ZoëBakes

Lemon Champagne Mint Cocktails turned into Granita!

A couple weeks ago I mentioned on my Twitter page that I was competing with my neighbor in a cocktail pour-off. I couldn’t share my recipe then, because spying eyes from across the lawn could not be trusted. Truth be told, I was in over my head on this one and needed […]

Berry Cobbler with Cheddar Biscuits

This mixed berry cobbler is perfect for summer BBQs. I recommend using fresh berries if you can, but frozen will do just fine, too. My recipe features cheddar biscuits for a fun twist on a classic treat. I have to admit this recipe was an accident, a happy one, but […]

Coconut Caramel Cake – Not Quite German!

This is a “German Chocolate Cake,” but instead of the layers of chocolate cake I used a coconut sponge to create Coconut Caramel Cake. For the longest time I thought the original version was invented in Germany, hence the name. But, it was actually discovered in Dallas, Texas around 1957. […]

How to Pipe Icing Roses

I baked this spring bouquet of cupcakes for my Weekend Baker post on the Cooking Channel blog. I was limited in space in that post, and wanted to go into a bit lot more detail on how to pipe the icing roses, so I am sharing the expanded version here. […]

Cassata – Sicilian Ricotta Cake with Pistachio Marzipan

This cake makes me think of sitting on the porch swing in my Italian grandmother’s lanai. It was about 1973 and I would have been 6 years old and eating something sweet and spring-like. She had hanging baskets of flowers dangling from the ceiling from elaborately woven macramé; in shades of […]

Waffle Bread Pudding with strawberries and whipped cream

Waffle Bread Pudding with Strawberry Sauce

This waffle bread pudding recipe is the perfect way to use up leftover waffles that have dried out a bit. Top it with strawberry sauce for a simple and delicious homemade dessert from what you have on hand. I’m not sure if it is nature of nurture, but I am […]

Chocolate Praline Cheesecake | ZoëBakes | Photo by Zoë François

Chocolate Glazed Praline Cheesecake with Candied Hazelnuts

There are certain things that happen in a professional kitchen that strike me as magic. They seem unmanageably gorgeous and too difficult to attempt at home, but usually with a bit of guidance anyone can do it. These hazelnut candies are on the list. They look like delicate jewels, standing impossibly tall […]

Valentine Cookies

These Valentine cookies are not only pretty, but most importantly they are delicious. They are made of a lemon shortbread and decorated with a lemon icing. Often these stylized cookies give way to aesthetics and forget that the flavor still rules supreme. These are both tasty and gorgeous! Order my new cookbook, […]

Pear Galette from The Salty Tart!

I met Michelle Gayer’s desserts many years before I ever met her. When I was still a pastry assistant I came to work with Charlie Trotter’s Desserts, which Michelle wrote while she was the pastry chef at Trotter’s, and convinced the team to make everything out of it. Her style […]

American Masala’s Sticky Toffee Cake!

My ideal day consists of walking around NYC, eating oysters, going to museums to see great quantities of art and then finishing with an incredible meal. This is precisely what I did with my family during our trip last month. My boys were fine until about hour 3 at the […]

Almond Chiffon Cake

There are several perks to writing a food blog, the best being the excuse to have delicious cakes, like this almond chiffon cake, in the house at all times. The only person who has an issue with this is my personal trainer, but I just remind him what job security […]

Chocolate Blackout Cake + How to Frost a Cake Video

Over the holiday break I traveled with my family to Brooklyn to visit my mother. A little respite from the winter wonderland of Minneapolis. I packed all my on-the-town shoes, in varying degrees of heels for walking through museums, dining out and seeing shows. My husband checked and rechecked the […]