Her Modern Kitchen

Eating & Living in Austin, Texas

Cake & Cupcakes

Mocha Lotta Love Cakes with Chocolate Ganache Dip for Valentine’s Day

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If Valentine’s Day were a food, it’d be these heart-shaped Mocha Lotta Love Cakes — decadent chocolate cake, espresso buttercream, and dark chocolate ganache.  Make these cakes, and you’re sure to score a sweetheart on Valentine’s Day.

Mocha Lotta Love Cakes Cake Stand

My Mocha Lotta Love Cakes were 100% inspired by these sweet [amazon_textlink asin=’B000M9OBPY’ text=’Wilton heart molds’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’hermodernkitc-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’b202cf84-0ae4-11e8-a24b-bdc62cf0b927′] I saw on Amazon and just couldn’t pass up! I’m just way too easy when it comes to holiday-themed baked goods and sometimes go overboard. (These heart-shaped weren’t’ my only Valentine’s Day holiday splurge. Fortunately for you, My Mocha Lotta Love Cakes can also be made as cupcakes in case you have more willpower than I do, I provide directions below!)

Mocha Lotta Love Cakes Overhead

The truth is, I don’t really care about Valentine’s Day. <3M and I skip this holiday since our anniversary is 2 weeks after this universal day of love. Though, that doesn’t mean I won’t accept a sweet Valentine’s Day gesture if he decides to get me something (hint, hint if you’re reading this <3M!).

Mocha Lotta Love Cakes Pinterest

I love any kind of chocolate and coffee flavored dessert. In fact, our wedding cake was this same combination of rich chocolate cake filled with silky espresso buttercream which inspired these love cakes! It’s simply so decadent and feels so indulgent. Perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Mocha Lotta Love Cakes Bite

I added to the cake’s chocolate decadence by ‘icing’ my Mocha Lotta Love Cakes with a rich, dark chocolate ganache. Ganache seems intimidating but it truly only 3 ingredients and continuous stirring. It’s like a magical frosting that’s hard to mess up and looks super fancy. My one recommendation here is to freeze the cakes before dipping. It will make them easier to handle and won’t break off in the ganache when you turn them upside down for a dunk in some chocolatey love.

Mocha Lotta Love Cakes pink Sprinkles

Mocha Lotta Love Cakes Drizzle

To finish off my Mocha Lotta Love Cakes, and to make them extra special, I loaded them with [amazon_textlink asin=’B016NEKB8W’ text=’colorful sprinkles’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’hermodernkitc-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’475373c3-0ae5-11e8-ad07-b15952575465′] and a drizzle of white chocolate.

These impressive Mocha Lotta Love Cakes will be hard for your Valentine to pass up and are sure to score you some extra sweetheart lovin’. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Mocha Lotta Love Cakes Sprinkles

Mocha Lotta Love Cakes Clean overhead shot

Mocha Lotta Love Cakes Featured
Alyssa

Chocolate Cake

This is my go-to chocolate cake recipe. It never fails me, it's always delicious and ridiculously moist!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 18
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Wilton Silicon Heart Molds or cupcake liners/tins
  • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa preferrable sifted
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk room temperature
  • 3/4 cup hot water
  • 2 tsp instant coffee granules
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350*F
  2. Grease the baking molds with shortening (or baker's spray) and lightly dust with cocoa powder* then set aside
  3. Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, stir to combine.
  4. In a small bowl, warm the water then dissolve the coffee granules
  5. In a medium bowl whisk together the vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla
  6. Slowly, add the hot-coffee water to the rest of the wet ingredients temper the eggs**
  7. Once combined, add the wet ingredients to dry and mix on medium for 2-3 minutes to create a thin batter
  8. Fill the prepared heart molds to about 3/4 full***
  9. Bake for 17 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean (or 13-15 minutes for cupcakes)
  10. Cool 10 minutes in the pans then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely
  11. Trim the cake bottoms and cut off any excess as needed to ensure they sit flat and maintain a heart shape (skip this step for cupcakes)

Notes

* If you're making cupcakes, simply line the cupcake tins with liners and set aside, no need to grease and dust with cocoa
** Adding the hot water too quickly will cook the eggs
*** If you only have one mold, you'll need to wash, grease/dust, and fill the molds an additional 2-3 times
Mocha Lotta Love Cakes Featured
Alyssa

Espresso Buttercream Filling

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 2 cups
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon meringue powder optional
  • 1/4 cup luke-warm water
  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 1/4-1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
  • 1/4 cup half and half

Method
 

  1. Dissolve the coffee granules in the water and set aside
  2. In a mixer, mix together the shortening, butter, and meringue powder (if using)
  3. Add in vanilla and coffee-water along with 2 cups of confectioner's sugar and mix to combine
  4. Gradually add more sugar, drizzling in the half and half until a soft, spreadable consistency is reached
Chocolate Ganache
Author: Alyssa
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces dark chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon coffee granules
Instructions
  1. Pour all ingredients into a medium-sized saucepan
  2. Place the pan on the stove and melt the chocolate over low heat stirring continuously about 3-5 minutes
  3. When most of the lumps are melted, remove the chocolate from the heat and stir continuously until the ganache is smooth and shiny

Mocha Lotta Love Cae Assembly
Author: Alyssa
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 18
Ingredients
  • chocolate cake hearts or cupcakes
  • mocha frosting
  • chocolate ganache
  • 1 cup white chocolate, melted*
  • sprinkles
Instructions
  1. Place the frosting into a piping bag fitted with an[url href=”https://www.partycity.com/wilton-icing-filling-tip-bismarck-no.-230-609027.html?extcmp=pla%7CGoogle&gclid=CjwKCAiA-9rTBRBNEiwAt0Znw1s9WkfczNasX2Ra_z5ERkoYGjzjOZcfMtxyMaZZgYjwKRTrE6m_zRoCa14QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds” target=”_blank”]icing filling tip (Wilton 230)[/url]
  2. Fill the hearts from the bottom by gently squeezing the frosting into the center, right and left rounded tops of the heart and tip of the heart. While holding the cake you should be able to tell when it becomes full**
  3. Place the filled hearts onto a parchment lined tray and freeze for up to 2 hours before dipping in ganache. [b]You must freeze the cakes before dipping so they don’t break off into the ganache when dipped[/b]
  4. With the warm ganache, dip the tops of the frozen heart cakes (or cupcakes) into the ganache. If needed, use an offset spatula, spread the ganache evenly across the top of the cake to create a smooth, flat layer and cleaning up the edges as needed
  5. Let the ganache set a few minutes before drizzling with white chocolate or adorning with sprinkles
  6. Serve immediately or keep at room temperature for 2-3 days
Notes
* Melt the white chocolate using the same method as creating the ganache (omitting heavy cream and coffee). Place all the white chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. Stir continuously until fully melted. Pour the melted chocolate into a piping bag and snip a bit of the tip off to easily drizzle onto the cakes.[br]** If using cupcakes, simply fill as you would normally and freeze the cupcakes for at least 2 hours before dipping the tops into the ganache

 

Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake featuring Zenker Cake Slicer

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Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake combines a light, fluffy coconut cake with a creamy, tart lime curd for the perfect bite of Spring!

I love coconut cake, if fact, it’s probably my favorite kind of cake. I especially love coconut cake mixed with tart, fruity flavors which originally inspired my holiday Festive Italian Cream Cake with Cranberry Curd and led me to create this Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake!

Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake

Except for the Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake, I simplified the coconut cake recipe a bit since my prior recipe was labor intensive which means making a scratch-made cake plus homemade lime curd & buttercream frosting results in a 4-5 hour baking project and that’s before doing the dishes.  And seriously, who has time for that when all you really want to do is eat cake?

In addition to my quickie coconut cake and lime curd recipes, I’m also sharing the COOLEST baking tool used to create beautiful, even cakes that make layering a breeze!

Let’s get to it!

Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake

The Cake

Let me start by saying this is a judgment free zone and utilizing box cake mix is 100% acceptable because we’re still jazzing it up with a few key ingredients to make our Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake.

With the addition of coconut milk, coconut oil, and shredded coconut this semi-homemade box cake recipe turns out 3 luscious layers of super moist, super coconut cake.

You can utilize white or yellow cake mix for my Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake — I prefer white because I love the pristine white layers and it’s more representative of coconut when you dig your fork into it. I will advise against using the coconut box cake mix though as sometimes that flavor can be very artificial and with all the true coconut we’re adding into the mix, there’s no need to jeopardize the flavor with fake coconut extract.

The Curd

Curd of any sorts is SO easy to make as long as you’re attentive while it’s cooking. The key to cooking curd is to cook it slowly over low heat and stir it constantly. Since curd is egg based, you don’t want to cook it on high heat or you’ll end up with lime flavored scrambled eggs.

The curd within the Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake is a bit on the tart side but I chose to add less sugar on purpose since the coconut cake and vanilla frosting are sweet.

You must cool the curd before layering it into the Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake. When cooling the curd, be sure to place plastic wrap on top of curd where the plastic wrap touches the curd itself. This will ensure a skin doesn’t form overtop of the curd while cooling.

Pro Tip: Use a vegetable peeler to peel strips of rind from your lime then stick it in your food process to save time zesting!

The Layering

To ensure an even cake once stacked and layered, it’s best to cut the dome top off of each cake prior to frosting and stacking to assemble this Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake. Creating flat cake tops will help ensure stability in your cake. Unfortunately, no matter how many times I’ve tried to carefully cut even layers off my cakes, they always end up slightly slanted.

Until now, with the help of Zenker Stainless Steel Layer Cake Slicing Kit I can now cut perfectly even layers every. single. time.

This Zenker’s Slicing Kit is SO easy to use, you simply drop your cake in the middle and using the large knife provided, slide it into the metal guides and slice away. Remove the knife, spin the slicer around and repeat! As long as you cut at the same level for each cake, your cakes will be equal in height and be perfectly level and ready for their lime curd! Check out my step by step below! Or check out Zenker’s quick how-to video

Step 1: Place your cake in the middle of the Zenker Cake Slicer and determine where you’ll cut your cake to evenly remove the dome. For this cake, I cut 3 up from the bottom.

Step 2: Using your large knife, cut halfway through the cake, spin the slicer around and cut the cake from the other side so the dome’s cut all the way off

Before & After: A straight even top from the Zenker Cake Slicer!

The other tip for layering the Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake is for you to very lightly coat the top and bottom of each cake with a thin layer of frosting before putting the curd on.

The first time I made this Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake, I didn’t seal in the cake with frosting and the curd soaked right into the cake. It was still super delicious but it simply looked like three cake rounds stacked on top of one another without the beautiful lime curd filling visible in-between. Here’s a couple pictures and a little diagram to help you assemble the Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake!

Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake - Frosting & Layering

The Frosting

I went with a classic, vanilla buttercream frosting for the Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake

When making frosting, I like to use half butter and half shortening. The shortening adds stability while the butter adds flavor. In my mind, it’s the best of both worlds.

I also prefer to use clear vanilla extract rather than the brown extract as the colored vanilla adds a slight tint to your frosting. That, mixed with the yellow butter often results in a beige colored buttercream which isn’t super appealing to the eye.

My last pro tip, which is completely optional, is to add a bit of meringue powder to your frosting for additional stability and instead of using water or plain milk as the liquid component, I highly recommend using half & half.

The addition of half & half leaves the frosting light and silky when spread onto the cake. Whenever I make frosting with half & half, I always get compliments on its texture and taste!

Alright friends, that’s my tips and tricks for this Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake! It’s perfect for Spring or even this upcoming Easter weekend! Enjoy.

I did receive the Zenker product in return for a post. All thoughts and opinions about the product are my own.

Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake

Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Layer Cake

Springtime Coconut Cake with Lime Curd

Springtime Coconut & Lime Curd Cake

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • For the Cake:
  • 2 boxes white or yellow cake mix
  • 16 ounces sour cream
  • 15 ounces coconut milk
  • 6 large eggs beaten
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil melted and cooled
  • 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
  • For the Curd:
  • 1/2 cup 1 stick butter softened to room temperature
  • zest of 4 limes medium to large in size
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • pinch of salt
  • For the Frosting:
  • 1/2 cup 1 stick butter softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 2 pounds confectioner’s sugar
  • 2 tablespoons meringue powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extra
  • 4-6 tablespoons half & half

Method
 

  1. For the cakes:
  2. Preheat oven to 350*
  3. Lightly grease and flour 3 9-inch cake pans. If available, line the bottom of each pan with a round parchment circle to make cake removal even simpler. Set aside while you assemble the batter.
  4. Pour the 2 cake mixes into a large bowl. Using a whisk, combine the cake mix with the sour cream, coconut oil, coconut milk, and eggs.
  5. Fold in 1 1/2 cups of shredded coconut.
  6. Evenly distribute the batter among the 3 prepared cake pans.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake pin inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  8. Let cool 10 minutes then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing, layering and frosting.
  9. To toast the remaining 1 cup of coconut, place a pan on the stove over medium heat.
  10. Stir the coconut constantly for 5-7 minutes until lightly brown and golden.
  11. Remove from heat and set aside until you are ready to assemble the cake.
  12. For the curd:
  13. In an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar.
  14. Add in the zest of 4 limes.
  15. One at a time, add in the eggs mixing each well into the butter & sugar before adding the next.
  16. Lastly, add in the lime juice and a pinch of salt.
  17. Transfer the entire mixture to a medium-size saucepan and place it on low to medium-low heat.
  18. Stir the mixture constantly for 10-15 minutes, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan.
  19. The curd will begin to thicken after 10 minutes, when the mixture reaches 170-175*
  20. Once thickened, remove from heat and transfer to a clean bowl
  21. Place plastic wrap on top of curd so the plastic touches the curd itself. This will ensure a skin doesn’t form overtop of the curd.
  22. Place the curd in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours until chilled before layering in the cake.
  23. For the frosting:
  24. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and shortening.
  25. Add in 4 tablespoons half & half and the vanilla extract. Combine well.
  26. Add in the meringue powder, salt and 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar and combine.
  27. Continue adding the confectioner’s sugar, 1 cup at a time until it’s all combined into the frosting.
  28. Add in the additional tablespoons of half & half to achieve desired thickness.
  29. To Assemble:
  30. Slice the top off of each cake so an even top is formed.
  31. Frost a thin layer of buttercream on the top of each cake layer.
  32. Place the first frosted layer on the serving tray.
  33. On top of the thin layer of frosting add a spoonful of cooled lime curd and spread it evenly across the cake.
  34. Taking the next cake layer, place the frosted side down, facing the curd.
  35. Now frost the top of the 2nd layer with a thin layer of frosting. Add a spoonful of curd on top of the thin layer of frosting and spread it evenly across the cake.
  36. Taking the last cake, place the frosted side down, again facing the curd.
  37. Using the rest of your frosting, frost the top and sides of the cake.
  38. Top the cake with the toasted coconut.

Dirty Chai Cupcakes — Chai Spiced Cake with Espresso Frosting

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Dirty Chai Cupcakes combine the best of both worlds with chai latte cakes swirled with creamy, espresso buttercream frosting and topped with a chocolate covered espresso bean!

These Dirty Chai Cupcakes were inspired by a friend who’s a fan the Dirty Chai butter coffee at Picnik — a local, Austin-based food truck (and now brick & mortar) that specializes in food that accommodates all dietary restrictions. Truthfully, these cupcakes don’t have any special dietary accommodations. In fact, they only accommodate those who love coffee and crave cupcakes.

If this sounds like you, read on!

Dirty Chai Cupcakes

Never heard of a Dirty Chai?

It’s the best of both worlds, combining the dessert like spices of a chai latte with the toasty notes of espresso. Think sweet, creamy & caffeine!

The cake in these Dirty Chai Cupcakes is made with a parade of spices — cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, clove, nutmeg and a dash of black pepper for a hint of spiciness and warmth. This combined with the caramelly, molasses notes of brown sugar bring a subtle, toasted sweetness to the Dirty Chai Cupcakes. A friend who tasted these cupcakes mentioned they’d be great sans the frosting as a chai breakfast muffin!

Dirty Chai Cupcakes

Bake the Cupcakes!

These Dirty Chai Cupcakes bake up thick and chewy yet moist! The key to these cupcakes is the addition of an apple cider vinegar & baking soda mixture added just before scooping the batter into cups for baking.

Much like in science class, mixing these two ingredients together forms a quick reaction and a mass of bubbles. Adding the bubbling vinegar and baking soda mixture to the batter creates air within the cake when it bakes, allowing the cupcakes to rise up and bake into fluffy, Dirty Chai Cupcake masterpieces!

Dirty Chai Cupcakes

Dirty Chai Cupcakes

Whip up the frosting!

Since you can’t have Dirty Chai Cupcakes without some sort of coffee involved, I’ve topped these delicious chai cakes with rich, creamy espresso flavored frosting. To make this frosting, I created a high-concentrated instant coffee mixture that’s drizzled into the buttercream as it’s mixing. The coffee flavor has the rich notes of espresso without any bitterness.

To bring an extra jolt of coffee flavor, these Dirty Chai Cupcakes are topped with a simple chocolate covered espresso beans!  This small dark chocolate bean also adds a beautiful contrast to the espresso colored frosting and a hint of class to the Dirty Chai Cupcakes.

Dirty Chai Cupcakes

Perfect for Fall!

My Dirty Chai cupcakes are the perfect afternoon treat paired with a cup of coffee. Their chai spice flavor is on par for the Autumn season and they’re a bit of a change up from the traditional ol’ Pumpkin Spice hype this time of year!

Dirty Chai Cupcakes

Dirty Chai Cupcakes

Dirty Chai Cupcakes -- Chai Spiced Cake with Espresso Frosting

Dirty Chai Cupcakes are the best of both worlds, combining the dessert like spices of a chai latte with the toasty notes of espresso.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 32
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk 1%, 2% or Whole
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons cardamom
  • 2 teaspoons ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon clove
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 6-7 cups confectioner's sugar*
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee
  • 4 tablespoons warm milk
  • dark chocolate espresso beans optional for decorating

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350*F
  2. Line 2 cupcake pans with cupcake liners and set aside
  3. Before making the cake, prepare the coffee for the frosting by whisking together the instant coffee and warm milk. Once mixed, set aside to cool.
  4. To make the cake, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, clove, nutmeg, black pepper and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
  5. In a stand mixer, add 1 cup softened butter and beat on high for 2-3 minutes
  6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add both sugars and the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  7. Cream on high for an additional 1-2 minutes
  8. Scrape down the sides and one at a time, add in the eggs, mixing well before each new addition
  9. In separate additions, add the 1/3 of the flour mixture followed by 1/3rd of the milk mixing on medium speed between each new addition
  10. Once fully incorporated scrape down the sides and prepare the baking soda & vinegar mixture
  11. In a small bowl, whisk together the baking soda and vinegar, quickly, while it's still bubbling pour the mixture into the batter and mix together on medium speed
  12. Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared cupcake liners (makes ~32 cupcakes total)
  13. Bake for 19-20 minutes
  14. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow cakes to cool completely before frosting
  15. To make the frosting, cream 1 cup softened butter and 1/2 cup shortening on high for 2-3 minutes
  16. In 1 cup additionals, add in the confectioner's sugar
  17. After 4 cups, add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  18. With the mixer on low drizzle in the cooled coffee extract
  19. Add in the remaining confectioner's sugar, 1 cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached
  20. To frost the cupcakes, place the frosting in a piping bag with a star tip
  21. Cupcakes will keep 2-3 days, covered at room temperature

Notes

* I used 7 cups as I prefer a stiffer frosting to pipe with

 

Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Coffee Cake

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The secret to this Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Coffee Cake is pancake mix — creating a moist, chewy cake with a crunchy cinnamon-sweet topping. Whipped up in minutes, this coffee cake is weekend perfection!

Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Coffee Cake 4

Some weekends just call for coffee cake. Except if you’re like me, when I get a weekend coffee cake craving, I want it NOW. Well, this Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Coffee Cake recipe is the perfect weekend recipe for when that coffee cake craving comes-a-callin’ and you just can’t wait.

This recipe starts with pancake mix as a base and requires a few staples that you likely already have on hand in your kitchen. It takes less than 15 minutes to mix up and bakes to perfection in just 22 minutes. Less than 45 minutes from start to finsih? Now thats #CoffeeCakeWinning!

Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Coffee Cake

The part I love most about this Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Coffee Cake is how the crumb topping forms a crunchy, sweet coating atop the cake when it bakes. I swear this crunchy coating helps seal in all the moisture in the cake itself! Besides being quick and cinnamony delicious, I also favor this coffee cake because it’s just the right amount of light and fluffy while also being slightly chewy and moist.  It’s not overly sweet and has a heartiness to it from the pancake mix. It’s perfect to pair with a cup of creamy hot coffee!

Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Coffee Cake 3

For this recipe, I used a local Austin favorite, Kerbey Lane Vanilla Pancake Mix, but you can use pretty much whatever you have on hand — whether it be a multi-grain pancake & waffle mix or an old stand by like Bisquick. If I’m feeling extra fancy on the weekend or plan on bringing the cake to a friend’s brunch, I  make a quick icing to drizzle on top of the coffee cake to make it a bit more special!

If you’re looking for other easy weekend coffee cakes, check out my Raspberry Coffee Cake recipe. It’s a family favorite, and like this Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Coffee Cake, it’s quick to make and always a crowd pleaser.

Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Coffee Cake

Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Coffee Cake 4

Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Coffee Cake

Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Coffee Cake's secret ingredient is pancake mix creating a moist, chewy cake with a crunchy cinnamon-sweet topping. Whipped up in minutes this coffee cake is weekend perfection!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Servings: 8 pieces
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups Kerbey Lane Vanilla Pancake Mix*
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2/3 cup milk of choice
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup Kerbey Lane Vanilla Pancake Mix
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter chilled
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400*F
  2. Lightly grease a round 9 inch round pan with baking spray or butter and set aside
  3. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of pancake mix, granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  4. Add in the milk, egg, and vanilla extract
  5. Whisk together until all lumps are removed
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and set aside
  7. To make the crumb topping, combine the remaining 1/3 cup pancake mix, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl
  8. Using a fork, knife or pastry blender, cut in the chilled butter
  9. Sprinkle the crumb mixture on top of the coffee cake batter and bake for 22-25 minutes
  10. Let cool 5-10 minutes and serve*

Notes

* I used Kerbey Lane Vanilla Pancake Mix but any pancake/waffle mix you have on hand will work. Bisquick is also a great option.
* If you choose to drizzle the cake with icing, whisk together 1 cup confectioners sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1-2 tablespoons of milk until the desired consistency is reached. Drizzle atop cooled coffee cake and serve.

 

Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Coffee Cake Pin

 

Salted Caramel Bananas Foster Cake featuring Dollop Gourmet Frosting

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A rich, thick Bananas Foster Cake with traditional caramel and rum Bananas Foster flavors topped with a decadent Salted Caramel Frosting.

I’m a big advocate for cooking food at home and making meals from scratch, but once in a while there’s a product on the shelf that catches my attention, meets my ingredient standards and actually tastes good. This time around, it was Dollop Gourmet’s Sea Salted Caramel Frosting and it inspired my Salted Caramel Bananas Foster Cake. It’s a cake that whips together quickly, bakes up in a single large cake pan, so there’s plenty to share with minimal mess, and it’s made even simpler with Dollop’s Salted Caramel Frosting!

Bananas Foster Cake 6

In order to achieve the caramelly, brûléed flavor that’s rich throughout Bananas Foster, I used brown sugar in the cake in place of traditional granulated sugar. The molasses in the sugar gives the cake a golden brown hue when baked, that basically screams caramel deliciousness and hits all the brûléed notes of the pan seared bananas in traditional Bananas Foster!

Bananas Foster Cake Full Cake

This caramel flavor is matched with an equally heavy dose of sweet bananas.  When you choose the bananas for this recipe, I recommend choosing large, fat bananas that have been browning for a day or two. The riper and sweeter they are at the time you make this cake, the more decadent, moist and sweet this cake will be. My favorite part about the cake itself is how thick it is! I mean, look at that slice, it’s a cake lover’s dream!

Bananas Foster Cake 4

The star ingredient of the traditional Bananas Foster dessert is the splash of rum that’s used to flambe the bananas right before serving. Since I’m not a big proponent of baking with alcohol, as it sometimes plays tricks with the cake when baking, I added a splash of rum extract to the batter. This splash gives just a subtle hint of rum to the cake that tips it towards the edge of Bananas Foster perfection!

Bananas Foster Cake 2

The cherry on top of my Salted Caramel Bananas Foster Cake is Dollop Gourmet’s Sea Salted Caramel Frosting. Its caramelly sweetness is a delightful match to the brown sugar and bananas in the cake while Dollop’s hint of sea salt in the frosting brings the final flavor component to my Bananas Foster cake. I love the added touch of sea salt, as it brings a modern twist to the traditional Bananas Foster dessert, making it sweet, decadent and oh so, craveable!

Dollop Gourmet Frosting

It’s rare for me to promote packaged food, as I’m a huge proponent for cooking and baking from scratch but my views were swayed when it came to Dollop Gourmet Frosting. Often times, packaged food is chalked full of unnecessary ingredients and generally, it’s not great for your health — but this is NOT the case with Dollop.

Bananas Foster Cake 1

Dollop Gourmet’s frosting can definitely hold its own against a homemade frosting. While I haven’t done any official experiments, I’d bet my Kitchen Aid mixer that you can’t tell the difference between a homemade frosting and Dollop’s when paired side by side.

I also love that Dollop’s frosting doesn’t contain any wacky ingredients. It’s pretty much the same ingredients I’d use if I were making my own frosting from scratch (with no mess!). I trust this frosting and that’s saying something, as I’m typically one to quickly turn up my nose at the fake, oily frostings regularly found on a grocery store shelf. Seriously, look at these frosting stats!

Dollop Frosting Stats

Do you know any frosting that can pull of these types of stats and still taste good? Seriously impressive.

Now, if these drool-worthy Salted Caramel Bananas Foster Cake photos haven’t convinced you yet, here’s my advice — get yourself some bananas so they start to ripen, hop on over to your Amazon Prime account, order yourself a jar or 2 of Dollop’s frosting and prepare to slather this cake with Dollop frosting to dig into later this week! You won’t regret it and you’ll be back to thank me for the most decadant banana cake you’ve ever tasted.

Bananas Foster Cake Full Cake 2

Bananas Foster Cake 6

Salted Caramel Bananas Foster Cake featuring Dollop Gourmet Frosting

A rich, thick Bananas Foster Cake with traditional caramel and rum Bananas Foster flavors topped with a decadent Salted Caramel Frosting.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 20 pieces
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 large ripe bananas mashed
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon rum extract
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 jar Dollop Gourmet's Salted Caramel Frosting
  • caramel sauce optional for serving

Method
 

  1. Preheat the over to 350*
  2. Grease a 13x9 inch pan with a bit of butter and set aside
  3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and set aside.
  4. In a larger mixer, cream the softened butter for 1-2 minutes
  5. Add in the brown sugar and beat until creamy
  6. One at a time, add in the eggs
  7. Once well incorporated, add in both the vanilla and rum extract
  8. Add in the mashed bananas and mix well
  9. Next add in the flour and milk to the batter, alternating each addition
  10. Pour the batter into the prepared 9x13 inch pan
  11. Bake for 40-50 minutes until a cake pin inserted into the center comes out clean
  12. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool completely.
  13. Once cooled, ice with Dollop frosting
  14. To serve, slice the cake and drizzle with caramel sauce

 

Salted Caramel Bananas Foster Cake - Pinterest

 

 

Oreo Mocha Java Ice Cream Cake

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This Oreo Mocha Java Ice Cream Cake is decadent, chocolatey & delicious with an Oreo crust, layers of coffee ice cream, hot fudge & a dollop of whipped topping!

Since it’s still wicked hot here in the South (I’m not complaining, I love it) — I thought I’d continue my trend of no-bake desserts and venture into the coolest of categories with an Oreo Mocha Java Ice Cream Cake!

Oreo Mocha Java Ice Cream Cake

Mocha Java Cake 4

This ice cream cake begins with classic Oreo cookies, layers of coffee ice cream studded with chocolate chips, hot fudge sauce, a light dollop of whipped topping and more Oreos on top. It’s decadent, chocolatey and delicious. Perfect for those 100* days, an upcoming BBQ, or soon-to-be Labor Day picnics!

Mocha Java Cake 6

This Oreo Mocha Java Ice Cream Cake recipe is based on a family favorite and it’s a treat I’ve been enjoying since I was a little kid. When I was younger, my favorite part of the ice cream cake was the Oreo cookie crust and in all honesty, it probably still is!

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Each summer when my Mom made this cake, usually for my Dad’s birthday, I’d first eat all the whipped cream and fudge sauce off the top of the cake. I’d then carefully work to scrape the ice cream off the Oreo cookie crust, trying to preserve the entire piece of crust, so I could enjoy it like an extra large Oreo cookie.  I loved how chocolatey, thick and decadent the crust tasted!

Mocha Java Cake 3

In fact, I was so obsessed with this ice cream cake crust, I remember begging my Mom to make just the crust for dessert one night. Obviously, she laughed and refused to make it, informing me that it was nothing more than crushed Oreos & butter. (Tangent: My Butter Oreo request only strengthens Paula Deen’s argument that butter makes everything better)

Mocha Java Cake 7

Since this recipe is based on my childhood favorite, I kept the Oreo cookie crust as a key ingredient in my ice cream cake but swapped in Coffee Java Chip ice cream to please my grown-up taste buds!

If you’re a fan of mocha flavored anything, I guarantee you’re going to love this Oreo Mocha Java Ice Cream Cake. It’s like biting into a Starbucks Frappuccino or the best Coffee Sundae you’ve ever hard. It’s crunchy, sweet, gooey and creamy all in one bite! The perfect combination of flavors and textures.

Mocha Java Cake

Although I chose to make this ice cream cake with coffee flavored ice cream, creating an Oreo Mocha Java Ice Cream Cake, this recipe can truly be used as a base to create all sorts of flavor combinations by simply swapping your ice cream flavor, sauce, and toppings!

Sticking with the same Oreo cookie base and whipped topping ‘frosting’, here are a few other flavor combinations to try out if coffee ice cream isn’t your jam —

Flavor Inspiration

Since summer isn’t over yet, you still have plenty of time to try my Oreo Mocha Java Ice Cream Cake recipe and experiment with flavors of your own! Or if you’re searching for more no-bake desserts there’s also my No-Bake Cake Batter Cake Balls or Biscoff Cookie Butter Pie!

Mocha Java Cake 2

Oreo Mocha Java Ice Cream Cake

This ice cream cake begins with the classic Oreo cookie, layers on coffee ice cream studded with chocolate chips, hot fudge sauce, a light dollop of whipped topping and more Oreos on top. It’s decadent, chocolatey and delicious.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 24 Oreo cookies
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 2 quarts coffee or java chip ice cream softened at room temperature for 15-30 minutes
  • 1 cup hot fudge sauce like Mrs. Richardson's
  • 1 8- ounce container of whipped topping like Cool Whip
  • Additional Oreos for topping

Method
 

  1. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan with a bit of the melted butter and set aside
  2. Place 24 Oreos in a food processor and pulse until you reach a sand-like consistency
  3. Pour in the melted butter and pulse 3-4 more times to combine
  4. Empty the Oreo-butter mixture into the springform pan and press it into the bottom and sides of the pan, to form a bit of a dam or crust around the edges
  5. Place the cookie crust in the freezer to set for 30 minutes
  6. Once set, remove the crust from the freezer and smooth the softened ice cream into the pan, using a spatula to evenly distribute the ice cream across the crust
  7. Place the cake back in the freezer to set for another 30-60 minutes
  8. Once the ice cream has set, heat the hot fudge sauce in the microwave for 30-60 seconds until warm but not bubbling
  9. Pour the warm hot fudge on top of the ice cream, spreading it evenly all the way to the edges of the cake
  10. Return the cake to the freezer to set until serving
  11. Before serving, allow the cake to thaw for 5-10 minutes, which will make cutting the cake a bit easier
  12. to slice the cake. Remove the springform container and top each slice with a dollop of whipped topping and additional Oreos.

 

Oreo Mocha Java Ice Cream Cake Pin

Hummingbird Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

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Hummingbird Cake - 1

I’m going out on a limb here, but I’m pretty sure most people have never heard of Hummingbird Cake. In fact, I have no idea how I eve know about the cake! If you’ve never heard of it, Hummingbird cake is a moist banana cake filled with pineapple, pecans, and sometimes coconut then topped with a rich cream cheese frosting.

I’ve always associated Hummingbird Cake with the South and in my mind, it was a true Southern dessert. I even made up my own little story of its origin. I always picture Hummingbird Cake being originally created by a sweet, old grandma with a thick Southern drawl wearing a blue gingham apron who simply dumped some tropical fruits into her banana cake recipe. She then topped it with cream cheese frosting since her favorite Red Velvet Cake is finished with the same creamy frosting!

Hummingbird Cake - Overhead

Hummingbird Cake - 2

As much I love my made up version of the Hummingbird Cake’s origin, it not even close to the truth. If you want to know the truth, read on, if you want to stick with my great Southern story, skip the nest paragraph!

Here’s the true story — which I learned while reach searching the recipe!  Hummingbird Cake was actually created in Jamaica — which makes sense when you think about it.  The cake is loaded with tropical fruits and both bananas & pineapples are abundant in Jamaica. The cake also shares its name with a Jamaican-native hummingbird species. Some say it received its name because the cake is so sweet it would actually attract the hummingbirds which feed on sweet nectar.

Hummingbird Cake - Bite!

I prefer my story but regardless of its origin, I love Hummingbird Cake because it’s super moist, flavorful, and has a wonderful texture from the mix of pineapple, coconut, pecans and luscious cream cheese frosting.

Hummingbird Cake typically calls for a cup of oil and for most recipes, 2 or more cups of sugar! I chose to lighten the recipe by halving the oil. Instead, I relied on the bananas to bring moisture to the cake.

Hummingbird Cake - Fork

When it came to the sugar in the cake itself, I chose to only use 1/3rd of the sugar in standard Hummingbird Cake recipes (2/3 cups added sugar in all). To bring some caramel notes, which pair nicely with both the bananas and pecans, I used a mix of granulated and light brown sugar while again relying heavily on the mix of tropical fruits to bring natural sweetness to the cake.

Wanting to make the frosting a bit more special than typical cream cheese frosting, I chose to create a Honey Cream Cheese Frosting. I love the flavor the honey adds to the overall cake and it’s also a bit in tribute to the Jamaican hummingbird that dines on nectar.

Hummingbird Cake - 3

With my fat and sugar swaps, this Hummingbird Cake is nothing you need to feel too guilty about eating. It’s a fruit & nut packed cake that’s super moist from mashed bananas, pineapple & coconut while being perfectly sweet when paired with the Honey Cream Cheese frosting.

I highly recommend enjoying this cake on a sunny afternoon on your patio with a bit lemonade or ice tea. After all, that’s how my Southern baking grandma would have enjoyed it when she first created the recipe!

Hummingbird Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

A fruit & nut packed cake that's super moist from mashed bananas, pineapple & coconuts while being perfectly sweet when paired with the Honey Cream Cheese frosting.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 large bananas mashed
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/3 cup crushed pineapple drained
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened (1 brick)
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (1/2 stick)
  • 5 cups confectioner's sugar

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 350*.
  2. Line 2 cupcake tins with cupcake liners and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon then set aside.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs and vanilla extract.
  5. Whisk in the mashed banana followed by both sugars.
  6. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and combine with a spatula or wooden spoon.
  7. Fold in the pineapple, coconut and pecans until fully combined.
  8. Evenly distribute the batter among the 24 cupcake liners.
  9. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
  10. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
  11. To make the frosting, place the softened cream cheese and butter into an electric mixing bowl and cream together on high for 1-2 minute until fluffy.
  12. Add in the honey and mix on medium for up to 1 minute.
  13. Begin adding in the confectioner's sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing on high before each new addition.
  14. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost the cupcakes by placing the frosting into a piping bag or spreading on top of the cupcakes with a spatula.
  15. Refrigerator the frosted cupcakes until serving.
  16. Allow the cupcakes to come to room temperature (20 minutes) before serving.

Hummingbird Cake - Fresh

Oreo Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

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Oreo Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

These cupcakes are ridiculously delicious. I mean, they combine America’s favorite cookie, the Oreo, and mint — probably the best flavor combination to ever exist in the world of desserts! They’re super chocolatey, moist and fudgy. Their chocolate level is definitely in line with that of a brownie, the only difference being these are light and fluffy, rather than dense and crumbly.

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Read More »

Lemon Pound Cake

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Lemon Pound Cake

Most people believe the origin of the name Pound Cake is based on the premise that eating it will likely cause them to gain a pound. Although stuffing your face with Pound Cake, or over indulging in anything for that matter, can definitely make you gain a few LBs around the middle, this cake’s origin is all ingredient based.

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The first recipes date back to the 18th century in Europe. Its name was based on the premise that the cake required 1 pound of each ingredient (flour, butter, eggs and sugar) to make and weighed in at a hefty 4 pounds once baked. This original pound cake produced a very large cake due the quantity of ingredients involved. Nowadays, the ratio of flour, butter, eggs and sugar have been scaled back a bit resulting in a much more consumable portion of cake.

Lemon Pound Cake 2

I love lemon which was my inspiration for this Lemon Pound Cake recipe.  In Austin, it’s beginning to feel a lot like Spring and in my mind, lemons and Spring go hand and hand. This pound cake screams Spring with lemon throughout each layer, using a whopping half-cup of grated lemon zest and 1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice distributed throughout the cake, soaking syrup and glaze.

Sliced Lemon Cake

One of my first memories of pound cake is of my Mom making a lemon poppyseed pound cake. I remember her placing it on a wire cooling rack and watching her brush it with a sugar syrup after it came out of the oven. I also remember thinking “Oh man, that’s gonna be one soggy cake!” But oh was I wrong. The sugar syrup was definitely key in creating a super moist pound cake. The syrup helped balance out the tart lemon flavor, creating a sweet, subtle lemon flavored cake. The syrup also gave the pound cake a wonderful shiny exterior that she then drizzled with a simple confectioner sugar & milk glaze.

That cake was my benchmark for this Lemon Pound Cake. It had to contain the three components of my Mom’s — a dense loaf cake, a sweet lemon syrup, and a traditional glaze. This cake definitely hit the mark on the balance of lemon and sweet. It’s great as a late afternoon treat with a cup of coffee or as a light but flavorful dessert in the evening.

Lemon Pound Cake

Lemon Pound Cake

Lemon Pound Cake

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 16 slices
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup butter at room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 extra-large eggs at room temperature*
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup fresh zest**
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 t baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk***
  • For syrup:
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • For glaze:
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk
  • 3 cups confectioner's sugar

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350*
  2. Butter and flour two loaf pans and set aside
  3. In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and 2 cups of sugar until light and fluffy
  4. Add in one egg at a time, mixing each egg on medium until fully incorporated
  5. Scrape down the sides of the mixer then add in the vanilla extract and lemon zest
  6. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt
  7. In 4 additions, alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk
  8. Once incorporated, scrape down the sides of the mixer then add in the 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
  9. Evenly divide the batter between the two loaf pans
  10. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean
  11. If while baking, you notice the tops beginning to brown, simply place some aluminium foil over the cakes to keep the tops from burning
  12. While the cakes are baking, begin on the lemon soaking syrup
  13. In a pot over low heat, combine the 1/2 cup of sugar and lemon juice until the sugar has dissolved
  14. Remove from heat and set aside
  15. When the cakes are done baking, let them cool for 15 minutes within their pans
  16. Once cooled slightly, remove them from their pans and place them on a cooling rack atop a large sheet pan (to catch the soaking syrup)
  17. Lightly brush the tops and sides of the cake with the lemon syrup (you will have syrup leftover, and that's okay)
  18. Let the cakes cool completely while making the glaze
  19. In a large bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients, adding milk until you reach your desired consistency
  20. When the cakes are cooled, pour the glaze over top while the cakes are still on the cooling racks
  21. Let the glaze set a bit before slicing and serving

Notes

* If your eggs are not at room-temperature, fill a large bowl with tap-warm water and place the eggs in the bowl while you prep the pans and other ingredients. In about 5-10 minutes the eggs should be at room temperature.
**To quicken the prep period, first grate 3/4 cup of lemon zest (about 6-8 lemons) ahead of time and then squeeze the zested lemons, resulting in about 1 cup of fresh juice. Use this source to make the cake, syrup, and glaze.
***To make 1 cup of buttermilk (if unavailable) add 1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar to a measuring cup then fill the measuring cup to the 1 cup mark with milk and let sit 5-10 minutes

 

 

Cake Batter Cheesecake

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Cake Batter Cheesecake

When I was younger, my Mom used to make ice cream cake with an Oreo cookie crust. I absolutely loved the crust of this ice cream cake so much that I requested my Mom to make ice cream cake crust cookies. She informed me that this cookie crust I loved was nothing more than crushed Oreos, sugar, and butter. And she would NOT be making be Ice Cream Cake Crust Cookies. But that sure did explain why I loved the crust so much, how could you not love Oreos, sugar and butter all mixed together?

Cake Batter Cheesecake 2

My love for this crust inspired this Cake Batter Cheesecake recipe. I was doubtful when I first came upon Cake Batter flavored Oreos but boy was I wrong. They were spot on delicious. Exactly as you’d dream a Cake Batter Oreo to taste. (Hats off to you, Nabisco, you nailed it!)

CrumbsCrumbs

Knowing I wouldn’t be able to control my cravings for these Cake Batter Oreos, I decided I had to make something with them. In other words, it’d let me share the wealth and remove the Oreo temptation from our pantry. I set out on creating a Cake Batter Cheesecake for a few reasons

  1. Cake Batter anything is pretty darn spectacular
  2. <3M love cheesecake
  3. I love sprinkles
  4. Cookie crust made of Oreos, sugar and butter = heaven

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Using my pal, Martha Stewart’s cheesecake recipe as a base, I set out to make the ultimate Cake Batter Cheesecake.

When making something Cake Batter flavored, there’s only one route to take and that is to add actual cake mix – like the kind you get from a box at the grocery store.

You can dabble with adding a mix of Almond + Vanilla extract and some sprinkles but I promise you, that authentic buttery, vanilla marshmallow-like cake batter flavor will not be achieved. In reality, you just end up making Vanilla-Almond Cheesecake…with sprinkles.

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I also modified the base recipe some when it comes to baking technique as I am not a fan of the water bath cooking method. For me, it’s just too much of a risk. You have to ensure your springform pan is perfectly sealed and even if you wrap the bottom with foil, there’s never a 100% guarantee water won’t seep into your cheesecake. I’m not sure about you, but nothing makes me more mad than seeing my hardwork turn into a soggy waterlogged, pudding cheesecake.

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When baking this cheesecake, I still include water in the process to ensure a moist cheesecake but the actual springform pan is baked atop another pan that’s submerged in water, guaranteeing that the precious cheesecake won’t drown during the baking process.

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The result is a moist, creamy flavorful cheesecake. It has the slight tang of a traditional sour cream cheesecake with a subtle sweetness and a distinct cake batter flavor. The added sprinkles make the cake fun to eat and look at while the Cake Batter Oreos bring in an extra hit of cake batter flavor with a complimenting crunch to match the creamy, smoothness of the cheesecake.

This is definitely a cake I’ll be making again in the future, if I don’t eat all the Cake Batter Oreos first.

CakeBatter Pinterest

Cake Batter Cheesecake

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 package Cake Batter Oreos
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 4-8 ounce bricks of cream cheese at room temperature
  • 4 eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup yellow cake mix
  • 1/2 cup sprinkles
  • whipped cream optional

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 375*
  2. With a bit of the melted butter, lightly brush the bottom and sides of the springform pan
  3. Line the bottom of a spring form pan with parchment paper and set aside
  4. To make the crust, place the Oreos in a food processor and pulse the cookies until a fine crumb forms.
  5. Add the remaining melted butter and 1 tablespoon of sugar and pulse again until combined.
  6. Press cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of the springform pan.
  7. Place the springform pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes
  8. Once baked, place the crust in the fridge for 5 minutes to cool.
  9. To make the cheesecake filling, beat the softened cream cheese in an electric mixer on medium for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
  10. Add in the sugar and beat again for 1 minute until fully combined.
  11. Add in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl before each new egg addition
  12. Add in the sour cream and vanilla extract
  13. Once combined, add in the cup of yellow cake mix until fully incorporated
  14. Remove the mixture from the electric mix and fold in the half cup of sprinkles by hand.
  15. Pour the cheesecake mixture into the cooled springform pan
  16. To prepare for baking, place a round, 9 inch cake pan upside down in a roasting pan
  17. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the cake pan is 1/2 to 3/4 covered with water
  18. Place the cheesecake springform pan on top of the upside down cake pan and place the entire setup into the oven.
  19. Bake the cheesecake at 375 for 45 minutes.
  20. After 45 minutes, lower the temperature to 325 and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
  21. Once baked, removed the cheesecake from the oven and place it in the refrigerator to cool for 6 hours or overnight.
  22. When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the fridge and let it stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.
  23. Release the cake from the springform pan.
  24. To cut, use a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry to make cuts into the cake.
  25. Be sure to submerge and dry the knife in hot water in between each cut.
  26. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top and extra sprinkles, if desired.