Desserts

Cake Flavors and Filling Ideas

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Baking a cake for a special occasion is one way to show off your baking skills, and celebrate with family and friends.

Fluffy and spongy cakes baked from scratch are moist and fresh, ready to be filled with custard, curd, Bavarian cream, and mousse.

You can even infuse cakes with syrups like cherry syrup or raspberry syrup for an added flavor to your cake.

If you know what type of cake you want to make, you can find fillings and frostings that will compliment specific cake flavors to impress your guests.

Vanilla Cake

Vanilla cake is flavored with vanilla extract, vanilla paste, or vanilla beans.

Vanilla cakes are fluffy and spongey so you can add a syrup to infuse into the cake to add flavor if desired.

You could infuse raspberry syrup, champagne syrup, or cherry syrup into your cake layers. Simply spread the syrup on top of the cake layers, then add a cream filling in the middle. You could add diplomat cream, white chocolate mousse, or vanilla pastry cream, and then add another layer of cake on top.

Vanilla cakes can be iced with fruity buttercreams like raspberry or pineapple buttercream.

Vanilla cakes are quite versatile with frostings, so you could ice the cake with a mocha buttercream, cookies and cream buttercream, or Tiramisu buttercream.

Vanilla Cake Fillings

Cake Flavors and Fillings

Lemon Cake

Lemon cake is made by adding lemon zest, lemon juice or lemon extract to a vanilla cake base to create a citrusy flavor to the cake.

Lemon cake can be filled with a curd, mousse, Bavarian cream in between the layers of cake.

You can ice a lemon cake with lemon buttercream, strawberry buttercream, or raspberry buttercream.

Adding a fruity flavored buttercream like strawberry or raspberry can add a ton of complimenting flavors to a lemon cake.

Lemon Cake Fillings

lemon Cake Flavors and Fillings

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake is made by adding melted chocolate or cocoa powder to a vanilla cake base.

Chocolate cake is a rich dessert. Many people find a chocolate cake overwhelming when it’s filled with chocolate buttercream, and iced with a chocolate ganache.

It’s better to choose a lighter filling for a chocolate cake such as mint whipped cream, caramel mousse, or raspberry compote.

You can ice chocolate cakes with sweet frostings such as toffee buttercream, mocha buttercream, or orange buttercream frosting for a complementary flavor that balances out the heavy chocolate cake.

chocolate Cake Fillings

Chocolate Cake Fillings

chocolate Cake Flavors and Fillings

Red Velvet Cake

Red velvet cake is made by adding cocoa powder and red food coloring to a vanilla cake base. The flavoring is similar to chocolate cake.

Red velvet cake is typically filled and iced with vanilla cream cheese buttercream.

Red Velvet Cake Filling

Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is made with cinnamon spice, chopped pecans, and shredded carrots to create this luscious cake.

Carrot cake is usually filled and iced with cream cheese frosting for a decadent cake to enjoy!

Carrot Cake Fillings

Pineapple Cake

Pineapple cake is made by adding crushed pineapple and its juices to a vanilla cake base.

Pineapple cake is a lighter cake that you can serve in the summertime. It’s a refreshing cake on a hot summer’s day.

You can fill pineapple cakes with classic cream cheese buttercream.

Another option is to make it with a pina colada flavoring with coconut and rum buttercream.

Pineapple Cake Fillings

Banana Cake

Banana cake is made by adding lemon juice and mashed bananas to a vanilla cake base.

Banana cake is a light cake you can fill with peanut butter Bavarian cream, banana custard, or strawberry compote.

You can ice banana cakes with sweet frostings such as chocolate buttercream, peanut butter buttercream, or cream cheese buttercream.

Banana Cake Fillings

banana Cake Flavors and Fillings

Coffee Cake

Coffee cake is made by adding espresso, or instant coffee to a vanilla cake base.

Coffee cake can be filled with coffee pastry cream or caramel pastry cream.

You can ice coffee cakes with coffee buttercream, mocha buttercream, or chocolate buttercream.

Coffee Cake Fillings

coffee cake Flavors and Fillings

8 Hibiscus Dessert Recipe Ideas

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Dried hibiscus can be used to create alluring desserts.

You can make hibiscus cupcakes, lemon bars, ice cream, tarts, donuts, and cookies that have hibiscus floral undertones.

Hibiscus desserts go well for a bridal shower, baby shower, or summer party.

Vanilla Hibiscus Shortbread Cookies

Vanilla hibiscus shortbread cookies are buttery and creamy, topped with a vanilla glaze and a sprinkle of hibiscus flowers.

Dried hibiscus flowers are chopped up and added to shortbread dough to infuse its flavor into the cookies. Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract is added to the cookie dough for an aromatic vanilla flavoring to the cookies.

Vanilla hibiscus shortbread cookies are iced with a vanilla glaze. Chopped up hibiscus flowers are sprinkled on top for a beautiful look to the intricate cookies.

Hibiscus Dessert Recipe Ideas

Hibiscus Cupcakes

Hibiscus cupcakes are floral cupcakes with a hint of lemon flavoring.

Hibiscus is ground with a mortar and pestle into a fine powder, and then added to a saucepan with butter. Butter is heated with hibiscus for it release it’s floral flavoring.

When the butter has cooled, it’s used as the base of vanilla cupcake batter. Lemon zest and lemon juice are added to vanilla cupcake batter for a citrus addition for the floral cupcakes.

White chocolate buttercream infused with hibiscus tea is frosted on top of the cupcakes.

Hibiscus is steeped into boiling water, and let to cool to room temperature.

Butter is whipped until fluffy, and melted white chocolate is streamed into the butter for the sweet chocolate flavor.

Freeze dried strawberries, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and hibiscus tea are added and mixed together to create this floral and fruity frosting.

Hibiscus Dessert Recipe Ideas

Hibiscus Lemon Bars

Hibiscus lemon bars are made by making a buttery shortbread crust for the bottom of the bars.

The filling is made by infusing hibiscus flowers into lemon juice, and letting it sit for about 15 minutes to infuse the flavor. The lemon juice will begin to turn a vibrant pink color.

Eggs, sugar, infused lemon juice, and flour are mixed together and poured over the freshly baked shortbread crust.

Hibiscus lemon bars are baked in the oven for about 25 minutes, until filling is set.

Let the bars cool to room temperature, dust with powdered sugar, and cut into bite sized pieces.

Hibiscus Shortbread Cookies

Hibiscus shortbread cookies are buttery cookies that have floral undertones.

Hibiscus shortbread is made by adding cinnamon and chopped up dried hibiscus to shortbread cookie dough.

Shortbread cookies are glazed with hibiscus glaze. The glaze is made by steeping dried hibiscus, and then infusing it with powdered sugar.

The glaze is bright pink, perfect for summer shower party!

Strawberry Hibiscus Tarts

Strawberry hibiscus tarts are made by making a pistachio tart crust.

The filling is made by pouring hot water over hibiscus flowers and letting it steep for about 10 minutes.

Strawberries are cooked in a saucepan, and then blended together with coconut cream and sugar.

The strawberry mixture is cooked again until it simmers.

Cornstarch is mixed with the cooled hibiscus tea, and then is mixed into simmering strawberries. The mixture is whisked to prevent any lumps from forming, and when it starts to thicken, it’s removed from the heat souce.

Strawberry hibiscus filing is cooled, and then poured into freshly baked pistachio tarts.

Let the tarts chill in the fridge for a couple of hours, and decorate with sliced strawberries right before serving.

Hibiscus Marshmallows

Hibiscus marshmallows are made by cooking together hibiscus infused tea, sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

A candy thermometer is used to accurately measure the temperature in order to make the marshmallows (240 degrees F).

Gelatin and a bit more hibiscus infused tea are placed in a stand mixer. The hibiscus lemon sugar syrup is streamed down the side of the stand mixer and whipped together make the mixture thicken up.

Assemble a baking pan lined with aluminum foil, and spray with a bit of oil.

Mix together powdered sugar and corn syrup. Pour the sugary mixture all over the bottom of the pan.

Add the marshmallow from the stand mixer.

Cover with remaining powdered sugar and corn syrup mixture.

Let stand for 4 hours, and then cut into 1″ squares for a light hibiscus dessert to enjoy after dinner.

Vegan Hibiscus Ice Cream

Vegan hibiscus ice cream is made by cooking together coconut cream and hibiscus flowers to infuse it’s floral flavor.

In another saucepan, additional coconut cream is cooked with milk, sugar, tapioca starch, and vanilla extract.

Combine both of the coconut creams together, and add a little hibiscus syrup.

Chill for 4 hours, and then churn in an ice cream maker for 20 minutes.

Freeze overnight, and enjoy!

Hibiscus Dessert Recipes

Hibiscus Donuts

Hibiscus donuts are filled with hibiscus pastry cream!

Hibiscus donut dough is made by combining yeast with sugar and milk until the yeast begins to froth up a bit.

Flour salt, an egg, vanilla extract, melted butter, and yeast mixture is mixed together in a stand mixture for about 10 minutes until the dough is stretchy and sticky.

The dough is let to rest for an hour and half.

Hibiscus pastry cream is made by adding dried hibiscus, milk, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest in a saucepan until milk begins to simmer.

In another heat proof bowl, egg yolks, sugar, and flour is whisked together.

Temper the eggs by slowly adding the warmed milk mixture to the eggs and whisking vigorously until all of the milk is mixed in.

Add the tempered egg and milk mixture back to the saucepan and cook until the custard thickens up. It should be a pudding consistency.

Strain the mixture, and cover it in plastic wrap.

Let it cool, and refrigerate until the custard is chilled (2-4 hours).

After the donuts have been let to rest for an hour and half, the dough is rolled out, and cut with a 3″ pastry cutter. The donuts are let to rest for another hour.

Donuts are fried in oil for a couple of minutes, and then rolled in a mixture of hibiscus flowers and sugar.

Fill the donuts with hibiscus pastry cream using a piping bag fitted with a half inch piping tip and enjoy!!

Hibiscus Dessert Recipes

6 Puff Pastry Art Ideas

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You can use puff pastry to create beautiful pastry art.

You can can shapes like butterflies, windmills, or intricate designs like the duchess shape.

Pastry shapes can be filled with your favorite fillings like jam, pastry cream, custard, or cream cheese filling.

After you’ve shaped and filled your pastry art, give the pastry and egg wash right before you’re ready to bake them. The egg wash gives a golden sheen to the pastry art.

Puff Pastry Art Ideas

Curled Pastry

  1. Cut a rectangular shape of pastry dough ~ 2″x4″.
  2. Fill the center will jam or custard.
  3. Pinch 2 opposing pastry dough together to create the curled Danish
jam pastry art
curled pastry art
curled pastry art shape

Butterfly Pastry

  1. Cut a piece of pastry 5″ x 5″.
  2. Cut 2 small triangles on opposing sides of the square.
  3. From the edge of the triangle you just cut, slice the pastry at an angle to create a point. Repeat on the other side.
  4. Fill the centers with custard.
  5. Fold the pastry over the custard downward on one side.
  6. Fold the pastry over the custard upward on one side.
  7. Pinch the ends of the point together.
puff pastry art butterfly
custard pastry art
butterfly pastry art ideas
butterfly pastry art
butterfly pastry art

Duchess Pastry

  1. Cut a piece of pastry 5″ x 5″.
  2. Cut the square 1 inch from the edges of the square giving a 1 cm border.
  3. Continue cutting into an angle shape.
  4. Repeat on the other side.
  5. Fill the center with custard.
  6. Fold the cut corner over the pastry.
  7. Fold the other cut corner over to the other side.
shaping puff pastry
puff pastry shapes with custard
puff pastry art ideas with custard
custard pastry art
puff pastry art

Windmill Pastry

  1. Cut a piece of pastry 5″ x 5″.
  2. Cut 4 slices into the pastry starting at the points. Leave a 1″x1″ box in the center for the filling.
  3. Fold the corner of one of the points into the center.
  4. Fold all of the corners into the center.
  5. Fill the center with custard.
how to shape puff pastry
puff pastry shaping
puff pastry art with custard
puff pastry art ideas

Envelope Pastry

  1. Cut a piece of pastry 5″ x 5″.
  2. Fold the corner of one of the 4 points into the center.
  3. Continue folding each corner into the center of the pastry.
  4. Fill the center with custard.
pastry shape ideas
how to shape pastry
different puff pastry shapes
envelope pastry art

Circle Center Filled Pastry

  1. Cut 2 pieces of pastry 5″ x 5″.
  2. Cut a circle in the center of one of pieces of pastry.
  3. Remove the circle.
  4. Place the cut pastry on top of the square pastry.
  5. Fill the circle with custard.
shaping pastry
shaping pastry art
shaping puff pastry art ideas
pastry art ideas
pastry shape ideas

How long to bake pastry art for

Bake Danish pastries for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F.

How to Decorate Cheesecake

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Cheesecake has a plain top to it as a dessert.

But it can be decorated with fruit sauces, chocolate covered strawberries, candied lemon slices, sugared raspberries, mint leaves, whipped cream, or chocolate decorations to enhance and compliment your cheesecake.

Try decorating your next cheesecake with one of these eye catching garnishes.

Compote

Compote is a sweet berry flavored sauce that will compliment cheesecake and give it a fruity finish.

You can drizzle berry compote over each cheesecake slice to decorate it.

Another option is to put a spoonful on a plate, and then smear it like a checkmark.

cheesecake decoration ideas

Vanilla Whipped Cream

Vanilla whipped cream is a soft, creamy topping you can decorate your cheesecake with.

Whipped cream will stand out on a cheesecake that has compote drizzled on top of it.

Otherwise whipped cream will be slightly brighter than your cheesecake color. You can use the star tip to create a rose shape on the wider end of each slice of cheesecake.

Velvety smooth vanilla whipped cream will add a rich flavor to cheesecake.

How to Decorate Cheesecake

Chocolate Decoration

Chocolate decorations can be made with your favorite type of chocolate (dark, milk, or white chocolate).

All you need to do is melt your chocolate, and pipe the chocolate in an intricate design on a piece of parchment paper.

Place the chocolate in the freezer to make it sturdy, and then gently place it on top of the cheesecake.

It also works well if you put a little whipped cream on the cheesecake first, and then place the chocolate decoration into the whipped cream.

How to Decorate Cheesecake

Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate ganache is a rich and creamy chocolate layer that will cover the cheesecake.

Chocolate ganache is made by placing hot heavy cream over chocolate, and then letting the cream melt the chocolate. By mixing the two together until it’s smooth, this creates the rich ganache chocolate flavoring.

decoration ideas for cheesecake

Fresh Fruit

Fresh fruit can be used to decorate cheesecake with a burst of sweet berries or slices of kiwi.

You can arrange raspberries or blackberries to be flat end down on top of the cheesecake, so they look like they’re standing up.

If you cut the top off of strawberries, you can do the same and stand them up to give the cheesecake a textured look with a pop of color.

If you slice strawberries or kiwi’s into thin pieces, you can arrange them from the outside of the cheesecake, and then layer them on top of one another.

Continue placing the fruit towards the center of the cheesecake until it’s fully decorated.

  • blackberries
  • blueberries
  • raspberries
  • kiwi slices
  • sliced strawberries
How to Decorate Cheesecake

Chocolate Sauce

Chocolate sauce is a sweet sauce that will add a hint of chocolate to cheesecake.

You can use chocolate sauce on top of whipped cream or slices of strawberries for a beautiful look to your cheesecake.

You can even make a crisscross design with chocolate sauce on top of the whipped cream if desired.

Chocolate sauce goes well with strawberry cheesecake, vanilla cheesecake, or raspberry cheesecake.

Zest

You can add lime zest, lemon zest, or orange zest to the top of your cheesecake for a hint of citrus and a beautiful pop.

You can add zest to vanilla cheesecake, lime cheesecake, or lemon cheesecake.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

You can make chocolate covered strawberries ahead of time, and then use them to decorate your cheesecake.

After you’ve made your cheesecake, you can pipe whipped cream on the edges around the cheesecake.

In each of the whipped cream roses, gently place a chocolate strawberries to sit inside the rose.

You can even color the whipped cream pink for a colorful top to your cheesecake.

decorating cheesecake with strawberries

Candied Lemon Slices

Slices of lemon are cooked in a sugar syrup to create an outer candy layer.

The lemon slices need to cool and drain dry before placing them onto your cheesecake.

Since the lemon slices are candied with a sugar coating, they are sweet and delicious for garnishing your cheesecake with.

Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans

Chocolate covered coffee beans add a hint of coffee to cheesecake.

Chocolate covered coffee beans are crunchy, so they add a hard texture when biting into the cheesecake.

Chocolate covered coffee beans are overwhelming with flavor, therefore you only need a couple to decorate your cheesecake with.

Salted Caramel Sauce

Salted caramel sauce is a sticky, sweet and salty flavor you can add on top of your cheesecake.

Salted caramel goes well with chocolate cheesecake to add a hint of sugar and a unique salty finish.

Icing Roses

Using the star tip, you can pipe buttercream icing roses on the edges of the cheesecake.

If you’re making mini cheesecakes, pipe 1 large icing rose on the top of it.

Icing decorations on the top of the cheesecake will make it look artistic and eye catching. You can color buttercream icing to fit the flavoring of your cheesecake.

Mint Leaves

You can arrange a few mint leaves in the whipped cream on top of your cheesecake, or beside a bit of fresh fruit for a pop of green color.

Ferrero Rocher

Ferrero rochers can be chopped up into small pieces to top cheesecake with.

Ferro rocher pieces work well on top of chocolate cheesecake, or vanilla cheesecake.

Sugared Raspberries

Sugared raspberries are a sugary sweet fruit that look chef worthy on top of cheesecake.

You can make them at home by simply coating raspberries with egg whites, and then rolling them in granulated sugar.

Sugared raspberries go well on top of vanilla cheesecake, lemon cheesecake, raspberry cheesecake or chocolate cheesecake.

Chocolate scrolls

Use a potato peeler and grate the chocolate away from you to create chocolate scrolls on top of your cheesecake.

cheesecake decoration ideas

7 No Bake Cheesecake Crust Ideas

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No bake cheesecake crusts are easy to make using nuts or cookies as the base for your cheesecake.

Some of the cheesecake crusts are set in the fridge to let it solidify.

Make sure to press the cheesecake crust firmly to make it an even layer, and be sturdy enough to hold the cheesecake.

Try making one of these no bake cheesecake crusts for your next rich, creamy cheesecake!

Hazelnut Crust

Hazelnut crust is a sweeter crust, since it’s made with dates.

Blended dates, and toasted hazelnut pieces are combined in a food processor with vanilla extract, and maple syrup.

The hazelnut cheesecake base is pressed into the bottom of the pan, and it’s ready to use.

Oreo Cookie Crust

Oreo cookie crust is a sweet, crunchy, cookie crust for a cheesecake base.

Oreo cookie crust is made by crushing Oreo’s into small pieces using a rolling pin, or blending them in a food processor.

The small bits of Oreo’s are mixed together with melted butter to create the cookie crust.

The cookie crust is pressed into a springform pan, and then you can refrigerate the crust to let it set.

No Bake Cheesecake Crust Ideas

Almond Crust

Almond crust is a crunchy, nutty cheesecake flavored base.

Slivered almonds are ground into a fine powder using a food processor.

The almonds are combined with brown sugar and melted butter to make the almond cheesecake base.

The almond cheesecake crust is pressed into the bottom of the cheesecake pan, and it’s ready to use.

No Bake Cheesecake Crust recipes

Walnut Crust

Walnut crust is a sweet and crunchy cookie base for a cheesecake.

Walnuts are blended in a food processor until they are fine like a powder.

Shortbread cookies are crushed with a rolling pin, and then they are combined with the walnuts, sugar, and melted butter.

Walnut cheesecake crust is pressed into the springform pan, and it’s ready to use.

Coconut Cookie Crust

Coconut cookie crust has a hint of coconut in the crust from adding coconut flakes to the cheesecake base.

Digestive cookies are blended in a food processor until they are coarse cookie crumbs. The digestive cookie crumbs are combined with sugar, coconut flakes, and melted butter to make the coconut cookie cheesecake base.

The crust is pressed into the pan, it’s ready to use.

Ice Cream Cone Crust

Ice cream cone crust is an easy crust you can make with a couple leftover ice cream cones.

Place the ice cream cones in a food processor, and blend until they become small pieces or a fine powder.

Mix the ice cream cones with a bit of sugar and melted butter to create the cheesecake base.

Press the base into the bottom of your pan, and then you can add your cheesecake layer on top.

There is no need to bake or chill an ice cream cone cheesecake base.

Digestive Cookie Crust

Digestive Cookie Crust is a crunchy biscuit base for cheesecake.

You can make the cookie crust by crushing the cookies with a rolling pin, or blending them in a food processor.

Mix the cookie crumbs with some melted butter, and press it to the bottom of your pan.

You can either chill the crust to let it set.

No Bake Cheesecake Crust alternatives

17 Cheesecake Crust Ideas

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When you think about having cheesecake, it’s a creamy, rich dessert with a classic graham cracker crunchy crust.

But you can make cheesecake crusts out of many different types of foods, including nuts, wafers, biscuits, lady fingers, red velvet cake, cinnamon buns, brownies, pretzels, and ice cream cones.

Try making one of these unique, alternative cheesecake crusts for your next decadent cheesecake!

Oreo Cookie Crust

Oreo cookie crust is a sweet, crunchy, cookie crust for a cheesecake base.

Oreo cookie crust is made by crushing Oreo’s into small pieces using a rolling pin, or blending them in a food processor.

The small bits of Oreo’s are mixed together with melted butter to create the cookie crust.

The cookie crust is pressed into a springform pan, and then you can refrigerate the crust, or bake it in the oven to let it set.

Cheesecake Crust Ideas

Peanut Butter Cookie Crust

Peanut butter cookie crust is a sweet, nutty cheesecake crust that goes well with caramel cheesecake, or chocolate cheesecake.

Peanut butter cookie crust is made by actually making the dough for peanut butter cookies.

The peanut butter cookie dough is frozen first, and then pressed into a springform pan.

The pan is baked in the oven for 25 minutes (much longer than other cheesecake crusts) because it’s a thick cookie crust.

The crust needs to cool to room temperature prior to adding the cheesecake filling on top, otherwise the cheesecake filling will “cook” prematurely.

Cinnamon Bun Crust

Cinnamon bun crust is a spongy crust for a cheesecake.

Cinnamon bun cake is made by adding cinnamon and brown sugar to a cake base, and then the it’s poured into a springform pan.

The cinnamon bun cheesecake base is baked in the oven for about 25 minutes to let it set.

Cinnamon bun cheesecake crust goes well with cinnamon cheesecake, vanilla cheesecake, or pumpkin cheesecake.

Brownie Base

Brownie base for a cheesecake is a thick, chocolatey, cheesecake base.

Brownies are made by adding dark chocolate and cocoa powder to a cake base, and adding it to a springform pan.

The brownie cheesecake base is baked in the oven for 15 minutes to set the brownies crust.

Brownie cheesecake crust goes well with vanilla cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, or caramel cheesecake.

Gingersnap Crust

Gingersnap crust is a cookie crust that goes well with pumpkin cheesecake.

Gingersnap cookies are blended in a food processor until they are coarse crumbs.

Gingersnap crumbs are mixed together with melted butter, vanilla extract, and brown sugar to create the gingersnap cheesecake crust.

Gingersnap cheesecake base is baked in the oven for a few minutes to let the crust set.

Lady Finger Crust

Lady finger crust is an espresso flavored cheesecake base that works well for tiramisu cheesecake.

Lady finger cookies are pulsed in a food processor until they are in small, fine pieces.

Lady finger cookie pieces are mixed together with melted butter and strong espresso or coffee to make the cheesecake base.

The lady finger cheesecake base is pressed into a springform pan and then it can either be baked in the oven, or frozen to set the crust.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Base

Red velvet cheesecake base is a chocolate, spongy cheesecake base.

Red velvet cheesecake base is actually a red velvet cake bottom. Red velvet cake is made by adding cocoa powder and red food coloring to a cake base. The cake base is added to a springform pan, and baked in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Red velvet cheesecake base is a thick crust for cheesecake, that goes well with Oreo cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, or vanilla cheesecake.

Hazelnut Crust

Hazelnut crust is a sweeter crust, since it’s made with dates.

Blended dates, and toasted hazelnut pieces are combined in a food processor with vanilla extract, and maple syrup.

The hazelnut cheesecake base is pressed into the bottom of the pan, and it’s ready to use.

Chocolate Base

Chocolate cheesecake base is a chocolatey, crunchy cookie base for a cheesecake.

Chocolate cheesecake base is made by crushing chocolate wafer cookies, and mixing them together with melted butter.

The chocolate cheesecake crust is pressed into a springform pan, and then it’s baked in the oven to set the crust.

Cheesecake Crust alternatives

Pretzel Crust

Pretzel crust is a crunchy cheesecake crust that works well for a peanut butter cheesecake, or chocolate cheesecake.

Pretzel cheesecake crust is a salty base, which balances out the sweetness of the cheesecake filling.

Pretzels are crushed with a rolling pin until they are small and fine pieces.

The pretzels are mixed together with melted butter, brown sugar, and salt to create the pretzel cheesecake base.

The pretzel cheesecake crust is baked in the oven to let it set.

Almond Crust

Almond crust is a crunchy, nutty cheesecake flavored base.

Slivered almonds are ground into a fine powder using a food processor.

The almonds are combined with brown sugar and melted butter to make the almond cheesecake base.

The almond cheesecake crust is pressed into the bottom of the cheesecake pan, and it’s ready to use.

Cheesecake Crust Ideas

Walnut Crust

Walnut crust is a sweet and crunchy cookie base for a cheesecake.

Walnuts are blended in a food processor until they are fine like a powder.

Shortbread cookies are crushed with a rolling pin, and then they are combined with the walnuts, sugar, and melted butter.

Walnut cheesecake crust is pressed into the springform pan, and it’s ready to use.

You don’t need to bake or chill the crust.

Graham Cracker Crust

Graham cracker crust is a classic cheesecake base.

Graham cracker crumbs are mixed together with sugar and melted butter to create the crunchy cheesecake crust.

The graham cracker mixture is pressed into the cheesecake pan, and then cheesecake bake is baked in the oven to set the crust.

Digestive Cookie Crust

Digestive Cookie Crust is a crunchy biscuit base for cheesecake.

You can make the cookie crust by crushing the cookies with a rolling pin, or blending them in a food processor.

Mix the cookie crumbs with some melted butter, and press it to the bottom of your pan. You can either chill the crust, or bake it in the oven to let it set.

Cheesecake crust options

Ice Cream Cone Crust

Ice cream cone crust is an easy crust you can make with a couple leftover ice cream cones.

Place the ice cream cones in a food processor, and blend until they become small pieces or a fine powder.

Mix the ice cream cones with a bit of sugar and melted butter to create the cheesecake base.

Press the base into the bottom of your pan, and then you can add your cheesecake layer on top.

There is no need to bake or chill an ice cream cone cheesecake base.

Coconut Cookie Crust

Coconut cookie crust has a hint of coconut in the crust from adding coconut flakes to the cheesecake base.

Digestive cookies are blended in a food processor until they are coarse cookie crumbs. The digestive cookie crumbs are combined with sugar, coconut flakes, and melted butter to make the coconut cookie cheesecake base.

The crust is pressed into the pan, and there is no need to bake or chill the crust. It’s ready to use.

Vanilla Wafer Crust

Vanilla wafer crust has a crunchy, vanilla flavoring for a cheesecake base.

Vanilla wafers can be blended in a food processor until they are quite fine, and then combine with melted butter to create a vanilla cheesecake base.

Press the crust into the bottom of the cheesecake pan.

Vanilla wafer cheesecake base is baked in the oven to let it set.

What to Do with Leftover Caramel Sauce

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You can use up leftover caramel sauce in no time with these sweet treat ideas!!

You can even drizzle a little caramel sauce over your morning coffee for a sweet finish to your freshly brewed espresso.

For more of a lighter dessert, you can dip fresh fruit into warmed up caramel sauce to use up your leftover caramel sauce.

What to Do with Leftover Caramel Sauce

Fruit Dipping Sauce

You can dip a variety of fruit into caramel sauce for a light sweet dessert.

You can warm up the caramel sauce a little, and then mix it well with a spoon.

Arrange an array of citrusy fruits like pineapple pieces, and orange slices for your caramel dipping sauce.

Apples, pears, and bananas work well with caramel sauce as well for a spread of different fruits to dip leftover caramel sauce in.

What to Do with Leftover Caramel Sauce

Macaron Filling

Caramel sauce can be one of most flavorful fillings for macarons. A little goes a long way!!

Only pipe a small amount of caramel sauce in the center of a macaron shell, and then sandwich it together with another macaron shell.

What are Macarons Filled with

Drink Topping

You can drizzle about a tablespoon of caramel sauce on top of hot chocolate, or a latte for a delicious hint of caramel flavor.

Decorating Desserts

Desserts need a little garnishing every now and then.

You can take your desserts to the next level by drizzling a little caramel sauce on top for a beautiful look to finish off your dessert that looks professional and enticing.

You can try making a crisscross design with the caramel, or using it in combination with chocolate sauce for a tasty caramel and chocolate flavored dessert.

Pancakes, waffles, and crepes can be filled with a bit of caramel sauce mixed with sautéed apples, pears, or hazelnut sauce.

Frosting Flavors for Chocolate Cupcakes

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Chocolate cupcakes melt in your mouse with their crumbly texture and heavenly chocolate flavor.

Chocolate cupcakes can be frosted with enhancing flavors like chocolate buttercream.

Chocolate cupcakes can also be frosted with complimentary flavors like cream cheese frosting, raspberry buttercream, or coffee buttercream.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream cheese frosting is one of the most popular flavors for frosting chocolate cupcakes.

It’s not as sweet as buttercream, and has the memorable cream cheese and vanilla flavor, which balances out the chocolatey cupcake.

Cream cheese frosting needs to have the right consistency to be piped into shapes using a piping tip. Therefore I recommend using this recipe for cupcakes.

It’s a thick icing and it pipes well on top of cupcakes. You can also color it using gel food coloring or liquid food coloring.

Frosting Flavors for Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Buttercream

Chocolate buttercream is a creamy, chocolatey frosting for chocolate cupcakes.

It’s an overwhelming chocolate flavor when you combined both chocolate cupcakes and chocolate frosting.

Chocolate buttercream is made by creaming butter, heavy cream, vanilla extract, salt, and cocoa powder together. The icing is sweetened using icing sugar.

Once the frosting is made, it will be very thick! You can thin it out a little with a bit more heavy cream if needed.

Put a couple sprinkles on top of your freshly frosted chocolate cupcakes for a little pop of color.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Vanilla buttercream frosting is a complimentary flavored icing for chocolate cupcakes. It tones down the chocolate flavor, leaving you with an aromatic vanilla flavor.

Vanilla buttercream is a rich and creamy frosting that is flavored with vanilla extract.

It’s a stiff icing, therefore it pipes well on top of of cupcakes for those beautiful rose icing designs.

Vanilla buttercream is made with heavy cream instead of milk to thin it out, therefore it has more of a buttery, velvety flavor.

You can easily color vanilla buttercream frosting using gel food coloring, or liquid food coloring for your themed cupcakes.

Frosting Flavors for Chocolate Cupcakes

Coffee Buttercream Frosting

Coffee buttercream frosting is an incredible flavored icing that goes well with chocolate cupcakes.

Coffee buttercream combined with chocolate cupcakes has a delicious creamy mocha flavor to them.

It’s one of my favorite frostings because it’s FULL of coffee flavor.

It tastes like you’re eating a latte, giving you a little pick-me-up.

Coffee buttercream icing is made by adding instant coffee (I recommend using freshly brewed espresso) to a buttercream icing base.

Raspberry Buttercream

Raspberry buttercream is a succulent frosting for chocolate cupcakes. Raspberry frosting goes particularly well with chocolate cupcakes, making it have burst of fruity flavor.

Raspberry buttercream has a vibrant pink color to it.

To make raspberry buttercream, you’ll be making your own raspberry sauce, and then whipping that with a buttercream based frosting.

Strawberry Buttercream

Strawberry buttercream is one of the most fruity frostings you’ll ever eat!!

To make strawberry buttercream you have to first make strawberry puree. It smells as good as it sounds.

The puree is added to a buttercream base, and it produces a colorful pink frosting for cupcakes.

Strawberry buttercream has a bit of unique look to it, it has tiny pieces of strawberry mixed throughout the icing.

I recommend using the buttercream within 1-2 days, as the flavor fades over time.

White Chocolate Buttercream

White chocolate buttercream is made by adding melted vanilla chocolate to a buttercream base.

White chocolate is a fairly sweet chocolate, but added to buttercream makes it a delicious and creamy frosting that isn’t too sweet.

White chocolate buttercream is a beautiful crisp white frosting for cupcakes, but you can color if desired using gel food coloring.

5 Affogato Ice Cream Flavors

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Affogato is an Italian dessert where you pour freshly brewed espresso over ice cream.

You can use your favorite ice cream flavors including chocolate, vanilla, salted caramel or cookie dough for a special after dinner dessert.

Garnish with a few white chocolate or milk chocolate shavings for a sweeter, creamier finish to your affogato.

Vanilla Ice Cream

Vanilla ice cream has a distinct aromatic flavor that has as sweet finish.

It’s best to pick a French vanilla ice cream, due to its rich flavor.

French vanilla ice cream has a custard base made by tempering eggs.

This gives the ice cream the creamiest possible texture, with its lavish vanilla flavoring.

You should be able to find French vanilla ice cream made with real vanilla beans, which will be the best choice for making affogato with.

To make affogato, a freshly brewed espresso shot is poured over the vanilla ice cream.

The hot espresso melts the vanilla ice cream just a little bit.

The melted vanilla flavors, combined with the hot espresso is a sweet and savory dessert that will tantalize your taste buds.

Affogato Ice Cream

Espresso Ice Cream

Espresso ice cream is the next most popular flavor of ice cream for affogato.

Espresso affogato is coffee on coffee flavor! It can be overpowering with coffee flavor, but coffee lovers will LOVE this flavor combination!

Chocolate Ice Cream

Chocolate ice cream is a rich, creamy ice cream for affogato.

Chocolate and espresso pair well together, and the espresso will tone down the chocolatey flavor.

Chocolate ice cream on its own can be quite strong, therefore having the espresso to calm down the flavor works well together.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Salted caramel affogato has a delicious caramel and coffee flavor to it.

Salted caramel ice cream has sweet and salty notes. It pairs well with espresso for a caramel flavored affogato.

Cookie dough ice cream adds hint of cookie flavor to your affogato.

Cookie dough combined with espresso has a buttery, brown sugar flavor, with notes of espresso.

You’ll love this flavor combination for affogato!

Garnish for Affogato

Affogato can be garnished with a couple of chocolate shavings.

Another option is to served affogato with a piece of biscotti.

Affogato Ice Cream

The chocolate gives the affogato and chocolatey espresso finish, combined with the tasty vanilla ice cream.

You’ll have to try it to embrace this incredible affogato ice cream dessert.

Components of a Cake

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A cake is made by putting together many different layers.

A cake doesn’t need to have all of the layers to be considered a cake.

The cake base, syrup, and garnish are all optional components for a cake.

A cake needs at minimum the cake, filling, and coating.

Components of a Cake

Cake Base

Not all cakes have a cake base, but cakes with multiple layers do have cake bases.

Cake bases are sturdy and crispy to hold all of the layers on top of it.

It also makes the cake easier to cut having a stable base to cut through.

Components of a Cake

Cake

The cake itself is the spongy part of the cake.

The cake is made by mixing dry and liquid ingredients, and folding them together gently.

Cake layers should not be overmixed.

They should be only mixed until just combined so it can have those puffy air pockets which creates a light, bouncy cake layer.

Syrup

Syrup is infused into the spongy cake, and therefore absorbs the flavor.

This works especially well for infusing alcohol flavors as well (amaretto, bailey’s, etc.) into cake.

The alchohol is absorbed by the cake, without having to put the flavoring directly into the cake layers.

Filling

The filling of the cake adds more flavoring to the cake in between the layers.

A filling can be made of anything from custard to jam to place in between your cake layers.

  • curd
  • custard
  • mousse
  • pastry cream
  • jam
  • panna cotta
Components of a Cake

Coating

The coating of the cake is the outer layer of what encases the cake.

The coating will fully cover the cake in a layer of sweetness.

  • buttercream
  • chocolate ganache
  • mirror glaze
  • glaze

Decorations

Decorations for cakes can be made out of many different foods, like buttercream.

Buttercream has a sturdy texture and therefore works well for piping unique designs like stars, leaves, etc.