• Make the cake batter. Use a stand mixer (a hand mixer works too) to cream together the softened butter and sugar. Then add the egg whites, buttermilk, and vanilla bean paste. Mix well.

  Add the dry ingredients – baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cake flour. Then mix again.

  1/2 cup unsalted butter, 2/3 cup granulated sugar (132 grams), 2 large egg whites, 2/3 cup buttermilk, 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

  1 ⅓ cup cake flour (173 grams), 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pour the batter into pan. Prep the pan with parchment paper or baking spray, and then pour the batter into the pan, spreading evenly to all sides.

  The square pans I use are a great size to use when you don’t want a ton of leftovers.
• Bake cake. Bake cake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until done in the center. Use a toothpick to test for doneness – your oven may run cooler or hotter than mine does.

  Cool cake on a wire cooling rack.
• Prep strawberries. Hull and slice the strawberries. Add to a mixing bowl and add the sugar. Stir well and let maserate for 20-30 minutes.

  32 oz. strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar
• Make whipped cream. In another bowl, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Use a hand mixer to whip ingredients until stiff peaks start to form.

  NOTE: If you overmix whipping cream, it will go from soft, fluffy peaks to a grainy, curdled texture. Keep going past that point and it will actually separate into butter and liquid (buttermilk).

  1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream, 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla
• Assemble plates of shortcake. To small plates, add a square of vanilla cake. Top with some fresh whipping cream followed by strawberries and blueberries. Dig in!

• Prep for baking. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease your ramekins with butter. Be sure to spread butter into the corner of the ramekins to ensure a clean removal.
• Melt chocolate and butter. Using a small pan or double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring almost constantly. Remove from heat.

  1/2 cup unsalted butter, 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
• Prep remaining ingredients. In a small bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and salt together until pale.

  2 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pinch salt
• Add in chocolate and flour. Use a spatula to gently fold in the melted chocolate and flour. Make sure the flour is fully absorbed in order to avoid clumping.

  2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Bake. Pour batter evenly into prepared ramekins. Bake for about 11 minutes or until your liking (depending on your particular oven). The edges should look set and slightly puffed, while the centers still appear soft and slightly jiggly.
• Rest Cakes. Rest cakes for just one minute. Then carefully run a knife around the edges (if needed), invert onto small plates, and lift off the ramekins. Use a towel to handle ramekins as they will still be hot!
• Serve. Serve with fresh raspberries or strawberries and enjoy!

  OPTIONAL: Instead of adding fresh berries as a garnish, you could add a scoop of ice cream followed by a chocolate shell, or just a dusting of powdered sugar. Try our Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Raspberry Ice Cream, or Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe!

  raspberries, vanilla ice cream, and magic shell

• Prep. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and prepare a bundtlette pan with baking spray.
• Combine the wet ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, melted and slightly cooled butter, Greek yogurt, the egg, and vanilla.

  3/4 cup pumpkin puree, 1/3 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Add the dry ingredients. To the mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients – the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir into just combined.

  1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Bake. Spoon the cake batter into the prepared bundtlette pan. Bake for approximately 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick (when inserted) comes out (mostly) clean. Let cakes sit in the pan and then gently transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
• Make icing. Melt the butter, and add the maple syrup and milk. Mix well. Then add the powdered sugar and stir to combine. I recommend sifting the powdered sugar for a smooth texture.

  1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 1 Tablespoon milk, 1 cup powdered sugar
• Ice cakes. When cakes are cool, drizzle some icing on top of each bundt cake, allowing some to spill down the sides. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.
• ICING TIP: If the icing is too runny, let it sit for awhile or add additional powdered sugar. If it's too stiff, add a few more drops of milk (very slowly). When the pumpkin cakes are cool, drizzle the icing over the top and let them ooze down the sides of the cake.

• Prep. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add two slices of parchment paper (I cut to fit) to an 8×8 cake pan.
• Combine cake mixture. In a mixing bowl, combine the dry cake mix, evaporated milk, and melted butter. Use a spoon to mix well.

  1 box German Chocolate Cake Mix, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• Add cake layer to pan. Add about 2/3 of the cake mixture to prepared pan, pressing it evenly to all sides of pan. Reserve the remaining cake mix for later.
• Bake. Bake cake mixture for about 12 minutes.
• Melt caramel. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the caramel and evaporated milk over medium-low heat until melted, stirring frequently. Spread mixture over the baked cake mixture, spreading evenly throughout.

  10 oz. caramel, 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• Add remaining cake mixture and chocolate chips. Then add the remaining 1/3 of the cake mixture by using your fingers to add “dollops” of it on top of the caramel. Finally, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.

  3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Bake again. Place pan back in the oven and bake for another 20-22 minutes or until done to your liking. (We like them slightly gooey.) Add some sea salt on top of the baked bars to finish.
• Cool. Let bars sit in pan for about 30 minutes. Then refrigerate bars for another 30 minutes to set up further. (Or just dig in if you don't care about evenly sliced bars!) Use the parchment paper to lift the caramel bars out of the pan to slice.
• Serve. Serve chocolate caramel bars with scoops of your favorite ice cream!

• Prep lemons. Start by rinsing two lemons in cold water. Dry completely. Then zest two large lemons to get about two tablespoons for the cake and a little bit for the icing. Follow up by juicing the lemons for both the cake batter and the icing. Set aside.
• Make icing. Combine the cream cheese, fresh lemon juice, and powdered sugar in a bowl. Use a hand mixer to combine until creamy. Set aside.

  4 oz. cream cheese, 1 ½ Tablespoons lemon juice, 1 ½ cup powdered sugar (180 grams)
• Make the cake batter. Combine the butter and sugar in a large stand mixer (or you can use a hand mixer). Mix on low until creamy. Add eggs, milk, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest – and mix again.

  1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams), 2 large eggs, 3/4 cup whole milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
• Add dry ingredients. Then add dry ingredients – the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix again until dry ingredients are absorbed into the batter.

  2 cups all-purpose flour (240 grams), 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pour batter into pan. Prepare an 8×8 pan with parchment paper. Pour batter into pan, and smooth out evenly to all edges. (You can use a slightly bigger pan if desired but baking time will shorten.)
• Bake. Bake the cake in a preheated 350-degree oven, until done in the center (approximately 30-33 minutes). Use a toothpick to test for doneness. If it comes out wet in the center, bake a little longer. It's normal for it to get slightly browned on top!

  When done, let the cake sit in the pan for 15 minutes. Then gently remove it (using the parchment paper as handles) to a wire cooling rack. Let cake cool completely.
• Add icing. When the cake is cooled completely, add the icing. Spread to all sides of the cake and then add fresh lemon zest if desired. Slice and enjoy!

  lemon zest

• Prep lemons. Rinse the lemons with cold water and pat dry with a clean paper towel. Zest and juice three lemons. Set aside.

  NOTE: You'll need some of the lemon juice and zest in both the batter and the frosting.
• Cream butter and sugar. In a large standing mixer with the paddle attachment, combine softened butter and sugar and mix until creamy, about two minutes.

  1/2 cup unsalted butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
• Add wet ingredients. Then add the eggs, sour cream, whole milk, vanilla extract, 1/4 cup lemon juice and two tablespoons zest. Mix again until well combined.

  2 large eggs, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup whole milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
• Add dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer – cake flour (or all-purpose), baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix again until flour is fully absorbed. Don't over-mix.

  1 1/2 cup cake flour (180 grams), 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Add batter to pan. Add paper liners to a 12-cup muffin tin. Use a cookie scoop or measuring cup to scoop cupcake batter into the pan, filling to about 3/4 full.
• Bake. Bake cupcakes in a preheated 350-degree oven until done, approximately 10-12 minutes. Test with a toothpick to check for doneness. Let cupcakes rest in pan for a few minutes and then carefully remove them to a wire rack to cool.
• Make buttercream frosting. Add softened butter to a medium bowl. Use a hand mixer and beat the butter until creamy, about one minute. Add fresh lemon juice, zest, and powdered sugar, and mix on high speed for about two more minutes, or until nice and fluffy.

  3/4 cup unsalted butter (1.5 sticks), 3-4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon lemon zest, 3 cups powdered sugar (360 grams)
• Add frosting to cooled cupcakes. Spoon or pipe frosting on top of the mini lemon cupcakes.

• Prep. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8×8 pan by placing parchment paper in pan so that it hangs over the edges by a few inches.
• Melt butter and chocolate. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate together until creamy. Let cool slightly.

  3/4 cup unsalted butter, 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips
• Add remaining wet ingredients. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a mixing bowl, and add the sugars. Mix well. Then add the beaten eggs and vanilla and mix again.

  1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Add dry ingredients. To the mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and 3/4 of the Andes mints. Mix again.

  3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 4 oz. Andes mints
• Prepare mints. Slice the Andes mints in half and set aside.
• Assemble brownies. Use a spoon to add 1/2 of the brownie batter into the prepared pan, smoothing gently to all sides of the pan. Add about half of the Andes mints to the top of the brownie batter and spoon the rest of the batter overtop. Then add the remaining mints to the top of the remaining batter.
• Bake. Bake the brownies for approximately 28 – 32 minutes at 350 degrees, or until done to your liking.
• Cool slightly. Remove the brownies from the oven and let sit in the pan for about 20-30 minutes. Transfer the brownies to a cooling rack, using the parchment paper to carefully lift them out of the pan.

NOTE: While I often use a large bowl and hand mixer to make this cupcake recipe, you can use a large stand mixer with a paddle attachment as well.

For the cupcakes:

• Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners.
• Mix the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter with the sugar, and use a hand mixer to beat until creamy. Add the egg whites, buttermilk, and vanilla bean paste, and mix again.

  1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams), 2 large egg whites, 1 cup buttermilk, 3 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• Combine the dry ingredients. Mix the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.

  1 3/4 cup cake flour (201 grams), 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Combine. Pour the wet ingredient into the dry, and stir to mix. A few lumps will remain in the batter, and that's ok.
• Add chocolate chips. Then add two teaspoons of flour to the chocolate chips and stir well. Add to the batter and stir to combine.1 cup mini chocolate chips
• Fill liners. Pour the batter into the cupcake liners to just about 2/3 full. Be careful to avoid over-filling.
• Bake. Bake cupcakes for about 15 minutes, or until done in the center. Test with a toothpick, if desired. (All ovens are different so the baking time will not always be consistent.)
• Cool. You'll need to transfer the baked cupcakes to a cooling rack, refill four cups of the muffin pan, and bake again. Let cool completely before adding frosting.

For the frosting:

• Beat butter. In a mixing bowl, use a hand-held mixer to beat the butter until creamy, about two minutes.

  3/4 cup unsalted butter (1.5 sticks)
• Add remaining ingredients. Add the vanilla, heavy cream, and powdered sugar – and continue beating until creamy.

  You may need to adjust consistency. If the frosting is too stiff, add a couple of drops of cream. If it's too runny add a little more powdered sugar.

  2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, 3 Tablespoons heavy cream, 3 cups sifted powdered sugar (360 grams)
• Separate frosting. If making a swirl, separate the frosting into two smaller bowls. Add the cocoa powder to one bowl and mix well to combine.

  1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• Add to a piping bag. Then add the chocolate buttercream to one piping bag and the vanilla buttercream to another bag. Prep another bag with a piping tip. Snip the tips off the two bags and add to the main piping bag.
• Pipe frosting. Pipe the frosting on top of cooled cupcakes creating a swirl effect.
• Add chocolate chips. Then add some mini chocolate chips to the top of the frosting. Top with a sprinkle of sea salt.

  a sprinkle of sea salt

Brown the butter:

• Place the butter in a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Heat butter until melted, and when it starts sizzling, start stirring with a spatula.

  3/4 cup unsalted butter
• Keep the heat at medium, and stir gently with a rubber spatula, keeping the butter moving in the pan. After about 8-10 minutes, you should see some brown bits starting to form on the bottom. When you see this, stir for a few seconds longer and then remove the pan from the heat.
• Pour the butter immediately into a small bowl. You’ll see the brown specks in the butter. Let the butter cool slightly before using in the cake.

Make the cake:

• Puree the bananas. Add the overripe bananas to a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to puree the bananas. Measure to make sure you have around 1 2/3 cup of the puree, for best results.
• Combine wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients – the brown butter, pureed bananas, both sugars, eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer to combine well.

  1 ⅔ cup over-ripe bananas (about 4 medium bananas), 1/2 cup brown sugar (110 grams), 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams), 3 large eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla
• Add dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl – flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix again until just combined.

  3 cups all-purpose flour (360 grams), 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Add batter to pans. Spray two round 9-inch pans with cake spray. Then pour the batter into the pans equally into both pans, spreading to all sides of the edges.
• Bake cakes. Bake banana cakes in a preheated 350-degree oven until done and slightly golden brown on top. When finished, a toothpick should come out clean after inserting in the middle of the cakes.

Make the frosting:

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Add the milk and bring to a simmer.

  1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup brown sugar (220 grams), 1/4 cup milk
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the powdered sugar and vanilla and stir until well combined.

  2 cups powdered sugar (240 grams), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Let the icing sit for a bit to set up. If it gets too firm, add a few drops of milk. If it's too thick, add a little more powdered sugar. Adjust the icing to your preference!

Add icing to cooled cakes:

• Place one of the round cakes on a cake stand. Add about half of the caramel icing on the first layer, smoothing evenly with an offset spatula to all sides of the cake.
• Add the second cake on top of the first layer and add most of the remaining frosting on top. Use the rest to lightly spread around the sides of the cake. You won't need much icing to add to the sides.
• Add a sprinkle of kosher salt to the top of the finished cake.

• Prep. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large bundt pan with cake release (or baking spray).
• Zest the lemons. Use a grater or zester to zest three large lemons. Make sure you avoid zesting too much of the white flesh.
• Squeeze lemons. Use a citrus press to squeeze the lemons. You'll use 1/2 cup for the cake and 2-3 tablespoons for the glaze.
• Make batter. Use a large stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer and a large bowl) to cream together the softened butter and sugar. When creamy, add eggs, vanilla, sour cream, milk, and lemon juice. Mix again until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl. 

  1 cup unsalted butter, 2 cups granulated sugar, 4 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup milk, juice from two lemons
• Add dry ingredients. Then add the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Mix again.

  3 cups cake flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, zest from three lemons
• Pour batter into bundt pan. Pour the batter into a greased bundt pan, using a rubber spatula to spread evenly to all sides of the prepared pan.
• Bake cake. Bake cake in the preheated oven for approximately 45-50 minutes or until done in the center.
• Cool cake. Remove cake from oven and let it sit in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then use a knife to loosen the edges of the cake. Carefully flip the cake to a wire cooling rack.
• Make easy lemon glaze. In a separate bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and two tablespoons of the lemon juice. Stir well. If needed to thin, add a few more drops of the lemon juice.

  1 ½ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2-3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Add glaze to cake. When the cake is almost cool, drizzle the glaze on the top of the simple lemon cake, letting it drip down the sides and middle of cake.
• Serve cake. Serve slices of lemon bundt cake on individual serving plates. It goes great with a cup of Cold Brew Coffeeor a Caramel Latte.

For the Pumpkin Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×13 cake pan with baking spray.

  You could also add parchment paper to the pan to help lift it out of the pan, or just slice the cake right in the pan.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine.

  2 cups all-purpose flour (240 grams), 2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• In another bowl, combine the pumpkin, oil, eggs, sour cream, both sugars, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.

  1 cup pumpkin, ⅔ cup canola oil, 2 large eggs, ⅓ cup sour cream, ⅔ cup brown sugar (145 grams), ⅓ cup sugar (66 grams), 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth it out evenly. Place pan in oven, and bake for approximately 18-20 minutes, or until it's done in the middle. You can test doneness with a toothpick.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Combine the softened cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer, combine until well blended.

  8 oz. cream cheese, 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• Add vanilla and one cup of powdered sugar. Mix until absorbed, and then continue adding powdered sugar, one cup at a time.

  1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 cups powdered sugar (360 grams)
• When the cake is cooled completely, spread cream cheese frosting over the top, smoothing it out evenly.

For the cake:

• Prep. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch pans with baking release. Likewise, you could use butter to grease the pans and then sprinkle a light dusting of flour on top.
• Combine wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk. Use a whisk to combine well.

  ⅔ cup canola oil (144 grams), 1 ½ cup granulated sugar (300 grams), 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 cup buttermilk (240 grams)
• Add dry ingredients. Then add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Mix again until flour is fully absorbed and no lumps remain.

  2 cups all-purpose flour (240 grams), ½ cup unsweetened cocoa (50 grams), 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
• Add HOT coffee (or water). Heat the coffee in a microwave until very hot. Immediately add the liquid to the cake mixture and mix well.

  ½ cup (HOT) strong coffee (118 grams)
• Pour batter into pans. Pour cake batter evenly into the prepared pans. Use a spatula to smooth batter to all sides of the pan.
• Bake cakes for 18-20 minutes in a preheated oven, or until done in the center. Test the center of the cake with a toothpick. Baking time may vary.
• Cool. Let the cakes sit in pans for five minutes. Then carefully remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting:

• Make homemade chocolate frosting. Add the butter to a medium mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to whip the butter for one minute. Then add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, heavy cream, and powdered sugar – and mix well.

  ½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (50 grams), 1 Tablespoon vanilla, ½ cup heavy cream (113 grams), 2 ½ cups powdered sugar (300 grams), sifted
• Add frosting to the cooled cake. Divide the frosting and add to two bowls. Then place one cake round on a cake stand and use a rubber spatula to spread half of the frosting on top. Then add the second round and add most of the remaining frosting on top. Use the spatula to spread a bit of frosting on the sides of the cake (leaving it somewhat “naked”).
• Decorate the top of the cake as you wish. We used some mini chocolate chips and mint leaves.

  mini chocolate chips and mint sprigs