Desserts – Bakerlady

Cranberry Upside Down Coffeecake

November 12, 2014 6 Comments

Confession. I’m a giant bookworm. It’s a condition that dates back to my early childhood. My parents have time-lapse video from Christmases long past where I don’t move from the same armchair for over 10 hours. I’m a constant figure as the room buzzes with holiday activity around me. Motionless, except the occasional turning of a page. My favorite place to be is completely engrossed in a great novel, oblivious to the world passing me by. As such, it’s no great surprise that I’ve always wanted to host a book club. I was recently given the opportunity to start one with friends, and I jumped at the chance. Books and my best gals? Win-win. Bonus prizes for me include the excuse to use my grandmother’s dainty teacups, and making delicious treats for my guests. I began with this amazing cranberry upside down coffeecake.

Honeycrisp Dutch Apple Pie

November 3, 2014 7 Comments

A mournful thick rain is pelting my ~~office~~ ~~classroom~~ ~~playroom~~ window tonight as I sit typing with a belly that is full and happy. Full because it’s stuffed with layers of perfectly spiced apple, buttery flaky crust and crunchy crumble topping. Happy basking in the glow of warm friendship and thankfulness. My girlfriend Rachel brought me a 15 pound box of honeycrisp apples this week fresh from the orchards of Eastern Washington – because she’s amazing and knows I love to bake with them. Just a day later, my “I-want-to-be-just-like-her” friend Jen popped by with a basket full of honeycrisps, caramels and a note of encouragement. Seriously, I completely fail in the doing-nice-things-just-because portion of friendship. These gals are rock stars who I’m incredibly blessed to know. Of course, as always happens, Jen came by as we were doing school in our PJs and I still hadn’t managed a shower. It’s good to have friends who love you in spite of your flaws. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Baking, Desserts, Pie Tagged With: America's Test Kitchen, Apples, baking, Crust, Dessert, honeycrisp apples, Pie

The World’s Greatest Cinnamon Rolls

October 28, 2014 52 Comments

You know what’s great? The little lip balms that look like mini eggs. Piano music on a blustery day. Smiley face stickers. Finding a ten-dollar bill in an old purse. Laughing so hard you cry a little. And most of all…cinnamon rolls. Specifically, these cinnamon rolls. The best EVER. No, I’m not kidding. They are perfection.

Pumpkin Spice Deathcakes (Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting)

October 1, 2014 1 Comment

Spice cupcakes have been a Halloween tradition for me since childhood. These “deathcakes” are full of cinnamon and pumpkin topped with a glorious cream cheese frosting. Delicious.

Love this recipe idea? Check out more Halloween party food on my Fabulously Freaky Halloween Fodder post. It’s full of devilish and delicious ideas!

Print Recipe for Pumpkin Spice Deathcakes

Pumpkin Spice Deathcakes
from Cake Central

1 box spice cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup water
1 cup sour cream
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Whisk together dry ingredients then add wet and beat on low speed for 2 minutes.
Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes. Makes about 36 cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup of shortening
1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter @ room temp
1 8oz bar cream cheese @ room temp
1 T vanilla extract
2 lbs shifted powder sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Cream together shortening, butter, and cream cheese until nice and smooth. Add vanilla into mixture and combine. Sift together sugar and salt, and slowly add to shortening, butter & cheese mixture. Make sure that all sugar is incorporated.

Filed Under: Baking, Cake, Desserts Tagged With: baking, Cinnamon, Cream Cheese, Cupcakes, Dessert, Frosting, Halloween, Pumpkin, Spice

Pumpkin-Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

September 25, 2014 1 Comment

Fall is here. Fi-na-lly. Seriously, this has been the longest summer I can ever remember in Seattle. So hot. Yes. I’m a heat complainer. Don’t worry, it’s actually a fairly normal condition in the Pacific Northwest. People don’t stay living round these parts for sunshine and sandy beaches. I love making pumpkin spiced deliciousness during the autumn months, but I’ll be honest, this recipe caught my eye over at Cooking Classy because of the chocolate. I don’t often see recipes pairing chocolate-y goodness with pumpkin, and I was interested to discover how they would complement each other. *Spoiler Alert – chocolate surrounded by a lightly spiced pumpkin cookie is an absolute winner!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Baking, Cookies, Desserts Tagged With: baking, Chocolate Chip, Cookies, Fall, Pumpkin, Spice

Mom’s Chocolate Zucchini Cake Perfection

August 21, 2014 Leave a Comment

My mother has been making this cake as long as I can remember. As a child, the thought of a vegetable baked into a cake was just supremely odd. Now I know that little flecks of zucchini melt into the chocolate batter making the texture and richness just perfect.

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Filed Under: Baking, Breakfast, Cake, Desserts Tagged With: baking, Cake, Chocolate, Dessert, Zucchini

Oooey Gooey Sinful Caramel Pie

August 1, 2014 Leave a Comment

This pie indulged my sweet tooth, and my highly closeted rebel nature. You see, this recipe makes dulce de leche out of sweetened condensed milk. And does so by boiling the cans. Yes. Boiling them. If you are looking to add a little danger to your life, this is the way to do it. I’ve been told the cans can explode, spreading thick gooey sticky caramel milk all over your kitchen. I think some cans even explicitly warn you not to boil them due to the risk of explosion. Sounds exciting right? Pretty sure it’s made up danger though. No eruptions for me, and in all the years my grandmother made a thick, milk-based caramel sauce out of canned sweetened condensed milk, I don’t recall it ever happening to her either. I did have a little excitement while baking this pie. Enough to completely derail my day and prove that you really cannot mess up a pie this easy. More on that later.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Baking, Desserts, Pie Tagged With: Caramel, Dessert, dulce de leche, graham cracker crust, Pie, Rich, Whipped Cream

Happy National Cheesecake Day

July 30, 2014 Leave a Comment

I’m pretty sure food holidays were invented by bloggers. Who am I to complain? Happy National Cheesecake Day everyone! Celebrate with this velvety rich New York Cheesecake topped with bright fresh strawberries! Yuuuuuum!

Print Recipe for New York Cheesecake

Filed Under: Baking, Cake, Desserts, Pie Tagged With: Dessert, National Cheesecake Day

This Funnel Cake Will Be The Highlight of Your Week

July 16, 2014 Leave a Comment

“We’ll go to the food court and get one of those funnel cakes you love.”. So says the wife trying to mollify her husband after refusing to purchase him a two thousand and four hundred-dollar designer suit. Pouting ensues, before, finally accepting his fate, the hubby replies “We’ll get a funnel cake – it’ll be the highlight of my week.”.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Baking, Cake, Desserts Tagged With: baking, Desserts, Dough, Fair Food, Frying, Funnel Cake, Powdered Sugar, The Family Man

Amazing Cherry Pit Removal

July 15, 2014 3 Comments

Summer will never be the same. Cherry pit removal with a straw. Easy peasy.
Take a straw. I used a hard plastic one from a reusable hot/cold coffee cup. Place it at the base of your cherry. Mmmmm. Succulent Rainier cherries.

Then push thru the top. Boom. Done. Mind blown.
Devour. Repeat. Or, do a bunch a time so you can shovel handfuls of delicious cherries into your mouth while laughing like a maniac. Not that I did that.