Pistachio Chocolate Layer Cake
Hey guys! I hope you had a wonderful weekend, and that you’re lucky enough to have this President’s Day off work, just in time to make this cake!
It’s my mom’s birthday, and normally I do some kind of chocolate marshmallow situation for her, but this year I’m switching it up.
This cake is pure you guys. The ground pistachios give the cake texture and a wonderful flavor, and the fudgey chocolate frosting is too good to be true. Here’s what I know to be amazing about the cake; it’s super easy to whip up, and it actually bakes up without a dome on top- no need to trim before stacking!
We’re using the reverse creaming method for the batter today, which is not my norm, but I actually really love the results in this cake. Just be sure to beat for a few extra minutes at the end to reach a light, fluffy batter.
And so this frosting. I don’t normally like American buttercream, as most bakers these days seem to agree, but I think it actually works really well for chocolate.
By using dutch cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate, as well as a pinch of salt, you don’t end up with something so terribly sweet as a vanilla option. In this recipe, I’ve also added cream cheese for a little tang, and for a super silky beautiful texture.
I’ve garnished the cake with whole shelled pistachios, but you can also use ground pistachios or even some pretty sprinkles! But honestly, the frosting carries this cake to the finish line, don’t even garnish if you don’t feel like it.
Pistachio Chocolate Layer Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups pistachios, shelled, and ground to a fine crumb
- 2 3/4 cups cake flour
- 1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 tbs. canola oil
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
For the frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 3 tbs. dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 cup chocolate chips, melted and cooled
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
For the cake:
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and grease three 8-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the ground pistachios, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Beat in the softened butter until completely combined, several minutes. The mixture should be crumbly and slightly yellow in color from the butter.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. Add the wet mixture into the dry in three parts, mixing well between each addition. Beat for several minutes after all the liquid has been added until the batter is well mixed, and slightly lighter in color.
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Spread evenly in your prepared pans, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from pans and frosting.
For the frosting:
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In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until combined. Add in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt, and beat until completely combined and smooth. Add in the melted chocolate, beating until combined. Then add in the heavy cream, and whip for several minutes until fluffy. Frost the cake as desired!
Valentine’s Day Chocolate Cake
Hey everyone! I know I’ve been making a lot of bundt cakes lately, sorry not sorry, but this one. This is the one you guys.
This isn’t just chocolate cake. It’s not even just chocolate chip cake. It’s chocolate cake, spotted with chocolate chips and crushed Oreos, and topped with chocolate sauce. And if that’s not giving you enough motivation to bake for v-day, I don’t know what will.
I’m using this pretty heart shaped bundt pan today, but you can use any bundt you’ve got, as long as it’s at least 10 cups. It’s gonna be just as fantastic, I promise.
Another note on baking in bundt pans- I used to spend a good amount of time greasing every little pocket with butter and then flour, and often even then they would stick some. But I recently switched to using Pam Baking Spray, and I love it! It’s easy and fast, and I haven’t an issue with a cake sticking since.
So anyways, this cake recipe has kind of a long ingredient list, but it’s all pretty normal stuff, and it all builds up a very strongly chocolate flavor that you’ll love. Of course, you can also skip the Oreos or chocolate chips if you want, but together, it’s a really indulgent combo that I think you’ll love.
Also though, you could add in chopped pecans or walnuts, or even chopped up chocolate chip cookies! Whatever you decide, this cake is best served up warm, when the chocolate chips are melty and the sauce is hot.
No matter what you’re doing for Valentine’s Day this year, this is the dessert you want to be eating, I promise. Enjoy!
Cookies & Cream Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. instant espresso powder
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 2 cups roughly crushed Oreos
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
For the chocolate sauce:
- 3 tbs. whole milk
- 1 tbs. butter
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 oz. chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
Instructions
For the cake:
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 10-12 cup bundt pan. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, beat together the oil, sour cream, and sugar until combined. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
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Add in about 1/3 of the flour mixture, and beat until combined. Then add in about 1/2 of the buttermilk, beating until combined. Repeat the process with the dry and wet until completely mixed in, reserving about 1-2 tablespoons of the dry mixture roughly.
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Slowly beat in the hot water, and beat until the batter is smooth. Toss the crushed Oreos and the chocolate chips in the reserved flour mixture to coat, and then fold into the batter.
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Pour into your prepared pan, and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a serving platter.
For the sauce:
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In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the milk, butter, salt, and vanilla until just boiling. Whisk in the chocolate until completely melted and smooth. Pour over the cake while still hot, and serve warm.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Hey everyone! I’ve recently ventured into vegan baking for some chocolate chip cookies and guys, you wouldn’t even know the difference!
I don’t actually know any vegan eaters, but I do have a family friend who has some diet restrictions that, in baking, may as well be vegan. Plus, I find it really intriguing to bake vegan recipes- it kind of turns everything you know about baking upside-down, and it’s fun to experiment with egg and dairy replacements!
Add on top of all that the high-altitude factors, and we’ve got some science up in here this week. So, here’s what I’m swapping out:
- Egg= chia seeds soaked in water
- Butter= margarine
- Milk= almond milk
- Chocolate chips= non-dairy chocolate chips
I have to say, of anything, the chocolate chips are like. Entirely not noticeable as a substitute. So much so that it makes me wonder why we even need milk in chocolate to begin with- these taste EXACTLY the same as your normal semi-sweet chocolate chips. Also, they’re available in all my normal grocery stores!
And a note on the egg substitute- there are a lot of options for egg subs. Chia seeds just happened to already be in my pantry (instead of applesauce) but it’s really easy to find egg swap charts online!
These cookies are chewy, soft, and chocolatey. I actually really loved them, and I ate plenty on my own- they taste very indulgent, and while the flavors are just slightly different from your classic chocolate chip cookies, the different is minimal to be honest. Score!
So let’s call it a high-altitude-vegan-chocolate-chip-cookie kind of day, shall we? Enjoy!
High Altitude Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 tbs. chia seeds
- 3 tbs. water
- 1/2 cup room temperature dairy-free margarine (I used Earth Balance)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 cups dairy-free mini chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)
Instructions
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In a small bowl, stir together the chia seeds and water, and set aside. It will thicken while you prepare the rest of the dough.
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In a large bowl, beat together the margarine, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla, and almond milk until smooth. Add in the soaked chia seed mixture, and stir until combined. Add in the flour, baking soda, and salt, and beat until completely incorporated. The dough will be fairly soft. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
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Cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Scoop the batter in two-tablespoonfuls onto your baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges just start to become golden brown. Cool and enjoy!
Chocolate Dipped Toffee Shortbread
Hey guys! Do you have the after-Christmas-blues a little bit? I definitely do. But I’m trying to push through that with more cookies because listen, it’s still winter, and we’re still wearing leggings and big sweaters so it’s all good tbh.
And anyways, I was in the grocery store the other day, and they still had a big display of holiday baking items, and so I was browsing that, and saw all kinds of interesting chip-type-things. So like instead of just chocolate chips, there was a bad of s’mores chips with mini marshmallows and graham cracker pieces too (I bought those). And then also there was a weird mix of cookies & cream stuff, and I don’t know exactly what it is yet, but I bought those too. PLUS though, some little toffee chips, further seen below.
So here we are- I feel like this is a deconstructed candy bar cookie of some kind. And I know if you watch cooking competition shows, you’re probs saying “DUDE, don’t use the term ‘deconstructed,’ you know better!” But listen, I’m at home, and it is what it is.
And more importantly, these cookies are good man.
So basically I made some shortbread dough, and tossed in a bunch of these little crunchy toffee bits. They get all exploded in the oven, and make craggy edges, and it’s very charming and sweet. Oh as a sidenote, if you can’t find these little bits, I’m of the opinion that it’d be kind of awesome to just like chop up a toffee candy bar and go for it that way.
So anyways, I dipped these ones in chocolate to add that well, chocolate factor. I went at an angle, and I think they would be super yummy if you even just drizzled chocolate all over the entire cookie too, idk guys, do you.
I’m feeling weird today, and this post sounds weird as I read it, but I’m keeping it as is just as a reminder of this weird after-holiday vibe I’m feeling strongly this year. The point is, cookies will bring us all joy no matter what time of the year it is. JOY IT UP GUYS.
Chocolate Dipped Toffee Shortbread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cold butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup toffee bits
- 1 cup chocolate chips, melted
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, beat together the cold butter and powdered sugar until combined. Since the butter is cold, you might need a few more minutes than you are used to for mixing time. Beat in the vanilla extract.
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Add in the flour and salt slowly, beating until the dough forms. It will be slightly crumbly, but should completely combine. Beat in the toffee bits until combined.
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Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the dough into whatever shapes you like- I did rectangles- and poke holes over the top with a fork. Transfer dough to your prepared cookie sheets.
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Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges just start to become lightly golden. Cool on the cookie sheets completely. Dip into the chocolate or drizzle chocolate on top of cookies. Place the cookies on parchment or wax paper to let the chocolate set. Enjoy!
Chocolate Blueberry Muffins
Hi all! I hope you are just knee deep in holiday celebrations and fun by now- I most definitely am.
I’m counting muffins as a holiday treat because let’s face it- tis the season to call cake a breakfast item, right??
And anyways, I know chocolate and blueberries kind of sound like a weird combo, but it’s actually super good! You get the strong flavors of chocolate, dotted with juicy blueberries and the effect is pretty dang good, especially when you top it with a chocolatey crumb.
I use dark chocolate cocoa powder because it gives me that super strong chocolatey flavor, and it makes the muffins this pretty deep dark color.
I’m a fan of crumb toppings in general tbh- I’ve made tons of different crumb cakes on the blog because it’s such a good combo. This is no exception, although this crumb is fairly different than others I have made. Primarily because it’s flavors are heavy on chocolate instead of brown sugar and cinnamon. Regardless, it fits in perfectly with these muffins of course!
And if you’re hosting any guests this holiday season, I feel like muffins are the right choice. It’s an easy breakfast or quick little midnight snacks for guests, and it won’t leave you slaving over the stove in the morning. Win-win.
And yet another win- muffins are too easy to make man. You can just stir these together by hand, no mixer needed. In fact, it’s better to mix them by hand because you really don’t want to over mix the batter- it can lead to tough muffins. That sounds like a slogan or something to tell your kids right? You can’t always get what you want- tough muffins!
Alright anyways, enjoy it, it’s really nom you guys.
Chocolate Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
- 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 tbs. melted butter
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 pint blueberries
For the crumb:
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 tbs melted butter
Instructions
For the muffins:
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Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and line a muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir gently with a spatula or large spoon. Just before the flour is completely mixed, add in the blueberries and gentle finish mixing. The batter will be lumpy.
For the crumb:
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In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and melted butter with a fork until crumbs form.
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Scoop the muffin batter evenly into your muffins tins. They should be about 3/4 full. Top with a generous sprinkling of the crumb mixture. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!
