This carrot cake banana bread recipe had been on my to make list for a long time. It just felt like such a great combination of flavors and that’s just bound the be delicious right? The texture of this bread is just absolutely delicious.

Carrot Cake Banana Bread

I quickly ordered a bunch of bananas and the rest of the ingredients I usually have available. My bunny Lot had to sacrifice some of her carrots, Haha.

I had to wait for the bananas to ripen, because that is the most important part of any banana bread; the bananas have to be really ripe as they provide most of the sweetness. Once they were ripe I got to work.

This recipe is a variation of my favorite banana bread recipe and I am always playing around with variations (like this lemon poppy seed banana bread!) on it. After some trial and error I was happy with how the carrot banana bread batter tasted so I poured the batter into a cake tin and placed it in the oven.

Initially I wanted to make a cream cheese glaze to go on top of the bread but I decided against it as I wanted to be able to freeze it easily so I would always have an easy afternoon snack.

If you want you can absolutely make my favorite cream cheese frosting to top the carrot bread with. With this frosting it’s less healthy, but very delicous.

Recipe Ingredients

• almond flour – I love adding almond flour to a lot of cake recipes, as it gives it a lovely flavor and the cake stays moist easier too
• all purpose flour
• bananas – you need about 300 grams of mashed bananas
• vanilla extract
• eggs
• baking powder and baking soda
• cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves – these warm spices can be replaced by a spice mix like the gingerbread spice mix
• walnuts
• carrots

As you can see you do not add any other refined sugar which is also why it is important to make sure you’re using overripe bananas (brown bananas are best!).

If they are not you could consider adding a small amount of brown sugar to the mix but it’s better to wait until the bananas are ripe.

How To Make Healthy Banana Bread

Making this homemade banana bread with carrots is as easy as mixing the wet ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix the dry ingredients together and add to the wet ones. Fold it through until incorporated and add the chopped walnuts and the shredded carrots at the last step.

Since the mixing doesn’t require a lot of time you don’t really need a food processor or hand mixer here. Just a large mixing bowl is enough.

Fold it through and pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. You can either grease the loaf pan and dust with flour or you can use parchment paper.

Place the banana bread carrot cake in the preheated oven and bake until golden brown. Let the bread cool for a few minutes in the loaf pan and take it out to cool completely on a wire rack.

This moist carrot cake will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container (not in the fridge) or freeze it in slices for easy acces to a quick snack. You can read more about how to store banana bread here.

More Banana Bread

Now the number of variations on my classic healthy banana bread recipe are ever growing. If you’re a fan of banana bread make sure to check out the recipes below and stay tuned for much more variations coming soon!

• Classic banana bread
• Banana bread bundt cake
• Banana bread mug cake
• Cream cheese banana bread
• Banana oatmeal cookies

A delicious easy French toast recipe. I’ll show you how to get a stack of delicious sweet slices on the table in no time at all.

Making French Toast

French toast is something I love but rarely make. When it is made here, we usually eat it for breakfast or lunch on the weekend.

I really enjoy eating it with the family. You can sprinkle some (powdered) sugar on them or serve them with strawberries, but they are delicious without all those extras.

Here at home, we like to eat them with a slice of cheese, a savory twist but also so delicious!

What is French Toast?

Soaking thick slices of bread in an egg mixture (whole milk and egg) and then frying them in a pan creates a delicious new creation: French toast.

Don’t forget to flip it while frying, as both sides must be golden brown. The egg-and-milk mixture is usually flavored with a little sugar and cinnamon, but these can also be sprinkled over the baked result as well.

I like to mix in cinnamon with the eggs and milk, and use powdered sugared on top of the baked result.

Old-fashioned French Toast

French toast is a sweet dish invented to give stale bread a new purpose. Bread, especially homemade bread, tends to get old and dry quickly.

If you make this recipe with fresh bread, the result quickly becomes soggy, which is not tasty.

You’ll often find this dish called “French toast” on menus (or abroad), and I personally like to order it when I’m out and about.

It’s also called pain perdu (literally meaning lost or wasted bread) and you can pretty much find it around the world in different versions.

How to make a classic French toast recipe

Obviously making French toast is super easy to do. You need a shallow dish where you mix the milk and the eggs in and ideally day-old bread like brioche bread.

The best bread to use is mostly depending on your preference. You can use almost any kind of bread you like. For the perfect french toast I do like to use brioche, but feel free to use whatever bread you prefer.

For the pictures you see here, I used simple white sandwich bread.

You add the bread in a single layer in your milk mixture and add a large skillet on medium heat on the stove.

Don’t let the bread soak for too long or it will start to fall apart. You add a bit of butter to the pan and bake both sides of the slice of bread.

Let it rest on a wire rack for a little bit. And that’s all there is to it. It is delicious served with fresh fruit or fresh berries and a bit of heavy cream whipped to soft peaks. It’s a delicious breakfast but can even serve as a dessert.

More breakfast Recipes

Do you like this recipe for breakfast? Then you might like these breakfast recipes as well:

• Fluffy American pancakes
• Dutch breakfast cake
• Healthy banana bread with nuts
• Crescent roll cinnamon rolls
• Braided bread

It’s time to tell you more about my favorite types of vanilla! Vanilla is the most common flavoring in my recipes. After all, it is a true classic and provides a rich flavor in sweet cooking and can be found in many ingredient lists.

Types of Vanilla

Not only vanilla sugar and vanilla extract are welcome guests, but also vanilla paste or vanilla beans are often used in recipes.

In this article, I will explain the differences between all the types of vanilla flavors and the different forms so you can better understand what to use when and if you can substitute them for each other.

What is a Vanilla Bean?

Let’s start at the beginning: the vanilla bean pods. You can also call it a vanilla pod or a vanilla bean and I use them to make all types of vanilla flavoring.

Vanilla pods are very dark brown and feel a little sticky. You can cut them open and scrape out the vanilla pulp (filled with vanilla seeds), but you can also cook them in milk, for example.

They have a unique flavor and you can find them in different countries around the world. You have tahitian vanilla beans, mexican vanilla beans and the most well know; the madagascar vanilla beans.

Using Vanilla Beans

One vanilla pod is equal in strength to a full tablespoon of vanilla paste or extract. But beware, one vanilla pod is not the same as another. There are many differences in quality, but Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar is the cream of the crop.

Some examples of recipes that call for vanilla beans:

• Crème Brûlée
• Vanilla sauce

What is Vanilla Extract?

Pure vanilla extract is one of the most common types of vanilla that I use because it is a vanilla product that can be used in any recipe.

It is made from real natural vanilla and you can taste that in your baking. Nowadays it is available in more and more supermarkets and it is easy to find in (cooking-) webshops.

Using Real Vanilla Extract

Because of the differences in price and quality, I prefer to make my own vanilla extract. Super easy to do. I also give the proportions compared to other vanilla flavors so you can substitute.

You usually add the extract to a recipe by the teaspoon. Some examples of recipes in which I have used vanilla extract (that would be in fact, most of the recipes on Laura’s Bakery):

• Dutch kniepertjes
• Vanilla muffins
• Pecan snowball cookies

What is Vanilla Flavoring or Vanilla Essence?

The name says it all, but a vanilla flavoring or essence is not made from real vanilla. It is an artificial vanilla that mimics the taste of real vanilla.

I read online that it has the advantage of being able to withstand the high temperatures of the oven better, leaving more of the vanilla flavor after baking.

Also, it is available in all supermarkets and is much cheaper than “real” vanilla flavoring. So it’s a popular choice for a lot of people who don’t want to spend the higher price on real vanilla.

Using vanilla essence or imitation vanilla extract

Quality vanilla extract is something you add in drops, that’s how strong the flavor is.

The vanilla flavoring and essence you can buy at the supermarket is not very concentrated. You add it in the same amounts as extract, but I personally think it doesn’t taste all that good. So I personally never use it.

What is Vanilla Sugar?

Vanilla sugar is sugar that has been flavored with vanilla beans.

You can buy it ready-made in the supermarket. These packets usually do not contain real vanilla, but the sugar is flavored with vanilla flavoring (an artificial flavoring).

Fortunately, you can make it yourself by putting some vanilla beans in a jar of sugar. I explain all about it in my recipe for vanilla sugar.

Using vanilla sugar

You usually add this sugar in 8 gram bags (0.2 oz), like you get at the grocery store, or by the tablespoon.

If you are using vanilla sugar to replace other vanilla flavorings, subtract the remaining sugar in the recipe evenly to avoid making the recipe too sweet.

Here are a few recipes where I usually use vanilla sugar:

• Vanilla Cake
• Chocolate chip sugar cookies

What is Vanilla Bean Paste?

This paste is made from pure vanilla beans, finely ground with sugar, water and glucose syrup.

Incredibly easy to make, but the use of glucose syrup may put some off. This ingredient is readily available online, so don’t be put off.

Once you have a jar of glucose syrup in your home, you can still use it to make a lot of vanilla paste.

Use my recipe to make your own vanilla bean paste.

Using Vanilla bean Paste

Vanilla paste is liquid because of the glucose syrup, but it is more solid than vanilla extract.

You can substitute it for other vanilla flavors, but the big advantage is the distinctive tiny seeds of vanilla pith that you will see in your final product.

Vanilla paste is just as strong in flavor as vanilla extract and is usually added in teaspoons.

Recipe I like to use vanilla paste in:

• Natural cheesecake

Making my own puff pastry had been on my bucket list for years. It wasn’t until my 3th book that was all about making delicious snacks and appetizers that I got started making my own rough puff pastry.

In my head making puff pastry dough was really complicated but in fact it was absolutely not complicated. And the good thing is you really only need four ingredients. Flour, butter, water and salt.

Easy Puff Pastry (Rough Puff Pastry)

Let me first start by explaining what the difference is between rough puff and regular or classic puff pastry:

• the classic version of making puff pastry is by adding an entire block of butter to the dough which you then start laminating and making turns to create the flaky layers.
• Rough puff is different as you add the butter already to the flour. So essentially it is a butter-rich dough that behaves like actual puff pastry.

In terms of flavor both are equally delicious and you will still get a very flaky pastry. So that’s what the difference between the two is. And the easy version is of course less work.

As you might have guessed the method we are highlighting here today is the rough puff pastry. It’s absolutely perfect for making loads of puff pastry recipes! Think about making this delicious plum pie for instance , a Dutch banketstaaf, brie and mango empanadas or sausage rolls.

The Process

Now making this quick puff pastry I have already given you the pretty simple ingredients. A few things that are really important when making sheets of puff pastry.

First is that the butter and the water that you’re going to be using need to be cold and not just cold from the tap. It needs to be ice-cold water. Set the water in the fridge prior to using or add a couple of ice cubes to a bowl of water and let it sit for a bit so the water gets really cold. That’s step one.

Step two is to make sure the butter is also really cold. That works best if you already make little cubes of the butter and place those in the fridge again to cool down.

Now you first mix the dry ingredients (flour and salt) together and add the cubes of butter. Add the ice cold water and mix it briefly. The flour mixture should be absorbed into the dough but you still want to be able to see the butter cubes. So don’t knead it for too long!

Form a disk of the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Folding or Laminating

Once the dough is chilled it is time to start folding it by making turns. You start by placing the dough on a lightly floured surface and – using a rolling pin – roll it out into a long rectangle.

Now fold the dough into thirds. Almost like folding a letter for an enveloppe. The picture shows you how it should look when you’ve folded it properly.

Now turn the dough a quarter of the way and roll out again to repeat the folding. This is now called a turn. So by rolling it out twice you’ve created one turn. Wrap the dough again and place back in the fridge.

You repeat this process two more times. So in total you will have three turns.

After the last turn you can cover and refrigerate the dough until you’re ready to use it. Or continue by making for instance these saucijzenbroodjes or a banketstaaf. These are both Dutch recipes but there is so much more you can make with this easy puff pastry recipe.

With the current prices of eggs, having a couple of baking recipes without eggs under your belt is a good idea. If only for budget purposes.

So today I am giving you my favorite recipes that do not require any eggs at all. From a delicious vanilla cake to a tiramisu without eggs. Once you know how baking without eggs works it is not that complicated to do.

Baking recipes without eggs

Egg-free recipes are not only easy for budget purposes it is also great if you have guests or friends with an egg allergy. And while you might think that an eggless cake can not be as airy as a regular cake with whole eggs, I beg to differ.

There are a couple of tricks you need for replacing the eggs in the recipes. Or just pick one of the delicious recipes listed below.

Classic tiramisu recipe

To start the list of delicious egg free recipes I have a classic tiramisu recipe without eggs and without alcohol. I do have an option in the recipe to include alcohol if you prefer.

1

Classic Tiramisu without eggs

No votes yet

All my tiramisu recipes are egg-free, but I had not yet made the classic tiramisu in a large dish that is enough for all your guests. But not anymore!

Check out this recipe

Oreo mug cake

If you love Oreo you’re going to want to try this Oreo mug cake recipe. It doesn’t contain any eggs, is delicious and fluffy and ready in no time at all! The only equipment needed is your microwave.

2

Oreo mug cake

4 of 1 vote

Make this chocolate Oreo cup cake in minutes! Just mix the ingredients in a mug and let the microwave do the rest.

Check out this recipe

Vanilla mug cake

Another fabulous mug cake which uses no eggs at all is this vanilla mug cake. It’s the base of most of my mug cakes and all of them are super quick and easy to prepare. It would be your go to recipe for a very fast cake recipe.

3

Mug Cake Recipe

4 from 2 votes

Making a mug cake is not only delicious, it’s also incredibly quick. This easy vanilla mug cake recipe can be made in minutes in the microwave!

Check out this recipe

Vanilla cake without eggs

The perfect vanilla cake without eggs is this easy recipe. I’ve made it so many times already I lost count and it still continues to be one of my favorite recipes. And not only mine, but my guests are always happy when I make this delicious vanilla cake.

4

Vanilla Cake without Egg

5 from 2 votes

Do you love vanilla cake but have to make it without egg because of an allergy? That's convenient, because especially for you I developed this egg-free vanilla cake recipe.

Check out this recipe

No egg chocolate mousse

If you love chocolate mousse, like I do, you might be used to the fact that it contains egg whites most of the time. But this delicious recipe uses only three ingredients and no eggs! You will love it!

5

3 ingredient chocolate mousse recipe without eggs

5 of 1 vote

A recipe for easy eggless chocolate mousse made with only three ingredients! The perfect chocolate dessert.

Check out this recipe

Panna cotta with berries

Panna cotta usually doesn’t contain any eggs and that makes it the perfect make-ahead dessert for any dinner party. It’s no bake too!

6

Berry Panna Cotta (No Bake Dessert)

No votes yet

Super easy and delicious dessert that is festive and great for Christmas or any other festive occasion.

Check out this recipe

No bake cherry cheesecake

When it comes to baked cheesecakes eggs are used for stabilizing the mixture. For no bake cheesecakes that is not necessary so it’s a delicious eggless dessert!

7

No bake cherry cheesecake (Dutch MonChou pie)

No votes yet

A delicious recipe for making your own MonChou cake. You can make this cake without an oven and it has a base of Bastogne biscuits.

Check out this recipe

Dutch breakfast cake

One of my favorite recipes by far is this Dutch breakfast cake. It doesn’t contain any eggs and is perfect for serving both as a breakfast cake and also delicious served with a steaming cup of coffee!

8

Dutch breakfast cake recipe

5 of 1 vote

Do you like Dutch ontbijtkoek? With this easy recipe you can make a homemade version of this Dutch spiced breakfast cake.

Check out this recipe

No bake strawberry cheesecake bites

These cheesecake bites are the perfect little treat. I love the fact that strawberry season is getting closer and these bites are perfect for serving.

9

No-bake strawberry cheesecake bites recipe

5 from 3 votes

These no-bake strawberry cheesecake bites are a delicious summer treat! You make this easy recipe without an oven.

Check out this recipe

Rhubarb crumble recipe

Who doesn’t love a good crumble? Rhubarb season is too short if you ask me but with this easy crumble recipe you have a dish that can serve both as breakfast (just add some crumble to your morning yogurt) as dessert (add a scoop of vanilla ice cream!) or as a coffee treat.

10

rhubarb crumble recipe

5 from 3 votes

A delicious fresh crumble made with rhubarb and an almond crumble.

Check out this recipe

Speculaas cookies

Every year at the end of the year you can find many different speculaas cookies everywhere in the Netherlands. But the good news is that you can serve these delicious cookies year round and even better; they are eggless cookies!

11

Speculaas cookies recipe

3.50 from 2 votes

Making your own Speculaas cookies with the Speculaas board is easier than you think! I share my recipe and all my tips for perfect speculaas cookies.

Check out this recipe

Limoncello tiramisu

Like all my tiramisu recipes this one also does not contain any eggs. No eggs but all the creaminess and due to the use of whipping cream it is every bit as light and airy as tiramisu recipes that do contain eggs.

12

Limoncello Tiramisu

3 of 1 vote

This Limoncello Tiramisu is a deliciously fresh dessert with lemon curd and limoncello. A great way to end an Italian dinner.

Check out this recipe

Pumpkin spice oatmeal cookies

These eggless oatmeal cookies are easy to make and due to the oatmeal I always feel they are (a bit) healthier than any other cookie.

13

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies

No votes yet

Spicy oatmeal cookies. These pumpkin spice oatmeal biscuits with pecans are perfect for autumn.

Check out this recipe

Chocolate mug cake

Yes another delicious mug cake. This time with chocolate flavor. Ready in just a few minutes and a favorite on the site! It’s been successfully made by lots of people already. Are you going to try this recipe next time?

14

Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe (No Egg)

4.35 from 83 votes

You can make this easy chocolate mug cake recipe in just a few minutes! Just stir the ingredients together in a mug, pop it in the microwave, and enjoy!

Check out this recipe

English scones

Scones are another delicious recipe that uses no eggs. If it’s important for you to not use any eggs, make sure you use eggless ingredients as the toppings as well. The good news is that you need a milk wash for the scones and not an egg wash. But pay attention if you would want to add lemon curd as that does contain eggs.

15

Homemade English scones recipe

4.35 from 63 votes

Did you know that making your own English scones is incredibly simple? Delicious with clotted cream and a bit of jam. Perfect for high tea, but also for brunch.

Check out this recipe

​The best way to start baking your eggless recipes is to use one of the recipes I have outlined above. Those are all extensively tested and will work. I also have an article on replacing eggs and what other things you need to take into account.

Vanilla is my favorite flavor in sweet baking and cooking. There are many different ways to incorporate it into dishes, including in the form of vanilla bean paste. This is incredibly easy to make. I’ll give you all the tips and tricks in this recipe.

Vanilla Flavoring

A vanilla bean is the purest vanilla flavor. You can easily process the vanilla pods and pulp to make vanilla sugar, extract, or paste, so you always have it on hand to incorporate into recipes.

These days, pure vanilla extract is (thankfully) as readily available as its artificially manufactured sibling, vanilla flavoring, but I can’t say the same for vanilla bean paste.

The advantage of pure vanilla paste is the presence of the typical black speckles, the real vanilla seeds from the pith of the whole vanilla beans, which allow you to immediately see that real vanilla has been used in your baking.

That always has a lovely visual appeal. By starting to make your own vanilla paste, you will not be dependent on the availability in stores and will always have a supply on hand. And to be fair: it’s fun to make it yourself!

Learn More About Vanilla

If you want to learn more about vanilla or get started creating your own supply of vanilla flavoring, these articles are sure to come in handy:

• Making your own vanilla sugar
• Making your own vanilla extract

Making Your Own Vanilla Bean Paste

I have been using vanilla paste for several years, but when I was writing my latest cookbook, I decided to make it myself.

Making vanilla paste is incredibly simple. However, you will need glucose syrup. This keeps the paste liquid so you can easily incorporate it into recipes. It is available at many online webshops, and once you have a jar in your home, you can make a lot of vanilla paste.

You can also use corn syrup instead of glucose syrup. Corn syrup has more water content and is a bit more liquid but you can use both.

Vanilla Paste Storage

In addition to the ingredients listed in the recipe below, a good sealable jar is essential for storing vanilla paste. I use a small airtight jar. This jar can be labeled with what is in it and when you made it

How long does the vanilla bean paste last?

As long as you work cleanly (always use a clean spoon) and seal the paste airtight, you can keep it in a dark place for up to a year.

Can you freeze vanilla paste?

You can definitely freeze vanilla paste (in small portions) and it will keep for a year. The question is if this is more convenient than the storage advice above which also keeps the vanilla paste for a year. Plus the upside of storing it in a dark and cool place is that you can use it right away.

Here’s How to Use Vanilla Paste in Recipes

I’ve come to appreciate vanilla paste more and more over the past few years. It’s such a great product to use. Not only does it add the flavor of vanilla to a recipe, but you can see it thanks to the actual vanilla seeds.

This is not the case with vanilla extract, even though it adds just as much delicious flavor to baked goods. That’s why I use vanilla bean paste in recipes where it’s going to show those beautiful vanilla seeds, like vanilla cheesecake, homemade ice cream, crème brûlée or panna cotta.

Once you’ve made a nice batch of this paste, it’s helpful to know in what proportions you can use it in recipes (replacing other vanilla flavors). Optionally, you can write this on a label on the jar to keep it handy.

The easiest replacement is in place of vanilla extract where you can simply replace it one on one.

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste equals :

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean powder

You can even use the vanilla bean paste in savory sauces or savory dishes as it adds a rich vanilla flavor.

You can find the magic of vanilla in a couple of the below recipes as well

Some of my favorite recipes are using vanilla in the ingredient list. The below is just a small selection of the many recipes that feature a form of vanilla!

• Vanilla crème brûlée recipe
• Easy vanilla cupcakes
• Vanilla sauce recipe
• Vanilla muffins
• Vanilla loaf recipe

Making homemade tortilla chips is so easy and incredibly delicious! You only need 3 ingredients and they are easy to make. They are delicious on their own, but you can certainly vary them or serve with your favorite dips.

Making Easy Tortilla Chips

With this tortilla chips recipe, you can make your own delicious tortilla chips in no time. The easiest way is to use store-bought corn tortillas or flour tortillas and then make chips out of them, but you can also make your own tortilla wraps first and then make chips out of them.

I have to admit that I don’t always make my own tortillas, but when I do, I always make sure that I “accidentally” make a little too much so that I can make delicious tortilla chips out of them.

Tortilla Chips from the Oven

Making your own (tortilla) chips doesn’t have to be complicated. Besides the few ingredients, there are only a few steps to take. In just a few minutes, you can have your tortilla triangles ready to pop in the oven. In fifteen minutes your own freshly made chips will be ready!

With this recipe you can make natural tortilla chips, but of course you can also add flavorings (like taco seasoning, chili powder or another seasoning blend) or make a dish with them.

Of course, you will want to serve a nice dip with your homemade chips. A classic is a cheesy dip or buffalo chicken dip. My favorites are guacamole and tomato salsa. Of course you can also use store-bought chips, but making your own is quite fun and easy to do. And tastier too.

More Tasty Snacks

If you love a good snack, make sure to also check the below:

• Marinated mozzarella
• Bacon wrapped dates
• Spanish tortilla with bacon
• Homemade flour tortilla

How To Make Fried Tortilla Chips

Now when you have your wraps or tortillas you can use something like a pizza cutter to make tortilla wedges. I usually cut tortillas in 8 wedges but it also depends on the size.

Make a mixture of sea salt, pepper and a little oil and using a pastry brush you can brush the chip on both sides. Now taking a large baking sheet (or use two large baking sheets) you spread them in a single layer. That’s important as otherwise they will not crisp up.

Making Nachos

If you really want to make it a party, you can make a nacho casserole (nachos todos!) with your own tortilla chips. These oven nachos are simple but fantastic.

Because even plain or seasoned to your liking, these tortilla chips are already great. It is a delicious snack and so simple. The important thing is not to overcook them. I did that the first time I made them myself and I can tell you that they didn’t taste as good burnt 😉 .

I’m curious how you think they taste, whether you use them plain or make another dish with them? Be sure to let me know, I really like to hear that!

Storing Homemade Tortilla Chips

If you make your own tortilla chips you can store them in an airtight container for up to a week. They should stay nice and crispy.

Can you freeze homemade tortilla chips?

I don’t recommend freezing tortilla chips as they will not stay crispy. And since they’re so easy to make, it’s better to whip up a fresh batch instead.

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!

The Best Carrot Cake Ever

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? Check the recipe for an air fryer carrot cake.

What Is A Carrot Cake?

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.

Carrot Cake Topping

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!

Carrot Cake Recipe

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:

• Eggs provide the binding, structure, and rising of the batter.
• Sunflower oil has a neutral flavor and also gives the cake a creamy and smooth texture, even when cooled. You can substitute for another vegetable oil. You can substitute unsalted butter or melted coconut oil, but it will make the cake a bit firmer.
• Vanilla extract is a subtle flavoring and can be substituted with other types of vanilla if desired. Or check how to make your own vanilla extract.
• Light brown sugar adds extra flavor and contributes to the cake’s creamy texture.
• All purpose flour is the base of the cake.
• Baking agents, including baking powder and baking soda, also make the cake rise. Read more about why I combine these two baking ingredients.
• Spices (ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt) are the real flavor makers and, in the right proportions, provide the real carrot cake flavor.
• Of course, carrot is a must and is traditionally added to make the cake sweeter. The moisture from the grated carrots also makes this a deliciously moist cake. I like to use a coarse grater or box grater to grate the carrots. You can also use a food processor if you prefer.
• Walnuts taste great in a carrot cake, but if you don’t like them, you can just leave them out of the recipe.
• Cream cheese frosting seems to be a fairly recent addition to the classic carrot cake recipe, but it makes it irresistibly delicious, if you ask me. Still, I can’t imagine the cake without the frosting.

As always make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before you start baking your homemade carrot cake recipe.

Storing Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Properly covered you can store this carrot cake with the frosting in the fridge for 4-5 days. Take it out of the fridge for half an hour before you’re ready to serve. This will ensure the best flavor.

Can you freeze carrot cake?

You can freeze the carrot cake as well. Make sure to wrap it properly and it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Eggs are one of my favorite ingredients. Probably not surprising since I love baking and they are used in countless baking recipes. And for me using eggs is not an issue at all. I don’t not have an egg allergy and I am not on a special diet that restricts the use of eggs.

However, I do know there are a lot of people who cannot use eggs due to egg allergies and need to use egg substitutions for all their baking and cooking. And that can be quite a challenge. Now while eggs have a pretty specific use in a lot of recipes you cán replace them.

Another good reason is the fact that egg prices are going through the roof. And with vegan baking on the rise that is another good reason to have some alternatives ready. I’ll tell you how to substitute eggs in baking.

Egg Substitutes for Baking

So in this article I will explore the best egg substitutes and how to use them. It is good to know that substituting eggs will give a different result, depending on which alternative you go for. The good news is that you can still continue baking, even though you cannot use or don’t want to use eggs. The reason why can vary of course.

It’s also good to know that I am not specifically talking about plant-based recipes or vegan substitutes. Even though most will work as a vegan alternative as well, but that aways depends on the rest of the recipe. Also I am not talking about any commercial egg replacement product as I have not tried those myself.

Using these alternatives is also great if you do not have eggs at home and don’t want to go to the grocery stores. Of course that is assuming that you have the following alternatives available to you!

Common Alternatives to Eggs

The below options are all common alternatives to the use of eggs and are ones that you will likely have in stock in your cupboard.

Flax eggs

Flax eggs are made from flax seeds and 3 tablespoons of water. The ratio is one tablespoon of flax seeds to 3 tablespoons of water.

Chia eggs

Another almost similar replacement is chia seeds. Same as with a flax egg, for chia eggs you keep the same ratio of 1 tablespoon chia seeds to three tablespoons of water.

Peanut butter

Now here is one that might come as a bit of a surprise but you can use peanut butter as well. If you think about it and I’m sure most people can relate, stick a tablespoon of peanut butter in your mouth and that sticky feeling?

Well that’s exactly why it works. For replacing one egg you would need 3 tablespoons of peanut butter.

Unsweetened applesauce

For replacing one egg you would need 80 grams of apple sauce. That’s about 1/3 of a cup of applesauce.

You can also use other fruit purees. In that case you’d need 3 tablespoons of fruit puree.

Banana

Yes, ripe bananas can also function as a great substitute for a whole egg. You need about half a mashed banana for 1 large egg.

Yogurt

To replace an egg for yogurt in baked goods you will need about 60 ml or 1/4 cup of plain yogurt.

Aquafaba

Another replacement for an egg is 3 tablespoons of aquafaba. Aquafaba is the liquid you will find in a can of chickpeas. It’s pretty magical stuff a you can use to make meringue and mayonnaise too!

No Guarantees

Now while the above are popular egg substitute options it does not give you any guarantees and a lot of these things take a bit of trial and error for best results.

It will vary from recipe to recipe and the final product will also be slightly different than the original with eggs.

The eggless recipes we have on the site right now are all tested, so those are a sure bet, but if you want to try your own hand at using some replacement than it would really need some testing.

Not all replacements work for all recipes. You can imagine that a banana would work really well for banana bread for instance, but it might not be a good idea for quick breads.

Also something like peanut butter has a distinct flavor so you would want the nutty flavor to work with the rest of the ingredients.

Leavening Function

Now as you probably know eggs also have a leavening function. The replacements are not necessarily a leavening agent. So you might have to look at another way to increase the rise in your baked goods.

Think about extra baking powder, baking soda and/or apple cider vinegar.

Binding Function

Eggs have a pretty strong binding function. Stronger than most of the ingredients above. So the finished product will have less binding and will be a bit easier to fall apart.

You can counter balance some of that by using something like arrowroot powder and tapioca starch in addition to the egg replacements. Both can be used interchangeably and are great binding ingredients.

Some Eggless Recipes to Get You Started:

• Vanilla cake without eggs
• Mug cake with chocolate
• Pumpkin spice cookies

Frangipane is a delicious filling for cakes, pies, tarts and other pastries. You bake this velvety almond cream in tart bases or in cakes, including various types of French pastries. Another bonus is that frangipane – using only ground almonds – is naturally gluten free.

What is Frangipane?

Frangipane, as the name suggests, is a basic French recipe (also called creme d’amande) for a cake filling based on almond meal, sugar, eggs and butter.

Funny enough it took me quite a while before I first started using frangipane. And it is such a great addition to so many different baking dishes, that I’m not sure anymore why I didn’t use it sooner.

It’s also a recipe that appears in many French pastry recipes (like galette des rois!) and it is delicious when used as a pastry cream in fruit tarts or in a shortbread base tart.

A frangipane almond filling is baked and makes a tart or pie nice and creamy. It is often combined with fresh fruit, simply because that is a classic combination.

I love using it with summer fruits. You only need 4 ingredients to make your own frangipane tarts and you can make it in a few minutes. ‘A child can do the laundry’ as we like to say here in the Netherlands (meaning that it’s really easy)!

Frangipane Recipes

This almond cream filling is a true French classic. It consists of a crispy tart shell filled with a baked frangipane filling. A common name for such a tart is a bakewell tart. You might have heard of this before. This filling is sometimes topped with apples or pears, which adds a nice fresh element.

It’s also delicious as a croissant filling and you might have tasted it before in almond croissants (my favorite croissants!) I have made a pear frangipane tart in this way that is simply unbeatable. And you can expect some delicious frangipane based recipes in the coming weeks and months. I’ve got quite a few lined up already.

What You Need

You need just a few simple ingredients to make a homemade frangipane cream, unless you want to make your own almond flour from whole almonds (white ones). If that is the case, use a blender or food processor. Be careful not to grind the almonds too long, as this will release the fats and make an almond butter instead of almond flour.

The frangipane is very easy to spread on a pie base using a spoon or a pastry bag. I personally find it very handy to use a palette knife to smooth it all out (as shown in the photos), but if you don’t have one at home, a spatula or knife will work just as well.

The recipe below is for the basic frangipane almond cream and gives you the main ingredients but keep in mind that you will need a base to use the frangipane on and that is had to be baked.

As a base, you can use buttery puff pastry, a pie crust, short crust or a store bought tart shell. There are different ways of using the creme frangipane and I’ll be sharing more on that later.

Storing Frangipane

How long you can store frangipane depends on the state of the frangipane. Wether it’s already baked or still unbaked. Unbaked frangipane can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-7 days. Once baked you can store it for 2-3 days.

Can you freeze frangipane?

Freezing frangipane works really well too. Properly wrapped it will keep for up to three months in the freezer.

In the Netherlands meatballs or as we like to call them – gehaktballen – are a staple in many Dutch kitchens. Most families have their own special family recipe. Today I am sharing my favorite recipe for a Dutch meatball. And that wouldn’t be complete without adding gravy as well! Absolutely one of my favorite Dutch recipes.

Fun fact: Traditionally many Dutch people would even have a special day in the week which was meat balls day. Usually a Wednesday when all the butchers in the Netherlands would have their beef mixture on sale! Woensdag gehaktdag!

How to make Dutch meatballs with gravy

When you’re making Dutch meatballs you’re gonna want them to be nice and juicy. One of the most common ways to ensure they are is by using half and half ground meat. So half beef and half pork. Due to the extra fat from the pork the end result will be juicier.

However, I have actually baked these meatballs with lean ground beef, and the meatballs turned out hearty and juicy. So this recipe is for lean ground beef, not half and half.

The trick to avoiding dry meatballs is simply not to bake them too long. Also, the gravy that accompanies this recipe makes them irresistibly delicious.

BAKING TIP (from a follower): Roll the meatballs in all purpose flour before frying for a thicker gravy.

Why do you need eggs in a meatball?

Eggs, along with bread crumbs, provide binding. Eggs also add moisture to the meatballs, which (among other things) makes for a juicy meatball.

However, it is important not to add too much egg to your meatball mixture or, if you have a really large egg to try and compensate the extra egg with adding more bread crumbs. The breadcrumbs will absorb the excess moisture, so the binding effect of the eggs can ensure that all the loose ingredients form a well-bonded meatball.

What is the best way to bake meatballs?

A cast iron large skillet is recommended for baking meatballs. These pans are great when you need to bake something for a long time at a consistent temperature. The heavy bottoms of cast iron skillets ensures that the heat is well distributed and the meatballs are cooked evenly.

Once the meatballs are in the pan on medium-high heat, you should keep turning them. This will first sear them on all sides and then brown them evenly on all sides.

Then it’s time to bake the meatballs in butter, which will give them an extra tasty exterior. Finally, add the beef broth and soy sauce to make a delicious sauce. This keeps the meatballs juicy and finishes the flavor.

Juicy Dutch meatballs without sauce

Would you rather not have gravy with your meatballs? Omit this part of the recipe. A reader suggested that at this point, you could roll the meatballs in some breadcrumbs (with extra herbs if you like) and bake them in butter again. This gives the Dutch meatballs a crispy crust.

Did you know that ‘gehaktballen’ and ‘bitterballen’ are two different Dutch recipes, but both are called meatballs. Dutch bitterballen are basically fried meatballs made from a thick meat gravy covered in bread crumbs.

How can I improve the flavor of the meatballs?

Personally, I find these meatballs to be very flavorful, but you can enhance this flavor by adding some extra mustard and soy sauce. If you add extra liquid (such as kecap manis), also add some extra breadcrumbs to prevent the meat from becoming too moist and the balls from falling apart.

Of course, you can also add extra spices to your minced meat mixture, or replace the nutmeg with a mixture of chili powder and paprika, for example. Extra salt is an option, but it varies greatly from person to person, so I never want to call for too much salt in my recipes.

As an alternative to gravy, you could use a sauce, such as a tomato sauce or peanut sauce.

Want to try something different? Try these keftedes or these meatballs in apricot sauce.

My meatballs fell apart. How can this happen?

This could be due to a number of things:

• You used large eggs (L), which made the mince mixture too moist. Using large eggs also requires adding extra breadcrumbs to the mince mixture. I use medium eggs in all my recipes unless otherwise noted.
• This recipe calls for lean ground beef. Are you using a fatty type of ground meat? Then add some extra breadcrumbs.
• You may have made very large meatballs, in which case they will fall apart more easily. For me, this mixture was just enough to make seven meatballs, but I suspect six will do just fine.
• When baking, keep the heat low and sear the balls on all sides turning them a couple of times.

This is a classic and one of the most delicious recipes for tartlets. I’m talking about strawberry tartlets with pastry cream, of course! The buttery crust goes so well with the delicious strawberries and makes for a perfect summer dessert.

Strawberry Tartlets

How cheerful are these strawberry tartlets? They are perfect for high tea as they are not too big. I filled each strawberry tartlet with pastry cream. In principle, you can use any kind of fresh fruit to top the tartlets. But it is hard to beat the combination of a crispy tartlet base, fresh strawberries and the rich pastry cream.

Recipe Ingredients for Mini Strawberry Tartlets?

For making these pretty little tartlets it is important to know that to make these I used a specific mould from my own line of products but these are pretty similar. Of course you can use other little tart pans if you want but keep in mind that it might also have an effect on the total number of tartlets and/or the preparation time needed. I also like to use pastry cases with removable bottoms for easy removal of the tartlet shells once baked golden brown.

For making these beautiful fruit tarts you will also need pastry cream. For that you need to follow the recipe I linked to here.

Other than that you need the following ingredients at room temperature:

• all purpose flour 
• almond flour – you need only a little bit of almond flour so you can replace with regular flour if you don’t want to use it.
• icing sugar
• unsalted butter
• salt
• egg

And for the filling fresh strawberries and the pastry cream. In addition you will need plastic wrap for wrapping the tart dough, a mixing bowl, rolling pin and your tartlet molds. You can make this in a stand mixer but quite frankly it is so easy that you can also make this quickly in a bowl with your hands or with a hand mixer.

Once made and baked golden brown you can fill the tart shells with the delicious cream and finish the mini tarts by adding the fresh strawberries. Optionally you can add a bit of whipped cream on top. A delicious dessert in no time at all!

Strawberry Tartlets

Strawberry tartlets are definitely in my top 3 favorite strawberry cakes. Especially when strawberries are in season, I highly recommend making something delicious with strawberries every week. Luckily, strawberry season lasts all summer long, so there are plenty of strawberry recipes to inspire you. Here are a few strawberry recipes to try:

• Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
• Strawberry cheesecake cookies
• Strawberry custard tart
• Strawberry cupcakes
• Strawberry crumble cake

Storing Strawberry Tartlets

You can easily store these strawberry tartlets in the fridge for up to three days. I find they were still very crispy after one day. If you want to make they stay crispy for longer you can add a thin layer of chocolate on the tartlets before adding the cream.

Can you freeze strawberry tartlets?

For best results I would advice to freeze the unfilled tartlets and add the cream and fresh strawberries once defrosted.