eat dessert first
What makes this the best-ever homemade carrot cake? The classic flavor and beautiful addition of candied carrot peels. This is both an easy carrot cake recipe and a showstopper. This carrot cake is perfectly spiced, moist, and unbelievably good! Using candied carrot peels as decoration (optional), cream cheese frosting, and […]
This beautiful lemon ice cream cake is from Amy Thielen’s new book, Company. She calls it lemon nemesis because it combines three of her personal temptations into one dessert: a salted butter-cracker bottom, lemon custard middle and swirly toasted meringue topping. It is perfect to me for so many reasons, […]
Looking for video tutorials? Check out my Cake Basics series on YouTube! You’ll learn how to trim and slice, how to fill a layer cake, how to crumb coat and how to decorate! This is the coffee chiffon cake I make on season 3 episode 10 of Zoë Bakes in […]
Order my new cookbook, Zoë Bakes Cookies, now! My next cookbook, Zoë Bakes Cookies, will feature about 100 recipes and I test my recipes over and over until they’re perfect. Enlisting my sons, Henri and Charlie, to be taste testers and incorporating their feedback makes my books even better. In […]
This stunning angel food cake covered in cherry whipped cream was inspired by a recipe my friend, Jessie Sheehan, included in one of her cookbooks. Jessie joined me to eat our way through the Minnesota State Fair for season 3 episode 8 of Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network! Angel food […]
These are the orange creamsicle pops that I made on season 3 episode 8 of Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network! In this episode I taste my way through the Minnesota State Fair with my friend and fellow cookbook author, Jessie Sheehan. Inspired by our visit, I make an angel food […]
This post was originally written in 2011 and it is hilarious for me to read it since my boys are now 23- and 25-year-old men and no longer have little fingers because they’re 6 feet tall. The only thing that remains the same 13 years later; they still love these […]
It’s had to beat a breakfast featuring beautiful, flaky scones. These blueberry scones are prefect with a cup of coffee or on a brunch platter. These are the blueberry scones I make on season 3 episode 7 of Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network! In this episode, I prepare to go […]
Pizza is easily my favorite food. There is nothing more satisfying than one straight from the oven with bubbling sauce, a pull of cheese and all your favorite toppings. This crispy, cheesy cast iron pizza with ombre cherry tomatoes is my version of the 2020 Recipe of the Year from […]
I made this chocolate icebox cake with homemade wafer cookies and caramel cream in the middle of summer for season 3 episode 6 of Zoë Bakes! It’s hilarious that it just so happens to be available for streaming today, in the middle of a Minnesota blizzard with dangerous wind chills […]
This grapefruit posset dessert was inspired by a visit to my friend and James Beard winning restaurateur, Christina Nguyen. She joined me for season 3 episode 6 of Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network to show me how to make Chè, which is a delicious, chilled and colorful dessert soup she […]
Tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts and I assembled these mini tiramisu in individual jars for a sweet treat in an adorable portion size. This version has a hint of lavender from lavender simple syrup.
I'm Zoë François and I love to bake. This is where I play with sugar and take the mystery out of baking everything from cookies to wedding cakes. I studied pastry at the CIA (the culinary school, not the spy agency), worked in restaurants, have written 10 cookbooks and you can find more of my creations in my Substack Newsletter and YouTube videos. More...
