Cake Recipes

Valentine’s Day Heart Brownies

A little ingenuity and a heart-shaped cookie cutter is all that’s needed to make Valentine’s Day feel extra special! A heart-shaped cookie cutter does it again.. Start with this classically delicious homemade brownie recipe (minus the Halloween candy theme), an equally scrumptious Nutella brownie, or store-bought brownies, with Ghirardelli leading the pack in my humble…

Apple Cake

No frosting is needed for this rustic cake that is studded with tender apples and comes together in a single bowl with pantry staples. Serve as is or with a scoop of ice cream and caramel sauce. (Or my favorite, salted caramel ice cream!) My grandmother’s apple cake brings back so many memories. Economical and…

Butterscotch Rum Ripple Cake

Butterscotch Rum Ripple Cake reinvents the classic pound cake with the addition of caramel-like swirled layers and an irresistible glaze.    This recipe goes WAY back. As a newlywed, my husband, Jack, and I drove to Philadelphia to see his niece, Judy, perform in a play. She was in elementary school and had a part…

Best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Creamy and fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness, this classic frosting can easily be spread or piped onto cakes, cupcakes, and cookies for desserts that look as great as they taste! This recipe will add a glorious final touch to your favorite cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. I most frequently use it to decorate…

Baked Almond Cake Donuts or Muffins (grain-free)

No messy frying step needed for deliciously satisfying, grain-free donuts. No donut pan? No problem. The recipe can be made as muffins instead!    I have a clear vision of the best donut I ever ate. It was from a cafe called Philz during a visit to Los Angeles several years ago. My family and…

Wacky Cake with Easy Chocolate Frosting (Egg- & Dairy-Free with GF option)

This clever cake mixes up in a single bowl without the need for eggs or milk, making it ideal when ingredients are low or working around dietary requirements. The size is perfect for smaller celebrations, although the foolproof recipe can easily be doubled.   Celebrations of all kinds have taken decidedly different twists and turns over…

Apple Crumb Cake

From holiday meals and casual entertaining to easy weeknight desserts, one-bowl Apple Crumb Cake is a go-to dessert for fall and winter–and it even passes as coffee cake!   My grandmother’s apple cake has long been a family favorite. For years, we focused on the sheer deliciousness of it, as well as the fact that we could whip it…

Emma’s Favorite Cupcakes (dairy- and gluten-free optional)

What happens when a dear friend requests a spot-on replica of the utterly perfect cupcakes her mom used to make-minus the dairy and gluten? You figure out a way, of course! This cupcake recipe, however, is bigger than any one birthday or Valentine’s Day. It represents love and loss and how we can form everlasting…

Crustless Cranberry Pie

Festive, seasonal and so easy to make with pantry staples, this sweet-tart treat is fruit forward like a pie but somewhat cakier in texture.   This recipe is rooted in practicality: Years ago, I had fresh cranberries that needed to be used before we left town for a week. (I later learned cranberries freeze well!)…

Fruitcake Quick Bread

Finally…a fruitcake you’ll want to eat! This quick and easy batter bread is packed with fruit and nuts but unlike traditional fruitcake is lighter, less sweet, and more mildly spiced.       A name isn’t just a name. It’s an identity, and with that, it conjures up feelings and memories.  In some cases, it also carries baggage. …

Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa Cobbler

With a layer of melted butter and batter, followed by fruit on the top, this simple peach cobbler strays from the typical two-layer recipe with fruit on the bottom and a crumble or biscuit on top. Then, as this cobbler bakes, the batter rises up and over the peaches and forms a cake-like treat, with the…

Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake

Guaranteed to be the hit of the party, my favorite Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake includes fudge filling, chocolate crunchies, and all.  There’s also a worthy gluten-free option for those who need it—and nobody will detect a difference! On birthdays and hot summer nights, cake and ice cream really hit the spot.  The following…

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