Spring

Strawberries and Cream Naked Cake

May 8, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Packed full of berry flavour and perfect for spring.

Today I am sharing my new favourite cake recipe. It’s pretty fitting to share a cake on your birthday right! Yep it’s my 26th birthday today! This year has gone so fast and I can’t believe I’m turing another year older. Twenty five was a huge year for me, I got married, was in a wedding, attended weddings, saw friends and family become Mamas for the first time, lost my Grandma, changed jobs twice, got asked to be a bridesmaid (again!), made the biggest purchase of my life (more to come on that!) and started this BLOG! This year was big! I’m heading into 26 more confident, wiser, more patient and ready to tackle anything life throws my way. I though it would be hard to say goodbye to this age since 25 was so great, but I’m actually ok with turning another year older. I’m grateful for my life and ready to see what the second half of my twenties has in store.

Now enough about me let’s talk cake! I made this cake with Mother’s day in mind, fun fact we always celebrate my birthday, my grandmas birthday (we’re birthday twins!) and mother’s day all at once. So cake is always the dessert of choice. My grandma was what inspired this pink cake! She loves pink and since mother’s day and her birthday get rolled into one I think she deserves a pink cake. She’s also turning 90 this year, so believe me when I say we are celebrating hard this weekend.

I made this cake a naked cake because I don’t like too much frosting. Plus the actual cake is quite sweet. Between the cake layers and strawberries you really dont need too much buttercream. So let’s break this thing down!

Cake Layers: The cake layers are strawberry flavoured. I use a strawberry purée to flavour the classic vanilla cake layer. This also tints the cake a slight pink colour which is a perfect compliment to the bright white frosting!

Filling: Fresh strawberries! Pretty self explanatory, but you can’t have a strawberry cake without it if you ask me!

Frosting: A classic vanilla frosting! This is always my go to frosting, it’s highly requested in my house! It goes well on just about everything including this cake.

Ok guys no excuses, this cake is almost as easy as a boxed one, but so much better! Make it for your Momma this Sunday or heck make it in honour of my birthday!! xo

Strawberry and Cream Naked Cake

Yields: 2 layer cake

Ingredients:

Cake Layers:

2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1 3/4 cups White Sugar
5 Egg Whites
1/3 cup Sour Cream
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Whole Milk
1 pound Strawberries

Filling:

10-12 Strawberries, sliced

Frosting:

1 cup Salted Butter
4 – 5 cups Confectioner’s Sugar
1/4 cup Half & Half (or whole milk)
2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Cake Layers:

In a blender or food processor blend 1 pound of strawberries until smooth. Add blended strawberries to a small sauce pan over medium heat. Cook until the mixture reduces and starts to thicken slightly about 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool fully in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight.

Pre heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans, set aside.

In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Add butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on high for 2-5 minutes until the butter is pale yellow or white in colour. Add sugar to the whipped butter. Mix on medium until fully combined. Add egg whites and whip on high until combined and fluffy. Add sour cream and vanilla mix on medium low until well combined.

Add half of the dry ingredients on low until just combined. Keeping the mixer on low slowly drizzle in half of the milk until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk mixtures. Add strawberry purée to batter and mix on low until combined.

Pour batter into cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely before assembling and icing.

Buttercream Frosting:

Add butter to the bowl of stand mixer. Whip on high for at least 5 minutes until pale in colour and light and fluffy. Add confectioners sugar on low until well mixed. Add vanilla and half and half to the bowl. Continue to whip on high until frosting is fluffy and is you desired consistency.

Filling & Assembly:

Trim tops of cake layers to level if necessary. Place cake layer on your cake plate or cake stand. Place about a cup of frosting on first cake layer. Spread slightly to cover. Cover frosting with layers of sliced strawberries. Place second cake layer on top. Cover the cake with the remaining frosting. Keeping most of the frosting on the top of the cake. Decorate with whole strawberries. Place in the fridge for an hour to set before serving.

Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction strawberry cake and buttercream frosting.

Spring Vegetable Pasta with Ricotta Cream Sauce

April 27, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Fresh pasta and spring vegetables tossed in a creamy and cheesy sauce…

I’m a serious pasta lover and I’m really surprised I haven’t shared more pasta recipes on the blog yet. I have shared a few, lasagna and spaghetti and meatballs, but that’s just not enough carbs! We’re going to change that. Today’s recipe contains tender and delicious spring vegetables, a ricotta cream sauce and fresh linguini. It’s perfect for spring.

The vegetables in this pasta are the true star. Asparagus, snap peas and english green peas. The asparagus and snap peas are sautéed in olive oil with minced garlic and shallots. This gives the vegetables a delicious flavour. Toss the frozen english peas in at the end to warm through and infused with delicious flavour.

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Now the sauce is super simple. It’s just a few ingredients warmed together and reduced slightly. The sauce is just milk and ricotta cheese that is liberally seasoned with salt and pepper. Once the sauce vegetables and pasta are combined that’s when the magic happens…. and the magic is parmesan cheese and pasta water. It is the ONLY way to pull a pasta dish together. Toss a bit of pasta water in with your pasta and sauce to loosen and have all the components combine. The parmesan cheese melted into the pasta takes the flavour over the top! It takes things from delicious pasta to NEXT LEVEL delicious pasta!

Ok now run to the store get your ingredients and get cooking. I promise this recipe will deliver!

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Spring Vegetable Pasta with Ricotta Cream Sauce

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 ounces Snap Peas
8 ounces Asparagus, trimmed and sliced in half
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 cup English Green Peas (fresh or frozen)
Shallot, finely chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
12 ounces Linguini (I used fresh but dry also works great)
3/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup Milk (I used whole but 2% would also work)
2/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a sauté pan over medium low heat sauté shallots, garlic, snap peas and asparagus for 5 minutes or until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Toss peas with the other vegetables until heated though, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook pasta according to package instructions. Before draining remove one cup of pasta water and set aside.

Meanwhile add ricotta and milk to the pan. Heat for 10-15 minutes until warmed though, simmering and slightly reduced. Season with salt and pepper.

Add vegetables and cooked pasta to the sauce. Toss until combined. Depending on how dry your pasta is you will need to add pasta water. I always add at least a 1/4 cup but typically add about 1/2 cup. In addition to the pasta water add the parmesan cheese. Toss the pasta until the water in combined with the sauce and the cheese has melted. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve immediately and top with additional parmesan cheese if desired.

Adapted from Pasta Primavera with Asparagus and Peas.

Honey Lemon Gin Sour

April 20, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Delicious gin cocktail sweetened with honey with a secret ingredient…

Today I’m sharing a fun classic cocktail with a secret ingredient.

Gin is my favourite hard alcohol to create cocktails with. So I’m always trying to experiment with different ways to use it. Citrus goes so well with gin. Lemon is my favourite. This cocktail is perfect for spring. Honey and lemon scream springtime to me!

This cocktail contains four simple ingredients; gin, lemon juice, honey and aquafaba.

Ok so aquafaba might not sound so simple…. Traditionally sour cocktails contain egg whites. The egg whites create a light airy foam on top of the cocktail. Personally I don’t like using egg whites in cocktails. There is something so weird about drinking egg whites. Plus they smell funky. Just my opinion. If it’s your jam you can sub egg whites for aquafaba one to one.

So what the heck is aquafaba? Aquafaba is the liquid found in a can of chickpeas. So essentially bean liquid. Sounds so weird right? But it’s a really common vegan substitute for egg whites. It’s used in recipes that call for whipped egg whites like meringues.

I swear as weird as it sounds you won’t taste it. If you’re not ready to try it yet then just omit it. The flavours of the cocktail will be the same but the texture won’t be as good. It won’t have the same body and foaminess.

Ok now are you going to try this sour with or without the aquafaba?

Honey Lemon Gin Sour

Yields: 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

2 ounces Gin
1 ounce Fresh Lemon Juice
3/4 ounce Honey
3/4 ounce Aquafaba (strained chickpea liquid)
Ice

Directions:

Add aquafaba to a cocktail shaker. Dry shake until frothy about 30 seconds. Fill shaker with ice. Add gin, lemon juice and honey. Shake again until well mixed and the shaker becomes very cold. At least 30 seconds.

Strain cocktail into preferred glass. I like using a coupe or martini glass. Enjoy!

Adapted from Liquor.com

Sun-dried Tomato Spinach and Goat Cheese Quiche

April 12, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Flavourful springtime quiche

Is your family more of an Easter brunch or Easter dinner family? We’re both lol! I love quiche for brunch. I’m a fan of a savoury brunch over sweet. I picture servings this quiche with a simple salad, or my lemon parmesan green beans. Add some homemade cinnamon buns, fresh fruit and yogurt with granola to really round out the buffet.

And if you need a dessert for Easter how about carrot cake cupcakes?

Now lets get into this delicious quiche recipe!

This quiche starts with my grandma’s classic pie dough recipe. You’ve seen it before for my chicken pot pie and my grandma’s famous berry pie! Today we’re using half of her recipe as the base of our crust.

The base of this quiche is so simple; just eggs and milk!

To flavour the quiche we are adding garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and crumbled goat cheese. Such a yummy combination.

After blind baking the pie shell pour the filling into the shell and bake,

Once baked this quiche is great cold or warm. Super delicious! And entertaining worthy!

Sun-dried Tomato Spinach and Goat Cheese Quiche

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:

Pie Dough:

1 1/3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Vegetable Shortening, cold
1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, cold
4 to 8 tbsp Ice Water

Filling:

1 tsp Butter
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 cups Spinach
4 Eggs
1 cup Whole Milk
1/3 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes, drained and chopped
4 ounces Goat Cheese, crumbled
Salt & Pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl whisk together flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter cut butter and shortening into flour until combined and mixture resembles peas and sand. Slowly add ice water one tablespoon at a time until a ball forms. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Roll pastry into a 9 inch disk. Line your pie dish. Crimp the edges of the crust. Prick the crust with a fork. Place a piece of parchment paper over the crust. Fill with dry beans or pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

In a fry pan over low heat add butter, spinach and garlic. Sauté until it spinach begins to wilt. Place in a small bowl to cool.

In a large bowl whisk together eggs and milk. Add sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, goat cheese, salt and pepper to the egg mixture. Fold together. Pour filling into pie shell.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until the crust starts to brown and the centre of the quiche is set. Allow to cool slightly before serving, 5-10 minutes.

Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction and Danielle at Home.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

April 10, 2019 by Danielle 6 Comments

The BEST carrot cake cupcakes with tangy cream cheese frosting!

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Ok everyone today were taking carrot cake! Any carrot cake fans out there? I’m such a big fan. One of my wedding cake flavours was ever carrot cake. It was insanely delicious!

I make carrot cake every year for Easter which means my Uncle gets a chance to make the same joke every year. “Danielle did you grate the carrots?” Yep the joke is getting old but the cake is not.

I’ve experimented extensively with carrot cake over the years, nuts, no nuts, pineapple, yogurt, coconut etc etc etc. But the recipe I’m sharing today is a classic carrot cake. I like serving it as cupcakes because we tend to do dessert buffets at Easter and I think cupcakes are better for that. Also layered cakes are a ton of work so I tend to save them for birthdays.

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For my carrot cake I got nut free in the base. The cupcakes pictured are topped with nuts but you could skip that if you want. There are nut allergies in my husbands family and mine so we tend to keep our gatherings nut free. Hence why you wont find a tone of desserts containing nuts on my site.

All carrot cake recipes require some sort of moistening ingredient. I’ve used greek yogurt, apple sauce and crushed pineapple. My favourite is sour cream. For a super moist classic carrot cake this is a must.

As for the frosting I always make cream cheese frosting. I follow a 2:1 ratio of cream cheese to butter ratio. From there I add confectioner sugar and vanilla until the flavour and consistency is just right.

Now no more stalling lets get to this recipe! I know you’ll want it on your table at Easter!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes and Cream Cheese Frosting

Yields: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Carrot Cake:

1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Cloves
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Brown Sugar, lightly packed
2 Eggs
1/3 cup Sour Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Medium Carrots, grated

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup Butter, softened
3 cups Confectioner Sugar (more if needed for texture)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 count muffin tin with liners.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer beat vegetable oil and brown sugar until combined. Add eggs and mix on high until combined. Add sour cream and vanilla, continue to mix until combined.

Add dry ingredients to wet and mix on low until just combined. Add grated carrots and fold into batter. Fill muffin tins 3/4 of the way full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Beat cream cheese and butter on high until fluffy. Add confectioners sugar and vanilla, beat on low until combined and fluffy. Once cupcakes are cool, frost and enjoy!

Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Scalloped Potatoes

April 5, 2019 by Danielle Leave a Comment

The perfect Easter side dish.

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Ok this recipe is a real winner. Scalloped potatoes are so yummy. I didn’t grown up eating scalloped potatoes with Easter dinner. My Grandma hates cheese (crazy right?!) so a potato dish covered in cheese just wasn’t on our table. But in my house we love cheese and potatoes and my hubby loves anything smothered in a creamy sauce. That means this recipe is a serious winner!

Layers of potatoes smothered in a creamy sauce , sautéed onions and more cheese than your diet would ever allow. This is comfort food people. It’s for special occasions not everyday.

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I’ve got a few tips for making this recipe and then we can get into making (and eating) this deliciousness!

Ok first things first cut those potatoes thin! As thin as you can. Personally I use a mandolin. They are really great at this job. This is the one I have. I love it because its small but effective. I use setting number two!

Secondly the type of potato. You can use russets but I like using a yellow potato. They hold their shape better after a long cook time and overall I prefer their flavour.

Slow cook your onions. This is a must! I’m super impatient but for this dish you can rush cooking your onions. You want them soft, translucent and not even a little brown. If they brown they will discolour your cream sauce.

Layering. Add sauce and cheese in between each layer of potatoes. Now depending how thin you cut your potatoes you will have approximately 4-6 layers of potatoes. Spoon a small about of sauce over each layer and sprinkle a small amount of cheese over each layer.

Now lets get into this delicious recipe!

Scalloped Potatoes

Yields: 12 servings

Ingredients:

3 tbsp Butter
Yellow Onion, thinly sliced into half moons
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1 cup Vegetable Broth (you can use chicken)
2 cups Milk (I use 2%)
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Fresh Thyme, chopped
4 pounds Yellow Potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
2 cups Old Cheddar Cheese, grated
1/2 cup Fresh Parmesan Cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large sauté pan melt butter over medium low heat. Add onions sauté until soft and translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add flour to the pan. Cook flour and onions for about a minute. Slowly add vegetable stock, stir constantly until a thick but smooth sauce forms. Slowly add milk to sauce, stir until smooth. Add salt, pepper and thyme. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Set aside.

Line a 13×9 inch baking dish with a layer of potatoes. Top with 1/3 cup sauce (approx.) and onions. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over sauce. Continue to layer potatoes until complete. Pour the remaining sauce over the top layer of potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minute. Remove foil and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes until the top is brown and the potatoes are cooked though.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with additional thyme and cheese if desired.

Recipe adapted from Gimme Some Oven.

« Previous Page

Spring

Strawberry and Cream Naked Cake

Spring Vegetable Pasta with Ricotta Cream Sauce

Honey Lemon Gin Sour

Sun-dried Tomato Spinach and Goat Cheese Quiche

Carrot Cake Cupcakes and Cream Cheese Frosting

Scalloped Potatoes

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