RHUBARB UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

 This Rhubarb upside-down cake is an easy and delicious treat. The sourness of the rhubarb and the sweetness of the cake are perfectly balanced and the rhubarb makes a beautiful decoration thanks to it's red and pink colors.

Ingredients for the rhubarb layer :

• about 10 sticks of rhubarb
• 110 g sugar
• half lemon juice
• 2 tbsp butter
• optional red food coloring

Trim the rhubarb at both ends, cut in half lengthwise and place it in a bowl. Add sugar and lemon juice and move it arround till well coated.(Add red food coloring if you want your rhubarb to have more color). Let it soak for 15 minutes so the rhubarb get's softer. Melt 1 tbsp of butter and mix with the rhubarb, use the other tbsp of butter to grease the bottom of a 18 cm baking pan. Place the rhubarb on the bottom of the baking pan making sure there are no big gaps inbetween the rhubarb strips. Trim any excess.

Ingredients for the cake batter :

• 250 g flour
• 0,5 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 150 g butter
• 220 g sugar
• 2 eggs
• half lemon juice
• 1 lemon zest
• 220 g yogurt

Cream the butter with sugar until pale in color. Mix in one egg at a time. Add lemon juice and lemon zest. In a seperate bown sieve the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the flour to the butter mixture in two parts, mixing well with a spatula. Add the yogurt and mix with a spatula till well combined.  Pour the batter on the rhubarb and spread evenly.

Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 45 - 55 minutes.

Let the cake cool for 15 minutes, then carefully flip it upside down onto a plate.

Best served still warm :)

EARTH DAY CAKE

A delicious vanilla sponge cake mixed with buttercream and covered in white chocolate. Easy way to achieve a ball shaped cake without the need of a special mold.

Ingredients for the cake :

• 2 eggs
• 100 g sugar
• 100 g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 60 g soft butter
• 50 ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Beat the butter with sugar and salt untill pale in color. Start adding one egg at a time beating in between. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract. Sieve in the flour with baking powder and baking soda and mix till well combined.

Grease and line the bottom of a 20 cm baking pan. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for around 30 minutes. Let it cool completely.

Ingredients for the buttercream :

• 100 g soft butter
• 200 g icing sugar
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat the butter with icing sugar till for 3 minutes. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract.

Crumble the cake into a bowl, add the buttercream and mix till all is well combined. Form a ball, cover it in plastic wrap and place in the freezer to set for 10 - 15 minutes.

Melt 200 g of white chocolate in a microwave, mixing after every 30 seconds. Place the cake ball on a cup to let the excess chocolate drop off (make sure to place something under the cup for the chocolate to drip on). Pour the chocolate over the ball till well covered.

I have used food colorings mixed with water and used a little brush to paint my ball cake in order to make it look like our planet.

Happy Earth Day :)

CARROT CUPCAKES

Not everyone has the time to make a carrot cake so the perfect solution are these amazing carrot cupcakes. They are moist and full of flavour, taste just like the cake, but take less time to make and look adorable :)

Ingredients :

• 170 g flour
• 100 g sugar
• 120 g grated carrots
• 2 eggs
• 150 ml vegetable oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt

Beat the eggs with sugar and salt till pale in color. Mix in the oil and carrots. Sieve in the flour with baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix till well combined. Fill in the cupcake tins 3/4 way full and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 22 - 25 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completly before icing.

Cream cheese icing :

• 200 g cream cheese
• 100 g icing sugar

Mix the cream cheese and icing sugar on high speed till well combined.

Chopped walnuts or poppy seeds will make a perfect decoration :)

CARROT CAKE

This cake stands high on the list of my favourite cakes. It is moist and dense, full of flavour and texture. It's hard to believe that such a simple recipe can result in something so amazing. If you haven't made it yet, then I think it's about time :)

Ingredients :

• 500 g grated carrots (about 5 medium sized)
• 400 g flour
• 400g white sugar
• 100 g brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 5 eggs
• 350 ml vegetable oil

Beat the eggs along with sugar and salt until pale in color. Mix in the oil and carrots. Sieve in the flour with baking powder, cynamon and nutmeg and mix till well combined.

Grease and line the bottom of two 20 cm baking pans and devide the batter evenly between them. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 50 minutes and check if the cake is ready using a scewer.

Let the cakes cool before icing.

Cream cheese icing :

• 250 g cream cheese
• 200 g icing sugar

Mix the cream cheese with the icing sugar on high speed till well combined and spread on the cake.

If you have not tried this cake yet, I can promise you, you will fall in love :)

DULCE DE LECHE WAFERS

Dulce de leche wafers are the quickest and easiest dessert to make, which doesn't require baking. It is always served in my home for Easter to share with the family. It takes only two ingredients and minimum effort :)

Ingredients :

• 1 kg carmelized condensed milk
• 270 g wafer sheets

All you need to do is coat one side of each wafer with an equal amount of caramel, buiding it up. You can mix the caramel with wallnuts or coconut flakes and decorate it with melted chocolate. The options are endless. Enjoy :)

MERINGUE NESTS WITH STRAWBERRIES

Crispy meringue, fluffy cream and fresh strawberries, it can't get any better :)

Ingredients :

• 2 egg whites
• 100 g sugar

Beat the egg whites on low to medium speed until soft peaks form. Start adding the sugar one tbsp at a time and beat till stiff. Place a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray and using a pencil, draw circles in the desired size. Place the meringue in a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe the meringue onto the drawn circles by making a dot in the centre, then going around it. Pipe one or two more layers only on the edges of the meringue to create the nest walls.

Bake at 100°C (210°F) for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Leave the meringues in the oven to cool down completly without opening it. ( I leave mine overnight ).

For the filling :

• sweet whipped cream
• strawberries

Place the whipped cream in the center of the nests and garnish with strawberries.

CHOCOLATE & VANILLA CRUMBS WITH BANANA PUDDING

If you have some leftover cake and you don't want to waste it, I have a good solution for you. All you need is some cake crumbs and pudding of your choice. Here I will show you how to make one from scratch and for that I have used chocolate and vanilla crumbs and banana pudding :)

Ingredients for the chocolate cake :

170 g flour
160 g sugar
110 g soft butter
110 ml water
30 g cocoa powder
2 small eggs
20 ml vegetable oil
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl an high speed for 2 minutes. Grease and line the bottom of a 20 cm baking pan. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 20 minutes. wait till the cake cools down completly, then crumble it.

Ingredients for the vanilla cake :

• 2 eggs
• 100 g sugar
• 130 g cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 0,5 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 60 g soft butter
• 50 ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat the butter with sugar and salt for 2 minutes on high speed. Add one egg at a time beating inbetween. Sieve in half of the flour with baking powder and mix. Add the milk with vanilla extract. Sieve in the rest of the flour and mix till well combined. Grease and line the bottom of a 20 cm baking pan. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 20 minutes. wait till the cake cools down completly, then crumble it.

Now all you need to do is place the cake crumbles in a glass along with your favourite pudding :)

MINI CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKES

For me bundt cake is a symbol of Easter. It is a perfect treat to bring the family and friends together and is a beautiful decoration on the Easter table. These mini chocolate bundt cakes look adorable and taste amazing and the recipe can also be used for cupcakes.

Ingredients :

• 170 g flour
• 160 g sugar
• 110 g soft butter
• 110 ml water
• 30 g cocoa powder
• 2 small eggs
• 20 ml vegetable oil
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature. Sieve the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl. Add all of the remaining ingredients and mix on high speed till well combined (about 2 minutes).

Fill the mini bundt cake molds 3/4 way full. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 12 - 15 minutes.

These bundt cakes will look amazing with a glaze or sprinkled with icing sugar :)

EASTER LEMON COOKIES

These simple and delicious lemon cookies will be a wonderful decoration on your easter table and a perfect treat for tea time :)

Ingredients :

• 200 g sugar
• 230 g butter
• 360 g flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp lemon extract

Beat the butter with sugar for 5 minutes. Add the egg and lemon extract and mix for 2 minutes. Sieve the flour and baking powder into the mixture and mix with a spoon or a spatula till all is combined. Press the dough in your hands and shape it into a ball. Place the dough in a plastic bag or tin foil and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle some flour on a big cutting board or your kitchen countertop and roll the ball of dough till flat. If the dough is hard to roll, wet your hands with water and knead the dough again.
Cut out your desired shapes. Place baking paper on a baking tray, then place the cutouts on top. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 180°C (350°F).

Let the cookies cool completly before decorating. I have used a mix of water, icing sugar and food coloring to make a sugar paste. To create the dots on the eggs mix some brown or black food coloring with a few drops of water and sprinkle tiny drops onto the cookies using a small brush.

LEMON BUNDT CAKE

This cake doesn't require much work and is very easy to make. It is moist and dense with a refreshing hint of lemon. Thanks to it's shape it will also make as a beautiful decoration on your table :)

Ingredients :

• 250 g butter
• 500 g sugar
• 5 eggs
• 400 g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 250 ml milk
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 1 tbsp lemon zest

Beat the butter till light and fluffy. Start adding the sugar in small amounts at a time. Add one egg at a time and beat after each addition. Mix in half of the sifted flour and baking powder then add the milk and lemon extract. Mix in the rest of the flour along with the lemon zest.

Grease a bundt baking pan and fill it up with the batter. Bake at  180°C (350°F) for 50 minutes.

Let the cake cool completl, then remove from the pan by turning the pan upside down.

This cake goes perfectly with a sugar glaze, to make one just mix some water with icing sugar and pour on top of the cake.

Simple and delicious :)

LEMON TART

 Delicious biscuit base, creamy lemon filling and a whipped cream top garnished with lemon zest - simple perfection! This amazing lemon tart is super easy and quick to make, it is definitely a must bake! :)

Ingredients for the crust :

• 200 g biscuits
• 60 g melted butter

Grind the biscuits and mix with the melted butter. Place the biscuit mixture in a 20 cm baking pan and push to the bottom and the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 180°C (350°F).

Ingredients for the lemon cream :

• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• 0,5 cup lemon juice (about 2 big lemons)
• 4 egg yolks
• 100 g sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp lemon extract (optional)

Whisk all the ingredients together till well combined. Pour the mixture onto the crust and bake for 20 minutes at 180°C (350°F).

Let it cool completly and place in the fridge for 2 hours.

Whipping cream topping :

• 300 ml whipping cream
• 50 g icing sugar
• 1 tsp lemon extract (optional)
• lemon zest for garnish

Whip the cream with icing sugar and lemon extract till stiff. Spread it over the lemon cream and garnish with lemon zest.

This tart is sour and sweet at the same time, it is a flavour you will love and never forget :)

NEAPOLITAN CUPCAKES

These delicious vanilla, chocolate and strawberry cupcakes are super easy and quick to make. Perfect for any occasion, to share with your friends and family. Very simple yet so satisfying :)

Ingredients (makes 12 cupcakes) :

• 120 g cake flour
• 120 g sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 120 g soft butter
• 2 eggs
• 1,5 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp strawberry flavoured gelatin
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• pink gel food coloring

Sieve the flour, baking powder and sugar into a large bowl.

Add the butter and eggs and mix on low then high speed till combined. Add the milk, vanilla extract and mix on medium speed for another minute.
Divide the batter in three equal parts. Mix one part with the gelatin and pink food coloring and one part with cocoa powder.

Fill the cupcake liners with each color, bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes.

Cream cheese Icing :

• 150 g soft butter
• 240 g cream cheese
• 700 g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp dissolved strawberry gelatin
• pink food coloring
• 2 tsp cocoa powder

Beat the butter on high speed for 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese  and vanilla extract and combine. Change the speed to low and start adding the icing sugar in sections. Divide the cream into three portions. Mix one of the portions with dissolved strawberry gelatin and pink food coloring and the other with cocoa powder.

NEAPOLITAN CAKE

Vanilla, strawberry and chocolate, all in one cake! It's not easy to find a good recipe for this cake, so I have come up with a simple and delicious recipe consisting of only one batter. Every layer of this cake is full of flaver, fluffy and moist. Top this cake with a cream cheese frosting and you will create one of the most amazing cakes! :)

Ingredients :

• 4 eggs
• 200 g sugar
• 200 g cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 120 g soft butter
• 100 ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

+ For the chocolate cake :

• 1 tbsp cocoa powder

+ For the strawberry cake :

• 40 g strawberry flavoured gelatin (or a tsp of strawberry extract)

Beat the butter on high speed for 3 minutes. Start adding sugar and salt and beat for another few minutes. Start adding one egg at a time, beating in between. Add the milk mixed with vanilla extract in a slow stream. Sieve in the flour with baking powder and baking soda and mix till well combined. Devide the batter in three equal parts. Mix one part of the batter with cocoa powder and one part with strawberry gelatin.

Bake every layer in a 20 cm baking pan at 180°C (350°F) for 15 - 20 minutes.

Ingredients for cream cheese icing :

• 200 g cream cheese
• 100 g soft butter
• 400 g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cocoa powder (optional)
• pink food dye (optional)

Beat the butter for 5 minutes on high speed. Add the cream cheese and vanilla extract and mix till well combined. Sieve in the icing sugar in three parts, mixing well in between. Devide the icing in three equal parts and mix one of the parts with cocoa powder and one with pink food dye (this is optional). Decorate the cake when it is completly cooled.

Melted dark chocolate on top will make a perfect decoration for this cake. Enjoy! :)