ZoëBakes

Caramelized White Chocolate Peach Scones

I rarely bake scones, since my son was deemed the scone expert in the family. But, I had a craving and he was busy being a teenager, so I set off to make these caramelized white chocolate and peach scones myself. He came home and told me I did a […]

Lavender Creme Brulee topped with blueberries

Lavender Crème Brûlée

I love this crème brûlée with lavender, but it’s optional! If you’d rather, you can leave it out and it will be a delicious vanilla crème brûlée. Enjoy! Crème Brûlée was the first French dessert I’d ever had in a restaurant. When I was in junior high school, I’d take […]

Perfect Peach Pie with Lattice Crust

There are few summer treats better than a late season peach pie made from fresh fruit. I call this my perfect peach pie and you can find out why below! Plus, you’ll find a little bonus in the form of an optional candied bacon crumble! When the peach season is […]

Red Velvet Cake with Basket Weave

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! An Easter Basket made from Red Velvet Cake with Buttercream Basket Weave and Roses is a decidedly […]

Pavlova

This ethereal crown of meringue, filled with cream and berries is a Pavlova. The name comes from Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who was performing around the world in 1926 and made a stop in the land down under. From there the details get a little fuzzy and no one is […]

Tuscan Ricotta Tart with Peaches

Tuscan Ricotta Tart with Peaches. I’ve met so many incredibly talented and lovely people through Instagram. That’s where I first found Giulia Scarpaleggia (and her website Jul’s Kitchen), who lives and cooks in Tuscany. Her food is gorgeous and when she told me she had a cookbook coming out, I […]

Cherry Olive Oil Cake

A family friend is Greek and sent me honey from Ikaria. It is a little smoky and tastes of caramel. Bees never cease to amaze me in what they create. I wanted to bake it into a cake and decided to go with other flavors you might find on that […]

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake | ZoeBakes by Zoë François

Easy No-Bake Cheesecake With Strawberries

This is my homemade version of a 1960s dessert. The original strawberry cheesecake recipe could have been found on Strawberry Jell-O package or Cool Whip containers. This is a homemade version that is just five simple ingredients and requires no baking. I thought the packaged version was brilliant, despite the fact […]

Mango Curd Tart

In a quest to create the perfect mango cheesecake, I discovered mango puree from the Indian market. I’ve tried making my own with fresh mangos, but the flavor was much too subtle and disappeared in most recipes. I even tried cooking it, to reduce the fruit, which usually works to […]

Two jars of homemade yogurt with fruit in the bottom of the jars

Homemade Yogurt (Plain and Fruit)

I find myself digging into the past recently and finding recipes. My grandmother’s rugelach, cheese blintzes from the Kiev restaurant (a childhood favorite) and fresh homemade yogurt my mom used to make. We lived on a commune in VT, where we grew our own vegetables and raised a cow for dairy. […]

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie | ZoeBakes by Zoe Francois

A Simple, Classic Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

This strawberry rhubarb pie combines two of the best early summer flavors into one classic pie. The lattice crust is easier than it looks and makes for a beautiful summer dessert! It is rhubarb season and I am doing my very best to use it in as many desserts as I […]

Chocolate Birthday Cake

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! When the Sunday New York Times Magazine opened to Dorie Greenspan’s chocolate cake, I said out loud, […]