Lemon Meringue Cake for Mother’s Day – How-to Video: piping roses

Piped Meringue Roses | ZoeBakes | Photo by Zoë François

These meringue roses remind me of fine porcelain china, dainty and ultra feminine. Perfect on an occasion that requires something spectacular, even a bit over-the-top. Mother’s Day is one such time. It is the day when we give thanks to the women who raised us. I have been blessed with more than my fair share of extraordinary women, who have influenced how I walk through this world. They have shown me great generosity, shared their wisdom and loved me unconditionally. I only hope to possess these same qualities as I now raise my own children. I wanted to create something as unique and beautiful as these women, to reflect my deep appreciation, so lemon meringue cake it is.

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4th of July Sweets!

4th of July cake | ZoëBakes | Photo by Zoë François

I seem to make big life changes on the 4th of July. I moved the Minnesota 19 years ago on this holiday, and this year I am moving again. Luckily it is just down the street, but it might as well be across the world with all the work involved. We’ve been packing for weeks and today I start to dismantle my kitchen. This is exciting and stressful in equal measures. I am happy to be moving to our new home, but there are so many memories in this old house. Not to mention throwing the contents of my kitchen into boxes is going to test the strength of my character.  Wish me luck. Think of me as you are grilling and picnicking.

Here are some 4th of July sweets I recently created for the Cooking Channel. Read More

I’m Making Cheesecake on the Cooking Channel this Saturday!

Kelsey Nixon and Zoe Francois

On a lark I entered my Chocolate Glazed Praline Cheesecake in a Cooking Channel contest and WON. Oh my, what an adventure. It meant a trip to NYC, an appearance on The Cooking Channel’s Kelsey Nixon Show, a tour of the Food Network Kitchens and an excuse to eat my way across NYC. All of that happened in February and the segment we taped is airing this Saturday 6/30 on the Cooking Channel. I hope you will tune in and see my cheesecake on TV.

As if that wasn’t enough I also met one of my baking/writing/career/life mentors, Dorie Greenspan… Read More

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp Recipe | ZoëBakes | Photo by Zoë François

This is a strawberry-rhubarb crisp I created for my Cooking Channel Weekend Baking post. There is really nothing better than the combo of sweet berries and tart rhubarb. If you are one who has never tasted rhubarb, or tried and decided it is not your thing, I beg you to try it again. Maybe you won’t want to grab a stalk out of the garden and plunge it, raw, into a jar of sugar. That is a more advanced move. The trick is to start gradually, combine it with lots of strawberries and a sweet crunchy crisp. This is not cheating, the rhubarb is still playing an essential role in the flavor of your crisp. It is adding a tart dimension to a potentially overly sweet dessert;  like adding lemon zest to balance sweetness, but it is even more interesting. Pretty soon you will have a rhubarb plant growing in your yard and long for the first stalks to poke out from the spring snow and then dread the last days, when the heat of summer has made the plant too tough to eat. That is why I make this plea now, when rhubarb is at its best!

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Carrot Cupcakes – Plus a Decorating Set Giveaway!

Carrot cupcakes | ZoëBakes | Photo by Zoë François

This is a carrot cupcakes recipe I developed for my Weekend Baker post on the Cooking Channel website. It is a new version of one of my most popular cakes to date, The Ultimate Carrot Cake. This version is made with pineapple and walnuts. Try them both and let me know which is your favorite.

In a continued attempt to clean out the pantry I want to give away this Cuisipro Cupcake Corer and Decorating Set.

It is a perfect set for both adults and kids to get the feel for cake decorating. Please leave me a note below about what cake or cupcake decorating techniques you are most interested in learning.

Here are some techniques I have covered already: Read More