A slagroomtaart is probably the most popular Dutch birthday cake there is. Want to make your own Dutch cream cake? It is so easy! In this recipe I will tell you exactly how to bake the cake, fill it and decorate it.
I made my first cream cake in 2015, several years ago now. Its recipe has not been published on the blog until today, but has been in my first baking book since 2016. I have been asked for my cream cake recipe quite often.
Fortunately, I know that many home bakers had my book at home and could just make the cake, but now it’s time to share this delicious cream cake on the blog!
The cake base of a slagroomtaart is very light and airy, we also call it ‘biscuit’ or ‘kapsel’. Think sponge cake or chiffon cake. you could use some lemon zest or spices to have some extra flavor in the cake.
We use this cake base for a lot of Dutch cake recipes, but the cream cake is definitely the most popular one. In this video, you can see how soft and fluffy the cream cake is:
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The base of the cream cake is filled with jam and whipped cream. Optionally, a syrup can be brushed on the cake layers to moisten the cake or add flavor. If you make the cake several days in advance, there is a chance that the cake will get a little dry. The syrup prevents this.
When I make this whipped cream cake for special occasions, I usually make it the night before and don’t use the trembler syrup. Usually friends and family eat the whole cake and there are no leftovers.
And then a little bit more about the cake filling, the jam I mean. If you want to go for the classic flavors, you choose strawberry jam. For the cake in the picture, I had chosen a jam made from several kinds of red fruits, but you can basically use any jam you like.
For the whipped cream I use just normal whipping cream as there aren’t a lot of options in the Netherlands, but if you have access to heavy cream that’s an even better option.
To decorate the cake, use hazelnut bresilienne (also known as nougatine). These are toasted pieces of hazelnut with a caramelized layer of sugar around them. Not only beautiful for decoration, but also incredibly delicious. For a change of pace, you can substitute other types of nuts for the crunchy topping. Pecans, for example, are a good substitute.
Another way to decorate a whipped cream cake is to pipe swirls of whipped cream onto the top of the cake and then stick pieces of fresh fruit into them. Kiwi or tangerine slices really belong here. For this version I used kiwi and strawberry, delicious!
Optionally, you can use chocolate decorations (store bought or homemade) to decorate the cake. Or you can order a festive and edible photo print online and stick it on the cake.
After you’ve filled and stacked the cake layers, it’s time to decorate the sides and top of the cream pie with whipped cream. You can use a piping bag or a spatula, whichever comes easiest. Use the spatula to spread the whipped cream evenly on the outside of the cake. Be sure to save some whipped cream for the swirls on top of the cake.
For the side of the cake, it can be helpful to use a spatula in conjunction with a rotary spatula. You hold the spatula in one place while you gently rotate the turntable.
Finally, decorate the top of the cake with swirls of whipped cream. Fill a pastry bag with the whipped cream and choose a nozzle of your choice (I used a large star nozzle) and hold your piping bag straight over the cake as you start to spray the tufts.
I do not recommend freezing a cream cake. The whipped cream will dry out and won’t taste as good. However, you can make the sponge layers well in advance and freeze them in an airtight container for up to three months. You can also make the jam and nougatine well in advance and store them until you are ready to make the cake.
That way, you have the cake pieces ready to go, and all you have to do is whip the cream and assemble the cake. It saves time!
I prefer to eat a whipped cream cake the same day or the day after. Whipped cream generally doesn’t get any better, but you can store the cake in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Of course you can! In fact, you can use any shape, round, square or rectangular. I used this round pan for the recipe below, but square pans are also available. Just make sure you get the right size.
You can use the ‘Convert Recipe’ button in the recipe card below to convert the recipe to fit any size pan of your choice.
Nougatine adds a nice crunchy element to a whipped cream cake, which is necessary because the biscuit, jam and whipped cream are soft in texture. So I would not simply omit the hazelnut bresilienne, but rather replace it. For example, toasted almond slivers, sprinkles or crumbled cookies.
A medium egg weighs 50 grams on average, so you’ll need about 4. Beat the eggs and then weigh the mixture on the scale until you have 175 grams.
A slagroomtaart is probably the most popular Dutch birthday cake there is. Want to make your own Dutch cream cake? It is so easy! In this recipe I will tell you exactly how to bake the cake, fill it and decorate it.
I made my first cream cake in 2015, several years ago now. Its recipe has not been published on the blog until today, but has been in my first baking book since 2016. I have been asked for my cream cake recipe quite often.
Fortunately, I know that many home bakers had my book at home and could just make the cake, but now it’s time to share this delicious cream cake on the blog!
The cake base of a slagroomtaart is very light and airy, we also call it ‘biscuit’ or ‘kapsel’. Think sponge cake or chiffon cake. you could use some lemon zest or spices to have some extra flavor in the cake.
We use this cake base for a lot of Dutch cake recipes, but the cream cake is definitely the most popular one. In this video, you can see how soft and fluffy the cream cake is:
View this post on Instagram
The base of the cream cake is filled with jam and whipped cream. Optionally, a syrup can be brushed on the cake layers to moisten the cake or add flavor. If you make the cake several days in advance, there is a chance that the cake will get a little dry. The syrup prevents this.
When I make this whipped cream cake for special occasions, I usually make it the night before and don’t use the trembler syrup. Usually friends and family eat the whole cake and there are no leftovers.
And then a little bit more about the cake filling, the jam I mean. If you want to go for the classic flavors, you choose strawberry jam. For the cake in the picture, I had chosen a jam made from several kinds of red fruits, but you can basically use any jam you like.
For the whipped cream I use just normal whipping cream as there aren’t a lot of options in the Netherlands, but if you have access to heavy cream that’s an even better option.
To decorate the cake, use hazelnut bresilienne (also known as nougatine). These are toasted pieces of hazelnut with a caramelized layer of sugar around them. Not only beautiful for decoration, but also incredibly delicious. For a change of pace, you can substitute other types of nuts for the crunchy topping. Pecans, for example, are a good substitute.
Another way to decorate a whipped cream cake is to pipe swirls of whipped cream onto the top of the cake and then stick pieces of fresh fruit into them. Kiwi or tangerine slices really belong here. For this version I used kiwi and strawberry, delicious!
Optionally, you can use chocolate decorations (store bought or homemade) to decorate the cake. Or you can order a festive and edible photo print online and stick it on the cake.
After you’ve filled and stacked the cake layers, it’s time to decorate the sides and top of the cream pie with whipped cream. You can use a piping bag or a spatula, whichever comes easiest. Use the spatula to spread the whipped cream evenly on the outside of the cake. Be sure to save some whipped cream for the swirls on top of the cake.
For the side of the cake, it can be helpful to use a spatula in conjunction with a rotary spatula. You hold the spatula in one place while you gently rotate the turntable.
Finally, decorate the top of the cake with swirls of whipped cream. Fill a pastry bag with the whipped cream and choose a nozzle of your choice (I used a large star nozzle) and hold your piping bag straight over the cake as you start to spray the tufts.
I do not recommend freezing a cream cake. The whipped cream will dry out and won’t taste as good. However, you can make the sponge layers well in advance and freeze them in an airtight container for up to three months. You can also make the jam and nougatine well in advance and store them until you are ready to make the cake.
That way, you have the cake pieces ready to go, and all you have to do is whip the cream and assemble the cake. It saves time!
I prefer to eat a whipped cream cake the same day or the day after. Whipped cream generally doesn’t get any better, but you can store the cake in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Of course you can! In fact, you can use any shape, round, square or rectangular. I used this round pan for the recipe below, but square pans are also available. Just make sure you get the right size.
You can use the ‘Convert Recipe’ button in the recipe card below to convert the recipe to fit any size pan of your choice.
Nougatine adds a nice crunchy element to a whipped cream cake, which is necessary because the biscuit, jam and whipped cream are soft in texture. So I would not simply omit the hazelnut bresilienne, but rather replace it. For example, toasted almond slivers, sprinkles or crumbled cookies.
A medium egg weighs 50 grams on average, so you’ll need about 4. Beat the eggs and then weigh the mixture on the scale until you have 175 grams.
What a beautiful and incredibly delicious cake this turned out to be! An apple cake with both apples through the batter and slices on top for decoration. A new favorite among my apple and cake recipes.
This apple cake recipe is just like a regular vanilla cake, but you add apples to it. This not only gives the cake a delicious flavor, but also makes it nice and moist. The apple slices on top are for decoration, but they make the cake even more pleasing to the eye.
For best results, place the apple slices on top of the cake and gently press them into the batter. And don’t you just love it?
Whether you can officially call this an old-fashioned apple pie, I dare not say. But just like my grandmother’s apple pie, you may remember this cake, in a slightly different form or not, from back in the day. Old-fashioned or not, it still tastes great!
You don’t need much for this apple cake recipe. You can start with the standard cake ingredients and some apples. I prefer to use Jonagold or Goudreinet apples for baking. They have a great flavor and texture for baking. Of course you can use other apples, but the result may be slightly different.
In the fall and winter, I always have plenty of apples around the house to bake with. An apple cinnamon cake remains a favorite, but there are other delicious apple recipes. As you will see, I like to combine apples with cinnamon in my recipes, a perfect flavor combination.
These are some of my favorite apple baking recipes:
I mix the apple pieces that go through the cake with a little flour before they go through the batter. This keeps them from sinking to the bottom too quickly.
You can make this apple cake in a standard loaf pan. I personally like to use this rectangular pan. Of course, you can make it in any other shape. The baking time may vary slightly.
You can keep the apple cake outside the refrigerator for about a week if wrapped properly. You can also freeze the cake and it will keep for 3 months.
I made this strawberry tiramisu with whipped cream and mascarpone in individual servings. That way, you can serve everyone their own small dessert for dinner. How cute and convenient too!
Don’t let the Italians see how I like to make my strawberry tiramisu: no raw eggs, no alcohol, and no coffee. Instead of coffee or alcohol, I soak my lady fingers in orange juice (strawberry juice works too!). It works great with the fresh strawberries.
As key ingredient I use a mixture of mascarpone cheese and heavy whipping cream. That is a great combination if you don’t want to use raw egg yolks.
By leaving those out this is safe to eat for everyone. Pregnant women and children included. Of course it doesn’t resemble a traditional tiramisu recipe. This classic Italian dessert has pretty strict guidelines as to what goes into a tiramisu.
To make extra pretty single portions, I decided to make the tiramisu into a layered version. A small tower of tiramisu!
You can serve it right away after you’ve made it or you can leave it in the fridge overnight to set. In either case it is a lot of fun to serve this when you have guests for dinner.
BAKING TIP: If you clean your strawberries, do so before removing the crowns. Otherwise, the strawberries will soak up the water and your strawberries will have less flavor.
Now you might think that this is a complicated dessert but it really isn’t. I would say this is the perfect no bake dessert!
You just make a single layer of ladyfingers, add a tablespoon of apricot jam on top and pipe some of your mascarpone filling followed by some sliced strawberries. And repeat for a second layer.
Now a few things to keep in mind. Don’t go overboard when creating your layers. You want it to be small as it is for one person after all.
Three lady fingers is enough for one layer, or maybe even two if you want to make smaller portions.
Adding the layers of mascarpone cream is easiest with a piping bag. You can use a smooth nozzle as I did here or use a special one.
Instead of the apricot jam you can use another jam like homemade strawberry jam. Finish the stack with some juicy strawberries and you’re ready to serve your perfect dessert.
A little sprinkle of powdered sugar on top of the tiramisu is always a good idea too.
Desserts, I love them. We used to have a standard bowl of yogurt for dessert after every meal at home. Nowadays, I don’t do that very often, although sometimes it would be good maybe against a sweet craving in the evening.
Now, when I make dessert, I like to make an impression. Without too much time and effort. This easy strawberry tiramisu is a good example: little effort, big effect.
By the way, this tiramisu with strawberries, orange juice and apricot jam is also a big hit with the kids!
It is one of my favorite strawberry desserts. Check the recipe card for the full instructions.
Absolutely you can. You may also want to adjust the apricot jam to match the flavor of the fruit you use. I’ve made tiramisu with blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries, so I know it works well and is very tasty.
Basically, you can use any fruit juice of your choice as long as it matches the flavor of the strawberries and apricot jam. Strawberry syrup is usually a bit too sweet but if you want to use a strawberry sauce you can thin it a bit with lemon juice or orange juice.
Yes, you can. In that case, use a little more ladyfingers (225 grams/8 oz) and possibly a little more orange juice to dip the cookies in. This way you can make the tiramisu in a 20 x 20 cm (9×9 inch) baking dish.
This is not the intention of tiramisu. If you want to, it’s best to make the dessert just before serving. It is possible to make the mascarpone cream mixture the day before (and keep it refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap) to save time during the rest of the preparation.
You can, but while they might look pretty I would recommend making this with fresh strawberries. If you crumble the freeze-dried strawberries they would look good sprinkled on top though.
If you want you can make more layers but keep in mind that it might become unstable. Two layers is probably high enough.
Want to make carrot cake? This easy recipe makes a creamy, fluffy and spiced carrot cake. The best carrot cake recipe I’ve ever had! So if you’re a carrot cake lover I would urge you to try this recipe!
Here it is at last: a recipe for carrot cake! And if I may be so bold, this really is the most delicious carrot cake ever. I had eaten a lot of carrot cakes and had a clear idea of what I wanted my version to be. The result was even more delicious than I had hoped, so you can understand how happy I am with this easy carrot cake recipe.
This carrot cake is airy, creamy, and has just enough spices. It’s perfect on its own, but when paired with the cream cheese frosting, it’s a real party. I made a layer cake out of it myself, but hesitated for a long time about whether to bake it in a bundt. I’m sure it would also look great with cream cheese frosting and walnuts on top.
Baking tip: Did you know that you can make carrot cake in an air fryer? I’ll share the recipe for that soon too.
A carrot cake is a cake in which grated fresh carrots are mixed into the batter. This not only gives the carrot cake a beautiful color, but also gives it a slightly sweet taste and a nice smoothness.
In addition, carrot cake always contains a special spice mixture consisting of at least cinnamon and ginger, but preferably also nutmeg and cloves.
Before the recipe came to Holland, it was already very popular in England and later in America. That is why we have so many words for this delicacy. Think worteltaart (in Dutch), carrot tart or carrot pie, depending on which country you live in.
Personally, I like to stick to the official English name carrot cake as most people would refer to it that way. Even most people in The Netherlands.
One final element that a carrot cake is known for is the topping. A carrot cake topping is usually called a frosting, a cream cheese frosting to be exact. This is my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe. This is a mixture of cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla.
It seems that this frosting is a modern addition, not found in old recipes. Whoever came up with it, I am very grateful, because the sweet and creamy addition of the frosting completes a spicy carrot cake!
In my opinion, a carrot cake should have a deliciously creamy base, but the layers should also be nice and fluffy and with moist crumbs. To get both that creaminess and lightness in this carrot cake, I played around with the ingredients. Below I will tell you a bit more about the role of the ingredients in this layer cake:
As always make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before you start baking your homemade carrot cake recipe.
I personally used baby carrots, but you can also use winter (big) carrots.
Don’t grate the carrots too coarsely (like julienne), but certainly not so finely that they come out as a mush. You want small, thin strands of carrot. That’s what tastes best in the cake. I like to use a coarse grater to grate the carrots.
If you do have julienne cut carrots, make sure to chop them into smal pieces before adding the carrot to the batter.
You certainly can, but I haven’t done it myself (yet!). I read in the comments that someone has already baked this carrot cake recipe in this Nordic Ware cake pan with a baking time of 60 minutes.
This cake has three layers and I prefer to bake them in the oven at the same time. I use three of these 9-inch cake pans around the house. By greasing and dusting them with flour, the cakes come out perfectly after baking.
Yes, you can. The only thing you need to be aware of is the effect of the baking soda on the dough, as the baking soda is activated when it comes into contact with the light brown caster sugar or baking powder. Therefore, divide the carrot cake batter into three bowls (just weigh it out) and add the baking soda just before you pour it into the prepared pans and put it in the oven.
If you do it in 3 separate layers, yes. But not if you want to bake all of the batter in one big cake. I do not recommend it for this recipe.
You bake the cake in 3 separate layers because you get a better result than if you bake it as 1 big cake and cut it later.
Do you want to bake it in a larger springform pan and serve it as a single layer cake? Use a 24 cm (9.5 inch) or 26 cm (10 inch) pan. The bake time will need to be longer, so it’s best to experiment. Use a skewer or a cake tester in the center of the cake to check if the cake is done (it should come out clean) before you remove it from the oven.
Haven’t done that myself, but it’s definitely possible. The best thing about this carrot cake recipe is that it is pretty flexible. Cupcakes usually take 18-20 minutes to bake.
Dutch Bokkenpootjes; it doesn’t get more typical Dutch than these delicious cookies. They are essentially two almond meringue cookies, filled with a cream filling and then dipped in dark chocolate. You’ve never heard of this delicious Dutch treat? They are worth making!
In the Netherlands these cookies are pretty well known and I don’t think anyone ever questions why they are called “bokkenpootje”. Literally translated that would be “goat’s feet”. Sounds a bit odd for a cookie right? But if you think about it and with a little bit of imagination, they do resemble goat feet.
But the name is actually a little bit more sinister. It represents the feet of the devil. And eating one such bokkenpootje would protect a recently deceased loved one from evil in the afterlife. But no worries, you can eat these any time of day (or night) and no need for anyone to die either.
Baking Dutch bokkenpootjes had been on my baking list for a long time. I love them! If you’re a fan of almond flavor these almond meringue cookies will be your new favorite. For each cookie you need two almond meringue cookies and they are then sandwiched with a cream in the middle. The outside of the meringue cookies get a thin layer of flaked almonds and the ends of the cookies are dipped in melted chocolate.
The almond meringue cookies you buy in the grocery stores are usually a little smaller than the ones I have made. Making them a little bigger is extra tasty and easier to work with too.
In order for the best cookies you need to make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature to start with. You need the following ingredients for the cookies:
First you whip the egg whites with the 125 grams of sugar to stiff peaks. Now add the almond flour and the regular all purpose flour (pass through a sieve if you want to make sure there are no lumps) and gently fold it through the egg whites until it is well combined.
Now fill a piping bag with a large plain tip of around 1 cm Ø (0.4 inch) attached with the almond mixture. Take a large baking sheet with parchment paper and pipe almond meringue cookies which measure roughly 9 centimeter (or 3.5 inch). Keep in mind that you will need 24 cookies to make a final 12 Dutch bokkenpootjes.
Once you have piped all your almond mixture, sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top. Rub them between your fingers to make them slightly smaller and sprinkle over the cookies. Bake in the oven at top- and bottom heat for around 20 minutes or until lightly golden. The oven temperature should be at 350˚F (180˚C).
Once the almond meringue cookies are made it is time to move on to making your cream filling. For this you whip soft butter, vanilla extract, icing sugar and a little bit of double cream together. Whip till it is smooth and creamy. Transfer to a piping bag and cut the tip of the bag. Or alternatively use a small nozzle.
Assemble the cookies you baked and make sure you select them by size. Placing the equally sized cookies together. Pipe some of the cream onto one half of the cookies and place the other half on top.
Now in order to make the final bokkenpootje, you need to dip it in melted chocolate. If you know anything about chocolate, you know that it is very important to temper the chocolate first. If you don’t, you will end up with a white film on top of the chocolate. They will still taste good but it is just not so appealing.
Some other advantages of tempering the chocolate; it’s super crunchy and has that beautiful ‘crack’ when you bite into a cookie. It is glossy and beautiful, it shines and – even better – you can hold the chocolate without it melting. Obviously you can’t hold it forever, but it does prevent chocolate fingers.
In a nutshell, tempering chocolate involves heating the chocolate (which breaks down the sugar and cocoa butter crystals) and then lowering the temperature of the chocolate (which repairs those crystals). This gives you a chance to dip a tasty almond meringue cookie in the chocolate in the meantime, like these pretty Dutch bokkenpootjes.
Chocolate should always be tempered with a thermometer, so you can be sure it’s done right. But there is a way to do it without a thermometer, called the inoculation method. And this is my favorite method, because it allows anyone to temper chocolate at home.
You divide the amount of chocolate you want to melt into three parts. You melt two of these at a time in a double boiler (au bain marie).
When the chocolate is completely melted, add the last bit of chocolate. This will melt from the heat of the chocolate that has already melted, immediately bringing the temperature back down (and repairing the crystals).
Once the chocolate is melted, check the temperature. Since you won’t be using a thermometer, you’ll have to rely on yourself with a simple trick. Dip your finger into the chocolate and dab it on your upper lip. Your skin is much more sensitive here, so it acts as a thermometer. Does the chocolate feel slightly cool? Then it’s good and you can keep working with it! If it is still a little warm, continue to stir gently, checking the temperature of the chocolate from time to time.
Some chocolate connoisseurs will raise their eyebrows and call me crazy (or maybe they will anyway) because this is not the official method. To be absolutely sure, use a thermometer. However, I learnt this trick from a chocolatier at the Baking Museum and it works every time (after practicing a few times). And since not every home baker has a (sugar) thermometer in the kitchen drawer, I am happy to share this tip with you!
BAKING TIP: To melt the chocolate au bain-marie (in a double boiler), you will need a heat-resistant bowl. A glass or metal mixing bowl will work well.
Yes, as long as they are well packaged (in an airtight container) and in a spot that is not too warm.
There can be two reasons for this:
If you’ve followed the steps in the recipe card and used the right ingredients, this shouldn’t happen. Have you let the cream set in the fridge? If so, the butter will continue to set, just make sure it’s not too firm to spread on the biscuits.
You may have used a little too much cream. In this case, you can add some extra butter and icing sugar to make the cream a little firmer.
No, unfortunately you can’t in this recipe for Dutch bokkenpootjes. The almond meringue cookies is what makes a bokkenpootje so typical and delicious. Without almond flour it would just be another cookie.
Absolutely! You can really give your Bokkenpootjes a personal touch. Personally, I prefer to use Callebaut chocolate because I like the quality best. There are many different types: dark chocolate in many different shades, milk chocolate, white chocolate, gold chocolate, ruby chocolate. And on and on!
If you use white chocolate, you can also give it a color of your choice. In that case, make sure you use an oil/fat based food coloring.
Of course, there are many more typical Dutch cookies at Laura’s Bakery. Have a look at these recipes as well:
Or check out all the Dutch recipes.
This recipe makes for 24 single layer cookies, but for 12 finished Dutch bokkenpootjes
It’s almost Easter! And I love creating fun and surprising variations of some of my favorite recipes. Today I’m sharing my take on Easter egg blondies. Blondies are one of my favorite takes on brownies. And these are not only fun to serve at Easter but they’re also great for using leftover easter candy.
For making these chewy blondies I use Cadbury mini eggs. You can’t actually buy those where I live (the Netherlands) but I got a good supply of the mini cadbury eggs last year when I was in Chicago.
I was there around the same time of year and so the stores where packed with all sorts of Easter goodies. I packed a good portion of my suitcase full of the mini cadbury eggs as well as the pastel m&m and other sweet treats.
With the cute mini eggs I made these delicious blondie bars and I also made my new favorite chocolate chip cookies. (recipe will be up soon!)
Making this easy blondie recipe is not complicated. In case you don’t know the difference between blondies and brownies…. it’s pretty self explanatory.
Brownies are brown and blondies are blond. The color speaks for itself. But basically blondies are brownies without the chocolate. You can make white chocolate blondies of course, but the basic blondie does not need chocolate for the batter.
Blondies are a perfect treat and the best part is that adding the cadbury eggs gives the blondies an extra bit of crunch.
For full details check the recipe card but you will need the following ingredients at room temperature:
To make the blondies you start by melting the butter. Add the melted butter with the sugar into a large bowl or use a stand mixer. Mix it with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
Now add the eggs one by one, mixing in between. Mix the vanilla extract in and the last step is to add the rest of the dry ingredients (flour and salt).
Next up: you will want to chop the eggs a bit smaller. Even though they are already small, it’s easier to eat and cut if you break them up a bit. Fold them into the blondie batter with a rubber spatula.
Now pour the blondie mixture into a square baking pan lined with parchment paper and use the spatula – if needed – to spread the mixture evenly. Sprinkle a few more of the eggs on top of the blondie batter and place in the preheated oven.
Now bake the blondies for approximately 25-30 minutes. The top should have a crisp thin layer and the inside can still be a bit wobbly. Always make sure to let it cool down completely before slicing.
A good blondie (or brownie) is crispy on the outside and fudgy on the inside.
No you can’t. While you can use a cake tester for a regular cake recipe, in this case you don’t want the tester to come out completely dry as that will mean the blondies are overcooked. So you will have to use your eyes and common sense for deciding if they are cooked enough. The top should feel dry and if you hold the pan it shouldn’t wobble excessively if you’re shaking it (gently!)
Not too long! You want it to just come together and that’s enough mixing. You could even use a spatula.
You can store them in an airtight container for about a week. Make sure to not put them into a fridge. That will dry out the blondies. Freezing is also an option for up to three months.
Let me start by saying that you must try this tiramisu at least once. Whether that’s this weekend, next month, or during the holidays in December, you’ll want to taste this lemon raspberry tiramisu.
It’s easy to make and absolutely delicious. Although it doesn’t contain alcohol or raw eggs, you wouldn’t know it because it tastes like a real tiramisu. I decided to make the traditional tiramisu version (in terms of presentation not in terms of flavor!) because we’ve never done that before on the blog. The mascarpone set well, and the pieces were easy to cut. It’s a perfect tiramisu to serve and turn your plate into a party.
In a mixing bowl of the stand mixer with a whisk attachment add the mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, lemon curd, and one tablespoon of sugar. Whisk this until you have stiff peaks and the mixture is smooth and creamy.
For the raspberry dipping sauce you mash the thawed raspberries with a little bit of water. Dip each ladyfinger into the mixture and place them in a single layer at the bottom of a serving bowl. Spread a little less than half of the mascarpone mixture over the cookies and smooth the layer.
Add a few fresh raspberries, flatten them a little with your hand before adding so they merge with the layers more easily. Instead of mixing the raspberries with water you can also use a bit of orange juice instead. Now repeat this step and finish all your ingredients.
The last step is to scatter the remaining raspberries over the top of the tiramisu. Crumble one of the ladyfingers and sprinkle that over the berries. Refrigerate the tiramisu for at least an hour.
This tiramisu recipe is already delicious as it is but you can enhance it further by including the raspberry sauce. Add the frozen raspberries to a small saucepan and add the sugar. Bring to the boil. Mix the cornstarch with a bit of water to smooth out any lumps and add to the pan. Simmer until the sauce thickens. Pour into a small bowl and let it cool down.
Once the tiramisu has set slice it into 4-6 pieces and serve with the raspberry sauce. Scrape a sharp knife over a chocolate bar and sprinkle those on top.
You can store the raspberry tiramisu in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for about 2-3 days.
It’s best not to freeze the tiramisu as the structure of the cream will change. It’s best eaten from the fridge!
Yes, you can use store-bought lemon curd for convenience, but homemade lemon curd offers fresher flavor and better control over sweetness and tartness.
Both work!
Fresh raspberries give the best texture and appearance.
Frozen raspberries are fine, but thaw and drain them well to avoid watering down the dessert.
Use crisp Savoiardi ladyfingers. They hold up better when dipped and layered, absorbing flavor without turning mushy.
Tiramisu is best made at least 4–6 hours in advance (or overnight) to allow the flavors to meld. It keeps well for 2–3 days in the fridge.
The perfect base recipe for vanilla cupcakes. With this easy cupcake recipe you have the perfect starting point for all your cupcakes. Add a vanilla frosting or any other kind of topping to your liking.
Cupcakes are simply small (one-person) cakes baked in cupcake liners or in a cupcake tin. In the past, cupcakes were served at high tea and baked in teacups, which is probably where the name ‘cupcake’ comes from.
Instead of a scale most people also used a measuring cup, which is another reason for the name. While a lot of people still use cups for measuring dry and wet ingredients, for the most accurate result I would always suggest using a weighing scale instead.
Cupcakes are the perfect little treat to bake for many different occasions. From baby showers to birthday parties and whenever you feel like having a small treat. Decorating them in a variety of different ways is also great and a fun activity with kids (or adults!) as well.
Remember, cupcakes and muffins are not the same. You can read al about the difference between cupcakes and muffins here.
Making a basic vanilla cupcakes recipe is a good start if you want to learn how to make the perfect cupcake. This cupcake recipe makes exactly 12 cupcakes in a regular cupcake tin. I used my vanilla loaf cake recipe as the base of this recipe but I have adjust the quantities to match the tin and changed some of the proportions.
Another change is the fact that these vanilla cupcakes use less sugar. While you will eat your regular loaf cake usually without frosting, most cupcakes will contain a frosting like a vanilla buttercream frosting or a chocolate frosting. Since those are also quite sweet, it makes sense to make the cupcake batter less sweet.
The recipe calls for simple ingredients which you will be able to find in most grocery stores. I list them below for easy reference:
Other than that you need a large mixing bowl or use a stand mixer to mix the batter. An electric mixer will work as well.
You start by adding the butter, sugar and vanilla together in the bowl of the stand mixer or whatever other large bowl you’re using. Mix this together until the color starts to get light and the texture creamy.
Now add the eggs one by one and make sure to mix the batter in between until the egg is fully absorbed into the batter. Now add the self-raising flour and the salt bit by bit until fully mixed. And that’s it. Batter is ready!
Now all you have to do is to add the vanilla cupcake batter into the cupcake liners. You can scoop the batter into the liners with a spoon but an ice cream scoop is a handy accessory to use for equal measured cupcakes.
Pop them into the preheated oven (350˚F or 175˚C. Top and bottom heat/conventional oven) for around 20 minutes and they are ready! Keep the oven door closed until they are baked.
Make sure to place them on a cooling rack before adding buttercream or another frosting.
As far as cupcake recipes go, this is the perfect base recipe with which you can create endless flavors. Think about adding some chocolate chips to the batter or a tablespoon of cocoa powder for a chocolate batter.
Or vary the flavor by adding a different kind of sugar, like brown sugar or coconut sugar. The fluffy texture of these cupcakes is perfect for many different variations. I will soon be sharing lots of different flavors.
Baking the vanilla cupcakes is step 1 of the process. Step 2 – and the most fun – is to decorate them. You don’t need to decorate them if you don’t want to. They are delicious just as they are but any cupcake will look better with a pretty frosting on top. How the frosting looks is also greatly depending on which frosting tip you use. So you can definitely vary that as well.
And who doesn’t love a pretty decorated cupcake? You can decorate with buttercream, vegan buttercream or with fondant or marzipan. You can fill them with jam or fruit or decorate them in another way.
The most basic frosting is simply a glaze of icing sugar combined with a little bit of lemon juice (or water). Takes no time at all and is always tasty. Just drizzle it over the cooled cupcakes Or try and make these strawberry cupcakes. Adding some fresh fruit on top of the frosting is delicious and looks good too!
This recipe makes exactly 12 cupcakes, so it is handy to use a muffin & cupcake tin that holds 12 cupcakes at a time. Of course if you have other cake pans you can use those as well. Keep in mind that different shapes of cake pans or cupcake pans might mean that the total baking time can vary.
The rule I always follow is to fill the moulds two-thirds with batter, this way I always get a good height. However, I usually have a little dome on top of my cupcakes. If you don’t want this, you can put a cutting board on top of the cupcakes after baking. This only works if you have baked them in a cupcake tin.
The oven temperature was too high. Due to the temperature being to high, the batter will rise too fast causing it to crack. I will explain more about this in a future article.
You can buy cupcake liners just about anywhere. From the grocery stores to specialty baking stores. Both online and offline. I have an enormous amount of colorful cupcake liners in stock. I like my paper liners to be a bit firmer than the really cheap ones. I do always place them in a muffin tin to make sure they don’t fall apart when baking in the oven.
Baked cupcakes are supposed to sag (or shrink) a little as they cool. But if they collapse too much, it could be because you over-mixed the batter, the batter was too moist, or the cupcakes just weren’t ready. Make sure to always test if they are done before taking them out of the oven.
When your cupcakes are done (always check that a skewer or cake tester comes out clean), you can remove them from the oven. Leave them to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then take them out and place them on a wire rack to cool completely. This also works for cakes and biscuits.
If you want to add a buttercream to the vanilla cupcake it is essential that the cupcakes are completely cooled. Imagine adding butter(cream) to a warm cupcake. You can probably see what would happen.
The environment in the fridge is not ideal for cupcakes. It is best to keep them outside of the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. If you have ‘wrapped’ your cupcake in fondant you can keep them even longer, as the wrapping ensures the cupcakes stay moist and delicious for longer.
As per above you can keep cupcake for about a week. But you can also add 3 to 4 cupcakes together in a freezer bag and freeze them. That way you can keep them for three months. Check this article on how to store cupcakes.
If you want to make dairy-free vanilla cupcakes you can simply replace the unsalted butter for a plant-based alternative. Since these are already vanilla cupcakes without milk that is an easy fix. The flavor of the final cupcakes will be slightly different but no less delicious.
These Ferrero Rocher cupcakes will steal the show, that’s for sure. Not only that, they are delicious too. Not surprising, as I love chocolate cupcakes on their own, but add a chocolate buttercream and Ferrero Rocher chocolates and they literally take my breath away. It’s just the perfect match. I am very curious to hear what you think.
I would like to add that these cupcakes are a big bite and not light by any means. There is a Ferrero Rocher hidden in the center of each cupcake cupcake, and of course, as you can see, there is one on top of the buttercream for decoration. Delicious, but something to keep in mind if you are planning to make other tasty snacks.
The basis of this cupcake recipe is a chocolate cupcake batter and you will need the following ingredients to make them. In addition you will also need cupcake liners, a piping bag and a muffin pan to place the cupcakes in. Also keep in mind that it helps to have all ingredients at room temperature before starting.
And for the Nutella buttercream you also need Nutella and extra cocoa powder. For making the Nutella frosting I used this basic buttercream recipe.
The process for making the Ferrero Rocher cupcakes starts with creaming the butter and the sugar until light and airy. You can do this the easiest way in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Or use a large bowl with a hand mixer. Takes a little more effort but totally do-able.
Once the butter and sugar mixture is creamy you add the vanilla extract and the eggs one by one. Make sure that the first egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one! Lastly you add the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt and mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet ingredients and you have a smooth batter.
Now divide the batter over the 8 cupcake liners (placed in the cupcake tin) and place a Ferrero Rocher candy in all cupcake cases. Just press one in the center of the cupcake and cover with a little bit of batter on top. You can make a small hole with a small spoon before doing so but the batter should fold around the Ferrero Rocher chocolate easily.
Bake the Ferrero Rocher cupcakes in the oven in about 18 minutes. Once golden brown and cooked through let them rest in the tin for a little bit before taking them out of the muffin tray and letting them cool completely on a cooling rack.
While the cupcakes are cooling down you can make your Nutella buttercream. Once the cupcakes are cooled completely you can make a lovely swirl on top of each cupcake and place an extra Ferrero Rocher chocolate on top of the cupcake. The perfect cupcakes for all special occasions. For an extra festive look you can add some gold sprinkles as well.
If you don’t want to add another Ferrero Rocher to the cupcake you can add some chopped chocolate instead. They also taste good with just a bit of chocolate ganache or whipped heavy cream.
Undecorated cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container. Keep in mind that you should keep it outside of the fridge. Placing them in the fridge will result in dry cupcakes.
Today’s recipe is super fun. It’s a cheesecake filled Easter egg! Delicious creamy no bake cheesecake with homemade lemon curd inside of a chocolate egg.
The idea is to make the eggs look like ‘real’ eggs with a bit of egg yolk in the middle, that’s what the lemon curd is used for. It’s super easy to make, fun to present and very tasty too. What more can you want?
I initially made this recipe for one of my books, but because it is such an easy and fun recipe I figured I should share it here as well. I love simple recipes like this.
It’s good to know that my chocolate easter eggs where roughly the size of a regular medium egg. Of course you can use any shape and size of egg you want. You could even use one half of an chocolate egg.
There will be more fun easter recipes coming up in the next couple of days so be sure to check them all in the easter recipes category.
As always make sure the ingredients are at room temperature and double check the recipe card for the full details and instructions. This is a no bake cheesecake filling. Obviously as baking a chocolate egg would result in a melted chocolate puddle 😉 . Not exactly what we’re going for.
No special equipment is needed for this, but a food processor or electric mixer would come in handy for whipping the cream and the cream cheese.
Making this easter egg recipe is super simple. You start by heating a large sharp knife in hot water. That is essential as you need a warm knife to easily slice through the chocolate eggs without breaking them. You only want to slice the top of.
While your knife is warming, remove all the wrappings of the eggs. Take your knife, dry it and immediately cut the top of the eggs. You might have to dip the knife back into the hot water when necessary. And that is the hardest part of this recipe. Easy right?
Next you add the cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and you add the sugar. Mix it with a whisk until creamy. Add vanilla extract and whip again.
Whisk or mix the heavy cream in another bowl until it has formed stiff peaks. Add the cream cheese mixture in and blend it together while the mixer is on low speed.
Add your cream cheese mixture into a piping bag and do the same with the lemon curd in another piping bag.
Now take your egg cups and pipe the cream cheese in. Don’t fill all the way up as the lemon curd still need to go in as well.
Cut of a small bit of the piping bag holding the lemon curd. You do not want it to be too big. Insert the piping bag in the middle of your chocolate egg. Gently squeeze the lemon curd out and pull the piping bag upwards.
You want to end with some lemon curd on top of the cheesecake filling, so it looks like egg yolk.
It actually helps if you place the chocolate eggs in a fridge egg holder or something similar. Maybe you have an old egg carton you can use to hold the chocolate shells.
Sure. You can use a bit of apricot jam for instance and insert that into the centre of each cheesecake egg. You might want to do that with a very small spoon instead of a piping bag as the jam would be a bit harder to use
You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. They will also be a little firmer once chilled properly. It does help to store them in the fridge using an egg holder too, otherwise they might tip over.
You can use any kind of size you like. It all depends on how you want it to look. You can use a large chocolate egg or go for mini size. But keep in mind that you will need either more or less of the cheesecake mixture. I used eggs that were the same size as a medium ‘real’ egg.
For anyone who loves the fresh flavors of summer, you’ll want to make these easy lemon bars! These fresh summer cookie bars with a lemon curd-like layer are impossible to resist.
As early as spring, I start to crave summer flavors and use lemon in many of my recipes. Lemon bars are the perfect recipe to make at this time of year. And in the fall, I still can’t quite let go of those summer flavors. For those who want to hold on to that summer feeling a little longer, or for those who just love anything with lemon flavor, you have found the perfect recipe.
I first came across the concept of lemon bars years ago on Pinterest. After trying several recipes, I finally created my own version. In this recipe, you make a layer of shortbread with a fresh, creamy lemon layer on top that is reminiscent of lemon curd. If you love lemon curd as much as I do, you will definitely approve of these lemon bars! Because you bake the lemon layer in the oven with the pre baked shortbread, it blends in with the cookie base, making it incredibly delicious.
Do you love lemon? Then these lemon bars are sure to please. The cookie base is shortbread, and on top of that is a creamy lemon filling that tastes like lemon curd, but is a little different in terms of ingredients.
For example, there is no butter in the lemon filling, but there is a good amount of eggs, which provide the binding and firmness. The result is a delicious lemon bar that is perfect for high tea, a picnic or as a dessert. Also great for bake sales with a nice glass of lemonade.
You don’t need much to make these classic lemon bars, but sometimes when a recipe is easy, you’ll want to be extra sure if you use the right ingredients. So I’ll make a quick list of the ingredients for this lemon bar recipe.
At last: all ingredients need to be on room temperature before you start making this easy recipe.
As I mentioned before, I love to bake with lemon. If you love lemon bars, you will love my lemon curd! Everything is delicious with homemade lemon curd. I use it in a lot of desserts to, I really love lemon desserts.
Another delicious recipe is my perfect lemon loaf. I love this recipe and make it every summer, preferably several times.
Store them in an airtight container and place a sheet of parchment paper between the lemon bars to keep them from sticking together. They will keep fresh for up to 3 months in the freezer.
There is no difference, both lemon squares and lemon bars are American names for the same thing: a shortbread cookie base topped with a creamy lemon layer.
No, the preparation of the two lemon fillings is different and store-bought or homemade lemon curd will not work in this recipe.
They’re not supposed to be. The lemon layer somehow melts into the crunchy shortbread base and loses its crunch. That’s part of the charm of this recipe, a creamy lemon cake.
According to other readers, you can use vegan butter/(hard) margarine to replace the butter to make dairy free lemon bars, but there will be a change in flavor.
I used a baking pan, which is about 20 x 30 cm, but you can also use a 25 x 25 cm baking pan. You can use a metal pan, but a stoneware baking dish works too.
If you enjoy baking savory pies, a basic quiche and savory pie dough recipe is an absolute must-have in your repertoire. Crispy dough makes a savory pie even more delicious. That’s why I’m sharing an easy, basic recipe for a shortcrust pastry with you today.
The ingredients for the perfect quiche crust are very basic.
It helps to bake the quiche crust with a pie dish with a removable bottom.
Both quiche and savory pie are savory, not sweet. The difference between these two savory pies is in the crust. A quiche is always made with a non-sweet shortcrust pastry crust and filled with a cream and egg mixture (+ additional ingredients).
A savory pie can be made with either shortcrust or puff pastry. This gives you more variety and allows you to experiment with different ingredients.
I previously shared the sweet shortcrust pastry, which you can find here. The biggest difference between the two is that one uses sugar and the other one doesn’t.
The recipe below is for a quiche with savory pie dough, which is a shortcrust pastry. Almost everyone is familiar with its sweet counterpart, which is used for instance for these cute little mini lemon meringue tartelettes.
This savory version results in a crispy, crumbly base and is easy to make. Simply mix all the ingredients and knead them into a ball. You don’t need a food processor to do this, although you can if you want to.
Puff pastry is a different story. For example, it contains a lot more butter. This gives it a different taste and texture. Puff pastry is lighter because it flakes when baked.
To make puff pastry, you have to laminate it by folding the butter into the dough several times. This technique is more labor-intensive and requires more resting time in between.
I never use puff pastry for large savory pies, but I do use it for small savory tarts and flat tarts.
You can store the short-crust pastry in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
Storing the pie crust in the freezer is a great way to make sure you always have supply. You can even freeze the crust in tin, place it in a freezer bag, and bake the frozen pie crust straight away from the freezer. Otherwise defrost it first and roll dough so it can fit into a pie plate or tart pan.
In the freezer, the dough keeps up to 3 months.
There are several tricks to ensure that the base of your savory tart is cooked through. One method that always works is blind baking the base, which gives it a head start before the quiche filling goes in. The filling always cooks faster than the base. You can read more about blind baking here. You can use pie weights or dry beans to blind bake the quiche.
If you often have trouble cooking the base, it helps to cover the top of the quiche and place it as far down as possible on a closed baking sheet (to conduct heat). After the specified baking time, remove the quiche from the tin and bake it again for 10–15 minutes so that both the top and bottom are browned and cooked through.
This last step always works very well for me. I usually bake a quiche well in advance, and this is how I reheat it. I bake it without the pan, directly on the baking tray with parchment paper underneath. The result is always an evenly browned quiche with a delicious flaky crust.
I prefer not to use a ceramic quiche pan, even though I think they’re beautiful, because they take longer to conduct heat, making it more challenging to cook and crisp the crust.
One last tip is to use a quiche pan with holes in it. This allows the crust of your quiche to bake better and become crispier. A removable bottom is always a bonus.
Absolutely! Just wrap it tightly in an airtight container, and store it in the freezer for up to three months.
I prefer to reheat it without a baking tin, placing the tart directly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once the top is browned, cover it with aluminum foil. Bake the quiche for 10–15 minutes at 180˚C/350˚F.
If you choose to defrost the tart first, do so in the refrigerator or using the defrost setting on your microwave. Then, follow the steps above. The same applies to a frozen quiche or savory pie, but bake it for 10 minutes longer.
