Red Velvet Cherry Cake

Red Velvet Cherry Cake

Red Velvet Cake has a single, albeit significant purpose in my world, to celebrate my stepmother’s birthday. It is a cake her late mother used to bake for her when she was growing up in Alabama. This is why I love baking cakes, they can bring back memories of a sweet moment and the feeling of love. The modern, bright red cake is often thought of as a Southern cake but it was actually made famous in New York City at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Originally dating back to the Victorian era, it was made with natural (reddish-hued) cocoa powder or even beets, but eventually, the color was enhanced with food color.

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Spice Cake with Brown Butter Buttercream and Cranberry Filling

Fall Spice Cake with Brown Butter Buttercream and Cranberry Filling

As the temperature turns chilly and the holiday season nears, it makes me crave all the warm spices. This cake is adapted from my Zoë Bakes Cakes Yellow Cake, but with the quintessential fall spice blend added to the mix. You can buy Pumpkin Pie Spice in the baking aisle or make your own with individual ground spices from your pantry. See my notes in the recipe if you want to make your own.

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Easter Egg Cupcakes

Easter Cupcakes with Mini Eggs

These Easter Egg Cupcakes are decorated for the kids (of any age), but the flavors will satisfy the adults. I was recently sent a box of fresh passion fruit, some candied mini eggs, and passion fruit-flavored white chocolate, so it just seemed obvious that I’d make the Chocolate Devil’s Food cake from Zoë Bakes Cakes and passion fruit flavored buttercream. You can go with whatever flavor combinations get you excited. The little nests are actually super simple to create and I have a video in my highlights, a link in the recipe, on how I did it. Any flavor chocolate will do. The grass is the result of a special piping tip, but otherwise, nothing extra is needed to make these. 

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Honey Cake with Honey Buttercream

Honey Cake with Honey Buttercream and Sunflowers

We’ve seen the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine and I’ve decided to do a class in an effort to raise money. Please join me for a LIVE baking demonstration of this Ukrainian Honey Cake with Buttercream Sunflowers. Proceeds from this event will benefit World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization dedicated to feeding people in the wake of humanitarian, climate, and community crises. They are on the ground feeding the refugees in Ukraine right now.

Update: We raised over $33,000 for World Central Kitchen! If you missed the class, you still have an opportunity to purchase the recording or donate. Here’s where to do it.

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FAQ: Cake Baking & Decorating 101

Devil's food cake with peanut butter buttercream filling being coated in Swiss meringue buttercream
Devil’s Food Cake with Peanut Butter Buttercream Filling

Thank you to everyone who sent me baking questions on Instagram! I received hundreds of questions, so I decided to compile them into a few blog posts to cover the various topics. In addition to this cake baking 101, you’ll find a post with FAQs about baking homemade bread, FAQs about meringue, vegan desserts, pie and pie crust, and baking equipment.

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