It’s not often that popular restaurants will share their cult-following recipes, but today, you’re in luck! My food world friend, Ashley, owner of Ashley Mac’s Kitchen, has written her first cookbook. It is full of recipes from her restaurant and other family faves, including her beloved desserts. So today, I get to share one- Ashley Mac’s Strawberry Cake .
Several years ago, when I was working on a proposal for a cookbook, I began the hunt for the best strawberry cake. After some time, I landed on a recipe that I loved, but still, nothing could ever top the gold standard I had in mind: Ashley Mac’s strawberry cake. Later, I ended up meeting Ashley and admired her treats and business savvy from afar via social media. Now, my hunt for the perfect strawberry cake recipe is over; truly, nothing is better than the one I get to share with you today.
Ashley Mac’s Kitchen
Ashley Mac’s strawberry cake is one of the many incredible recipes featured in the new cookbook, ASHLEY MAC’S KITCHEN. The recipes are seriously approachable with celebrations and gatherings in mind. So whether you’re looking for a casserole to share with a friend, a salad to serve at a potluck, or a themed dessert for the season you’re in, ASHLEY MAC’S KITCHEN has it. The book is officially available for pre-order TODAY, which you can do by following this link. If you live in the Birmingham, AL area (hollllaaaa!), you can pick up a book beginning March 20th. There will even be a few book signings too, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Ashley Mac’s Strawberry Cake
Let’s talk cake. Here, we have a fluffy layered cake flavored with fresh strawberry puree and gelatin. The gelatin may sound kinda weird, but that’s where we get the iconic strawberry flavor, moist crumb, and pretty color. The frosting, in my opinion is the star: cream cheese and butter, powdered sugar, and minced berries. Truly, I could eat this frosting by the spoonful; it’s that good. The cake comes together quickly, and, IMO, is the happiest little thing this side of spring.
Please check out ASHLEY MAC’S KITCHEN, available for preorder, and give the book a try. I truly believe you’re going to love it. Happy Tuesday to y’all and happy baking!
This strawberry cake recipe is famous from Ashley Mac’s Kitchen restaurants!
Author:Ashley McMakin
Prep Time:20
Cook Time:20
Total Time:120
Yield:1 (9″) Cake
Category:Dessert
Ingredients
For the cake:
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups sifted cake flour
1 (3 ounce) box strawberry gelatin
3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup whole milk, room temperature
½ cup pureed fresh strawberries
For the strawberry cream cheese icing:
1/3 cup minced fresh strawberries
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
8 cups confectioner’s sugar
6 drops liquid red food coloring
Instructions
To make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray 3 (9-inch) pans with baking spray with flour. Line the bottom of pans with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and oil at medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, gelatin, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together milk and strawberries. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition and stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Evenly divide batter among prepared pans.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely on wire racks.
Place 1 cooled cake layer on a cake stand. Spread 1 ½ cups Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing between each layer; spread a thin layer of icing on top and sides of cake to crumb coat. Freeze until icing is set, about 45 minutes. Cover remaining icing and refrigerate while cake sets in freezer.
Spread remaining strawberry cream cheese icing on top and sides of cake as desired. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until ready to serve.
To make the frosting:
Let the strawberries drain on a double layer of paper towels.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, butter, and salt at medium-low speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. With mixer on low speed, slowly add confectioner’s sugar, about 1 cup at a time, beating until just combined. Add food coloring and beat at medium speed until combined, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in strawberries by hand.
Happy Friday!! I didn’t plan on sharing this cake recipe today, but as luck would have it, it’s ready! Hooray! I’ll keep it short and simple and get right to the main event: brown butter balsamic caramel cake.
I know what you’re thinking: balsamic caramel? I get it, so hear me out. About a year ago, we did a how-to on caramel here. We walked through the ins and outs of how to make it and since that time, we’ve flavored caramels with all sorts of stuff- coffee, peanut butter, maple syrup, and more! But today, we’re venturing into new and exciting territory, going where no man (or woman!) has gone before on this site: balsamic caramel. With the addition of a smidge of high-quality balsamic vinegar, we can ever-so-slightly modify the taste and scent of ordinary caramel, taking it from something yummy and sweet to a filling that is intoxicating, interesting, and down-right sophisticated. Combine that with brown butter cake layers and buttercream and you have yourself a winner. Lt’s talk about how to make it.
Making the Cake
The cake layers are straight-forward. We start by browning butter in a pan (more on that here!), cooling it, and whipping it into a cake batter. The cakes bake up into thick, 9″ wide layers, and are allowed to cool. In the meantime, we can work on the caramel. Butter and brown sugar melt down and cook in a pan until thick and golden. Carefully stir in some heavy cream, salt, and that smidge of balsamic for flavor and allow it to cool completely in the fridge. Once it’s room temperature, we can make the buttercream and begin the assembly!
Trim off any domed tops from the cakes and spread a smooth layer of buttercream on top of the first layer. In order to put some caramel within the cake, we’ll need to pipe a dam around the perimeter (more on that here!) and pour in some of the cooled caramel. Place the second layer on top and decorate as desired with any remaining frosting. I opted to top the cake with extra caramel and some toasted hazelnuts, but this is all totally up to you! Either way, this brown butter balsamic caramel cake came out looking though, don’t you?
I know next week will be all about pumpkins, pies, turkey dinners, so for now, let’s just give thanks for this beauty of a cake. I’ve got another yummy recipe in store for y’all next week, even amidst all the holiday excitement! If you get to make this cake, let me know what you think in the comments below! Happy Friday and Happy Baking!
If you like this brown butter balsamic caramel cake you should make:
This two layer cake has fluffy brown butter layers, a balsamic vinegar caramel filling, and a simple American buttercream flavored with that same tangy caramel!
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:45
Cook Time:30
Total Time:1 hour 15 minutes
Yield:9 Servings
Category:Dessert
Ingredients
For the cake layers:
1–½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2–3/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, at room temperature
¼ cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the caramel:
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
¼ cup balsamic vinegar (or more, according to your taste)
3/4 teaspoon salt
For the buttercream:
1–1/2 cups unsalted butter
2/3 cups prepared caramel
2–1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
To prepare the cake, cube the butter and place it in a medium, light-colored, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium low heat. Stir regularly to allow the butter to melt evenly. It will begin to sizzle, foam, and then brown. Continue stirring and scraping the sides of the pan as the butter browns and remove to a heat-safe bowl when the butter has golden flecks throughout and the pan smells fragrant. Allow to cool completely to soft, room temperature. I prefer to speed this process up in the fridge.
When ready to bake the cake, ensure that your butter is room temperature and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 9” pans with baking spray and cut out rounds of parchment paper to fit directly into the bottom of each pan. Cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for 4 minutes. The mixture will be light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition. Add half of the flour, the powder, soda, and salt. Sitr on low to combine. Combine the milk, vinegar, and vanilla and add half of that mixture. Stir on low and scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining dry ingredients followed by the remaining wet and use a rubber spatula to fold in any unincorporated bits. Do not over mix. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Bake time differs from oven to oven. Remove from oven when done and allow to cool completely.
In the meantime, prepare the caramel. In a medium, heavy-bottomed pan, combine the butter and brown sugar and stir regularly until the mixture has melted. Bring to a rolling boil and use a rubber spatula to barely stir the caramel on the edges of the pan toward the middle. Cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully stir in the remaining ingredients. Transfer to a heat-safe container and allow to cool completely.
When ready to frost the cake, cream the butter for the buttercream on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the caramel and powdered sugar and whip for an additional minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again to incorporate.
Use a serrated knife to level the cakes and place a schmear of buttercream on a prepared cake board or plate. Place the first layer on top and smooth a large plop of buttercream on this first cake. Place a cup of the buttercream in a piping bag or Ziploc and snip the end off to make a ½” sided opening. Pipe a dam around the perimeter of the top of the cake and spoon some of the remaining caramel inside. Place the second cake layer on top and lightly press down to seal it to the bottom cake. Be sure no caramel smushes out. Finish icing with the remaining buttercream and decorate as desired! I used toasted hazelnuts and extra caramel! Enjoy!
Happy birthday to… ME! Is it obnoxious to celebrate one’s own birthday? Would it be narcissistic of me to think you’re all dying to participate in the fun that is this funfetti cake? Maybe, but I don’t even care. I love birthdays, and as a baking blogger, there are very few things that excite me like the chance to make my own birthday cake. This funfetti cake, albeit basic, is just the type of festive dish I want to nosh on for my special day, and I sincerely hope you’ll lend me a hand with blowing out all these candles. Let’s get started.
I refuse to believe there is a single person on this earth who doesn’t love funfetti cake. I mean, does a happier dessert exist? Those sugary sprinkled flavors hold all sorts of fond memories for me, and nothing gets me in the mood for celebrating like a cake that feels like a party. While I’ve featured all sorts of funfetti-flavored treats on this site (I’m looking at you, funfetti cookies, funfetti ice cream cake, and sugar cookie ice cream) I’ve yet to showcase an OG funfetti cake like this. Today is the day.
Funfetti Cake
This funfetti cake is about as basic as it comes. A butter and oil cake made with buttermilk and loads of clear vanilla extract bakes up with cake flour and more than a fair share of rainbow jimmies. The frosting is equally simple, made with softened butte, cream cheese, and just enough salt to balance out the sugary sweetness. I love being able to offer a homemade treat on special occasions, and this one has all the nostalgic flavors of the store-bought varieties with all the pride of a made-from-scratch offering. Now that’s a win-win situation.
Making the Cake
A few notes on this funfetti cake. First, I highly recommend cake flour here without substitutions. This will help keep the cake fluffy and light while adding a bit of that birthday cake flavor. Same goes for clear vanilla extract. While pure vanilla extract or vanilla beans will make for a delightful cake, it will lack that box cake flavor that we all kinda want with a funfetti cake. Don’t skimp here. In a pinch you can use regular milk in place of buttermilk, but do take care to ensure that your ingredients are all room temperature. This is a must.
I’ve had a bunch of you all ask me about the sprinkles I use for my funfetti-flavored treats. I typically look no further than the traditional rainbow jimmies sold at the grocery store, but I’ll link a few other favorites here and here. For the outside of this cake, I opted for a blend of sprinkles that I made with rainbow jimmies and white nonpareils. Easy peasy!
Happy birthday to moi and whoever you happen to be celebrating this week. Because more is merrier when it comes to sprinkles, I’m planning to share a second recipe later this week! Tune in for more funfetti goodness! In the meantime, give this funfetti cake a try and let me know what you think! Happy Tuesday and happy baking!
This funfetti cake is loaded with rainbow sprinkles and box cake mix flavor. It’s a made from scratch celebration cake!
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:30
Cook Time:30
Total Time:90
Yield:9
Category:Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup vegetable or canola oil
1–3/4 cup sugar
5 eggs
1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
3–3/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1–1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
¾ cup rainbow jimmies
For the frosting:
1–1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
6 cups powdered sugar, plus more as needed
1–2 tablespoons milk, as needed
Instructions
To prepare the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare 3-8” pans by spraying them with baking spray and lining the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, oil and sugar on medium speed for 4 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla and eggs one at a time, stirring briefly after each addition. In a separate bowl, combine the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add half of the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed, followed by the buttermilk. Add the remaining dry ingredients and jimmies and stir to combine. Divide the batter evenly between the three pans and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
To prepare the frosting:
Cream the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat on medium speed just to combine, about 1 minutes. Stir in the clear extract and salt, Add about half of the powdered sugar and stir on low to combine. Add the remaining powdered sugar and scrape the sides of the bowl prior to combining. Once uniform, check the consistency. Add a tablespoon or two of milk to thin out the frosting or ¼ cup or so of powdered sugar to thicken it up. The mixture should be a smooth, soft consistency. Set aside while you get ready to prepare your cake.
To assemble the cake:
Use a serrated knife to trim the domes off your cakes. I like to briefly freeze my cakes in plastic wrap to make assembly easier. You can do this is you’d like. Otherwise, spread a little frosting on the bottom of an 8” cake board and place the first layer on top. Place a big dollop of frosting on top and use an offset spatula to smooth it on. Repeat this process while stacking the remaining two layers of cake. Use your offset spatula to smooth on a thin layer all over the cake. You can place your cake in the fridge briefly to allow the frosting to firm up. Continue decorating the cake as desired and enjoy! Serve at room temperature.
You’ve got a reason for partying, right? Whether it’s a booked vacation, the last day of school, or even just surviving the first half of the week, we all have something to hoot, holler, and bake about. For your summertime entertaining purposes, I have the prettiest pink-hued strawberry rhubarb layer cake. It’s filled with a homemade rhubarb jam and an oatmeal streusel and is slathered with a jam buttercream. Yes, it’s as sweet, salty, and fruity-delicious as it sounds, and you’re definitely going to want to read all about it.
First, here’s a quick update on us. Today is my Aimee girl’s last day of school. For us, this means summer begins and we can officially begin waiting on baby number 3 to show up. At 33 weeks along in this journey, I know there’s a few bloaty, swollen, heart-burny third trimester days in my future, but I’m counting down the minutes with anticipation regardless. The prospect of life as a family of 5 is currently blowing my mind, and I’m equal parts nervous-sweating and excited all at once.
We’ve spent the past few weeks nesting like crazy to get the big kiddos situated in their rooms and to prepare the nursery as much as possible. I’ve been washing clothes, organizing bottle parts, and doing double duty on the blog front to get some recipes lined up for you guys while we are in the newborn haze. My camera is currently caked in frosting and shards of shredded coconut, sticky and dirty from an overhaul of photoshoots, and my computer desktop is covered in a whole bunch of words, photos, and ingredients lists that I plan to share in the future. If I manage to pull this all off seamlessly, it will be a miracle. Pray for me.
Strawberry Rhubarb Layer Cake
The silver lining of all this insanity is that there’s a strawberry rhubarb layer cake today. It’s as pretty as it is delicious and equally appropriate for the season. This cake feels worthy of all our life victories, big and small. Plus, it’s so well-rounded in flavor, texture, and sweetness that it might just be my new favorite cake. Only maybe though, because see here and here.
Making the Cake
To make this strawberry rhubarb layer cake, we start with a quick jam. Chopped strawberries and rhubarb toss into a pan with sugar and water. The fruit cooks down until it’s a loose jam consistency that we can chill in the fridge. This jam can be used on scones, as a filling, or even as an ice cream topping! Super simple and delish.
The Steusel
The next component is the streusel. Butter, sugar, oats, and flour come together with a bit of cinnamon and ginger. Bake the crumbled mixture in the oven until it forms a crisp, granola-consistency crunchy mixture. While that cools, we can work on the cake! This is a simple buttermilk cake made with butter, eggs, and flour. 3 layers of fluffy, vanilla goodness emerge from the oven and helps to marry all of the cake components as one.
The Buttercream
We stack the cake as usual, using a bit of frosting to dam in the jam and streusel filling. Once all 3 tiers have been assembled, we coat the whole thing in a strawberry rhubarb buttercream which gets made with a bit of that jam from earlier. The frosting takes on a pretty pink color that looks incredibly festive and fun. It’s a fairly easy buttercream to prepare and work with, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
If you’re in need of a towering cake to make these toasty May days even more beautiful, please give this strawberry rhubarb layer cake a try! It’s absolutely divine and 100% worth the effort. Happy hump day and happy baking!
If you like this strawberry rhubarb layer cake you should check out:
This strawberry rhubarb layer cake has a jam filling, a streusel topping, and fluffy buttermilk layers. The frosting is a jam buttercream!
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:60
Cook Time:40
Total Time:180
Yield:1 Cake
Category:Dessert
Ingredients
For the Rhubarb Jam:
¾ pound rhubarb, chopped
¾ pound strawberries, hulled
¾ cup (150 gm) sugar
1 tablespoon water
For the Streusel:
¼ cup (55 gm) unsalted butter
1/3 cup (40 gm) flour
1/3 cup (70 gm) brown sugar
1/3 cup (30 gm) quick cooking oats
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ginger
For the Buttermilk Cake (Adapted from Spoonful of Butter):
1 cup (230 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1–1/3 cups (270 gm) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2–1/2 cups (350 gm) all-purpose flour
2–1/2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 gm) buttermilk, at room temperature
For the Rhubarb Jam Buttercream:
1 cup (230 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup, plus an extra 2 tablespoons (if needed) of rhubarb jam
Instructions
To prepare the rhubarb jam:
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium-sized pot over low heat. Stir to combine and continue stirring regularly until all of the sugar has dissolved. You can test this by carefully rubbing a little bit of the liquid in the pot between two fingers- it should feel smooth.
Continue to cook over low heat, stirring regularly until the mixture comes to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the rhubarb and berries have broken down and the mixture is approximately applesauce consistency. Remove from heat and place in a heat-proof bowl to cool in the fridge. This jam will keep in the fridge for approximately 2-3 weeks.
To prepare the streusel crumbs:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a small saucepan over medium heat melt and brown the butter. See the link in my blog post for help on this. Whisk the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, cinnamon and ginger together in a medium sized bowl. Add the browned butter to the mixture and fold together until the ingredients clump into dime-sized bits. Spread out on a sheet pan and bake in the preheated oven, tossing occasionally, for 10-12 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown. Allow to cool completely before using or storing. Streusel can be made ahead and stored at room temperature for a week, or in the freezer for a couple of months.
To prepare the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. You can opt to make a 2 layer 8” cake or a 3 layer 6” cake. Whichever you choose, grease your pans and line the bottom of each with parchment rounds.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed (I use 4 on my mixer) until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time. Beat for an additional minute. Add half of the flour, the baking powder, and salt, and stir on low to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add half of the buttermilk. Repeat this process with the remaining half of the flour and buttermilk. Scrape the sides of the bowl and fold in any unincorporated bits of batter. Divide the batter among the pans and bake in the oven until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. For 3 6” cakes, this will take about 25-27 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool completely before assembling.
To prepare the jam buttercream:
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the powdered sugar, extracts, and salt. Stir to combine and add the ¼ cup of jam. You’ll likely need an additional 2-3 tablespoons of jam to thin the buttercream out to spreading consistency. Beat in the mixer for an additional minute until smooth and combined, and add a tablespoon of milk or water as needed to get the right consistency for spreading.
To assemble your cake:
Level the cakes using a serrated knife. Spoon 1/3 of your frosting into a piping bag or large plastic bag with a hole snipped in the end so you can pipe a dam around the border of your cakes. Place a small amount of buttercream on a cake board or serving platter and place your first cake directly on top. Spread a small amount of buttercream on top of that layer and then use your piping bag to pipe a “dam” around the perimeter of the cake. The dam can be narrow but should be about ¼-1/2” tall. Spoon jam inside of the dam just barely under the top of the dam and then sprinkle streusel on top. Stack the next layer of cake and then repeat this process again finishing with the 3rdlayer of cake. Spread the remaining icing around the outside of the cake and decorate as desired! The cake is best stored covered in the fridge and then brought barely to room temp prior to serving.
We’ve got a lot to talk about today. Not only are we cruising on through #monthofchocolate with another rich treat, but we’re also partying over the 3-year anniversary of this blog! There’s no better way to celebrate life’s big stuff than with cake, so today I’ve got a milk chocolate chip cake to throw your way. You’re going to love it.
Three Years!
To be honest, I’m not sure I expected this blog to last 3 years. When Wood & Spoon blog went live in February of 2016, I knew it was the right thing for that season of my life, but I had no idea what the future looked like. I was so covered up in fear and timidity that I forgot to have foresight for the coming years. In retrospect, not having a specific vision kinda forced me to dive into things I normally would not have. I tried some different things, experimented with new writing, baking, and photography styles, and put myself out there for jobs and opportunities that came my way because every open door seemed like it could be the right fit. The first 3 years of this site was made up of a ton of learning and mistrial, and I’m extremely thankful for that.
As uncertain as the past was, the future is even more so. I’ve reached a point where I don’t really want to walk through every single door that opens up for me. I’d like to be able to pick and choose opportunities based on what suits my family and lifestyle as it stands each day, and I want to reach for a few really great opportunities as opposed to every tiny okay one.
Part of what I’ve learned in the past 3 years is that it’s okay to say no to some of the good things that come our way, particularly when you’re holding out for something great. Self-doubt kept me from fully embracing some of the goals and dreams that I had for some time, but 3 years of hoofing it on this site has given me a snapshot of what I’m capable of and the value that my time and energy has.
As For the Future…
This all goes to say that I have no idea what this next year will look like. You can certainly count on more recipes, more incoherent baking banter, and more cute babies, but my hope is that you’ll see a lot of new stuff too.
I recently had a woman ask me how my website was doing, and I told her that I was enjoying it but that it was a work in progress. Her response was, “We’re all a work in progress. Surely you can be excited that you haven’t accomplished all you’re going to in your lifetime! You story isn’t over yet.” This comment made me smile all over, because I know she’s right. Every sentence and chapter of our story is significant and holds a million things that we can treasure and thrive in. It’s a gift to be a work in progress, and I’m happy to be one here.
Milk Chocolate Chip Cake
This milk chocolate chip cake is easily a new favorite of mine. My favorite cake on this site has long been the white chocolate cake that I shared here moons ago. Now, this milk chocolate chip cake has a sneaky lead, and once I tell you all about it, I think you’ll agree. The cake in this dessert is fluffy, egg white-based layers speckled with chocolate chips. The beaten egg whites in the batter keep the layers delicate and soft, while the mini chocolate chips add flavor and texture.
Although the cake is fab, the filling is equally delicious. I used some ganache know-how to whip up a milk chocolate ganache. It stays soft and truffle-like at room temperature and adds some serious richness to this cake. This recipe yields just enough ganache to appropriately fill the cake, but even so, I couldn’t help sneaking a few nibbles.
The star of this cake, without question, is the frosting. This is a whipped milk chocolate frosting, and it is the BOMB. It may have been the pregnancy hormones talking, but this frosting tasted seriously similar to a Wendy’s Frosty. I’m in no way disappointed. It’s creamy, mild in flavor, and perfectly sweetened, and while Frosties may have little appeal to you, I can promise that this buttercream will not disappoint. It’s awesome.
Sizing this Cake
I decided to arrange this cake into 6” stacks, but you can whip this up in another size. Keep in mind that your baking time will differ depending on the pan you prepare it in. Bake your layers until they have started to turn golden and a cake tester inserted comes out clean. Just take care to not overtake it as white cakes tend to dry out a bit faster than cakes with egg yolks in them.
Thank you for spending your time and ingredients on this site. The readers of these pages have made this such a rewarding experience. I have loved getting to connect with some of you all over the past few years. I look forward to loads more in year 4 and can’t wait to see where we are in February of 2020. In the meantime, give this milk chocolate chip cake a try and let me know what you think. Happy baking, friends!
If you like this milk chocolate chip cake you should check out:
This milk chocolate chip cake is a fluffy white cake with mini chocolate chips, a milk chocolate ganache filling, and a whipped milk chocolate frosting. Creamy, decadent, and seriously delicious!
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:30
Cook Time:30
Total Time:120
Yield:1 Cake
Category:Dessert
Ingredients
For the cake:
¾ cup egg whites (I use ones directly from the carton), at room temp
1 cup (230 gm) unsalted butter, at room temp
1–1/2 cups (300 gm) sugar
3 cups plus one tablespoon (400 gm) cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 gm) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mini chocolate chips
For the ganache:
4 ounces chopped milk chocolate
2 ounces heavy cream
pinch of salt
For the frosting:
6 ounces milk chocolate, gently melted
1–1/2 cups (345 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups (460 gm) powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk
Instructions
To prepare the cake layers:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prep your pans by greasing them and lining the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. You can bake this recipe in three 6” pans or two 8 or 9” pans.
In the clean bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside in another bowl while you continue prepping the cake.
In the same stand mixer bowl you whipped the egg whites in, cream the butter and sugar for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Combine 3 cups of the flour, baking powder, and salt and add half of this mixture to the butter mixture. Stir on low to almost combine and then add half of the milk and the vanilla. Stir to combine and then add the remaining half of the dry ingredients followed by the remaining half of the milk. Once almost combined add the mini chocolate chips and fold in. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the egg whites being careful not to overwork the batter. Divide equally among your pans and bake in the oven- about 28 minutes for three 6” pans of 25 minutes for two 8” pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, but be careful to not overbake! The tops will be golden and set when the cakes are done. Set aside to cool completely before assembling the cake.
To prepare the ganache:
Place the milk chocolate in a small mixing bowl and gently heat the cream in the microwave or on the stove until just barely bubbling. Pour the cream over the chocolate and cover the bowl with plastic wrap for about 3 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap after 3 minutes and use a whisk to combine until smooth. Set aside to cool while you make your frosting.
To prepare the frosting:
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed for two minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the powdered sugar, beating on medium for another minute and a half. Add the salt, vanilla, and cream and beat to combine for 30 seconds. Fold in the melted (but not hot!) chocolate quickly until incorporated. If your chocolate was too hot and the mixture seems too thin and loose, you can place it in the fridge to firm up a bit or add a smidge of powdered sugar.
To assemble the cake:
Use a serrated knife to cut the domes off the tops of the cake. Tops of the cake should be flat prior to assembling. Place a bit of frosting on you plate or cake board that you wish to frost your cake on and set your first layer on top. Use an offset spatula to spread a hefty dollop of frosting on top of the first layer. Fill a piping bag or a quart sized plastic bag with some of the frosting and pipe a circle border/dam around the perimeter of the frosting cake top. Make sure it is about ½” tall so that your ganache will stay inside the dam. Spread just enough ganache inside the dam, but not too much so that the ganache overflows the top of the dam. Place the next layer on top and repeat this process until your cake layers have been used up. Use the remaining frosting to frost your cake as desired. Cake is should be stored covered tightly with plastic wrap and is best eaten within 2 days of making.
Notes
You can use fresh egg whites here if you’d like!
If you opt to bake 6” cake layers, take care to not overbake the cake. If you’re worried about the cake being dry, simply cut the domes off the tops of the cakes and use a basting brush to “paint” milk on top of the flat cake. The milk won’t change the flavor of the cake but will help it to moisten up again.
I’m dreaming of a beach- warm sand, sun shining, and not a down-puffed jacket in sight. There’s no snow, no wind chill, no freezing temperatures-induced leg hair. Just me, a sassy tan, and maybe a few slices of this almond coconut cake.
I’m not sure what March’s problem is, but it is way to cold for this time of year. For all of the sweltering summers and muggy falls that we put up with here in the South, the silver lining is usually a temperate, sunny-and-75-degrees March through April. I should be wearing shorts and cute cardigans, not Ugg boots and wool socks. If you’re reading this, Mother Nature, would you please compose yourself and deliver some decent weather sometime this year?
As a result, we’ve spent the last few days either huddled inside or chasing the sunny patches of warmth in the backyard, and while I don’t mind getting a few extra wears out of my winter boots, I really am craving for warmer weather. To pass the time, I’ve been baking up warm-weather treats that taste like summer and forecast the coming change of season. This almond coconut cake that I’m sharing today is the product of that wishful baking, and I think it will get you itching for summer too!
Let me break it down for you. We’ve got three layers of almond coconut cake- seriously moist, fluffy, and just the right amount of sweetness- flavored with a smidge of almond extract. The cake has the tasty addition of shredded sweetened coconut, so each bite has that delightful tropical texture to it. The frosting on this almond coconut cake is equally delicious. Butter, cream cheese, and almond extract make up the bulk of this American-style buttercream, and it is so good that I literally scraped the bowl of my mixer with shortbread cookies as a snack. I love myself and I hate myself, okay?
To make the cake we start with the layers. Butter and sugar are creamed in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Eggs, almond, and vanilla extract come next, and the dry ingredients are added to the mix, alternating with canned coconut milk. The batter is poured into 3-8″ pans and baked until lightly golden. In the meantime, you can work on your frosting! Beat room temperature butter until light and creamy and then add a block of softened cream cheese. Once incorporated, add the extracts, salt, and powdered sugar to the mix. The frosting should be smooth but still thick enough to hold to the sides of the cake. If you find it is too loose, you can add additional powdered sugar or chill it in the fridge.
I like to assemble my cakes while the layers are slightly frozen. To do this, simply wrap the cooled cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze on a flat surface until well chilled. When ready to assemble, whip up the frosting, trim any domed tops off of your cakes, and stack away! This almond coconut cake comes together easily, but if you need more help with you cake baking, check out this post here. After the cake is stacked, you can adorn it with toasted coconut or sliced almonds, whichever you’d prefer.
This almond coconut cake would make a terrific addition to you Easter tables, assuming you’re not already making THIS beauty. Give it a try sometime soon and let me know what you think! Happy baking to you all and catch you next week!
If you like this almond coconut cake, you should check out:
This almond coconut cake is three layers of moist vanilla and almond scented coconut cake filled with an almond cream cheese buttercream and topped with extra toasted almonds and coconut! Perfect for spring parties and Easter!
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:35
Cook Time:30
Total Time:90
Ingredients
For the cake:
1–1/4 cups (280 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups (400 gm) sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
3 cups (390 gm) cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 gm) full-fat canned coconut milk
2 cups (170 gm) shredded sweetened coconut
For the frosting:
1–1/2 cups (340 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces (230 gm) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
½ teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 lbs (907 gm) powdered sugar
Additional sliced almonds or shredded coconut for garnish, if desired
Instructions
To prepare the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare three 8” round baking pans by lining the bottoms with parchment rounds and spraying the sides with baking spray.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the sugar. Beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed and beat to combine, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in the extracts. In a smaller separate bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the cake batter and then stir in the coconut milk. Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir just until almost combined. Stir in the shredded coconut.
Fill the three prepared pans with equal amounts of batter, smooth the tops, and bake in the preheated oven for about 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool to room temperature.
To prepare the frosting:
Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat to combine, about 45 seconds. Add the extracts and salt, stirring to combine. Add the powdered sugar and stir on low speed until incorporated, and then increase speed to beat for about 20 seconds. If you taste your frosting and would prefer it a bit sweeter, add an additional ½ cup powdered sugar. If you frosting it too thick to spread, add a tablespoon of water or milk until it comes to the right consistency.
When ready to assemble the cakes, trim any dome off the top of each cake. Spread 1-1/4 cups of frosting on top of the first cake layer and then top it with a second layer of cake. Repeat this process once more and then continue frosting the cake to your liking. If desired, toast some almonds or shredded coconut in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 -15 minutes, stirring regularly, to use as a garnish. This step isn’t necessary. Cake can be stored at room temperature but is best on day of assembly.
Notes
I prefer to frost partially frozen cakes. You can bake the cake layers, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze up to a week in advance, and then assemble as normal. This help to keep your cakes from slouching, but be sure to freeze them on flat surfaces.
Today is worth celebrating. Not only are we wrapping #monthofchocolate with a beautiful layered black and white cake, but we are also celebrating my TWO YEAR BLOGIVERSARY! Yes, this week is actually the best.
This second year of spilling my guts on the internet has truly exceeded my expectations. While my first year of writing was a lot of tiptoeing in the dark, fear, and overall panic/emotional meltdown, this second year felt a lot like breaking in a new pair of jeans: a little discomfort and a bit of uncertainty, completely overshadowed by an overflow of excitement about my new garb. If year one was a time of planting and sewing, year two was a lot of watering, weed-eating, and unreserved thrill at the occasional bloom of a few humble buds.
Celebrating Two Years
My second year here was one of hustle. It was about pressing in and doing the nitty gritty even when it felt uncomfortable. It was about taking ownership of who I am and having pride in what I have to offer. I had to learn to value the process and my time spent at the grind, even when there was no reward to reap.
While I’ve loved the experience in writing, photography, and recipe development, the single best part of this past year was the joy that came from operating out of my wheelhouse. I firmly believe that we are not meant to jam a square peg through a round hole the entirety of our lives. Instead, there is a grace that comes when we’re doing what we were created to do and are participating in activities that utilize our strengths. Once you’ve tasted that kind of fulfillment, there is no going back. It changes things.
Considering our Gifts
So I ask you, what are your gifts? What are you holding back from? Where are your desires and how can you package your talents and passions to present them as your gift to the world around you? I wonder what kind of blessings we miss out on because we spend our time asking “What If?” instead of diving in and getting our hands dirty. Where is the joy when we are holding back from the things we’re desperate to explore?
So thank you, readers, for being a part of this story. The narrative we’re writing here together is so dear to me, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve created. Every thought you share with me- the successes in your homes, the trials in your kitchens, and the various other tidbits of your lives that overlap with mine- bear effect on my heart, my cooking, and the future of this site. So thanks for doing this with me, and let’s give it up for the coming year.
Black and White Cake
This black and white cake is fit for today. It’s the kind you put a million candles in and clink glasses of champagne over. This black and white cake is a delightfully rich, moist, and chocolatey way to ring in the people you love and the life moments you celebrate with them. It’s a splendid way to celebrate.
Black and white cake is, as the name suggests, layers of dark chocolate cake with thick clouds of white vanilla frosting. In this recipe, I’ve combined a few personal favorites to make an all out banging treat: the best one-bowl chocolate cake, a boiled vanilla bean frosting, and a rich chocolate ganache that is infused with a sweet berry flavor. This cake is as delicious as it is stunning, and I can promise you don’t want to miss out on it.
Making the Cake
To make this black and white cake, we start with the cake layers. Flour, cocoa powder, and sugar are combined with leavening agents and salt. Eggs, coffee, buttermilk, vanilla, and oil come next and are beat into the dry ingredients until well incorporated and smooth. Bake the batter into three 8″ round pans until puffed and cooked through.
Meanwhile, get started on the ganache. Much like the the ganache we made a few weeks ago, we start by warming a bit of cream to pour over chopped semisweet chocolate. Butter and blackberry jam are added as well, and the whole lot of it gets stirred together until it is smooth. You can set the ganache aside to cool until time of assembling the cake, but if you choose to make it in advance, just be sure to warm it to a spreadable consistency before using.
The Ganache
The ganache layers into the dark chocolate cake rounds, and the whole thing coats with the creamiest boiled frosting. The process of making boiled frosting will seem strange at first, but trust when I say it is WORTH IT. To make it, whisk some milk into a bit of flour in a saucepan on the stovetop. Whisk out all of the clumps to ensure the frosting is as smooth as possible. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking all along, and cook until it has formed a thickened paste. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. After a few minutes, beat the paste into a creamed mixture of butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean until the frosting is light, fluffy, and well incorporated. You will die over how delish this frosting is. Scout’s honor.
This cake is best eaten the day it’s made, but the moist components of this treat will stay tasty for days. If you’ve been wanting to up the ante on your baking game lately, this is the perfect dessert. It’s incredibly forgiving and easy to share.
Enjoy a slice of this black and white cake on my behalf sometime this weekend. You guys are the best blog friends a gal could ask for, so you’ve earned it.
If you like this black and white cake, you should check out:
This black and white cake is creamy, rich, and decadently chocolate with the faintest hint of a berry ganache.
Author:Kate
Prep Time:45
Cook Time:45
Total Time:1 hour 30 minutes
Yield:1
Ingredients
For the cake:
2–1/4 cups (270 gm) all-purpose flour
2–1/4 cups (450 gm) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (60 gm) dark cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2–1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2–1/4 teaspoons corn starch
1–1/2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs (180 gm), room temperature
1–1/4 cups (300 mL) buttermilk, room temperature
3/4 cups (180 mL) black coffee, hot
1/2 cup (120 mL) vegetable oil
1–1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
For the blackberry ganache:
1/3 cup (80 mL) heavy whipping cream
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
¼ cup seedless blackberry jam or preserves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped
For the vanilla bean frosting:
6 tablespoons (50 gm) all-purpose flour
1–1/2 cups (360 mL) whole milk
1–1/2 cups (340 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1–1/2 cups (300 gm) sugar
¼ teaspoon fine kosher salt
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1 cup mixed berries, for garnish
Instructions
To prepare the cake (Adapted from Rosie Alyea):
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 (8″) round cake pans with baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment rounds.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients and stir until combined. In a separate bowl, loosely combine all of the wet ingredients and add to the bowl of the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed for just shy of 2 minutes, scraping the bowl (and bottom of bowl!) twice throughout.
Pour equal amounts of batter in to all 3 pans. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until center is just barely set and toothpick comes out of cake almost clean. Allow to cool in the pans and on a cooling rack for 20 minutes and then remove from pans to continue the cooling process. Cake will stay fresh for 2 days if covered, or, for one month if wrapped well in saran wrap and frozen in freezer. I prefer to freeze my cake layers on a flat surface until just prior to frosting, but this step is not necessary.
To prepare the ganache:
Heat the cream over low heat until barely simmer. Remove from heat and add the chocolate, jam, and butter. Briefly stir the contents of the pan and allow to rest for about 2 minutes. Stir to combine until smooth. If some of the chocolate has not yet melted, put the pan back on very low heat and stir until smooth. Be careful not to scorch the mixture. When smooth, pour the ganache into a bowl and set aside to cool to a thick, peanut butter consistency.
To prepare the vanilla bean frosting (Adapted from Julie Richardson):
Place the flour into a small saucepan and slowly drizzle in 1/3 cup of the milk, whisking all of the while. Be sure to whisk out any clumps. Once smooth, slowly whisk in the remaining milk and place the pan over medium heat. Continue whisking until the mixture comes to a simmer, cooking for an additional minute until thickened to a paste. Remove the paste to a small bowl and place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on top. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
Once the paste has cooled, beat the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean paste in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the milk paste and beat on medium speed for an additional 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Store in an air-tight container until ready to frost the cake.
To assemble the cake:
Use a large serrated knife to level your cake layers. Spread 1/3 of the ganache mixture on top of each cake layer, leaving a 1/2 “border around the perimeter of the cake. Place in the fridge on a cooling rack briefly to set the ganache.
Spread a bit of the frosting on an 8” cake board or your cake plate and then center one of your cake layers directly on top. Spread about 1-1/4 cups of the frosting on top and then add an additional cake layer. Repeat this process and then frost the cake with the remaining frosting. Garnish with fresh berries and store in the fridge if not eating that day. Cake will keep for up to 4 days, but it best served at room temp the day it is prepared.
There should have been maple apple cake. Yes, a birthday can be well-celebrated without stacked autumnal desserts, but if you only turn thirty once, shouldn’t it include the best tasting cake of the year? If you’re celebrating a birthday anytime soon, don’t make my mistake- make sure your party includes this cake.
As you get older, birthdays get kinda weird. Sometimes it feels a little uncomfortable to let people celebrate you the way they might have in your teens or early twenties. There’s usually a million other things to do and a dwindling list of friends who are available to celebrate. Sometimes there are kids involved, which makes the idea of planning any party that you can’t buy in a hyper-themed box set from Target seem like a huge waste of time. Energy, as with most other things in adulthood, is a limiting factor here too, because who actually wants to plan or order one more thing, particularly if it can’t be done from the convenience of the Amazon app on your phone?
On Celebrating
It feels right to celebrate other people. I’m the first one to volunteer a cake or a bubbly cocktail when a friend’s birthday rolls around. I have stacks of birthday cards just waiting to be personalized and delivered to the people I love. But while I adore birthdays or any other excuse for confetti and balloons, there’s a little bit of pride that gets in the way when it comes to celebrating myself. Isn’t that gross?
On one hand, I don’t want to be the self-centered fool who says, “Look at me, look at me, it’s my birthday! Buy me a crown and make me a cake, minion!” But on the other hand, I kinda like the idea of rolling up to my own birthday party feeling like Beyonce- a posse of girlfriends, popped bottles, and self-assured sass in tow. Even the most modest of people have to admit that there’s nothing like being the birthday queen. Candles and champagne, confetti and cheers make even the most conservative human feel like the million bucks they deserve to be on the annual recognition of their birth. Is there anything wrong with wanting to feel the love?
This year, I felt celebrated. My girlfriends changed a scheduled meeting into an impromptu birthday party and my family traveled north to celebrate with presents and pie. My husband treated me to several thoughtful birthday happies, and it didn’t hurt that we wound up in Chicago for my big day. Gifts and cake and cards are fine, but the best part of a birthday is being loved on by the people you love back; no amount of Beyonce can top that feeling.
Maple Apple Cake
My one regret this year is that I didn’t get to eat this maple apple cake.
I want this cake to be my birthday cake. This is the kind of dessert I want to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As heinous it is to admit, I want to frost my entire face with the maple buttercream from this cake and casually lick it off all day long. If that makes me a disgusting human, I frankly do not care.
Here, three rounds of buttermilk cake layer with a syrupy, fresh apple filling and candied nuts. This maple apple cake is a stunner and nothing short of indulgent. The buttercream is sweet with brown sugar and maple syrup and is the perfect addition to such a fall-tasting cake. If warm flavors, fresh fruit, and the optional addition of bourbon sounds like a winning to you, you’re in luck.
Making the Cake
To prepare it, we start by baking up some cake layers. I adapted the cake recipe from this cake. First, the cake layers bake in advance and freeze is needed, making day of cake assembly fairly simple. Next, the apple filling is a make-ahead item consisting of apples, butter, and brown sugar. Finally, if your adult palate is inclined, try a bit of bourbon in the filling. The alcohol cooks off, but those warm bourbon flavors remain. Even the least discerning tastebuds will notice that this cake has a punch of something special.
On the day you assemble the cake, start by preparing frosting, leveling the cakes, and stacking. The apple filling pools between layers with a dam of frosting and gets a sprinkle of nuts. Roasted nuts can be substituted here, but certainly a cake like this deserves the pizazz of caramelized sugar. This maple apple cake keeps in the fridge for a few days, but I can guarantee it won’t last that long.
Give this maple apple cake a try and celebrate your people well this week. Happy Thursday and happy fall, ya’ll!
If you like this maple apple cake, be sure to try:
This maple apple cake is three layers of buttermilk cake filled with a bourbon apple pie filling, candied nuts, and maple buttercream.
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:60
Cook Time:30
Total Time:1 hour 30 minutes
Yield:12
Ingredients
For the apple filling:
2 cups (230 gm) peeled and ¼-1/2” diced apples
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup (115 gm) brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice or good quality bourbon
For the cake:
2–1/2 cups (325 gm) cake flour
2–1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1–1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (225 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 gm) sugar
¾ cup (165 gm) packed brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1–1/2 cups (360 mL) buttermilk
1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla
For the maple buttercream:
2 cups (450 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup (100 gm) brown sugar
4–1/2 cups (510 gm) powdered sugar
1/3 cup (205 gm) maple syrup
1 cup chopped candied pecans (optional)
Instructions
To prepare the apple filling:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the butter, stirring continuously until it melts and barely begins to turn golden brown. Immediately add the apples and stir to combine. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes or until the juices have thickened slightly and the apples have barely softened. Remove the filling to a heat-safe bowl and cool completely prior to using.
To prepare the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides and line the bottoms of 3-8” round cake pans with parchment paper and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add each egg one at a time on low speed, mixing just until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients followed by the vanilla and about half of the buttermilk. Mix until combined and then repeat this process once more, finishing by adding the last third of the dry ingredients. Scrape the sides of the bowl and fold in any unincorporated bits of batter.
Distribute the batter evenly among the three pans and bake in the preheated oven 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool completely prior to assembling cake.
To prepare the maple buttercream:
Cream the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and cream for an additional minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the confectioner’s sugar. Mix on low speed until incorporated and then drizzle in the maple syrup. Beat on medium speed until well combined. If needed, add a bit of water to thin out frosting or add a bit more powdered sugar to thicken up. You can also briefly place the frosting in the fridge to firm up as needed.
To assemble the cake:
Use a serrated knife to level the cakes. Smooth a small amount of frosting on an 8” cake board or plate and center a single cake layer on top. Smooth a thin layer of frosting on top of the cake layer. Using a piping bag (see notes) fitted with a large round tip, pipe a dam around the outer rim of the top of the cake. The dam should be at least ¼-1/2” tall to prevent the apple filling from squirting out the sides. Spread approximately half of the apple filling inside the dam and sprinkle with about 1/3 of the nuts. Pipe a bit of frosting on top of the apple filling to help the next layer of cake stick. Stack the second cake layer on top and repeat the entire process once more. Place the final cake layer on top. Spread a thin coat of frosting (crumb coat) all over the cake and allow it to set up in the fridge prior to applying the final coat of frosting. You can skip this step if desired. Decorate the top of the cake with a few nuts and extra frosting, if desired. Cake will keep in the refrigerator covered in plastic for up to three days.
Notes
If you don’t have a piping bag, you can place 1-1/2 cups of frosting in a freezer Ziploc bag. Seal the bag and snip one of the corners off the end of the bag and use that to pipe frosting.
You can substitute different varieties of berries here, but the amount of sugar needed in the filling will differ based on which berry you choose. Adjust according to your preference.
Hi friends and happy Thursday! I have something a little out of the ordinary for you all today but I have a feeling you crazy cake lovers are gonna go nuts for it. It’s a smash cake tutorial! If there are little ones in your life that you want to celebrate well, or if you just really want to dig into a cutesy mini cake all on your own, today’s tutorial is just perfect for you.
George’s First Birthday!
A few weeks ago, we celebrated baby George’s first birthday. The year that has passed since his birth was one of my favorites yet, and it seemed only right that we celebrate this little buddy the best that we could. We hosted a gathering of friends and family at our home, complete with cake, corn hole, and birthday crowns. The weather was just right and many of our friends showed up, kids in tow, for what ended up being a giant, outdoor free-for-all for more than 30 kids. (Seriously, I think my friends could re-populate the nation if need be.)
The kids ran and threw balls, played in the mud and munched on cookies while the parentals sipped cocktails and chatted. We all know first birthday parties are really just an excuse for moms to throw a celebration, but I’d say it was a success. Luckily, my friend Meghan was there to capture the day, so I get to share some images with you guys! Check it out:
A Few DIYs
There were a ton of fun blog recipes and DIYs that made this day personalized and delicious. You might recall the painted sugar cookies from a tutorial that I shared last year. The cocktails were honey basil margaritas, another blog favorite, that were a sweet and sour way to cool off from the warm summer air. The cake was a certain raspberry streusel cake that we all know and love, and even the ice cream, coffee cookie dough, was a no-churn recipe that I shared with you all a few weeks ago.
My mom and I made the balloon arch following a tutorial that I found on the fabulous blog, The House that Lars Built. It was a process, but a ton of fun to make and I think it really added something special. The piñata was also homemade and was similar to one that I made for Aimee’s first birthday party following a fun DIY that I found on 100 Layer Cakelet blog. If you have any ideas for future DIYS, I’d love to hear about them! These are certainly some fun ones you should consider adding to your next occasion.
The Cakes!
And what’s a birthday without a layer cake and candles? It would be a shame if I threw my kids a party without making cake, right? I made one large cake for our party guests and one (slightly larger than normal) smash cake for George to dig in to. Since the party, I’ve had several people ask me about making smash cakes for their own littles and I thought this might be a good opportunity to share some DIY decorating ideas with you all. I’ve prepared a few simple cakes that will hopefully inspire you to make mini cakes of your own next time you are celebrating a special little gal or guy. Let’s get started!
To begin, you’ll need:
-A few small cake layers. I prefer to use 6″ cake layers, but you can certainly use a 4″ or 5″ pan as well. I use these pans to bake 3 layers. You can use any of your favorite recipes, but if you want a sure thing, try halving this chocolate or this vanilla cake recipe. Perfect every time. If you use smaller pans or bake few layers, be sure to not overfill your pans as this can cause underbaked cakes and messy oven spills.
-3 to 4 cups of frosting. I used a plain vanilla frosting for these cakes, but adjust as desired.
-A 6″ cake board. Cake boards aren’t necessary but certainly make decorating and transporting the cake a bit easier. You can just barely see the cake board in all of my photos.
-A cake turntable. Again, this isn’t necessary but certainly makes frosting your cake a TON easier. Consider investing in one of the inexpensive models or jump to the big leagues with something like this.
–An offset spatula. It’s less than $6 and will make your life so much easier. If you’re currently frosting cakes with a knife or a bowl scraper, just buy one of these, ok?
Flower Smash Cake
I always say, when in doubt, just throw some flowers on it. Decorating with flowers and greenery can take a plain frosted smash cake to a sweetly styled work of art. I typically like to use flowers that I can find at my local store or florist, but there are tons of ways to put a little nature on your cake. If you’re unsure about using fresh blooms on your cake, take some time to practice with silk flowers and greenery like I did in the following photos.
How To
Before styling your florals, frost and chill your cake as desired. Here, I’ve used 3 thin 6″ vanilla cake layers coated with a vanilla cream cheese buttercream. You can half this cake and frosting recipe to yield enough for your mini smash cake. Coat the outside of the cake in a thin layer of frosting so that a bit of the cake edges show. Chill the cake briefly in the fridge to allow the frosting to set up slightly and then begin arranging! I like to use a variety of blooms, leaves, and twigs in different shapes and shades, but you can use any variety you like. Start by adding some flat leaves, twigs, or stems to the top of the cake and then arrange one or two larger blooms on top. Fill in any unsightly gaps with smaller flowers, berries, or filler.
For George’s birthday cake, I knew I wanted to use natural elements as decoration but I didn’t want the cake to be too feminine. As an alternative to flowers, I used some greenery and stems from my neighbor’s garden. To achieve a similar effect, you can purchase eucalyptus, olive leaves, or other green filler from your florist and arrange it in a minimalistic fashion on top of your cake. Get creative and know that practice makes perfect! The more you work with florals, the more comfortable you’ll get with arranging them on your layer cakes.
Stenciled Sprinkle Smash Cake
You can decorate your smash cake with a word or a number in less than 5 minutes and with minimal effort. Simply print out a word or number on a sheet of computer paper. The number should be slightly smaller than the size of your cake. Use an X-Acto knife or scissors to cut out your shape and create a stencil. Center the stencil on top of the slightly chilled cake and sprinkle small nonpariels on top to fill it in. Be sure not to get too many sprinkles outside of the stencil our you’ll be picking them off your cake! Press down lightly to adhere the sprinkles to the cake and remove the stencil. You can use a careful hand or a pair of tweezers to pick off any rogue sprinkles.
I like to use nonpariels, but if you have a different variety of small sprinkles that you’d like to use, feel free! You could also sprinkle on small candies, cocoa powder, or finely chopped nuts.
Ombre Smash Cake
Frosting an ombre cake remains one of my favorite ways to decorate a smash cake. To get started, all you’ll need is a small, crumb-coated smash cake, about 1-1/2 cups of white frosting, gel food coloring, and an offset spatula.
Evenly divide your frosting into 3 small bowls. Add a small drop of your gel food coloring into one of the bowls, keeping in mind that you can always add more food coloring, but it’s a challenge to lighten the frosting once you’ve added too much. Stir well with a spatula and then color your remaining bowls of frosting as desired. I typically use 3 shades of the same color and just add more or less food coloring to each bowl to achieve my color gradient.
How to Frost an Ombre Cake
Top your smash cake with your lightest or darkest shade. Smooth out the colored frosting on top of the cake using an offset spatula and push any extra frosting off the edge of the top of the cake onto the top third of the sides of the cake as well. Don’t worry about making it smooth yet, just be sure that all sides of the cake have some of that frosting on it. Move on to the next shade and spackle it onto the middle third of your cake. Finish with the final color on the bottom third of the cake and gently work to smooth it out over each side.
Holding your spatula parallel to the cake, smooth the sides of the frosting out. The more you spread out your frosting the more that the colors will blend together, so be sure to not overwork it. Clean off your spatula occasionally to ensure that the colors don’t get muddled together as you go over different parts of your cake. Check out this ombre cake tutorial for more help. Rosie does a great job explaining the technique and it’s super helpful to watch her do it in her video. She also sells some gorgeous sprinkle blends that you may want to top your cake with so be sure to check those out!
Rustic Frosted Smash Cake
One of my favorite ways to decorate a smash cake also happens to be the easiest. Rustic or “messy” frosted cakes are all the rage. These cakes require no perfection, no straight edges, no perfectly piped swirls of frosting. All that is needed to create these beauties is a little creativity and an offset spatula.
The How To
To frost one of your own, start with a thinly frosted smash cake. Allow the cake to chill briefly in the fridge and then use your offset spatula to spackle frosting onto the sides of your cake. You may decide to go for big swoops, parallel lines, or thin stripes of frosting. Whatever you choose, just begin adding frosting to the sides of your cake and smooth out the top edge once finished. The great news is that if you mess up- no problem! Just smooth out the frosting and start all over again. When you’re finished, top the cake with a cute candle or topper. For more rustic cake inspiration, be sure to flip through my Instagram feed.
Ok, now that you guys know all of the cute and simple ways to decorate your kiddo’s smash cakes, I wanna see them! I gain so much inspiration from you guys so if you’ve created some recently or in the past that you think I might like, please shoot me an email. If you have any ideas for future tutorials, holler at me in the comments section below so that I can get cracking. Let’s just learn all the different ways to create beautiful food for the people we love, okay? Have a great week and be sure to pop by next Tuesday. We’re going to be talking biscuits and sandwiches and Father’s Day, so you’ll want your appetite. Cheers to you and Happy Thursday!
If you like this smash cake tutorial, you might also like:
Today, my sweet George turns one. The little guy who gave us a fright by coming a few weeks early. The baby who greets me every morning with smiles and wildly kicking legs. My bittiest buddy turns one today and while we’ll celebrate his life this weekend with friends, balloons, and even this raspberry streusel cake, today I’m thinking about all the days it took us to get here and the opportunity of the days that are to come.
Sometimes I find myself daydreaming about what memories my kids will have of me. Maybe the smell of homemade honey oat bread when they come home from school. They might recall sprinkling chocolate chips into the bowl of the stand mixer or drizzling honey on the tops of biscuits fresh from the oven. Maybe the sound of butter sizzling, popping on the stove top, or even me cursing under my breath at a burned wrist or a scorched sauce.
Baking as an Act of Love
My hope is that my time spent in the kitchen will one day translate to my kids as an act of love. I want them to know that the time spent frosting birthday cakes and flipping pancakes and blowing on hot mugs of marshmallow-topped cocoa was an effort to celebrate their existence. To breathe life and fun into the ordinary moments we shared together.
The part that makes me smile and puffs my chest with hope is that I really think they’ll get it. I think they’ll know.
Like with anything else, time and effort takes intention. And when your intentions are to feed your family, not just physically, but also emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, there’s bound to be love found in those spaces. In the years to come, every bite of cake and lit birthday candle has the potential to serve as an homage to the affection we shared in those brief moments around the table and in the kitchen.
So if my children read this someday, please know that you are the reason for so many meals, so many plates of desserts. You make pans of cinnamon rolls and slices of homemade bread worthwhile. You make ordinary moments an opportunity for a memory, a chance to connect.
And to my darling George- you are a quiet and gentle joy that I didn’t know I needed. Your life is brimming with possibility and hope, and I pray that I get to celebrate a lifetime of birthdays by your side.
Raspberry Streusel Cake
Now that I’m officially a ball of emotions, let’s talk about this raspberry streusel cake.
This cake is so many things. So many flavors, so many textures, so many tastebuds fully satisfied. The sweetest part? You can make almost all of the cake elements in advance. I just love an impressive dessert that is a cinch to put together.
Making the Cake
To start, we make the cake layers. These are vanilla butter cakes sweetened with both brown and white sugar, with an extra egg thrown in for insurance. The cake layers are thin, which is perfect, because the star of this show is all of the fillings that go in between them. First, a sweet and tart raspberry filling that takes just a few ingredients and less than 10 minutes to throw together. In a pinch, you could substitute a high quality jam or preserve, but it’s so easy to put together that there’s hardly any reason not to.
The Streusel
Next, the streusel crumbs. These brown sugar cinnamon crumbles are impossible to stop eating and add a delightful crunch in between all of the soft filling, frosting, and cake layers. I prefer to let my crumbs get even a little extra crunchy because they will soften slightly once they get inside the cake. The proverbial and literal icing on this raspberry streusel cake is a simple cream cheese buttercream. This frosting is sweet enough to offset the raspberries, but has just enough tang to stand on it’s own. This is the only cream cheese frosting recipe you’ll ever want to make from here on out. Scout’s honor.
The Raspberry Compote
Once all of the elements for this raspberry streusel cake are made, you can assemble the cake as desired. I pipe a dam of frosting around each layer of cake and then fill in the dam with the raspberry compote. Each layer gets a sprinkle of streusel crumbs as they are stacked together, and then the whole cake gets a healthy coating of frosting. If you need a brush up on cake baking tips prior to assembling this raspberry streusel cake, check out my favorite hints that I typed out here.
I plan to serve this raspberry streusel cake at George’s birthday party this weekend, and you can’t say you blame me! This decadent treat is a celebration cake if there’s ever been one, with each bite offering a new taste, different in flavor and texture from the last. I sincerely hope you’ll consider making this for your next celebration- you won’t be disappointed.
Happy birthday to my little George and happy Thursday to all of you. Cheers!
If you like this raspberry streusel cake, you should try:
This raspberry streusel cake is three layers of vanilla butter cake filled with a raspberry compote and sprinkled with brown sugar streusel crumbs.
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:90
Cook Time:45
Total Time:2 hours 15 minutes
Yield:12
Ingredients
For the streusel crumbs
1/3 cup (40 gm) flour
1/3 cup (70 gm) brown sugar
1/3 cup (30 gm) quick cooking oats
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
3 tablespoons (40 gm) unsalted butter, melted
For the raspberry filling
1–1/2 cups (150 gm) raspberries (frozen or fresh)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
¼ cup (50 gm) sugar
For the cake
2–1/2 cups (325 gm) cake flour
2–1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1–1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (225 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 gm) sugar
¾ cup (165 gm) packed brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1–1/2 cups (360 mL) buttermilk
1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla
For the frosting
1–1/2 cups (285 gm) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 block/ 8 ounces (225 gm) cream cheese, room temperature
½ teaspoon salt
1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Appx. 5 cups/ 1-1/2 pounds (680 gm) of powdered sugar
Instructions
To prepare the streusel crumbs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk the flour, brown sugar, oats, and salt together in a medium sized bowl. Add the melted butter and fold together until the ingredients clump into dime-sized bits. Spread out on a sheet pan and bake in the preheated oven, tossing occasionally, for 10-12 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown. Allow to cool completely before using or storing. Streusel can be made ahead and stored at room temperature for a week, or in the freezer for a couple of months.
To prepare the raspberry filling
Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir well to evenly coat the raspberries. As the raspberries cook, smash with the back of a fork or with a potato masher. Once the mixture is smooth, bring to a boil, stirring regularly, until the mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from heat to a small bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap. Chill completely in the refrigerator completely prior to using.
To prepare the cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides and line the bottoms of 3-8” round cake pans with parchment paper and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add each egg one at a time on low speed, mixing just until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients followed by the vanilla and about half of the buttermilk. Mix until combined and then repeat this process once more, finishing by adding the last third of the dry ingredients. Scrape the sides of the bowl and fold in any unincorporated bits of batter.
Distribute the batter evenly among the three pans and bake in the preheated oven 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool completely prior to assembling cake.
To prepare the frosting
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed (I use 4 on my stand mixer) for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy, scraping the bowl as necessary. Add the cream cheese and beat to incorporate for an additional minute. Add the salt, vanilla, and powdered sugar and beat on low speed until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and continue to beat until well combined. Do not overbeat as this can cause the cream cheese to loosen. If needed, add a tablespoon of water or milk at a time to get the frosting the right consistency. Refrigerate as needed to thicken the frosting up.
To assemble the cake
Use a serrated knife to level the cakes. Smooth a small amount of frosting on an 8” cake board or plate and center a single cake layer on top. Using a piping bag (see notes) fitted with a large round tip, pipe a dam around the outer rim of the top of the cake. The dam should be at least ¼” tall to prevent the raspberry filling from squirting out the sides. Spread approximately half of the raspberry filling inside the dam and sprinkle with about 1/3 of the streusel crumbs. Pipe a bit of frosting on top of the raspberry filling to help the next layer of cake stick. Stack the second cake layer on top and repeat the entire process once more. Place the final cake layer on top. Spread a thin coat of frosting (crumb coat) all over the cake and allow it to set up in the fridge prior to applying the final coat of frosting. You can skip this step if desired. Decorate the top of the cake with a few streusel crumbs and spare raspberries, if desired. Cake will keep in the refrigerator covered in plastic for up to three days.
Notes
Notes
If you don’t have a piping bag, you can place 1-1/2 cups of frosting in a freezer Ziploc bag. Seal the bag and snip one of the corners off the end of the bag and use that to pipe frosting.
You can substitute different varieties of berries here, but the amount of sugar needed in the filling will differ based on which berry you choose. Adjust according to your preference.
