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Matcha Snack Cake
I’m back! It’s been a while since I posted, but for good reason. In case you missed it (a.k.a., you don’t follow me on Instagram), I bought a house! After three and a half years of searching, I finally found the house I was looking for at the end of January, and by the end of February I had closed on the house, packed up, and moved! It was a whirlwind, to say the least. Now, after another month and a half of unpacking and settling in, I’m finally getting back into the swing of blogging things, and it feels great! I’m still trying to get used to my new-to-me…
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Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Originally published March 2019; Updated Dec 2023 Soft, buttery, a little tangy, and slathered with a thick layer of creamy frosting: my list of what makes a perfect sugar cookie. You know those soft sugar cookies you find in most grocery store bakeries with the crazy thick layer of sugary frosting? Like those, only more buttery, less plastic-tasting (you know it’s true), and made with ingredients I can pronounce. These Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies are the closest I’ve come to those infamous grocery store cookies. Soft, Satisfying, and Perfect for Holiday Baking! These cookies are on the softer side, but they still have a slight firmness that makes them…
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Whiteout Cake: White Cake With Whipped Vanilla Almond Buttercream
I’ve been craving white cake lately. Plain white cake with white frosting—the kind you have at weddings, office parties, kids’ birthdays…you get the idea. Normally I’m a chocolate cake fan (if I have to choose), but occasionally I just need something lighter, preferably topped with fruit. Thus, this white cake with whipped vanilla almond buttercream was born! The Classic White Cake I know that a plain white cake seems a little…boring. But if it’s done right, it’s anything but. First of all, you could keep your white cake just plain-old-vanilla (no judgement—vanilla can be delicious), but I like to add a smidge of almond to mine. It gives the cake…
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Chai Spice Pound Cake Cupcakes
Harvest season is in full swing. Farmer’s market counters overflow with pumpkins and squash, orchards are bursting with apples and pears, and all I want to drink is warmly spiced cider, mulled wine, and chai. (And, yes, the occasional pumpkin spice latte…I’m not immune to its charms.) Two years ago I created my Chai Spice Snickerdoodles, and with it my own chai spice mix. From there, I added that same spice mix to apple pie, and have used the leftover mix in my coffee as well. Spoiler alert: it’s delicious. Then the following spring, a friend asked for chai-flavored pound cake for her birthday, so I added that chai spice…
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Carrot Cake with Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
I’ve always wondered how carrot cake became an Easter tradition—in my mind, spice cake is really more of a fall treat. I suppose the Easter bunny has something to do with it, I’m not sure. But as it’s one of the tastiest cakes there is, I’m sure not going to complain. This is my version, with all of my favorite things: walnuts, no raisins(way overrated, IMO), and a sweet, fluffy, cinnamon-y cream cheese frosting. Let’s give a hearty springtime welcome to Carrot Cake with Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting! Carrot Cake History So it turns out that carrot cake has been around for a while. Or, at least, some version…
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Chocolate Cake with Earl Grey Buttercream and Salted Caramel
The beginning of the year brings lots of chances to celebrate in my world – New Year’s Eve/Day, my birthday (last week!), and now my blogiversary! A year ago today I started this blog. And what a fun year it’s been! My first post a year ago was for my Grandma’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies, a recipe that is beloved in my family. This year, I’m sharing a cake I’ve been wanting to make for a while (and the one I made for my birthday this year) – Chocolate Cake with Earl Grey Buttercream and Salted Caramel Sauce. The Cake The cake itself is Ina Garten’s famous chocolate cake, and…
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Butterbeer Cupcakes
Happy Halloween week, friends! It’s that spooky time of year where black cats, witches, ghosts, and ghouls have their heyday and kids of all ages dress in costume to fill their cauldrons with sweet treats. If you need something magical to bring to a Halloween party, or if you’re hosting your own crowd of wizards and muggles, these Butterbeer Cupcakes are sure to please everyone. If you’re not a Harry Potter fan (is that even a thing?), you may not be familiar with butterbeer. In the books, butterbeer is a sweet ale-like beverage served in pubs, and beloved of all wizard kind. While there are a few companies who make…
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Brown Butter
Brown butter. You’ve probably noticed it in recipes and on restaurant menus a lot lately. It’s become a popular ingredient in recent years, and for good reason – it makes everything more delicious. I mean, butter itself makes everything better, so it makes sense that butter, heated until it browns and gives off a deliciously nutty scent, would improve everything it touches. Browning butter is not complicated – all you need is butter, a heavy-bottomed, preferably light-colored saucepan, and a rubber spatula. The only tricky part is making sure your butter turns nicely brown without burning. This, I’ve found, really just takes patience and practice. Steps Melt your butter in…
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Devil’s Food Snack Cake
I’m not sure who first came up with the concept of a “Snack Cake”, but whoever it was was brilliant. It’s cake, but it’s just a “snack”. No big deal. It doesn’t have to be a special event like someone’s birthday or anything – it could just be a random Tuesday and you think, “gee, I’d like some cake”, so you make one. If you like the idea of having cake for no other reason than that you want cake, this Devil’s Food Snack Cake is for you. Now, you could definitely use this cake for a special occasion if you want. It’s rich, chocolatey and delicious, with a fluffy…
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Mini Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Mascarpone Frosting
Holidays are such a great excuse to make your favorite desserts (like you need an excuse, but still). With Easter coming up, it seemed like a great time to share my favorite lemon cake with you. This time around I made it in mini form, with an update to my favorite cream cheese frosting. Enter Mini Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Mascarpone Frosting! This makes the fluffiest lemon cake ever, and topped with creamy mascarpone frosting it’s a show-stopping dessert. It will ruin you for all other cakes. It’s also adaptable – it works wonderfully as mini cupcakes, full-sized cupcakes and as a 9-inch layer cake. So, choose your own adventure…
Recipes and Musings from the Zenith City
