1st pic: carrot cake with brown butter cream cheese frosting
2nd: oreo cake with oreo filling
3rd: strawberry cake with strawberry frosting and lemon curd filling
4th and personal fav: banana cake with banana custard filling and brown butter cream cheese frosting

These were made for my wife last year for her birthday. I will never do doughnuts again but we request challenging things for each other’s birthday desserts and this is what she chose. They turned out great but definitely not a ton of work.

I was going to wait until tomorrow to post these with the rest of my lineup but I just had to post these squish video. They’re a fudgy brownie topped with a thick layer of homemade marshmallow and topped with pink sweetened coconut.

Snowball Brownies:

Brownies:
-1 1/4 cups salted butter
-8oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
-1/4 cup + 1/2 cup cocoa powder, divided
-1 tbsp instant coffee powder
-6 eggs
-2 cups sugar
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1 tsp vanilla
-2 tsp salt
-1 cup all purpose flour

Marshmallow:
-2/3 cup water + 4 packs unflavored gelatin
-2/3 cup water
-1 1/2 cups sugar
-1 cup light corn syrup
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp vanilla extract

Toppings:
-1/2 bag sweetened shredded coconut
-Pink food dye (optional)

1.) Preheat the oven to 350°.

2.) Place the chocolate, butter, instant coffee powder, and 1/4 cup of the cocoa powder into a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments until everything is melted and combined. Set to the side to allow to cool a little.

3.) While that’s cooling, mix together the sugars, eggs and vanilla until light and frothy (this makes the top crusty). Then slowly pour in the chocolate mixture until combined. Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.

4.) Pour the batter into a parchment lined, 9x13 baking pan and bake until the center has set and a toothpick comes out clean (30-40 minutes). Allow to cool completely and set aside while prepping the marshmallow.

5.) For the marshmallow layer, first, add to your mixing bowl (I recommend using a stand mixer or hand mixer for this section) the 2/3 cup water and gelatin and allow that to set. While that’s setting up, in a small pot over medium heat, heat together the remaining water, sugar, and corn syrup until it reaches soft ball or 240° on a candy thermometer.

6.) Once it reaches 240°, pour over the gelatin mixture and start to whip until stiff peaks form (takes 10-15 minutes). While it’s whipping, take the coconut and put it in a ziplock bag with a few drops of pink food coloring and massage it all together.

7.) Once the marshmallow has reached stiff peaks, add in the vanilla and salt and mix a little more, and then, spread it over top of the cooled brownie and top with the coconut. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours before slicing and serving!

Made my first apple pie of 2026! Picked the apples (Crispin), and then made the pie crust from scratch. 😊

Apple Filling:
🍎Crispin apples peeled and chopped into chunks

Then in pan heat together over medium heat for 6 mins:
🍏1/3 cup sugar
🍎1 tsp cinnamon
🍏2 tbsp butter
🍎4 apples
Let cool for a bit before setting in pie crust. (Also tasted delicious as an ice cream topper🍨)

Pie Crust:
🥧1/2 cup vegetable shortening
🥧1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
🥧1/2 tsp salt
🥧1 cup ice cold water to use as needed for dough consistency
🥧made leaf pattern with cookie cutter
🥧Bake at 400 degrees for 30-45mins

Last night I got on here because I was confused as to why the mix came out like drop biscuit dough. It was impossible to pour into the cake pans - let alone two. So, I put the entire box in one round and posted here to get opinions.

There was a lot of "how did it turn out?" but I couldn't add to the images, so here is the journey.

Well, it's done, and this is how it came out. Keep in mind - I have never baked a layer cake before.

I made it with the Duncan Hines "Dolly Parton's" Coconut Cake and it fit in one cake round which I cut across widthwise and then halved so I got 4 layers but only half a cake.

I mixed up some vanilla pudding (Great Value + a dash of Burbon Vanilla from Trader Joes, and a little bit of Great Value sweetened coconut - Walmart doesn't sell any other kind - otherwise I would have gone with Baker's brand). I spread the pudding between the layers, then frosted with the Duncan Hines "Lemon Supreme" frosting (which is apparently a seasonal item and was almost gone). Then patted on more coconut. I let the whole thing sit in the fridge in a covered container and took it out to taste tonight.

It's not going to win any cake beauty contests, but it's very tasty.

It's obviously not perfect!
I've never attempted any cake decoration before, or anything beyond a simple one-layer cake, and there are definitely numerous things I would do differently for next time, but I'm quite proud of how it turned out and it was really delicious!

From bottom to top, all made at home from well-loved recipes (except the ice cream which was store bought):
Chocolate chip cake
Caramel drizzle
Fudgy brownie
Vanilla bean ice cream
Caramel drizzle
Chocolate chip cake
Vanilla buttercream
Chocolate ganache drip
Choc chip cookie crumbles
Caramel drizzle

Recipe:

7 apples

S'more tarts with chocolate mousse filling and swiss meringue topping

First time making a tart so I thought it would not be that difficult to make but I used a different kind of butter than usual butter (I think it had a lower melting point and more water content, it also was more yellow than the usual butter) so when following the recipe, the dough was sticky even when left in the fridge or freezer for 2+ hours so I added more flour and left it in the fridge for the next day, it was very soft but manageable

Also first time trying to make the chocolate mousse and the swiss meringue,

They were tasty and so good but definitely there's room for improvement ☺️

I wanted to take a photo for all of them torched up but not all my family members want to have dessert at the same time😆

Tart Ingredients:

210 g cake flour (but added more of AP flour about 4 tbsp)

120 g butter softened

60 g of powdered sugar

1 egg

Tea spoon of Vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Chocolate mousse Ingredients:

180 g of dark chocolate

200 ml of whipping cream (80 ml hot + 120 cold whipped cream)

Swiss meringue Ingredients:

2 egg whites

85 g of sugar

Tea spoon of vanilla extract

Chocolate mousse and the meringue was enough for 8 pcs of the tart

Tart dough yielded about 11 tarts (each one 8 cm in diameter), the extra 3 ones I filled it with custard and raspberry jam

Edited for full recipe (I'm not a chef and this was my first time making them so I'm open to any advises, I'm also open to any questions if my recipe writing was confusing in some parts for clarification since I dont know how write a recipe well😭)

Tart recipe
Leave butter at room temperature to soften up, after softened place in a bowl and add the powdered sugar and mix them really well, in a separate bowl whisk the egg, then add your whisked egg on 3 different times to your mixture while mixing it well each time, mix untill smooth and coherent, add tea spoon of vanilla extract, mix it in, and lastly add sifted flour to the mixture and mix till a dough forms, the dough should have little to no stickiness (if it's too sticky then you should add more flour (like I did😅)), place the dough in a plastic wrap and leave in the freezer for half an hour or the fridge for at least an hour, or I recommend placing the dough between two parchment papers and roll it out then put it in the fridge/freezer so it can already be ready for the mold/rings
* after the dough is taken out of the fridge don't roll it out immediately or it well crack, same thing with shaping it into the tart molds/rings, I recommend leaving it a bit on the bench or warm it up with your hands for a tiny bit untill it loses it's rigidity and you feel it would be easy to roll or shape
* I recommend in each step you handle the dough you place it back again in the fridge, as in, if you placed it in a plastic wrap in the fridge and it was taken out to roll after rolling it should be placed back in the fridge

shape the dough into the molds or rings and trim off the excess with a knife (movement of the knife should be from inward to outwards) and leave the tarts in the fridge for at least two hours or 1 hour in the freezer (to minimize shrinking)
Preheat oven to 180°c (350° F)
Take the tarts out of the fridge and make tiny holes with a fork into the tart, if using parchment paper, cut down pieces of a tin foil and fill them up with a dry ingredient like rice/walnuts/whatever's available and place it inside the tart to hold it down and prevent it from rising, a perforated sheet is a plus so I guess there would be no need to use something to hold it down (but I dont have that yet so definitely keep an eye watch on the tart incase it rose)
Place the tarts in the oven and leave it for 13-15 minutes (if used tin foils to hold them down, remove tin foils at the 11 or 12 minute so it goldens up, or use only upper heat to golden it)

For the chocolate mousse
Break/chop your chocolate into small pieces, and place them in a bowl, heat 80ml of heavy whipping cream and pour it over the chocolate and mix it really well, if small chunks are still not melted, microwave it for 10 seconds and mix again untill no chunks appear,
In a separate bowl, pour 120 ml of cold heavy whipping cream and whisk it untill thick, foamy and soft peaks (be careful not to whisk it to firm peaks),
Add the whipped cream little by little into the chocolate mixture and mix softly with a spatula in between untill all of it is mixed together and pour it into the tarts and leave it in the fridge

For the Swiss meringue
Place your egg whites and sugar in a bowl and mix, place your bowl in a double boiler and whisk untill you feel there's no sugar grains left in the mixture by feeling it between your fingers, remove the bowl from the heat and whisk it untill peaks form, add vanilla extract and whip it for a tiny bit, place the meringue in piping bags and get your tarts out of the fridge and pipe the meringue into your preferred design, torch it up when served or leave the tarts in the fridge and torch it when desired

I make cupcakes as a hobby, usually for family birthdays, bbqs, christmas etc. I never charge especially because I usually just offer to make them. More often now I’m being asked to make them for events and my partner’s workplace want to pay every week for 12.

They’re usually loaded flavours sometimes filled, rocky road, lemon cheesecake, tiramisu etc. Ingredients can cost around $30-$50AUD sometimes more, packaging $5 including patty pans, labour 3ish hours depending on the toppings. I have a baby at home so sometimes it take a little longer.

Thank you!

From the Hershey cookbook!

Snickerdoodles have always been one of my favorite cookies, but I will be the first to admit that they're kinda... plain?

There's just no spice to them outside of the little bit in the cinnamon sugar coating. And while that's probably why they make a good cookie platter cookie, sometimes I wish there was a little more oomph to them.

That's why I made these chai cookies with approximately 4x the spices! They still have the crispy edges and soft centers of snickerdoodles, but they don't use cream of tartar, so they bake up a little flatter and chewier, and with a lot more flavor :)

If you also want to ask more of your snickerdoodle: https://floralapron.com/chai-cookies/

Got stood up on a potential date. Dating after 40 is the worst. Anyway, decided to make a cake to console myself lol Went with the tried and true [Preppy Kitchen[(https://preppykitchen.com/triple-layer-chocolate-raspberry-cake/https://preppykitchen.com/triple-layer-chocolate-raspberry-cake/) with slight modification of making a raspberry buttercream instead of chocolate.

Ingredients For the Cake:

2½ cups all-purpose flour (240g)
2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (75g)
1 cup whole or low-fat buttermilk (240ml)
⅔ cup vegetable oil (180ml)
3 large eggs room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee or boiling water (240ml)

Raspberry Filling:

12 ounces fresh raspberries (340g)
¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
3 tablespoons water or chambord liqueur divided
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch

For the Frosting:

2 cups unsalted butter room temperature (452g)
¾ teaspoon salt
3 tbsp raspberry puree
6-8 cups powdered sugar (720-960g)

Instructions

Position two oven racks towards the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease three 8-inch round baking pans with baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. If you have them, wrap water-soaked fabric cake strips around the pans.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until no streaks of flour remain. Slowly pour in the hot coffee while whisking until fully combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Bake for 20 minutes then carefully rotate the pans between oven racks, and continue baking for an additional 6 minutes or until the centers feel springy when gently pressed and the sides of the cakes start to pull away from the pan. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then carefully invert them onto cooling racks to cool completely.

Make the Filling:

While the cakes are baking, combine the raspberries, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of water or chambord in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat, and cook, stirring frequently and gently mash the raspberries a few times, until the berries turn juicy and start to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often.

In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons of water or chambord. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the raspberries, and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and no longer looks cloudy, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. Set aside 3tbsp of puree for the buttercream.

Make the Frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and salt on medium speed until soft and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the raspberry puree Stop and scrape down the bowl.

While mixing on low speed, gradually add in the powdered sugar.

Once all of the sugar is added, scrape down the bowl and beat on medium-low speed until light, fluffy, and easily spreadable, about 1 minute. Place 1 cup (250g) of frosting in a piping bag and snip off about ½” opening at the end.

Assemble the Cake:

Place one cooled cake layer on a cake stand and spread ¼ cup (62g) of frosting in a thin layer on top of the cake. Using the reserved 1 cup of frosting, pipe a thin border around the edge of the cake to form a dam to hold in the raspberry filling. Add half of the raspberry filling inside the border and spread it into an even layer.

Place another cake layer on top and repeat with more frosting and the rest of the filling. Place the final cake layer on top, bottom side up so the cake top is level. Spread the remaining frosting all over the outside of the cake. Top with remaining raspberry puree and fresh raspberries. Chill for 1 hour.

Birthday cake.. thoughts on decoration? 😬

i know it looks simple but it was delicious and the best i could do with little equipment i’ve had

made for my bff's birthday. it was so hard to get to the ribbon stage lol

Not quite a baking fail as I hid my shame with icing (unfortunately I didn’t take a before pic)! I’ve never made cinnamon rolls before and though making them blue and galaxy inspired was a good first attempt. They’re for a Project Hail Mary movie night for my partner’s birthday - hopefully no one realises the blue ended up being green lol

I made a carrot cake for my wife the other day (her birthday) and we had a lot of cream cheese frosting left over. So I decided on a whim to make some cinnamon rolls. These were supposed to be mini cinnamon rolls, but came out pretty regular-sized (rudy).

For anyone that's curious, this is Tasty's recipe from their Cinnamon roll video that's Christmas themed, but not their creamcheese frosting