Strawberry Layer Cake
Hey guys!! I hope you’re swinging into Monday easy today, and that you’re in the mood for cake! I’m going for another loaf layer cake today because I think they are completely beautiful, and also a totally reasonable size.
This cake is fairly light on the frosting as well. Okay also though, I’ve tried a lot of ways to make strawberry cake. A LOT. and it’s always seemed like no matter how many fresh strawberries I manage to jam into a cake batter, it always comes out not tasting like strawberry. So, this cake actually uses freeze-dried strawberries in the cake and frosting. This results in a super strawberry-tasting cake in the end.
I can always find freeze dried strawberries in the snack section of my grocery store, along with other freeze dried fruit (interesting flavor options here). The dried berries are getting ground up into a powder here. I use a small food processor, but you could do it in batches in a spice grinder, or a blender would even get the job done. You just want them finely ground.
The cake is super simple, and I’m once again using an ermine frosting today. I love this type of frosting because it results in a light, fluffy, super spreadable frosting, and you don’t need powdered sugar or egg whites to do it! You’ll want to cook the flour paste ahead of time and let it cool completely- this step is extremely important, so don’t try to add it in before it’s cooled!
I used a piping bag to create that pretty star effect on the frosting, but that’s optional. Frost this bad boy any way you like, or whatever is the fastest way so you can enjoy it immediately!
Strawberry Layer Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup powdered freeze dried strawberries
- 1/4 cup milk
For the frosting:
- 3 tbs. flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup powdered freeze dried strawberries
Instructions
For the cake:
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and generously grease a 9 inch loaf pan. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, and sour cream until combined. Add in the flour, baking powder, salt, and powdered freeze dried strawberries. Beat until combined- the batter will be very thick. Add in the milk, and beat until smooth.
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Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting:
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In a small saucepan, cook the flour and milk until a thick paste forms. Stir the mixture constantly while it cooks. Remove from heat and cool completely before continuing.
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In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar for 5-10 minutes, until very fluffy and light in color. Beat in the cooled flour mixture and mix for another 5-10 minutes, until the mixture is fluffy. Add in the powdered strawberries and salt, and mix to combine. Frost as desired!
Birthday Cake Blondies
Hey guys, happy confetti day! Whatever day you’re reading this, we’re on the same page. I’ve got a killer blondie recipe, and today I’m turning it into a birthday cake version, and it’s worth a bake I promise.
Actually, blondies (and brownies for that matter) are really simple to whip up. You literally need not a single excuse, and usually just one bowl to do it so. What are we waiting on at this point guys? Plus this recipe makes a full 9×13 inch cake pan full of blondies you’ll dream about, so you can share with friends. If you want, whatever.
So you want to start out by melting some butter- I just do it in the microwave, in a large glass bowl that I’m going to do the whole thing in. Dishes you guys, they suck. Whisk in brown sugar, white sugar, and two eggs. Next is how we get to that birthday cake vibe- vanilla and almond extract. The almond extract really brings out that classic, sprinkle, vanilla-cake-thing we want to taste when anything is called birthday cake.
Then it’s flour, salt, milk, and finally the sprinkles. Use whatever kind you like. Today I’m using a spring-colored mix (of random sprinkles I have in my pantry). I think jimmies and flat confetti sprinkles are kind of your best bet for that classic feel.
What you really want in blondies (similarly to brownies) is that papery, crinkly, delicate top layer, and you totally get that here. Beyond that, let’s go for a soft, fudgey texture that you’ll be addicted to, I promise.
Wait, have we talked about what a blondie is? That feels like a missed point, sorry guys. Blondies are like, meant to be just like brownies except with a vanilla and brown sugar flavor instead of chocolate. I find that most people add in chocolate chips, but I’m really into this recipe sans any chocolate. Really guys.
Okay, anyways, make this, it’s awesome, you’ll love it, enjoy!
Birthday Cake Blondies
Ingredients
- 1 cup melted butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 2 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup sprinkles
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and generously grease a 9x13 inch pan. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and regular sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract until the mixture is smooth.
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Add the flour and salt to the mixture, and stir until combined. Gently stir in the sprinkles, working quickly because the batter will be starting to thicken as the butter comes back to room temperature.
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Spread evenly in your prepared pan. Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserting about 2 inches from the edge of the pan comes out clean. Cool completely, slice, and serve!
Classic Lemon Layer Cake
Hey guys! We’re back in it for the week, but hopefully with cake, amirite?
Today I’m sharing a recipe for a classic lemon layer cake that I really love, and it’s perfect for Spring!
You guys may have seen me talking about ermine frosting a lot lately, and it’s really my new favorite frosting. For one thing, on a pretty regular basis I forget to buy powdered sugar, which means no American buttercream. And I also don’t always have all the eggs needed to make a Swiss meringue (although I do LOVE those!). Ermine solves all the problems you guys. It’s a basic frosting, but kind of old fashioned and not as popular these days.
You start by cooking flour and milk to make a thick paste. This needs to cool completely, and I’m being serious here- if you don’t let it cool completely, the frosting will not work! Meanwhile, you need to beat butter and sugar for a LONG time, be patient guys. You want the butter to have fully lightened through and through, and for the sugar to be mostly dissolved. This takes about 5-10 minutes of beating!
Then, you blend ’em together and beat the mixture for several minutes until it becomes very fluffy. This frosting is the texture of whipped cream somehow, but its lightly sweet! For the lemon version, we’re putting a generous amount of lemon zest into the paste mixture!
Fluffy lemon cakes are filled with a big glob of lemon curd- you can use homemade lemon curd or buy a jar for this cake!
This time around I went for a classic two-layer 8-inch cake for this one. I think pretty much everyone should have 8-inch cake pans in their pantry, and it’s got that classic look. It’s super easy to put together, and it tastes fresh, bright, and lemony! Enjoy this one guys, you deserve it!
Classic Lemon Layer Cake
Ingredients
For the cakes:
- 1 cup softened butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 1/4 cup flour
- 2 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 tbs. lemon zest (from about 4-5 lemons)
- 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4-5 lemons)
For the frosting:
- 6 tbs. flour
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tbs. lemon zest (from about 4-5 lemons)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup lemon curd
Instructions
For the cakes:
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and generously grease two 8-inch cake pans. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Then add the sour cream.
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Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt, and beat until combined. The batter will be very thick. Slowly beat in the lemon juice and lemon zest, and beat until a smooth batter forms. Pour evenly into your cake pans, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting:
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In a small saucepan, cook the flour, milk, salt, and lemon zest until a thick paste forms. You'll want to stir the mixture constantly while heating over medium heat. Remove from heat, and cool the mixture COMPLETELY before continuing.
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In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar for 5-10 minutes, or until the mixture is noticeably lighter in color, and the sugar has mostly dissolved.
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Beat in the flour mixture, and beat until it becomes light and fluffy. It will separate during this process, just keep beating.
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To frost the cake, place one cake on your plate, and pipe a ring of frosting around the edge to act as a barrier for the lemon curd. Spread the lemon curd in the middle of the cake evenly. Top with the second cake, and frost as desired. Enjoy!
Mother’s Day Recipes
Hey guys! Today I’m doing something a little different and giving you one place to find a ton of great recipes to bake for your mom this Mother’s Day!
I’m sure it’s absolutely no surprise that I really love homemade food as gifts, and I rarely show up anywhere without something. Mother’s Day is no exception! This will actually be my first year celebrating with my own daughter, but I’ll still be baking up something sweet for my mama.
I’ve made a ton of beautiful springtime recipes, and whether you want to make a big ol’ cake this Mother’s Day, or you just want to whip up a batch of cookies, I’ve got what you need. Here’s my favorites:
- Chantilly cake: This is a recent recipe for me and it’s packed with fresh berries and sweetened whipped cream. If you’re having a big get-together with you family this year, this is a perfect show stopper!
- Strawberry Angel Food Cake: If you’re afraid of making angel food cake from scratch, don’t be! I’ve got all the tips and tricks you need to get it right the first time, and this recipe is the prettiest pink!
- Buttery Shortbread Cookies: If you’re in a bit of a rush, these buttery little gems are super quick, and really simple. They’re also incredibly delicious- do it up.
- Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars: Who doesn’t love a good sugar cookie? These are packed with sprinkles and topped with a fluffy buttercream. Make the frosting any color you (and your mom) would like!
- Blackberry Buckle: This is the perfect breakfast cake. It’s packed with fresh blackberries, and topped with a beautiful crumb. If your mom loves her morning cup of coffee, this will go with it perfectly.
- Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake: Chocolate cakes are the absolute best to be perfect honest, and if you can find a pretty bundt pan to make this one, you’ve got yourself a beautiful gift cake.
- Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes: This is another great Spring recipe, and I love cupcakes because you can frost them any way you’d like. Feel free to top them with more fresh raspberries, a slice of lemon, or some pretty sprinkles!
- Morning buns: This one is a little more labor-intensive, but this is for our moms, right? We can work a little. This uses homemade puff pastry, and the end result is a batch of flaky, cinnamony, sweet buns that will really impress.
- Creamy Lemon Bars: These have to be one of the most addictive recipes I’ve ever made. They come together super quickly, and really taste incredible!
There’s officially no excuse, bake for your moms guys!!
Chantilly Cake
Hey guys! Happy Easter weekend!!
In the spirit of spring, I’ve got a Chantilly Cake for you guys today, filled with lots of beautiful berries, sweetened whipped cream, and a fluffy vanilla cake. It’s simple, beautiful, and really tasty.
You guys may have heard claims about the Whole Foods Chantilly Cake, or maybe you’re even one of the die-hard followers of this beauty. I have a confession- I’ve never actually had it. I know, if you love them you’ll be gasping right now.
So that being said, I can’t exactly promise that this cake is like that cake. But I CAN promise that this cake is super delicious. I mean, and what’s not to like?
Here’s the one thing you’ll want to be careful about here- Chantilly Cakes are frosted with whipped cream, and while I’ve added cream cheese to provide some stabilization, it’s still not the strongest standing cake ever, so be aware of that as you go. Gentle is key!
For the cakes, this is a classic vanilla cake, but we’re whipping up the egg whites and folding them to add a bit of that light, fluffiness that you’ll typically see in a cake like this.
By the way, Chantilly, as far as I’ve ever known, just means sweetened whipped cream. The addition of cream cheese here is optional, but HIGHLY recommended. Not only does it taste amazing, but it also adds a touch of stability and thickness to the whipped cream, and it really helps when it comes to stacking and frosting the cake.
I’m using strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries here, but you can use any berries you like. For the strawberries, I actually use most of them in a cooked-down, jammy, sauce thing that goes between the layers, and this also will work with any type of berry really really well, or even a mix of berries.
Alright guys, go make this cake for your friends, I think they will all truly be impressed by the homemade version, it’s a killer cake. Enjoy!
Chantilly Cake
Ingredients
For the cakes:
- 1 cup softened butter
- 1 tbs. canola oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 cups flour
- 2 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup milk
- 4 egg whites
- 2 tbs. sugar
For the strawberry sauce:
- 3/4 pint of strawberries (this doesn't need to be exact)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbs. cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp. salt
For the Chantilly cream:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 8 ounces room temperature cream cheese
- 1 pint assorted berries
Instructions
For the cakes:
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and grease three 6-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. This recipe also works with two 8-inch round pans.
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In a large bowl, beat together the butter, oil, and sugar until fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract, sour cream, and egg yolks, and beat until combined. Add in the flour, baking powder and salt, and beat until combined, then beat in the milk. The batter will be fairly thick.
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In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they just start to become fluffy, and then add in the remaining sugar VERY slowly as you continue to whip the egg whites. Beat until you reach stiff peaks.
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Stir about 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter to lightly the base of the batter. Then fold in the remaining egg whites. This will take a bit of time, but keep folding until the whites are fully incorporated.
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Divide the batter evenly between your pans, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes completely before frosting.
For the strawberry sauce:
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In a food processor or blender, blend the hulled strawberries until they are mostly mashed. Pour into a small saucepan, and cook over medium heat with the sugar, cornstarch, and salt, until the mixture is thick. Cool completely.
For the Chantilly cream:
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In a large bowl or stand mixer, using a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla together until stiff peaks form.
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In a separate small bowl, beat the cream cheese for several minutes until smooth and fluffy. Add the cream cheese to the beaten heavy cream mixture, and whip for several minutes to incorporate fully.
To assemble the cake:
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Once the cake layers have cooled completely, you can trim off the tops to make even layers. Using a piping bag filled with the Chantilly cream, make a thick ring around the edge of the first layer as a dam. Add about half of the strawberry sauce to the middle, and spread evenly. Cover the strawberry sauce with more cream, and spread evenly. Top with raspberries and blackberries.
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Repeat this process until all three layers are build. Then, use remaining Chantilly cream to frost the outside of the cake. Top with any remaining berries, and remaining strawberries. Keep this cake chilled until ready to serve. Enjoy!
