Desserts Archives - Page 3 of 9

8 Lemon Cake Filling Ideas

April 17, 2023 by Jenna Atkinson

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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 lemon curd, lemon mousse, raspberry buttercream, and lemon Bavarian cream in between the layers of cake for a delicious succulent cake filling.

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.

Raspberry Buttercream

Raspberry buttercream is a fruity, luscious frosting you can ice in between your cake layers.

Softened butter is beaten until fluffy. Vanilla extract, salt, and raspberry jam are beaten into the butter for the base of the buttercream.

Powdered sugar is slowly added to the buttercream to sweeten the frosting.

Raspberry buttercream is a vibrant pink color frosting that gives a pop of color in between layers of cake.

Lemon cake pairs well with raspberry buttercream, giving it a burst of fruity flavor with each bite of citrusy lemon cake.

White Chocolate Buttercream

White chocolate buttercream is a sweet, buttery frosting you can use to fill the inside of lemon cake, and ice the sides of the cake.

White chocolate has a light chocolate flavor, it’s not heavy at all, making it the perfect addition for lemon cake.

White chocolate is melted, and then added to softened butter. Butter and white chocolate are beat together to infuse the chocolatey flavor into the buttercream.

Powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt are added to the buttercream.

Heavy cream is added at the end to thin out the frosting.

Lemon Bavarian Cream

Lemon Bavarian cream is a citrusy and thick creamy custard.

Gelatin is bloomed with fresh lemon juice and set aside for later.

Heavy cream is heated in a saucepan with sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice.

Heavy cream is slowly added to whisked egg yolks to temper the eggs. Once the heavy cream has been fully added to the eggs, the entire mixture is heated again in the saucepan to thicken the custard.

Gelatin is added at the end of the cooking process, and then the mixture can cool to room temperature.

Additional heavy cream is beaten together with icing sugar until stiff peaks form, and then the whipped cream is added to the custard by gently folding in the cream.

Lemon Bavarian cream is a thick, and creamy filling for lemon cake.

Lemon Curd

Lemon curd is a concentrated, thick filling for lemon cake.

Fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, granulated sugar, egg yolks, and butter are whisked together over a double boiler until the mixture begins to thicken, taking care not to cook the eggs!!

After the mixture has thickened, it is let to cool and then placed in the fridge to chill until you’re ready to assemble your cake.

Lemon Mousse

Lemon mousse is rich, whipped cream based filling for cakes.

Limoncello and lemon extract are bloomed with gelatin and set aside for later.

Heavy cream is whipped with icing sugar until soft peaks form. Whipped cream is folded into lemon curd to create the base of the lemon mousse.

Since the mousse needs a bit of stability, the bloomed gelatin is heated in the microwave, and then whisked into the lemon whipped cream mixture.

Place lemon mousse in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble your cake.

Lemon Buttercream

Lemon buttercream is a refreshing frosting you can use to ice and fill your cake with.

Butter is softened, and beaten together with powdered sugar, vanilla extract, freshly grated lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and salt.

Taste test lemon buttercream, and see how thick it is. You can thin it out with a bit more lemon juice, or thicken it up with additional powdered sugar.

You can color your lemon buttercream yellow by adding a couple of drops of yellow food coloring to have a vibrant color your cake.

Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream

Lemon cream cheese buttercream is a tangy, zesty buttercream frosting you can use in between layers of cake.

Softened butter and cream cheese are beat together until fluffy.

Icing sugar, vanilla extract, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest are added to the buttercream and mixed together.

Taste test your lemon cream cheese buttercream filling for your cake, and then add more lemon juice or powdered sugar if needed.

Strawberry Filling

Strawberry filling is homemade strawberry puree, which has a burst of concentrated strawberry flavor.

Strawberry filling is made by blending strawberries together, and then heating in a saucepan with granulated sugar, fresh lemon juice, and cornstarch.

Cornstarch will thicken the strawberry puree, and then it can be set aside to cool. Place strawberry filling in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble your cake.

Lemon cake pairs well with strawberry filling, and strawberry buttercream.

You can pipe a ring around the edge of the cake of strawberry buttercream.

Then spoon strawberry filling and spread it evenly over the cake layer.

Strawberry buttercream helps keep the strawberry filling inside the cake, and prevents it from leaking out of the lemon cake.

19 Cake Crust Recipe Ideas

April 12, 2023 by Jenna Atkinson

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Cake crusts are the bottom portion of the cake that are crispy and hard to give the cake a base to sit on.

You can use nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds), cookies (Oreo, lady fingers, shortbread, vanilla or chocolate wafers), feuilletine, and more to create a bakery worthy cake crusts.

Chocolate Feuilletine Cake Base

Chocolate feuilletine cake base is a crunchy chocolate cake base you can use with in desserts like intricate entremet cakes.

Chocolate feuilletine is made by first making crispy feuilletine using a dough similar to crepe batter.

As soon as the feuilletine is cooled, it can be broken up into pieces.

To make the chocolate crunchy cake base, combine hazelnut crumbs, feuilletine pieces, and melted dark and milk chocolate in a bowl and mix together until it’s combined.

Pour the cake layer into a springform pan, or a pan with raised edges, and let it sit in the fridge or freezer to fully set the cake crust.

Shortbread Cookie Crust

Shortbread cookie crust is a thick, buttery cookie crust you can use for lemon cakes, or fruity cakes.

Shortbread cookie crust is made by creaming butter and sugar together. Flour and salt are beaten into the shortbread dough, and then the dough is pressed into a pan.

Shortbread cookie crust is baked in the oven until the crust just begins to have a hint of color.

Oreo Cookie Crust

Oreo cookie crust is a sweet, crunchy, cookie crust for a cake crust.

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 cake crust, or bake it in the oven to let it set.

Vanilla Wafer Crust

Vanilla wafer crust has a crunchy, vanilla flavoring cake 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 cake base.

Press the crust into the bottom of a springform pan, or cake pan.

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

Peanut Butter Cookie Crust

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

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 to set the cookie cake crust.

The cake crust needs to cool to room temperature prior to adding any cake filling on top.

Praline Feuillentine Cake Base

Praline feuilletine is a crunchy cake base used in fancy bakery cakes.

Feuilletines are crispy wafers that give the cake base it’s crunchy texture.

Feuilletines are made by mixing together equal parts egg whites, flour, icing sugar, and butter and baking it in the oven until it’s golden brown.

The feuilletine is then broken up into small pieces that will be mixed into the cake base.

Praline paste is made by creating a caramel sauce, and then adding in roasted hazelnuts at the end of the caramel making process.

The caramel and hazelnuts are blended together until it creates a paste. The praline flavor gives the cake base a nutty and caramel flavor.

To make praline cake crust, mix together melted milk chocolate, praline paste, and feuilletine pieces.

Pour praline feuilletine into your cake base and let it set in the freezer for a couple of hours prior to using.

Cinnamon Bun Crust

Cinnamon bun crust is a spongy cake crust for.

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 cake base is baked in the oven for about 25 minutes to let it set.

Cinnamon bun cake crust goes well with vanilla cake, or pumpkin cake.

Brownie Base

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

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

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

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

Gingersnap Crust

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

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 cake crust.

Gingersnap cake 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 cake base that works well for tiramisu cake.

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 cake base.

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

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

Chocolate Base

Chocolate cake base is a chocolatey, crunchy cookie base for a cake crust.

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

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

Pretzel Crust

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

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

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

Almond Crust

Almond crust is a crunchy, nutty cake 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 cake base.

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

Walnut Crust

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

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 cake 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 buttery, cookie flavored cake base.

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

The graham cracker mixture is pressed into the springform pan or cake pan, and then it’s baked in the oven to set the crust.

Digestive Cookie Crust

Digestive Cookie Crust is a crunchy biscuit base for cake.

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.

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 cake base.

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

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

Coconut Cookie Crust

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

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

8 Lemon Custard Dessert Ideas

April 12, 2023 by Jenna Atkinson

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Lemon custard is a sweetened, succulent custard you use to fill rich desserts like creme brulee, mille feuille, tarts, meringue cups and more!

Mille Feuille with Lemon Custard Filling

Mille feuille is a dessert made with puff pastry layers, and a custard filling in between the layers.

For lemon mille feuille, custard is prepared by heating milk in a saucepan.

In another bowl, egg yolks and sugar are whisked together until combined. Flour and lemon zest are mixed into the egg yolk mixture, and then the hot milk is slowly added to create the custard.

Lemon custard is heated again the saucepan until it thickens. When it’s finished thickening, it is removed from the heat source, and then fresh lemon juice is added to create a tart lemon custard.

Lemon custard needs to chill for a few hours, and then whipped crème fraiche is folded into the lemon custard to thicken it.

Assemble lemon custard mille feuille by placing a layer of baked puff pastry on a cutting board.

Add a thick layer of lemon custard. Repeat, and end with another layer of puff pastry on the top so you have 3 layers.

Sprinkle with a dusting of icing sugar, or top with royal icing and drizzled dark chocolate for more of a classic mille feuille.

Lemon Crème Brulée

Lemon crème brulée is a specialty dessert with a crisp sugar coating on top of lemon custard.

Lemon crème brulée is made by heating heavy cream, sugar, fresh lemon zest, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat.

In another bowl, egg yolks are whisked together in a heat proof bowl.

When the heavy cream mixture just begins to simmer, slowly add it to the egg yolks whisking vigorously to temper the eggs.

After the cream has fully been added to the eggs, lemon extract and vanilla extract are added to complete the custard.

Lemon custard is poured into ramekins, and then baked in the oven in a water bath. Once the custard sets, and has cooled down, lemon custard is chilled in the fridge for a few hours.

When lemon crème brulée is ready to serve, add sugar on the top of the lemon custard dessert, and torch until the sugar is caramelized.

Lemon Custard Ice Cream

Lemon custard ice cream is a rich, tart ice cream.

Lemon custard is made by heating milk, lemon zest, and salt together in a saucepan over medium heat.

In another bowl, egg yolks and sugar are whisked together.

When the milk almost begins to bowl, slowly add it to the egg yolks mixture and whisk together to temper the eggs.

After the milk has been added to the bowl, place the entire mixture back into the saucepan, and heat the custard on low.

Lemon custard should thicken after a couple of minutes, then you can remove it from the heat source, and add heavy cream, fresh lemon juice, and vanilla extract to create this luscious rich flavor for lemon ice cream.

Place the ice cream base in the fridge for a few hours, then it’s ready to churn in the ice cream maker. Freeze for a few hours to harden the ice cream before enjoying.

Lemon Custard Cookies

Lemon custard cookies are a thumbprint cookie where lemon custard sits in the center of the cookie.

Lemon custard cookies are made with a portion of almond flour, giving them a nutty flavor.

The cookie dough has a hint of lemon zest, and vanilla extract, making these cookies have a delicious vanilla, almond, and lemon flavoring.

Cookies are rolled in to a ball, and then pressed in the center with your thumb.

They are baked in the oven, and then pressed in the center again, this time with a spoon to make a crevasse for the custard to sit in.

When the cookies begin to cool, a spoonful of lemon custard is placed in the center of the cookie, and then they’re ready to serve!

Lemon Custard Cake

Lemon custard cake is a creamy and spongy cake that’s lovely to serve in the summer.

Egg yolks are beaten together with sugar, along with melted butter and vanilla extract.

Flour is folded in to create the base of the cake batter.

Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest are added to the cake batter for citrusy lemon flavor.

Milk is added at the end to smooth out the cake batter.

Egg whites are beaten until stiff peaks form, and are folded into the cake batter. There should be a a few lumps of egg whites in the cake batter still that are not completely mixed in.

Lemon custard cake batter is poured into a pan and baked in the oven.

Let cool, and dust with powdered sugar.

Lemon Custard Pie

Lemon custard pie has a pate sucree pie crust which is a sweet, buttery pie crust that will melt in your mouth!

Pie crust in baked in the oven to pre-set the crust prior to adding the custard.

Milk is heated in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer.

In another bowl, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, eggs, egg yolk, and fresh lemon juice are whisked together until combined.

Eggs are tempered by slowly adding hot milk to the egg mixture, and whisking vigorously. After all of the hot milk is added to the eggs, the entire mixture is put back in the saucepan, and heated on medium heat.

Lemon custard will thicken up after a few minutes, and then is removed from the heat source.

Lemon extract, vanilla extract, and lemon zest are whisked into lemon custard, and then it can be poured into the baked crust.

Lemon custard pie is then baked in the oven to set the custard for about an hour, and then let to cool at room temperature. Chill the pie for 4 hours prior to serving.

When you’re ready to serve, top with tangy lemon whipped cream.

Lemon Custard Tart

Lemon custard tart has a succulent lemon flavor, with a buttery tart crust. You can even make them into mini tarts if desired.

Lemon custard is made by beating together butter and sugar, and slowly adding egg yolks until they have completely mixed together.

Add flour that has been dissolved into milk to the butter mixture and beat together.

Add fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to the butter mixture and set aside for later.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, and fold into the butter mixture.

Place your tart crust inside your tart pan, and then add your lemon custard inside the tart crust.

Bake in the oven for an hour, let cool, and chill in the fridge for a few hours. Serve with fresh slices of kiwi on top.

Lemon Custard Filled Meringue Cups

Lemon custard filled meringue cups have a crunchy meringue, with a soft custard in the middle.

Prepare the meringues by beating egg whites, vinegar, vanilla extract, and a dash of salt until soft peaks form.

Slowly add granulated sugar and beat until the meringue has formed stiff peaks, and looks glossy.

Spoon the glossy meringue to create mounds on a baking sheet fitted with parchment paper. Press a spoon until the mound to create an indent on the meringue. This will be a where the lemon custard will go later.

Bake the meringues in the oven, and then turn the oven off to let the shells dry in a warm oven for about an hour.

To make lemon custard, combined cornstarch, sugar, water and salt in a saucepan on medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer.

In another bowl, whisk egg yolks, and then slowly add the hot sugar to the egg yolks to temper the eggs.

Place the sugar egg yolks mixture back into the saucepan, and heat on medium until the custard begins to thicken.

Remove custard from the heat source, and add fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and cubed of butter.

Whisk the custard until the butter has completely melted into the custard.

Chill the custard for a few hours prior to serving.

When you’re ready to serve, place a meringue shell on a plate, spoon lemon custard in the center of the meringue.

Top with whipped cream and enjoy!

Cake Flavors and Filling Ideas

February 11, 2023 by Jenna Atkinson

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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

vanilla custard
strawberry buttercream
vanilla buttercream
banana buttercream
lemon curd
coffee buttercream
raspberry buttercream
maple cinnamon buttercream
pineapple buttercream
chocolate buttercream
mocha buttercream
lime curd
lime buttercream
white chocolate mousse
raspberry mousse
blueberry buttercream
Tiramisu buttercream
vanilla diplomat cream
strawberry mousse
cookies and cream buttercream
vanilla pastry cream
orange curd

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

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

caramel mousse
raspberry compote
mint whipped cream
mint buttercream
peanut butter Bavarian cream
peanut butter buttercream
peanut butter cream cheese frosting
toffee buttercream
chocolate buttercream
orange buttercream
lime cream cheese buttercream
cookies and cream buttercream
chocolate hazelnut buttercream
mocha buttercream
caramel buttercream
cookie dough buttercream
cinnamon buttercream
chocolate pastry cream
chocolate cream cheese frosting

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

coconut and rum buttercream
pineapple curd
cream cheese buttercream
pineapple buttercream
coconut frosting
lime buttercream

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

chocolate buttercream
peanut butter buttercream
peanut butter Bavarian cream
caramel buttercream
banana custard
strawberry cream
strawberry buttercream
strawberry compote
chocolate peanut butter buttercream
cream cheese buttercream
banana curd
coffee cream cheese frosting

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 buttercream
coffee pastry cream
caramel pastry cream
coconut and rum buttercream
cream cheese buttercream
mocha buttercream
chocolate buttercream
white chocolate buttercream
apricot jam

8 Hibiscus Dessert Recipe Ideas

August 18, 2022August 17, 2022 by Jenna Atkinson

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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 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 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 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!!

6 Puff Pastry Art Ideas

January 2, 2024July 13, 2022 by Jenna Atkinson

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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.

See video here.

Curled Pastry

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

Butterfly Pastry

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

Duchess Pastry

Cut a piece of pastry 5″ x 5″.
Cut the square 1 inch from the edges of the square giving a 1 cm border.
Continue cutting into an angle shape.
Repeat on the other side.
Fill the center with custard.
Fold the cut corner over the pastry.
Fold the other cut corner over to the other side.

Windmill Pastry

Cut a piece of pastry 5″ x 5″.
Cut 4 slices into the pastry starting at the points. Leave a 1″x1″ box in the center for the filling.
Fold the corner of one of the points into the center.
Fold all of the corners into the center.
Fill the center with custard.

Envelope Pastry

Cut a piece of pastry 5″ x 5″.
Fold the corner of one of the 4 points into the center.
Continue folding each corner into the center of the pastry.
Fill the center with custard.

Circle Center Filled Pastry

Cut 2 pieces of pastry 5″ x 5″.
Cut a circle in the center of one of pieces of pastry.
Remove the circle.
Place the cut pastry on top of the square pastry.
Fill the circle with custard.

How long to bake pastry art for

Bake Danish pastries for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F.

How to Decorate Cheesecake

December 4, 2023July 13, 2022 by Jenna Atkinson

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

7 No Bake Cheesecake Crust Ideas

June 30, 2022 by Jenna Atkinson

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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.

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.

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.

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.

17 Cheesecake Crust Ideas

June 30, 2022 by Jenna Atkinson

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

April 3, 2022 by Jenna Atkinson

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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.

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.

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.

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.