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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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No-Bake Key Lime Cheesecake
“Summertime…and the livin’ is easy…” Louis Armstrong had it right…summertime is for easy living (or easy livin’, if you’re Louis). And that extends to baking. Summer is the time for easy, simple desserts that taste great but don’t take a lot of time…and, preferably, ones that don’t require us to turn on the oven. This No-Bake Key Lime Cheesecake fits that bill perfectly. A Simple but Delicious Mashup of Two Great Desserts Summer BBQs, picnics, beach days…all require tasty snacks. This no-bake cheesecake is perfect for all of our warm-weather gatherings this summer. This is a mashup of two crazy delicious desserts…key lime pie and cheesecake. It combines the brightness…
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Blueberry Hand Pies
I just got back from a few days away in Grand Marais, MN. I spent most of my time next to Lake Superior, walking, reading, writing, eating delicious food, and sipping wine, coffee, and locally-brewed beer. It was glorious. The entire small town hugs the lakeshore, making for the most incredible lake views. It is, hands down, my favorite place in the world. I mean, just look at all of this beauty! Celebrate the Little Things Whenever I’m on vacation, I think a lot about celebration — especially taking time to celebrate the little things in life, like a sunny day, a quiet morning, the sound of birds singing, or…
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Ginger Rhubarb Cupcakes
Summer arrived in full force this weekend here in Duluth. It was sunny and 70°F with a lovely lake breeze. Heaven. My Mom came up to visit (for the first time since Christmas!) and we spent as much time as possible outside – including hiking in one of my favorite spots and enjoying some glorious lake views. I tell you what, these kinds of days make up for those dark, 20-below winter days and then some. With summer finally here, my thoughts immediately go to BBQs and potlucks – friends and family gathering to enjoy each other’s company and all the delicious summer foods. Even though this summer will look…
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Plum Slab Pie
Ok guys, the time of year has begun where we make ALL THE PIES. For the next 6 months, let’s put everything into flaky, buttery crusts. Deal? If you’re not convinced, let me try to entice you with this Plum Slab Pie. Yep, you read that right – Plum SLAB Pie. It’s pie in slab form. Because why would we want a measly little 9″ round pie when we can have a slab of it instead?? Slab pie is made exactly the same way as regular pie, except you use a half sheet pan instead of a pie pan. It’s great for feeding a crowd. (I bet you have a…
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Sour Cherry Galette
Summer is full of amazing flavors and seasonal fruits, veggies, and flowers. Since I live in a place where the growing season is extremely short, I am frantic to capture these flavors before they’re gone. For me that means a bevy of jams, sauces, cakes, and my personal favorite – PIES. This Sour Cherry Galette is a prime example. It’s not quite sour cherry season here in Duluth (I think that comes in a few weeks) but I had some in the back of my freezer that needed to be used up. That’s one problem with trying to preserve all of those seasonal fruits – my freezer ends up full…
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Rhubarb Custard Pie
It’s finally rhubarb season here in northern Minnesota, and the rhubarb is plentiful. While I love all things rhubarb, I think it’s at its best and most beautiful in a pie. This rhubarb custard pie is by far my favorite treat of the season – tart, tangy rhubarb enveloped in a sweet nutmeg-laced custard and enclosed in the flakiest, buttery pie crust. It’s heaven. This recipe isn’t my own. I got it several years ago from a customer while working at a local kitchen store (shout out to Duluth Kitchen Co! Also, I don’t remember exactly who that customer was, so if you’re reading this and it was you, please…
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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…
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Dark Chocolate S’mores Cookies with Smoked Sea Salt
Spring has sprung in Duluth, though we’re not quite out of the woods for snowstorms yet (we often get blizzards in April!). Still, I’m already dreaming of summer – sunshine, green grass, sandy beaches, long wooded walks, and s’mores around the campfire. I love a perfectly toasted marshmallow (or even a burnt one, I’m not that picky). On its own it’s delicious enough, but add some melty chocolate and graham crackers and I’m in heaven! Since it’s not quite campfire season, I decided to create these dark chocolate s’mores cookies to tide me over until summer. And oh boy, are they good! These cookies are rich and fudgy with chocolate…
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Classic Banoffee Pie
Banoffee Pie is a classic British dessert, first invented at a pub in East Sussex in 1971. Even so, I always think of it around St. Patty’s Day (probably because the first time I tried Banoffee was while visiting Northern Ireland). So even though it isn’t technically Irish, I still think it makes the most delightful St. Patty’s Day treat. Plus, Pi day happens a few days before St. Patty’s Day (3.14, get it?), so this pie can pull double duty. If you’re not familiar with Banoffee Pie, it’s made with layers of bananas, dulce de leche, and whipped cream, all inside a buttery graham cracker crust. In other words,…
Recipes and Musings from the Zenith City
