Chocolate cake, swirled with cranberries and topped with a soft cream cheese cranberry icing. Decorate with candied cranberries if you like — I used this tutorial.  (more…)

My little brother, Alex, is absolutely obsessed with pumpkin pie, cheesecake, and speculoos cookies. He also loves skittles and sour patch kids, but of baked desserts, those three are by far his top favorites.

I occasionally make pumpkin pie, but I like to experiment a lot more than making the same classics over and over. So at the beginning of the fall, I bought a bunch of pumpkin cans with the task of coming up with new pumpkin recipes. I came up with this one as a sort of spin-off of my sweet potato cheesecake recipe (Alex also loves that one!). I used the same crust as that recipe, but the filling is a whipped-cream based filling. (more…)

This Basil Berry Galette is the easy way to make a berry pie, for those days when you want want a refreshing dessert that doesn’t take too long to make. This pastry is made with a pie crust and a berry pie filling, but, unlike a traditional pie, this is free-form and doesn’t have a top crust.

It’s made with a small handful of basil, which adds complexity to the flavor (I think a bit of mint or rosemary or lavender would pair well with berries too, if you wanted to try one of those instead of basil — but I love basil with berries or peaches!). (more…)

These S’mores Pop Tarts are flaky pastries filled with chocolate ganache and topped with a marshmallow-like meringue.

The pastry dough is a buttery pie crust. To make this extra flaky, work with cold butter and leave chunks of butter in the dough. When you roll out the dough, you will stretch the butter and the dough will have that layered effect. (more…)

The one dessert my little brother never stops requesting is cheesecake. This past birthday, he made sure to ask for Oreo cheesecake. (more…)

Cherry season is short, so I try to make the most of it.

Baking with cherries is often a process, because you have to take the time to pit each fruit. They sell cherry/olive pitters in stores, but I try to get creative with the tools I have. (more…)

This cake is amazing in the morning next to some coffee or tea! It’s a light cake with just enough lemon and a hint of almond. 

The icing perfectly compliments the cake, making it just sweet enough!  (more…)

This is a fluffy white cake, filled with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, and topped with a rich chocolate ganache. 

The cake is soft and spongey, reminiscent of angel food cake. Because of its light texture and refreshing strawberries, this makes for an amazing cake for the summer! (more…)

Once a month, I bake for my co-workers. I let them give me requests and I try to bake something that’s up to their satisfaction.

Not too long ago, the request was Oreo cupcakes. (more…)

End your year (or start the next) with this classy Cranberry Apple Crumb Cake! 

Tart cranberries, sweet apples, and a delicate almond crumb bring this cake together. This light and versatile treat can be an after-dinner dessert or a breakfast indulgence.  (more…)