Category Archives: Dessert

Angel Food Cake (GF and Regular)

Posted in Cake, Dessert, Fruit, Gluten Free, Summer by

I have very fond memories of angel food cake from my childhood. This cake is so light and fluffy, and goes so well with so many toppings, which is probably why we ate it at lots of family birthday celebrations. So in honor of my birthday tomorrow, my grandmother’s birthday on Wednesday, and my mom’s birthday next Sunday (yes Septembers were really crazy in our house), I wanted to share these recipes with you all.

While I was home in California this summer, I decided to do a taste test and bake a regular angel food cake, and a gluten free version (my mom has celiac disease). My awesome friend Jenny (who also has a birthday this coming week) helped, and I have to say they were both equally delicious. So if you’re entertaining anyone in the near future who has celiacs, I definitely recommend this cake. And if not, well go ahead and make it for yourself. Just be prepared to go through a carton of egg whites!

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Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

Posted in Cake, Dessert, Fruit by

Once strawberries are in season, I usually buy several containers every week. I just can’t get enough. I saw this recipe and knew I had to partake. Buttermilk always does something so amazing to dough, it’s so light and airy. And the strawberries just make it even better. I’m dairy free so I didn’t serve it with anything else, but this would have been amazing with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!
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Raspberry Macaroons

Posted in Cookies, Dessert, Gluten Free by

So these were actually a special request from my friend Sarah. And since Sarah graciously helped me with the redesign of this blog, I figured I had to make something when she requested it. Plus, I needed to make a dessert while I was home in CA, and since these are gluten free, it was perfect. And oh dear. I am so glad Sarah requested these because they are amazing!! I don’t always love raspberries in desserts, but for some reason they go so well with the coconut! Also, these are so simple, especially if you have a food processor.

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Guest Post: Homemade Reese’s Cups

Posted in Dessert, Gluten Free by

I’ve decided to occasionally have guest posts (occasionally should be read as whenever a friend volunteers). Here is my first, written by the amazing Sarah Layton.

Sarah Layton is an avid baker and meal-maker when the time, ingredients, and cravings all meet at the right time. She lives in Washington, DC, and can be stalked at @saraholinger.

I went camping a couple weekends ago and had leftover s’more supplies. After a quick, mouthwatering Google search for a recipe to use up dark chocolate, I chose to forgo ridiculous brownie/cake concoctions and decided to try my hand at candies. Still looking for something to do with those marshmallows…

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Peach Cake with Peach Cream Cheese Frosting and Burnt Sugar Shards

Posted in Cake, Dessert, Fruit, Summer by

As you know by now, I recently threw a birthday party and went slightly overboard with dessert (think two cakes as well as cupcakes). This was one of the cakes that I made – and if I say so myself, by far the best one. Sometimes fruit cakes tend to lose the flavor of the fruit they’re supposed to embody, but this one absolutely does not. You can taste the peach in both the cake and the frosting, and the cake is even topped with a few peaches that you cook down. I highly recommend this cake for a summer birthday or party.

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Salted Caramel Brownies

Posted in Bars, Dessert by

So if you’re looking for a dessert that will present super well, don’t make these. BUT if you’re looking for something that is just ridiculously good, and will melt in your mouth (and in your hands), then this is the dish you should make. These salted caramel brownies are amazing, while also a tad messy. But sometimes a little mess is good, well really only when it comes to food, otherwise I tend to avoid messes. The type-A part of me doesn’t deal well!

A few weeks ago I decided to go a little over the top for the dessert course of a dinner we were throwing. When I say over the top, I mean I had as many kinds of cookies as we did people. Oops. Blame it on needing blog material. So while these may not have been the prettiest item on the plate (that went to the awesome strawberry lemonade bars), they were definitely one of the items everyone kept coming back to.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Posted in Dessert, Fruit, Gluten Free, Pies/Tarts/Crumbles, Summer by

Last year I did a post on the basic pie and crumble/crisp/cobbler recipe. But I just realized, I never actually told you how to make my favorite – the strawberry rhubarb cobbler (not that there’s much to know, pretty simple). As you know, I love anything with strawberry and rhubarb (see here). And in the summer, when you can find rhubarb, I just can’t get enough of this cobbler. So, go buy some rhubarb today before the season ends (mid-spring through the end of July).

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Cake Decorating 101

Posted in Cake, Dessert by

There’s just something so fun about decorating a cake. Perhaps it’s because it really just feels like a middle school art class. But here’s the thing, people don’t actually love cake as much as they do other desserts. So I now try to hold off on making them unless it’s for a special occasion. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t go over the top with decorations every chance I get. There’s really no rules to cake decorating besides having fun with it. Simple is great, and so is over the top. So below I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite techniques I’ve done. Note: for the pictures of my creations, a lot of them are from my pre-blog days, so I apologize for the quality of the photos!

1. Straws – I got this idea originally from Pinterest and I’ve done it in two different ways in the last year. For the first, I used two straws to create a mini bunting strand that said happy birthday. Very easy, but very effective. For the frosting itself, I just did a messy layer. To get this messy layer, use a knife with a rounded edge and sort of move it in swooping motions. The less perfect, the better.

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Strawberry Lemonade Bars

Posted in Bars, Dessert, Summer by

There are certain foods that just instantly make you think of summer – watermelon, peaches, strawberries, anything bbq’ed, corn on the cob, and the list goes on. After making these strawberry lemonade bars, I’m definitely adding them to the list. They are absolutely amazing. There’s something about the sour combo of the traditional lemon bar with the sweetness of the strawberry that just makes you want to never stop eating these treats.
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The Most Patriotic Cake Ever – An American Flag

Posted in Cake, Dessert, Holiday by

So if you’re hosting a little Fourth of July get together, or are in charge of bringing dessert to the BBQ you are attending, then pay attention. This cake is what you should bring. And the best part is that it’s really versatile. Even if you don’t get a chance to make it this week for the Fourth, you can make it another time! I’ve done it as two round cake layers for birthdays, and as a large rectangle that I decorated as a flag for the Fourth last year. I even just did it yesterday for the joint birthday party I threw (more pictures to come)!

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