Each year, around this time, I start to make sure I use in-season cherries to make this simple and delicious Clafoutis. It’s not too sweet, the flavor of the cherries and the truly simple process ensure that this a recipe you’ll want to make over and over again!
Seriously – go to the grocery store, buy some cherries and make it now. Now! Most of the ingredients are things you probably already have in your cupboards, and cherries are in season for such a short time that a cherry clafoutis is a treat that’s only available a short time each year. Of course, you can try it with other fruit, and I’ll definitely be doing that in my house – perhaps blackberries or raspberries – yum yum!
Simple and Delicious Clafoutis, made with in-season cherries.
I bought the ingredients on Sunday and had an impromptu live on my Facebook page yesterday during my lunch hour. It’s that fast and simple!
The plate I used is Polish Stoneware – I have quite a collection and they actually have it available on Amazon.com! If you’re interested, click the image to the left and you’ll be directed right to this very plate! It truly is one of my favorites and always makes whatever is inside look awesome.
Without further ado, here’s the video of the live session! Enjoy and make this – I mean it – go and make it now!
Print Recipe
Clafoutis
Prep Time
5minutes
Cook Time
45minutes
Servings
slices
Ingredients
20ozCherriesFresh, Stemmed and Pitted
2tbspButterMelted
4eaEggsRoom Temp
1cupMilkWhole Milk, Room Temp
1/4tspSalt
1/2cupGranulated SugarYou'll need an additional 2 tbsp for dusting
1/2tspAlmond Extract
1/2tspVanilla
Powdered SugarJust enough for dusting!
Prep Time
5minutes
Cook Time
45minutes
Servings
slices
Ingredients
20ozCherriesFresh, Stemmed and Pitted
2tbspButterMelted
4eaEggsRoom Temp
1cupMilkWhole Milk, Room Temp
1/4tspSalt
1/2cupGranulated SugarYou'll need an additional 2 tbsp for dusting
1/2tspAlmond Extract
1/2tspVanilla
Powdered SugarJust enough for dusting!
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees
Grease a round baking dish with butter and dust with about 2 tbsp of sugar (the dish should be as close to 10" round as possible)
Pit the cherries and add them to the baking dish - they should cover the bottom.
Mix the eggs with the sugar and salt, whisk well.
Whisk in the flour, 1/3 at a time until thoroughly incorporated.
Add the milk, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix well until thoroughly incorporated.
Add the melted butter and mix thoroughly.
Pour the mixture over the cherries and back 40-45 minutes until it has puffed up and turned golden brown.
Dust lightly with powdered sugar and serve.
Recipe Notes
I let my Clafoutis cool enough before dusting so that the powdered sugar doesn't melt.
This can be served warm or chilled. Typically, we have our first pieces warm and place the leftovers wrapped loosely in plastic wrap in the fridge to enjoy later!
Lemon Curd! So intimidating for some, but so very easy to make at home! I know – you’ve all heard the stories about people trying to make homemade lemon curd and ending up with scrambled eggs. It’s so tempting to just pick up a jar from the shelf at the market and call it done, but what’s the fun in that?! Making lemon curd at home is so easy! It’s also pretty quick!
Imagine your life with this recipe under your belt… Imagine the oohs and ahhs of those who taste it when they ask where you bought it and you reply (modestly, of course and with a little exaggeration) “Oh, I made it myself! It wasn’t easy, but you’re worth the extra trouble!” We can’t give away all of our secrets, friends!
Imagine, if you will, a delicious cake, with the thinest coating of fragrant and tangy lemon curd between the layers! Or, perhaps filled inside a cupcake (which is what we’re doing in the video below). If you like lemons, and I know you do, you won’t want to miss out on this one!
I’ll show you a super easy technique to make fresh, homemade, lemon curd in first video below. Then, we’ll use that curd to fill some Pink Lemonade cupcakes and frost them with a tri-color rosette to finished them off in a lovely way. I love the way that these turned out! Be warned, this curd is tangy, so if you are looking for a softer taste, you may prefer a different filling – perhaps the white chocolate lemon ganache that we’re making next week!
Join Ana and me as we walk you through making this beautiful and refreshing Pink Lemonade cake! In May, our month of lemony goodness, I knew that I wanted to attempt a pink lemonade cake. I’d seen recipes for them before, but they all required frozen pink lemonade concentrate. If you’ve been following us the last couple of months, you know how I feel about that! Not good. That’s how I feel about that, not good! I just knew that there had to be a way to get that tart lemony flavor that is perfect offset by another, as yet unidentified, fresh fruit. I also knew that that I would have to figure it out. Challenge Accepted!
I began my research into pink lemonade with my dear friend Google Search. Perhaps you’ve heard of her. She’s actually kind of my best friend, but we don’t talk about that out loud. Anyway, I simply started looking for homemade pink lemonade recipes and my pal returned more results than you could shake a stick at! Seriously, I tried shaking a stick – not a dent.
There are two schools of thought on pink lemonade, and these are either the addition of fresh strawberry or the addition of fresh raspberry. I read a little further, browsed a few more articles and recipes and decided that the raspberry seemed to be the most authentic.
A plan was born! A plan was tested, and a plan failed. Brainstorming continued… more tests were run, and a winner emerged! To describe how proud of myself I was would be impossible. This was one of my first attempts ever at making modifications to a recipe and delivering something completely different.
Isn’t she gorgeous?
This definitely won’t be the last! I’m in love with this cake and am eager to keep pushing my own boundaries and if the experiments work out, you can bet I’ll be sharing them here – If you want to see experiments that don’t work out, well, those are on our Facebook LIVE broadcasts! You could try the nut butter episode as a great example of me modifying a recipe to a spectacular failure! But I digress – you’re here for a Beautiful and Refreshing Pink Lemonade Cake, and a pink lemonade cake you shall have!
As a bonus, we’re also posting the video on how to make the oh-so-pretty tri-color rosettes that cover the cake.
To get started, there are a few things you’ll need:
Gel Food Color (a great brand for home bakers is Americolor and they have a great starter kit)
Making the Pink Lemonade Cake
Frosting the Cake
Print Recipe
Beautiful and Refreshing Pink Lemonade Cake
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
40minutes
Servings
ounces
Ingredients
375gramsCake Flour
375gramsGranulated Sugar
1tbspBaking Powder
1tspSalt
6largeEgg WhitesRoom Temp
1/2cupFreshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/2cupRaspberry Simple Syrup
2tspVanilla Extract
1cupButterRoom Temp
2tbspVegetable Oil
3dropsPink Food ColorUse Gel Color
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
40minutes
Servings
ounces
Ingredients
375gramsCake Flour
375gramsGranulated Sugar
1tbspBaking Powder
1tspSalt
6largeEgg WhitesRoom Temp
1/2cupFreshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/2cupRaspberry Simple Syrup
2tspVanilla Extract
1cupButterRoom Temp
2tbspVegetable Oil
3dropsPink Food ColorUse Gel Color
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare your 8" cake pans.
Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl of your stand mixer (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt).
Add the softened butter.
Turn the mixer (with the paddle attachment) on to stir speed.
In a medium bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients (egg whites, lemon juice, raspberry simple syrup, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, and pink food color.
Add 1/3 of the mixture to the dry ingredients.
Turn the mixer on stir, easing up to 4 (on a KitchenAid) and beat for about 30 seconds on 4. (scrape the bowl when finished)
Add half of the remaining liquid ingredients and whip on 4 for another 30 seconds. (scrape the bowl when finished)
Add the remaining liquid ingredients and beat on 4 for another 30 seconds. Once the mixture has come together and is starting to look like you'd expect cake batter to look, stop and scrape the sides of the bowl and the paddle attachment.
Mix at speed 8 for about 15-20 seconds.
Divide batter evenly between your prepared pans.
Turn the temperature of the oven down to 325 degrees F and quickly put the batter filled pans in.
Bake for 40-45 minutes. Make sure you test this cake with a toothpick to make sure it's done in the middle! If the cake needs more than 45 minutes to cook completely, check it every 2 minutes until it's done.
Recipe Notes
This recipe makes great cupcakes! Fill wrappers 3/4 full (or use a cupcake scoop) and bake at 350 for 15 to 18 minutes.
The recipe I modified for this cake is a Pink Champagne cake by Phantastic Jess.
As promised, in this video, I demonstrate a simple watercolor effect for your cake. This is one of my favorite finishes on a buttercream cake, because it adds some really pretty effects and it’s super simple to do!
I’ve used a watercolor effect several times and always receive compliments on the finished product – it’s simple to achieve and can be done with multiple colors or for a more elegant look, you can use different shades of the same color. Remember, it’s difficult to know exactly how the finished product will look, but as you use the technique more and more, you’ll get a better idea of how the colors will blend.
Most of the tools in this video are ones we’ve seen before, and I’m linking them here for your convenience:
Frost it upside down? What kind of sorcery is this?! It’s actually a pretty simple and effective technique to get smooth sides and clean edges. So far in the April series of videos, we’ve created tutorials for creating a Simple, Delicious, Modified Box Cake; Easy and Fresh Strawberry Filling; and Light & Fluffy Swiss Merengue Buttercream. This is the week that we put it all together and by using the upside down method, we achieve a gorgeous, professional quality, finish.
Before we get into the tools and the video, let me say that as I’m editing these I’m definitely noticing a difference in both me and Ana during the taping. We’re both just a little more relaxed, Ana is participating (watch her hand, as she grabs some cake scraps and listen her her moans of what I can only assume is ecstasy as she’s eating it behind the camera) and we’re both having a better time overall – Thank goodness – that “deer in the headlights” look had to go! The editing still needs work, I’m starting to get the hang of it, and will be working to improve the transitions for the May batch of videos, we certainly hope you’re along for the ride!
There are some tools I use every single time I frost a cake (you recognize a lot of them from Rho’s Top Tools for Home Bakers – Part 2, and they’re linked here again for convenience:
Also, as a bonus – if you’re interested in that GINORMOUS serrated knife I show at the beginning of the video, it’s from Fat Daddios.
I hope you enjoy the tutorial! Please don’t be shy about questions or comments, either here, or on our Facebook page, we love to see your finished products and chat with you about ongoing projects or questions!
How do I love thee, Swiss Merengue Buttercream? Swiss Merengue Buttercream (SMBC) is one of my absolute favorite coverings for a cake. I’ve never been a frosting girl, it’s too sweet to me, and I’m more into salty snacks (hence my undying love and desire for salted caramel, but I digress).
Ana and I whip up some Swiss Merengue Buttercream in the video below, and hopefully show how easy and un-intimidating it is to get this light, silky, not-too-sweet confection to your home kitchens! Honestly, once most people experience it, they don’t want anything else! (Which is unfortunate, because American Buttercream has it’s uses, and we’ll explore those later!)
I have some very specific tools and ingredients that I use when making SMBC, and for your convenience, I’m going to link them here:
Take a look at the video below and give SMBC a try! If it’s your first time, it’s life-changing! Be sure to post your questions either here or on Facebook – Share your creations with us, we want to see what you’re doing!
Print Recipe
Swiss Merengue Buttercream
Servings
Ingredients
1CupGranulated Sugar
8ea.Egg WhitesRoom Temp!
3CupUnsalted ButterRoom Temp, cut into chunks
1CupPowdered SugarSifted
2TBSPVanillaAny flavoring works - I used Pure Almond in the video
Servings
Ingredients
1CupGranulated Sugar
8ea.Egg WhitesRoom Temp!
3CupUnsalted ButterRoom Temp, cut into chunks
1CupPowdered SugarSifted
2TBSPVanillaAny flavoring works - I used Pure Almond in the video
Instructions
Start the water for the double boiler - you want it simmering when you've combined the eggs and sugar.
Separate 8 eggs - Make sure that there are absolutely no yolks in the whites or they won't whip properly.
Add the eggs and the 1 cup of granulated sugar to a heat-proof bowl. Typically, I just use the bowl from my stand mixer. Whisk to combine.
Place over the simmering water, creating a double boiler, and whisk constantly until the temperature of the mixture reaches 160 degrees.
Remove from heat. Put the bowl back on the stand mixer, or pour the mixture into the bowl of the stand mixer, and whip (using the whisk attachment) on high for 7 to 10 minutes. The mixture should be cooled completely and should be at stiff peak consistency. Feel the bowl, if it has any heat at all, it's not done.
Switch out the whisk for a paddle attachment and begin to add the butter, one chunk at a time. Keep the mixer on medium speed for this (about #4 on KitchenAid). Remember, this will start looking really ugly. Be patient! it will all come together and start looking more like you would expect after about 2/3 of the butter is added. Scrape down the sides occasionally, but especially at the end!
After all the butter has been added, slowly drizzle in the flavoring. If you get spatter, turn the mixer down to stir. Once the flavoring appears to be incorporated scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the powdered sugar and stir until it is mostly incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and slowly begin increasing the speed of the mixer until you're back at medium-high to high (8-10 on a KitchenAid)
I typically beat the frosting on high for about 5 minutes after it's all put together.
Recipe Notes
You can save your egg yolks for other things like custards and curds. I don't make those things enough to make it worth it, but you may!
Make sure your butter is truly room temperature - Not too soft! if it squishes easily then it's probably too warm. Take a look at the image below. It should be soft enough to easily leave an impression but not "melty".
This is what room temperature butter should look like!
This is just enough for a 4 layer, 8" cake if you are covering only in Buttercream and if you use a different filling, such as fruit. I prefer to make a 1.5 or a double batch. If I have extra, I freeze it for cake pops or cupcakes later. Nothing panics me more than the thought of running out of buttercream while frosting a cake!
Fresh strawberry filling is super easy to make and it really adds an amazing flavor to cakes of all kinds – my particular favorite is vanilla cake, and while I’ve been sitting here typing, I had a brainstorm – I’m positive I’m not the first person to ever think of this but hello… Banana? Strawberry Banana cake?! Now my heart is racing… I need a minute.
Ok, we’ll get back to that strawberry banana idea a bit later, but right now it’s time for part two in our tribute to Matt and Gladys! Actually, today is their 1 year anniversary, so happy anniversary, dear friends!
I’ll admit, I’m a total snot about cake fillings. Most of them, especially this strawberry filling, are so easy to make that I just cannot understand why a professional would use anything less. That’s my own personal preference, and I’m sure I’ll get a ton of feedback explaining the whys and wherefores of using ready-made cake fillings. The smell alone is enough to make me delirious, I can’t imagine giving up all of the smells the completely invade my house when I’m baking – and that includes the fillings – But enough of me and my bias toward pre-made filling (Dear Lord, don’t even get me started on using jams and preserves for filling, just don’t).
Let’s talk about the video – This, our second video was a little more complicated than the first – We had to film in parts instead of straight through like the first one, so a few more editing skills were required. I’m starting to get the hang of this iMovie thing though, so each subsequent effort will be better. I’m still not super comfortable on camera but it does get better and I’m really looking forward to my LIVE sessions on Facebook to help me get even more relaxed.
Don’t forget! On the 15th I’ll be sending our e-mail subscribers the Shopping List for May and on the 20th, someone will win a $20 Amazon card! You must be a subscriber to our newsletter and you must also like our Facebook page to be eligible. Good luck to this month’s entrants and as always the results will be delivered via Facebook LIVE 🙂
As always, the recipe appears below the video – Enjoy! Don’t forget to share your creations on our Facebook page, and be sure to let us know if you have any questions or ideas for future videos!
Print Recipe
Fresh Strawberry Filling
Prep Time
5minutes
Cook Time
10minutes
Servings
Ingredients
1poundFresh Strawberriesdiced (weigh before dicing)
1.5cupSugar
2tbspCornstarch
2tbspWarm Water
Prep Time
5minutes
Cook Time
10minutes
Servings
Ingredients
1poundFresh Strawberriesdiced (weigh before dicing)
1.5cupSugar
2tbspCornstarch
2tbspWarm Water
Instructions
Clean, hull, and dice fresh strawberries - transfer immediately to a saucepan.
Add sugar and mix well
Using a potato masher or similar tool, mash the strawberries and sugar together until the sugar is clear.
Mix the cornstarch and water together and then add it to the pan, stirring it in well.
Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until boiling. The mixture should noticeably thicken.
Remove from heat, add to a container, cover it loosely with plastic wrap and let sit for about an hour.
Cover tightly and place in refrigerator overnight to set.
Recipe Notes
Notes
Overnight in fridge is best. If you can't let this rest overnight, make sure it is COLD when you use it.
You can replace fresh with frozen strawberries in equal parts.
If making more than one batch or if you aren't happy with the thickness of the filling, you can add more cornstarch mixture after the filling reaches a boil. Always mix equal parts cornstarch and water and start SMALL - 1/2 teaspoon at a time. What I would do is make another 2 tablespoons and then use a 1/2 teaspoon to add a little at a time until I reached my desired consistency.
In the first video, I demonstrate how to create a simple and delicious modified box cake. This cake is moist and flavorful and has a great texture. For those bakers who want a made from scratch taste this is a convenient way to go. It’s also stackable, so if you’re planning a cake with more than one tier, this cake can withstand doweling and stacking with no problems!
This first video is definitely an example of how much Ana and I don’t know about production! I was incredibly nervous, of course, but as the day went on we both got much more comfortable. You’ll definitely see that in the other 4 videos posted in April. I’m sure we’ve made some mistakes, but we’re in my kitchen, having some fun and hopefully getting you involved along the way!
In this, and in many recipes, I use Neilsen Massey Vanilla Bean Paste. I’ve found the best place to get it is on Amazon.com and I’ve provided a handy link. There’s nothing quite like seeing all of those lovely vanilla beans in cakes and frostings!
The recipe is posted directly below the video! Please get involved by posting your comments, questions and requests for future demos either on this page or on Facebook. We love to hear from you!
Print Recipe
Modified Box Cake
This cake is moist and flavorful and has a great texture. For those bakers who want a made from scratch taste this is a convenient way to go. It's simple and a great jumping off point for new bakers and those who are just starting decorating.
Prep Time
5minutes
Cook Time
1hour
Servings
party servings
Ingredients
1ea.Boxed Cake MixI use Duncan Hines
1cupFlour
1cupSugar
1dashSalt
3ea.EggsUse large eggs at room temperature
1cupWater
1cupSour CreamAt room temperature
2tbspFlavoringI used vanilla bean paste, but you can pair the flavoring to that of the cake mix.
Prep Time
5minutes
Cook Time
1hour
Servings
party servings
Ingredients
1ea.Boxed Cake MixI use Duncan Hines
1cupFlour
1cupSugar
1dashSalt
3ea.EggsUse large eggs at room temperature
1cupWater
1cupSour CreamAt room temperature
2tbspFlavoringI used vanilla bean paste, but you can pair the flavoring to that of the cake mix.
Instructions
Pre-heat Oven to 300 Degrees
In the bowl of a stand mixer on the stir setting, combine the eggs, water, sour cream and flavoring.
While the liquid ingredients are incorporating, whisk together the cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. (I use a medium sized pyrex bowl.
Turn off the mixer and add the dry ingredients all at once.
Turn the mixer on, using the stir setting until the ingredients are just wet. Scrape the bowl.
Turn the mixer to medium speed (4 on my KitchenAid) for two minutes.
While the batter is mixing, prepare two 8" cake pans, using pan grease or the grease/flour method.
Turn off the mixer and distribute the batter evenly between the two pans.
Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, turn the oven up to 325 degrees (do NOT open the door) and bake for an additional 25 - 30 minutes.
Make sure to test for doneness - does the top of the cake spring back? Does a toothpick inserted in the center come out clean? If so, remove the cakes from the oven and set them on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, remove the cakes from the pans and cool.
Friday night, we made some delicious Fudge Brownies & Baileys Live on Facebook in celebration of St. Patricks’s Day! And they were truly delicious! If you missed it, you can still head over and view the videos.
This was our very first LIVE session and while it was a little nerve wracking, it was also a lot of fun! As I mentioned, this wasn’t my recipe, but one I found online when I was considering what I wanted my first live video to be, and I knew I wanted something for St. Patrick’s Day, but I didn’t want something green.
Life, Love and Sugar had this fantastic recipe, and I wanted something that looked like it would have a great taste, but not so complicated that I couldn’t make it (and make it well) on the first try, in front of a live audience. These brownies fit that bill nicely, and they are packed with flavor. In fact, they are SO packed with flavor that I just couldn’t eat a whole one in one sitting. They’re that rich and chocolatey! If you watched the video you heard me say that I thought 16 brownies from a 9″ pan were too many – I’ll gladly admit that I was completely wrong on that score! These could have easily been cut in half and still made anyone happy.
I learned a few lessons this first time out
I really miss having Ana around when I’m filming!
Ana doesn’t know how to use Facebook – She’s an admin our our page and well – she was there as “Bake with Rho” most of the time and confused the bejesus out of me! We may have to take away her admin rights for her own protection!
I have a great group of friends and family! I mean, I knew that, of course, but seeing people I didn’t expect show up to watch was very encouraging and it meant the world to me – it helped me be less nervous and it gave me someone to talk to.
I have a lot to learn – I watch my friend and mentor Kara do it, and it looks so seamless! Alas, I now realize that is because she’s done this a zillion times and has figured out how to talk, bake, and watch her computer all at the same time!
It was fun! I was so nervous, but the bottom line is that I had a great time! LIVE videos on Facebook are more casual and more of a conversation – I absolutely loved doing it and plan to do it again as often as my schedule allows.
Thank you so much to those of you who watched (LIVE or on replay) and especially to those of you who shared the video and invited others to join! It means a lot to me that you would help in this way – the key to my success is going to be word of mouth and shares, etc., so every single time you do it, there’s a positive impact for me and I’m more appreciative than you could possibly know!
Just in case you missed it in the comments, check out the Baileys Fudge Brownies recipe that we made. It’s truly delicious.
