eat dessert first
I am obsessed with cake. So much so, that I wrote a whole book on it. If you’d like more of my cake recipes, check out my book, Zoë Bakes Cakes! Looking for video tutorials? Check out my Cake Basics series on YouTube! You’ll learn how to trim and slice, how to fill a layer cake, how to crumb coat and how to decorate!
Baked Alaska is one of my favorite desserts. It combines a few of my favorite things: ice cream, meringue and a blow torch 😉! A traditional Baked Alaska is simple and elegant, and you can customize yours with all kinds of flavors. Here, you’ll learn how to make traditional Baked […]
In 1998 I sat next to Rose Levy Beranbaum on a panel of bakers at a Barnes & Noble for a “Celebrity Cook Book Club.” I was freshly out of culinary school and working as a pastry chef at a fine dining restaurant. I was neither a “celebrity” nor a […]
I shouldn’t have favorites, but, really, I’d eat this Cream Cheese Frosting on just about anything, including toast. It’s just the right amount of sweet, without being cloying, so it goes perfectly with super-rich Chocolate Devil’s Food Cake, Ultimate Carrot Cake or Hummingbird Cake. You can even pair it with […]
Tiramisu is a dessert I first tasted in Little Italy in New York City, when I was a kid in the 1970s. At the time, I felt as if I was getting away with something a little scandalous because of the coffee-and-booze-soaked cake; it all seemed so grown-up and sophisticated.
Inspired by my travels to Ireland, this Guinness Chocolate Cake is a perfect recipe for St. Patrick’s Day. Jump to the recipe below, or read on to discover some of my favorite This Guinness Chocolate Stout Cake with White Knight Buttercream based on recipes from Zoë Bakes Cakes, was inspired […]
This cherry chocolate cake is perfect for Valentine’s Day (or any other time, really). The Black Forest cake is moist and delicious, and the cherries add sweetness and elegance. This is a very tossed-together Black Forest Cake, or, as I like to say, when I am too lazy to bring […]
A Christmas Croquembouche seems like the perfect way to celebrate this holiday season. Cream puffs held together by swirls of delicate caramel make for a gorgeous, festive display. More Holiday Recipes
Bûche de Noël is a fun, festive cake resembling a holiday yule log. It’s a beautiful cake that’s perfect as a Christmas dessert. This is a classic French dessert that is served at Christmas time. Bûche de Noël translates as the “Christmas Log” and is meant to look like the […]
This spice cake is a beautiful fall recipe. The cranberry filling, spices and gorgeous look makes this cake right at home on a Thanksgiving or holiday dessert table. As the temperature turns chilly and the holiday season nears, it makes me crave all the warm spices. This cake is adapted from my Zoë […]
This pear and ginger cake features cozy fall flavors with the natural sweetness of Bosc pears for a tasty treat perfect for Thanksgiving or the holiday season. More Fall Recipes
With its moist texture, soft crumb and depth of apple flavor, this apple bundt cake is perfect for any occasion. I like to use a variety of apples in this cake such as Honey Gold, MacIntosh, Haralson and Prairie Spy. Drizzle with a simple honey cider glaze and serve. I […]
This recipe features three components—coconut cake, pastry cream and milk chocolate mascarpone frosting—from Zoë Bakes Cakes assembled together in a magical new way. That’s the fun of having a repertoire of recipes that you can mix and match, there are endless ways to create deliciousness. The tender, rich coconut cake […]