Spring is moving into summer, which means it’s time to break out the grills, burgers and, most importantly, blue cheese! That’s why today I’m partnering with Castello for a Summer of Blue, a celebration of sweet, salty and tangy blue cheese recipes that’ll have your mouth watering throughout the summer.
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Cherry Glazed Chocolate Donut Holes are just what you need to wake up to tomorrow morning. They are crispy on the outside but moist and dense on the inside, with a cherry glaze that brings a subtle sweetness and tangy flavor!
Well good morning gorgeous! Who wants some poppable donut holes for breakfast this morning?
My sweet tooth is insatiable in the morning. I would choose cherry glazed chocolate donut holes over biscuits and gravy time and time again. Something about that sugar kick just gets my day started on the right foot; so much more preferable than savory breakfasts, amIright? [Read more…]
Unplugging from everything is apparently impossible for me. I had every intention of doing so yesterday, but despite my grand plans, I was plugging in as soon as I got out of bed. At least I got some much-needed sleep!
I’ll have to work on my disconnecting/relaxation at some point… [Read more…]
Now that I have one Indian cooking class under my belt, I have to admit I am much more confident than I once was in recreating classic Indian flavors at home. I used to be somewhat overwhelmed by the idea of making my own curry powder, but when it comes down to it, it isn’t as complicated as you would think.
These roasted curry potatoes utilize a simplified version of a curry that I adapted from a cookbook I have called Sauces by James Peterson (an awesome book by the way!). [Read more…]
I don’t think I could live without tacos in my life for more than a couple of weeks. Initially my affinity for tacos started as another way to eat guacamole (not that I ever get tired of chips and guacamole). Now it has morphed into a love for all types of tacos, really anything I can get my hands on.
Even when I am undecided and don’t know what I want to eat, if someone offers me tacos, I’ll always say YES. [Read more…]
It’s Moscow mule season in my house again. I love whipping out the copper mugs, cleaning them until they gleam, then filling them with the ginger goodness that is a Moscow mule.
I am sincerely looking forward to a large one of these when I get home from my travels on Friday night.
It’s been quite a whirlwind of travel over the past two weeks and after one more trip, I can look forward to being home for a while.
There’s nothing like traveling for a couple of weeks on back-to-back trips to remind you exactly how much you love sleeping in your own bed! [Read more…]
Lemon Raspberry Filled Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting are the burst of fresh citrus and fruit to take your cupcake game to the next level. With rich white chocolate buttercream on top, there’s no other cupcake you’ll crave more!
I am SO excited to share this recipe with you all today! And I swear, it’s not just because I made cupcakes that actually turned out well. 🙂
Ok if I am being completely honest, it’s partially because of that.
I am literally the worst cake decorator in the entire world and the fact that these actually look cute is a huge win for me!
Lemon and raspberry is such a classic combination and I have wanted to put them together in a cupcake for a long time. Lemon desserts are just the best, aren’t they?
I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that I LOVE filling my cupcakes with something. I love that surprise you get once you bite into a filled cupcake and discover there’s an extra flavor in there!
It’s another way to amp up the flavor and it never fails to bring a smile to people’s faces. The lemon flavor in the cupcakes is a burst of sunshine in your mouth.
Though cupcakes can seem daunting, straightforward cupcake recipes like the one below are easy to master.
The best advice I can give anyone who is afraid of baking is, measure out all your ingredients ahead of time.
Then, as you follow the instructions, that little panic feeling won’t start rising in your throat as you furiously try to scroll up to see the measurement, then back down to pick up where you left off with the recipe.
Funny story about mise en place and these lemon raspberry filled cupcakes…
Went to the refrigerator and discovered we had heavy cream instead of buttermilk when I was halfway through the recipe (I really should listen to my own advice…)!
Instead of venture out into the rain this weekend to buy buttermilk, I made buttermilk.
Like old-fashioned, churn by hand buttermilk.
Did you know you can just fill a mason jar about halfway with heavy cream, seal it and shake it for about 10 minutes and you’ll end up not only with buttermilk, but also fresh butter?! *mind blown*
Now I have cupcakes AND fresh butter. #winwinwin
These cupcakes have just the right amount of lemon in the moist cake to let the raspberry filling shine.
The white chocolate buttercream cuts through the acidity and will have you swooning in no time.
Ignore my attempt at frosting cupcakes. I don’t have the touch of a true cake decorator, no matter how hard I try…
I am 100% sure you will be able to do a better job with all those Pinterest guides out in the world!
Honestly, my personal favorite are these fox cupcakes. This tutorial walks you through how to create the most adorable little characters on top!
flour. All you need for this recipe is all-purpose flour. Be sure to sift it before using it in the cupcake batter.
leavening agents. You will need both baking powder and baking soda.
salt. All you need is kosher fine salt for the cupcake batter and white chocolate frosting.
butter. Use unsalted butter in the recipe! If you use salted butter, be sure to omit the salt called for in the cupcake batter and frosting.
sugar. We use granulated sugar for both the cupcakes and the filling.
eggs. Large eggs are always best for baking!
buttermilk. Buttermilk makes the cupcakes super moist and fluffy.
vanilla extract. High-quality vanilla extract is a must for baking. You can easily make you own homemade vanilla extract or you can also use this Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract from Nielsen Massey.
lemon. Fresh lemon juice and zest give the cupcakes all their lemony flavor!
raspberries. The raspberry filling tastes best when you use fresh raspberries.
cornstarch. Cornstarch is used to thicken the raspberry filling.
powdered sugar. Also known as confectioner’s sugar, this is used to sweeten the frosting.
white chocolate. Melted white chocolate gives the frosting such a lovely chocolate flavor!
milk. Milk helps to thin out the frosting so it is easy to pipe on the cupcakes.
For bakeware, I prefer to use this cupcake pan – it’s lasted me for years!
To make the raspberry filling, you will need a saucepan and a wooden spoon.
For the cupcakes, have you stand mixer (or electric mixer), medium bowl, and whisk ready! A wire rack for cooling the cupcakes is ideal to get them to room temperature quickly for frosting.
You will also need cupcake decorating icing tips and disposable decorating bags to decorate your cupcakes however you would like.
change up the filling. You can easily change up the filling by using lemon curd instead of raspberry filling.
add lemon to the frosting. Want some more lemon flavor? Add lemon zest to the frosting too!
use a different frosting. Champagne cream cheese frosting or lemon buttercream frosting are great alternatives to use in this recipe.
Store. Place in an airtight container and store either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. The cupcakes will last in the fridge up to 1 week, and at room temperature up to 3 days.
Finally, if you make this lemon cupcakes recipe, please be sure to give this recipe a star recipe rating on the recipe card and/or leave a comment! I love to hear when you all make recipes, and I do take the time to respond to every single comment.
Feel free to drop questions below too, if you have them!
Oh and be sure to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make the recipe! I love being able to see these recipes come to life in your homes – it’s my favorite thing to look through those photos. It really means the world to me!
When we were in Disney for our first night a couple of months ago, we stopped in for a couple margaritas in Downtown Disney at Paradiso 37. I randomly decided that I wanted to try their spicy margarita that featured habanero infused tequila. I distinctly remember getting a look like, are you completely insane? But I had to try it!
With the first sip, my lips were burning but I was surprisingly enough not coughing and sputtering with watering eyes like I was secretly dreading. The heat was definitely there, but mixed in with all the other flavors you really tasted the pepper itself and not just a burning ball of fire. [Read more…]
There was a moment this weekend where we almost had a fire pit in our backyard. However with the rain and snow we’ve gotten over the past week, it quickly turned into a smoking pit with teeny tiny flames that refused to catch (and no, the lighter fluid did nothing but create a 2 minute bonfire).
Thankfully I got one s’more out of the deal! [Read more…]
I told you I’d be bringing you more rhubarb, didn’t I? I have wanted to make this ice cream since last year when rhubarb season ended! The idea popped into my head just two weeks after the rhubarb disappeared at our store. Ugh, worst timing ever.
Now I fiiiiiiiiinally get to share it with you! [Read more…]
Orange Madeleine Mini Muffins have all the flavor of madeleine cookies, without the required cookie baking pan. You can make these light and fluffy treats in your mini muffin tray. The texture is fluffy on the inside, and crispy golden on the outside, just like the classic cookie!
I have wanted to make madeleine cookies for SO long, but without a madeleine pan, I felt silly even trying.
When I discovered that these perfectly moist cookies could be mastered with a mini muffin pan, you better believe I was all over that! [Read more…]
It’s been waaaaaaay too long since I brought the Nutella out – you know, other than gobbling it up by the spoonful with a big ol’ glass of wine… I got hooked on Nutella back when I lived in Rome, it literally became a primary food group for me along with pasta, cheese and (of course) wine.
No wonder I gained so much weight while I was over there. Though I have to say, it was worth every. single. pound. I mean Nutella and mini toasts for breakfast every day, plus a spoonful before bed (it’s like a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down… HA!).
There’s nothing that soothes my soul more than brown butter. Something about that nutty aroma and smooth taste make me feel like I am being wrapped in a giant warm blanket of love.
Springtime in Colorado is always a toss up. Some days it’s 70 degrees and blue skies, other days it’s 35 degrees and the snow is covering my tulips that are just starting to blossom. It can get a little crazy when you are trying to figure out what to wear, but it’s so uniquely Colorado and I love it. [Read more…]
I’m trashing up some deviled eggs for you today! I love a classic deviled egg, perfectly balanced with acid and mustard. Every bite is perfection…
But let’s be real, everything is better with bacon and cheese.
I have to tell you, I don’t do well with shots in general, at least straight shots of liquor. I used to think I could hold my liquor when it came to shots and learn many a time, absolutely not. Just, NO.
But cake in a shot? Sign. Me. Up. Cake in a shot might be the best idea (and only way) for me to enjoy shots from now on. [Read more…]
March Madness has been waiting for a snack like this…
I wish I could say I thought of this in an effort to give you the perfect snack food for the final rounds of NCAA March Madness, but I am not that into basketball (I’m a football girl!).
The idea for this unbelievably gorgeous mess of French fry nachos stems solely from a photo of French fries Julie from The Little Kitchen posted on Instagram.
Her favorite food? French fries. My favorite food? Guacamole. Put them together aaaaaaaand….
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Welcome to the new Cake ‘n Knife! What a change right?! Since the whole site is pretty much the coolest thing ever and there’s a bunch of new stuff, I wanted to take a second to show you around!
I’ve been waiting to do this site redesign for what feels like forever (reality, just a few months), but it was so worth waiting to have Lindsay from Purr Design create my new site. She is AWESOME and was so amazing to work with, despite my annoying questions and over sharing. Plus I spent time with her and Taylor in Disney and, wow, they are just the best couple ever. You know that couple that everyone wants to be? Yea, that’s totally them.
I can’t really decide where to start because there are so many new, exciting things! [Read more…]
I love a big glass of orangeade on a warm spring day! Especially when it’s a homemade boozy version, like this one right here.
This week has been a particularly long week. The days have been going by so slowly and the nights have been filled with preparations for the new site, so I am utterly exhausted. I feel just like I did after traveling for 5 weeks straight, except it’s only been a week and a half of go go go go! I don’t think I’ve been so excited about it being a Friday in a realllllly long time. It’s to the point where I could start singing that “It’s Friday, Friday, Friday, oh!” song and not completely cringe at myself. [Read more…]
You know when you want cheesecake but are too lazy to actually make a cheesecake? That’s exactly the moment that I thought up these bad boys.
I had all these leftover berries and wanted to turn them into a cheesecake, but had no patience to take the time to bake an entire cheesecake. Why not throw it in a crisp egg roll wrapper that would satisfy my craving within minutes versus hours?!
Cheesecake craving solved!
One thing everyone should know about me – guacamole is my favorite food. I mean, I love pasta and chocolate and cookies and, well, everything else come to think of it… But that one food that I can’t live without?
Oh yea, it’s definitely guacamole. [Read more…]
Waking up to a plateful of migas is the best feeling in the world. The scent of fresh cilantro and eggs, the bright and playful colors – it is a giant plate of sunshine, just waiting to be gobbled up.
March 17th is coming soon, which inevitably means March 18th will follow with a mean hangover for anyone who had a little too much fun celebrating the night before. You all know I am not a huge breakfast person, but after one too many glasses of wine the night before, I can always go for a big plate of something breakfast-y to help me feel normal again. [Read more…]
Guinness Braised Short Rib Sliders are the bomb dot com St. Patrick’s Day appetizer you will love to get down on. Simply cook up the meat in a slow cooker or pressure cooker, and all the work is done! They are great for serving up at a party, but I wouldn’t judge you if you hoard them all to yourself…
When I went to Ireland last summer, all I wanted to do was fly Kya over and stay there forever. I absolutely fell in love with the food, the people, the Guinness and Bulmers, and the fact that everything is SO GREEN.
I am still secretly hoping I can escape to a small fishing village with my family where Kya can herd sheep and I can open a tiny bakery… [Read more…]
This is the only way I will eat broccoli from now until forever. After too many meals of steamed broccoli, I’ll admit I was getting bored with the vegetable. The texture was becoming monotonous and I was feeling uninspired. On a particularly lazy evening after a too-long week, Ben was making dinner and decided to roast the broccoli.
As soon as I tried it, I was hooked. Even though it only had a little salt and pepper, the crispy texture and roasted flavor completely rocked my world and changed how I thought about the vegetable I once called boring. Isn’t it amazing how simply changing the way you cook something completely changes the whole dish? [Read more…]
Whenever I sit down to sip a cosmopolitan, I always get drawn back to those initial episodes of Sex and the City. I may have been too young to have enjoyed a cosmopolitan when I first starting watching the show with my mom, but that didn’t stop me from sipping on cranberry juice, pretending I was a young single woman in Manhattan.
I still wonder just how Carrie Bradshaw was able to go to glitzy restaurants, afford Gucci and Prada, and a gorgeous little studio apartment on a columnist’s budget… [Read more…]
