Tag: Baked From Scratch

Baked Peach Crumb Donuts

It’s the first Friday in June which means it’s National Donut Day! It’s been a while since I have shared a donut recipe on here. And to be honest, they are not something I bake all that often. My favorite donut that I have made are the Rainbow Cookie Donuts I posted a little over 4 years ago. I have made those a few times since then. And these Baked Peach Crumb Donuts I am sharing today are a very close second. If you are not a fan of peaches, you can swap out the peaches for blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc. The base of the donut would work well with any of those fruits and crumb topping works well with any of those fruits and is always delish!

A few things to note… Whatever fruit you choose to use you don’t want to add it to the batter of your donuts. After making the batter pipe or spoon it into your donut pan and then sprinkle the fruit on top lightly pressing it into the batter.

Once your fruit is placed then sprinkle the top with the crumb topping and once again lightly press it into the batter to make sure it sticks while your donuts are baking and doesn’t end up falling off. 

And finally, once your donuts have cooled dust the top of them with Confectioners’ sugar. The added sweetness of the sugar is just what these donuts need since they aren’t too sweet to begin with. Which is perfect by me.

Baked Peach Crumb Donuts

For the donuts:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup buttermilk*

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup diced peaches (can use fresh or frozen)

For the crumb topping:

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup flour

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

*Make your own by combining 1/2 cup whole milk with 3 teaspoons of white vinegar. Stir together and let sit for 15 minutes.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease 2 6-welled donut pans with butter, or spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until well combined.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the prepared donut pans until 2/3 fill. You can also transfer the batter to a large piping bag or Ziploc bag and pipe the batter into the pan.

To make the crumb topping whisk together both sugars, cinnamon and flour. Using a fork, pastry cutter or your hands, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it’s pea sized and looks like coarse sand.

Divide the diced peaches among the donut batter, pressing it lightly into the batter. Sprinkle the crumb topping over each donut, once again pressing it lightly into the batter.

Bake in the preheated oven 10-11 minutes. Let the donuts cool in the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled dust the donuts with confectioners’ sugar.

Recipe from Katie Bird Bakes

Cherry Amaretto Cheesecake

The idea for this cheesecake came to me after making the Almond Tiramisu I posted about last month. I had another package of Amaretti cookies and while the Almond Tiramisu was delicious I didn’t want to make another one so soon and while I could have just eaten the cookies I thought to myself that there had to be something yummy I could make with them. Initially I was thinking raspberries instead of cherries for this cheesecake, but, I thought cherries would be a better complement to the almond flavors in the cheesecake. And I was right! Since cherries aren’t currently in season I opted to use frozen ones, but, with summer just around the corner you could make this with a fresh batch of cherries that are sure to be hitting the produce department of your local supermarkets in no time.

I started off by making the crust. In the bowl of my food processor I processed 7oz. of Amaretti cookies into fine crumbs. I then added in melted butter and pulsed everything together a few times. Finally, I pressed the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish I sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

I set the crust aside and made the filling for the cheesecake. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, I beat together cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, almond & vanilla extract and Amaretto liqueur until it was well combined. I then added in 2 eggs and continued to beat the mixture until it was smooth. Once the cheesecake mixture was ready I poured it into the prepared crust and placed it in a 325 F preheated oven for about 45 minutes. I knew the cheesecake was done once the center was just about set. I let the cheesecake cool on a wire rack before refrigerating it overnight.

While the cheesecake was cooling on the wire rack I made the cherry topping. In a medium saucepan I whisked together water, cornstarch, lemon juice and sugar (a slurry). I then heated the mixture over medium heat and stirred it until it started to thicken. Once it did, I added in the cherries. I stirred the mixture occasionally. You may think that your cornstarch mixture isn’t enough for the cherries, but, as the cherries cook they will let out their own juices. If you opt to use frozen cherries as I did, do not defrost them beforehand. Once the sauce begins to boil and thickens remove it from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Make sure to taste the mixture. If your cherries aren’t very sweet you may need to add more sugar to bring out their flavor. Once the mixture was cool, I transferred it to a resealable container and refrigerated it overnight.

The following day, before serving the cheesecake I spooned the cherry mixture over it. This was a hit with everyone who tried it.

And I must say, that it tasted even better a day or two afterwards. I think the almond flavor from the cheesecake seeped into the cherry topping and it really brought all the flavors together!

Cherry Amaretto Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

7oz. package Amaretti cookies

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake:

2 8oz. packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon Amaretto liqueur

2 large eggs, at room temperature

Cherry Topping:

3 cups frozen (or fresh) cherries

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons sugar*

*You may need to add additional sugar if your cherries aren’t sweet

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F.

For the crust: In the bowl of a food processor process the cookies into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a few times to combine. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish sprayed with non-stick spray.

For the cheesecake: In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, almond & vanilla extracts and the Amaretto and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue beating until the mixture is smooth.

Transfer the cheesecake batter to the prepared pie crust and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

For the cherry topping: While the cheesecake is cooling, whisk together the water, cornstarch, lemon juice and sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat and stir until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the cherries and stir occasionally until the sauce begins to boil and has thickened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to use. The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools.

To serve, spoon the cherry mixture over the cheesecake and slice. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

Chocolate & Banana Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

While these cookies may sound like they have a lot going on they are essentially just a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie. And we all know that peanut butter and chocolate are a match made in heaven. I honestly didn’t get any banana flavor from the banana chips (nor did anyone else who tried them). What the banana chips did offer was an extra crunch to the cookie, which you also get from the peanuts added. If you are looking for that banana flavor though you could add a mashed banana to the dough. Next time I make these though I will be omitting the banana altogether. I honestly don’t think they need that extra layer of flavor.

Chocolate & Banana Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

  • Servings: 12 Large Cookies
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Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup roasted & lightly salted peanuts, chopped (plus more for topping)

1/3 cup banana chips, chopped or 1 banana cut into 1/4-inch pieces*

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (plus more for topping)

*Can omit to make a Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In large bowl, using a hand mixer on medium speed, cream together the peanut butter, both sugars and the butter until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue beat until well combined. With the mixer on low add in the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda until just combined. Add in the peanuts, banana chips / banana (if using) and chocolate chips and beat on low until combined.

Using an ice cream scoop (or 1/4 cup measuring cup) drop the dough on the prepared cookie sheets. Pat down the cookies to create 2-inch disks. The dough may be a little sticky. Sprinkle the tops of each cookie with additional chopped peanuts and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Bake for 10-11, or until the edges are golden but the centers still soft. Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe from Christina Tosi

Spice Market Carrot Cake

I’ve been using the same recipe for carrot cake for years. It’s a basic recipe with the only add-in being walnuts. No pineapple, coconut and/or raisins that you find in some recipes, but it’s delicious and moist nonetheless. I did try a different recipe a year or two ago and it just wasn’t that good. One of the reasons it never made it on here. I recently came across a recipe though that was completely different from any one I had seen before, a Spice Market Carrot Cake, that I instantly knew I wanted to try. I decided to make it for Easter this year. Which led me to wonder why is carrot cake so popular for Easter? Does it have anything to do with rabbits and their affinity to carrots? While I couldn’t find a definitive answer, I did learn this tidbit…  Carrot cake became popular in the 1970’s during the dieting craze. People apparently thought that by using carrots in a cake it would make the dessert seem healthier. I can get behind that. It’s like the theory that chocolate is a vegetable (some say fruit) since it’s a product of the cacao bean.

So, what makes the Spice Market Carrot Cake so special? It has a Moroccan-inspired flair thanks to the addition of ras el hanout – a Moroccan spice blend – and dried fruit (for the cake I made I went with apricots, but, you could use pitted dates instead).  Thankfully I didn’t need to go in search of ras el hanout and was able to make the blend myself using allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric and nutmeg. And to top the cake off, a twist on the traditional cream cheese frosting that I personally think is the best frosting for carrot cake, a Ginger-Orange Cream Cheese Frosting that includes ground ginger and the zest and juice of an orange.

This cake was a hit! All the flavors worked well together, and while I normally love nuts in my desserts, especially walnuts, I didn’t miss them one bit in this cake!

Spice Market Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon ras el hanout*

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten

3 cups (1 lb.) finely shredded carrots

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup honey

1 cup chopped dried apricots

For the Frosting:

1 orange – remove 2 teaspoons of zest and squeeze for 2 tablespoons of juice

1 8oz package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 – 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

*To make the ras el hanout stir together 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon & turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon each of black pepper, coriander, nutmeg and allspice.  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 3 8-inch round baking pans with baking spray.

To make the cake: In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, ras el hanout, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl stir together the eggs, carrots, oil and honey.

Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until combined and then stir in the chopped apricots. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and then bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

I like to wrap my cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before frosting, but, you can frost them once they are completely cooled.

To make the frosting: In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in the orange juice and ground ginger and continue beating until both are incorporate. Switch the speed to low and gradually add in 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar. Continue beating until well incorporated. Gradually add in an additional 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of confectioners’ sugar until the frosting is spreadable. Stir in zest.

Frost and stack the cakes and then decorate as desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens

Cookie Palooza: Snickerdoodle Biscotti

Welcome to day 2 of Cookie Palooza 2021. Today I am bringing you a twist on a holiday favorite. While Snickerdoodles are great any time of the year they are especially great around the holidays. It could be because they are a nice complement to a hot cup of cocoa or because they can easily be transformed into a holiday cookie by using colored sanding sugar in lieu of white sugar to be rolled in. Either way, they are always a welcomed addition to any cookie platter. Today though, we are making them into another holiday favorite… biscotti.

I started by making and refrigerating the dough for 30 minutes.

While the dough was chilling I prepped an extra-large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. I opted to use one baking sheet to ensure that the biscotti would cook evenly.

Once the dough was chilled I divided it in half and shaped both pieces into a 10×4-inch rectangle. The dough was quite sticky so I wet my hands with water beforehand. I would suggest shaping the dough right on the parchment paper. You may have trouble transferring it from your counter to the baking sheet otherwise. Next, I generously covered both loaves with a cinnamon-sugar mixture and gently pressed it into the dough.

After baking in a 350 F oven for 25 minutes I removed it and using the parchment paper I transferred it to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. While the loaves cooled I lined my baking sheet with a fresh piece of parchment paper. I must say, the top of the loaves reminded me of what snickerdoodles look like after they are baked. That cracked look with the cinnamon-sugar coating.

After letting the loaves cool for 10 minutes I used a serrated knife to slice them into 3/4-inch pieces. I then placed the biscotti, cut side down, back on my prepared baking sheet. I baked them for 10 minutes, flipped them, and then baked them for an additional 10 minutes. I then let the biscotti cool completely on the pans before enjoying.

I’ll admit that some of my pieces were slightly bigger than 3/4 of an inch. They were closer to an inch. Oops! Needless to say though, they were delish. They definitely tasted like your traditional Snickerdoodle.

These would make the ideal food gift for anyone who enjoys a sweet treat with their warm beverage or anyone who loves a good snickerdoodle!

One thing I should note, the original recipe called for dipping the finished biscotti in white chocolate. I opted to omit that part since a) Snickerdoodles aren’t normally dipped in chocolate and b) I like to dip my biscotti in tea or hot cocoa and I felt that the white chocolate would just get in the way of that.

Snickerdoodle Biscotti

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup sugar, divided

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1/4 cup rum*

3 large eggs, at room temperature

*could use brandy or bourbon instead

Directions:

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together 3/4 cup sugar, melted butter and rum. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture until no streaks of the flour mixture remain.  Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 1 extra-large baking sheet or 2 medium baking sheets with parchment paper.

Divide the dough in half and using moistened hands shape each half on the prepared baking sheets into a 10×4 – inch rectangle.

In a small bowl stir together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon and sprinkle generously over the both doughs. Gently pressing it in.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, until pale golden.

Remove from the oven and using the parchment paper transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.

Leave the oven on and line your baking sheet(s) with fresh parchment paper.

Using a serrated knife, cut the biscotti loaves crosswise into 3/4 – inch slices. Place the slices cut side down on the prepared baking sheet(s).

Bake for 10 minutes, and then flip the biscotti and bake for another 10 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet(s).

Store in an airtight container.

Recipe from Baked From Scratch

Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins

I recently posted saying I finally found the perfect pumpkin muffin recipe for me and here I am posting another one. So, what’s the difference? Well, I consider these Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins to be more like donut holes and I find them to be more dessert-like than for breakfast. But most importantly, they are delicious nonetheless!

A definite plus about this recipe… You don’t need a stand mixer or a hand mixer to make the batter. You whisk the dry ingredients together in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another and then whisk both together to make the batter. Next, using a cookie scoop (or a small spoon) drop the batter into a mini muffin pan sprayed with baking spray (no cupcake liners needed either!).

Bake in a 350 F preheated oven for about 12 minutes and let them cool slightly in the pan…

Before rolling in melted butter and a cinnamon sugar mixture for the topping. YUM! And, while I normally don’t like glazes and coatings (they can be a tad bit too sweet for me) I will say that while these mini muffins are delicious without the coating, they are amazing with it so don’t skip it.

Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins

  • Servings: 24 Mini Muffins
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Ingredients:

For the Muffins:

1 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup whole milk

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a mini-muffin pan (24 count) with baking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cooled melted butter and brown sugar. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree and milk and continue whisking until combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk everything together until just combined and no streaks of the flour mixture remain. The batter will be thick.

Using a cookie scoop, drop scoops of the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 11-13 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the muffins to cool slightly.

While the muffins are cooling combine the sugar and cinnamon for the coating in a small bowl.

Once the muffins are cool enough to handle dip them in the melted butter and then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Store in an airtight container.

Recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Pumpkin Blondies

I wasn’t planning on making so many pumpkin recipes this year, but, inevitably I come across a recipe here and there and it sounds too good not to make it. Besides its Fall Y’all… it’s all about the apples and the pumpkins! Now, I haven’t attempted to make a pumpkin brownie since the Pumpkin Chocolate Brownies from 5 years ago. Those brownies required 9 eggs, more than 1 can of pumpkin puree, turned into a debacle when I went to slice them and I was on the fence as to whether or not I liked them. Considering that I never thought to make them again, that should be my answer. But this year when I was thinking of something to bake for a friend’s birthday (she’s a pumpkin fan like me) I thought about attempting a pumpkin brownie again, definitely not that recipe though. But that idea quickly turned into a Pumpkin Blondie instead. In case you are wondering, the biggest difference between a blondie and a brownie is that a blondie does not have cocoa powder.

I knew right off the bat that these blondies would be much better than those brownies. The batter wasn’t as dense so I knew that when they were done baking there wouldn’t be any undercooked sections. I baked them until the edges were beginning to brown and pulled away from the sides of the pan. And when I inserted a cake tester in the center it came out clean.

And when I sliced them, I was right. They were completely baked through. And more importantly they were delish. I’ll go out on a limb and say that these blondies may be good for you. Along with the pumpkin, they also have dark chocolate and pecans, all three of which have health benefits.

Pumpkin Blondies

  • Servings: 24 Blondies
  • Print

Ingredients:

2 1/3 cup flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 15oz. can pure pumpkin puree

2 cups dark chocolate chips*

3/4 cup chopped pecans

*I used a 10oz. bag of dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides, and spray with baking spray.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream the butter and both sugars together on medium-high speed until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until everything is combined. Add in the pumpkin puree and beat until combined.

With the mixer on low, add in the dry ingredients. Mixing until everything is just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped pecans with a rubber spatula.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and using an offset spatula spread the batter out evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and when a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Place pan on a wire rack and let blondies cool completely in the pan before removing and slicing.

Recipe from My Baking Addiction

Pumpkin Spice Latte Bundt Cake

Are you one of those people who counts down the days until Starbucks brings back their Pumpkin Spice Latte for the Fall? Or, are you like me? You’re not a coffee drinker, but, tend to order at least one during the season because you’re into pumpkin and the taste isn’t that bad even though it is coffee. Either way, I have the dessert for you today to get your pumpkin spice latte fix without all the caffeine and you don’t have to wait for it to cool down to truly enjoy it. A Pumpkin Spice Latte Bundt Cake.

While you do need two different batters to get the pumpkin spice and latte portions of the cake, you don’t start out by making two separate ones. You start off by making the pumpkin spice one, dividing it in half and adding an espresso mixture and cocoa powder to one of them.

Next, the fun, and depending on how you do it the messy part. Initially when I tried this recipe I tried to halve it to make a loaf sized cake. Something went wrong and while it tasted okay, the texture was a little weird. It was kind of rubbery. When I added the batter to the pan I used two cookie scoops to alternate adding it in. I think I was low on patience that day because it felt like it was taking forever. So, the next time I made the recipe, per the instructions and used a Bundt pan I decided to add the batters to piping bags. Well, instead of using 16-inch ones, I opted to use 12-inch ones. Which were too small so as I was piping the batter into the Bundt pan it was overflowing a bit from the top of the bags. In the end though, very little batter was lost. Once I was done piping all the batter into the pan I tapped it on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles and to make sure the batter had incorporated together and settled.

I baked it in a 350 F preheated oven for about 40 minutes and after letting the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes I inverted it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once it was cooled, it was time to enjoy a slice. And even though it was a bit of a mess to get the batters into the pan the cake did end up with a nice pattern.  And yes, the taste is very on point with your traditional Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons instant espresso

3/4 cup evaporated milk

2 1/3 cups cake flour*

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin

2 eggs

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder

*To make my own cake flour, I used 2 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour, removed 4 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons of the flour and replaced it with the same amount of cornstarch. After whisking it together I then sifted it to make sure it was well combined. For future reference, when a recipe calls for cake flour, you can simply use all-purpose flour and remove 2 tablespoons per cup of flour and replace it with cornstarch. Whisk the two together and then sift.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a Bundt pan with baking spray, or grease with butter and lightly coat with flour.

In a small bowl whisk together the instant espresso and 1 tablespoon of the evaporated milk, until the expresso has dissolved.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice & Kosher salt.

In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in the pumpkin, eggs, egg whites, vanilla extract and oil. Beat on low until combined.

With the mixer on low, add the in the flour mixture in three parts alternating with the remaining evaporated milk.

Divide the batter in half. In one half add in the espresso mixture and the unsweetened cocoa powder. Fold the batter until the expresso mixture and cocoa powder is incorporated into it and no streaks of either remain.  

Using two cookie scoops, two large spoons, or two piping bags, alternate adding the batter to the prepared Bundt pan. Once all the batter has been added, tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles and to ensure the batter is well incorporated.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 – 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, before inverting and letting the cake cool completely.

Slice and enjoy.

Recipe from Better Homes & Garden

Apple Pie Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy Fall Y’all! While I normally welcome my favorite season with a pumpkin dessert, I decided to switch it up this year with an apple one, well sort of. It’s a spice cake with an apple pie filling topped with cream cheese frosting. You get all the Fall feels with this cake… the warm spices – cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves – from the spice cake, the deliciousness of apple pie and you can never go wrong with cream cheese frosting!

To start I made the spice cake. I whisked together the dry ingredients and then beat the wet ingredients together and then incorporated both until it was just combined. To make sure I don’t overmix my batter I normally use a hand mixer and beat everything for about 30 seconds to a minute and then finish mixing everything with a rubber spatula. Once the batter was ready, I divided it among two 8-inch pans that I sprayed with baking spray and baked the cakes for about 40 minutes. After letting them cool in the pan for a few minutes I transferred them to a wire rack to cool completely. I always like to make my cakes a day or two in advance of assembling them so I wrapped them in plastic wrap and refrigerated them until I was ready to use them.

For the apple filling you can either make it a day ahead or if you plan on making it the day you intend to use it, just make sure to let it cool completely. I opted to use Granny Smith apples since these are one of the best apples for baking and can be found at pretty much any supermarket. Since you are cooking the apples you want to make sure you choose a variety that won’t get too mushy after cooking. The Granny Smith apples held up well after being boiled and simmered, they were tender but still firm.   

Next, I made the cream cheese frosting. I let my butter come to room temperature and then took my cream cheese out for only about five minutes. I don’t like using cream cheese that is too warm because I find that the frosting gets too soft then. I added the butter and cream cheese to the bowl of my stand mixer and beat it on low for a minute or two to incorporate them. I then sifted 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar right into the bowl, beat it on medium for about 30 seconds to blend it all together. And then sifted in another 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar and beat it on medium-high speed until the frosting was light and fluffy. Finally, I added in vanilla extract and beat everything on high for 30 seconds. I did find that my frosting was a little soft so I refrigerated it for a few minutes before using.

With all my components ready to go it was time to assemble my cake. I began by leveling the cakes. On the bottom cake, I spread a thin layer of frosting on it and then piped a dam around the perimeter of the cake so the apple filling wouldn’t “escape.”

I’ll admit that I didn’t pipe my dam perfectly, but, it did the trick and none of the apple filling escaped when I topped it with the other cake layer and finished frosting and decorating it!

Apple Pie Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

For the Cake:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 teaspoons ginger

3/4 teaspoons nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

1 cup sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Apple Pie Filling:

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups water

For the Frosting:

2 8 oz. packages cream cheese

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray two 8-inch round pans with baking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves and set aside.

In a large, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and both sugars together until smooth. Add in the sour cream and continue beating until well incorporated. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beat well after each addition, and finally the vanilla extract.

On low speed beat in the dry ingredients until just combined.

Divide the batter among the two prepared pans and bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes and then remove from the pans and place on the wire rack to cool completely.

For the Apple Filling: Toss the apples in the lemon juice and set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine both sugars, the cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir to combine and then add in the water and stir once again to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the apples and bring to boil once again. Lower the heat to a simmer and let cook for about 10 minutes, or until the apples are tender. Remove the pan from the heat and let the apples cool completely before using. Can make a day ahead and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Frosting: Using a stand mixer beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed to incorporate. Add in 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar to mixture and beat on medium for 30 seconds, add the remaining 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar and beat on medium-speed until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat on high speed for 30 seconds. Refrigerate the frosting until ready to use.

To assemble the cake: Level the cake layers if necessary. Lightly frost the top of the bottom layer. Fill a piping bag with the frosting and pipe a dam around the bottom layer (a ring of frosting around the perimeter of the cake). It may be necessary to pipe two layers of the frosting. Fill with the apple mixture and top with the other cake. Crumb coat the cake and refrigerate for 15 minutes (place the remaining frosting in the refrigerator during this time as well). Finish frosting the cake and decorate as desired.

Recipe first published on Bead Yarn & Spatula

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

No bake cheesecakes can either be a hit or a total miss. It all depends on whether the filling firms up enough while refrigerated. Unfortunately, they don’t sometimes and instead turn into a total mess when slicing into them. It’s happened to me! But since I am not one to give up, I am always willing try something again, just not the same recipe if it failed the first time, I decided to try my hands at a no bake cheesecake again. And I’m happy to say this recipe I tried for a No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake was a winner in all regards. The strawberry flavor was spot on, the texture was perfect and the crust was a combination of pretzels and graham crackers.

First up, I made the crust. In the bowl of my food processor I processed mini pretzels and graham crackers into crumbs. I then transferred the mixture to a medium bowl and stirred in sugar and melted butter. Once it was well incorporated I pressed the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. You could opt to use a 9-inch baking dish instead. I then baked the crust in a 350 F preheated oven for 15 minutes. And then placed it on a wire rack to cool completely.  

While the crust was in the oven and then cooling I prepped the strawberry puree. In the bowl of my food processor I added in 1 1/2 pounds of strawberries that I rinsed, hulled and sliced in half. Quick tip, I processed the pretzels and graham crackers first so I could give my bowl a quick rinse before using it for the strawberries.

I processed them for about a minute or so to turn the strawberries into a puree.

Next, I transferred the puree to a medium saucepan and simmered it on medium-low heat until it was reduced to about a 1/2 cup. I initially started this in a small saucepan, but, once it started to simmer I was scared that it was going to turn into a complete mess on my stovetop so I transferred it to a larger saucepan. This step took the longest, about a half hour. At one point, I thought I had reduced the mixture enough but when I transferred it to a measuring cup I had about 3/4 of a cup so I returned it to the saucepan for a few more minutes and it was finally reduced to a 1/2 cup. I then let it cool to room temperature.

Once the crust and puree was cooled it was time to make the filling. In a medium bowl I beat heavy cream using a hand mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks formed. In a large bowl I beat room temperature cream cheese on medium speed until it was smooth and creamy. I then added in the strawberry puree, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract and beat it on medium-high speed until everything was well incorporated and the mixture was once again smooth and creamy.

Using a rubber spatula, I folded the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. I was careful to do this slowly as I didn’t want to deflate the air in the whipped cream. Once the two were mixed together I then spread the filling into the crust and smoothed the top with a small offset spatula. I then covered it tightly with a piece of plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and refrigerated it overnight.

The following day I sliced up strawberries and tossed them with sugar and whipped up another batch of whipped cream, this time sweetened with confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract, and topped the cheesecake. Since I opted to make mine in a springform pan I carefully removed the ring from it before spreading the strawberries in the center of the cheesecake and then piped dollops of whipped cream around the edge using a Wilton 1M tip. Since I was taking this cheesecake over to a friends’ house for dessert I carefully placed the ring back on the cake before covering again.

Final verdict… It was delicious. The strawberry flavor was spot on without being overly sweet. Also, the texture was perfect. Sometimes with cheesecakes they can be a bit dense, but the texture of this cheesecake was more smooth and fluffy. This was definitely attributed to gently folding the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

1 cup salted mini pretzels crumbs (from 1/2 cup whole mini pretzels)

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (6 full sheets of graham crackers)

3 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling:

1 1/2 lbs. fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 8oz. blocks of cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup confectioner’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Topping:

1 cup sliced strawberries

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup heavy whupping cream

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

For the Crust:

Combine the ingredients for the crust in a medium bowl and mix together until well combined. Press the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan or a 9-inch pie dish. Press into the bottom and up the sides of the pan/dish you use. Make sure it’s in an even layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-16 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before filling.

For the Filling:

Puree the strawberries in a food processor or blender. You should have between 1 1/2 – 2 cups of puree. Strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Transfer the puree to a medium saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat until you are left with a 1/2 cup (or slightly more) of puree. This can take between 25-35 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

Using a hand mixer beat the whipped cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese using a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the cooled strawberry puree, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract beat on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Make sure the mixture is creamy and smooth, if there are any lumps in the mixture continue to beat until they incorporate into the mixture.

Using a rubber spatula fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Do this slowly as you don’t want to deflate the air from the whipped cream.

Spread the filling into the cooled crust and use a small offset spatula to smooth the top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. The longer it stays in the refrigerator the better it will firm up.

For the Topping:

Before serving, prep the toppings and decorate. In a medium bowl stir the sliced strawberries with the sugar. Set aside. In another medium bowl combine the heavy whipping cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract and beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (I used Wilton 1M). Remove the cheesecake from the fridge. If you made it in a springform pan, carefully remove the ring. Spread the strawberries in the center of the cheesecake and then pipe dollops of the whipped cream around the outer edge of the cheesecake. Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction

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