Her Modern Kitchen

Eating & Living in Austin, Texas

baking bucket list

Summertime Blueberry Pie

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July’s baking bucket list challenge was a lattice-topped blueberry pie and it was a challenge that was both frustrating and humbling.

Lattice Topped Blueberry Pie

Spoiler Alert: this pie does not have a lattice crust.

This month I challenged myself to make a lattice-topped blueberry pie.  I love blueberry pies and I thought it was seasonally appropriate for July.  Pies are something I don’t typically bake, other than a random pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving every couple of years.  I thought choosing this pie would allow me to learn a bit more about pie making while getting creative with the crust.  Right before baking, I decided I wasn’t just making a lattice-topped blueberry pie but was going to make a braided lattice-topped blueberry pie — totally upping the ante.

Lattice Topped Blueberry Pie Whole PieFor my blueberry pie crust, I used Sally’s Baking Addiction’s pie crust recipe but rather than cutting the butter into the dough by hand as her recipe instructed, I used a food processor (something I’ve done it the past with my Mom’s pie crust recipe). And while the crust came together, it felt a little soft.

And that’s when I knew this crust was going to be trouble. But rather than scraping the crust (a triple recipe crust recipe!) and starting over, I forged ahead.

Making pie crust

My shitty pie crust hunch was confirmed while attempting to get the bottom crust into my pie plate.

It broke upon flip and I had to piece the crust back together, mashing the dough in place to form the full bottom. By the time I was ready to start cutting the remaining crust into strips for braiding, the dough was too warm and it broke anytime I tried to release it from the counter. 

Rolled out pie crust

In a measly attempt to remedy the situation, I chilled the pie crust in the freezer, waiting 30-minutes or so before having another go at cutting the crust into strips. Unfortunately, each time I ended up with the same disastrous results — ripped lattice strips that couldn’t be lifted off of the counter let alone braided together.

Pie crust

Feeling frustrated, I dumped my blueberry pie filling to into my prepared bottom pie crust and stuck the whole thing, uncooked, into the fridge. I then wrapped up my remaining pie crust and put that in the fridge to chill overnight.  I thought maybe if I gave it a day and came back to it feeling fresh with more patience and properly chilled dough, I might have success.

Blueberry pie filling

The next day, I took the pie crust out again, added a bit more flour to stiffen it up and attempted to cut it into strips to work on the braided lattice crust. This time around it didn’t help that my anal, type-A personality was shining through because I meticulously cut even, straight lines using a ruler which took ages. Whenever the crust wasn’t perfectly straight, I bunched up the dough and started all over again. Prolonging the effort and causing the dough to get warmer and warmer by the minute.

Throughout the entire process, I moved cautiously, attempting to lift the strips from the counter and again, they broke. After several attempts on day 2, I finally use gave in.  Not wanting to waste the crust or the $15 I spent on fresh blueberries to make the filling, I gave in, rolled the dough out and made a traditional double-crust blueberry pie.  I slathered it with an egg wash and some sugar and baked it in the oven.

Lattice Topped Blueberry Pie 2

The result was a superbly delicious blueberry pie. 

Just a hint of cinnamon & nutmeg spice that was juicy but not overly running. I also learned a new trick from Dorie Greenspan about adding breadcrumbs on top of the bottom crust, before you layer in a pie filling that helps keep the bottom from becoming soggy. While I was a tad skeptical about adding breadcrumbs, the results were amazing and the curst was definitely flakier than past pies.  This is 100% something I’ll be doing for any future pie bakes. Overall, it was a delicious pie that any baker would be proud of. However, it simply didn’t meet my July baking bucket list challenge.

Lattice Topped Blueberry Pie Pin

In retrospect, I’m unsure whether the failed braided pie crust was the result of the recipe, the warm Texas July heat which turned the pie crust warm quickly (even with AC on!), or my overall lack of patience. However, I do plan to attempt a braided lattice pie again this year to check off this bucket list item — likely with a fall fruit and this time using my Mom’s tried-and-true pie dough recipe.

You can find my recipe for a blueberry pie recipe below (sans crust). I highly recommend making it with your own amazing pie crust recipe or grabbing a couple of Pillsbury pre-made crusts. Because let’s face it, those store-bought crusts are pretty dang tasty.

Read about my other baking bucket list challenges here.

Blueberry Pie Filling
 
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Serves: 8 slices
Ingredients
  • 2 pie crusts for a 9-inch pie pan, prepared and chilled
  • 5 cups fresh blueberries, stemmed & cleaned
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½-3/4 cup granulated sugar (depending on your sweetness preference)
  • 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs
  • egg wash, 1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water
  • 2 tablespoons sugar, optional for dusting
Instructions
  1. Roll out one prepared pie crust into a circle, large enough to fit a 9-inch pie pan (about 12-inches in diameter)
  2. Place your pie crust into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan, allowing any excess to hang over the edge.
  3. Place the breadcrumbs into the bottom of the prepared pie crust and set aside.
  4. Make the filling: Place 3 cups of blueberries in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Lightly mash the berries to release juices. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until about half of the berries have broken down.
  5. Remove from heat and add in the reserved berries. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and salt. Once combined, gently stir in the tapioca flour.
  6. Pour the blueberry filling into the prepared pie crust with breadcrumbs on the bottom.
  7. Roll out your second pie crust into a circle (12 inches in diameter) and place it on top of the pie. Trim both pie crusts so they are flush with the pie plate, leaving about 1-inch of excess Use this remaining crust to crimp the edges.
  8. Brush the top of the pie crust with the egg wash, cut 4-5 slits in the top with a sharp knife to allow moisture to escape while baking then sprinkle the top with sugar.
  9. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue to bake for another 30-minutes (1-hour total). Continue to check on the pie crust every 10-minutes after reducing the oven temperature to ensure it doesn't burn. If the top crust or edges become too brown, cover them with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
  10. Remove from oven and let the pie cool completely before cutting.

 

 

Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake

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If you’re looking for a great summertime dessert recipe, I highly suggest this Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake, served a la mode, obviously.

Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake a la mode overhead

It’s obvious from my last post that I wasn’t happy with the end result of my first June baking challenge so I set out to give it another whirl with a tastier combination, making this Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake.

For context, the whole purpose of my baking bucket list this year is for me to master a recipe or technique.  And while I do believe I mastered the upside down technique with the original rhubarb upside down cake, it wasn’t a delicious cake.  It was nothing I’d want to make again and I felt a bit disappointed in the overall experience. So I set out to make a cake worth eating.

Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake a la mode

And this Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake is a winner!

The recipe uses fresh, seasonal peaches, lots of brown sugar, and a splash of bourbon mixed with warm spices to make a deliciously comforting cake all topped with a scoop of melty vanilla bean ice cream.  It’s a serious bite of summer and it takes me back to my childhood patio on a warm summer night.

I used this Food Network recipe as my base cake recipe but made a couple of changes to meet my own taste preferences. I’m pretty sure the changes I made make this stellar recipe even more delicious.  My full recipe details are below.

Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake Stand

Brown sugar & butter makes everything tastes better

While the original recipe called for granulated sugar melted with water to make the syrup that goes on the bottom of the cake pan, I chose to swap granulated sugar for brown sugar and water for butter.  I melted the two together in a saucepan until it was thick and sticky.  I then spread it into a bottom of a 10-inch cake pan and topped it with sliced peaches.

Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake Overhead

Pumpkin spice isn’t just for lattes

I love using pumpkin pie spice when baking with fruits because it’s the perfect mixture of warm baking spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, all-spice, and ginger.  All of these flavors play well with peaches and bourbon so for maximum flavor I added a dash of pumpkin spice into the cake batter, making the crumb have a slight spice-cake taste to it.

Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake a la mode 3

Who doesn’t love a la mode?

I love peaches and vanilla ice cream and there was no way I could eat this Bourbon Peach Upside Down cake without a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Obviously, I used Halo Top because it’s my go-to.  If you haven’t tried their vanilla ice cream, it’s delicious and pairs perfectly with the cake. I especially loved it when it gets melty and mixes with the bourbon & peach topping.

Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake Pin

If you’re looking for a great summertime dessert recipe, I highly suggest this Bourbon Peach Upside Down cake, and don’t forget to make it a la mode!

Check out my past baking bucket list challenges here. Up next is a lattice top blueberry pie! 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake
 
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Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • ¾ cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large peaches, cut into ½-inch wedges (firm but ripe)
  • 3 tablespoons bourbon (like Bulleit)
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 ounces pecan pieces ground into a powder or small crumb
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick + 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and prepare a 10-inch cake pan (or similar) by spraying the bottom and sides with a non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
  2. Add the brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of butter to a small saucepan. Melt over medium heat until it thickens into a paste.
  3. Spread the paste into the bottom of the prepared cake pan in an even layer. Place the peach slices evenly on top of the brown sugar. Pour 3 tablespoons of bourbon on top and set aside.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, ground pecans, cinnamon, pie spice, baking powder, soda, and salt. Set aside.
  5. Using an electric mixer, cream together the stick of butter and granulated sugar. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each followed by the vanilla extract.
  6. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour, and mix until just incorporated. Pour the batter over the peaches and spread evenly. Place the cake pan onto a large baking sheet (in case there's run over) and bake 45-50 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
  7. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 20-25 minutes on a wire rack. After cooling, run a small knife around the outer edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Place a large cake plate on top of the cake and quickly flip the two to dislodge the cake from the pan. You may need to tap it lightly on the counter to get it to fall out.
  8. Slice and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

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My baking bucket list challenge continues this month with an upside down cake. Rather than classic pineapple, I had a baking adventure with a rhubarb upside down cake.

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake Sliced

Sometimes, even when a recipe looks like a success, it’s still a failure.  And, that’s what happened with this month’s baking bucket list challenge when baking this rhubarb upside down cake.  Originally, I was going to make a classic pineapple upside down cake but then my mind got stuck on rhubarb…

Let me tell you how this happened…

My grandma used to make rhubarb pie every summer.  I remember it being a regular part of Sunday dinner.  She served it with a dollop of whipped cream on top and my family loved it.  Except me.  For some reason, I avoided it and can’t even recall ever tasting her rhubarb pie. I think it was because rhubarb looked like celery and I didn’t see a celery-flavored pie being very appetizing.

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake Uncut

So, I waited until this year to finally try rhubarb. My first time using the ingredient was in a strawberry rhubarb crisp and while the recipe called for fresh rhubarb, I was only able to find frozen.  I loved the crisp (recipe here!).  It was sweet from the strawberry and tart from the rhubarb and that’s when I became stuck on rhubarb, wanting to bake with it more.

I looked everywhere for fresh rhubarb and wasn’t able to find it because it was towards the end of rhubarb season in Texas.  Then, one night I walked into Whole Foods and just happened to spot fresh rhubarb. I bought two bunches of rhubarb and was set on baking something with it and that’s when I decided I’d turn my June baking bucket list challenge of upside down cake into a rhubarb upside down cake.

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

Making my rhubarb upside down cake

I chose this recipe for my rhubarb cake.  And to be honest, I chose it not because of the recipe but because of the photo. I loved the criss-cross look of the rhubarb on top and just fell in love. After purchasing all the ingredient to make the cake I dug into the recipe this past Sunday.  And as soon as I read step two, I started to have hesitations.

Below I’ve shared the red flags I saw with this rhubarb upside down cake recipe that should have stopped me from baking it.  But since I didn’t, I’ve also shared what I’d do next time around (there won’t be a next time around but you can use these tips if you want to make this cake!)

The recipe said to prepare a 9-inch cake pan.

  • My gut was telling me this pan was way too small to adequately house rhubarb and cake batter while it baked in the oven. I knew it would be too small and bubble over but I used the 9-inch pan anyways.
  • When I finally got my rhubarb and cake batter into the pan, I had about a half-inch of free space left for the cake to bake into.  In order to save my oven, should it bake over the edge, I placed my cake pan on a large baking sheet to catch any overflow (which it did, it formed a bubbly caramel mess on my sheet pan and around the edge of the cake).
  • If I make this recipe again, I’d use a tall, springform pan, similar to what I’d use for a cheesecake.

The recipe said to mix 4-inch pieces of rhubarb with sugar and corn starch in a bowl and let it sit.

  • Rhubarb is a dry fruit and typically the purpose of mixing fruit with sugar & corn starch is so the juices mix with the sugar and starch to sweeten the fruit while forming a ‘sauce’ when it bakes to help everything thicken.
  • Because these were basically dry stalks of wood in sugar, nothing happened.  The sugar didn’t stick to the stalks, there wasn’t any sweetening of the rhubarb, and the sugar basically sat at the bottom of the bowl.
  • My instinct was to cut the rhubarb into the 4-inch pieces as directed but also split the pieces in half so the width of the stalks was exposed to mix with the sugar and cornstarch.  Cutting them into less-wide pieces would also help with the above pan issue.  I also think cutting the rhubarb up into small pieces like cubes would make this step successful.

The recipe then directed me to place the rhubarb sticks into the bottom of a pan and include the ‘remaining’ sugar they were mixed with.

  • However, because the sugar never mixed with the rhubarb I was basically dumping a half cup of sugar into the bottom of the pan.  A pan that was already covered in a melted brown sugar, butter, and thyme mixture.
  • My workaround was to place the rhubarb in a single layer and sprinkle some of the remaining sugar on top.  I definitely didn’t add the entire half cup.
  • If you make this recipe, I believe cutting the rhubarb into smaller pieces would eliminate the excess sugar because a syrup would have truly formed.

The recipe didn’t have any reviews.

  • In fact, it didn’t even have a way to LEAVE reviews which should have been a giant red flag to me.
  • So, in place of my ability to leave a review or comment on the actual recipe, I’ve dedicated a whole blog post to it providing a very thorough review (haha!).

Sliced cake with greek yogurt

So how did the cake turn out?

By some miracle, the cake did bake up without being a complete wreck.  It came out of the pan and had a similar criss-cross pattern from the rhubarb as the recipe photo.  However, the taste was just ‘meh.’

The rhubarb was stringy when cutting into it and the thyme on top included in the brown sugar layer looked like little bugs which made for an unappealing experience.  The rhubarb layer also didn’t have a ton of flavor.  The cake part itself, though, was quite delicious.  It was a dense vanilla cake with a slightly citrus note from the orange zest.  If each part were eaten separately, it could have probably been considered good.  But consuming both the stringy rhubarb top and dense cake together just left me underwhelmed.

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

So, in short, I will NOT be making this cake again.

But I am checking this off for my June baking bucket list challenge, though, I may still explore making another upside down cake in July along with the blueberry pie I have planned.  Stay tuned and follow me on Instagram for updates if you’re interested in my upside down baking journey.

Check out my other baking bucket list adventures here! 

Lemon Bars with Raspberry Sauce

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May’s baking bucket list challenge, Lemon Bars with Raspberry Sauce, was inspired by a dessert on my 21st birthday, and 11 years later, I’ve recreated it.

Lemon Bars with Raspberry Sauce Closeup

On my 21st birthday, my parents took me out for dinner to celebrate. I don’t remember where we ate but afterward, we went to Phillip’s European in Rochester, New York for dessert.   And that I remember.  For dessert, I ordered lemon bar with raspberry sauce on top and it was delicious.  Creamy, lemony, a bit tart and a touch of sweetness from the raspberries with a thick shortbread crust.

Lemon Bars stacked

The flavor of that Phillip’s European’s lemon bar paired with the fact that it was my 21st birthday made the treat memorable. So memorable that I’ve thought about it many times since which inspired me to add it to lemon bars with raspberry sauce to my 2019 baking bucket list. (I just checked the menu online and unfortunately, I don’t think Phillip’s serves lemon bars with raspberry sauce as a dessert offering anymore!)

Lemon Bars with Raspberry Sauce Top View 2

Making the lemon bars

For my lemon bar recipe, I used Sally’s Baking Addiction as inspiration but changed the filling slightly because I wanted my lemon curd to be thicker, richer, and more lemony.  I did this by using 5 whole eggs (instead of her recommended 6) and adding 2 egg yolks for a richer, thicker filling.  I also added a tablespoon of lemon zest for extra lemon flavor. The result was a rich, yellow lemony curd tucked inside a thick, buttery shortbread crust.

Lemon Bars with Raspberry Sauce

Beautiful raspberry sauce

While the bars were baking, I whipped up an easy raspberry sauce using frozen raspberries, sugar, and a squeeze of lemon. After stirring and gently mashing the berries into a sauce, I whisked in a touch of corn starch and let the whole mixture thicken.

Lemon Bars with Raspberry Sauce Top View

Paired together, the lemon bars and raspberry sauce were exactly as I remember from Phillip’s European.  Rich, tart lemon bars with a buttery crust and a simply sweet raspberry sauce on top. I’m not sure why I waited 11 years to make these lemon bars with raspberry sauce but I’m sure not going to wait that long again.

Lemon Bars with Raspberry Sauce Pin

Lemon Bars
 
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Inspired by Sally's Baking Addiction
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Serves: 24 bars
Ingredients
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • raspberry sauce, for serving
  • powdered sugar, for serving
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325F and line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper, set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl stir together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extra, and salt. Add in 2 cups flour plus 2 tablespoons flour and stir to combine.
  3. Using your hands or a small spatula, spread the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking pan (it will be very thick).
  4. Bake the crust 18-20 minutes until set.
  5. To make the filling whisk together the flour and sugar. Whisk in the whole eggs, egg yolks, lemon juice, and zest.
  6. Pour the filling into the warm crust and bake for 22-25 minutes until the filling is set. Allow bars to cool to room temperature then place in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours before cutting & serving.
  7. Serve with raspberry sauce and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Raspberry Sauce
 
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Serves: ½ cup
Ingredients
  • 1 cup frozen raspberries
  • ¾ cup water
  • 3 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1½ teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1½ teaspoons warm water
Instructions
  1. Place the berries, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan.
  2. Bring mixture to a boil and gently mash the berries into a sauce. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 5-7 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat* and whisk in the cornstarch and water mixture.
  4. Allow to cool to room temperature and thicken.
  5. Refrigerate until serving.
Notes
*if you'd prefer no-seed raspberry sauce then strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a small bowl before mixing in the corn starch

 

 

Drip Cake Tutorial

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With bright colors, fun decorations, and lots of sprinkles, drip cakes create showstopping moments which is why I chose them as my April baking bucket list challenge.

This post is way overdue because drip cakes were my April baking challenge and here we are nearing the end of May.  And, while I did complete this bucket list item in April, I’ve been a bit tied up with work and life to get a blog post up.

Cactus Drip Cake 2

Since April’s my birthday month, I thought it was only appropriate to choose a cake for my April baking challenge and chose to knock out this challenge by making the drip cake as my own birthday cake.  I love drip cakes because they are so over the top. They’re typically made with bright colors, fun topper decor, and lots of sprinkles (my favorite!) making them perfect for a birthday celebration while creating real ‘wow’ moments when others see them.

Birthday_Drip_Cake

What I really enjoyed about this challenge was that a few weeks after completing my own birthday drip cake, my friend Vanessa asked me to make her a 30th birthday cake giving me another opportunity to practice my drip technique — which is now something I believe I’ve truly mastered.

White Chocolate Ganache Drip

What I learned about drip cakes is that the ‘drip’ part is really the simplest and quickest part about the entire decor.  It’s really nothing more than a chocolate ganache that’s been cooled to room temperature then spread over the top and slowly pushed over the edge of the cake.  I then used a piping bag to make additional drips along the edge of the cake.

Birthday Drip Cake Cut

Chocolate cake with mocha filling & vanilla Swiss buttercream

For a drip cake’s chocolate ganache, you can use either white chocolate chips and heavy cream then tint the ganache to a color of your choosing with food coloring (be sure to choose chocolate food coloring or add color-flo to your chocolate before adding gel or you may seize up your chocolate) or you can use colored melting chocolate, like Candy Melts.  The key to the drip though is ensuring it’s cooled to room temperature.  If it’s not properly cooled, the ganache will melt the frosting on the cake and cause your colors to bleed.

Below I share my ganache recipe!

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

This drip cakes challenge also gave me the opportunity to practice my Swiss meringue buttercream recipe.  I love Swiss meringue buttercream because it’s so light and silky smooth.  However, it intimidated me because it involved cooking egg whites and sugar over a double boiler then whipping that into a meringue before finally adding in the butter.

What I learned while making Swiss meringue buttercream is, much like the ganache, the importance of cooling the meringue before adding the butter.  If the whipped meringue is too warm when the butter is added, the butter ends up melting which result in either frosting that’s more like soup or frosting that tastes like straight up butter.

Vanessa_Drip_Cake

The trick I learned here is to chill the bowl of my stand mixer in the fridge which helps quicken the cooling process.  I use a different bowl for the double boiler then transfer the cooked egg whites & sugar into the chilled bowl to whip into a meringue.  Once the meringue forms stiff peaks and the meringue & bowl are both no warmer than room temperature, I begin to add the butter which forms into the deliciously light buttercream.

Below I share my Swiss buttercream recipe! 

Cake Toppers

Since cakes take a ton of work, I chose to keep my cake toppers simple.  For my own birthday cake, I created striped meringue cookies which, like the Swiss buttercream, is cooked egg whites & sugar whipped to stiff peaks.  I then striped a piping bag with gel food coloring and used a 1M frosting tip to make tall swirls.  Later, I colored the remaining meringue and made little dots all of which dried in the oven for 2-hours until set. (Find the meringue cookie recipe here!)

For added height on my cake, I used white candy melts to make thin sheets of chocolate and added colorful sprinkles on top.  Once hardened, I broke the chocolate into pieces to add dimension to the cake.

Drip Cake Top

My friend requested a specific cake for her birthday so I made cactus cookies out of my go-to sugar cookie dough and decorated them with flood frosting, created royal frosting cacti flowers, and added cactus ‘tines’ using food decorating pens.

Overall, I’m so happy I chose drip cakes as my April baking bucket list challenge.  I love the end results and they’re cakes I’m very proud of.  However, after creating two complicated cakes back to back, I’m sure glad my May baking challenge is simple, just classic lemon bars and homemade raspberry sauce.

Vanessa Drip Cake Cut

Vanessa’s drip cake: lemon poppyseed cake with cream cheese filling & vanilla Swiss buttercream

Have you ever made a drip cake? What would you use as cake toppers on top of your drip cake?

Check out the full Baking Bucket List here.

Chocolate Ganache Drip
 
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Serves: ½ cup
Ingredients
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips or 1 cup candy melts
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream
Instructions
  1. Place the chocolate into a medium sized bowl and set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until it just begins to boil with tiny bubbles around the edges.
  3. Pour the heavy cream over the white chocolate and let it sit for 1 minute.
  4. Using a whisk, mix together the chocolate and cream until it's fully blended. Then mix in your coloring.
  5. Let the ganache cool to room temperature for about 15 minutes before creating the drip onto the cake.
  6. Pour a small portion of the ganache onto the top of the cake and using an offset spatula gently smooth it over the top and over the edge.
  7. Put the remaining ganache into a piping bag and cut a small piece off the tip. Use the piping bag to add more drips along the edge of the cake or to elongate drips that have already started.
  8. Place in the fridge to set completely before adding topper decorations.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream
 
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Serves: 6 cups
Ingredients
  • 4 ounces egg whites (fresh, not packaged)
  • 8 ounces granulated sugar
  • 12 ounces unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 1-2 tablespoon-size pieces
  • a pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Place the bowl of your stand mixer in the fridge to chill for 15-20 minutes while you cook the egg whites & sugar.
  2. In another large bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar until foamy.
  3. Create a double boiler on the stove with the large bowl your egg whites are mixed into until the water is just simmering (ensure the water doesn't touch the bowl on top of the double boiler).
  4. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together on top of the double boiler constantly until the mixture reaches 165°F to 180°F -- this is when the egg whites will be cooked and the sugar melted.
  5. Remove the bowl from the double boil and transfer the egg white mixture to the chilled bowl of your stand mixer.
  6. Whip the egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer on high using the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form, about 10-minutes. Once stiff peaks form, check to ensure both the bowl and egg whites are at room temperature. If they are too warm, you will melt the butter. If still too warm, place in the fridge to cool or use ice packs on the bottom of the bowl to cool the meringue and bowl.
  7. Once the meringue and bowl are cooled, switch to the paddle attachment and begin adding your butter with the mixer on low speed. Do this gradually over 5-7 minutes. If the mixture begins to break, just keep mixing. Once the butter is fully added, increase the mixer speed to high for 2-3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. At this point, you can add the pinch of salt, extract and if desired, food coloring.
Notes
This recipe should yield you enough to frost and fill a 10″ double layer, round cake or about 2½ dozen standard cupcakes. Or fill & frost a 6" 3-layer cake. Or frost the outside of a 4 layer 8" cake.

 

Chocolate Babka

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For my March baking bucket list, I tackled Chocolate Babka, a sweet brioche bread with a chocolate twist and fudgy chocolate filling.

Chocolate Babka Baked

Although I’m posting this in April, I actually tackled my March Baking Bucket List Challenge in March.  Life was pretty busy in March so I pushed this off until the very last day and spent Sunday, March 31st in the kitchen tending to this Chocolate Babka.

To be honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever had Chocolate Babka until I made it myself.  In fact, it only ended up on my Baking Bucket List because I was intrigued by the beauty of the twisted bread and knew it would truly challenge me since it required me to work with yeast, something I’m slowly becoming comfortable baking with.

Chocolate Babka inside swirl

For my chocolate babka, I chose to follow the New York Times Cooking recipe and made it almost to spec.  This recipe intrigued me because it strayed slightly from traditional babka recipes by adding a chocolate crumble to the top of the bread prior to baking.  The chocolate twist was also sandwiched with a fudgy, frosting-like spread (which, as a twist, you could always replace with Nutella!).

I consider myself an experience baker and even for me, at first glance, this recipe seemed intimidating.

However, after breaking it down a bit, it’s really quite straight forward.  Chocolate babka requires a few ‘mini recipes’ which come together to great the delicious, chocolate bread.  If you’re able to break each of the recipes up and tackle them one by one, this chocolate babka is really quite manageable.

However, I suggest you dedicate a full afternoon to the process due to the the multiple recipes, double proofing, and time it takes to twist & bake the bread.

Chocolate Babka sliced

The only major hurdle I faced during the chocolate babka recipe was working with the dough.  As mentioned earlier, because I’m not quite comfortable with yeast and have never made brioche bread before (a bread that requires you to beat room temperature butter into the dough resulting in a unique, squishy texture) I doubted my dough.  Since I wasn’t confident with the texture of the brioche bread dough after my first rise, I believed I had done something wrong — like having killed the yeast.

This led me to trashing the entire dough and starting from scratch. 

After the first proof on the second dough, I had the same results as the first.  I quickly Googled brioche bread and learned that the ‘puckered’ texture of the dough was quite common so with a bit more confidence, I pushed forward, crossed my fingers, and hoped it would all turn out.

Note: At this time, I also strayed slightly from the New York Times Cooking recipe.  The author suggests letting the dough sit in the fridge for a day or overnight for maximum flavor. However, since I was determined to finish my chocolate babka before the end of March, I skipped this process. I believed skipping the overnight rest was completely fine since other chocolate babka recipes I had researched did not call for this step.  If you have the time to let the dough rest overnight, I’m sure you’ll have an even tastier result that I did.

Chocolate Babka top view

After the first rise is when the fun truly begins!

At this time, you split the dough in half, roll it out into a huge rectangle and spread it with the decadent, fudgy chocolate filling.  After rolling it into a tight little log, much like cinnamon rolls, you place it in the fridge for 10 minutes to chill and repeat the process with the other half of the dough (since this recipe results in two loaves of babka)

After chilling, using a pastry cutter, you split the rolled log straight down the center, revealing the beautiful chocolate center and twist the two strips together creating a dark and light braided masterpiece. (I could stare at the twisted dough all day long, so pretty!).  Once twisted, you fold the log in half and place it into a loaf pan for a second rise.  Right before baking, the proofed dough it topped with the chocolate crumble and baked to perfection.

Chocolate Babka rolled 2

rolled babka dough

Chocolate Babka fudge

chocolate fudge filling

Chocolate Babka rolled

rolled dough

Chocolate Babka split

split dough prior to twisting

Chocolate Babka twisted

twisted chocolate babka dough

Chocolate Babka second proof

second proof

Chocolate Babka crumb

chocolate crumble

After baking, the New York Times Cooking author suggests brushing the bread with a sugar syrup.  I made the sugar syrup but after looking at my baked bread, I chose not to brush it with the sugar syrup. I felt the bread may get soggy or become too sweet and chose to skip the syrup out of personal preference.

I loved the chocolate babka. It was addictingly delicious and one of my favorite bakes ever. And I don’t even like sweet breakfast breads!

Chocolate Babka inside swirl

The babka was soft with a slight chew. The chocolate swirl added a hint of sweetness and the chocolate crumble on top added texture with a touch of saltiness. It hit all my favorite flavor notes!  I savored this bread, wanting it all to myself but ultimately, with a bit of remorse, ended up sharing it with coworkers.

I will definitely be making chocolate babka again in the future and came out of this experience with more confidence in yeast breads, proud of my diligence to complete the challenge in March, and damn proud of the end result when never having tasted chocolate babka before.

How ’bout you, have you ever made chocolate babka before? What was your experience?

 

Raw Vegan Brownies

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Sinfully rich raw vegan brownies made with dates, nuts, and a dash of espresso glazed with a coconut chocolate ganache.

Raw Vegan Brownies

Years ago Whole Foods used to sell these delicious vegan raw brownies.  They were found in a dessert case right near checkout and I absolutely loved them.  The brownies were made with finely chopped nuts, dates, cocoa, and cocoa nibs. It had a thin chocolate ganache-like frosting and it was the most decadent treat.

Check out the full Baking Bucket List here.

In comparison, the Whole Foods’ raw vegan brownie was like a Larabar’s evil step sister — bittersweet, gooey, rich and sinfully delicious.  I’m not sure whatever happened to that raw chocolate brownie but it disappeared from Whole Foods.  Even now, from time to time I look for it but it seems like a lot of Whole Foods’ raw/vegan dessert offerings have switched over to local producers and none of them are serving up a raw brownie similar to the one I remember.

Raw Vegan Brownies

Dreams of this raw vegan brownie are what inspired my February Baking Bucket List Challenge. I wanted to recreate the raw brownie I loved so long ago.  Inspired by the Whole Foods’ brownie, and with a wish list of ingredients, I pulsed together pecans, walnuts, hemp seeds, cocoa powder and dates to form my raw brownie batter base.

Raw Vegan Brownies Batter

brownie batter with nuts, dates and hemp seeds

 

Raw Vegan Brownies Unfrosted

unfrosted brownies ready for their first chill in the fridge

Though already full of nuts, I wanted more crunch in my brownies so I added sweetened cacao nibs and roughly chopped walnuts & pecans to the batter.  And, to enhance the chocolate flavor, I also added a tablespoon of espresso powder.  The espresso powder addition strays from Whole Foods’ original flavor palette but I took some creative liberty and customized the brownie a bit to my own flavor preferences.  But, if coffee isn’t your thing, you can easily omit the espresso powder.

Raw Vegan Brownies Cut

After a quick chill in the fridge, the brownies were ready to be frosted with a vegan coconut chocolate ganache made of coconut oil, maple syrup and more cocoa powder. With one more 30-minute trip to the fridge, the brownies had stiffened up, the ganache hardened, and they were ready to slice!

To slice the raw vegan brownies, I advise you to utilize the ‘hot knife’ method.  A regular knife will drag through the brownies while the hot knife method will leave you with clean lines and perfectly intact brownies.

To do this, you dip a sharp knife into a very hot cup of water, wipe the knife dry then cut one line through the chilled brownies.  Dip the knife in the water again, wipe it clean and slice again.  Repeat this process until you have 16 brownies.

Raw Vegan Brownies

So, how did these brownies turn out? They were EVERYTHING I was dreaming of.

Rich, bittersweet dark chocolate flavor, a perfectly nutty texture, and a creamy, smooth vegan ganache topping.  You probably won’t believe me, but I loved my raw vegan brownies more than the gluten-filled, butter-heavy, double shot espresso brownies I shared last week.

Eating these raw vegan brownies felt like a dirty little secret.

I just wanted to be left alone with my brownie, a fork, and a tall glass of milk.  I know in the future when I need some chocolate comfort, these raw vegan brownies will be on the top of my baking list.

Are you a fan of raw foods? If so, what’s your favorite raw dessert?

Raw Vegan Brownies Pinterest

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Baking Bucket List: Raw Vegan Brownies
 
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Author:
Serves: 16
Ingredients
  • ½ cup walnut pieces
  • ½ cup pecan pieces
  • ½ cup hemp hearts
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoons sea salt
  • 250 grams pitted, Medjool dates
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped walnut
  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped pecans
  • 2 tablespoons cacao nibs
  • 1 tablespoon espresso powder

  • For the coconut chocolate ganache:
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
  1. Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a large food processor, pulse the ½ cup walnut pieces and ½ cup pecan pieces until a fine crumb forms. Add the hemp hearts and dates and pulse again until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides and add the vanilla extract, salt, espresso and cocoa powder. Pulse to combine.
  3. Test the dough by pinching a tablespoon size to see if it holds together. If it’s still crumbly, add the tablespoon of water and pulse again. Retest and continue the process until the dough forms a ball when pressed together.
  4. Once the dough forms, add the remaining 2 tablespoons walnuts pieces, pecan pieces, and cacao nibs. Pulse to combine.
  5. Place the dough in the lined pan, evenly spreading the dough into a single layer. Place the brownies in the fridge for 30-minutes or freezer for 10-minutes while you make the ganache topping.
  6. In a small sauce pan over low heat, melt the coconut oil. Once melted, whisk in the maple syrup. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Once the brownies are fully chilled, pour the warm mixture on top of the cold brownies. Working quickly, evenly spread the ganache over the brownies to form a thin layer.
  7. Return the brownies to the fridge for another 30-minutes or freezer for 15-minutes for the ganache to set. Use the ‘hot knife’ method to slice the brownies into 16 pieces.
  8. Keep the brownies chilled in the fridge until serving or store for up to 5 days in the fridge.

 

Pink Champagne Macarons

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I created a 2019 Backing Bucket List and January’s challenge was to bake Macarons. Eager to make the treat, I actually completed this challenge on New Year’s Eve with a pink champagne macaron creation.

I’ve made macarons before but they turned out horrible compared to these Pink Champagne Macarons.  In past attempts, I followed Sally’s Baking Addiction’s instructions and after two batches of failed macarons, I gave up.

I’m not sure if the failure was the recipe itself or my own fault but the macrons spread way too much, ending up the size of my palm. While the second batch was smaller, though still larger than the traditional macaron and resulted in cracked tops (which I now know is a result of too much drying time).

Check out the full Baking Bucket List here.

Pink Champagne Macarons template

I made my own macaron template for piping by tracing 1.5-inch circles onto parchment paper

Pink Champagne Macarons Batter

This time around, I chose to go with a recipe from Austin’s own Elizabeth Street Cafe.  The cafe is known for its delicious pastries and the macarons are one of the cafe’s staples.

I followed the Elizabeth Street Cafe recipe exactly

  • taking my time to meticulously measure ingredients for the batter
  • expertly piping the macarons into my 1.5-inch circles (which I hand stenciled onto my parchment paper!)
  • carefully timing my dry time (necessary in order to achieve a macaron’s distinguished ‘foot’)
  • and cautiously watched my oven temperature when baking

 

Pink Champagne Macarons Piped

Piped macarons with sprinkles on top before baking

The results were beautiful little macaroons with the cutest pink macaroon feet.  The shells were smooth and hard while the inside was delicately chewy.  Simply macaron perfection, in my opinion.

Pink Champagne Macarons Feet

Look at those cute little macaron feet!

Since I was creating these macarons for a New Year’s Eve party I naturally chose to create a champagne filling to celebrate the occasion. I whipped up a pink champagne Swiss buttercream (the silkiest, tastiest buttercream of them all) and sandwiched it between my delicate macaron shells.

Pink Champagne Macarons

The Pink Champagne Macarons were a beautiful light bite that was crunchy, chewy, and creamy.  The perfect dessert for an evening that’s full of indulgent food and plenty of bubbles.

Overall, I’m beyond happy with my first Baking Bucket List challenge and look forward to making other macaron flavors throughout the year.

If you’re interested in making your own macarons, head here for Elizabeth Street Cafe’s macaroon shell recipe (just leave out the rose water) and below, you’ll find my recipe for the pink champagne Swiss buttercream.

Have you ever made macarons? Were they successful? Share any tips or tricks you have on perfecting the pastry below!

Pink Champagne Macarons

 

Baking Bucket List: Pink Champagne Macarons
 
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Author:
Serves: 36 macarons
Ingredients
  • 1 recipe for macaron shells (without rose water)
  • 1 cup quality pink champagne
  • 75 grams egg whites (about 2½ egg whites)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 16 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into pieces and softened to room temperature

  • Supplies you will need
  • Double boiler (or a makeshift double boiler)
  • Candy thermometer or instant-read thermometer
  • Hand Whisk
  • Whisk attachment for a stand-mixer
Instructions
  1. First create a champagne reduction by placing the champagne in a medium-sized saucepan over high heat. Bring to a bowl then reduce the temperature to medium-low. Let the champagne simmer until it’s reduced to about a ¼ cup. It will turn a dark amber shade. Once reduced, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before using to make the buttercream.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or the top bowl fo a double-boiler, if using) gently whisk together the egg whites, sugar and salt. Place the bowl over the double boiler and whisk the mixture continuously until the thermometer registers 160F. Remove from heat.
  3. Using a stand-mixer, beat the heated egg whites on high until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature (8-10 minutes).
  4. Reduce the speed to medium and begin adding the butter pieces, 1 tablespoon at a time, only adding more after each is fully incorporated.
  5. If the mixture looks like it has curdled or broke, continue to whisk on high until it comes back together.
  6. Once all the butter has been incorporated, slowly drizzle in the cooled champagne reduction (very slowly!) and continue to whip until the mixture comes together creating a silky buttercream.
  7. To make the pink champagne macarons, sandwich 1-2 teaspoons of buttercream between two macaroon shells. Store assembled macarons at in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

 

My 2019 Baking Bucket List

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In place of New Year’s resolutions, I’ve created a Baking Bucket List, choosing one baking recipe to tackle and perfect each month this year.

Baking Bucket List Small

I don’t usually have New Year’s resolutions, typically, my resolutions are vague thoughts on things I’d like to do throughout the year ‘read more books, drink more water, budget our finances.’

And, since I know I’m not really a New Year’s resolution person, I thought having a 2019 Baking Bucket List would be a good way to work my way through a few classic desserts and perfect my baking skills over the course of the year.

Some of the baking items I chose are desserts that require specific techniques and practices — croissants & macarons. While others are classic desserts that I’ve never made and just want to ‘check off’ — pineapple upside down cake & lattice-topped pies.

So, without further ado, here’s my month by month 2019 Baking Bucket List!

I’ve attempted macarons before but they were horrible and turned out the size of my palm so I’d like to give them another shot.
Whole Foods used to serve the most delicious raw brownie and they no longer make it so I want to recreate this recipe.
Babka looks delicious and it will allow me to practice working with yeast — my nemesis.
I’ve attempted a drip cake before but it was a mess. I thought this would be a good birthday cake for myself.
Back home in Rochester, New York there’s a restaurant that served a lemon bar with raspberry sauce and it was seriously delicious. So I’m looking to recreate it.
June – pineapple upside down cake two ways: rhubarb upside down cake & peach bourbon upside down cake
I remember my Mom making pineapple upside down cake growing up and I want to give it a try myself.
I love blueberries and I think lattice pies are beautiful.
August – souffle
Possibly a chocolate souffle, maybe cheese.  It really depends on what I’m up for plus I’ve never made one.
We enjoyed this is London and it was beyond delicious so I want to make it myself.
October – tuile cookies
Something so simple yet delicate and difficult to perfect. They will likely be stuffed with something, maybe a cozy fall mousse?
November – croissants
Again, another pastry I’ve made before but it was a failure since I killed the yeast. I’m hoping to have success this time around. 
I’ve made a jellyroll before with my Grandma when I was younger but I don’t really remember it.  This may also turn into a yule log for the holidays since it’s a similar technique.
So there you have it, my 2019 Baking Bucket List.  I’ll definitely share my journey on the blog along the way and let you know my success and failures (hoping there’s few..)!
Do you have any baking or cooking bucket list items?