This is so cliche’, but I’m gonna say it anyway – this year has flown by. And now that Thanksgiving is over, and 2020 will be here in a matter of weeks, I can hardly believe it’s been a whole year. Luckily I made these pumpkin cupcakes before Thanksgiving and my family has been enjoying…
cakes/cupcakes
marionberry lavender layer cake with german buttercream frosting
You know it’s going to be a good day when you get to make a spectacular birthday cake for your mom. I texted her the other day to find out what she wanted for her special day. She sent me pictures of cakes with berries, so I decided to make her this marionberry lavender layer…
lemon creme fraiche pound cake with lemon lavender glaze
Spring is in the air! Can you feel it?! Just last week we were dealing with snow and ice and today it was close to 60 degrees here! Granted it started out at 28 degrees when I drove my son to school. But by the end of the day, I flung several windows open to…
blood orange and poppyseed bundt cake with creme fraiche glaze
It’s snowing! Here in northern Oregon, snow is not a guarantee in winter. We get lots of rain, but snow is elusive. It actually snowed about a week ago, but it was pockets of hit and miss. Some areas got dumped, and others got little to nothing. We were little to nothing. So I’m left…
chocolate peppermint layer cake with ganache
It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and whether you celebrate that with your spouse or hang out with your besties for Galentine’s, this chocolate peppermint layer cake is the perfect dessert for the occasion. I made this chocolate peppermint layer cake over the weekend. All of the forecasts for the Pacific Northwest showed seven full days of…
honey lavender mini cakes with creme fraiche icing
I’ve been all about lavender lately. I stash it in the Marionberry jam I make. I’ve added it to dark chocolate cupcakes on a whim. It’s also appeared in my linzer cookies. Lavender is such an unexpected addition that I’m wanting to find more ways to incorporate it, without it being overpowering. These honey lavender…
blood orange chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting
There are some flavors that I go crazy for. It’s usually a citrus or a berry. Marionberries are my favorite berry, and the citrus I cannot live without is a toss up between Meyer Lemons and blood oranges. If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you can tell I love Marionberries and…
cranberry orange layer cake with orange buttercream frosting
So many cranberries, so little time. Baking with seasonal ingredients is such a great way to experiment and find new ways of using what’s available. Take cranberries. I have some frozen ones that I use for smoothies whenever the mood strikes. But having fresh cranberries is so much better. Frozen berries mean too much moisture…
mini pumpkin bundt cakes with maple icing
The weather has shifted, which means it’s socially acceptable to bake with fall ingredients. Pumpkin, being at the top of that ingredient list, gets used in cakes, breads, smoothies, and breakfast treats. When it’s summer time and I’m able to use all the fruit and berries that grow in my garden, I get sad when…
pumpkin nutella cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting
Pumpkin spice and everything nice. I’m loving all the fall colors I see everywhere. And I love the smell of fall baking. This past weekend I made over 200 pumpkin Nutella cupcakes for a friend that was giving them to her clients. Yes – it’s as crazy as it sounds. And if you saw my…
italian apple cake
This is one of those recipes you look at and go “hmm. I doubt anything just as simple as apples in a cake is going to be anything great.” And then you make it and go “good lawd – how did I go this long without making this cake?!?” Sometimes it’s the simplest things that…
s’mores cupcakes with ganache filling
Did you know it’s chocolate cupcake day? I didn’t either! Until I googled it, of course. I’ve been wanting to share these cupcakes with you all, but needed a special occasion. Here it is. The made-up holiday of “Chocolate Cupcake Day”. There are some interesting holidays out there. November 15th is “Clean Out Your Refrigerator”…
chocolate and zucchini muffins
You know that abundant vegetable that everyone always has too much of? Yep – zucchini. If you grow it, it’s like you don’t have enough friends to give it to. It’s littered over your counters and kitchen table. You’re trying to figure out how you can possibly make one more thing out of it. Here…
chocolate cheesecake with ganache
Aren’t you just dying over this? I made another recipe out of The Vanilla Bean cookbook and can I just say – she’s brilliant. Anyone who has multiple recipes for cheesecake in her cookbook is my new best friend. Remember that first cheesecake I made? That had my Marionberry Lavender jam on it? This…
cheesecake with lavender marionberry topping
It’s so fitting that I post this recipe today. It’s my 27th anniversary! HOW is that POSSIBLE? I am not that old. Ok. I’m old. But my brain keeps telling me I’m still the 22 year old young bride. This, along with any type of pie, is one of Craig’s favorite desserts. Too bad he…
chai latte cupcakes
Lately I’ve been drinking a lot of chai tea. I love the combination of flavors that burst when I’m drinking it. There are lots of ways to combine spices if you are making your own tea – cinnamon, fennel, star anise, cloves, peppercorn, cardamom, ginger. Buying spices in bulk is best. My favorite place is…
blueberry cupcakes with lemon frosting
What’s the difference between a cupcake and a muffin? It’s the long debated question from my kids, whether or not they can eat a cupcake for breakfast. For some reason, it’s okay to eat a “healthy” muffin, but slap some frosting on that baby, and all of a sudden, it doesn’t seem right to…