If you’re a blueberry lover like me, then this Blueberry Pound Cake recipe is for you! It’s a moist, dense, buttery cake packed with plump, juicy blueberries. Top with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you’re set!

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Blueberry Season Means Blueberry Pound Cake!

Blueberry picking season is just around the corner here in New England, and I’m so excited. A homemade blueberry pound cake is New England summer at its finest, and delicious cakes like this are served in Maine restaurants all summer long. And my Jon loves all things blueberry. And I remember as kids we used to buy blueberry jelly beans, share the whole bag in one sitting. We’re not eating so many jelly beans these days in our forties … But we do like fresh blueberries best, and we pick pounds of New Hampshire blueberries every July to enjoy fresh or freeze to use throughout the Fall and Winter.

We mostly eat blueberries straight, but we also like putting them in baked oatmeal, blueberry tarts, blueberry shortbread, and even homemade blueberry ice cream. But we especially love eating this delicious Blueberry Pound Cake. And trust me, you will, too!

Cake recipes can be tricky, but this has gotta be one of the easiest cakes I’ve ever baked. There are no special tricks or temperature settings. It always turns out a beautiful golden brown, looks gorgeous with the sparkling white sugar on top. So, grab your fork, and get ready to dig in!

Key Ingredients

You only need few fresh ingredients and some pantry staples to make this delicious and easy blueberry pound cake, including: a pint of fresh or frozen blueberries (washed and drained), all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter (softened to room temperature), eggs (also at room temperature), granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract, white sparkling sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling, and fresh whipped cream for serving.

How To Make Blueberry Pound Cake

1. Prep: Preheat your oven to 325°, and toss the washed, drained blueberries with 1/4 cup flour. Set aside. Sift remaining flour with baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
2. Make the Cake Batter: Separately in mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar together with hand or stand mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, but still being careful not to over-mix. Add vanilla, and beat until fluffy. Fold in the dry ingredients by hand into batter until well blended (it’s OK to see streaks of flour). Gently fold in the blueberries, being careful not to burst them.
3. Bake: Pour into greased and floured 10″ tube pan. Sprinkle with the sparkling white sugar, and bake for one hour and 15 minutes, or until cake is golden brown and tests done. (You can stick a toothpick into the center. if it comes out clean, it’s ready.)
4. Cool: Allow the blueberry pound cake to cool cake in tube pan for 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife, carefully separate cake from the edges of the pan and around the tube in the middle. Carefully remove the cake from pan, and cool on a baking rack.
5. Serve: Slice the cake, and serve with fresh whipped cream, grated lemon zest, and some mint leaves. Enjoy!

Tip: A fresh slice of Blueberry Pound Cake is delicious served with Triple Easy Homemade Lemonade!

Tips and Variations

• Toss your blueberries in a little flour before folding into the pound cake batter to keep them from sinking to the bottom.
• Measure all the ingredients carefully beforehand, and have them at room temperature — especially the butter and eggs in this case — to prevent lumps and to ensure a smooth cake batter.
• Don’t over-mix the batter. Mix on low speed and until ingredients are just incorporated. It’s OK to still see streaks of flour.
• Bake on your middle oven rack, and start checking at the 55-minute mark. However, if the top isn’t even golden brown, don’t open your oven yet. Repeatedly opening and closing the oven to check a cake before it’s done causes it to fall.
• Switch up the berries in this pound cake recipe! Raspberries, sliced strawberries, blackberries, and even cranberries would be delicious here.
• Double-up the blueberry flavor by serving this homemade pound cake with my favorite blueberry ice cream.
• Or keep it simple by serving warms with a pad of softened butter and a glass of cold milk!

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions

• Store cooled, leftover blueberry pound cake in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Freeze this cake whole or by the slice for up to 3 months. Wrap securely in plastic wrap, then store in a freezer-safe, airtight container or plastic bag.
• Reheat this homemade pound cake by letting it come to room temperature from chilled or frozen, warming in the microwave, or toasting in the oven.

MORE CAKE RECIPES TO TRY

• Sugared Cranberry Pound Cake
• Candied Lemon Cheese Cake
• Brick Street Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Cupcakes
• Lemon Pound Cake
• Candied Lemon Cheesecake

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Blueberry Pound Cake

A moist, dense, buttery pound cake packed with plump, juicy blueberries.

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author Allie Taylor

Ingredients

• 1 pint blueberries washed and drained
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon sparkling white sugar or turbinado sugar
• optional: serve with whipped cream

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Toss washed, drained blueberries with 1/4 cup flour, set aside.
• Sift remaining flour with baking powder and salt, set aside.
• Separately in mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together with hand or stand mixer.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add vanilla and beat until fluffy.
• Fold dry ingredients (by hand) into batter until well blended.
• Gently stir in berries.
• Pour into greased and floured 10" tube pan.
• Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sparkling white sugar or turbinado sugar.
• Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cake is golden brown and tests done.
• Cool cake in tube pan for 10 minutes.
• Use a sharp knife to carefully separate cake from the edges of the pan and around the tube in the middle.
• (If it's a 2-piece tube pan - also use the knife to separate the the cake from the bottom of the pan.)
• Carefully remove the cake from pan and cool on a baking rack.

Notes

If you use frozen blueberries, make sure they are completely thawed and drained.

The post Blueberry Pound Cake appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

King Arthur Best Birthday Cupcakes are tender, vanilla cupcakes piped with luscious chocolate buttercream. Sprinkles or not, they’re hands down the best birthday cupcakes ever. Hint: they disappear FAST! This is King Arthur’s signature recipe of the year for 2019.

If you’re unfamiliar with King Arthur, they’re pretty much the baking authority in New England, IMHO. Their test kitchens and quality baking supplies and ingredients create the best quality baked goods. That’s why these cupcakes are THE best!

In March my extended family gathered at a restaurant in Massachusetts to celebrate my dad’s #80! Sweet times. I made these cupcakes for the first time and brought them along.

Cupcakes Are Easier to Bake than Cake!

For me, cupcakes are simpler to make than a birthday cake and much easier to travel with. There is no struggle centering names or sentiments in frosting or any intricate decorating to worry about.

With cupcakes, there are no cake layers to level or fillings to prepare. And best of all, no need to cut perfect cake slices!

Cupcakes are the perfect self-contained little party. A big frosting swirl, candles and a few sprinkles make them extra special. Stack them on a tiered stand and now you’ve got drama!

This weekend is my Hudson’s 9th birthday. Every birthday for Hudson is just a little bittersweet. Hudson has Down syndrome and autism and is about two years old developmentally. He’s also non-verbal. His favorite day of the year is definitely his birthday.

It’s not about the cake or presents, he doesn’t care about either. It’s all about the happy birthday song and blowing out his candles. This year I’m making him these special Birthday Cupcakes.

The truth is, he has a lot of sensory issues that include food. So while he may not even taste one, we’ll be more than happy to help him out! Mostly he’ll relish blowing out every last candle on all 28 cupcakes. And we’ll be cheering him on.

How to Pipe These Cupcakes:

• Use a pastry bag and coupling with a Wilton 1M star tip

Tips for making King Arthur Best Birthday Cupcakes:

• This recipe makes 28 cupcakes. Don’t try to make it into 24 like I did the first time. These cupcakes bake flat, and excess batter spills over, rather than rising higher.
• Use a scant quarter cup batter for each cupcake.
• Stagger baking in your oven to bake these evenly. (Bake cupcake pans one at a time , rather than simultaneously on different oven racks.) Or lucky you if you have a double oven.
• Since you’re baking this recipe into 28 cupcakes, you’ll have a baking pan with some empty cupcake holes. For even heating of the pan and even baking, fill empty cupcake pan holes with about an inch of water.
• Definitely use cupcake liners to bake this cupcake. (I prefer foil.)
• To keep cupcake wrappers bright, bake in foil cupcake papers first, then add a pretty cupcake paper liner after baking when cupcakes are cool.
• Find more tips for baking these amazing King Arthur Best Birthday Cupcakes here.
• Use a pastry bag and coupling with a Wilton 1M star tip

Other cupcake recipes you may enjoy: Funfetti Birthday Cupcakes, Red Velvet Birthday Cupcakes, and Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes.

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King Arthur Best Birthday Cupcakes

Servings 28 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Gluten-Free Measure for Measure King Arthur Flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 large organic eggs at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 tablespoons butter cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• 1 7/8 cup natural cocoa powder sifted
• 1 1/2 cups plus 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar or more
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 4 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups butter softened

Instructions

Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 325°. Baking rack should be in the center of the oven.
• Line cupcake pans with 28 cupcake liners, foil is preferred.
• Spoon flour loosely into measuring cup and level off.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl or electric stand mixer bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and almond extract.
• Beat batter until thickened and golden in color, for about two minutes at medium high speed with whisk attachment.
• If you don't have a whisk attachment, beat with paddle mixer attachment or electric hand mixer on medium high for about 5 minutes.
• Scrape down bottom and sides of bowl and mix again quickly until all is combined.
• Batter should be thick and yellow and fall in ribbons from the beaters.
• Add dry ingredients to the batter and fold in by hand or on low mixer speed until just combined.
• Scrape down bottom and sides and mix again until just combined. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring milk to a simmer.
• Remove milk from heat and gently stir in butter pieces and vegetable oil, until butter is fully melted.
• Slowly stir hot milk mixture into cake batter by hand or using low speed on an electric mixer.
• Scrape down bowl sides and bottom and mix again just to combine.
• Divide the batter equally among 28 cupcake liners. (You will use a scant 1/4 cup batter for each cupcake.)
• Fill any empty cupcake pan holes with 1 " water to facilitate even baking/pan temperature.
• Bake in center rack of preheated 325° oven for 25 - 28 minutes. (Check at 25 minutes.)
• For most even baking, bake one pan at a time.
• Cupcakes will start to brown on the edges when they are ready.
• Remove from oven and place on wire racks to cool.
• While still hot, gently loosen cupcakes edges from pan with a sharp knife if needed.
• Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• In large mixing bowl or stand mixer, stir together sifted cocoa powder, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and salt.
• Stir in hot water and vanilla, scraping bowl afterwards.
• Add butter and remaining powdered sugar.
• Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle, beat frosting at medium high speed for 1-2 minutes, stopping halfway through beating to scrape down bottom and sides of bowl.
• If frosting is the right consistency, decorate cupcakes.
• If too thick or stiff, beat in more hot water, a teaspoon at a time.
• If frosting is too thin, beat in more powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time.

You may also like: Carrot Cake Cupcakes w/Vanilla Bean Frosting

The post King Arthur Best Birthday Cupcakes appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

This Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake is my favorite coffee cake of all time. Perfect for weekend brunch or holiday breakfasts. Or just because. Easy to make, I’ll give you step by step instructions.

The taste and texture are out of this world delicious. Tender almond cake, cream cheese filling, raspberry preserves and toasted almond crumb topping.

This is a heavenly coffee cake, so add it to your bucket list to bake for the next special occasion.

This scrumptious recipe has been circulating in my extended family for as long as I can remember. Always a favorite at holidays and family get-togethers.

It’s not rocket science to make, but there are a few steps and I’ll guide you through a quick picture tutorial so this Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake turns out perfectly for you too.

Cut butter into the flour and sugar with a pastry blender or two forks. Stop when pieces of butter are pea-sized.

Very important: reserve 1 cup of crumbs for the topping now.

Mix up the cake batter, then spread over the bottom and up the sides of a greased and floured 9 or 10″ springform pan. Separately, mix the cream cheese filling and pour evenly into the cake batter lined pan.

Spread raspberry preserves over the cream cheese filling.

With a rubber spatula, scrape down sides of the cake batter so it’s even with the filling.

Now the coffee cake is ready for the almond crumb topping.

Sprinkle on the almond crumb topping and it’s ready to bake!

Bake ’til the filling is set and the edges are golden. (The middle of the cake will fall slightly as it cools. That’s normal.)

You may also like these recipes featuring raspberries! Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Squares, Lemon Curd Raspberry Tartlets and Chocolate Raspberry Tart.

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Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Almond cake, cream cheese filling, raspberry preserves and toasted almond crumb topping. Divine!

Course Coffee Cake

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Allie Taylor

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup sour cream

Filling

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup raspberry preserves

Crumb Topping:

• reserved 1 cup crumb mixture
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Grease and flour 9 or 10" springform pan.
• In large bowl, combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar.
• Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• IMPORTANT! Set aside 1 cup crumb mixture for topping.
• To remaining crumb mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, salt, sour cream, almond extract and one egg.
• Blend well.
• Spread batter on the bottom and up the sides of greased and floured springform pan, about 1/4" thick on the sides.

Filling:

• In small bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. (With no lumps.)
• Beat in sugar and one egg until well blended.
• Pour filling mixture into batter lined pan.
• Spoon raspberry preserves evenly on top of cream cheese filling.
• With a spatula, push down batter on sides of pan, until batter is even with filling.

Crumb Topping:

• Combine 1 cup reserved crumb mixture and sliced almonds.
• Sprinkle evenly over unbaked coffee cake.

Bake:

• Bake for 45-55 minutes at 350°, or until filling sets and crust is a deep golden brown
• Cool 15 minutes, then remove sides of pan.
• Cut into wedges and serve warm or cool.
• Refrigerate leftovers.

You may also like: Raspberry Peach Almond Shortbread

The post Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes w/Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting: tender, carrot cake cupcakes with delicate, light texture. Luscious cream cheese icing with vanilla bean flecks. Out of this world good combo! Your favorite, moist and delicious carrot cake in cupcake form! Nice for Easter or any special occasion.

Well I’ve mentioned the weather a good bit here lately because it’s been so crazy. A few years ago we got all excited when the calendar announced spring, then we waited and waited for Mother Nature to concur. Then on April Fool’s Day, she had one more funny up her sleeve and we woke up to a foot of heavy snow.

It wasn’t all bad. The weekend storm afforded me a peaceful day indoors to bake and photograph these delicious Carrot Cake Cupcakes w/Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting for Jon’s upcoming birthday. I have a dear friend who makes this recipe as a 9 X 13 cake and it’s requested everywhere she goes.

So I thought I’d try my hand tweaking it into cupcakes this time. The nice thing about cupcakes is they bake so quickly – these took just 18-20 minutes. Cupcakes also pack great in lunches, and who doesn’t like their own self-contained little bakery treat?

So even though it snowed all through the night that Friday and Saturday too, Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny. The temps were in the mid-50’s. After church and a leisurely lunch, we flew the coop to the coast. If I could choose, I’d be at the water 24-7.

We meandered along the wooden boardwalk by the ocean in Newburyport, MA, dodging the occasional snow clump. Then we walked the brick-cobbled streets, exploring beautiful New England architecture, big old homes overlooking the water, some with widow’s walks. Had a dog at the famous Richland’s, where hotdogs have been 25¢ for decades.

The wind was still whistling a bit, so we tailgated for the cupcakes. Even then we had trouble keeping the candles lit.

It was a quiet, peaceful and cozy 47th birthday celebration for Jon, especially since we were in the process of moving to a new home in just a few weeks. Nice to get a break from packing boxes.

The key to the texture of these cupcakes is the very finely grated carrots. While the grated carrots give wonderful flavor and moisture, it’s not like you’re chomping on carrot chunks. In fact, the texture is light and delicate, and you might not even guess the carrots are in there.

I hope you love these scrumptious Carrot Cake Cupcakes as much as we do. While the cupcakes are temptingly delicious, it’s the vanilla bean specked cream cheese frosting that’s the icing on the cake. (Pun intended.)

It’s best to start with room temperature cream cheese and butter. With an electric hand mixer, whip together both the cream cheese and butter until it’s light and fluffy and there are no lumps.

Then slowly incorporate the powdered sugar in. Finally, stir in the vanilla bean paste. Frost with a butter knife or spreader. Or use a pastry bag and pipe the cream cheese frosting on like I did. (I used jumbo Wilton star tip size 1 M, FYI.) Enjoy!

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Carrot Cake Cupcakes w/Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

Course Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 38 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 heaping teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups finely grated carrot
• 1 cup liquid coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 4 eggs

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting:

• softened 8 oz. package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• Optional: 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans for sprinkling on cupcakes

Instructions

Cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• In medium mixing bowl, stir together cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
• Add in carrot, oil and eggs.
• Mix by hand until moistened,
• Using an electric hand mixer, beat on medium speed for exactly two minutes.
• Line muffin cups with paper or foil liners.
• Fill muffin cups almost 2/3 full. (This recipe makes 2 1/2 dozen (30) cupcakes.)
• Place muffin pans on middle oven rack(s) and bake for 18-20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool completely, then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Beat softened cream cheese and butter together until fluffy.
• Slowly beat in 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar until smooth.
• Stir in vanilla bean paste.
• Frost cupcakes, then garnish with chopped nuts if desired.

Notes

Substitute two teaspoons pure vanilla extract if you don't have vanilla bean paste.
Substitute 2 cups of all purpose flour instead of 2 1/4 cups cake flour if you don't have cake flour.
I used a pastry bag and jumbo Wilton star tip 1M to frost these cupcakes.

You may also like: Brick Street Chocolate Cupcakes

The post Carrot Cake Cupcakes w/Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

A generous slice of Sugared Cranberry Pound Cake is the perfect wintry treat with a steaming cup o’ tea. Scratch-made, buttery almond pound cake is studded with sugared cranberries for a sweet cake that’s beautifully festive and irresistible on the dessert table.

While my last name isn’t Murphy, I’m well acquainted with Murphy’s Law. More than I’d like to be unfortunately. Several years ago on a Saturday morning I hosted a Christmas Coffee here at the house for girlfriends and neighbors. (If you’re needing a simple way to connect with friends over the holidays and don’t have time to make a five course meal, a coffee works! Host a drop-in for a few hours.)

I served fresh fruit, biscotti and coffee. Then added a few extras to the menu: sugared pecans and sugared cranberries. It was a great spread!

Murphy’s Law didn’t come into play with the menu that morning, thankfully. It was something else.

Half-way through the coffee, a concerned guest pulled me aside. She wondered if the dripping wax from the lantern on the coffee table was part of the winter snow scene… GULP.

Just before jumping in the shower that morning, all in a rush, I’d lit the brand new pillar candles inside my wooden Pottery Barn lantern. In my hurry, I’d forgotten to trim the wicks. Mistake #1.

(If a stitch in time saves nine, a trimmed wick could save a hundred I’m thinkin’.)

The candles with the big flames and long wicks had melted down quickly, and there was two inches of melted wax inside and up the sides of the lantern. The bottom layers had started to harden, sealing the lantern door shut (as in wax seal!) and we couldn’t get to the candles to blow them out.

There we were, tea party MacGyvers all of us, armed with butter knives, wax paper and toothpicks. Desperately trying to pry open a molten wax-filled lantern.

Then a clever soul quietly whispered, “How many smart women does it take to blow out three candles”??? Ha ha. SO FUNNY. Maybe you had to be there.

Finally we pried the door open with minimal spillage and no burnt fingers. Success! And just one sturdy puff later, the candles were extinguished. Phew. A word to the wise…trim your candle wicks this holiday season. (The voice of experience….)

So that was my big mishap of the week. And this delicious Sugared Cranberry Pound Cake was my big success. I took my favorite pound cake recipe, swapped in almond extract for vanilla and added the sugared cranberries.

Steep fresh cranberries in a hot simple syrup for several hours, then roll in sugar.

One of the boys asked me why pound cake is called pound cake, and it’s because traditionally pound cake was made with a pound each of butter, flour, eggs and sugar.

How to Make Sugared Cranberry Pound Cake:

This cake is easy to make. Cream the butter and sugar together, then incorporate the eggs in one at a time.

Stir in the dry ingredients and gently fold in the sugared cranberries. Sprinkle with coarse, sparkling white sugar just before baking if desired. (I did.)

Scratch-made pound cakes are surprisingly easy to make and I don’t know a soul who wouldn’t love a thick slice of this one. The sweet tart cranberries are a nice contrast with the velvety smooth cake. This Sugared Cranberry Pound Cake is a pretty, festive cake and sure to be a favorite on your holiday dessert table.

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Sugared Cranberry Pound Cake

Ingredients

Sugared Cranberries

• 2 cups cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar

Pound Cake

• 2 cups sugared cranberries recipe above
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter at room temperature
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
• Optional: 2 tablespoons of coarse sparkling white sugar

Instructions

Sugared Cranberries

• In small saucepan, stir together 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups water.
• Heat over medium heat until mixture is just simmering.
• Remove from heat.
• Drop in a test cranberry. If it pops, mixture is too hot.
• If not, add in the rest of the cranberries and marinate in the simple syrup for several hours.
• Drain and set aside simple syrup for another use.

Pound Cake

• Grease and flour a 10" tube pan. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Toss drained, marinated cranberries in 1/4 cup of the flour. Set aside.
• In a small mixing bowl, stir remaining 2 3/4 cups flour with salt and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
• Add in eggs one at at time, beating well after each addition.
• Add in almond extract and beat until fluffy.
• Fold dry ingredients into batter until well- blended.
• Gently stir in floured cranberries.
• Spoon batter into prepared pan.
• Optional: sprinkle with coarse, sparkling white sugar
• Bake for 60-75 minutes at 325° until cake is golden and cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool for 30 minutes, then loosen all edges of cake from tube pan with a sharp knife before turning out onto a cake platter.

Notes

I didn't roll my steeped cranberries in extra sugar for this recipe because there is plenty of sugar in the pound cake itself. If you roll your cranberries in sugar, I would omit the step of tossing the cranberries in 1/4 cup flour before folding them into the cake batter. (I also recommend using the full 3 cups of flour in this recipe.)

You may also like: Famous Brick Street Chocolate Cake

The post Sugared Cranberry Pound Cake appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake w/Maple Praline Pecan Glaze. Creamy spiced pumpkin cheesecake with a hint of maple syrup, smothered in buttery maple praline pecan sauce! This award-winning pumpkin cheesecake is for all the cheesecake lovers!

Autumn is one of my favorite seasons. I love the crisp in the air. The spectacular foliage display. All the signature fall flavors like apple, pumpkin spice, gingerbread and maple syrup.

I also love the beach in the fall. (Is that weird?)

Several years ago we spent Columbus Day weekend at my sister-in-law’s beach house just over the NH border at Old Salisbury Beach. So what’s to love about the beach in fall? Everything. Crisp cool ocean air. Gusty winds.

Miles and miles of deserted beaches to stroll. Ooey gooey s’mores by a flaming fire pit at sunset. Jeans, heavy sweatshirts, cabled scarves and chunky hand-knit wool hats.

Fall beach is definitely a different experience than summer beach, but it’s always an adventure. And breathe easy folks: I’m not one of those crazy New Englanders out swimming in the ocean in October. (You know who you are. Ha ha.)

I KNOW these people, they are my friends and neighbors! (And I dearly love them.) But you won’t catch me out in ocean water past mid-September. (Unless I’m in Bermuda. Donations accepted, TIA.)

When October and November arrive, I’m content to bundle up and savor the ocean waters from the sandy shore. With my eyes and not my toes. You’ll also find me indoors baking up a storm.

Last week I was experimenting with this delicious Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe from Maple Grove Farms in St. Johnsbury, VT. We had a Sunday potluck after church and I signed up to bring a fall dessert.

I discovered this gem of a recipe in an official Vermont Maple Syrup leaflet last time we were apple picking in Vermont. So I tweaked it a bit and now I’m sharing it with you.

This Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake got a lot of attention! In fact, it went so fast I only got a tiny sliver.

The pumpkin and maple syrup combine with the warm fall spices of cinnamon and nutmeg making this the creamiest fall cheesecake ever. The cheesecake is delicious on its own. But the maple praline pecan glaze is a crowning touch and takes it to the next level!

The praline glaze is also a delicious treat spooned over ice cream or pound cake! The sauce comes together quickly on the stovetop in about 15 minutes, mostly hands-off time.

The simple graham cracker crust is no-bake and the cheesecake batter is easy to whip together. I baked this cheesecake in a hot water bath in my oven so the top wouldn’t crack. (And it didn’t. So yay, success!)

You’ll love how simple and elegant this cheesecake is. It’s really a perfect dessert for Thanksgiving too. It’s a showstopper for sure and I can’t wait to make it again!

Here are more maple pumpkin treats you may enjoy: Maple Pumpkin Spice Tea Latte, Maple Pumpkin Butter, Maple Pumpkin Monkey Bread and Cheesecake Maple Pumpkin Dip.

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Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake w/Maple Pecan Praline Glaze

Ingredients

Cheesecake

• 1/4 cup butter melted
• 1 1/4 cups graham crackers crumbs the crumbs from approx. 1 sleeve of graham crackers
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese softened
• 1 - 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 - 16 ounce can pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Maple Pecan Praline Glaze

• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

Cheesecake

• Combine melted butter, graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a small bowl.
• Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan.
• Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.
• Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
• At lower speed, beat in maple syrup, canned pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until combined.
• Pour cream cheese batter into prepared pan.
• Place cheesecake pan in another baking pan (with sides) that is larger than the cheesecake pan.
• Pour hot water into the outer pan around the cheesecake, until it's about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
• Bake at 300° for one hour and 15 minutes or until center is set (but likely still soft.)
• Cool completely, then refrigerate for 6-8 hours before serving.

Maple Pecan Praline Glaze

• In a small sauce pan, combine 3/4 cup maple syrup and 1 cup whipping cream.
• Bring to a boil.
• Boil rapidly 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Cool completely.
• Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
• Pour glaze over entire cheesecake and cascade down the sides, or pour from a pitcher onto each individual slice when serving.
• This glaze is also delicious on ice cream and pound cake.

You may also like: Pumpkin Spice Sugared Pecans

The post Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake w/Maple Praline Pecan Glaze appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

If you’ve ever wondered How to Make Chocolate Whipped Cream, today’s the big day! Real, fresh whipping cream is combined with instant chocolate pudding mix to create a stabilized Chocolate Whipped Cream that’s excellent for pies, trifles, cakes and more. This easy to make recipe comes together in about 5 minutes.

There’s lots o’ drama in my kitchen today. And I’m not talking the he said she said. I’m talking the best kind…culinary drama!

I’m having a ball piling up chocolate whipped cream onto the homemade cupcakes I just baked and snapping pics as I go. Different strokes for different folks, eh? Ha ha.

I’ve always wanted to whip up some Chocolate Whipped Cream for use in trifles, on cupcakes and as a hot chocolate topper in the cooler months.

If you love regular whipped cream, you’ll adore this easy chocolate flavored whipped cream.

The neat thing about whipping cream is that it doubles in volume once it’s whipped. So if you’re needing two cups of whipped cream, you only need one cup of heavy whipping cream or heavy cream.

This recipe makes 2 cups of chocolate whipped cream, which is enough for  8-10 generous dollops on pie slices or hot chocolate.

Sprinkle in the instant chocolate pudding mix just as the beaters start leaving a trail…

I got the idea to add instant pudding mix to whipped cream from a reader, who makes my regular stabilized whipped cream recipe often and told me how she makes other flavored whipped creams. This recipe works well with various flavors of instant pudding, not just chocolate.

Tips for Making Chocolate Whipped Cream:

• Chill your bowl and beater(s) for 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator.
• Make sure your heavy whipping cream is cold, right from the refrigerator.
• Use 1 cup of liquid heavy whipping cream (or heavy cream) for every 2 cups of whipped cream needed.
• Don’t panic if you only have heavy cream in the house. Both heavy whipping cream and heavy cream will work to make whipped cream.
• Use this chocolate whipped cream immediately after whipping. The whipped cream will set its shape in a short time, because there’s gelatin in the instant pudding mix. So make the whipped cream, then use it in your cakes, pies and trifles. Or dollop onto pie, cup cakes or hot chocolate.
• Refrigerate leftovers promptly.

If you like Chocolate Whipped Cream, try these other great whipped cream recipes: White Chocolate Ganache Whipped Cream, Peanut Butter Whipped Cream and Starbucks Coffee Whipped Cream.

Print

How to Make Chocolate Whipped Cream

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
• 3 tablespoons instant chocolate pudding mix

Instructions

• Place metal bowl and beaters in refrigerator to chill for 10-15 minutes.
• Pour heavy whipping cream into chilled bowl.
• With electric or electric stand mixer, whip until beaters are just starting to leave a trail.
• Sprinkle in instant chocolate pudding mix.
• Continue whipping, just until soft peaks form.
• This whipping cream will be stabilized, meaning it will hold its form.
• (There is gelatin in the instant pudding mix.)
• So once it's whipped up, you'll want to use it immediately, dolloping on a pie, trifle, hot chocolate, cupcakes etc.
• It will stay in the shape you put it, and have a harder consistency than traditional whipped cream.
• It will also hold up better in between cake layers, as frosting, in trifles etc.
• Desserts using Chocolate Whipped Cream should be refrigerated, as should leftovers. If you're lucky enough to have any.

You may also like: How to Make Sweet Stabilized Stiff Whipped Cream

The post How to Make Chocolate Whipped Cream appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

If you love lemons and you love pound cake, this Famous Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake recipe is calling your name! This old-fashioned pound cake is as popular today as it was in the 1920s. Make it yourself to see why!

Jump to Recipe

Homemade Lemon Pound Cake

I love an excellent pound cake. Moist and dense, it cuts cleanly. It must be all the butter! (Can one go wrong with butter?) It goes perfectly well  served alongside a scoop of vanilla or dulce de leche ice cream, whipped cream, and lemon curd. 

I am a big fan of pound cakes and made several other pound cake recipes. I like to make them as the seasons change so I can use different seasonal fruits: Blueberry Pound Cake, Glazed Lemon, and Sugared Cranberry. Each is unique and I don’t like playing favorites. But if you ask me today, this Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake is one of the greats.

What Is Pound Cake, Exactly?

It would seem like the amount of heavy, wet ingredients in this cake — like the 5 eggs, milk, and cup and a half of butter and vegetable shortening — would weigh it down or cause it not to rise. However, something magical happens in the baking process that results in a fluffy cake with a fine crumb that melts in your mouth with each bite!

What Makes This Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake Recipe Famous?

The recipe for this 1920 Famous Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake recipe has been floating around the internet for years. I love that the recipe is simple. But the first time I made this 1920 Famous Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake Recipe, I somehow doubled the shortening. I didn’t even realize about the extra half cup of shortening until my kitchen started filling with smoke about halfway through the baking time. The excess oil seeped out of the tube pan, burning on the bottom of the oven. So, do as I say (and not as I did!).

I like to drizzle this Lemon Pound Cake with fresh lemon slices and mint, but a powdered sugar glaze, fresh berries, lemon curd, freshly whipped cream or even vanilla ice cream would also be delicious! This Lemon Pound Cake recipe is a classic dessert that’s super easy to make for any occasion. It’s perfect for get-togethers with family and friends, holidays (especially Easter and Christmas), and birthdays!

Key Ingredients

• Butter + Shortening: You’ll need one cup of butter and half a cup of vegetable shortening for this recipe. The butter adds a ton of rich flavor and beautiful yellow color to the pound cake. And the shortening hels the top get crisp and gives this pound cake it signature dense crumb.
• Sugar: Use white, granulated sugar for this recipe. It creams well with the butter for a light, fluffy texture. And it won’t change the color of the cake like brown sugar would.
• Eggs: True to its name, you’ll need 5 eggs for this pound cake recipe. Add them one at a time to make sure they’re incorporated into the batter.
• Dry Ingredients: Whisk or sift together your all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate before adding to the batter. 
• Cake Flour: Cake flour inherently contains less protein than all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour, which means less gluten formation and a bouncier sponge cake texture. It also contains the leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder, as well as salt.
• Heavy Whipped Cream: Just half of a cup keeps this pound cake moist with a fine crumb, and keeps it from drying out.
• Lemon Zest + Lemon Juice: You’ll need both fresh lemon zest and juice for this Lemon Pound Cake recipe. Make sure to wash your lemons well and roll them on the counter before zesting and juicing. This ensures that you’ll get the most juice from your lemons.
• Whole Milk: Alternate one cup of whole milk, or a half cup of milk plus a half cup of heavy whipping cream (or just a cup of half-and-half) with the dry ingredients, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
• Garnish: Decorate your Ritz Carlton Pound Cake with thin lemon slices, fresh mint leaves, and/or a powdered sugar glaze made from whisking together milk or heavy cream, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.

How To Make the Best Lemon Pound Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF, and prepare your tube pan or bundt pan by greasing with butter or shortening and dusting with flour to prevent the pound cake from sticking.
2. Next, in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached, cream your room temperature unsalted butter with the shortening and sugar until creamy and smooth. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything can get nicely incorporated.
3. Next, it’s time to add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. (Pro tip: you always want to start with the dry ingredients and end with the dry ingredients when alternating with the wet ingredients.) Mix just until combined after each addition. It’s OK to see some streaks of flour.
4. Remove the mixing bowl from the stand mixer, and gently (but thoroughly) fold in the lemon juice and lemon zest by hand with a spatula.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well until incorporated after each addition.
6. Pour the batter into a previously greased pan, and bake anywhere from 55-70 minutes or until the cake gets golden brown on the top. Leave the cake to cool in the pan for few minutes. Then, gently separate the cake from the pan and transfer the cake on a rack.
7. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting the pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Garnish with mint and lemon, serve by the slice, and enjoy!

Tips for Making the Best Lemon Pound Cake

• Measure all the ingredients carefully beforehand, and have them at room temperature — especially the butter and eggs in this case — to prevent lumps.
• For a tender cake, don’t over-mix the batter. Mix on low speed and until ingredients are just incorporated.
• Bake on your middle oven rack, and start checking at the 55-minute mark, but if the top isn’t even golden brown, don’t open your oven yet. (Opening and closing the oven to check a cake before it’s done causes it to fall.)
• Grease and flour a bundt pan or tube cake pan so that the cake doesn’t stick to the sides. A tube cake pan has two pieces which makes it simple to remove the cake.
• Cool the cake before removing it from the pan. Gently loosen the sides with a knife, then lift out the middle piece. Run your knife around the center tube and between the bottom of the cake to loosen.

More Cake Recipes To Try

• Sugared Cranberry Pound Cake
• Candied Lemon Cheese Cake
• Brick Street Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Cupcakes
• Lemon Pound Cake
• Blueberry Pound Cake
• Candied Lemon Cheesecake

Print

1920 Famous Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

If you love lemons and you love pound cake, this 1920 Famous Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake recipe is calling your name! This dense, old-fashioned buttery lemon pound cake was a hit at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in the 1920s, and it's still popular today.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup shortening at room temperature
• 5 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk or 1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 6 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour a tube pan (angel food cake pan) or Bundt pan. Set aside.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Using an electric or stand mixer, cream together butter, shortening and sugar.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one.
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Add dry ingredients in three additions to butter mixture alternately with half of the milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.
• Gently stir in lemon juice and zest.
• Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake cake in 350° oven until cake is golden on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, 55 - 70 minutes. (Start checking at the 55 minute mark.)
• Be careful not to open the oven if you don't think it's finished baking. (Opening the oven prematurely could cause the cake to fall.)
• Cool cake in pan.
• Using a sharp knife, gently separate cake from cake pan edges wherever you can, including around the center tube.
• Turn cake out onto rack.
• Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a spoonful of lemon curd.

The post Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake Recipe appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

A generous slice of this Glazed Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake is especially scrumptious accompanied by a tall glass of fresh squeezed lemonade with a sprig of mint. Tender, buttery, dense lemon pound cake is studded with fresh, juicy blueberries for the perfect summer combo.

This recipe uses lemon extract in the cake and lemon juice in the glaze, for a great lemon pop. I’ve posted several lemon recipes back to back this spring because I love lemon in the springtime and summer so much. Lemons on the brain.

For me, baking with fresh lemons signals sunshine and warmth. And the daffodils in my front yard are just about to pop! When spring finally arrives here in New Hampshire and the bright green shoots are poking up, it’s time to bake something special to celebrate.

It was a long winter here and I didn’t do much baking. It wasn’t just the snowy weather (read: blizzards) that hit us hard in March.

There was also a lot of sickness in the house (flu, mono, colds, you name it) and big changes in routine and therapies for Hudson, our littlest guy with DS and autism. (Transitions are tough on him.) And then there was that kitchen reno that kept us busy in February and March! Six weeks without an oven will slow down any cake baking production for sure! LOL.

So I’m extra thankful to be through that rough patch of the year with sickness and construction. Today I’m celebrating our new kitchen and spring’s arrival by baking this buttery pound cake that pops with delicious lemon flavor and blueberries.

I prefer using fresh blueberries in this cake, but frozen will do in a pinch. Flouring the berries and folding them in very gently keeps the cake batter from turning blue. If you do use frozen, I suggest thawing and draining the berries first before flouring them.

So why flour the blueberries anyway? Well, it’s just a little culinary genius I think. (Not mine mind you.) Some baking guru along the way discovered that if you flour berries before adding them to a recipe, it keeps them evenly distributed in the batter during baking and prevents them from sinking to the bottom.

I’m not sure all the science behind it, seeing as I’m not exactly a scientist. (I never even memorized the periodic table in high school. Oops.) But flouring the berries does seem to help. So don’t forget! 

Another interesting fact about this Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake recipe is that it doesn’t use lemon juice for that wonderful lemon flavor pop. We’re using lemon extract instead. Not lemon oil. Lemon oil has a stronger, intense flavor that would be overwhelming in this pound cake.

And lemon juice is acidic and it would take a ton of lemon juice to flavor this cake adequately. The acidity of the lemon juice could also affect the rise.

So lemon extract it is, and you can find pure lemon extract in the baking aisle with other baking extracts like vanilla. And save the fresh squeezed lemon juice for the simple glaze.

I must tell you, the fabulous aroma of this cake baking in my kitchen right now is over the top incredible. I’m just about to pull it out of the oven now. It’s golden brown and smells of buttery lemon cake. I’m already thinking about who to share this cake with, because it’s pretty obvious I absolutely should not be left alone with it. Accountability is always good, especially when it comes to pound cake.

This is the two piece 10″ tube cake pan I used to bake this cake. Happy baking!

Tips on making this Glazed Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake:

• Grease and flour your tube cake pan.
• A two piece, 10″ tube pan works well for this cake.
• Wash and drain the berries first, then flour them with 1/4 cup of the flour.
• Be sure to hand mix in the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. This keeps the batter from getting over-mixed, which produces a tough cake.
• Also be sure to very gently mix in the floured blueberries at the end. This keeps the berries from breaking open and turning your cake batter blue with blueberry juice. (Maybe you want a blue cake, and if so disregard what I just said.) But I prefer a light lemon colored cake studded with blueberries – for contrast.
• If you want to bake this in your convection oven, just drop the temperature down to 300°.  You might have to cook it a little longer though. (I did.)
• The glaze is super easy to make – just whisk together the lemon juice and powdered sugar and drizzle over the cooled cake.

Print

Lemon Glazed Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 pint fresh blueberries washed and drained
• 3 cups all purpose flour divided
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 cups white granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract
• optional: 1 tablespoon sparkling white sugar or turbinado sugar

Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

Cake:

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Toss washed, drained blueberries with 1/4 cup of flour and set aside.
• In a small mixing bowl, sift remaining 2 3/4 cups flour with baking powder and salt and set aside.
• Separately in large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together with an electric hand or stand mixer.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add lemon extract and beat until fluffy.
• Fold flour mixture (by hand) into batter until well blended.
• Gently stir in blueberries, being careful not to smash berries.
• The batter will be very thick.
• Spoon batter into greased and floured 10" tube cake pan.
• Optional: Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sparkling white or turbinado sugar.
• Bake one hour and 15 minutes at 325° or longer, until cake is golden brown and tests done with a cake tester or toothpick.
• Cool cake in tube pan for 10 minutes.
• Use a sharp knife to carefully separate cake from the edges of the pan and around the tube in the middle.
• (If it's a 2-piece tube pan you're using - also use the knife to separate the cake from the bottom of the pan.)
• Carefully remove the cake from pan and cool on a baking rack.

Glaze:

• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice. Add more lemon juice if you want a thinner glaze.
• Drizzle glaze over cooled cake with a small spoon.

Notes

If using frozen blueberries, thaw and drain first.

You may also like: Lemon Curd Easy Thumbprint Cookies

The post Glazed Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Hi friends! Here we are, on the very cusp of 2108. Happy New Year! 2017 was a remarkable year for me personally and also on the blog. And across the world too. It hardly seems possible the New Year is finally here, but I’m SO glad it is!

We just got back from a few days up in the tundra of Quebec City over New Year’s weekend. The Northeast is experiencing a cold snap right now, and -24 on the thermometer in Quebec City was beyond frigid. I’m thankful to still have a nose!

And so, without further ado…. here’s the countdown of your top favorite recipes here in 2017!

#10 Authentic Italian Ricotta Pie

Creamy and delicious, this ricotta pie is an authentic recipe from the old country. This pie has a lighter texture than cheesecake. Some add rice to Italian Ricotta Pie, but this recipe doesn’t. This scrumptious pie is not overly sweet, and is traditionally savored on Easter. But perfect for any special occasion.

#9 Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins

Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins continue to be popular here. What’s not to love? Moist, bakery-style muffins studded with blueberries and topped with crunch bakery sugar. This is an old New England recipe from the days of the Jordan Marsh department stores in Boston.

#8 Peanut Butter & Chocolate Acorns

These cute little Peanut Butter & Chocolate Acorns will have all your little squirrels rushing right over to help! These are a fun project do with the kids or grandkids, fast and easy! Many of you made these for Thanksgiving favors this year. (Me too!)

#7 Cinnamon Streusel Apple Coffee Cake

This Cinnamon Streusel Apple Coffee Cake is a new recipe on the blog this year and I guess you really loved it! My kids love the thick streusel topping. Apples are so good in coffee cake! The inspiration for this cake came following a family apple picking adventure in Vermont.

#6 Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

This light and creamy Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting is out of this world good with the vanilla bean specks! (Use vanilla bean paste you buy in the baking section near the vanilla extract.) Everything’s more delicious with vanilla beans, especially frosting for cake and cupcakes!

#5 Grilled Corn, Basil and Tomato Salad

You all (note I did not say ya’ll, despite my many years living in the south!) enjoyed this Grilled Corn, Basil and Tomato Salad so much this past summer!!! That salty feta with the grilled corn, fresh basil and ripe garden tomatoes is the best combination on the planet. I think we made it weekly this past summer with freshly picked New England corn. Summer can’t come soon enough!

#4 Ultimate Three Cheese Gruyere Mac and Cheese

Creamy Mac and Cheese with Gruyere (and cheddar and dry jack!) is incredible. We like this as a main dish with a leafy green salad. In fact, I’m making it at our house tonight, by popular request!

#3 How to make Sweet, Stiff Whipped Cream

I was surprised that Sweet Stiff Whipped Cream landed as #3. But it’s so easy to make and it helps all those spectacular desserts using whipped cream to STAY spectacular. No more trifles that fall. This easy recipe for stiff whipped cream keeps pies, cakes and other desserts extraordinaire looking their best for days.

#2 Jordan Pond House Best Popover Recipe

These Jordan Pond House Popovers are the bomb, especially piping hot from the oven, slathered in butter. We discovered them when we visited The Jordan Pond House in Acadia National Park (Maine) a few summers ago. These are known regionally as the best popovers in all of New England, hope you try them this year! (Charlie and I made them over Christmas vacation.)

#1 Famous Brick Street Chocolate Cake

And last but not least…. the Famous Brick Street Chocolate Cake was #1.  I’m so glad you love chocolate as much as I do, we can be good friends. (Chocolate should be listed as one of the superfoods.) Seriously, this is one of the best chocolate cake recipes on the planet. If you haven’t already, you gotta try the Brick Street Chocolate Cake in 2018! It’s the perfect dessert centerpiece for Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas. And any other grand occasion.

Thanks for being such awesome readers and friends, providing great feedback throughout the year with your thoughtful comments, suggestions, shares and pins! I look forward to sharing many new recipes and ideas in the coming year.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful year of health, joy and peace in 2018! Cheers!!!

Allie XOXO

The post Reader Favorite Recipes of 2017 appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.