Recent Posts

Layer cake with piped frosting flowers

Baking at High Altitudes

I live in the Midwest, which is perhaps the flattest place in the country, so I am by no means the reigning expert on high-altitude baking, but I have baked in the mountains of Colorado, and this is what I learned.

Scones

Squash Scones

You can watch me make these squash scones with my son, Charlie, on my show Zoë Bakes on Max! In this episode my eldest son, Henri, and I head to a pumpkin patch to pick out squash and pumpkins to bake with. We make the scones below, plus a delicious […]

Hot Chocolate Cake

Hot Chocolate Layer Cake

This hot chocolate cake from Zoë Bakes Cakes is unbelievably delicious! Combining layers of moist Devil’s Food cake and creamy, luscious chocolate frosting, the entire cake is topped with homemade toasted marshmallows. This recipe is the perfect dessert for any occasion! With hot chocolate as its inspiration, it has layers of […]

Peanut Butter Pie with whipped cream

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

This chocolate peanut butter pie recipe is oh-so delicious. With a graham cracker crust, a smooth peanut butter filling, layer of chocolate ganache, and a whipped cream and candied peanut topping, this dessert is deluxe and irresistible. I typically like to mix up the flavors and styles of the desserts […]

A cross section of a chocolate peanut butter mini cake on a white plate with a gold fork

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cakettes

Sometimes a baking fail is just the inspiration I need to try something new. I originally baked my Devil’s Food Cake from Zoë Bakes Cakes in cupcake liners that promised to be sturdy enough not to need a muffin pan to support them. Well, I put them to the test […]

Jars of homemade Banana Pudding

12 Desserts For A Crowd

From Memorial Day to the Fourth of July to Labor Day, summer is all about weekend gatherings with friends and family. A good meal should always accompany a get-together, which means you’ll need some tasty desserts for a crowd. I put together a list of some of my favorite cookies, […]

Vegan Mango Pudding | ZoeBakes by Zoë François

Vegan Mango Mousse

I made the delicious Mango Pudding and Passion Fruit Caramel recipes from Hetty McKinnon’s newest book, To Asia, With Love! I layered them together and wanted a little something light and airy on top, like meringue or whipped cream, but her recipes are vegan, so I needed it to be […]

Strawberry Passion Fruit Sheet Cake | ZoeBakes by Zoë François

Strawberry Sheet Cake With Passion Fruit

A sheet cake may be the simplest of cakes, but done right, it can be perfectly elegant. This strawberry sheet cake with passion fruit starts with a simple white cake. The strawberries come in as a topping with passion fruit mixed into the buttercream. A special occasion doesn’t always require […]

Blueberry Galette | ZoeBakes by Zoë François

A Simple and Rustic Blueberry Galette

This simple, rustic, and absolutely delicious blueberry galette recipe can be made with fresh or frozen blueberries. Using my perfect pie dough, the galette has a flaky pastry crust that holds in the blueberries beautifully. You can serve it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream! Blueberry Galette! This is […]

Blackberry Opera Torte | ZoeBakes photos by Zoe Francois

12 Mother’s Day Desserts To Celebrate Mom

How do you choose the perfect Mother’s Day dessert? You need to know what mom loves, of course, but I think you also need something beautiful and sophisticated. For me, something with meringue is perfect, but every mom loves something a little different. I’ve put together a list of some […]

A whisk with meringue whipped to stiff peaks

Best Stand Mixers for Baking

I often get asked about my go-to baking equipment and one of the things people ask the most is what I think is the best stand mixer. A good mixer is the workhorse of a baker’s kitchen—it does so much of the work for you. In fact, I have three!