Ever since I made my first Tres Leches Cake I’ve dreamed of a coffee infused version. I’m a big fan of coffee flavored desserts and this tops my list. The three milks that are soaked into the cake have been infused with Espresso beans to give it that coffee taste. Unless you’ve had it you just can’t imagine how cool and moist this cake is. It’s a little slice of heaven with a cloud of whipped cream over top. Enough said . . . Enjoy!
This is one of my favorite bundt cakes. It’s also a Birthday cake for my youngest son Cameron who just turned 26. That sure does make me feel old! It’s always hard to make something sweet for Cam because he doesn’t like very many desserts. But the one thing I can count on is his love for carrot or zucchini or banana cake. Sometimes I make cupcakes so he can just pick up one on the go but this year I wanted to make something a little different. This cake is healthier with natural applesauce replacing the oil to make a very moist cake. And it has a layer of cream cheese filling that makes the cake so yummy as well as a pretty swirl in every slice.
It’s that time of year to share Josh’s Birthday Cheesecake. For the past dozen years I have made the infamous cheesecake for Josh. He is one who stands by tradition and every birthday his cheesecake must have chocolate and it must have peanut butter cups. Each year I try to change it up a bit . . . sometimes it comes out amazing . . . other times it doesn’t. This year was a complete success! We all enjoyed having a bite or two of these little cheesecake squares without all the guilt. Celebrating several birthdays right after the holidays can make for sugar overload if you know what I mean. When I dipped each square in chocolate it was like each piece had it’s own personality. Some would drip down the sides while others would harden instantly. They have a decadent flavor followed by a melt in your mouth sweetness. Your taste buds will definitely smile!!
Any chocolate lover will love this rich lava cake. It’s one of the most decadent desserts I’ve ever tasted. So rich with chocolate and a molten center that tastes like a thick gooey brownie. The Espresso Whipped Cream is like the ultimate exclamation point! I found a great recipe from “Dulce Desserts from Santa Fe Kitchens”. There are so many decadent chocolate recipes in this cookbook to choose from but the lava cake was calling me. If you can’t find Mexican chocolate locally you can order online through Taza or Amazon. Taza has a variety of flavored Mexican chocolates and I can’t wait to try some new recipes using the flavored chocolate discs.
Hard to believe but just recently I was treated to my first taste of Tres Leches Cake. My goodness, it was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted! It can only be described as a cool moist cake dripping with sweet milk and topped by a cloud of whipped cream. The cake bakes up rather dense which allows it to hold it’s shape even when it is soaked thoroughly with sweet milk. I don’t even want to know how many calories are in this cake, I’m just going to savor every bite and enjoy! Thanks Kat for enlightening me!
I have collected the Annual Southern Living recipes for some of the best recipes around and this one has stuck with me through the years. It’s one of those recipes that I continue to go back to time and time again. I used fresh blueberries for the cake but I also had a stash of blueberries packed and sealed away in the freezer that would make a very tasty blueberry sauce. Such a versatile cake, it’s perfect as a weekend treat for breakfast or brunch but can be also be served as a dessert.
Another year passed by, another birthday cheesecake for Josh! For Josh it must be cheesecake and it must involve peanut butter cups. I try different variations every year so it’s not the same ole cake. Last year I made a layer of peanut butter cheesecake topped by a layer of chocolate cheesecake, swirled the two together and sprinkled peanut butter cups over top. He liked it, however he prefers a plain cheesecake with peanut butter cups, chocolate, and peanut butter as layers so he can savor each individual flavor. So I went back to the drawing board and came up with this. It’s a smaller version, a 6 inch cheesecake with little mini peanut butter cups that are so cute! I made a center layer of mini peanut butter cups with a drizzle of melted chocolate and a few peanut butter cups on top just for decor. I don’t know what’s in store for next year’s birthday treat but I’m sure it will include chocolate and peanut butter and cheesecake!
The first time I saw this Apple Kuchen from “The French Laundry” I was pretty much in love. Such a pretty cake decorated with apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. This cake has a delicate moist texture within a crisp outer crust. The cake itself is not overly sweet but melts in your mouth when you drizzle a bit of warm Vanilla Cream Sauce over top. A simple dessert that looks like you fussed for hours. But once you find how easy it is to prepare, you’ll want to make it again and again!
When Joe and I got married it was kind of spur of the moment. After high school he went off to college and I stayed home on the farm. After his first year of college we decided pretty quick to get married over the summer before he had to go back to school. It just happened that we married on August 14th and as a young girl I thought it romantic that every Valentines day would be our half year anniversary. Every Valentines day we kid each other and say “We made it another 6 month’s”. Well, this Valentines day it will be 31 and a half years, I guess we made it! I usually make him a special dinner and a something sweet since he is a sweetheart, after all. This year I decided to go big on chocolate and found these lucious chocolate chip cupcakes with a chocolate buttercream frosting from Your Cup Of Cake. I knew these cupcakes would get his attention and I was pretty happy with them too.
I have this thing (obsession) about berries and citrus, sometimes I just can’t have one without the other. I started out with a perfectly delicious recipe for raspberry buttermilk cake, but the citrus thing just kept creeping in so I added a bit of lime zest to the cake. And before I knew it I was in the midst of powdered sugar and lime juice stirring up a glaze. I love the sweet and tart combination that really makes this cake rock. Incidentally, this will be my last post for a few weeks as my gorgeous husband is taking me away for a long needed vacation. I’m looking forward to a few weeks just to relax, put my feet in the sand and enjoy someone else’s cooking. You all be safe and have a happy September!
An Inspired Cook 