Irish Cream Bundt Cake

Ladies and Gentlemen, here I have for you the perfect dessert for St. Patrick's Day dessert. A rich, delicious chocolate cake flavored with Bailey's and topped with both chocolate and caramel sauce. 

It's the perfect ending to reubens, corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew, bangers and mash, or whatever you love to eat on March 17. 

This cake is a cinch to make - just combine the dry ingredients, then add the wet, including the Irish Cream!

Pour the batter into a bundt pan and bake!

After the cake cools partially, turn it out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool completely. My trick for bundts? I run a table knife around the edges and then turn it over with conviction! This works 98% of the time. :)

When  the cake is completely cool, make the chocolate ganache and pour it over the cake. 

Then do the same with the caramel sauce!

See how delicious this looks?

The cake is rich so you can cut it into small slices. Serve it with vanilla ice cream! If you have a lot of leftovers, you can freeze individual slices. 

Irish Cream Bundt Cake

Cake:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 Tbsp. instant coffee granules

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, melted

1 cup Irish cream liqueur

3/4 cup sour cream

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

Topping:

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup half and half

1/4 cup thick caramel sauce or dulce de leche

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, instant coffee granules, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low just to stir the dry ingredients together. Then add the melted butter, Irish cream, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on low until combined. Scrape the bowl and mix again on medium speed until smooth. 

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 10 or 11-inch bundt pan. Bake in the center of the oven a 350 for 45-44 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Cool the cake on a wire rack for at least half a hour, before flipping the cake out of the pan and returning to the wire rack to cool completely. 

Once the cake is cool, make the topping. Place the half and half in a microwave safe boil and heat to boiling. Remove and add the chocolate chips. Let them sit for about 5 minutes, then stir to combine. Stir vigorously until the mixture is really smooth.

Place the cake on a plate, and drizzle the chocolate ganache over the top. Then warm the caramel and drizzle that over the cake as well. 

You can cut this into skinny slices - the cake is rich, so small slices work well. It's lovely served with vanilla ice cream. 

Chocolate Peppermint Cake Roll

 

I have said this in previous years but I'll say it again - Christmas cookies are great, but sometimes you just need a cake. It's true. And this is quite the cake. A light chocolate sponge (don't I sound like the Great British Baking Show?) filled with creamy peppermint filling and topped with rich chocolate ganache. It's AH-MAZING.

Cake rolls are not difficult necessarily, but they have a lot of steps and take longer than a regular cake, because of the time needed to cool between the steps. If you're willing to invest the time, you will be rewarded with a beautiful and delicious dessert!

I don't have a lot of step by step pictures, but if you follow the recipe carefully, you will do great. Start by making the cake. After it is baked, remove it from the oven, lift it out of the pan, and then carefully (it's hot) roll it up with the parchment paper. 

Let it cool completely, and while it cools you can make the filling. Once the cake is cool, unroll it and spread the peppermint filling over the cake. 

Now roll it up again, but without the paper this time. It's ok if it's not perfect or if there are a few cracks - that's what the ganache is for! Refrigerate the cake for a while to allow for more cooling. While it cools, make the ganache. Move the cake to the serving platter,

then carefully pour the ganache over the top to completely cover it. You can garnish with more candies if you want to!

Return the cake to the fridge for another half hour or so, then it's ready to serve! It's so pretty with the peppermint swirl inside.

I hope you'll try this! It's a very impressive dessert.

Chocolate Peppermint Cake Roll

Cake:
1/3 cup cocoa powder 
4 eggs (separated into yolks and whites)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup sugar (two different steps, not a typo!)
1/4 tsp, baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. vanilla 
1/3 cup water

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar 
20 starlight mint candies, finely crushed
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

Ganache:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Grease a 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan, then line it with parchment paper. Grease and flour the paper to ensure the cake doesn’t stick during baking.

For the cake, in a large bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form.

In a separate medium bowl, beat the egg yolks and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes. Gradually add the 1/3 cup of sugar and continue beating for another 2 minutes.

In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add this dry mixture to the egg yolk mixture alternately with water, beating on low speed just until the batter is smooth.

Gradually fold the chocolate mixture into the beaten egg whites until well blended.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake at 375 for 14 to 16 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for one minute.

Lift the parchment paper and the hot cake out of the pan and transfer it to a flat, heat-safe surface. Immediately roll the cake up starting from one of the short ends, keeping the parchment paper inside.

Allow the rolled-up cake to cool completely on a wire rack, then transfer it to the fridge for an additional 30-minute cool.

While the cake cools, make the filling. Mix cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract together with an electric mixer until fluffy and smooth. Reserve a few of the crushed candies for garnish, then stir in the remaining crushed candies. 

Once the cake has cooled completely, carefully unroll it. Spread the filling evenly over the surface of the cake. Then, roll up the cake again, this time without the parchment paper. Use a butter knife if needed to help release it.

Cover the cake roll with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour

Now, for the ganache: in a saucepan, heat the heavy cream until hot. Pour it over chopped chocolate and stir continuously until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Allow the ganache to cool for several minutes so it thickens slightly.

Gently spoon or pour the cooled chocolate ganache over the top of the peppermint roll. Sprinkle some crushed candies over the top. Refrigerate the finished cake roll for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Before serving, ensure the cake has chilled well so the ganache is set. Store any leftovers in the fridge, covered, for up to three days.

Raspberry Almond Ricotta Cake

It's starting to be really spring here, although it's gotten super warm all of a sudden so it's nearly summer. No matter the season, it's the perfect time to make this delightful cake.

You won't even need a mixer for this: just a hearty wooden spoon and some good old fashioned stirring will do. You can whip this up really quickly, and it's as impressive looking as it is delicious tasting.

This cake has ricotta cheese which delivers creaminess and moistness without the cake seeming heavy. 

Raspberries are included in the batter as well as sprinkled over the top with almonds. I like to sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar before serving.

And ice cream is a must! 

Celebrate spring with this gorgeous and tasty cake! 


Raspberry Almond Ricotta Cake

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 heaping cup raspberries, divided (fresh or frozen)

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta, and vanilla. When fully mixed, add to the dry ingredients. Stir just until combined, then add the melted butter, and 3/4 cup of raspberries, being careful not to crush them.

Pour the batter into a greased 9" springform pan. Scatter remaining berries over the top of the cake, and then sprinkle the almonds over the cake, lightly pressing them into the batter.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before unmolding. Cool completely, then serve with whipped cream or ice cream. Serves 8.

Peanut Butter Blondies with Fudge Frosting

If you love a peanut butter and chocolate combo, these bars are for you! I was originally just looking to make peanut butter blondies, but while they were baking, I thought, what these will need is some fudge frosting.

Lucky for you I was right. While the blondies are delicious on their own, the frosting takes them way over the top. 

They are so rich and delicious that you can cut them in small squares, so a 9x13 pan will feed a crowd.

These come together pretty quickly - a standard brownie base of butter, sugars, eggs etc is mixed together and then spread into the pan and baked. While the bars bake, you can make the frosting. 

You will want to try to have the patience to wait for the frosting to set up before you cut the bars, but you could accelerate the process by refrigerating them after they're frosted. I hope you enjoy these as much as we did! They won rave reviews at the church event I took them to...and I think they will at your house, too!

Peanut Butter Blondies with Fudge Frosting

Blondies:
1 cup of smooth or chunky peanut butter
2/3 cup butter
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla 
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour

Fudge Frosting:
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup cocoa
2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the peanut butter, butter and white and brown sugars.

Slowly add the eggs, vanilla, and salt and mix until incorporated.

In a smaller bowl, whisk the baking powder and flour, then slowly pour this into the creamed mixture. Mix until just combined.  

Spread the batter into a parchment-lined 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. The bars will feel soft but will solidify as they cool. Cool completely on a wire rack before adding frosting.

For the frosting, melt the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Add the cocoa, then stir until the mixture is smooth and thick. Remove the pan from the heat and place the cocoa mixture into a medium size bowl. Let it cool slightly. 

Add the milk and vanilla alternately with the powdered sugar to the bowl and beat with an electric mixer or whisk until you have the spreading consistency you desire.

Spread over cooled blondies. Remove from the pan with the parchment paper "handles" and cut into small squares after the frosting has set. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Bars

I've been the lucky recipient of rhubarb from some friends' gardens, so here is a great recipe to put it to use. There's another great breakfast recipe coming with rhubarb, but I thought these would make a festive 4th of July dessert with the beautiful red filling. 

Side note, my nephew recently corrected me when I talked to him about "July 4th." He said "You say it FOURTH OF JULY." Alrighty then.

There are a number of things to love about these bars, taste of course being the primary one. But secondly, the crust and the topping is the same mixture - so it's easy and fast to make and also dirties only one dish for those elements.

Look at that beautiful fruit filling!

If you have rhubarb and strawberries, you likely have all the other pantry ingredients to make these bars, so do yourself and others a favor, and get them made. In time for the 4th of July. (There, I said it right.)

Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Bars

Crust and topping:
3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
14 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, cold and cubed
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup milk 
1/3 cup old fashioned oats (not quick)

Filling:
2 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
2 1/2 cups sliced rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. orange zest

For the crust and topping, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter and use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers, to cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (You can also do this step in a food processor; just pulse a few times til you get the coarse crumbs - don't just turn "on" or it won't be crumbly anymore!)

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla. Pour over the flour mixture and use a spoon or your hands to combine. Set aside 2 cups of this mixture.

Press the remaining dough into a greased 9x13 pan. (If you really like parchment paper, you can make a parchment "liner" instead.) You will probably need to use your fingers to flatten it. 

For the filling, mix together the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch, and orange zest. Spread over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of flour mixture over the filling. Then sprinkle the oats on top and use a spatula to gently press the topping down.

Bake at 350 for 44-50 minutes until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out mostly clean (it will have some fruit specks, likely). Allow the bars to cool on a wire rack, or place them in the fridge after an hour of cooling to cool them faster.

Cut into squares and serve!

These bars store best in the fridge, and can also be frozen for up to three months. I like to "warm" them up in the microwave or toaster oven if they've been cold, and then top with vanilla ice cream!

Recipe source: adapted from Sally's

Orange Almond Cake {GF& DF}

I love cakes that can be whipped up quickly but are deliciously impressive. This is one of those. And this one is also gluten AND dairy free, which is helpful when you have friends or families who have dietary restrictions. 

What I also appreciate is that this cake doesn't call for specialty ingredients - the only "unusual" thing is almond flour, which is not unusual at all anymore - you can even get it at Aldi! (That's my litmus test of a regular ingredient - can I get it at Aldi? HA!)

This is a wonderful light, spring or summer cake, which we really enjoyed with ice cream and fresh berries. (And the dairy free folks without the ice cream, wah!)

You will need your mixer for this, because the lightness of the cake comes from whipped egg whites. Of course, you could do it by hand if you have arms and shoulders of steel, but I do not. I'm grateful for stand mixers, because you can turn it on and just let it go for several minutes. But the rest of the cake you can just mix together by hand.

Enjoy this beautiful spring, and enjoy this cake!

Orange Almond Cake

4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
zest of one small orange
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups almond flour
pinch salt
1/2 cup raw sliced almonds
powdered sugar for dusting

Using an electric stand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. 

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, zest and orange juice. Stir in the almond flour and salt. 

Once egg whites are stiff, add about 1/4 of the egg white mixture to the batter, and fold gently until combined. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites, but do not over mix. 

Pour the batter into a greased 9" springform pan. (If you like, you can also line the bottom with parchment.) Top with the sliced almonds. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and the top springs back slightly when touched. 

Cool completely on a wire rack, then remove the sides of the pan. If you've used parchment, you could remove the cake from the bottom as well. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with fresh berries.

Banana Layer Cake

 

My husband chose this cake for his birthday this year, and since he normally says "whatever you want" when I ask what HE wants for his birthday dessert, I figured I better make exactly what he picked out! 

 

And I'm glad he did. This is banana bread on steroids - a delicious layer cake with cream cheese frosting. 

This is a nice change of pace from heavy chocolate cakes or the like - but is still completely substantial. 

The cream cheese frosting adds a delicious richness to the cake - when I make this again, I might be tempted to double the frosting! If you need an easy, delicious cake for the weekend, or for any celebration, and you love banana bread - this is the winner!

Banana Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake:

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. banana extract, optional

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3 medium ripe bananas, mashed

Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

3 tsp. milk or cream

1 tsp. banana extract (use vanilla if you don't have banana)

1½ cup powdered sugar

For the cake, in a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter until smooth and creamy. Add buttermilk and vanilla, and banana extract (if you have it). Mix until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry mixture gradually, beating until combined. Fold in mashed bananas.

Pour into greased 8 or 9 inch round cake pans and bake at 350 on center rack of oven for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Time will vary based on your pan size.) Remove to wire rack to cool, then remove from pan.

For the frosting, mix together the cream cheese, butter, milk and extract until light and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar, a little at a time, mixing until smooth and creamy.

Generously frost bottom layer of cake, stopping at the edge. Place top layer on frosted bottom layer, then frost top layer generously, then frost the sides. (If you prefer, you can leave the sides "plain" and just frost the middle and top. Up to you!) Chill until frosting is firmed up before slicing.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Fresh Pear Cake with Cardamom Icing

Bundt cakes are so fun to make. They just look so impressive and are perfect for any kind of celebration. I especially love fruit-studded cakes, and this one is perfect for fall. 

This cake is so easy to throw together - you wouldn't even need to use a mixer. And pears have such thin skin that you don't even need to bother peeling them. You can have a show stopper of a cake in no time at all!

I think what really makes this cake special is the cardamom-laced icing. If you don't have cardamom on hand, don't worry - still make this! - but if you have some, it adds such a nice flavor depth to the "regular" powdered sugar icing.

I made this cake for a birthday celebration at work and it won rave reviews. Friends had given me a lot of pears from their trees, and this was the best use of them!

Pears bake up so beautifully, similar to apples, but have a slightly different flavor profile. They are wonderful to include in muffins, breads, cakes and tarts. Take advantage of the pears this fall and have some cake!

Fresh Pear Cake with Cardamom Icing

4 cups chopped pears
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla 

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 or 5 Tbsp. milk or half and half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
1/4 tsp. cardamom

In a large bowl, beat eggs on medium speed. Gradually add sugar and oil; beat thoroughly. Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda; add to egg mixture and mix well.

Stir in pears and vanilla. (The batter will be stiff.) Spoon into a greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake at 350° for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

For the icing, in a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla, cardamom, and milk; beat until smooth. Add more sugar, or more milk, to get to a consistency you like. Drizzle over cake. Makes14-16 servings.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Sweet Southern Blue