Before we delve into the process of making browned butter, let's understand what it actually is. Also known as buerre noisette in French, is simply butter that has been cooked until the milk proteins in it turn a golden brown color, resulting in a nutty flavor profile. This process intensifies the butter's natural flavors, making it a delightful addition to your favorite recipes.

What The Heck Is Brown Butter?

If you've ever eaten a chocolate chip cookie, you know how magical brown butter can taste. That crispy crunchy browned bottom of the cookie is the butter browning naturally during the cooking process. This browning is called the Maillard reaction which is when heat is applied to foods and creates a bunch of new and complex flavors that weren't there before heating. I could go on and on but I won't bore you. Just trust me, it's amazing!

When you make browned butter, you can add that magical flavor to any recipe like brown butter cake, brown butter buttercream, and even brown butter chocolate chip cookies (because why not?)

What Kind Of Butter Should You Use?

To achieve the best results, it is crucial to select the right butter for making browned butter. Opt for unsalted butter, as it allows you to have better control over the saltiness of your final dish.

Remember, when you brown butter, you're actually evaporating some of the liquid out of the butter as well so you're condensing the flavor. Look for high-quality, European-style butter with a higher butterfat content, as this will yield richer and more flavorful result. I love Kerrygold or Plugra but you can really use any kind of butter.

How to make brown butter step-by-step

1. Start by melting the butter: Place the butter in the bottom of the pan or heavy bottom skillet over medium heat. It's best to use a light-colored pan to help you watch the browning process more easily. A heavy bottom and wide pan will help distribute the heat more evenly and allow the butter to melt and brown more evenly.
2. Heating and melting: As the butter melts, it will go through different stages. Initially, it will start to foam, and the milk solids will sink to the bottom. I use a wooden spoon or a whisk to occasionally mix the butter so that all the butter solids brown evenly. If you don't mix then the butter solids could burn.
3. Brown the milk solids: Continue cooking the butter until you notice a change in color. The liquid will start to turn a deep yellow and the milk solids will gradually turn golden brown and emit a nutty aroma.
4. Keep a close eye on the process, as the butter can go from browned to burnt quickly. Once you see the butter solids have reached a nice golden brown, remove the pan from the heat. Continue stirring occasionally for a few minutes because the residual heat will continue to brown the milk solids.
5. Straining: You can run the melted butter through a sieve or cheesecloth to remove the browned solids or you can leave them in. I personally love the look of the little brown specks in my baked goods and frosting so I leave it in.
6. Cooling: If your recipe calls for your butter to be soft but not melted (which most baking recipes do) then you'll want your browned butter to firm up. I pour mine into a shallow baking sheet and let it solidify at room temperature or if you're in a hurry, you can pop it in the fridge for about 20 minutes. You can also store it in a heat proof bowl. Make sure you let the butter cool a bit before storing it. Once the butter has solidified at room temperature, you can mix the butter to distribute the browned bits.

Tips for Success 

• Pay attention: The browning process can happen quickly, so stay vigilant and stir the butter occasionally to prevent burning.
• Start with room-temperature butter so that it melts evenly and the butter doesn't start browning too quickly before all the butter is melted. Cold butter will also splatter a lot more. If your butter is cold, cut it into small cubes and it will be soft enough to melt in about 15 minutes.
• Medium to medium-low heat: Avoid high heat, as it can lead to uneven browning and increase the risk of burning the butter.
• Quality over quantity: Start with a small stick of butter, especially if you are new to making browned butter. It will be easier to control the process with a small amount of butter and achieve the desired results.
• Experiment with variations: Once you've mastered the basic technique, don't be afraid to experiment. Try adding herbs, spices, or even citrus zest to infuse additional flavors into your browned butter for use in sweet or savory recipes.
• Once your browned butter has firmed up but is still spreadable, you can whip it up to distribute the brown flecks or even add in some honey to make browned honey butter. SOOO good.

The Best Way To Use Brown Butter

Browned butter's unique flavor can elevate a multitude of dishes. Here are a few ideas to inspire your culinary adventures:

• Use browned butter in place of regular butter in any of your favorite recipes to add another layer of flavor and complexity.
• Toss cooked pasta in browned butter, along with fresh herbs and grated Parmesan cheese, for a simple and flavorful pasta sauce.
• Vegetable enhancement: Brown butter works wonders with roasted vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, asparagus, or cauliflower, lending them a delectable nutty taste.

There's a reason they call browned butter "liquid gold". It's literally so valuable in baking and savory recipes. It's such an easy way to elevate basically any recipe so why not?

FAQ

Recipes That Use Brown Butter

• Brown Butter Cake
• Brown Butter Buttercream
• Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe

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Brown Butter Recipe

How to make browned butter to add a nutty, caramalized flavor to all your recipes.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 minute minute

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 11 minutes minutes

Servings 9 oz

Calories 271kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Light-colored saucepan
• Whisk

Ingredients

• 12 oz unsalted butter

Instructions

• Cut the unsalted butter into squares and place them into a heavy bottom, wide saucepan and melt it on medium heat. 
• Whisk the butter every 1-3 minutes. As it melts, the butter will foam up.
• After about 5 minutes, you will begin to see the butter turning a darker yellow and less foam will be present. Continue ocassionally whisking.
• You will smell a nutty, caramel aroma coming from the butter when it's done.
• Once you see the butter solids starting to turn a golden brown color (not black) you can remove everything from the heat. Continue whisking a bit while it cools down so it doesn't burn from the residual heat.
• You can strain the butter to remove the brown flecks or leave them in. Your browned butter is now ready to use!

Video

Notes

Use unsalted butter so your browned butter is not too salty.

Start with room-temperature butter so it doesn't splatter or burn while it's melting.

Use a high-quality, European-style butter for the best flavor.

Brown your butter over medium to medium-low heat and whisk frequently to prevent burning.

Nutrition

Serving: 1oz | Calories: 271kcal | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 9mg | Vitamin A: 945IU | Calcium: 9mg

The post How To Make Brown Butter The Easy Way appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

The flavor combination of tart orange sherbet and creamy vanilla ice cream is classic and so nostalgic! A combination of tart, sweet, and tangy flavors creates the perfect balance. The ingredients in this cake recreate that childhood memory in a cake that won't melt in your hand! It is the perfect summer dessert. 

Ingredients

Orange juice concentrate: This ingredient is perfect for getting the most orange flavor into the cake. It is orange juice that has had a lot of the water removed, so the orange flavor is intense. This is why you add cold water to it when you make a pitcher of orange juice from concentrate. It adds a lot of flavor without too much liquid. You will need to cook your orange juice down if you are using fresh, to remove some of the water. 

Citric Acid: This is a weak, naturally occurring acid found in citrus fruits and is what you taste on the outside of sour candies. A little bit adds some tartness, but you don't want to add too much as it will throw off the chemical balance of the cake. 

Orange zest: Orange juice adds a lot of flavor, but the zest is where the fragrant uniquely orange flavor and smell come from. Adding orange zest gives the cake another layer of flavor and has the whole house smelling like an orange grove

Cake Flour: This type of flour has a protein level of 9% or less, so look for a flour that specifies protein content or ask your local flour supply. If you’re located in another country, you can find cake flour but it might need to be ordered online. In the UK, look for Shipton mills cake and pastry flour. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

I love making sheet cakes because they don't require a ton of complicated decorating. Mascarpone frosting or stabilized whipped cream both go really well with this cake, it all depends on your preference. Top with some fresh orange slices and you're ready to serve!

Making Orange Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 335℉ and make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature (milk, eggs, orange juice, butter). 
2. Prepare a standard rectangle 9-inch x 13-inch sheet cake pan with cake goop on the sides and parchment paper on the bottom. This recipe will also work in two 8" round cake pans.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine together the cake flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk and set aside.
4. Measure the milk, orange juice concentrate, oil, eggs, extracts, and zest in a small bowl and whisk to combine. 
5. Add the room-temperature butter to the dry ingredients in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
6. Add in ⅓ of the wet ingredients mixture, turn it up to medium speed, and mix for one full minute. The batter will look lighter in color and fluffier. Make sure to scrape the bowl.
7. Add in the drops of food color and citric acid and mix until combined.
8. Slowly pour in the remaining liquid and mix on low speed until just combined. 
9. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake it for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. 
10. Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan, and then flip it out onto a cooling rack. You can also leave it in the pan and serve it from there.
11. Once the cake has cooled completely, place it on a serving tray.

Making Mascarpone Frosting

1. Mascarpone frosting is the perfect pairing, but stabilized whipped cream is a great, light combination as well.
2. In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese and mix with the whisk attachment or an electric mixer. 
3. Once the chunks have smoothed out, add the vanilla and powdered sugar and blend until combined. 
4. In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks. 
5. Fold about 2 cups of whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Repeat with the remaining cream until it's all incorporated.

Decorating the Cake

1. Frost the top (and sides, optional) of the cool cake with a plentiful amount of fluffy mascarpone frosting. 
2. Slice fresh oranges into wedges and place them on top of the cake in a geometric pattern. 
3. Pipe some shells of frosting in a pattern on top of the cake.
4. Store this cake wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Because of the mascarpone cheese frosting, the frosted cake needs to be refrigerated if you are not serving it within 2 hours. The whipped topping can melt at warmer temperatures, so take note if it is exposed to sunlight.

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Orange Creamsicle Cake

This orange creamsicle cake tastes just like the frozen ice cream bars I used to enjoy when I was a kid. The secret is using real orange juice concentrate, orange zest and a super creamy frosting. This orange creamsicle cake recipe will be a huge hit, having you humming the ice cream truck song all day long. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8 cups

Calories 1097kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 1 9" x 13" cake pan

Ingredients

Orange Cake Ingredients

• 10 ounces cake flour
• 10 ounces granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon citric acid optional
• 6 ounces unsalted butter softened
• 7 ounces orange juice concentrate defrosted at room temperature
• 4 ounces milk warmed
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 2 teaspoons orange extract
• 1 zest orange
• 2 ounces vegetable oil
• 1-2 drops yellow food coloring
• 1 drop orange food coloring

Mascarpone Frosting

• 16 ounces mascarpone cheese softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Orange Cake

• Preheat your oven to 335℉ and make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature (milk, eggs, orange juice, butter). 
• Prepare a standard rectangle 9-inch x 13-inch sheet cake pan with cake goop on the sides and parchment paper on the bottom. This recipe will also work in two 8" round cake pans.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine together the cake flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk and set aside.
• Measure the milk, orange juice concentrate, oil, eggs, extracts, and zest in a small bowl and whisk to combine. 
• Add the room-temperature butter to the dry ingredients in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
• Add in ⅓ of the wet ingredients mixture, turn it up to medium speed, and mix for one full minute. The batter will look lighter in color and fluffier. Make sure to scrape the bowl.
• Add in the drops of food color and citric acid and mix until combined.
• Slowly pour in the remaining liquid and mix on low speed until just combined. 
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake it for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. 
• Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan, and then flip it out onto a cooling rack. You can also leave it in the pan and serve it from there.
• Once the cake has cooled completely, place it on a serving tray.

Making Mascarpone Frosting

• In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese and mix with the whisk attachment or an electric mixer. 
• Once the chunks have smoothed out, add the vanilla and powdered sugar and blend until combined. 
• In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks. 
• Fold about 2 cups of whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Repeat with the remaining cream until it's all incorporated.

Decorating the Cake

• Frost the top (and sides, optional) of the cool cake with a plentiful amount of fluffy mascarpone frosting. 
• Slice fresh oranges into wedges and place them on top of the cake in a geometric pattern. 
• Pipe some shells of frosting in a pattern on top of the cake.
• Store this cake wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Because of the mascarpone cheese frosting, the frosted cake needs to be refrigerated if you are not serving it within 2 hours. The whipped topping can melt at warmer temperatures, so take note if it is exposed to sunlight.

Notes

1. Weigh your ingredients to avoid cake failure. Using a kitchen scale for baking is super easy and gives you the best results every single time. 
2. Make sure all your cold ingredients are room temperature or slightly warm (butter, milk, eggs, to create a cohesive batter. Curdled batter causes cakes to collapse.
3. No buttermilk? You can make your own buttermilk 
4. To prevent blueberries from sinking, I wash them (to get them wet) then roll them in flour. Then I add them to the batter halfway through baking
5. Do not fall for the "just add cornstarch to regular flour" trick. It does not work for this recipe. Your cake will look and taste like cornbread. If you can't find cake flour, use pastry flour which isn't quite as soft as cake flour but it's better than all-purpose flour. 
6. Make your own pan release (cake goop!) The best pan release ever! 
7. If you're in the UK search for Shipton mills cake and pastry flour. If you're in another part of the country, search for low protein cake flour.
8. Need more help with making your first cake? Check out my how to decorate your first cake blog post. 
9. Mascarpone frosting is the perfect pairing, but stabilized whipped cream is a great, light combination as well.
10. In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese and mix with the whisk attachment or an electric mixer. 
11.  

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 1097kcal | Carbohydrates: 97g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 73g | Saturated Fat: 45g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 281mg | Sodium: 381mg | Potassium: 402mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 68g | Vitamin A: 2671IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 213mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Orange Creamsicle Cake appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

To find the best egg replacer, I decided to use my easy chocolate cake recipe as the base recipe and tested out different types of egg replacers to see which one made the best-tasting eggless cake. Keep in mind that if you decide to do your own testing with a different recipe, you might find that a different egg replacer works better for you.

Ingredients

Applesauce: The most important ingredient in this recipe is of course the unsweetened applesauce, which is what we are using in place of eggs but be sure to read the full blog post for other egg substitutes that you might want to try. 

Coffee: This enhances the chocolate flavor of the cake, and it does NOT taste like coffee. If you don't want to use coffee though, you can just use hot water. 

Cocoa powder: I'm using Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder but you can use any kind you like.

Step-by-step instructions

This is a very easy, one-bowl cake recipe and is a great recipe for anyone who likes chocolate cake. You just add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mix for two minutes, add the coffee and it's done! Ermine is my favorite frosting because it's light, fluffy, and not too sweet. Other good options for eggless frosting are my traditional American buttercream, stabilized whipped cream, or ganache chocolate frosting.

Making the cake

1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and prepare two 8"x2" cake pans with cake goop or another preferred type of pan release and parchment paper. 
2. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for a few seconds until combined. You can also do this with a hand mixer and a large bowl if you prefer.
3. Add in the applesauce, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl. 
4. Turn the mixer down to low and add in the hot coffee and mix until just it's just combined. 
5. Pour the batter into your prepared cake pans.
6. Bake the cakes in your preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
7. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes and then flip them out to cool on a wire rack. I wrap my cakes in plastic wrap and freeze them for at least 30 minutes to lock in moisture.

Making ermine frosting

1. Whisk together your flour and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 2 minutes to toast the flour. Be careful not to burn it! 
2. Slowly add in your milk, whisk to combine, and bring your heat to medium-high. 
3. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisk continuously until it is thick and pudding-like. Once it's simmering, cook for one minute more to make sure the flour taste is cooked out. 
4. (Optional) If your mixture has any lumps, place a colander on top of a heat-proof bowl and push your mixture through and into the bowl. Transfer the mixture into a heat-proof bowl or a shallow cake pan if you want it to cool down faster. 
5. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap so that it is touching the surface without any air bubbles in between, this will prevent a skin from forming on the top of the mixture. Let cool in the refrigerator for a few hours until it's completely cooled down. Or you can spread it onto a sheet pan and freeze it for 30 minutes to cool faster. If it's even a little warm it will melt your butter later.
6. Add your softened butter to the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk on high until very light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. 
7. Place the cooled flour mixture into a piping bag and slowly pipe it into your butter as you whip at medium speed. Incorporating the base slowly ensures a smooth buttercream. 
8. Add in your vanilla and salt, then mix until everything is light and creamy. If you have a lot of bubbles you can mix your frosting on low with the paddle attachment to make it smoother. Ermine frosting sets up after a few hours, so you'll want to use it immediately. It does not freeze or store well.

Assembling the cake

If you want more information on how to frost and fill your cake the first time, you can check out my tutorial on how to decorate your first cake.

1. Trim the domes off your cooled cake so it's nice and level.
2. Add a nice thick layer of your ermine frosting on top and make it even with your offset spatula.
3. Add your second layer of cake on top.
4. Frost the entire cake in a thin layer of ermine frosting and then refrigerate it for 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
5. Apply your final coat of buttercream and smooth out the edges.
6. Use a 1M piping tip in a piping bag to add a rope border around the top of the cake and finish with some fun sprinkles. 
7. This cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 6 hours, then cover the cut part in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Egg Replacements

Let's dive into some of my most successful experiments on my journey to find the best egg replacer.

What do eggs do?

Eggs have two jobs. To bind the ingredients together and create a structure that traps air and helps the cake rise. Egg yolks can also add flavor and moisture to a cake. So if we remove the eggs, we need to find something else that can do that job.

Applesauce

A common replacement for eggs is ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce per egg. The pectin in the applesauce acts as a binder much like an egg does while also adding moisture like an egg would.

This makes the best, rich chocolate flavor and texture in my opinion. The applesauce cake layer had a great taste, texture, and only a slight divot at the top of the cake.

Banana

My second test was with an unripe banana. I decided to go with a green banana since it's starchier and has more pectin than when it's ripe and the starches turn to sugar. The unripe banana actually worked really well but you could definitely taste the banana. Not a bad flavor at all but if you don't like bananas, it might not be the best choice. 

Pectin

So this got me thinking, maybe I could try STRAIGHT PECTIN. Why not right? I combined 1 Tablespoon of powdered pectin with 3 Tablespoons of water per egg.

The pectin didn't work QUITE as well as I had hoped. It fell a bit and was a bit crumbly but maybe after some tweaking of amounts of liquid and fat, it could work. The best part was that it didn't leave behind any aftertaste so it's definitely worth more experimenting.

Ground flax

Ground flax is another popular replacement. When combined with water and given time to rest, the flax makes a gluey substance that resembles the structure of an egg as well as some fat. I found that the flax was not quite strong enough to support the cake and it left behind an odd sort of flavor and texture. Flax might be better in cookies or muffins in my opinion. 

Yogurt/buttermilk

Another option is using Greek yogurt or buttermilk as a replacement. I actually thought the rise on this worked out really well. The cake was very moist and fudgy. The center fell a TINY bit but I think if I reduced the liquid a bit then it would be perfect so yogurt is another great option.

Tofu

The last thing we tested was blended tofu which worked surprisingly well but was a little dry and crumbly. You could add more fat to the recipe to account for the dryness. Maybe even half tofu, half applesauce.

Commercial egg replacer

I also tested just a traditional egg replacer and it did pretty well. It was a little dry but had good structure and is a really good option if you want to have a pretty good egg replacer on your shelf to use at any time. I used the Bobs Red Mill Commercial egg replacer but there are tons of brands out there. Just look for them in the baking aisle or buy them online.

The best egg replacers

Now that you know the results of my tests, you can do some of your own testing with your favorite recipe. Let me know if you find something that works for you!

The amounts listed below are equal to one egg

1. Commercial egg replacer - 1 Tablespoon replacer + 2 Tablespoons water
2. ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce + ½ teaspoon extra baking powder
3. ½ large ripe banana mashed + ½ teaspoon extra baking powder
4. 1T pectin powder + 3T water
5. 1 Tablespoon Ground Flax + 3 Tablespoons Water. Let sit for 5 minutes before using.
6. 4 Tablespoons Soy Yogurt
7. ¼ cup silken tofu blended (may need to add 2 ounces more oil, yogurt, or butter to the recipe for extra moisture)

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Eggless Chocolate Cake Recipe

How to make the best eggless chocolate cake recipe with ermine frosting. Tastes so good, you won't even notice it's eggless!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6 cups

Calories 1694kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

Eggless Chocolate Cake

• 12 ounces all purpose flour
• 16 ounces granulated sugar
• 4.5 ounces natural cocoa powder like Hershey's
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 ounces unsweetened applesauce
• 9 ounces buttermilk or regular milk plus 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar
• 9 ounces hot coffee
• 5 ounces vegetable oil
• 1 Tablespoons vanilla extract

Ermine Buttercream

• 14 ounces granulated sugar
• 3 ounces all-purpose flour
• 16 ounces milk
• 16 ounces unsalted butter softened but not melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Eggless Chocolate Cake

• Preheat your oven to 350ºF and prepare two 8"x2" cake pans with cake goop or another preferred type of pan release and parchment paper. 
• Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for a few seconds until combined. You can also do this with a hand mixer and a large bowl if you prefer.
• Add in the applesauce, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl. 
• Turn the mixer down to low and add in the hot coffee and mix until just it's just combined. 
• Pour the batter into your prepared cake pans.
• Bake the cakes in your preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes and then flip them out to cool on a wire rack. I wrap my cakes in plastic wrap and freeze them for at least 30 minutes to lock in moisture.

Making ermine frosting

• Whisk together your flour and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 2 minutes to toast the flour. Be careful not to burn it! 
• Slowly add in your milk, whisk to combine, and bring your heat to medium-high. 
• Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisk continuously until it is thick and pudding-like. Once it's simmering, cook for one minute more to make sure the flour taste is cooked out. 
• (Optional) If your mixture has any lumps, place a colander on top of a heat-proof bowl and push your mixture through and into the bowl. Transfer the mixture into a heat-proof bowl or a shallow cake pan if you want it to cool down faster. 
• Cover the mixture with plastic wrap so that it is touching the surface without any air bubbles in between, this will prevent a skin from forming on the top of the mixture. Let cool in the refrigerator for a few hours until it's completely cooled down. Or you can spread it onto a sheet pan and freeze it for 30 minutes to cool faster. If it's even a little warm it will melt your butter later.
• Add your softened butter to the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk on high until very light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. 
• Place the cooled flour mixture into a piping bag and slowly pipe it into your butter as you whip at medium speed. Incorporating the base slowly ensures a smooth buttercream. 
• Add in your vanilla and salt, then mix until everything is light and creamy. If you have a lot of bubbles you can mix your frosting on low with the paddle attachment to make it smoother. Ermine frosting sets up after a few hours, so you'll want to use it immediately. It does not freeze or store well.

Assembling the cake

• Trim the domes off your cooled cake so it's nice and level.
• Add a nice thick layer of your ermine frosting on top and make it even with your offset spatula.
• Add your second layer of cake on top.
• Frost the entire cake in a thin layer of ermine frosting and then refrigerate it for 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
• Apply your final coat of buttercream and smooth out the edges.
• Use a 1M piping tip in a piping bag to add a rope border around the top of the cake and finish with some fun sprinkles. 

Video

Notes

1. No buttermilk? You can make your own buttermilk 
2. Weigh your ingredients to avoid cake failure. Using a kitchen scale for baking is super easy and gives you the best results every single time. 
3. Make sure all your cold ingredients are room temperature or slightly warm (butter, milk, eggs, to create a cohesive batter. Curdled batter causes cakes to collapse.
4. Make your own pan release (cake goop!) The best pan release ever! 
5. Need more help with making your first cake? Check out my how to decorate your first cake blog post. 
6. A stand mixer works best for this cake recipe, but you can also use a hand mixer. Just go by look and consistency instead of time while mixing, you will have to mix for longer. I use a Bosch Universal Plus mixer!

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 1694kcal | Carbohydrates: 218g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 92g | Saturated Fat: 62g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 1041mg | Potassium: 735mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 151g | Vitamin A: 2089IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 251mg | Iron: 7mg

The post Eggless Chocolate Cake appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

This delicious cake is a mashup of the New York crumb cake and a classic coffee cake. The perfect complement to any cup of coffee or tea. 

Ingredients

Sour Cream adds moisture to the coffee cake and can also be substituted with Greek yogurt. If you don't have sour cream you can use buttermilk or any of these buttermilk substitutions. 

Espresso in the cream cheese glaze adds that extra special something. It's rare to have actual coffee in coffee cake recipes, but I felt like it needed it! 

Brown sugar is used in both the cinnamon swirl and crumb topping. The crumb mixture is like a chunky cinnamon streusel and the moisture in the brown sugar helps hold it together. 

Step-By-Step Instructions

The 3 components of this coffee crumb cake are the coffee cake, the cinnamon sugar filling for the center of the cake, and the coarse crumb topping.

Making the crumb topping

1. Add the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, cinnamon, and soft (almost melted) butter to a large bowl. Mix together with a spoon or spatula to combine until most of the flour is combined.
2. Use your clean hands to press the topping together. You should have very chunky crumbs, some large and some small. If it’s too crumbly and dry, microwave it for about 5 seconds to melt the butter more, then work it with your hands until it comes together. 

Making the cinnamon sugar filling

1. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to a medium bowl and mix together to combine. If it’s really lumpy, sift it together. 

Making the coffee cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8”x4” loaf pan with pan release on the bottom and up the sides. I recommend using cake goop! Or you can line the bottom and sides with parchment paper to easily flip it out later. You can also use an 8”x8” nonstick square cake pan, it will just take less time to bake. If you want to use a larger bundt pan, make 1 and a half batches of this recipe.
2. Make sure your butter, sour cream, egg, and cream cheese are all room temperature so that the ingredients combine together well. I place my eggs (still in the shell) into a bowl of warm water for a few minutes and leave out the butter and sour cream for a few hours. If needed, I microwave them for a few seconds until they are room temperature or even slightly warm.
3. Place the butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed and cream together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. (Or longer if you’re using a hand mixer.) 
4. Add your egg, sour cream, and vanilla to the creamed butter and mix until cohesive. If it has big chunks of cold butter in there, one of your ingredients was too cold.
5. Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on medium-low speed until the batter is thick and just combined. If your flour is really lumpy, sift these dry ingredients before adding them to the mixer.
6. Place half of the batter into the greased loaf pan and smooth it out in an even layer.
7. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling on top until it’s completely covered.
8. Add the rest of the cake batter on top. 
9. Sprinkle the thick crumbs evenly on top, covering the surface of the loaf.
10. Bake at 350ºF for 40-50 minutes and rotate halfway through for even baking. When a toothpick comes out clean from the center, it’s done!
11. Rest the loaf at room temperature until the pan is completely cool, about 2 hours. Do NOT flip your cake out while it’s warm, it could collapse.
12. Loosen the edges with a knife, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the cake, and flip it upside down to remove it from the pan. 

Making cream cheese glaze

1. Place the softened cream cheese in a large bowl and blend it until smooth with a hand mixer or whisk. 
2. Slowly pour in the melted butter a little at a time. Do not pour it all in there at once or you could end up with a soupy cream cheese mess.
3. Add the vanilla, sift in the powdered sugar, and mix until you don’t see any lumps.
4. While mixing, pour in the coffee (or espresso, milk, or water) a little at a time. Keep adding until you get the desired consistency of a glaze. I like a thinner glaze so it’s easy to pipe.
5. Place the glaze into a piping bag and drizzle on top of the loaf. You can also use a spoon or a plastic bag with the corner cut off.
6. Enjoy this cake at room temperature for up to three days. To keep the coffee crumb cake moist, store it in a plastic bag or wrap it with plastic wrap.

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Recipe

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Coffee Crumb Cake Recipe

Moist and buttery with a swirl of cinnamon inside, huge crumbs on top, and a generous drizzle of cream cheese espresso glaze! It's truly the perfect breakfast treat and only takes minutes to make.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 530kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Hand Mixer Or Whisk
• 8" x 4" Loaf Pan, 2.5" tall or 8" x 8" square nonstick pan

Ingredients

Cake

• 3 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
• 4 ounces granulated sugar
• 6 ounces all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 5 ounces sour cream room temperature

Cinnamon Swirl

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 ounce light brown sugar sifted

Crumb Topping

• 6 ounces all-purpose flour
• 4 ounces unsalted butter almost melted
• 3 ounces light brown sugar
• 2 ounces granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Glaze

• 2 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 1 ounce unsalted butter melted
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 ounces powdered sugar
• 4 teaspoons coffee or milk, water or espresso

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to a medium bowl and mix together to combine. If it’s really lumpy, sift it together. 

Making the crumb topping

• Add the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, cinnamon, and soft (almost melted) butter to a large bowl. Mix together with a spoon or spatula to combine until most of the flour is combined.
• Use your clean hands to press the topping together. You should have very chunky crumbs, some large and some small. If it’s too crumbly and dry, microwave it for about 5 seconds to melt the butter more, then work it with your hands until it comes together. 

Making the coffee cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8”x4” loaf pan with pan release on the bottom and up the sides. I recommend using cake goop! Or you can line the bottom and sides with parchment paper to easily flip it out later.

  You can also use an 8”x8” nonstick square cake pan, it will just take less time to bake. If you want to use a larger bundt pan, make 1 and a half batches of this recipe.
• Make sure your butter, sour cream, egg, and cream cheese are all room temperature so that the ingredients combine together well. I place my eggs (still in the shell) into a bowl of warm water for a few minutes and leave out the butter and sour cream for a few hours. If needed, I microwave them for a few seconds until they are room temperature or even slightly warm.
• Place the butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed and cream together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. (Or longer if you’re using a hand mixer.) 
• Add your egg, sour cream, and vanilla to the creamed butter and mix until cohesive. If it has big chunks of cold butter in there, one of your ingredients was too cold.
• Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on medium-low speed until the batter is thick and just combined. If your flour is really lumpy, sift these dry ingredients before adding them to the mixer.
• Place half of the batter into the greased loaf pan and smooth it out in an even layer.
• Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling on top until it’s completely covered.
• Add the rest of the cake batter on top. 
• Sprinkle the thick crumbs evenly on top, covering the surface of the loaf.
• Bake at 350ºF for 40-50 minutes and rotate halfway through for even baking. When a toothpick comes out clean from the center, it’s done!
• Rest the loaf at room temperature until the pan is completely cool, about 2 hours. Do NOT flip your cake out while it’s warm, it could collapse.
• Loosen the edges with a knife, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the cake, and flip it upside down to remove it from the pan. 

Making cream cheese glaze

• Place the softened cream cheese in a large bowl and blend it until smooth with a hand mixer or whisk. 
• Slowly pour in the melted butter a little at a time. Do not pour it all in there at once or you could end up with a soupy cream cheese mess.
• Add the vanilla, sift in the powdered sugar, and mix until you don’t see any lumps.
• While mixing, pour in the coffee (or espresso, milk, or water) a little at a time. Keep adding until you get the desired consistency of a glaze. I like a thinner glaze so it’s easy to pipe.
• Place the glaze into a piping bag and drizzle on top of the loaf. You can also use a spoon or a plastic bag with the corner cut off.
• Enjoy this cake at room temperature for up to three days. To keep the coffee crumb cake moist, store it in a plastic bag or wrap it with plastic wrap.

Video

Notes

1. All my recipes are measured in ounces, not cups. Cups leave way too much room for error and a scale is super simple to use. It's my #1 recommended tool for baking success. You can watch my video on how to use a kitchen scale if you're not familiar.
2. For this recipe, I'm using a Bosch universal plus mixer! You can use a kitchen aid or a hand mixer if you like, any mixer will work. You can try to use a whisk, but it will take a while to fully cream the butter and sugar.
3. Make sure your butter, sour cream, egg, and cream cheese are all room temperature so that the ingredients combine together well.
4. If you don't have sour cream you can use buttermilk or any of these buttermilk substitutions. 
5. For your pan release, I recommend using cake goop! Or you can line the bottom and sides with parchment paper to easily flip it out later.
6. I'm using an 8" x 4" Loaf Pan, 2.5" tall. You can also use an 8”x8” nonstick square pan, it will just take less time to bake. If you want to use a larger bundt pan, make 1 and a half batches of this recipe. You can also use this recipe to make muffins!
7. Make this recipe your own! When assembling the loaf in the pan, add your favorite toppings/fillings like blueberries, dried fruit, or even swirl in cream cheese filling.
8. After your cake is done baking, make sure to rest it at room temperature until the pan is completely cool, about 2 hours. Do NOT flip your cake out while it’s warm, it could collapse.
9. All my recipes are measured in ounces, not cups. Cups leave way too much room for error and a scale is super simple to use. It's my #1 recommended tool for baking success. You can watch my video on how to use a kitchen scale if you're not familiar. 
10. You might be wondering what kind of mixer I am using. I'm using my favorite mixer, which is the Bosch universal plus mixer! You can use a kitchen aid or a hand mixer if you like, any mixer will work. You can try to use a whisk, but it will take a while to fully cream the butter and sugar.
11. Sour Cream adds moisture to the coffee cake and can also be substituted with Greek yogurt. If you don't have sour cream you can use buttermilk or any of these buttermilk substitutions. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 341mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 948IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Cinnamon Coffee Crumb Cake appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

What makes this cake extra special is the boost of lime flavor! Using lime zest in your recipe will get a more concentrated flavor, resulting in a cake that's packed with bold summer flavors you will love!  If you're familiar with my fresh strawberry cake recipe then this will be very similar.

Special Ingredients

Blackberries: You can use fresh or frozen blackberries to make the puree in this cake. Frozen berries are flash-frozen at the peak of ripeness, so they have the best flavor. It's best to use fresh, juicy blackberries for the center and top of the cakes.

Lime: I really like the combination of blackberry and lime because the tartness brings out the flavor of the berries. You can also use lemon juice and lemon zest instead if you prefer to make a lemon blackberry cake. You could also switch out the berries in my lemon blueberry cake too!

Buttermilk: The acidity in buttermilk not only breaks down the gluten structure, making baked goods more tender, but it also adds a delicious flavor. If you do not have buttermilk you can make your own buttermilk substitute using milk and white vinegar or substituting sour cream.

Step-by-step Instructions

The key to blackberry cake is making a puree of concentrated blackberry flavor, and mixing that into our cake and buttercream. I recommend making the puree first, then the cakes, and making the buttercream while the cakes are cooling.

Making Blackberry Puree

1. Combine lime juice and cornstarch to make a slurry and mix until there are no lumps.  
2. Mix the blackberries and salt in a saucepan and use an immersion blender to make the filling smooth.  
3. Turn on the heat and cook down the berries. Keep stirring to keep the puree from cooking too quickly on the bottom of the pan.
4. Once the puree has thickened up slightly, remove it from the heat and stir in the lime zest. 
5. Transfer the puree to a large bowl to cool to room temperature. You will use about 6 Tablespoons of the puree to add to your cake. About ¼ to ½ cup of puree will be for the buttercream. If you choose to strain the seeds out of all of the puree, add a couple of extra ounces of berries to account for the loss in straining. I chose to leave the seeds in for the cake and strain the seeds out for the buttercream. The seeds can be left in for the buttercream too, your choice. 
6. Store leftover puree in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for 6 months.

Making Blackberry Cake

1. Heat oven to 335º F/168º C and prepare two 8"x2" round cake pans with cake goop or another pan release and parchment paper if you prefer.
2. Measure out the buttermilk and place 4 oz in a separate measuring cup. Add the oil to the 4oz of buttermilk and set aside. 
3. Add your eggs and lime zest to the remaining milk and gently whisk to combine. Keep the lime juice separate, you will add this at the end. 
4. Place the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. I'm using my Bosch universal plus mixer but you can use a hand mixer, just mix for longer. 
5. Turn the mixer onto the slowest speed (setting 1 on Kitchen Aid mixers). Slowly add chunks of your softened butter until it is all added. Let everything mix until it looks like coarse sand. 
6. Add your milk/oil mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Mix on medium (speed 4 on KitchenAid) for 1 full minute to develop the structure. Don't worry, this will not over-mix the cake. Because it is AP flour you do not need to mix as long as cake flour (more gluten, less time needed). 
7. Scrape the bowl. This is an important step. If you skip it, you will have hard lumps of flour and unmixed ingredients in your batter. If you do it later, they will not mix in fully.
8. Slowly add in the rest of your milk/eggs/zest ingredients in 3 parts. Next, pour in the lime juice with the last addition of liquid, stopping to scrape the bowl one more time halfway through. Your batter should be thick and not too runny.
9. Fill your pans ½ full with cake batter.
10. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of room-temperature puree over the batter. Use a small spatula or knife to gently fold the puree in to create a swirl effect into the batter.
11. Add the floured blackberries to the top of the batter. Do not push them down as their weight will cause them to sink anyway as the cake heats up. 
12. Place the cakes in the preheated oven. I start by baking for 30 minutes for  6" and 8" cakes and 35 minutes for 9" and larger cakes and then checking for doneness. If the cakes are still really jiggly, I add another 5 minutes. I check every 2 minutes after that until I'm close and then it's every 1 minute. Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs. 
13. After the cakes have cooled for 10 minutes or the pans are cool enough to touch, place a wire rack on top and flip the cakes over to remove them from the pans. Let them rest on a cooling rack to cool completely, or wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer.

Making Blackberry Buttercream

1. Strain out the seeds of the blackberry filling. This is optional but it will make a smoother texture when scraping the sides.
2. Place the egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip on high speed for 3-5 minutes. An electric mixer and a large mixing bowl will also work, just mix for longer. 
3. Add the softened butter in small chunks then vanilla and salt. Whip on high until light and fluffy and white, about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add about ½ cup of the blackberry purée to the buttercream and continue to whip until combined. 
5. Mix in about 1-2 drops of pink food coloring to enhance the color if you choose. 
6. Optional: switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low for 15-20 minutes until all air bubbles are gone.
7. Stored it in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator or for 3 months in the freezer. 

Decorating the Cake

If you haven't ever decorated a cake before, you might want to check out my blog post on how to decorate your first cake. It goes over everything from tools to techniques.

1. Once your cakes are chilled, trim off the dome and brown edges of the cake. This is optional but makes for pretty slices. 
2. Place your first cake layer onto a board.
3. Spread on about ¼" of your blackberry buttercream.
4. Layer some fresh blackberries into the buttercream.
5. Spread some more buttercream on top of the blackberries and then add your next layer of cake.
6. Repeat the process with layer two and then add your final layer of cake on top. 
7. Cover the whole cake in a thin layer of buttercream. This is the crumb coat. 
8. Place the cake into the fridge or freezer for 20 minutes to set the buttercream layer.
9. Apply your final coat of buttercream and use a bench scraper and offset spatula to make it nice and smooth.
10. Decorate the top of the cake with more dollops of buttercream, fresh berries and some lime zest. I used a 1M piping tip for this design. 
11. Store your blackberry cake in the fridge until you're ready to serve it. It's best to eat soft cake, so make sure you take it out of the fridge a few hours before you serve it. Cold butter makes a cold cake taste dry!

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Blackberry Lime Cake

The best blackberry cake is made with fresh blackberries and a hint of lime. This incredibly moist and tender cake goes so well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a hot summer day.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Decorating time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8 cups

Calories 1550kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 2 8"x2" round cake pans or three 6" pans
• Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments
• Immersion blender

Ingredients

Blackberry Cake

• 8 ounces buttermilk slightly warm
• 3 ounces vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon lime zest (About 1 lime)
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 12 ounces all-purpose flour
• 11 ounces granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 8 ounces unsalted butter softened
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (For dusting on blackberries)
• 4 ounces blackberries (You can use frozen, but don't thaw them)

Blackberry Puree

• 16 ounces fresh or frozen blackberries
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Blackberry Buttercream Frosting

• 24 ounces unsalted butter room temperature (You can use salted butter but it will affect the taste and you need to leave out additional salt)
• 24 ounces powdered sugar sifted if not from a bag
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 ounces pasteurized egg whites room temperature
• 2 ounces blackberry puree (You can add more if you want to)
• 1 drop Americolor electric pink food coloring (Optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Blackberry Puree

• Combine lime juice and cornstarch to make a slurry and mix until there are no lumps.  
• Mix the blackberries and salt in a saucepan and use an immersion blender to make the filling smooth.  
• Turn on the heat and cook down the berries. Keep stirring to keep the puree from cooking too quickly on the bottom of the pan.
• Once the puree has thickened up slightly, remove it from the heat and stir in the lime zest. 
• Transfer the puree to a large bowl to cool to room temperature. You will use about 6 Tablespoons of the puree to add to your cake. About ¼ to ½ cup of puree will be for the buttercream. If you choose to strain the seeds out of all of the puree, add a couple of extra ounces of berries to account for the loss in straining. I chose to leave the seeds in for the cake and strain the seeds out for the buttercream. The seeds can be left in for the buttercream too, your choice. 
• Store leftover puree in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for 6 months.

Making Blackberry Cake

• Heat oven to 335º F/168º C and prepare two 8"x2" round cake pans with cake goop or another pan release and parchment paper if you prefer.
• Measure out the buttermilk and place 4 oz in a separate measuring cup. Add the oil to the 4oz of buttermilk and set aside. 
• Add your eggs and lime zest to the remaining milk and gently whisk to combine. Keep the lime juice separate, you will add this at the end. 
• Place the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. I'm using my Bosch universal plus mixer but you can use a hand mixer, just mix for longer. 
• Turn the mixer onto the slowest speed (setting 1 on Kitchen Aid mixers). Slowly add chunks of your softened butter until it is all added. Let everything mix until it looks like coarse sand.
• Add your milk/oil mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Mix on medium (speed 4 on KitchenAid) for 1 full minute to develop the structure. Don't worry, this will not over-mix the cake. Because it is AP flour you do not need to mix as long as cake flour (more gluten, less time needed). 
• Scrape the bowl. This is an important step. If you skip it, you will have hard lumps of flour and unmixed ingredients in your batter. If you do it later, they will not mix in fully.
• Slowly add in the rest of your milk/eggs/zest ingredients in 3 parts. Next, pour in the lime juice with the last addition of liquid, stopping to scrape the bowl one more time halfway through. Your batter should be thick and not too runny. 
• Fill your pans ½ full with cake batter.
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons of room-temperature puree over the batter. Use a small spatula or knife to gently fold the puree in to create a swirl effect into the batter.
• Add the floured blackberries to the top of the batter. Do not push them down as their weight will cause them to sink anyway as the cake heats up. 
• Place the cakes in the preheated oven. I start by baking for 30 minutes for  6" and 8" cakes and 35 minutes for 9" and larger cakes and then checking for doneness. If the cakes are still really jiggly, I add another 5 minutes. I check every 2 minutes after that until I'm close and then it's every 1 minute. Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs. 
• After the cakes have cooled for 10 minutes or the pans are cool enough to touch, place a wire rack on top and flip the cakes over to remove them from the pans. Let them rest on a cooling rack to cool completely, or wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer.

Making Blackberry Buttercream

• Strain out the seeds of the blackberry filling. This is optional but it will make a smoother texture when scraping the sides.
• Place the egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip on high speed for 3-5 minutes. An electric mixer and a large mixing bowl will also work, just mix for longer. 
• Add the softened butter in small chunks then vanilla and salt. Whip on high until light and fluffy and white, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add about ½ cup of the blackberry purée to the buttercream and continue to whip until combined. 
• Mix in about 1-2 drops of pink food coloring to enhance the color if you choose. 
• Optional: switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low for 15-20 minutes until all air bubbles are gone.
• Stored it in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator or for 3 months in the freezer. 

Decorating the blackberry cake

• Once your cakes are chilled, trim off the dome and brown edges of the cake. This is optional but makes for pretty slices. 
• Place your first cake layer onto a board.
• Spread on about ¼" of your blackberry buttercream.
• Layer some fresh blackberries into the buttercream.
• Spread some more buttercream on top of the blackberries and then add your next layer of cake.
• Repeat the process with layer two and then add your final layer of cake on top.  
• Cover the whole cake in a thin layer of buttercream. This is the crumb coat.  
• Place the cake into the fridge or freezer for 20 minutes to set the buttercream layer.
• Apply your final coat of buttercream and use a bench scraper and offset spatula to make it nice and smooth.
• Decorate the top of the cake with more dollops of buttercream, fresh berries and some lime zest. I used a 1M piping tip for this design. 

Video

Notes

1. To keep the blackberries and puree from turning blue and green during baking the acidity level had to be higher, when the acidic berries touch the alkaline they oxidize and turn green. Lowering the alkalinity of the batter kept the blackberries that nice deep purple red color. 
2. I used AP flour in this recipe because the cake needed just a little more structure to hold those big juicy berries. AP flour has more protein, less starch, so is just a little stronger than cake flour. The higher acid in the batter tenderizes the gluten proteins as well, so you do not end up with a tough cake. Too much acid in the batter will cause the protein to become too weak and the cake will be crumbly and dense. It's a very fine balance to find the right texture and keep the colors bright!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 1550kcal | Carbohydrates: 168g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 96g | Saturated Fat: 59g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 317mg | Sodium: 572mg | Potassium: 301mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 128g | Vitamin A: 3137IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Blackberry Cake appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Olive Oil Cake Ingredients

Olive oil is obviously key to an olive oil cake, so you want to use good quality oil. Technically, it would also work to use canola or vegetable oil, but you won't get that rich flavor as you would from extra-virgin olive oil.

Buttermilk powder adds a little bit of tang to this recipe. It also adds lightness to the cake and helps lead to a better texture.

Lemon zest is optional, but you'd be surprised how much citrus flavor can come from zest alone. Orange zest or other flavorings would also be yummy.

Making the Lemon Olive Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat an 8" cake pan with cake goop or parchment paper. You can also use a springform pan or loaf pan if you prefer, just adjust the baking time. 
2. Mix the eggs and granulated sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed and mix until it's light in color and fluffy.
3. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in between the whisk blades and the side of the bowl and mix until combined. 
4. Switch to the paddle attachment and add the water, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and lemon zest, then mix until combined.
5. Add the flour, buttermilk powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl and whisk it to combine.
6. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients while mixing on low, and mix until combined.
7. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread out the top with a spatula.
8. Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes until it's golden brown and a toothpick comes out of the center clean. 
9. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. If you're making it ahead, wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it until you're ready to serve. 
10. Place the cake on a serving plate and dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar. I put a little paper heart in the center to make this fun pattern. You can also top it with fresh lemons, lemon curd, or fresh berries. 
11. Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. You can refrigerate it if you'd like, but this cake tastes best at room temperature. 

FAQ

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Lemon Olive Oil Cake

This lemon olive oil cake recipe comes together in less than 1 hour with simple ingredients you already have at home. The perfect cake for a weeknight, a special occasion, or a dinner party.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 cups

Calories 655kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 1 8" x 2" cake pan

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1 lemon zest
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅛ cup buttermilk powder
• ¼ cup powdered sugar for dusting

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat an 8" cake pan with cake goop or parchment paper. You can also use a springform pan or loaf pan if you prefer, just adjust the baking time. 
• Mix the eggs and granulated sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed and mix until it's light in color and fluffy. 
• Slowly drizzle the olive oil in between the whisk blades and the side of the bowl and mix until combined. 
• Switch to the paddle attachment and add the water, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and lemon zest, then mix until combined.
• Add the flour, buttermilk powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl and whisk it to combine.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients while mixing on low, and mix until combined.
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread out the top with a spatula.
• Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes until it's golden brown and a toothpick comes out of the center clean. 
• Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. If you're making it ahead, wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it until you're ready to serve. 
• Place the cake on a serving plate and dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar. I put a little paper heart in the center to make this fun pattern. You can also top it with fresh lemons, lemon curd, or fresh berries. 
• Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. You can refrigerate it if you'd like, but this cake tastes best at room temperature. 

Notes

1. Use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil. Technically canola or vegetable oil would work, but you won't get the same flavor.
2. Fresh fruit and powdered sugar are the perfect, light toppings for an olive oil cake. It doesn't need anything heavy like buttercream, but whipped cream frosting, lemon curd, or ice cream would also pair nicely. 
3. Make your own pan release (cake goop!) The best pan release ever! 
4. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients for the most accurate recipe. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 
5. Practice Mise en Place (everything in its place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 655kcal | Carbohydrates: 84g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 368mg | Potassium: 318mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 209IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Lemon Olive Oil Cake appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Not all cakes need butter to be delicious! It’s bright white on the inside with a golden brown crumb around the exterior. This tall, tender, and timeless cake has a cloud-like crumb and light flavor, the perfect cake for fresh fruit. Making this cake at home is easy and you’ll love the result, perfect for snacking or an amazing dessert.

Ingredients

Egg whites are the main ingredient in this angel food cake recipe. There are no leaving agents, so the egg whites and sugar whipped into a meringue is all of the structure of the cake. A small amount of flour is then folded into the egg whites to make the cake. You can use fresh egg whites carefully separated from the egg yolk or you can use pasteurized egg whites from a box. The fresh ones will whip up a little higher, but I tested both and they both make a nice angel food cake.

Cake flour has the least amount of protein so it makes a really light texture. Also, you don't agitate the flour much, just barely fold it in and then bake it. This is what gives the angel food cake that spongy light-as-air texture.

Cream of tartar is an acid, a byproduct of fermenting grapes into wine. Its scientific name is potassium bitartrate, aka potassium hydrogen tartrate or tartaric acid. The added acid to the egg whites helps the protein stabilize, allowing the stiff peaks to hold up while folding and baking.

How to Separate an Egg

1. Set up 3 bowls, one for the yolks, one to crack the whites into, and one for all the egg whites. The reason we have the 2nd and 3rd bowls is if you mess up and accidentally get some yolk in the 2nd bowl, it won't ruin all of your already separated eggs.
2. Crack the egg on a flat surface and gently break it apart with two hands. Then hold it over the 2nd bowl and slowly move the yolk back and forth between the two eggshells. Be careful to not break the yolk. Once all the white is in the 2nd bowl, add the yolk to the 1st bowl and pour the whites into the 3rd bowl. Repeat until all your eggs are separated. Save your leftover egg yolks to make lemon curd or pastry cream or French buttercream. Egg yolks can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.

Making Angel Food Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 375ºF. It's important that the oven is fully pre-heated before you put the cake in the oven, which can take up to 30 minutes. 
2. To ensure your bowl and whisk are clean, wipe them out with a clean towel and some white vinegar to remove any bits of fat that might be there. 
3. Sift together the first quantity of sugar, flour, and cornstarch into a large bowl and set it aside.
4. Weigh the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a food scale. Whip with the whisk attachment on medium for 30 seconds until they start to get foamy. 
5. Reduce the speed to low and add in your cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla.
6. Continue mixing on low and begin sprinkling in the second amount of remaining sugar. 
7. Increase to medium speed and whip the mixture to soft but firm peaks. They should look glossy and moist and the peaks should gently fold over when you scoop them.
8. Sift the dry ingredients into the egg mixture about ⅓ cup at a time and gently fold them together with a rubber spatula. Refer to the video to see how to fold properly. The idea is to avoid knocking any air out of the meringue while folding to keep the batter very fluffy. 
9. Repeat this sifting and folding process until all of the flour mixture has been folded into the meringue.
10. Carefully pour the angel food cake batter into an ungreased tube pan (ungreased angel food cake pan). You need the cake to stick to the sides of the pan to help it rise while it's baking.
11. Slide a knife or offset spatula through the batter to pull out any big air bubbles that might be trapped in there. Smooth the top with a spoon so the batter is level.
12. Bake the angel food cake in the oven on the center rack for 40-45 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown and the top springs back when you touch it. 
13. Take the cake out of the oven and cool it upside down for about 1 hour. Some tube pans have little feet that hold the pan upside down or the center tube might just be a little taller than the sides. If your pan doesn't have these options you can cool the pan upside down on a wine bottle to keep it elevated. Cooling the cake upside down helps the cake keep its volume.
14. Once the pan is completely cool, you can slide a butter knife between the cake and the pan to detach the cake. If it's an invert pan with a removable bottom, you can push it out now or just give the cake a couple of gentle shakes to get the cake to come out.  
15. I like to dust the top of the cake with some powdered sugar and add some whipped cream and fresh strawberries but the possibilities are endless! This is easiest to slice with a serrated knife.
16. Store the cake at room temperature for up to 4 days (without whipped cream) in an airtight container or covered it with plastic wrap.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Angel Food Cake Recipe

This angel food cake recipe makes the lightest, fluffiest, and most cloud-like cake you'll ever taste. This homemade Angel food cake is fat-free and has very little flour so it's also one of the healthiest dessert options.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

cooling 1 hour hour

Total Time 3 hours hours

Servings 10 cups

Calories 345kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Whisk Attachment

Ingredients

Angel Food Cake Recipe

• 1 ½ cups egg whites (fresh or pastuerized)
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• ¼ teaaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup sugar first quantity
• ¾ cup sugar second quantity
• 1 ¼ cup cake flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch

Strawberry Topping

• 2 cups fresh strawberries trimmed and quartered
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup powdered sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Strawberry Topping

• Combine the strawberries, sugar, zest, and lemon juice together in a bowl and set aside while the angel food cake is cooling. The sugar will dissolve over time and create a delicious syrup!

How to Separate an Egg

• Set up 3 bowls, one for the yolks, one to crack the whites into, and one for all the egg whites. The reason we have the 2nd and 3rd bowls is if you mess up and accidentally get some yolk in the 2nd bowl, it won't ruin all of your already separated eggs.
• Crack the egg on a flat surface and gently break it apart with two hands. Then hold it over the 2nd bowl and slowly move the yolk back and forth between the two eggshells. Be careful to not break the yolk. Once all the white is in the 2nd bowl, add the yolk to the 1st bowl and pour the whites into the 3rd bowl. Repeat until all your eggs are separated. Egg yolks can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.

Making Angel Food Cake

• Preheat your oven to 375ºF. It's important that the oven is fully pre-heated before you put the cake in the oven, which can take up to 30 minutes. 
• To ensure your bowl and whisk are clean, wipe them out with a clean towel and some white vinegar to remove any bits of fat that might be there. 
• Sift together the first quantity of sugar, flour, and cornstarch into a large bowl and set it aside.
• Weigh the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a food scale. Whip with the whisk attachment on medium for 30 seconds until they start to get foamy. 
• Reduce the speed to low and add in your cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla.
• Continue mixing on low and begin sprinkling in the second amount of remaining sugar. 
• Increase to medium speed and whip the mixture to soft but firm peaks. They should look glossy and moist and the peaks should gently fold over when you scoop them. 
• Sift the dry ingredients into the egg mixture about ⅓ cup at a time and gently fold them together with a rubber spatula. Refer to the video to see how to fold properly. The idea is to avoid knocking any air out of the meringue while folding to keep the batter very fluffy. 
• Repeat this sifting and folding process until all of the flour mixture has been folded into the meringue.
• Carefully pour the angel food cake batter into an ungreased tube pan. You need the cake to stick to the sides of the pan to help it rise while it's baking.
• Slide a knife or offset spatula through the batter to pull out any big air bubbles that might be trapped in there. Smooth the top with a spoon so the batter is level.
• Bake the angel food cake in the oven on the center rack for 40-45 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown and the top springs back when you touch it. 
• Take the cake out of the oven and cool it upside down for about 1 hour. Some tube pans have little feet that hold the pan upside down or the center tube might just be a little taller than the sides. If your pan doesn't have these options you can cool the pan upside down on a wine bottle to keep it elevated. Cooling the cake upside down helps the cake keep its volume.
• Once the pan is completely cool, you can slide a butter knife between the cake and the pan to detach the cake. If it's an invert pan with a removable bottom, you can push it out now or just give the cake a couple of gentle shakes to get the cake to come out.  
• I like to dust the top of the cake with some powdered sugar and add some whipped cream and fresh strawberries but the possibilities are endless! This is easiest to slice with a serrated knife.
• Store the cake at room temperature for up to 4 days (without whipped cream) in an airtight container or covered it with plastic wrap.

Video

Notes

1. BEFORE YOU START – For best results, use a food scale to weigh your ingredients. Converting this recipe to cups could lead to failure. Read my blog post on how to use a scale for more information.
2. I'm using my Bosch Universal Plus mixer for this recipe, you can use a KitchenAid mixer with a metal bowl or a hand mixer. 
3. There is no baking powder or rising ingredient in this recipe. The only thing that creates lift is the egg whites, so be sure to whip them up to be super light and fluffy. All the air is going to give the cake its lift! 
4. Make sure you use a metal bowl to make the meringue, and that the bowl is super clean. Any grease will prevent your egg whites from whipping up. You can even wipe it out with a little bit of white vinegar to be extra cautious.
5. Remember to not let a speck of egg yolk into your egg whites. Any lingering yolks could stop your meringue from whipping up.
6. You can use pasteurized egg whites instead of fresh. If you use pasteurized, you MUST also use cream of tartar to help stabilize. 
7. The cornstarch in this recipe helps to keep the cake super light and fluffy and not too dense or "eggy."
8. When folding your meringue and flour together, sweep underneath the meringue with a spatula and gently drag up through the center to fold on top. Be careful to never smash or mix vigorously, be patient! 
9. DO NOT GREASE YOUR PAN! Angel food cake cools upside down, so it actually needs to stick to the sides of the pan. This ensures that the cake doesn’t collapse in on itself while cooling.
10. A tube pan is best to use for angel food cake. The large tube in the center helps bring some of the heat up through the middle of the cake, baking it faster and more evenly. You cannot use a bundt cake pan, but you can use a 9”x5” if needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 8ounces | Calories: 345kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 354IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 0.4mg

The post Angel Food Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Ever since I made my Oreo ice cream cake, I've been obsessed with making more and more ice cream cakes! They are SO easy and fun! If you don't want to make an ice cream cake though, just divide the batter into 3 bowls when coloring them and leave one white layer for the center.

PRO TIP – You definitely want to make this cake at least 1 day in advance because you have to freeze the cake and ice cream layers before you assemble it. Ideally, the cake should be totally frozen (at least 6 hours) before you serve it to prevent premature melting.

Ingredients

Buttermilk: This vanilla cake recipe is my white velvet buttermilk cake which I often use to make colored layers of cake. Buttermilk tenderizes the gluten in the cake flour, which is already soft, creating a melt-in-your-mouth feel with this cake crumb. Learn how to make your own with milk and vinegar, sour cream, or Greek yogurt in my buttermilk substitutes blog post.

Cake Flour: This recipe works best with cake flour because the layers are nice and moist. If you can't find cake flour in your area then I recommend you try my white cake recipe or doctored white cake mix which uses all-purpose flour. The cake is a bit more firm but still very very tasty.

Ice Cream: The best part about this cake is that you can use any flavor of ice cream, as long as it's white! Cookies and cream, cookie dough, or chocolate chips would also be delicious.

Whipped Cream: Any type of whipped-topping like stabilized whipped cream, CoolWhip, or Bettercreme is going to work well with ice cream cake because it doesn't get too hard while frozen. If you're traveling a long distance with your cake, use a more stable buttercream like easy buttercream or American buttercream frosting.

Food Coloring: I like using Americolor food coloring gel but you can use whatever colors you like. Just keep in mind that some blue food coloring might look more purple or green once it's baked. That's why I recommend using Americolor super red for the red cake, and electric blue food coloring because I know it bakes up a nice bright, true blue.

How to make a red, white, and blue cake

If you're making this into an ice cream cake, I recommend a two-day process. First, make the cake layers and let them cool, then make the ice cream layer and let that chill for 6 hours, assemble the cakes and cover the whole cake in whipped cream and decorate with some sprinkles. If you don't want to make the ice cream layer, divide the batter into 3 bowls and leave one of them white, just bake for less time!

Making the Red and Blue Cake Layers

1. Preheat your oven to 335ºF (170ºC) and prepare two 8"x2" cake pans with cake goop or your preferred pan release.
2. Bring your buttermilk, egg whites, and butter to room temperature (a little warm is even better) so that your ingredients mix together smoothly and your cake bakes up properly. If you don't have buttermilk, check out my buttermilk substitutes blog post for alternatives.
3. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. 
4. Divide your buttermilk in half. Combine ½ of the buttermilk with the oil and set aside. 
5. Combine the other ½ of the buttermilk, egg whites, and vanilla extract together, whisk to break up the eggs, and set aside.  
6. Add your softened butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
7. Add in your buttermilk/oil mixture and let it mix until the dry ingredients are moistened, then bump the speed up to medium (setting 4 on my KitchenAid, speed 2 on my Bosch) and let it mix for 2 full minutes to develop the cake's structure. If you don't let your cake mix on this step your cake may not rise properly. The batter should look white and fluffy and not broken or curdled.
8. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then reduce the speed to low. Add in your egg white mixture in three batches, letting the batter mix for 15 seconds between additions. Mix until everything is combined. The finished cake batter should look smooth and not curdled. 
9. Divide your cake batter evenly into two bowls. I like to weigh my cake pans so that I know each layer is even.
10. Add 1 Tablespoon of red food coloring to the first bowl and stir until fully mixed. I like the Super Red gel food color by Americolor.
11. Add 1 Tablespoon of electric blue food coloring to the second bowl and stir until fully mixed.
12. Pour each cake batter into a prepared 8"x2" round cake pan.
13. Bake the layers for 30-35 minutes or until the center bounces back when you lightly touch it. 
14. Once your layer is baked, remove it from the oven and immediately tap it on the countertop to release excess air. This helps prevent shrinking as the cake cools.
15. Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan and then flip the cake out onto a wire rack.
16. Once your cake has cooled down a little, carefully trim off the dome of your cake layer so it's nice and flat on top.
17. Wrap your warm cake in plastic wrap and place it into the freezer until it's time to assemble the red white and blue ice cream cake. PRO TIP – Freezing your cake while it's still warm locks in the moisture, you can then freeze your cake for a few days without it drying out.

Making the Ice Cream layer

1. Take the ice cream out of the freezer 30 minutes before you need to use it to allow it to soften.
2. Cover the inside of an 8" cake pan in aluminum foil or parchment paper. 
3. Spread the softened ice cream into the cake pan evenly and smooth out the top. 
4. Place it back into the freezer overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours.

Making Stabilized Whipped Cream

1. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let it bloom for 5 minutes. If you don't want to use gelatin, check out my stabilized whipped cream blog post for 5 other substitutes.
2. Microwave the gelatin for 15 seconds and then stir. If the gelatin isn't fully melted continue melting in 5-second increments until the liquid is clear. Don't over-heat it.
3. Add 1 Tablespoon of cream to the gelatin and stir to combine. Set aside while you make the whipped cream.
4. Begin whipping your heavy whipping cream in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed.
5. Once the whipped cream is thick and foamy, add in the powdered sugar and the vanilla.
6. Continue whipping the cream until you see lines beginning to form in the surface of the cream (soft peaks).
7. Reduce the speed to low and then begin drizzling in the melted gelatin in a steady stream.
8. Continue mixing until firm peaks (holding their shape but still creamy) form but don't over-mix it or it will begin to curdle and turn to butter.

Assembling the Cake

1. Place your frozen blue layer cake onto your cake platter or cake board and apply a thin layer of whipped cream to the top.
2. Unwrap your ice cream layer from the foil and place it on top of the blue layer, then spread another thin layer of whipped cream on top.
3. Add the second layer of cake on top.
4. Cover the outside of the cake with more whipped cream and smooth it out with your offset spatula and bench scraper. If it starts to melt, freeze it after doing the crumb coat before doing a final coat of frosting on the entire cake.
5. Pipe the remaining frosting with a 1M piping tip and piping bag to make a cute shell border. 
6. Place the red white and blue ice cream cake into the freezer until you're ready to serve it.
7. Right before serving, you can add some patriotic sprinkles, fresh berries, and fresh strawberries on the outside and on top of the cake. Leave this part to the end so that the berries don't get all soggy and the sprinkles don't melt and get weird-looking after being frozen. 

FAQ

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Red White And Blue Ice Cream Cake

Red and blue layers of moist vanilla cake and vanilla ice cream make the most festive 4th of July cake ever! You won't believe how easy it is to make your own ice cream cake!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

freezing 1 day day

Total Time 1 day day 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8 cups

Calories 208kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Stand Mixer
• Two 8"x2" cake pans
• Tin foil
• Bench scraper or spatula

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

• 14 ounces cake flour
• 13 ounces granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 5 ounces egg whites room temperature
• 4 ounces vegetable oil
• 10 ounces buttermilk slightly warm and divided into two cups evenly
• 6 ounces butter unsalted and softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon super red food coloring, I use Americolor gel colors
• 1 Tablespoon electric blue food coloring

Ice Cream Layer

• 48 ounces vanilla ice cream

Stabilized Whipped Cream

• 16 ounces Heavy Whipping Cream
• 3 ounces Powdered Sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla
• 1 ½ teaspoons Powdered Gelatin I use KNOX
• 2 Tablespoons Cool Water
• 1 ½ teaspoons Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Red White And Blue Sprinkles For garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• NOTE: It is SUPER IMPORTANT that all the room temperature ingredients listed above are room temperature and measured by weight so that the ingredients mix and incorporate correctly. Learn more about how and why to use a scale for baking in my tutorial.

Making the Red and Blue Cake Layers

• Preheat your oven to 335ºF (170ºC) and prepare two 8"x2" cake pans with cake goop or your preferred pan release.
• Bring your buttermilk, egg whites, and butter to room temperature (a little warm is even better) so that your ingredients mix together smoothly and your cake bakes up properly. If you don't have buttermilk, check out my buttermilk substitutes blog post for alternatives.
• Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. 
• Divide your buttermilk in half. Combine ½ of the buttermilk with the oil and set aside. 
• Combine the other ½ of the buttermilk, egg whites, and vanilla extract together, whisk to break up the eggs, and set aside.  
• Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low until the mixture resembles coarse sand. 
• Add in your buttermilk/oil mixture and let it mix until the dry ingredients are moistened, then bump the speed up to medium (setting 4 on my KitchenAid, speed 2 on my Bosch) and let it mix for 2 full minutes to develop the cake's structure. If you don't let your cake mix on this step your cake may not rise properly. The batter should look white and fluffy and not broken or curdled.
• Scrape the sides of the bowl and then reduce the speed to low. Add in your egg white mixture in three batches, letting the batter mix for 15 seconds between additions. Mix until everything is combined. The finished cake batter should look smooth and not curdled. 
• Divide your cake batter evenly into two bowls. I like to weigh my cake pans so that I know each layer is even. 
• Add 1 Tablespoon of red food coloring to the first bowl and stir until fully mixed. I like the Super Red gel food color by Americolor.
• Add 1 Tablespoon of electric blue food coloring to the second bowl and stir until fully mixed. 
• Pour each cake batter into the cake pans.
• Bake the layers for 30-35 minutes or until the center bounces back when you lightly touch it. 
• Once your layer is baked, remove it from the oven and immediately tap it on the countertop to release excess air. This helps prevent shrinking as the cake cools.
• Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan and then flip the cake out onto a wire rack.
• Once your cake has cooled down a little, carefully trim off the dome of your cake layer so it's nice and flat on top. 
• Wrap your warm cake in plastic wrap and place it into the freezer until it's time to assemble the red white and blue ice cream cake. PRO TIP – Freezing your cake while it's still warm locks in the moisture, you can then freeze your cake for a few days without it drying out.

Making the Ice Cream layer

• Take the ice cream out of the freezer 30 minutes before you need to use it to allow it to soften.
• Cover the inside of an 8" cake pan in aluminum foil or parchment paper.  
• Spread the softened ice cream into the cake pan evenly and smooth out the top.  
• Place it back into the freezer overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours.

Making Stabilized Whipped Cream

• Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let it bloom for 5 minutes. If you don't want to use gelatin, check out my stabilized whipped cream blog post for 5 other substitutes.
• Microwave the gelatin for 15 seconds and then stir. If the gelatin isn't fully melted continue melting in 5-second increments until the liquid is clear. Don't over-heat it. 
• Add 1 Tablespoon of cream to the gelatin and stir to combine. Set aside while you make the whipped cream.
• Begin whipping your heavy whipping cream in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed.
• Once the whipped cream is thick and foamy, add in the powdered sugar and the vanilla.
• Continue whipping the cream until you see lines beginning to form in the surface of the cream (soft peaks).
• Reduce the speed to low and then begin drizzling in the melted gelatin in a steady stream. 
• Continue mixing until firm peaks (holding their shape but still creamy) form but don't over-mix it or it will begin to curdle and turn to butter. 

Assembling the Cake

• Place your frozen blue layer cake onto your cake platter or cake board and apply a thin layer of whipped cream to the top.
• Unwrap your ice cream layer from the foil and place it on top of the blue layer, then spread another thin layer of whipped cream on top. 
• Add the second layer of cake on top.
• Cover the outside of the cake with more whipped cream and smooth it out with your offset spatula and bench scraper. If it starts to melt, freeze it after doing the crumb coat before doing a final coat of frosting on the entire cake.
• Pipe the remaining frosting with a 1M piping tip and piping bag to make a cute shell border.  
• Place the red white and blue ice cream cake into the freezer until you're ready to serve it.
• Right before serving, you can add some patriotic sprinkles, fresh berries, and fresh strawberries on the outside and on top of the cake. Leave this part to the end so that the berries don't get all soggy and the sprinkles don't melt and get weird-looking after being frozen. 

Video

Notes

Important Things To Note Before You Start

 

1. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature or even a little warm (eggs, buttermilk, butter, etc) to ensure your batter does not break or curdle.

2. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch, etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 

3. Practice Mise en Place (everything in its place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.

4. Freeze your cakes and ice cream layer a minimum of 6 hours before assembling the cake. 

6. If the recipe calls for specific ingredients like cake flour, replacing it with all-purpose flour and cornstarch is not recommended unless specified in the recipe that it’s ok. Substituting ingredients may cause this recipe to fail. 

7.  Gel food coloring works best for this cake, I like to use Americolor super red and electric blue. Using liquid food coloring will not have the same desired effect. 

8. If you don't have buttermilk, check out my buttermilk substitutes blog post for alternatives.

9. No cake flour where you live? Try searching for Shipton mills soft cake and pastry flour, or use any flour that has a protein content of 9% or less.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 111mg | Potassium: 60mg | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 0.2mg

The post Red White And Blue Cake appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Whether you love or hate traditional tiramisu, I guarantee you'll want to eat this entire cake in one sitting. Tiramisu cheesecake is very easy to make and is the perfect dessert for special occasions.

Ingredients

Mascarpone Cheese is tangy, sweet, and extra smooth Italian cream cheese. It's what gives tiramisu and this recipe that special something.

Oreos make a great crust for a no-bake cheesecake, but you can also use chocolate graham cracker crumbs instead.

Coffee is a classic ingredient for tiramisu, and you can use whatever brand type you like! Just make sure the coffee is cooled down so it doesn't melt the filling.

Making the Oreo Crust

I'm using a cake pan with a cake ring and acetate because that is what I had on hand but you can definitely use a traditional cheesecake springform pan and that works great as well.

1. Add the Oreos to a food processor and blend while pouring in some melted butter. Mix until combined and it comes together.
2. Line an 8" cake ring or springform pan with acetate and tape it together.
3. Place an 8" cake board at the bottom of the cake ring and transfer the entire ring to the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan for easy transportation. 
4. Add the blended Oreo crust to the bottom of the cake ring and press it evenly to the edges. Set it aside.

Making the Cheesecake Filling

1. Blend the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese on low speed until smooth in a large bowl with an electric mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
2. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and mix until it's all combined and smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream on medium speed until stiff peaks form (just holding their shape). Do not overwhip the cream!
4. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until it's combined.

Assembling the Tiramisu Cheesecake

1. Spread half of the cheesecake batter on top of the Oreo crust with a rubber spatula. Pro-tip: Use a piece of acetate to evenly smooth the surface of the cream all the way to the edges.
2. Soak the lady fingers in a bowl of espresso for about 10 seconds. You can make the ladyfingers from scratch, or use store-bought if you prefer.
3. Place the soaked ladyfingers on top of the cheesecake mixture to completely cover the top. You can break a few in half or squish them to fit around the corners.
4. Spread the remainder of the cheesecake filling on top of the ladyfingers. 
5. Refrigerate the tiramisu cheesecake for at least 6 hours or until the mascarpone cheesecake has set.
6. Take the cheesecake out of the pan, remove the cake ring, and carefully peel off the acetate. If you used a springform pan or cake pan, wrap it in aluminum foil and use hot water on the sides to help it remove easier.
7. Add a dusting of cocoa powder to the top of the cheesecake to cover all of the white spots.
8. Chill the finished tiramisu cheesecake in the fridge while making the ganache. Topping it with ganache is optional, but makes it really pretty.

Making the ganache drizzle

These photos are for a big batch of ganache but the process is the same.

1. Heat the cream in the microwave or over the stove until it is just steaming.
2. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes.
3. Whisk the chocolate and cream together until smooth and fully combined.
4. Let it cool for a few minutes to make sure it doesn't melt the top of the cheesecake.
5. Place the ganache into a piping bag and drizzle it on top of the cheesecake in long strips. You can add a few dollops of whipped cream, chocolate curls, or chocolate shavings on top if you'd like.
6. Cut the cheesecake and enjoy! Store this dessert covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days. Don't let it sit out at room temperature for longer than 4 hours.

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Tiramisu Cheesecake

Why pick one Italian dessert when you can have both? Combine classic Italian tiramisu, and creamy cheesecake in this no-bake cheesecake recipe! This delicious cheesecake is a subtle nod to the classic tiramisu but with a creamy cheesecake layer and the perfect crunchy texture from the Oreo crust.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 28 minutes minutes

Servings 8 cups

Calories 874kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 1 8" cake ring or a cake pan
• Acetate

Ingredients

Cheesecake Filling

• 1 cup mascarpone cheese softened
• 2 cups cream cheese softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream

Oreo Cookie Crust

• 1.5 cups oreo cookies
• 0.25 cup unsalted butter melted

Ladyfinger layer

• 10 whole ladyfingers homemade or storebought
• 1.5 cups strong coffee cooled

Decoration and Ganache drip

• 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 ounces heavy whipping cream
• 0.25 cup Dutched cocoa powder for dusting

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Oreo Crust

• Add the Oreos to a food processor and blend while pouring in some melted butter. Mix until combined and it comes together.
• Line an 8" cake ring or springform pan with acetate and tape it together.
• Place an 8" cake board at the bottom of the cake ring and transfer the entire ring to the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan for easy transportation. 
• Add the blended Oreo crust to the bottom of the cake ring and press it evenly to the edges. Set it aside.

Making the Cheesecake Filling

• Blend the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese on low speed until smooth in a large bowl with an electric mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
• Add the vanilla and powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and mix until it's all combined and smooth.
• In a separate bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream on medium speed until stiff peaks firm. Do not overwhip the cream!
• Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until it's combined.

Assembling the Tiramisu Cheesecake

• Spread half of the cheesecake batter on top of the Oreo crust with a rubber spatula. Pro-tip: Use a piece of acetate to evenly smooth the surface of the cream all the way to the edges.
• Soak the lady fingers in a bowl of espresso for about 10 seconds. You can make the ladyfingers from scratch, or use store-bought if you prefer.
• Place the soaked ladyfingers on top of the cheesecake mixture to completely cover the top. You can break a few in half or squish them to fit around the corners.
• Spread the remainder of the cheesecake filling on top of the ladyfingers. Pro-tip: Use a piece of acetate to evenly smooth the surface of the cream all the way to the edges.
• Refrigerate the tiramisu cheesecake for at least 6 hours or until the mascarpone cheesecake has set.
• Take the cake out of the pan, remove the cake ring, and carefully peel off the acetate. If you used a springform pan or cake pan, wrap it in aluminum foil and use hot water on the sides to help it remove easier.
• Add a dusting of cocoa powder to the top of the cheesecake to cover all of the white spots.
• Rest it in the fridge while making the ganache. Topping it with ganache is optional, but makes it really pretty.

Making the ganache drip

• Heat the cream in the microwave or over the stove until it is just steaming.
• Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Whisk the chocolate and cream together until smooth and fully combined.
• Let it cool for a few minutes to make sure it doesn't melt the top of the cheesecake.
• Place the ganache into a piping bag and drizzle it on top of the cheesecake in long strips. You can add a few dollops of whipped cream, chocolate curls, or chocolate shavings on top if you'd like.
• Cut the cheesecake and enjoy! Store this dessert covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days. Don't let it sit out at room temperature for longer than 4 hours.

Notes

Make sure to bring the mascarpone and cream cheese to room temperature, or slightly warmed, so that they combine together smoothly. 

Oreos make a great crust for a no-bake cheesecake, but you can also use chocolate graham cracker crumbs instead.

Coffee is a classic ingredient for tiramisu, and you can use whatever type you like! Espresso will give the strongest, most concentrated coffee flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 874kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 72g | Saturated Fat: 43g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 179mg | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 335mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 2325IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 5mg

The post Tiramisu Cheesecake appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Typically, "shortcake" refers to a tender flaky biscuit but I wanted to transform the traditional strawberry shortcake into an actual layer cake while still staying true to those very distinct flavors. I had TWO slices of this cake after the photographs were done because it's SO good! 

Strawberry shortcake cake ingredients

Strawberries - The best time to make this cake is during strawberry season, which is May through August in the pacific northwest. Late summer strawberries are actually the tastiest because they get the most warmth and sunshine, aka flavor! 

Cake Flour- Cake flour has a protein level of 9% or less so look for a flour that specifies protein content or ask your local flour supply. If you're in the UK, search for Shipton Mills soft cake and pastry flour. I don't recommend doing the homemade cake flour hack (replacing some flour with cornstarch) for this recipe because of the reverse creaming method. The texture of the cake will be more like cornbread because of the extended mixing. If you’re located in another country, you can find cake flour but it might need to be ordered online. In the UK, look for Shipton mills cake and pastry flour. 

Stabilized Whipped Cream- Stabilized whipped cream makes it easier to stack cakes so that it doesn't melt. I like to stabilize it with gelatin, but you can also stabilize it using corn starch or pudding mix or powdered milk, or 5 ways shown in my blog post. 

Making a Strawberry Shortcake Cake

I recommend making the vanilla cake layers either the day ahead or early enough so that they have time to chill. Then wash your berries to let them dry, and make the whipped cream right before you're ready to use it. The stabilized whipped cream will start to set up quickly, so it can't be chilled and reused.

Making the Vanilla Cake

1. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature, meaning the milk, eggs, and butter should not be even a tiny bit cold. This will ensure that the cake batter mixes together correctly and you'll get a better rise and texture in your final cake. 
2. Preheat your oven to 335ºF and prepare two 8"x2" round cake pans with cake goop or another preferred kind of pan release and parchment paper. 
3. I like to pre-measure all my ingredients and have them ready to go so that mixing goes very easily and I don't forget anything. To measure we are using a scale. If you haven't used a scale before, don't be intimidated. It's actually easier than using cups and way fewer dishes (yay). You can get a great scale online or in any local store that sells kitchen equipment. 
4. Divide your milk in half and add your oil to one half and add the eggs and vanilla to the second half. Set them aside.
5. Place your cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached. 
6. Add in your softened butter and mix at low speed until the flour mixture resembles a coarse sand texture.
7. Add your milk/oil mixture and increase the speed to medium. Let your cake batter mix for 2 full minutes. Scrape after 1 minute if you need to. The texture should be light, white, and fluffy after 2 minutes. Don't worry you won't overmix it. 
8. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add in the milk/egg mixture in a steady stream until it's all added in. This takes me about 1 minute. Once the egg mixture is all mixed in, your cake batter is ready to bake!
9. Divide your cake batter into your cake pans evenly and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center bounces back when you lightly touch it.
10. Let your cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes or until the pan is just barely warm to the touch.
11. Turn the cake out onto a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way or pop them into the freezer to cool them down faster. For me, it takes about an hour and then they are chilled and ready to go. You can also fully freeze your cakes (wrapped in plastic wrap) and that will help seal in the moisture and keep them moist until you're ready to frost your cakes. 

Making the Whipped Cream

1. Add your powdered gelatin to the cold water and let it bloom for 5 minutes.
2. Start mixing your 24 ounces of heavy cream in the stand mixer with the whisk attachment until it begins to look thick and foamy. Add the powdered sugar and the vanilla. 
3. Continue mixing until you start to see lines forming on the surface of the whipped cream (soft peaks)
4. Microwave the gelatin for 15 seconds and stir. The gelatin granules should look transparent. If they aren't fully melted then go for another 5 seconds.
5. Add 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream to the melted gelatin and stir.
6. Drizzle the gelatin mixture into the heavy cream mixture and continue mixing on medium until firm peaks form. Don't over-mix it!

Assembling the Strawberry Shortcake Cake

1. Start by slicing your cakes length-wise (tort) with a serrated knife so the layers are thinner.
2. Slice 1 lb of washed strawberries but keep 4-5 whole for decorating the top.
3. Place the first layer of cake onto your cake board or cake platter and apply a thin layer of your stabilized whipped cream.
4. Arrange a single layer of your sliced berries on top of the whipped cream.
5. Cover the sliced berries in another layer of whipped cream so the top is nice and flat.
6. Stack your next layer of cake on top of the berries and whipped cream and repeat the process. I like to leave the sides of the cake without any frosting, but you can cover it if you like.
7. Finish with a few dollops of whipped cream and whole berries on top of the cake!
8. I highly recommend refrigerating the cake until you need to eat it because it will make it much easier to slice. If you plan on refrigerating the cake overnight, then wrap the cake in plastic wrap first to keep it from drying out.

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Strawberry Shortcake Cake

​Nothing says summer like this strawberry shortcake cake! Super moist and fluffy layers of vanilla cake layered with juicy strawberries and stabilized whipped cream. If you love traditional strawberry shortcake then you will LOVE this layer cake version. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 8 cups

Calories 1070kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Two 8"x2" round cake pans
• Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments

Ingredients

Vanilla Shortcake

• 10 ounces milk room temperature, divided evenly into two measuring cups
• 3 ounces canola oil
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 Large eggs room temperature
• 13 ounces cake flour
• 13 ounces sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces unsalted butter room temperature

Stabilized Whipped Cream

• 24 ounces heavy whipping cream
• 4 ounces powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons gelatin I use KNOX brand
• 3 Tablespoons cold water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream for the gelatin
• 16 ounces fresh strawberries washed and sliced for the filling

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Vanilla Cake

• Bring all your ingredients to room temperature, meaning the milk, eggs, and butter should not be even a tiny bit cold. This will ensure that the cake batter mixes together correctly and you'll get a better rise and texture in your final cake. 
• Preheat your oven to 335ºF and prepare two 8"x2" round cake pans with cake goop or another preferred kind of pan release and parchment paper. 
• Measure out your ingredients with a food scale. If you haven't used a scale before, don't be intimidated. It's actually easier than using cups and way fewer dishes (yay). You can get a great scale online or in any local store that sells kitchen equipment. 
• Divide your milk in half and add your oil to one half and add the eggs and vanilla to the second half. Set them aside. 
• Place your cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached. 
• Add in your softened butter and mix at low speed until the flour mixture resembles a coarse sand texture. 
• Add your milk/oil mixture and increase the speed to medium. Let your cake batter mix for 2 full minutes. Scrape after 1 minute if you need to. The texture should be light, white, and fluffy after 2 minutes. Don't worry you won't overmix it. 
• Reduce the speed to low and slowly add in the milk/egg mixture in a steady stream until it's all added in. This takes me about 1 minute. Once the egg mixture is all mixed in, your cake batter is ready to bake!
• Divide your cake batter into your cake pans evenly and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center bounces back when you lightly touch it. 
• Let your cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes or until the pan is just barely warm to the touch.
• Turn the cake out onto a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way or pop them into the freezer to cool them down faster. For me, it takes about an hour and then they are chilled and ready to go. You can also fully freeze your cakes (wrapped in plastic wrap) and that will help seal in the moisture and keep them moist until you're ready to frost your cakes. 

Making the Whipped Cream

• Add your powdered gelatin to the cold water and let it bloom for 5 minutes. 
• Start mixing your 24 ounces of heavy cream in the stand mixer with the whisk attachment until it begins to look thick and foamy. Add the powdered sugar and the vanilla.  
• Continue mixing until you start to see lines forming on the surface of the whipped cream (soft peaks)
• Microwave the gelatin for 15 seconds and stir. The gelatin granules should look transparent. If they aren't fully melted then go for another 5 seconds.
• Add 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream to the melted gelatin and stir.
• Drizzle the gelatin mixture into the heavy cream mixture and continue mixing on medium until firm peaks form. Don't over-mix it!

Assembling the Strawberry Shortcake Cake

• Start by slicing your cakes length-wise (tort) with a serrated knife so the layers are thinner. 
• Slice 1 lb of washed strawberries but keep 4-5 whole for decorating the top.
• Place the first layer of cake onto your cake board or cake platter and apply a thin layer of your stabilized whipped cream.
• Arrange a single layer of your sliced berries on top of the whipped cream.
• Cover the sliced berries in another layer of whipped cream so the top is nice and flat. 
• Stack your next layer of cake on top of the berries and whipped cream and repeat the process. 
• Finish with a few dollops of whipped cream and whole berries on top of the cake!
• I highly recommend refrigerating the cake until you need to eat it because it will make it much easier to slice. If you plan on refrigerating the cake overnight, then wrap the cake in plastic wrap first to keep it from drying out.

Video

Notes

1. Using cake flour will make these vanilla shortcake layers SUPER moist and tender. If you don't have cake flour you can use my white cake recipe instead. 

2. Keep your berries fresh for up to a week by using my natural berry wash. 

3. Don't want to use gelatin? Check out my blog post for more ways to stabilize your whipped cream. 

4. Cake flour has a protein level of 9% or less so look for a flour that specifies protein content or ask your local flour supply. If you're in the UK, search for Shipton Mills soft cake and pastry flour.

5. I don't recommend doing the homemade cake flour hack (replacing some AP flour with cornstarch) for this recipe because of the reverse creaming method. The texture of the cake will be more like cornbread because of the extended mixing.

6. Make your own pan release (cake goop!) The best pan release ever! 

7. Need more help with making your first cake? Check out my how to decorate your first cake blog post. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 1070kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 69g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 233mg | Sodium: 252mg | Potassium: 458mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 67g | Vitamin A: 2153IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 201mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Strawberry Shortcake Cake appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Homemade fluffy chocolate fudge frosting is super simple to make using staple ingredients you probably have in your pantry. Two kinds of chocolate and butter make this super rich and easy to spread. I much prefer it over a tub of store-bought frosting, and you can whip it up in under 10 minutes total. The perfect complement to cake or just dipping with pretzels or graham crackers. 

Ingredients

There are 2 types of cocoa powder, dutch process cocoa powder and natural cocoa powder. A Dutch-process cocoa powder has a noticeably darker hue and will result in a dark chocolate frosting. Dutch process cocoa also has a smoother, more mellow flavor that's often associated with earthy, woodsy notes. Dutch-process cocoa powder starts with cocoa beans that have been washed in an alkaline solution of potassium carbonate, which neutralizes their acidity. So, dutch-process cocoa powder is neutral. Because it is neutral, it does not react with baking soda.

Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor, giving the frosting a richer flavor. Coffee is optional, you can use hot water or milk instead if you prefer. 

Corn syrup adds a glossiness to the frosting that makes it shiny. It also adds a little sweetness and keeps it from setting up too hard. 

Making Chocolate Fudge Frosting

1. Add the chocolate chips, coffee, vanilla, and corn syrup to a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Melt the chocolate mixture together in the microwave. Heat for 30 seconds and stir and then heat in 10-second increments and stir until it is fully melted and smooth. Let the chocolate mixture cool, but not harden. 
3. Mix the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle on high speed for about 1 minute until light and fluffy. You can also use a large bowl and an electric mixer if you prefer.
4. Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the butter mixture and mix until it is smooth and fluffy. The desired consistency of the frosting will be different depending on the temperature. If it is too stiff, warm it up slightly in the microwave and stir. If it is too soft let it sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes to set up.
5. The frosting can be used immediately to frost a cake or put into a piping bag for decorations.
6. Cover it with plastic wrap and stored it at room temperature for 3 days. If you plan to keep it longer, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. 

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Chocolate Fudge Frosting

This homemade chocolate frosting recipe comes together quickly with just a few ingredients! The best chocolate fudge frosting has a classic fudgy texture with an ultra-rich, deep chocolatey flavor. You’ll eat it with or without cake! 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 cups

Calories 863kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 1 Stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer

Ingredients

• 2 cups unsalted butter softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup corn syrup
• ¼ cup coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Add the chocolate chips, coffee, vanilla, and corn syrup to a microwave-safe bowl.
• Melt the chocolate mixture together in the microwave. Heat for 30 seconds and stir and then heat in 10-second increments and stir until it is fully melted and smooth. Let the chocolate mixture cool, but not harden. 
• Mix the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle on high speed for about 1 minute until light and fluffy. You can also use a large bowl and an electric mixer if you prefer.
• Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the butter mixture and mix until it is smooth and fluffy.

  The desired consistency of the frosting will be different depending on the temperature. If it is too stiff, warm it up slightly in the microwave and stir. If it is too soft let it sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes to set up.
• The frosting can be used immediately to frost a cake or put into a piping bag for decorations. 
• Cover it with plastic wrap and stored it at room temperature for 3 days. If you plan to keep it longer, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Notes

1. As long as the frosting is covered or stored appropriately it is ok to be stored at room temperature for a couple of days. I recommend refrigerating it if you are not going to use it within 2-3 days as it does contain butter.
2. A Dutch-process cocoa powder has a noticeably darker hue and will result in a dark chocolate frosting. Dutch process cocoa also has a smoother, more mellow flavor that's often associated with earthy, woodsy notes.
3. Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor, giving the frosting a richer flavor. Coffee is optional, you can use hot water or milk instead if you prefer. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 863kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 64g | Saturated Fat: 40g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 430mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 1440IU | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Chocolate Fudge Frosting appeared first on Sugar Geek Show.

Yellow cake is considered the “classic” American vanilla cake. It is the standard to which all other cakes are held. Why do you think that is? Probably because the best cake you ever ate was most likely a “yellow cake”. The yellow is not a secret ingredient, it's just extra yolks! The rich color and flavor come from using whole eggs and a few extra yolks so those literally make this cake “gold”. 

Ingredients

Eggs are an important ingredient in any cake recipe, but in this cake, there are whole eggs and additional yolks. The yolk contributes protein, some fat, flavor, and emulsifying lecithin. Emulsifiers hold water and fat together, so adding extra egg yolks to the batter enables the batter to hold extra liquid, and more liquid will hold more sugar. Thus creating a very moist and delicious cake!

Cake flour allows this rich cake to still keep its light texture and tight crumb, which makes it perfect to hold a heavier frosting, like chocolate fudge frosting. They balance each other so well in flavor and texture, which makes them a perfect pairing. All-purpose flour can be used as well, however, the final texture of the cake will be different. It will have a looser crumb with a more coarse-looking texture. Pro-tip – If you’re in the UK, search for Shipton Mills soft cake and pastry flour or flour that has a protein level of 9% or less.

Butter emulsifies so well with the sugar and liquid, and it keeps the cake light and not feeling too heavy like oil would. Butter is solid at room temperature, so this cake has enough structure to hold up with filling and stacking cake layers.

Tips for Baking From Scratch

1. Weigh your ingredients to avoid cake failure. Using a kitchen scale for baking is super easy and gives you the best results every single time. 
2. Make sure all your cold ingredients are room temperature or slightly warm (butter, milk, eggs, to create a cohesive batter. Curdled batter causes cakes to collapse. 
3. Need more help with making your first cake? Check out my how to decorate your first cake blog post. 
4. Make your own pan release (cake goop!) The best pan release ever! 
5. Chill your cakes before frosting and filling. You can cover a frosted and chilled cake in fondant if you wish. This cake is also great for stacking. I always keep my cakes chilled in the refrigerator before delivery for easy transportation

How to Make a Yellow Cake

Make the yellow cake layers first, and be sure to give yourself enough time for them to chill. I like to flash-freeze them for an hour and decorate them on the same day I'm going to serve, but you can also freeze them and decorate them the next day.

Making Yellow Cake Layers

1. Preheat the oven to 335º F/168º C — 350º F/177º C and prepare two 8-inch pans or three 6-inch cake pans with cake goop or another preferred pan release.
2. It is important to use warm ingredients so that everything incorporates correctly. Add the eggs to a bowl of warm water (in the shells) for 5 minutes, heat the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds, and leave the butter out for a few hours, or cut it into cubes and microwave for about 10 seconds. 
3. Separate your eggs and egg yolks by cracking each egg on the table and using your thumbs to divide the shell into two pieces. Move the yolk back and forth and allow the whites to fall into a bowl.
4. Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, milk, vanilla, and vegetable oil in a medium bowl and set it aside. 
5. Place the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. This can also be made with an electric hand mixer in a large mixing bowl.
6. Slowly add your softened butter in chunks and mix on medium speed until the batter resembles coarse sand.
7. Add ⅓ of your egg/milk mixture to the flour mixture while mixing on low speed until just moistened. This part is crucial, be careful not to add too much liquid.
8. Increase the mixer to medium speed (setting 5 on Kitchen Aid mixer) and whip for 2 minutes until it has thickened and lightened in color. It should look like soft-serve ice cream. If you do not let the batter mix fully, you will end up with short, crumbly cakes. 
9. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. 
10. While mixing on low speed, slowly add in the rest of your wet ingredients to the fluffy cake batter, stopping to scrape the bowl one more time halfway through. Mix until the liquids are fully combined in the batter.
11. Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
12. Bake for 30 minutes and then check your cakes. If they are still jiggly in the center bake for another 5 to 8 minutes. If they are almost set, bake for another 5 minutes or until the center springs back when you touch it, or a toothpick comes out clean. Bake time can vary depending on the size and shape of the cake pans you use.
13. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes or until the pan is just barely warm. Then, turn them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
14. Wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze if you're decorating the next day. Or if you're decorating the same day, I like to put mine into the freezer (unwrapped) and on the cooling rack to flash chill for one hour so I can begin frosting.

Making Chocolate Fudge Frosting

1. Add the chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and corn syrup to a measuring cup or bowl.
2. Melt the chocolate mixture together in the microwave. Heat for 30 seconds and stir and then heat in 10-second increments and stir until it is fully melted and smooth. Let the chocolate mixture cool, but not harden. 
3. Mix the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle on high speed for about 1 minute until light and fluffy.
4. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and mix it until it's combined.
5. The frosting can be used immediately on the cake, or covered with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for 3 days. If you plan to keep it longer, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. 

Decorating the Yellow Cake

1. Trim the domes off of the yellow cake layers.
2. Then trim and dark edges and bottoms off the cakes. This is optional but makes for pretty slices. 
3. Place the first layer of cake down on your cardboard cake round.
4. Fill it with about one and a half cups of chocolate frosting and spread it with an offset spatula to the edges of the cake. 
5. Place the second layer of cake on top of the filled layer. 
6. Add a large dollop of frosting to the top of the cake and gently spread the frosting out and around the sides of the cake. If the frosting is too soft, place it in the fridge for a few minutes to set up.
7. Apply a thick second coat of frosting to the exterior of the cake. Push waves in the frosting with your spatula to create a rustic finish. 
8. The cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, then store the cake in the fridge or freezer. 

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Yellow Cake Recipe

The best yellow cake recipe from scratch that pairs perfectly with any buttercream or frosting, but especially with creamy chocolate fudge frosting. The perfect birthday cake combination that everyone is excited to eat for any special occasion!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Decorating time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 cups

Calories 1404kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• 2 8" x 2" cake pans

Ingredients

Yellow Cake Recipe

• 14 ounces cake flour
• 12 ounces granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces unsalted butter softened
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 3 large egg yolks room temperature
• 8 ounces whole milk warmed
• 2 ounces vegetable oil
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Fudge Frosting Ingredients

• 16 ounces unsalted butter 2 cups, softened
• 8 ounces powdered sugar 2 cups
• 3 ounces cocoa powder 1 cup
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces corn syrup ½ cup
• 2 ounces coffee ¼ cup
• 1 teasoon vanilla extract
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate 2 cups

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Yellow Cake Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 335º F/168º C — 350º F/177º C and prepare two 8-inch pans or three 6-inch cake pans with cake goop or another preferred pan release.
• It is important to use warm ingredients so that everything incorporates correctly. Add the eggs to a bowl of warm water (in the shells) for 5 minutes, heat the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds, and leave the butter out for a few hours, or cut it into cubes and microwave for about 10 seconds. 
• Separate your eggs and egg yolks by cracking each egg on the table and using your thumbs to divide the shell into two pieces. Move the yolk back and forth and allow the whites to fall into a bowl. 
• Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, milk, vanilla, and vegetable oil in a medium bowl and set it aside. 
• Place the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. This can also be made with an electric hand mixer in a large mixing bowl.
• Slowly add your softened butter in chunks and mix on medium speed until the batter resembles coarse sand.
• Add ⅓ of your egg/milk mixture to the flour mixture while mixing on low speed until just moistened. This part is crucial, be careful not to add too much liquid.
• Increase the mixer to medium speed (setting 5 on Kitchen Aid mixer) and whip for 2 minutes until it has thickened and lightened in color. It should look like soft-serve ice cream. If you do not let the batter mix fully, you will end up with short, crumbly cakes. 
• Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. 
• While mixing on low speed, slowly add in the rest of your wet ingredients to the fluffy cake batter, stopping to scrape the bowl one more time halfway through. Mix until the liquids are fully combined in the batter.
• Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake for 30 minutes and then check your cakes. If they are still jiggly in the center bake for another 5 to 8 minutes. If they are almost set, bake for another 5 minutes or until the center springs back when you touch it, or a toothpick comes out clean. Bake time can vary depending on the size and shape of the cake pans you use.
• Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes or until the pan is just barely warm. Then, turn them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
• Wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze if you're decorating the next day. Or if you're decorating the same day, I like to put mine into the freezer (unwrapped) and on the cooling rack to flash chill for one hour so I can begin frosting.

Making Chocolate Fudge Frosting

• Add the chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and corn syrup to a measuring cup or bowl.
• Melt the chocolate mixture together in the microwave. Heat for 30 seconds and stir and then heat in 10-second increments and stir until it is fully melted and smooth. Let the chocolate mixture cool, but not harden. 
• Mix the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle on high speed for about 1 minute until light and fluffy.
• Add the cooled chocolate mixture and mix it until it's combined.
• The frosting can be used immediately on the cake, or covered with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for 3 days. If you plan to keep it longer, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. 

Decorating the Yellow Cake

• Trim the domes off of the yellow cake layers.
• Then trim and dark edges and bottoms off the cakes. This is optional but makes for pretty slices. 
• Place the first layer of cake down on your cardboard cake round. 
• Fill it with about one and a half cups of chocolate frosting and spread it with an offset spatula to the edges of the cake. 
• Place the second layer of cake on top of the filled layer. 
• Add a large dollop of frosting to the top of the cake and gently spread the frosting out and around the sides of the cake. If the frosting is too soft, place it in the fridge for a few minutes to set up. 
• Apply a thick second coat of frosting to the exterior of the cake. Push waves in the frosting with your spatula to create a rustic finish. 
• The cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, then store the cake in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

1. 1. Weigh your ingredients to avoid cake failure. Using a kitchen scale for baking is super easy and gives you the best results every single time.
   2. Make sure all your cold ingredients are room temperature or slightly warm (butter, milk, eggs) to create a cohesive batter. Curdled batter causes cakes to collapse.
   3. Need more help with making your first cake? Check out my how to decorate your first cake blog post.
   4. Make your own pan release (cake goop!) The best pan release ever!
   5. Chill your cakes before frosting and filling. You can cover a frosted and chilled cake in fondant if you wish. This cake is also great for stacking. I always keep my cakes chilled in the refrigerator before delivery for easy transportation.
   6. Use the leftover egg whites for Swiss meringue buttercream, white cake, or macarons. 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 1404kcal | Carbohydrates: 154g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 86g | Saturated Fat: 52g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 289mg | Sodium: 636mg | Potassium: 647mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 104g | Vitamin A: 2177IU | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 5mg

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