaving the frosting smooth. 

Butter: The addition of butter in this frosting gives it structure, as well as tones down the strong tangy flavor of the cream cheese. This makes it a mildly tangy and sweet frosting perfect to frost a cake or a cupcake. 

Cream Cheese: The nice this about a cream cheese frosting recipe is it does not contain eggs, so they are great options for people with an egg sensitivity that still want a delicious frosting with a creamy consistency.

Making Cream Cheese Frosting Without Powdered Sugar

  1. Make sure the butter and cream cheese are both at room temperature. If one is cold, you will end up with lumpy cream cheese frosting. If they feel cold to the touch, microwave them for ten seconds.adding a bowl of cream cheese to a glass stand mixer bowl
  2. In the bowl of the stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the room-temperature block of cream cheese and mix it on low speed until smooth. You can also do this in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer.smooth and blended cream cheese in a glass stand mixer bowl
  3. With the mixer on low speed to medium speed, begin adding chunks of butter to the whipped cream cheese and mix until incorporated.adding a bowl of butter to a glass stand mixer bowl
  4. Slowly pour in the sugar while the mixer is mixing.Hand pouring a container of sugar into a stand mixer bowl
  5. Then add the salt and vanilla. Hand pouring a container of sugar into a stand mixer bowl
  6. Make sure you scrape the bowl to get all of the cream cheese from the sides and the bottom of the bowl, then mix on high speed for another 30 seconds to one minute to make sure all the butter chunks are smoothed out and the sugar is dissolved. Pink spatula of cream cheese frosting
  7. Use the frosting immediately to frost a cake or cupcakes. piping bag frosting a cupcake with cream cheese frosting
  8. If you plan on storing it for later, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze it for up to 6 months, then allow it to come back to room temperature and mix it briefly with an electric mixer.

FAQ

Can I use low-fat cream cheese? 

Yes, the Neufchâtel cheese which is a low-fat cream cheese works just as well as full-fat cream cheese in this recipe. 

Can I use this under fondant? 

No. This cream cheese icing has a high moisture content and it will begin to dissolve the fondant when it comes in contact with the outside of your cake frosted with cream cheese. You can use this as a filling, and then finish the cake in ganache or buttercream, and then cover it in fondant. This cream cheese frosting is great for cupcakes! 

How long can I leave out a cake frosted in cream cheese? 

No longer than 4 hours is ideal. If the cake can be kept at room temperature or below it will do best. The cream cheese frosting is softer than buttercream frosting, so it will melt faster when warm. 

Can I add other flavors than vanilla?

Yes, you could use some coconut extract, almond extract, lemon zest, or orange zest, or add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to make chocolate cream cheese frosting. Vanilla paste is a fun addition to add those beautiful vanilla specks to the white frosting.

Is this a crusting cream cheese frosting recipe?

No, this frosting will not crust after you pipe it. However, it will firm up in the refrigerator because of the butter in the recipe. Check out my crusting cream cheese if you're interested!

What's the difference between cream cheese frosting made with granulated sugar and powdered sugar?

Cream cheese frosting made with granulated sugar is less sweet, super smooth, and cheesier than your regular cream cheese frosting without any starchy aftertaste. The grit of the sugar crystals helps fluff up the butter and cream cheese, giving the frosting a thick texture.

Related Recipes

Traditional Cream Cheese Frosting

Easy Chocolate Cake

Lemon Blueberry Cake

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Recipe

Print Recipe
4.77 from 84 votes

Cream Cheese Frosting Without Powdered Sugar

This delicious cream cheese frosting recipe is thick, fluffy, and pipeable. Easy cream cheese frosting is made with granulated sugar and whips together quickly! This is the best cream cheese frosting and it consists of 5 simple ingredients.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 cups
Calories: 666kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 1 Stand mixer with the paddle attachment Or a large bowl and electric hand mixer

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cream cheese room temperature or slightly warm
  • 1 cup unsalted butter same temperature as the cream cheese
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Make sure the butter and cream cheese are both at room temperature. If one is cold, you will end up with lumpy cream cheese frosting. If they feel cold to the touch, microwave them for ten seconds.
  • In the bowl of the stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the room-temperature block of cream cheese and mix it on low speed until smooth. You can also do this in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer.
  • With the mixer on low speed to medium speed, begin adding chunks of butter to the whipped cream cheese and mix until incorporated.
  • Slowly pour in the sugar while the mixer is mixing.
  • Then add the salt and vanilla. 
  • Make sure you scrape the bowl to get all of the cream cheese from the sides and the bottom of the bowl, then mix on high speed for another 30 seconds to one minute to make sure all the butter chunks are smoothed out and the sugar is dissolved. 
  • Use the frosting immediately to frost a cake or cupcakes. 
  • If you plan on storing it for later, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze it for up to 6 months, then allow it to come back to room temperature and mix it briefly with an electric mixer.

Notes

  • This is not a crusting recipe, but check out my crusting cream cheese if you're interested!
  • You could use some coconut extract, almond extract, lemon zest, or orange zest, or add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to make chocolate cream cheese frosting.
  • You can leave out a cake frosted in cream cheese for up to 4 hours. 
  • This cream cheese icing has a high moisture content and it will begin to dissolve the fondant when it comes in contact with the outside of your cake frosted with cream cheese.
  • The addition of butter in this frosting gives it structure, as well as tones down the strong tangy flavor of the cream cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 666kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 35g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 158mg | Sodium: 436mg | Potassium: 111mg | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 1962IU | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 0.1mg
peanut butter eggs layered in a bowl

March 24, 2023 Candy

Peanut Butter Egg Recipe

For this copycat Reese's peanut butter egg recipe, all you need is 15 minutes and six simple ingredients that you probably already have at home. The hardest part of this recipe is waiting until they set before eating them.peanut butter eggs layered in a bowl

I can't resist peanut butter treats, and these are at the top of my list in the spring along with coconut cake and carrot cake. Creamy peanut butter mixed together with some powdered sugar and butter makes the magic happen. No tempering is needed to coat the treats in melted chocolate.

Table of contents

  • Peanut Butter Egg Ingredients
  • Making Peanut Butter Chocolate Eggs
    • Making the Peanut Butter Filling
    • Preparing the Chocolate
    • Dipping the Peanut Butter Eggs
  • FAQ
  • More Recipes You'll Love

Peanut Butter Egg IngredientsBowls of ingredients for peanut butter eggs

Creamy peanut butter: I use smooth peanut butter because I want them to be as close to authentic Reese's peanut butter eggs as possible. You could use crunchy peanut butter if you prefer some crunch in your bite. Any brand of peanut butter will do, If you choose to use natural peanut butter, or unsweetened peanut butter it will take more effort to mix as those types are stiffer.

Butter: The addition of butter helps the filling create a smooth texture that melts in your mouth. Without the butter, it will really just have the consistency of straight peanut butter.

Powdered Sugar: This is a confection after all, so it needs to be sweet! The powdered sugar adds sweetness without the grit of granulated sugar.

Salt: Just a little pinch of salt really brings together the flavors. Super sweet treats can fall flat on flavor without some salt. Peanuts and salt are a match made in heaven.

Making Peanut Butter Chocolate Eggs

There are 4 easy steps to making this recipe, make the peanut butter filling, form it into egg shapes, chill them for 30 minutes, and dip them in chocolate. The trick is to work quickly with the peanut butter eggs after they're frozen, as they will dip easier when firm.

Making the Peanut Butter Filling

  1. Add the peanut butter and butter to a large bowl and heat in the microwave until melted. Make sure the butter is warm enough to mix easily into the peanut butter.
  2. Mix to combine peanut butter and butter until smooth. You can use a spatula, a whisk, or an electric hand mixer.
  3. Add the salt, vanilla, and powdered sugar one scoop at a time and mix it all together until combined. This will make sure it doesn't poof all over the kitchen. Hand adding a bowl of vanilla to apeanut butter mixture
  4. Scoop about 2 tablespoons in your hand and roll it into a ball. You could also roll out the mixture and use a cookie cutter to make the egg shapes.Hands rolling peanut butter filling mixture into a ball
  5. Next, shape it into an egg shape by flattening the ball and making it thinner at the top and thicker at the base. You could use a cookie scoop to ensure they are all evenly scooped. Pro-tip: wear gloves to keep the peanut butter mixture from sticking to your hands, as it melts pretty quickly while handling it.Hands laying a peanut butter egg on a sheet pan lined with parchment
  6. Lay the peanut butter eggs on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper and place the sheet pan in the fridge or freezer for them to set up.Sheet pan lined with peanut butter eggs
  7. While the eggs are chilling, prepare your melted chocolate.

Preparing the Chocolate

  1. In a deep heatproof bowl, add the milk chocolate chips.
  2. Microwave the chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring between each to distribute the heat evenly as the chocolate begins to melt. This can also be done over a double boiler.Melted milk chocolate in a bowl with a blue spatula
  3. Once the chocolate is almost fully melted, stop microwaving it and stir slowly until the remaining chunks of chocolate have melted into a smooth and even consistency. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.Melted milk chocolate in a bowl

Dipping the Peanut Butter Eggs

  1. Once your chocolate is melted and warm, but not too hot, take out the cold peanut butter eggs.Hand picking up a cold peanut butter egg over a sheet pan
  2. Using a chocolate dipping utensil, a fork, or inserting a skewer into the base of the egg, coat the egg in chocolate, gently tap off the excess, and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment.Dipping a peanut butter egg in chocolate with a skewer
  3. The chocolate in the bowl will cool as you continue to dip, so after a few eggs, warm the chocolate again and stir to continue dipping. This will keep it from getting too thick on the eggs. If your eggs begin to soften, place them back in the fridge to stiffen back up.Dipping a peanut butter egg in chocolate with a skewer
  4. Pour the extra chocolate into a piping bag, snip off the end, and drizzle across each egg for a textured design. This can be done with a Ziploc bag as well.Drizzling chocolate across chocolate eggs with a piping bag
  5. The copycat Reese's peanut butter eggs are ready to eat as soon as the chocolate has set up.Peanut butter chocolate eggs stacked on a blue towel
  6. Place the finished eggs in an airtight container or wrap them with plastic wrap and store them at room temperature, or in the freezer if you plan to save them longer than 5 days.

FAQ

Can I use different chocolate to coat the homemade Reese's eggs?

Yes, this is a simple process of melting chocolate and dipping, so you can use white chocolate or dark chocolate chips as well. White chocolate would be pretty for Easter, you could color some of the white chocolate or some candy melts to add spring designs to the top of the egg.

What if I don't like peanut butter?

You can swap out the peanut butter for any type of nut butter you prefer. Almond butter or cashew butter would be delicious. Just remember that the consistency of other nut butter will vary, which could change the final outcome of the egg. You may need to add more sugar, as some other nut butter comes unsweetened. Just taste as you go until you reach the perfect combo and texture.

What are the ingredients in peanut butter chocolate eggs?

This recipe only needs 6 simple ingredients, peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk chocolate.

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Recipe

peanut butter eggs layered in a bowl
Print Recipe
4.80 from 5 votes

Peanut Butter Egg Recipe

Soft and creamy Reese's peanut butter eggs coated with sweet milk chocolate are my favorite treats! These peanut butter eggs are as good as the real thing, and are the perfect treats in an Easter basket! They can also be formed into any shape or size to fit all special occasions!
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Chilling Time30 minutes mins
Total Time50 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 eggs
Calories: 423kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups milk chocolate for dipping
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Peanut Butter Filling

  • Add the peanut butter and butter to a large bowl and heat in the microwave until melted. Make sure the butter is warm enough to mix easily into the peanut butter.
  • Mix to combine peanut butter and butter until smooth. You can use a spatula, a whisk, or an electric hand mixer.
  • Add the salt, vanilla, and powdered sugar one scoop at a time and mix it all together until combined. This will make sure it doesn't poof all over the kitchen. 
  • Scoop about 2 tablespoons in your hand and roll it into a ball. You could also roll out the mixture and use a cookie cutter to make the egg shapes.
  • Next, shape it into an egg shape by flattening the ball and making it thinner at the top and thicker at the base. You could use a cookie scoop to ensure they are all evenly scooped. Pro-tip: wear gloves to keep the peanut butter mixture from sticking to your hands, as it melts pretty quickly while handling it.
  • Lay the peanut butter eggs on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper and place the sheet pan in the fridge or freezer for them to set up.
  • While the eggs are chilling, prepare your melted chocolate.

Preparing the Chocolate

  • In a deep heatproof bowl, add the milk chocolate chips.
  • Microwave the chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring between each to distribute the heat evenly as the chocolate begins to melt. This can also be done over a double boiler.
  • Once the chocolate is almost fully melted, stop microwaving it and stir slowly until the remaining chunks of chocolate have melted into a smooth and even consistency. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.

Dipping the Peanut Butter Eggs

  • Once your chocolate is melted and warm, but not too hot, take out the cold peanut butter eggs.
  • Using a chocolate dipping utensil, a fork, or inserting a skewer into the base of the egg, coat the egg in chocolate, gently tap off the excess, and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment.
  • The chocolate in the bowl will cool as you continue to dip, so after a few eggs, warm the chocolate again and stir to continue dipping. This will keep it from getting too thick on the eggs. If your eggs begin to soften, place them back in the fridge to stiffen back up.
  • Pour the extra chocolate into a piping bag, snip off the end, and drizzle across each egg for a textured design. This can be done with a Ziploc bag as well.
  • The copycat Reese's peanut butter eggs are ready to eat as soon as the chocolate has set up.
  • Place the finished eggs in an airtight container or wrap them with plastic wrap and store them at room temperature, or in the freezer if you plan to save them longer than 5 days.

Notes

  1. If your filling mixture is slightly lumpy when mixing it together, microwave it for another 10 seconds to get it melted enough to become smooth. 
  2. You can swap out the peanut butter for any type of nut butter you prefer. Almond butter or cashew butter would be delicious. Just remember that the consistency of other nut butter will vary, which could change the final outcome of the egg. You may need to add more sugar, as some other nut butter comes unsweetened. Just taste as you go until you reach the perfect combo and texture.
  3. You could use crunchy peanut butter if you prefer some crunch in your bite. Any brand of peanut butter will do. If you choose to use natural peanut butter, or unsweetened peanut butter it will take more effort to mix as those types are stiffer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1egg | Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 209mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
slice of coconut cake on a plate

March 22, 2023 Blog

Coconut Cake Recipe

This toasted coconut cake recipe is full of delicious coconut flavor thanks to the toasted coconut and a dash of extract. Use buttermilk for a tang that pairs perfectly with cream cheese frosting!slice of coconut cake on a plate

Butter and coconut oil combine to make a super moist cake, and whipped egg whites keep it light and fluffy. A more traditional mixing method results in a coconut cake recipe that will become a family favorite! 

Table of contents

  • Coconut Cake Ingredients
  • How to Make a Coconut Cake
    • Making the Coconut Cake
    • Making Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Assembling the Coconut Cake
  • FAQ
  • Related Recipes

Coconut Cake Ingredientsbowls of ingredients for coconut cake on a table

Toasted Coconut: Toasting the coconut intensifies the natural nutty coconut flavor. Sweetened coconut shreds are slightly more tender than unsweetened coconut, but either will work great. 

Coconut oil: Coconut oil is great to bake with because it melts at body temperature, but is firm at room temperature. Similar to butter, it gives the cake some nice structure but literally melts in your mouth when you eat this cake. You can also use vegetable oil instead of coconut if you prefer.

Whipped egg whites: This cake has butter, oil, and chunks of coconut, so it could become very heavy. Whipping air into the egg whites adds air bubbles to the cake to keep it fluffy. 

Coconut extract: A little goes a long way with coconut extract. Too much can overpower this cake, but just the right amount intensifies the natural coconut flavor provided by the coconut oil and toasted coconut shreds. 

Cream cheese: Cream cheese frosting is the perfect pairing for this cake, but Swiss meringue buttercream, whipped cream, or ermine frosting would also be yummy.

How to Make a Coconut Cake

Before starting your cake, make sure that all of your wet ingredients (including the butter) are at room temperature or a little warm. Cold ingredients will prevent your cake batter from emulsifying, and your cake may not turn out right. Be sure to also weigh all of your ingredients with a food scale. white coconut cake on a cake platter

Making the Coconut Cake

  1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350ºF/176ºC. Prepare three 3 6-inch round cake pans with cake goop, parchment paper, or another preferred pan release. Making sure to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.hands holding a pastry brush preparing a cake pan with pan release
  2. Spread your coconut flakes evenly onto a cookie sheet pan.hand sprinkling coconut flakes on a sheet pan from a bowl
  3. Broil the coconut flakes on high for 2-3 minutes or until they just begin to turn brown around the edges. Stir the coconut and broil for 1-2 minutes more until lightly golden. Watch it closely because it can burn quickly.  Remove it from the oven and let it cool.flipping coconut shavings over on a sheet pan with a spatula
  4. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set the dry ingredients aside. 
  5. Heat the coconut oil in a small bowl in the microwave until it is very soft and beginning to melt, but not hot.
  6. Add the coconut extract and vanilla extract to the room-temperature buttermilk. hand adding a bowl of vanilla to a measuring cup of buttermilk
  7. Add the butter and coconut oil to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat at medium-high speed until smooth and shiny, about 30 seconds. adding a bowl of butter to a glass stand mixer bowl
  8. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar, and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.adding a bowl of sugar to a glass stand mixer bowl
  9. Add the egg yolks one at a time to the mixture, combining after each. creamy butter and sugar mixture in a glass stand mixer bowl
  10. With the mixer on low speed, add about a third of the flour mixture to the batter, followed immediately by about a third of the milk, mix until the ingredients are almost incorporated into the batter. adding a bowl of flour to a glass stand mixer bowl
  11. Repeat the process 2 more times. When the batter appears blended, stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl.hand adding a measuring cup of liquid to a glass stand mixer bowl
  12. Carefully fold in the toasted coconut until it’s all combined.hands adding a bowl of toasted coconut to cake batter
  13. Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl with the whip attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until it's foamy. hand adding a bowl of egg whites to a clear bowl
  14. Add in the cream of tartar and whip until semi stiff peaks form.beaters in a bowl of egg whites at semi stiff peaks
  15. Fold in the whipped egg whites carefully into the cake batter, and try not to beat out too much of the volume in the egg whites. hand folding meringue into cake batter with a spatula
  16. Divide the cake batter evenly between 3 6-inch cake pans or 2 8-inch pans.pouring coconut cake batter into a cake pan
  17. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.hand placing a cake pan with batter into an oven
  18. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes. hand with an oven mitt taking a cake out of the oven
  19. Invert the cakes onto a  cooling rack and cool completely before frosting. I like to flash freeze them for 30 minutes if I’m using them right away, or wrap them in plastic and freeze them overnight. Pro-Tip: Wrapping your cakes while warm and then freezing them will lock in the moisture.flipping cakes out of their pans and onto a cooling rack

Making Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. Make sure the butter and cream cheese are both slightly warm and at the same temperature. If one is colder than the other, they will not mix together properly and create lumps.
  2. Place softened butter in the bowl of your stand mixer with a whisk attachment and cream on low until smooth. Pro: Tip: Use an electric hand mixer to get extra smooth cream cheese frosting. hands adding a bowl of butter into a stand mixer
  3. Place softened cream cheese in the bowl with the butter in small chunks and blend on low until smooth.creamed butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer bowl
  4. Add in sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time until combined. hand adding a cup of powdered sugar into a stand mixer bowl
  5. Add your vanilla extract and salt, and mix until combined. hand adding a bowl of vanilla into a stand mixer bowl
  6. Cover the frosting with plastic wrap and refrigerate until your cake is chilled and ready to frost. Refrigerate any remaining frosting, or keep in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Assembling the Coconut Cake

  1. Trim the top of the cake layers so they are flat. hands trimming the top dome of a cake off with a knife
  2. Place the first cake layer down on a cake board, spread a layer of cream cheese frosting evenly across the top and repeat this process with the remaining 2 layers. spreading cream cheese frosting on top of cake layer with an offset spatula
  3. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese frosting around the entire cake as a crumb coat and then refrigerate it for 15 minutes. Pro-Tip: Cream cheese frosting is stickier than buttercream, and can pull more crumbs off your cake. Working with a cold cake will be easier. hand spreading a thin layer of cream cheese frosting on a cake with an offset spatula
  4. Once the crumb coat has set, apply another thicker layer of the frosting to the entire cake for its final coat. Pro tip: I chose to cover the exterior of this cake with coconut, but cream cheese frosting makes really pretty rustic swirls if you want a different look. hand smoothing the frosting on the side of a cake with a bench scraper
  5. Place the cake on the board or plate you plan to serve on. 
  6. Gently press shredded coconut or large shaved coconut flakes onto the sides of the cake all the way around the exterior, keeping the top free of shreds. hand pressing coconut onto the side of a cake
  7. Use a star piping tip and pastry bag filled with cream cheese frosting to pipe swirls around the top edge of the cake. hand piping swirls of frosting on top of a cake with a piping bag
  8. To save this cake for later, apply plastic wrap around the cake and place it in the refrigerator. Cream cheese frosting can sit out at room temperature for about 4 hours maximum.pulling a slice of cake out of a whole coconut cake

FAQ

Is this recipe good for cupcakes?

This recipe works great for cupcakes and is very light! This recipe makes approximately 24 cupcakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until set in the middle. It can be easy to burn these cupcakes because of the sugar content so watch them closely. If they are over-baked they can taste dry.

What if I don't have coconut oil?

Luckily coconut oil is becoming more common in your local grocery store, however, if you do not have any, vegetable oil will work just as well in this cake.

What can I substitute for buttermilk?

In this cake, you can substitute sour cream for buttermilk, or regular milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice. You could also use coconut milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice as well.

What is the best filling for coconut cake?

The best thing about coconut cake is that it pairs with so many different flavors. The traditional filling for coconut cake is something light and creamy like this coconut cream cheese frosting.If you’re feeling adventurous you can fill your coconut cake with some coconut custard , lemon curd, or even raspberry filling.

Do I have to use coconut shreds? 

My kids don’t care for the texture of coconut shreds, but still love the flavor. I pulse the coconut in a food processor a few times to chop up the shreds smaller. Once they are added to the cake the texture is almost unnoticeable. 

What type of coconut should I use?

On the baking aisle there will be a few choices for coconut. I am using sweetened coconut shreds because they are the most common to find at the grocery store. You can use unsweetened as well, or even macaroon coconut, which is a much finer shred. I chose to use the large coconut strips for the exterior decor because I think they are pretty, but any will do.

Related Recipes

Coconut Custard

Coconut Mousse

German Chocolate Cake

Carrot Cake with Pineapple and Coconut


Cake Batter and Frosting Calculator

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Cups of Batter Needed

8 cups

Cups of Frosting Needed

5 cups

Note: measurements are estimated based off the vanilla cake recipe using standard US cake pans and sizes. Measurements used are for 2" tall cake pans only. Your results may vary. Do not overfill cake pans above manufacturer's recommended guidelines.

Recipe

slice of coconut cake on a plate
Print Recipe
4.93 from 145 votes

Coconut Cake Recipe

Moist layers of fresh coconut cake filled with cream cheese frosting. This coconut cake has real coconut flavor built right into the cake with toasted coconut flakes, coconut oil, and a touch of coconut extract.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time35 minutes mins
Total Time50 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 cups
Calories: 1300kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • Stand mixer with whisk and paddle attachment
  • Three 6" cake pans or two 8" cake pans

Ingredients

Coconut Cake Ingredients

  • 11 ounces All purpose flour (2 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter (½ cup) room temperature
  • 14 ounces granulated sugar (2 cups)
  • 4 ounces coconut oil (½ cup) or vegetable oil
  • 4 large egg yolks room temperature
  • 4 large egg whites room temperature
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons coconut extract
  • 8 ounces buttermilk (1 cup) room temperature
  • 6 ounces sweetened flaked coconut (2 cups) toasted until lightly browned
  • 1 ounce sweetened flaked coconut (½ cup) for garnish

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 16 ounces cream cheese (2 cups) cut into cubes and softened
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter (1 cup) softened
  • 1 teaspoon coconut extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 36 ounces powdered sugar (8 cups) sifted
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Coconut Cake

  • Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350ºF/176ºC. Prepare three 3 6-inch round cake pans with cake goop, parchment paper, or another preferred pan release. Making sure to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.
  • Spread your coconut flakes evenly onto a cookie sheet pan.
  • Broil the coconut flakes on high for 2-3 minutes or until they just begin to turn brown around the edges. Stir the coconut and broil for 1-2 minutes more until lightly golden. Watch it closely because it can burn quickly.  Remove it from the oven and let it cool.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set the dry ingredients aside. 
  • Heat the coconut oil in a small bowl in the microwave until it is very soft and beginning to melt, but not hot.
  • Add the coconut extract and vanilla extract to the room-temperature buttermilk. 
  • Add the butter and coconut oil to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat at medium-high speed until smooth and shiny, about 30 seconds. 
  • Gradually sprinkle in the sugar, and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the egg yolks one at a time to the mixture, combining after each. 
  • With the mixer on low speed, add about a third of the flour mixture to the batter, followed immediately by about a third of the milk, mix until the ingredients are almost incorporated into the batter. 
  • Repeat the process 2 more times. When the batter appears blended, stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl.
  • Carefully fold in the toasted coconut until it’s all combined.
  • Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl with the whip attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until it's foamy. 
  • Add in the cream of tartar and whip until semi stiff peaks form.
  • Fold in the whipped egg whites carefully into the cake batter, and try not to beat out too much of the volume in the egg whites. 
  • Divide the cake batter evenly between 3 6-inch cake pans or 2 8-inch pans.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
  • Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes. 
  • Invert the cakes onto a  cooling rack and cool completely before frosting. I like to flash freeze them for 30 minutes if I’m using them right away, or wrap them in plastic and freeze them overnight. Pro-Tip: Wrapping your cakes while warm and then freezing them will lock in the moisture.

Making Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Make sure the butter and cream cheese are both slightly warm and at the same temperature. If one is colder than the other, they will not mix together properly and create lumps.
  • Place softened butter in the bowl of your stand mixer with a whisk attachment and cream on low until smooth. Pro: Tip: Use an electric hand mixer to get extra smooth cream cheese frosting. 
  • Place softened cream cheese in the bowl with the butter in small chunks and blend on low until smooth.
  • Add sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time until combined. 
  • Add your vanilla extract and salt, and mix until combined. 
  • Cover the frosting with plastic wrap and refrigerate until your cake is chilled and ready to frost. Refrigerate any remaining frosting, or keep in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Assembling the Coconut Cake

  • Trim the top of the cake layers so they are flat. 
  • Place the first cake layer down on a cake board, spread a layer of cream cheese frosting evenly across the top and repeat this process with the remaining 2 layers. 
  • Spread a thin layer of cream cheese frosting around the entire cake as a crumb coat and then refrigerate it for 15 minutes. Pro-Tip: Cream cheese frosting is stickier than buttercream, and can pull more crumbs off your cake. Working with a cold cake will be easier. 
  • Once the crumb coat has set, apply another thicker layer of the frosting to the entire cake for its final coat. Pro tip: I chose to cover the exterior of this cake with coconut, but cream cheese frosting makes really pretty rustic swirls if you want a different look. 
  • Place the cake on the board or plate you plan to serve on. 
  • Gently press shredded coconut or large shaved coconut flakes onto the sides of the cake all the way around the exterior, keeping the top free of shreds. 
  • Use a star piping tip and pastry bag filled with cream cheese frosting to pipe swirls around the top edge of the cake. 
  • To save this cake for later, apply plastic wrap around the cake and place it in the refrigerator. Cream cheese frosting can sit out at room temperature for about 4 hours maximum.

Notes

Important Things To Note Before You Start
1. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature or even a little warm (eggs, buttermilk, butter, etc) to ensure your batter does not break or curdle. 
2. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 
3. Practice Mise en Place (everything in it's place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
4. Chill your cakes before frosting and filling. You can cover a frosted and chilled cake in fondant if you wish. This cake is also great for stacking. I always keep my cakes chilled in the refrigerator before delivery for easy transporting. Learn more about decorating your first cake. 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1300kcal | Carbohydrates: 180g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 42g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 195mg | Sodium: 543mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 150g | Vitamin A: 1595IU | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 2mg
lucky charms rice krispie treats lined up on a table

March 14, 2023 Cookies

Lucky Charms Rice Krispie Treats

These Lucky Charms Rice Krispie Treats are surprisingly delicious and are a fun treat to make with kids. Combine Lucky Charms and gooey marshmallows to make treats perfect for birthday parties, St. Patrick's day, or a school snack. Add a cup of Rice Krispies in addition to the Lucky Charms cereal to fill in the holes and add texture.lucky charms rice krispie treats lined up on a table

I've always made cereal treats over the stove top and ended up with a big sticky mess. This easy recipe is great because all you need is one large bowl and a microwave. Adding Lucky Charms cereal and marshmallows is a fun way to elevate the classic Rice Krispie treat. You can also trade out the box of Lucky Charms or Rice Krispies for your favorite cereal, like Fruity Pebbles or Cocoa Puffs.

Lucky Charms Rice Krispie Treat Ingredientsingredients for lucky charm treats in bowls on a table

Butter is the ingredient that adds flavor to the Lucky Charm treats. I like to use unsalted butter and add my own salt because I can control the amount, but you can also use salted butter and leave out the salt.

Large or mini marshmallows will work for this recipe, just make sure that they are fresh, and not expired.

Rice Krispies are a fun twist to this recipe, as most Lucky Charms treats will only use that cereal. I like the extra rice krispies because they fill in the gaps between the lucky charms cereal and marshmallows. It only takes about a cup of cereal to fill in the gaps, but if you like firmer crispy treats, you can add more.

Lucky Charms cereal has fun, colorful marshmallows that take this gooey marshmallow treat up a notch. They do melt a little bit when you mix them in with the hot marshmallows, so be sure to reserve a few for topping the treats.

Making Lucky Charms Rice Krispie Treats

  1. Grease a 9" x 9" pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. You can also line it with a piece of parchment paper if you're nervous about sticking. A square pan will make thick Rice Krispie treats, while a rectangle pan will make thinner treats.hand holding a bottle of pan spray over a metal pan
  2. Spray a large mixing bowl with cooking spray, add the marshmallows, and microwave in 30-second increments until they're melting and puffy. You can also heat them in a large saucepan over the stove.marshmallows pouring into a large glass bowl
  3. Grease your spatula with cooking spray or oil to help with the sticking and work quickly.spraying a spatula with pan spray
  4. Add the butter and salt to the marshmallows and mix them together until they are melted and combined. hands adding butter from a plate into a bowl of marshmallowsmelted marshmallows in a bowl
  5. Reserve a few of the colorful marshmallows for topping, then add the Lucky Charms and Rice Krispies, one cup at a time, to the melted marshmallows and stir it all together.adding cereal to a bowl of marshmallows
  6. Pour the cereal mixture into the prepared baking dish and press it into an even layer with a spatula. Pro-tip: Coat your clean hands in cooking spray and press it into the corners.a bowl of cereal treat mixture pouring into a baking dish
  7. Sprinkle the reserved Lucky Charms marshmallows on top while the treats are still warm, then let them rest in the pan until they come to room temperature, or freeze for 20 minutes to set up.hand adding a container of lucky charm marshmallows on top of rice krispie treats
  8. Release the edges of the treats with a knife, then remove them from the pan and cut them into 9 equal squares.knife cutting through rice krispie treats
  9. Store the Lucky Charms Rice Krispie treats in an airtight container, or wrap individual treats in plastic wrap. They can last at room temperature for up to 3 days. Pro-Tip: For best results, leave them out overnight so the marshmallows get a little bit soggy, the texture is amazing!hand holding a rice krispie treat with square treats around it
  10. For an extra optional design, drizzle or dip each treat in white chocolate.

FAQ

Is it ok to use old marshmallows for Rice Krispie treats?

Old marshmallows don't melt as well as fresh marshmallows because they develop a skin on the outside, so it's best to use a new bag for Krispie treats.

What happens if you put too much butter in Rice Krispie treats?

Adding too much butter and marshmallow to Rice Krispie treats can make them soggy, overly sticky, or even wet. Too little can make them dry and crumbly. If you like this recipe is a bit too gooey, add another ½ cup of Rice Krispies.

How many days ahead can you make Rice Krispie treats?

These treats are best served within 3 days. They can stay out at room temperature wrapped in plastic or wax paper, or stored in an airtight container. They will get hard if you refrigerate them.

Related Recipes

Lofthouse Cookies

Copycat Crumbl Cookies

Chewy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Irish Cream Cake

Recipe

lucky charms rice krispie treats lined up on a table
Print Recipe
4.84 from 6 votes

Lucky Charms Rice Krispie Treats

It only takes 6 simple ingredients to make gooey, rainbow Lucky Charms marshmallow treats. These nostalgic treats have extra marshmallows in them to give them a satisfying chew that will leave you wanting to eat the whole tray. These easy treats could be your new favorite no bake dessert!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Resting Time20 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 9 people
Calories: 355kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 1 square pan

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces marshmallows large or small
  • ½ cup unsalted butter plus more for the pan, or spray
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Rice Krispies cereal
  • 6 cups Lucky Charms cereal

Instructions

  • Grease a 9" x 9" pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. You can also line it with a piece of parchment paper if you're nervous about sticking. A square pan will make thick Rice Krispie treats, while a rectangle pan will make thinner treats.
  • Spray a large mixing bowl with cooking spray, add the marshmallows, and microwave in 30-second increments until they're melting and puffy. You can also heat them in a large saucepan over the stove.
  • Grease your spatula with cooking spray or oil to help with the sticking and work quickly.
  • Add the butter and salt to the marshmallows and mix them together until they are melted and combined. 
  • Reserve a few of the colorful marshmallows for topping, then add the Lucky Charms and Rice Krispies, one cup at a time, to the melted marshmallows and stir it all together.
  • Pour the cereal mixture into the prepared baking dish and press it into an even layer with a spatula. Pro-tip: Coat your clean hands in cooking spray and press it into the corners.
  • Sprinkle the reserved Lucky Charms marshmallows on top while the treats are still warm, then let them rest in the pan until they come to room temperature, or freeze for 20 minutes to set up.
  • Release the edges of the treats with a knife, then remove them from the pan and cut them into 9 equal squares.
  • Store the Lucky Charms Rice Krispie treats in an airtight container, or wrap individual treats in plastic wrap. They can last at room temperature for up to 3 days.
    Pro-Tip: For best results, leave them out overnight so the marshmallows get a little bit soggy, the texture is amazing!

Notes

  1. These treats are best served within 3 days. They can stay out at room temperature wrapped in plastic or wax paper, or stored in an airtight container. They will get hard if you refrigerate them.
  2. Butter is the ingredient that adds flavor to the Lucky Charm treats. I like to use unsalted butter and add my own salt because I can control the amount, but you can also use salted butter and leave out the salt.
  3. Large or mini marshmallows will work for this recipe, just make sure that they are fresh, and not expired.
  4. Although this recipe is in cups too, I HIGHLY recommend you measure your ingredients using a food scale. It makes baking so much easier and will lead to more successful recipes. Follow my tutorial to learn how to use a scale. 1 oz= 28 grams.

Nutrition

Serving: 1treat | Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 343mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 1200IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 6mg
slice of Guinness chocolate cake on a plate

March 13, 2023 Blog

Guinness Chocolate Cake

This Guinness chocolate cake is made with dark stout beer that enhances the chocolate flavor of the cake. Finished with a Guinness white chocolate ganache drizzled on top, a small piece goes a long way for this rich cake!slice of Guinness chocolate cake on a plate

Baking this cake in a Bundt pan makes it super easy to bake, transport and serve. This versatile recipe can be made in cake pans and layered with buttercream or cream cheese frosting as well! This is a great cake for St. Patrick's day, Father's day, or for any beer lovers.

Table of contents

  • Guinness Beer Cake Ingredients
  • Making Guinness Chocolate Cake
  • Making Guinness White Chocolate Ganache
  • FAQ
  • Related Recipes

Guinness Beer Cake Ingredientsingredients for Guinness cake in bowls on a table

Guinness is an Irish dry stout beer. It has a malty sweetness and a hoppy bitterness with notes of chocolate and coffee, which is why it adds so much flavor to this delicious cake. The alcohol does bake out of the cake so very few traces of alcohol are consumed while eating the cake. The alcohol actually tenderizes gluten, making the crumb of the cake more tender and dense, and adding moisture to the cake. 

Sour cream adds moisture and tang to this cake, the acidic nature of sour cream reacts with the cocoa powder and baking soda to give us a dense tender cake crumb.

Making Guinness Chocolate Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a Bundt pan with cake goop or pan release spray. Make sure to coat the sides and center of the pan well.greasing a bundt pan with pan release
  2. Add the butter and Guinness to a heat proof container and heat it in the microwave until the butter is melted. Or, in a large saucepan, heat beer and butter until butter is melted then remove from the heat.hands stirring melted butter and guinness with a spoon in a tall measuring cup
  3. Combine the sugar and cocoa powder in the bowl of your stand mixer.sugar and cocoa powder in a glass stand mixer bowl
  4. Then mix in the butter and beer mixture on low speed with the paddle attachment until combined. This can also easily be mixed with a hand mixer.hand pouring a measuring cup of beer into a stand mixer bowl
  5. Combine the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla in a medium bowl then add the wet ingredients to the beer mixture and mix until combined.eggs and sour cream in a white bowl
  6. Combine the flour and the baking soda. Mix the dry ingredients into the beer mixture until smooth. Make sure to scrape the bowl to incorporate all of the ingredients.hands adding a bowl of dry ingredients to a stand mixer bowl
  7. Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan.pouring chocolate cake batter from a mixing bowl into a bundt pan
  8. Bake at 350ºF/175ºC for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. hands placing a bundt pan with chocolate batter into an oven
  9. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes and flip the bundt onto a cooling rack to cool fully. The ganache can be prepared just prior to displaying or serving the cake.hands lifting a bundt cake pan off of a chocolate bundt cake

Making Guinness White Chocolate Ganache

  1. Add the white chocolate and the beer to a medium or large bowl.hand adding beer to a bowl of white chocolate
  2. Microwave the chocolate mixture for about 30 seconds until the chocolate begins to soften. It’s best to do this in 10-second increments so that the chocolate does not overheat too quickly in one spot.
  3. Let the chocolate sit for about 3 minutes and then add the butter and whisk until smooth. If the butter is not melting out, heat it in the microwave again for just a few seconds at a time.mixing together beer and melted chocolate in a bowl with a spatula
  4. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap and set it aside until you are ready to pour it on top of the cake. You may need to slightly reheat the ganache if it cools quickly. a bowl of ganache covered in plastic wrap
  5. Place the cooled cake on a serving plate and slowly pour the ganache around the top of the cake. The ganache should be the temperature of a caramel sauce. drizzling white chocolate ganache on top of a chocolate bundt cake
  6. To store the Bundt cake, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. It can be wrapped and frozen for up to a month. Pro-tip: Don't freeze the entire cake, wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap and freeze them. Then you will have a slice of cake anytime!slice of chocolate bundt cake coming out of a cake

FAQ

Do I have to use Guinness beer?

No, not necessarily, you can swap out whatever dark beer you would like, the aspect of the Guinness stout is the chocolate flavor that deepens the flavor of the cake. You can leave the alcohol out altogether and use coffee, milk, or just water. For the ganache, I recommend swapping the beer for heavy cream. However, the beer does create a very moist chocolate cake.

Where can I find Guinness beer?

Most local grocery stores carry stout beer. Especially during the month of March for St. Patricks Day celebrations.

Can I bake this in regular cake pans?

Yes, This recipe will bake a nice layer cake, it will fill three, 6-inch cake pans or two, 8-inch pans.

What other frostings go well with Guinness chocolate cake?

Cake layers would pair really well with vanilla buttercream frosting, chocolate buttercream, or cream cheese frosting. This flavor also pairs great with baileys Irish cream, for a really St. Paddy’s celebration.

What else can I garnish the cake with?

This bundt would be elegant with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar or cocoa powder, as well as a dark chocolate ganache.

Related Recipes

Rainbow Cupcakes

Irish Cream Cake

Green Velvet Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Recipe

slice of Guinness chocolate cake on a plate
Print Recipe
4.89 from 18 votes

Guinness Chocolate Cake

This delicious beer-infused chocolate cake makes a dense, moist crumb that has a hint of Guinness but still rocks your socks off with a strong chocolate flavor. The perfect cake for St. Patricks Day celebrations!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 421kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 1 bundt cake pan

Ingredients

Guinness Cake Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup natural cocoa powder like Hershey's brand
  • ½ cup butter
  • 3 large eggs beaten
  • 1 cup Dark Guinness Beer
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Guinness Ganache Drip

  • 1 ounce Guinness beer
  • 1 ounce butter
  • 6 ounces white chocolate
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Guinness Chocolate Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a Bundt pan with cake goop or pan release spray. Make sure to coat the sides of the pan well.
  • Add the butter and Guinness to a heat proof container and heat it in the microwave until the butter is melted. Or, In a large saucepan, heat beer and butter until butter is melted then remove from the heat.
  • Combine the sugar and cocoa powder in the bowl of your stand mixer.
  • Then mix in the butter and beer mixture on low speed with the paddle attachment until combined. This can also easily be mixed with a hand mixer.
  • Combine the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla in a medium bowl then add the wet ingredients to the beer mixture and mix until combined.
  • Combine the flour and the baking soda. Mix the dry ingredients into the beer mixture until smooth. Make sure to scrape the bowl to incorporate all of the ingredients.
  • Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan.
  • Bake at 350ºF/175ºC for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
  • Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes and flip the bundt onto a cooling rack to cool fully. The ganache can be prepared just prior to displaying or serving the cake.

Making Guinness White Chocolate Ganache

  • Add the white chocolate and the beer to a medium or large bowl.
  • Microwave the chocolate mixture for about 30 seconds until the chocolate begins to soften. It’s best to do this in 10-second increments so that the chocolate does not overheat too quickly in one spot.
  • Let the chocolate sit for about 3 minutes and then add the butter and whisk until smooth. If the butter is not melting out, heat it in the microwave again for just a few seconds at a time.
  • Cover the ganache with plastic wrap and set it aside until you are ready to pour it on top of the cake. You may need to slightly reheat the ganache if it cools quickly. 
  • Place the cooled cake on a serving plate and slowly pour the ganache around the top of the cake. The ganache should be the temperature of a caramel sauce. 
  • To store the Bundt cake, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. It can be wrapped and frozen for up to a month.
    Pro-tip: Don't freeze the entire cake, wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap and freeze them. Then you will have a slice of cake anytime!

Notes

This recipe can also be made in three 6" cake pans or two 8" cake pans.
Guinness is an Irish dry stout beer. It has a malty sweetness and a hoppy bitterness with notes of chocolate and coffee, which is why it adds so much flavor to this delicious cake. The alcohol does bake out of the cake so very few traces of alcohol are consumed while eating the cake. The alcohol actually tenderizes gluten, making the crumb of the cake more tender and dense, and adding moisture to the cake. 
Sour cream adds moisture and tang to this cake, the acidic nature of sour cream reacts with the cocoa powder and baking soda to give us a dense tender cake crumb.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 204mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 457IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg
rainbow cupcake with a bite taken out of it

March 9, 2023 Cupcakes

Rainbow Cupcakes

These Rainbow Cupcakes have layers of vibrant rainbow colors inside and are topped with a cloud-like swirl of vanilla buttercream. Made from a one-bowl doctored box mix recipe, they are incredibly easy to make. The perfect treat for St. Patrick’s Day, Pride celebrations, birthday parties, or any occasion in need of a little color and a lot of flavors.rainbow cupcake with a bite taken out of it

Starting with a box cake mix creates a foolproof formula that allows extra time to color the batter, which requires a little extra mixing, but won't cause the batter to be over-mixed like some cake recipes. The end result is a fluffy cupcake with bright colors and a nostalgic vanilla flavor. The best part is the sour candy on top, but the versatility of the design is what makes these so fun. 

Table of contents

  • Rainbow Cupcake Ingredients
  • Making Rainbow Cupcakes
  • Making Easy Buttercream
  • Assembling the Cupcakes
  • FAQ
  • Related Recipes

Rainbow Cupcake Ingredientsingredients for rainbow cupcakes in bowls

Box Cake: A doctored box mix recipe makes a quick solution to a homemade cake. It really is foolproof, even if something is scaled incorrectly, the outcome is still a delicious cake. It's very stable and allows you to play with and alter the batter, like adding colors. 

Flour: Adding a little extra flour gives the box cake a little more structure, so it has a tighter crumb and can handle different kinds of frostings as well as stacking if you wish. 

Gel Colors: Using concentrated gel color reduces the amount of liquid you are adding to the batter, if all you have is a liquid color, that will work too, just try not to add more than 2 Tablespoons of liquid color to each bowl of batter. I like to use ChefMaster or Americolor for my gel colors, but there are many good brands that are easy to find. 

Easy Buttercream is a delicious, easy, and versatile frosting. You can color this as well if you would like. Cream cheese frosting, ermine buttercream, or even a whipped ganache will also pair well if you are feeling fancy! 

Making Rainbow Cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F and prepare 2 cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners.hands lining cupcake pans with liners
  2. Add the cake mix, flour, sugar, salt, sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and milk to the bowl of a stand mixer. You can also use a large bowl and a hand mixer. ingredients for cupcakes in a stand mixer bowl
  3. Combine all of the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients on low speed and then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. mixed vanilla cupcake batter in a stand mixer bowl
  4. Divide the batter into 6 separate bowls. pouring cupcake batter from a large bowl into a smaller bowl
  5. Using your preferred food color, color each of the small bowls in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple to your desired shade of cake. The color will be more vibrant when baked. Pro-Tip: Make sure to use gel food coloring like ChefMaster or Americolor instead of liquid for more vibrant colors. 6 bowls of cupcake batter colored in rainbow colors
  6. Starting with the purple batter, either pipe or spoon about 1-1.5 tablespoons of batter into each cupcake cup. Layer each colored batter on top of the last. Try to spread the batter to the edges so you can see the rainbow through the cupcake paper. dividing purple batter into cupcake trays with a cookie scoop
  7. Place the cupcakes into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Make sure the center of the cupcake is done so it doesn’t sink when it cools. placing two cupcake trays filled with batter into the oven to bake
  8. Cool the cupcakes for 5 minutes in the pans, then remove and place them on a cooling rack to fully cool. This way the bottoms of the cupcake don't get wrinkly from the steam.

Making Easy Buttercream

  1. First, place the egg whites and the powdered sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Attach the whisk and combine the ingredients on low, and then whip them on high for 4 to 5 minutes (until shiny) to dissolve the powdered sugar.hand pouring a container of pasteurized egg whites into a glass stand mixer bowlstand mixer bowl filled with meringew
  2. Then, add the salt and the vanilla extract.hand adding vanilla to powdered sugar mixture in a mixing bowl.
  3. Next, add in your softened butter piece-by-piece, and whip it with the whisk attachment for 8 to 10 minutes until white and fluffy. When it no longer tastes buttery, it's done!hand adding chunks of butter into bowl
  4. Finally, switch to a paddle attachment and mix the buttercream on low speed for up to 15-20 minutes. This step is optional but if you want really creamy and bubble-free frosting, you don't want to skip it.smooth buttercream in a stand mixer bowl

Assembling the Cupcakes

  1. Prepare a pastry bag with easy buttercream and a large star tip. Pipe a swirl of vanilla buttercream frosting on top of each cupcake. Pro-tip: If you do not have a piping bag, you can use a Ziploc bag.piping buttercream on top of a rainbow cupcake with a piping bag
  2. Cut the rainbow strip candy into 3-inch portions. Place the rainbow on top of the cupcake in an arch.rainbow cupcake with a rainbow candy and buttercream on top
  3. Add gold or rainbow sprinkles in any design you desire to the top of each cupcake.rainbow cupcake with a rainbow candy and buttercream on top
  4. To store the cupcakes, place them in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes or frosted cupcakes for up to a month.rainbow cupcakes with vanilla buttercream

FAQ

How do I keep my colors from mixing?

The less you touch the rainbow cupcake batter once it's in the cup the less likely it will mix with the surrounding colors. I found that piping the colors was easier to distribute the batter around the cup evenly. However, if you do want a tie-dye effect, you can drag a skewer through the layered colors for a very fun cupcake. 

Can I flavor the rainbow cupcakes?

Yes, we are using a vanilla box mix, and adding the food coloring doesn't change the flavor. This recipe doesn't call for extra vanilla extract because the box mix already has it included. You could enhance the base recipe with other flavors like lemon, coconut, almond, or clear food extract will work!

How to make rainbow buttercream?

Color the easy buttercream in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap and pipe the first color in a long strip along the plastic. Repeat this with each color, placing them immediately next to each other. Roll the plastic up lengthwise and place the entire buttercream bullet inside a piping bag with a piping tip.

Related Recipes

Vanilla Cupcakes

Cream Cheese Frosting

Rainbow Cake

Funfetti Birthday Cake

Recipe

rainbow cupcake with a bite taken out of it
Print Recipe
4.75 from 4 votes

Rainbow Cupcakes

Light, buttery and moist rainbow cupcakes are six layers of color that bake up into a centerpiece-worthy treat. Top them off with fluffy white buttercream or tangy cream cheese frosting then complete your cupcake creations with a shower of rainbow sprinkles. There are so many cute rainbow candies, the decor options are endless!
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time35 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Calories: 524kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 2 cupcake pans
  • 24 cupcake liners

Ingredients

Rainbow Cupcakes

  • 1 box white cake mix I like Duncan Hines
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sour cream room temperature
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 cup milk room temperature
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 6 bottles gel food coloring: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple 2-3 tsps of each color

Easy Vanilla Buttercream

  • 6 ounces pasteurized egg whites (from a box)
  • 24 ounces powdered sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 24 ounces unsalted butter softened
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Rainbow Cupcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 350° F and prepare 2 cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners.
  • Add the cake mix, flour, sugar, salt, sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and milk to the bowl of a stand mixer. You can also use a large bowl and a hand mixer. 
  • Combine all of the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients on low speed and then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. 
  • Divide the batter into 6 separate bowls. 
  • Using your preferred food color, color each of the small bowls in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple to your desired shade of cake. The color will be more vibrant when baked. Pro-Tip: Make sure to use gel food coloring like ChefMaster or Americolor instead of liquid for more vibrant colors. 
  • Starting with the purple batter, either pipe or spoon about 1-1.5 tablespoons of batter into each cupcake cup. Layer each colored batter on top of the last. Try to spread the batter to the edges so you can see the rainbow through the cupcake paper. 
  • Place the cupcakes into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Make sure the center of the cupcake is done so it doesn’t sink when it cools. 
  • Cool the cupcakes for 5 minutes in the pans, then remove and place them on a cooling rack to fully cool. This way the bottoms of the cupcake don't get wrinkly from the steam.

Easy Vanilla Buttercream

  • First, place the egg whites and the powdered sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Attach the whisk and combine the ingredients on low, and then whip them on high for 4 to 5 minutes (until shiny) to dissolve the powdered sugar.
  • Then, add in the salt and the vanilla extract.
  • Next, add in your softened butter piece-by-piece, and whip it with the whisk attachment for 8 to 10 minutes until white and fluffy. When it no longer tastes buttery, it's done!
  • Finally, switch to a paddle attachment and mix the buttercream on low speed for up to 15-20 minutes. This step is optional but if you want really creamy and bubble-free frosting, you don't want to skip it.

Assembling the Cupcakes

  • Prepare a pastry bag with easy buttercream and a large star tip. Pipe a swirl of vanilla buttercream frosting on top of each cupcake. Pro-tip: If you do not have a piping bag, you can use a Ziploc bag.
  • Cut the rainbow strip candy into 3-inch portions. Place the rainbow on top of the cupcake in an arch.
  • Add gold or rainbow sprinkles in any design you desire to the top of each cupcake.
  • To store the cupcakes, place them in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes or frosted cupcakes for up to a month.

Notes

  1. For the best rise, fill your liners ⅔ with cupcake batter or 1 ½ ounces per cupcake
  2. Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before mixing your batter (milk, butter, eggs). 
  3. Use clear vanilla extract for that “classic grocery store cake” flavor. Use good quality vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or even a vanilla bean for true vanilla flavor. One vanilla bean = 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. 
  4. Preheat your oven to 350ºF for 30 minutes before baking to give your cupcakes a good rise and set the dome. 
  5. Baked cupcakes can be frozen for up to 6 months.
  6. If you don’t have a paddle attachment, mix by hand with a spatula to avoid overmixing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 1015IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 1mg
slice of green velvet cake being lifted

March 7, 2023 Blog

Green Velvet Cake

This green velvet cake with my easy vanilla buttercream frosting and a shiny gold drip is the perfect cake for St. Patrick's Day! The classic combo of buttermilk, a hint of cocoa and vinegar give this cake the same flavor depth and velvety color as red velvet. Being able to switch the colors out makes this cake recipe fun and versatile.slice of green velvet cake being lifted

This is a festive treat for those who don't care for the typical St Patrick's day treats, like Guinness beer cake or Irish cream cake. There are so many ways to decorate this fun cake, let your inner leprechaun run wild! Maybe a pot of gold or green frosting. No matter what, everyone will feel lucky to get a slice!

Table of contents

  • Green Velvet Cake Ingredients
  • Making Green Velvet Cake
  • Making Easy Buttercream Frosting
  • Assembling the Cake
  • Decorating the Cake
  • FAQ
  • Related Recipes

Green Velvet Cake Ingredientsbowls of ingredients for green velvet cake on a table

Buttermilk adds a tangy flavor to the cake and it tenderizes the crumb. If you do not have buttermilk you can substitute by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice to a cup of regular milk. Check out my buttermilk substitutes blog post for more recipes.

Cocoa Powder is the not-so-secret ingredient in velvet cakes. There isn’t enough to make it taste like chocolate but just enough to deepen the color of the batter and also tenderize the flour. 

Vinegar keeps this cake batter on the acid end of the scale, which is why we use only baking soda as a leavener, no need for the acid in baking powder to balance the recipe. The signature of a velvet cake is the “velvet” texture, meaning very moist and tender, this is due to the amount of acid in the batter. 

Making Green Velvet Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare two 8-inch cake pans with cake goop, parchment paper, or preferred pan spray. This recipe will also make three 6-inch cakes.spreading cake goop into a cake pan
  2. Whisk the eggs with the oil, buttermilk, vinegar, and melted butter until combined and set aside.hand pouring a bowl of melted butter into a measuring cup
  3. Place the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda into the bowl of your stand mixer and mix on low speed with the paddle attachment for a few seconds to combine.dry ingredients for green velvet cake in a glass stand mixer bowl
  4. Add the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and mix on medium-high for about a minute until combined.hand pouring a container of wet ingredients into a stand mixer bowl
  5. Add the food coloring and mix until combined.hand adding green food coloring to a stand mixer bowl
  6. Pour the cake batter evenly into the cake pans and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. hands pouring green cake batter from a glass bowl into cake pans
  7. Cool cakes for 10 minutes and then flip them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Place the cakes in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill quickly if you plan to frost them the same day. Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze if you are baking ahead.baked green velvet cakes in pans

Making Easy Buttercream Frosting

  1. Place the egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip on high speed for 3-5 minutes.hand pouring pasteurized egg whites into a glass stand mixer bowl
  2. Add the softened butter in small chunks then vanilla and salt. Whip on high until light and fluffy and white, about 8 to 10 minutes.hand adding chunks of butter into bowl
  3. For the best results, switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low for 15-20 minutes until all air bubbles are gone. This is optional but makes for really smooth buttercream. smooth buttercream in a stand mixer bowl

Assembling the Cake

  1. Trim the top dome off of the green velvet cake layers and place one layer onto an 8-inch cardboard cake round, top side down, this ensures an even surface. This is not necessary, but the layers look clean even when the cake is cut. I recommend using a cake turntable to make frosting easier.hand cutting off the top dome of a green velvet cake with a knife
  2. Fill the center with the vanilla buttercream and spread evenly with an offset spatula. This cake would also pair well with homemade cream cheese frosting.hand spreading frosting on a green cake layer with a spatula
  3. Place the remaining cake layer on top.hands placing a second later of green cake on top of the first
  4. I like to begin by frosting the top of the cake and pushing the buttercream down the sides and then smoothing. Start with a thin layer of buttercream to create a smooth crumb coat around the whole cake and chill for 5 minutes for the buttercream to set up.smoothing a crumb coat on a green velvet cake with a spatula
  5. Continue to frost the final layer of frosting onto the cake and smooth it with a bench scraper.hand smoothing buttercream with a benchscraper
  6. Place the cake on the serving board and chill the cake while preparing the drip.

Decorating the Cake

  1. Melt some coconut oil in the microwave, just until melted, not too hot. Then measure 6 tablespoons into a medium larger bowl to mix.hand holding a teaspoon to measure out melted coconut oil
  2. Add the powdered sugar and gold dust and whisk until smooth.hands measuring out gold dust into a small glass bowl
  3. Transfer the gold drip to a piping bag and cut a small hole in the tip. 
  4. Slowly pipe the gold drip around the top edges of the cake and then fill the center.hand piping gold drip onto a chilled white cake
  5. Pipe dollops around the top edge of the cake, and a scalloped border around the bottom edge.piping bag creating dollops around the top of a cake
  6. Finish the layer cake by filling the center with rainbow sprinkles.container of sprinkles pouring into the center of a cake

FAQ

What does green velvet cake taste like?

Green velvet cake is actually just red velvet cake, the only difference is the color of the food coloring! The taste is sweet with a slightly tangy flavor from the buttermilk. There is cocoa powder in this recipe but the cake definitely doesn’t taste like chocolate, the cocoa powder adds some depth and also tenderizes the crumb of the cake, and helps retain moisture.

What is the difference between regular cake and velvet cake?

There's more to velvet cake than just the added food coloring. Velvet is made with cocoa powder, vinegar, and buttermilk. The chemical reaction between these ingredients helps give the cake a deeper color that is often enhanced by the extra food coloring.

Can I make cupcakes?

Yes, this is an excellent recipe for cupcakes as well, making about 24 cupcakes.

Related Recipes

Chocolate Irish Cream Cake

Guinness Beer Cake

Grandma's Sweet Irish Soda Bread

Red Velvet Cake

 

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Note: measurements are estimated based off the vanilla cake recipe using standard US cake pans and sizes. Measurements used are for 2" tall cake pans only. Your results may vary. Do not overfill cake pans above manufacturer's recommended guidelines.

Recipe

slice of green velvet cake being lifted
Print Recipe
5 from 7 votes

Green Velvet Cake Recipe

This green velvet cake is so fun to make for St. Patrick's Day or any other holiday where you need a pretty green cake that also tastes amazing! Adapted from my very popular traditional red velvet cake recipe, you can swap out the green for any color!
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time50 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 1242kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 2 8" x 2" cake pans

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

  • 14 ounces All purpose flour
  • 14 ounces Granulated Sugar
  • 2 teaspoons natural (not dutched) cocoa powder I like Hershey's Special Dark
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 ounces vegetable oil
  • 8 ounces buttermilk
  • 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1-2 teaspoons yellow food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon green food color

Easy Buttercream Frosting

  • 6 ounces pasteurized egg whites
  • 24 ounces powdered sugar
  • 24 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Gold Drip

  • 6 Tablespoons coconut oil melted
  • 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar sifted
  • 2 teaspoons metallic gold powder I'm using Angela Morrison non toxic metallic gold powder
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Green Velvet Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare two 8-inch cake pans with cake goop, parchment paper, or preferred pan spray. This recipe will also make three 6-inch cakes.
  • Whisk the eggs with the oil, buttermilk, vinegar, and melted butter until combined and set aside.
  • Place the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda into the bowl of your stand mixer and mix on low speed with the paddle attachment for a few seconds to combine.
  • Add the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and mix on medium-high for about a minute until combined.
  • Add the food coloring and mix until combined.
  • Pour the cake batter evenly into the cake pans and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
  • Cool cakes for 10 minutes and then flip them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Place the cakes in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill quickly if you plan to frost them the same day. Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze if you are baking ahead.

Making Easy Buttercream Frosting

  • Place the egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip on high speed for 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the softened butter in small chunks then vanilla and salt. Whip on high until light and fluffy and white, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  • For the best results, switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low for 15-20 minutes until all air bubbles are gone. This is optional but makes for really smooth buttercream. 

Assembling the Cake

  • Trim the top dome off of the green velvet cake layers and place one layer onto an 8-inch cardboard cake round, top side down, this ensures an even surface. This is not necessary, but the layers look clean even when the cake is cut. I recommend using a cake turntable to make frosting easier.
  • Fill the center with the vanilla buttercream and spread evenly with an offset spatula. This cake would also pair well with homemade cream cheese frosting.
  • Place the remaining cake layer on top.
  • I like to begin by frosting the top of the cake and pushing the buttercream down the sides and then smoothing. Start with a thin layer of buttercream to create a smooth crumb coat around the whole cake and chill for 5 minutes for the buttercream to set up.
  • Continue to frost the final layer of frosting onto the cake and smooth it with a bench scraper.
  • Place the cake on the serving board and chill the cake while preparing the drip.

Decorating the Cake

  • Melt some coconut oil in the microwave, just until melted, not too hot. Then measure 6 tablespoons into a medium larger bowl to mix.
  • Add the powdered sugar and gold dust and whisk until smooth.
  • Transfer the gold drip to a piping bag and cut a small hole in the tip. 
  • Slowly pipe the gold drip around the top edges of the cake and then fill the center.
  • Pipe dollops around the top edge of the cake, and a scalloped border around the bottom edge.
  • Finish the layer cake by filling the center with rainbow sprinkles.

Notes

  1. The best investment you can make when you’re getting started with baking is a digital kitchen scale! Weighing your ingredients will help you avoid cake failure. Using a kitchen scale for baking is super easy and gives you the best results every single time. 
  2. Practice Mise en Place (everything in its place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
  3. Need more help with making your first cake? Check out my how to decorate your first cake blog post. 
  4. Make sure all of your cold ingredients (e.g. butter, eggs, milk) are at room temperature or a little warm. Why? Because we want to create an emulsion and allow the ingredients to fully mix together. 
  5. Make your own pan release (cake goop!) The best pan release ever! 
  6. Chill your cakes before frosting and filling. You can cover a frosted and chilled cake in fondant if you wish. This cake is also great for stacking!
  7. If you are using pasteurized egg whites from the fridge then you might notice this rim of cold butter forming. This is normal and can easily be fixed. Simply stop your mixer and remove about ⅓ cup of the buttercream. Melt this in the microwave for about 20 seconds or until it’s just barely melted. You don’t want it hot! Pour the mixture back into your whipping buttercream and the warmth from the melted buttercream will cause it all to come together and get creamy. This is honestly easier than taking out the egg whites ahead of time and trying to bring them to room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1242kcal | Carbohydrates: 147g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 71g | Saturated Fat: 46g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 202mg | Sodium: 659mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 108g | Vitamin A: 2009IU | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 3mg
ganache cake with dark, milk, and white chocolate on it

March 6, 2023 Blog

The Best Chocolate Ganache Recipe

This is an easy chocolate ganache recipe for smooth, shiny, and delicious dark, milk, or white chocolate ganache. Make decadent drips on the side of your layer cake, let it set up to make a creamy frosting, or form it into rich truffles. Perfect this baking staple with a few easy tips and tricks explained in this blog post.ganache cake with dark, milk, and white chocolate on it

Most ganache recipes don't explain why things go wrong, and it can be really intimidating when you fail to mix just two ingredients together. The secret is, that not all chocolate is the same! Different brands of chocolate can change your ratio and sometimes lead to broken, oily, or hard ganache. Follow my tips for how to fix ganache when these problems occur, and understand the science behind it!

Table of contents

  • Chocolate Ganache Ingredients
  • How to Make Chocolate Ganache
  • Using Chocolate Ganache In 6 Ways
  • Chocolate Ganache Ratios
    • Dark Chocolate Ganache Drip Ratio - 1:1
    • Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio - 2:1
    • Milk Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio - 2.5:1
    • White Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio - 3:1
  • Chocolate Ganache Temperatures
  • FAQ and Problem-Solving
  • Related Recipes

Chocolate Ganache Ingredientschopped dark, milk, and white on a cutting board

Chocolate: Whether you're using dark, milk, or white chocolate it's important to use good quality chocolate. The better the quality, the better tasting your ganache will be. You also want to make sure that cocoa butter is listed in the ingredients on the back, instead of hydrogenated palm kernel oil. Cocoa butter means that it is "real" chocolate instead of candy melts, and won't be as waxy. Some bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips at the grocery store do not contain cocoa butter, so make sure to check the back. Some brands I like are Ghirardelli, Lindt, Guittard, or Callebaut.

Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream gives ganache the right consistency that's perfectly creamy and thick.

Vanilla and Salt are optional for ganache, but it adds a little something extra that enhances the flavor of the chocolate.

Corn syrup and butter are sometimes added to the ganache to make it extra creamy and shiny.

How to Make Chocolate Ganache

  1. Measure out the chocolate with a food scale and chop it into fine pieces so that it melts more easily. Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.
    chopped dark chocolate in a glass bowl
  2. Heat the cream on the stovetop in a small saucepan until steam just begins to rise from the surface. Whisk occasionally to prevent burning and don’t walk away or your cream could boil over. 
    saucepan of heavy cream on the stove with a whisk stirring
  3. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and push the chocolate down so it’s all under the surface of the cream. Let the mixture of chocolate and cream sit for 5 minutes. 
    whisk pushing down chocolate under cream
  4. Add the vanilla and salt, then whisk the cream and chocolate together until it’s smooth. Start with small circles in the center until the chocolate and cream start creating an emulsion.
    hand adding a bowl of vanilla into a bowl of cream and chocolate
    whisk bringing together chocolate and cream in a bowl
  5. If you have lumps or un-melted chocolate you can use an immersion blender to make your ganache super creamy and lump-free. 
    pouring smooth ganache into a white bowl
  6. Use the warm ganache for piping and drizzling, or pour it into a bowl. Pro-tip: Cool your ganache faster by pouring it into a baking sheet pan.
    spatula smoothing out warm chocolate ganache on a sheet tray
  7. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap touching the top and set it aside to rest at room temperature for about 4 hours or overnight.
    hand pressing plastic wrap onto a bowl of ganache
  8. Store leftover ganache at room temperature for up to 48 hours, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or seal it in an airtight container and freeze for 6 months.
    hand spreading out ganache with a spatula

Using Chocolate Ganache In 6 Ways

  1. Fill the layers of a cake with the set ganache.
    white chocolate ganache spread on top of a layer of chocolate cake
  2. Frost the outside of a cake with set ganache at peanut butter consistency.
    hand spreading chocolate ganache on the outside of a cake with a spatula
  3. Place the ganache into a piping bag and create a drip to decorate a cake with warm soft ganache.
    piping bag of ganache creating a drip on the sides and top of a cake
  4. Dip cupcakes or strawberries in a bowl of soft ganache.
    strawberry dipped in ganache on top of a chocolate cupcake
  5. Pipe dollops of ganache on top of a cake or cupcakes.
    piping bag of ganache making dollops on top of a cake
  6. Roll ganache into balls and decorate with various toppings for truffles.
    truffles in different toppings on a sheet pan

Chocolate Ganache Ratios

Depending on which chocolate ganache recipe you are following, you might use more or less chocolate and cream. The "ratios" refer to the ratio of chocolate and cream that you use. The first number refers to the amount of chocolate, the second is the amount of cream. Different ratios will create a softer or firmer ganache.

IMPORTANT TIP: The brand of chocolate that you use matters, as each chocolate has a different amount of cocoa and cocoa butter inside. I'm using Guittard chocolate for these ratios, but it may vary if you're using a different brand. If you have another favorite chocolate, start with these ratios and add more cream or chocolate as needed until you get your perfect consistency.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Drip Ratio - 1:1

  • A 1:1 ratio is one part chocolate and one part cream (equal parts chocolate and cream) are typically used for very soft frostings, a chocolate drip, or for a glaze. For example, this would be 8 ounces of chocolate and 8 ounces of cream.
  • This soft ganache can also be whipped to make a whipped ganache frosting. 
    soft chocolate ganache drizzling from a spoon into a bowl

Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio - 2:1

  • A 2:1 ratio is two parts dark or semisweet chocolate and 1 part cream, so twice as much chocolate as cream. When it firms up at room temperature for a few hours, it's typically used for making truffles or a stiff chocolate ganache frosting. This would be 16 ounces of chocolate and 8 ounces of cream, or 32 ounces of chocolate and 16 ounces of cream.
  • Pro-tip: Flavor your ganache by steeping herbs or spices in the cream. Tea makes for some excellent flavors in ganache like my rose chocolate truffle recipe. 
    spatula smoothing out warm chocolate ganache on a sheet tray

Milk Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio - 2.5:1

  • Milk chocolate has a 2.5 to 1 ratio meaning you multiply the amount of cream by 2.5, so 20 ounces of milk chocolate and 8 ounces of cream.
  • Milk chocolate is great for making ganache but because it contains more sugar and milk solids, it is not as stable as dark chocolate. You will need to use a bit more chocolate for this ganache to set firm.
    hand spreading out ganache with a spatula

White Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio - 3:1

  • White chocolate doesn’t contain any cocoa to help it set, only cocoa butter so you need to use a lot more chocolate to get it to set properly. I use a 3:1 ratio but I know some people go as high as 4:1.
  • Did you know that white chocolate ganache doesn’t sweat and is ideal to use in really hot environments like Florida, the Caribbean, and Texas?

Chocolate Ganache Temperatures

Warm Ganache: The temperature of your chocolate ganache also matters. When your chocolate ganache is first made and still warm, it is very liquid. This is the ideal format for glazing, making drip cakes, or using on top of ice cream. 

Cooled Ganache: Letting chocolate ganache sit at room temperature for a few hours allows the chocolate to cool down and become semi-solid once again. This sort of half-set stage is what I call the peanut butter consistency stage and is ideal for frosting, using it as a cake filling, or rolling into truffles. If your chocolate ganache is too cold, it can become too solid and difficult to spread. You can always microwave it for a few seconds to get it back to that peanut butter consistency.

FAQ and Problem-Solving

How do I fix lumpy ganache?

If you have any lumps you can re-heat the whole thing in the microwave for 30-second increments until it’s smooth or you can use an immersion blender to make it super creamy.

How do I fix a broken ganache?

If your ganache is breaking (oil separating from the chocolate) you can whisk in a tablespoon of warm water or cream. Keep adding a tablespoon at a time until it comes together.

How do I fix grainy ganache?

Ganache can get grainy from whisking when the cream is too hot. Always let your chocolate/cream stand for 5 minutes before whisking. If your ganache is grainy, just re-melt the whole thing over a double boiler and let it re-set. If you don’t re-melt it, the ganache will have a very bad mouthfeel.

How do I fix runny ganache?

If your ganache is too thin and isn’t setting, add some more melted chocolate and whisk to combine. I would start with 2 ounces and see where you’re at before adding more to avoid making the ganache too stiff. If your ganache becomes too stiff you can add 1 ounce of warm cream to loosen it up.

Is it safe to leave my ganache out overnight?

Ganache can be left at room temperature for 48 hours, refrigerated for 1 week, or frozen for 6 months. Warm the ganache up in the microwave in 15-second bursts or let it come to room temperature naturally. 

Related Recipes

Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe

Death By Chocolate Cake

Boston Cream Pie

S'mores Cake Recipe

Recipe

ganache cake with dark, milk, and white chocolate on it
Print Recipe
4.94 from 74 votes

The Best Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Traditional chocolate ganache is made by heating up cream and pouring it over chocolate, waiting for it to melt, adding flavoring, and stirring it together until smooth. Depending on the temperature, chocolate ganache can become a glaze, a drip, frosting or even truffles.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 3 cups
Calories: 1140kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

Firm Setting Ganache 2:1

  • 16 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate
  • 8 ounces heavy whipping cream
  • ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or any other extract

Soft Ganache Frosting 1:1

  • 8 ounces 60% high quality chocolate Such as callebaut - about $8/lb
  • 8 ounces heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Soft White Chocolate Ganache 3:1

  • 18 ounces white chocolate
  • 6 ounces heavy whipping cream
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Soft Milk Chocolate Ganache 2.5:1

  • 13 ounces milk chocolate
  • 5 ounces heavy whipping cream
  • ½ teaspoon salt
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • IMPORTANT NOTES:
    Ganache ratios change depending on how you’re going to use them, and the type of chocolate you're using.
    I'm using Guittard chocolate for these ratios, if you’re using a different brand and it’s not as thick or thin as you want it, you may have to add more cream or chocolate. The darker the chocolate and the more cocoa %, the firmer it will set.
    Using a scale is recommended for accuracy and to ensure your ganache turns out.
  • Measure out the chocolate with a food scale and chop it into fine pieces so that it melts more easily. Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.

Making Chocolate Ganache

  • Heat the cream on the stovetop in a small saucepan until steam just begins to rise from the surface. Whisk occasionally to prevent burning and don’t walk away or your cream could boil over. 
  • Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and push the chocolate down so it’s all under the surface of the cream. Let the mixture of chocolate and cream sit for 5 minutes. 
  • Add the vanilla and salt, then whisk the cream and chocolate together until it’s smooth. Start with small circles in the center until the chocolate and cream start creating an emulsion.
  • If you have lumps or un-melted chocolate you can use an immersion blender to make your ganache super creamy and lump-free. 
  • Use the warm ganache for piping and drizzling, or pour it into a baking sheet pan.
  • Cover the ganache with plastic wrap touching the top and set it aside to rest at room temperature for about 4 hours or overnight.
  • When the ganache reaches "peanut butter consistency" it is ready to use for frosting cakes, piping, or forming into truffles.
  • Store leftover ganache at room temperature for up to 48 hours, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or seal it in an airtight container and freeze for 6 months.

Video

Notes

The brand of chocolate you use, matters! Whether you're using dark, milk, or white chocolate it's important to use good-quality chocolate. The better the quality, the better tasting your ganache will be. You also want to make sure that cocoa butter is listed in the ingredients on the back, instead of hydrogenated palm kernel oil. Cocoa butter means that it is "real" chocolate instead of candy melts, and won't be as waxy. Some bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips at the grocery store do not contain cocoa butter, so make sure to check the back. Some brands I like are Ghirardelli, Lindt, Guittard, or Callebaut.
Dark Chocolate Ganache Drip Ratio – 1:1
  • A 1:1 ratio is one part chocolate and one part cream (equal parts chocolate and cream) are typically used for very soft frostings, a chocolate drip, or for a glaze. For example, this would be 8 ounces of chocolate and 8 ounces of cream.
  • This soft ganache can also be whipped to make a whipped ganache frosting. 
Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio – 2:1
  • A 2:1 ratio is two parts dark or semisweet chocolate and 1 part cream, so twice as much chocolate as cream. When it firms up at room temperature for a few hours, it's typically used for making truffles or a stiff chocolate ganache frosting. This would be 16 ounces of chocolate and 8 ounces of cream, or 32 ounces of chocolate and 16 ounces of cream.
  • Pro-tip: Flavor your ganache by steeping herbs or spices in the cream. Tea makes for some excellent flavors in ganache like my rose chocolate truffle recipe. 
Milk Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio – 2.5:1
  • Milk chocolate has a 2.5 to 1 ratio meaning you multiply the amount of cream by 2.5, so 20 oz milk chocolate 8 ounces of cream.
  • Milk chocolate is great for making ganache but because it contains more sugar and milk solids, it is not as stable as dark chocolate. You will need to use a bit more chocolate for this ganache to set firm.
White Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio – 3:1
  • White chocolate doesn’t contain any cocoa to help it set, only cocoa butter so you need to use a lot more chocolate to get it to set properly. I use a 3:1 ratio but I know some people go as high as 4:1.
  • Did you know that white chocolate ganache doesn’t sweat and is ideal to use in really hot environments like Florida, the Caribbean and Texas?

Nutrition

Serving: 2oz | Calories: 1140kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 85g | Saturated Fat: 50g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 1129mg | Potassium: 913mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 1185IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 9.6mg
Cake sculpted to look like a volcano

March 1, 2023 Course Preview

Volcano Cake Tutorial

Skill level: Intermediate

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a realistic sculpted volcano cake, complete with special effects and a real smoke-like effect!

You will learn how to sculpt and create a realistic looking volcano mountain, how to create the glowing lava effect, how to work with isomalt and incorporate in LED lights, a realistic smoke-like effect and how to carve out the dinosaur cave.

40:43 Minutes of Instruction

What You Will Learn

  • How to create a realistic volcano cake
  • Learn how to work with isomalt and LED lights to create flowing lava
  • How to create a realistic smoke-like effect

Cake sculpted to look like a volcano

Tutorial Chapters

  1. Stacking The Cakes 0:24
  2. Carving The Cakes 4:43
  3. Crumb Coating And Sculpting 7:26
  4. Setting Up The Lights 14:19
  5. Covering The Cake In Chocolate 25:38
  6. Paneling The Cake 27:26
  7. Adding The Isomalt Lava 32:36
  8. Adding The Final Details 38:55

Downloads

Materials List

Cake sculpted to look like a volcano

March 1, 2023 Paid Video

Volcano Cake

Skill level: Intermediate

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a realistic sculpted volcano cake, complete with special effects and a real smoke-like effect!

You will learn how to sculpt and create a realistic looking volcano mountain, how to create the glowing lava effect, how to work with isomalt and incorporate in LED lights, a realistic smoke-like effect and how to carve out the dinosaur cave.

40:43 Minutes of Instruction

What You Will Learn

  • How to create a realistic volcano cake
  • Learn how to work with isomalt and LED lights to create flowing lava
  • How to create a realistic smoke-like effect

Tutorial Chapters

  1. Stacking The Cakes 0:24
  2. Carving The Cakes 4:43
  3. Crumb Coating And Sculpting 7:26
  4. Setting Up The Lights 14:19
  5. Covering The Cake In Chocolate 25:38
  6. Paneling The Cake 27:26
  7. Adding The Isomalt Lava 32:36
  8. Adding The Final Details 38:55

Downloads

Materials List

slice of chocolate cake with white frosting and caramel drip on a dark plate

February 24, 2023 Cake

Irish Cream Cake

Chocolate Irish cream cake starts with a dark, rich chocolate cake and while it's still warm, soaked with decadent Irish cream sauce, then frosted with Bailey's Irish Cream and whiskey white chocolate ganache and some homemade caramel sauce. This is a great recipe for St. Patrick's Day!slice chocolate cake with white frosting and caramel drip on a dark plate

This recipe is based on a cocktail called an Irish Slammer. Something about St. Patrick's Day makes me want to combine all of the Irish-inspired ingredients in one cake! Dark Guinness beer and Irish cream liqueur combined with chocolate bring together a dark decadent dessert worthy of celebrating even if you aren't Irish!

This recipe is more involved than many of my easy cake recipes. It has a lot of ingredients and steps, but its results are worth the time and effort. This chocolate cake recipe is an elevated cake, with more complex flavors and will impress everyone who is lucky enough to get a slice! 

Table of contents

  • Irish Cream Cake Ingredients
  • How to Make Irish Cream Cake
    • Making Death by Chocolate Cake
    • Making the Bailey's Irish Cream Sauce
    • Soaking the Cake Layers with Irish Cream Sauce
    • Making the White Chocolate Ganache
    • Assembling the Irish Cream Cake
  • FAQ
  • More Yummy Recipes for St. Patrick's Day

Irish Cream Cake Ingredientsbowls of ingredients for irish cream cake laid out on a table

Guinness is an Irish dry stout that originated in an Irish brewery. It has a dark chocolatey flavor and is slightly bitter. Like coffee, the flavor of this beer adds a rich flavor to chocolate cake, and the alcohol content tenderizes the gluten as well as helps retain moisture in the cake.

Irish Cream is a liqueur made from Irish whiskey, heavy cream, sugar, and a hint of cocoa. It is very sweet, so it lends itself well as a flavoring to other drinks and desserts. I love using it to flavor my frostings and fillings.

Mayonnaise sounds like a strange ingredient for a cake, however, it adds a lot of flavor and moisture. Mayonnaise is an emulsion of eggs, canola oil, salt, and acid, so many ingredients are already included in cake recipes.

How to Make Irish Cream Cake

There are 4 components to this decadent chocolate Irish cream cake, the death by chocolate cake, Irish cream sauce, Bailey's white chocolate ganache, and caramel sauce. It is possible to make this cake in one day, but I recommend making all of the components the day before, and assembling them on the day you're ready to serve. The ganache will take about 4 hours to set up, and the sauce will need to soak in the cakes for 2 hours.

Making Death by Chocolate Cake

  1. NOTE: It is SUPER IMPORTANT that all the wet ingredients listed are room temperature and not cold so that the ingredients mix and incorporate correctly. 
  2. Preheat your oven to 350ºF/177º C.
  3. Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with cake goop, parchment paper, or preferred pan release spray.hands brushing cake goop into a cake pan with a pastry brush.
  4. Whisk together the Guinness, espresso powder, and vanilla in a measuring cup and set it aside. hand pouring Guinness into a measuring cup
  5. Sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl and set it aside. hands whisking a bowl of chocolate cake ingredients
  6. Place the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter on medium speed until it's smooth and shiny. I'm using a stand mixer but you can definitely use an electric mixer if that is what you have.hand adding a bowl of butter into a stand mixer bowl
  7. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar on low speed, then bump it up to medium and cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is fluffy and almost white, about 3-5 minutes. hand adding a bowl of sugar into a stand mixer bowl
  8. Add the eggs one at a time. Allow each egg to incorporate fully before adding in the next egg to avoid breaking your batter.hand adding a bowl of eggs into a stand mixer bowl
  9. Add in the mayo and mix until combined. 
  10. With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix until almost combined. Add ⅓ of the liquid ingredients. Repeat the process with the flour mixture and liquids two more times until everything is fully incorporated.hand pouring liquid ingredients from a measuring cup into a stand mixer bowlhand adding a bowl of dry ingredients into a stand mixer bowl
  11. Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips. hand adding chocolate chips into cake batter
  12. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake them for 35-40 minutes until a wooden skewer comes out clean but with a few sticky crumbs.three cake pans full of chocolate cake batter
  13. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes then remove them and place them onto a wire rack to cool while you prepare the Bailey's drizzle.

Making the Bailey's Irish Cream Sauce

  1. Combine the sweetened condensed milk and Bailey's Irish cream in a measuring cup.
  2. Microwave the cream mixture for 30 seconds and then in 15-second increments until it is just simmering. You can also do this in a pot over the stove.
  3. Pour the simmering cream mixture over the chocolate in a medium bowl and let it rest for 5 minutes.hot liquid pouring on top of a bowl of chocolate
  4. Whisk the sauce mixture until it's smooth and melted.hand whisking a bowl of ganache

Soaking the Cake Layers with Irish Cream Sauce

  1. Place plastic wrap into the bottom of your cake pan and set the cooled cake back into the pan. The plastic wrap will keep the cake from sticking when it's time to remove them later on.hands placing plastic wrap inside the pan and the cake on top
  2. Poke holes into the top of the cake with the end of a wooden spoon or dowel. hands poking holes into the top of the chocolate cake
  3. Drizzle the warm sauce all over the cake to soak into the holes and use a spatula to smooth out the top.drizzling chocolate sauce into the holes of a chocolate cake
  4. At this point, you need to freeze the cakes for two hours or let them refrigerate overnight to let the cakes fully cool down. This will give you enough time to make the ganache frosting and caramel sauce.hand smoothing out the chocolate glaze with a spoon

Making the White Chocolate Ganache

  1. Heat up the heavy cream and Bailey's over medium heat in a saucepan until simmering, but not boiling.cream heating up in a pot on the stove
  2. Pour the hot mixture over your white chocolate. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to melt the chocolate.hot cream pouring from a saucepan into a bowl of white chocolate
  3. Add in the whiskey, vanilla, butter, and salt then whisk until it's smooth and creamy.hand pouring a measuring cup of whiskey into a bowl of ganache
  4. Let the ganache cool until it thickens to a peanut butter consistency, about 4 hours at room temperature. Pro-tip: Pour the ganache into a sheet pan so it cools faster.hand holding a whisk above a bowl of white chocolate ganache
  5. Mix the ganache for a minute in your stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer for the smoothest application on the cake.smooth white chocolate ganache in a stand mixer

Assembling the Irish Cream Cake

  1. Once your cakes are chilled, remove them from the cake pans and peel away the plastic wrap. They should be firm and easy to handle.hands peeling plastic wrap off of a chilled chocolate cake
  2. Place your first layer of cake onto your 8" cake board or a plate.
  3. Apply a generous amount of the Irish cream ganache to the cake and distribute it evenly across the cake layer.hand smoothing white chocolate ganache with a spatula onto a chocolate cake
  4. Repeat this process with the other two layers.a naked chocolate irish cream cake stacked with three layers
  5. Apply a thin coat of the ganache to the outside of the cake and smooth it out with a bench scraper. I liked this rustic naked cake look so I didn't add a second coat of frosting.hand applying a thin coating of frosting on a chocolate cake with a spatula
  6. Chill the cake for about 20 minutes. I like to transfer my cake to a serving plate after frosting.bench scraper holding up and down next to a chocolate cake
  7. Then add your caramel drizzle on top. I made my own but you can use store-bought caramel.fresh caramel sauce dripping down the sides of a cake
  8. Once your cake is assembled, I recommend leaving it at room temperature to soften up. This cake tastes best warm. Pro-tip: microwave a slice for 10 seconds before eating for maximum gooey-ness!slice of chocolate Irish cream cake on a dark plate

FAQ

Does Irish Cream Cake Have Alcohol?

Yes, traditionally it has Irish whiskey as an ingredient, however, you can buy non-alcoholic Irish Cream. A lot of the alcohol will cook out during the baking process, but not all of it. An important note if you plan on serving this to children. 

What is Irish Cream Flavor? 

Good Irish Cream should have a smooth, creamy texture and taste like vanilla with hints of chocolate and whiskey. It should also not be overly sweet or alcoholic tasting. Look for brands that use high-quality ingredients such as real cream, whiskey, and natural flavorings to ensure the best flavor possible.

How Do You Store Leftover Cake?

Cover the cake with plastic wrap or in an airtight container to keep the cake from drying out. It can be kept at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for a week. This cake also freezes well!

Can I use this recipe in a bundt pan?

Yes, you can bake this cake into a traditional bundt cake, using a 10-cup bundt cake pan. Once you have cooled and removed the cake from the pan, soak it and pour the warm ganache over the cake. Or you could use my fail-proof chocolate bundt cake recipe and finish it in the same way.

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?

Yes, you can substitute AP flour for the cake flour in this recipe. Or you can replace 2 Tablespoons of flour with cornstarch for every cup of all purpose flour.

Do I have to use mayonnaise?

The mayonnaise can be substituted with sour cream. However mayo is an emulsion of eggs and oil, salt, and vinegar, so it is a beneficial ingredient to the overall flavor of the cake. 

More Yummy Recipes for St. Patrick's Day

Grandma's Sweet Irish Soda Bread

Green Velvet Cake

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Guinness Beer Cake

Recipe

slice of chocolate cake with white frosting and caramel drip on a dark plate
Print Recipe
4.86 from 35 votes

Irish Cream Cake

This Irish cream cake is three rich chocolate layers of Guinness cake soaked in Bailey's Irish Cream with an Irish Whiskey white chocolate frosting! Drizzle it in homemade caramel for the most perfect St. Patrick's Day cake!
Prep Time40 minutes mins
Cook Time40 minutes mins
Resting Time6 hours hrs
Total Time7 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, irish
Servings: 25 servings
Calories: 576kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • Stand mixer with paddle attachment
  • 3 8" x 2" cake pans

Ingredients

Death By Chocolate Cake

  • 14 ounces Stout Beer Guinness
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons Espresso Powder
  • 2 teaspoons Real Vanilla
  • 14 ounces Cake Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons Baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Salt
  • 6 ounces Dutched Cocoa Powder
  • 10 ounces Unsalted Butter
  • 16 ounces Granulated Sugar
  • 4 Large Eggs
  • 6 ounces Mayonnaise
  • 6 ounces Mini chocolate chips

Bailey's Poke Filling

  • 8 ounces Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 4 ounces Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur
  • 4.5 ounces Semi-sweet chocolate

Bailey's White Chocolate Ganache

  • 24 ounces White chocolate
  • 4 ounces Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur
  • 4 ounces Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Tablespoon Irish Whiskey (Jameson)
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • 4 ounces softened butter unsalted
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Death by Chocolate Cake

  • NOTE: It is SUPER IMPORTANT that all the wet ingredients listed are room temperature and not cold so that the ingredients mix and incorporate correctly. 
  • Preheat your oven to 350ºF/177º C.
  • Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with cake goop, parchment paper, or preferred pan release spray.
  • Whisk together the Guinness, espresso powder, and vanilla in a measuring cup and set it aside.
  • Sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl and set it aside. 
  • Place the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter on medium speed until it's smooth and shiny. I'm using a stand mixer but you can definitely use an electric mixer if that is what you have.
  • Gradually sprinkle in the sugar on low speed, then bump it up to medium and cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is fluffy and almost white, about 3-5 minutes. 
  • Add the eggs one at a time. Allow each egg to incorporate fully before adding in the next egg to avoid breaking your batter.
  • Add in the mayo and mix until combined. 
  • With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix until almost combined. Add ⅓ of the liquid ingredients. Repeat the process with the flour mixture and liquids two more times until everything is fully incorporated.
  • Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake them for 35-40 minutes until a wooden skewer comes out clean but with a few sticky crumbs.
  • Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes then remove them and place them onto a wire rack to cool while you prepare the Bailey's drizzle.

Making the Bailey's Irish Cream Sauce

  • Combine the sweetened condensed milk and Bailey's Irish cream in a measuring cup.
  • Microwave the cream mixture for 30 seconds and then in 15-second increments until it is just simmering. You can also do this in a pot over the stove.
  • Pour the simmering cream mixture over the chocolate in a medium bowl and let it rest for 5 minutes.
  • Whisk the sauce mixture until it's smooth and melted.

Soaking the Cake Layers with Irish Cream Sauce

  • Place plastic wrap into the bottom of your cake pan and set the cooled cake back into the pan. The plastic wrap will keep the cake from sticking when it's time to remove them later on.
  • Poke holes into the top of the cake with the end of a wooden spoon or dowel.
  • Drizzle the warm sauce all over the cake to soak into the holes and use a spatula to smooth out the top.
  • At this point, you need to freeze the cakes for two hours or let them refrigerate overnight to let the cakes fully cool down. This will give you enough time to make the ganache frosting and caramel sauce.

Making the White Chocolate Ganache

  • Heat up the heavy cream and Bailey's over medium heat in a saucepan until simmering, but not boiling.
  • Pour the hot mixture over your white chocolate. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to melt the chocolate.
  • Add in the whiskey, vanilla, butter, and salt then whisk until it's smooth and creamy.
  • Let the ganache cool until it thickens to a peanut butter consistency, about 4 hours at room temperature. Pro-tip: Pour the ganache into a sheet pan so it cools faster.
  • Mix the ganache for a minute in your stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer for the smoothest application on the cake.

Assembling the Irish Cream Cake

  • Once your cakes are chilled, remove them from the cake pans and peel away the plastic wrap. They should be firm and easy to handle.
  • Place your first layer of cake onto your 8" cake board or a plate.
  • Apply a generous amount of the Irish cream ganache to the cake and distribute it evenly across the cake layer.
  • Repeat this process with the other two layers.
  • Apply a thin coat of the ganache to the outside of the cake and smooth it out with a bench scraper. I liked this rustic naked cake look so I didn't add a second coat of frosting.
  • Chill the cake for about 20 minutes. I like to transfer my cake to a serving plate after frosting.
  • Then add the caramel drizzle on top. I made my own but you can use store-bought caramel.
  • Once your cake is assembled, I recommend leaving it at room temperature to soften up. This cake tastes best warm. Pro-tip: microwave a slice for 10 seconds before eating for maximum gooey-ness!

Video

Notes

Important Things To Note Before You Start
1. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature or even a little warm (eggs, buttermilk, butter, etc) to ensure your batter does not break or curdle. 
2. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 
3. Practice Mise en Place (everything in it's place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
4. Chill your cakes before frosting and filling. You can cover a frosted and chilled cake in fondant if you wish. This cake is also great for stacking. I always keep my cakes chilled in the refrigerator before delivery for easy transporting. 
5. If the recipe calls for specific ingredients like cake flour, replacing it with all-purpose flour and cornstarch is not recommended unless specified in the recipe that it’s ok. Substituting ingredients may cause this recipe to fail. 
6. It is possible to make this cake in one day, but I recommend making all of the components the day before, and assembling them on the day you're ready to serve. The ganache will take about 4 hours to set up, and the sauce will need to soak in the cakes for 2 hours.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 576kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 351mg | Potassium: 307mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 448IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 2mg
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Liz Marek with strawberry cake

Hi, I'm Liz! I'm an artist and cake decorator from Portland, Oregon. Cakes are my obession, which is why I'm dedicated to crafting tried-and-true recipes, small cake tutorials, as well as advanced online cake courses!

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