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Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing

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Ultra moist and flavorful Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing here just in time for fall and the holidays! Made with both pumpkin and carrots, lots of cinnamon and nutmeg, and generously topped with a rich, caramel-like brown sugar cream cheese icing, this is a recipe you’ll want to make for months and years to come!

CARROT CAKE FOR EVERY SEASON

Since I started my Parsley and Icing account on Instagram, I’ve noticed that carrot cake’s season in the food world is definitely spring. I get why people love it in the spring, but I love to eat it year round! Its fresh, sweet carrot taste makes it perfect for spring and summer and its warming cinnamon and spices make it special enough for fall and winter.

PUMPKIN CARROT CAKE: AN INSTANT FAVORITE

I first made this recipe a couple of weeks ago before heading to New York to visit my family. I was so excited about the pumpkin, apple, and brown sugar icing idea I had for this cake that I made sure to test it out before taking off. I left half the cake here in Ottawa and took the rest to New York with me.

My husband brought his half to a barbecue with friends and I shared mine with my family in New York. It was an instant INTERNATIONAL hit and got rave reviews and requests for the recipe from friends and family on both sides of the border! 🙂 No changes or retesting needed and I knew I had to get this recipe out to everyone ASAP!

ABOUT THIS PUMPKIN CARROT CAKE

This is an extra special carrot cake with a super simple batter. It starts with the usual shredded carrots, but departs from the norm with over a cup of pumpkin puree. To go along with the pumpkin and seasonal spices, a whole shredded apple takes the place of pineapple. Pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon warm up the cake and tie in all the fall flavor!

I asked my husband’s picky foodie cousin if he thought it needed a little more pumpkin pie spice but he and my husband’s friend told me (ordered me?) not to change a thing, so I didn’t! The result is a perfectly but not overly spiced pumpkin carrot cake. 🙂

FLAVORFUL

Pumpkin is one of the most popular fall flavors. This carrot cake has over a cup of pure pumpkin puree which adds tons of moisture and a subtle pumpkin flavor. People might not pick up on the pumpkin flavor unless you point it out, but it definitely adds to the deliciousness. I can’t talk about pumpkin without mentioning these yummy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and this classic Pumpkin Bread with Maple Walnut Streusel.

MOIST

Pineapples are more tropical to me, so instead of pineapple, I added an in- season grated apple. You can’t taste the apple, but it adds a ton of moisture. and I just love all the fall ingredients in this cake. For another super fall, apple sweet treat, you’ll love this Apple Cinnamon Bread!

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN CARROT CAKE

In addition to being special and delicious, this cake is an easy, no fuss recipe. The easier it is to make it, I figured, the more often we’ll make it! The batter comes together without a mixer, it’s baked in a simple 9 x 13 inch pan and frosted with a five minute icing. Super simple and low key! 

STEP BY STEP DIRECTIONS

  1. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. Leave excess paper hanging from two sides of the pan. This will make it easier to remove the cake once baked. . 
  2. Whisk to combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt). Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the sugars and eggs. Stir in the vanilla and pumpkin puree followed by the oil. Add the buttermilk alternatively with the dry ingredients, mixing just til combined. Stir in the shredded carrots and apple.
  4. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it evenly in the pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool ten minutes in the pan then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  5. Once the cake has cooled completely, frost it with the icing. 

A FEW RECIPE NOTES

BUTTERMILK

This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of buttermilk. The buttermilk adds flavor and moisture and helps make the cake super tender. I highly recommend using it. That said, if you don’t have any and don’t have any plans to use it after making this cake, you can get away with a buttermilk substitute.

WHERE ARE THE NUTS AND RAISINS?

I omitted them! That’s right. I conducted a super scientific poll in my Instagram stories and found that the majority of people preferred carrot cake without nuts and raisins. I always thought it was just me, but turns out many felt the same way. So that’s why this beauty is nut and raisin free!

BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE ICING

Another thing that makes this cake special: brown sugar cream cheese icing! Why brown sugar? The molasses in the brown sugar gives it a slight caramel taste. It’s not an over the top caramel flavor but when combined with the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and a good amount of vanilla, it’s absolutely enough to make you want to lick your fork and plate clean.

HOW TO MAKE BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE ICING

  1. USE ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS: It’s essential to use room temperature cream cheese and butter. I recommend taking these ingredients out for at least an hour before making the icing.
  2. SIFT THE POWDERED SUGAR: Even though it’s going to go into a mixer, I highly recommend sifting it first. It only takes a minute and makes sure you don’t have any little bumps of powdered sugar in your icing.
  3. USE FRESH BROWN SUGAR: Brown sugar can get hard lumps if it’s not fresh which will make the sugar harder to dissolve into the icing.
  4. SCRAPE DOWN THE SIDES OF THE BOWL: I do this with any icing I make, but it’s especially helpful with this recipe to make sure the flavors are combined and that the brown sugar has dissolved.
  5. ALLOW THE CAKE TO COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE ICING IT: I know it’s tempting to want to dig in ASAP, but wait til your cake has cooled completely before icing it. The icing could melt a bit and become a little runny if the cake is still warm and we don’t want that.

This Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing is my dream carrot cake recipe. Made with pumpkin, spices, carrots, an apple, it’s full of warm fall flavor and topped with an extra special cream cheese icing. This tender, moist cake is the perfect treat.

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Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 12 pieces 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Cakes
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Make this easy, from scratch Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing for a super fluffy, flavorful fall treat! Made with pumpkin puree, shredded carrots, a shredded apple and warm spices and generously topped with a delicious brown sugar cream cheese icing, this cake is a must bake treat perfect for the holidays!

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE PUMPKIN CARROT CAKE

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup oil, vegetable or canola
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, light or dark
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree 
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 red apple, peeled and grated

FOR THE BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE ICING

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (leave it at room temperature for at least an hour before making)
  • 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted, plus more if needed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

FOR THE PUMPKIN CARROT CAKE

  1. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F. 

  2. In large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the sugars and eggs. Stir in the vanilla and pumpkin puree followed by the oil. Add the buttermilk alternatively with the dry ingredients, mixing just til combined. Stir in carrots and apple.

  4. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it evenly in the pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool ten minutes in the pan then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once the cake has cooled, frost it with the icing. 

FOR THE BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE ICING

  1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and butter on medium speed for one minute until creamed and combined. Add the brown sugar and mix on medium for another minute. Mix in the vanilla then turn the mixer on low and gradually mix in the powdered sugar.

Keywords: pumpkin, carrot cake, pumpkin carrot cake, apple, cream cheese, brown sugar cream cheese icing, icing, fall

Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes

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And the best way to kick off the weekend is…. with these easy, delicious Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes, of course! Made with melted chocolate, rich olive oil and studded with chocolate chips, you won’t know what chocolatey deliciousness hit you! Best part? These fudgy cupcakes are naturally gluten free.

ABOUT THESE FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Made with both melted chocolate and chocolate chips, these cupcakes are a chocolate lover’s dream. I used lots of dark chocolate in mine and my husband, who is a huge dark chocolate fan, loves them! These cupcakes are the same recipe as my Flourless Chocolate Olive Oil Cake. Rather than pouring it into a 9 inch pan, I turned it into 12 cupcakes! 

I love the chocolatey olive oil base. The olive oil adds a rich and fruity flavor and so much moisture! I also use olive oil in my Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake. The olive oil makes for such a tender, delicious texture in both cakes!

WHAT’S IN THIS FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES RECIPE

I’ll start by what’s not in it: flour. I know…flourless cake sounds a little weird, but it is soooo good! Flourless makes these cupcakes naturally gluten free. This olive oil dessert is also dairy free. For a flourless and sugar less chocolate cake recipe, check out this 3-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake from Gimme Some Oven!

As far as what’s in it, it’s a simple list of ingredients that most people probably have on hand. You can make mini substitutions with what you have on hand.

ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS:

  • Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil. Melted butter can be substituted for the olive oil.
  • Chocolate: I recommend dark chocolate but bittersweet or semisweet also work.
  • Eggs: Use 4 large.
  • Sugar: I found that 3/4 cup is the perfect, just right amount.
  • Cocoa Powder: 1/3 cup
  • Vanilla: 2 1/2 teaspoons which surprisingly brings out the chocolate flavor.
  • Espresso powder: This is the ingredient that you might not have on hand. It also works to bring out the chocolate flavor. It can usually be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. You can definitely leave it out if you don’t have it. In that case, I’d suggest bumping the amount of vanilla up to a tablespoon.
  • Chocolate chips Semisweet, bittersweet, dark or milk chocolate chips all work.
  • Salt: Salt also enhances the chocolatey flavor and rounds out some of the sweetness.

HOW TO MAKE THESE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Start by melting the chocolate and olive oil in a medium bowl in the microwave. I like to first chop the chocolate since chopping it will help it melt faster. Melt the chocolate and olive oil in the microwave in about two twenty second intervals. Stir it really well after each interval. The chocolate will melt more as you stir it.

You want to keep the chocolate nice and shiny so make sure not to heat it more than necessary in the microwave. Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the olive oil and set mixture aside.

THE REST OF THE INGREDIENTS

Next, you’ll add most of the other ingredients to a large bowl. Stir or whisk together the sugar, salt, espresso powder, cocoa powder and vanilla. Pour in the melted chocolate and olive oil mixture then stir in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the chocolate chips. That’s it. So easy!

BAKING THE CUPCAKES

Grease or line a cupcake tin and distribute the batter among 12 cups. I prefer greasing my tin rather than using cupcake liners. Using cupcake liners typically leaves little liner marks. Although these are cupcakes, I prefer them to have the look of mini cakes, so I just grease the tin really well. Once baked, the mini cakes, or cupcakes will pop right out!

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a cupcake. Cool for about ten minutes in the muffin tins and then remove to a rack.

ENJOYING THE CUPCAKES

I love and can’t resist this cake warm, but it can also be eaten warm, at room temperature or cold. These cupcakes are delicious as is since they’re very brownie-like.

If you want to add toppings, which I highly recommend, these sweet but not too sweet chocolate cupcakes are the perfect blank slate for all your favorite toppings!

WHAT TO TOP YOUR CUPCAKES WITH

WHIPPED CREAM

Since there is chopped chocolate, cocoa powder and chocolate chips in this flourless espresso cake, I like to top it off with a dollop of chocolate whipped cream! It only takes four ingredients and five minutes to make. You can also make the whipped cream without the cocoa.

I love folding fresh raspberries into either plain or chocolate whipped cream. I love the freshness that the berries add to an otherwise rich dessert. Chopped strawberries would also work. I like raspberries because you don’t need to chop them. Just lightly mash them with a fork and they fold in nicely. They add a pretty pink color and little bits of fruit!

MORE TOPPING SUGGESTIONS

  • GANACHE: Rich, chocolatey ganache is the perfect sauce to drizzle or pour over the cake! Here’s the easy two ingredient ganache recipe I use for my Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes.
  • ICE CREAM: A scoop of vanilla, chocolate, or coffee ice cream is AMAZING but really any flavor ice cream works!
  • POWDERED SUGAR: A simple dusting of powdered sugar makes the cake extra pretty and adds a touch more sweetness!
  • CARAMEL: My chocolate caramel recipe comes to mind first, but this maple caramel would be delicious too!

These flourless chocolate cupcakes are the perfect combination of a piece of chocolate cake and a brownie. They have the fudgy, gooey texture of brownies and are super easy to make! Perfect for when the chocolate urge strikes or for having friends over.

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Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Cupcakes
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

These easy flourless chocolate cupcakes make the best fudgy, rich treat! Gluten free and perfect for weekdays or company. Top with ice cream or homemade whipped cream!

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE CUPCAKES

  • 6 ounces semisweet, dark, or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or melted unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

FOR THE CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM*

  • 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa 

Instructions

  1. Generously grease a muffin tin. Preheat oven to 350 F. 
  2. Melt the olive oil and chopped chocolate together in the microwave in two 20 second intervals. Stir very well in between intervals. Set aside and let cool for a few minutes while you assemble the rest of the ingredients. 
  3. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, salt, espresso, cocoa and vanilla. Pour in the melted chocolate and olive oil mixture. Stir in the eggs and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour mixture into prepared pan. Spread evenly and bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

FOR THE CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM

  1. For best results, chill the bowl and beaters or whisk attachment in the fridge or freezer for 15- 20 minutes before using. In the bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the whipping cream on high speed for 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and pour the powdered sugar and cocoa in followed by the vanilla. Turn the mixer back up to high and continue mixing until you have medium to stiff peaks, about 3 more minutes.

Notes

*Alternatively, you could add raspberries to the whipped cream. Keep it chocolate flavored and add raspberries or omit the cocoa powder and add raspberries. Lightly crush the raspberries with a fork before folding them in. 

Keywords: espresso, chocolate, chocolate chips, dark chocolate, cupcakes, mini cakes, whipped cream, raspberriese

Neapolitan Marble Cake

by

Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry neapolitan cake on a cooling rack.

Neapolitan Marble Cake. One batter, three incredibly delicious flavors. Because sometimes you want a little chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry and this beautiful marble cake features all three! Tender, moist vanilla cake with swirls of chocolate and strawberry cake. Fancy looking yet surprisingly easy to make, everyone loves this soft, fluffy marble cake!

If there’s any cake I love making, it’s a marble cake. Seriously what’s not to love about a cake with a cool design and two, in this case three(!), delicious flavors! The “fancy” design might make you think it’s hard to make but it’s super simple.

If you love marble cakes and are a fan of molasses and warm spices, check out my yummy Molasses Marble Cake! I tend to go for molasses more in the fall and holiday time, but for sure go for vanilla, chocolate and strawberry literally all year long!

Marble loaf cake swirled with chocolate on a rack with cocoa and strawberries next to it.

This Neapolitan Cake recipe features:

  • A soft, moist crumb: It’s made with buttermilk which gives its delicious, tender texture.
  • Vanilla: The base of the cake is a delicious vanilla cake batter.
  • Chocolate: No need to chop chocolate, just mix a bit of cocoa with some oil or melted butter, mix it with the base batter and you have your chocolate swirl.
  • Strawberry: Fresh strawberries and strawberry jam add some fresh, in season sweetness!
  • Swirls: A simple table knife mixes all three flavors and colors together!
A Neapolitan marble cake on a rack with a slice, a knife and some strawberries beside it.

ABOUT THE MARBLE CAKE BATTER

As mentioned, you only need to make one batter for this cake which is a vanilla cake batter. That batter gets divided into three bowls. Keep one bowl vanilla then add cocoa to one bowl and strawberries to the remaining bowl.

FOR THE VANILLA BATTER: Just leave 1/3 of batter as is.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE BATTER: To the third portion of batter, you’ll stir in some cocoa powder that’s been mixed with with canola oil.

FOR THE STRAWBERRY BATTER: Stir in 1/2 cup lightly pureed strawberries. Lightly pureed meaning just lightly pulse them in a food processor or blender. Lightly pureed will give you nice little specks of strawberries throughout the cake. Strawberry jam will give batter a little bit of color and more strawberry sweetness and flavor.

Strawberries have to be my favorite fruit to bake with in the summertime. If you’re with me, definitely add my Roasted Strawberry Crumb Bars to your baking list!

ADDING FOOD COLORING TO THE STRAWBERRY LAYER

This cake is called a Neapolitan cake because of the three different flavors. I left my strawberry batter natural which gives the cake little hints of pink color and little bits of berries.

If you want more of a pink/classic Neapolitan color, just stir in a few drops of pink or red food coloring to the strawberry batter. Start with one or two drops and stir together. Add another drop if you want a deeper color.

A bowl of vanilla cake batter next to a a bowl of cake batter with chocolate and a bowl of strawberry cake batter.

HOW TO MARBLE YOUR CAKE

Once you have your three batters, use a tablespoon to drop the batter into a checkerboard patter. You’ll have enough batter to make two layers of the checkerboard pattern. For the second layer, be sure to drop different color batter on top of the existing colors.

Use a table knife to swirl from side to side down the length of the pan. Rotate the pan a quarter turn and, with a clean knife, swirl again. Definitely resist the urge to keep swirling so that the flavors don’t mix together too much. Less is more here.

SWIRLS AND MORE SWIRLS

Swirling the flavors together is definitely my favorite part of making this cake. If you love the look and taste of swirled desserts, definitely try my aptly named Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies or my Tahini Brownies filled with lots of creamy, rich tahini-chocolate swirls!

Neapolitan cake batter in a checkerboard pattern in a parchment paper lined loaf pan.
Swirled neapolitan cake batter featuring strawberry, vanilla and chocolate swirls.

Pop your cake into a 350 degree oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. You’ll want to rotate your pan halfway through baking to ensure even baking. Let the cake cool in the pan for about ten minutes and then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.

A big, fluffy neapolitan marble cake on a rack with slices next to it.

THE FINAL PRODUCT

Ta-daaaa! It’s pretty too to pull your cake out of the oven and see the pretty designs the cake baked into. It’s also fun to cut into the cake to reveal the swirls inside. The best part though is, of course, eating it!

OPTIONAL ICING

Top this Neapolitan Marble Cake with icing or leave it plain. If you want icing but don’t want to cover up all the pretty swirls on top, you can simply drizzle some icing rather than coating the entire top.

A close up of Neapolitan marble cake featuring swirls of chcolate, vanilla and strawberry.
Neapolitan marble cake on a wooden platter with a knife and strawberries next to it.
A slice of neapolitan marble cake
A chocolate vanilla strawberry marble cake, slices, strawberry jam and cocoa and a milk jug

Hopefully I’ve convinced you to make this super delicious Neapolitan Marble Cake! The only thing you’ll need to decide is whether to make it for breakfast, dinner or as a snacking cake. I vote for all of the above. It’s got the best fluffy, moist texture and all the flavors. Cannot wait for you to make it!

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Neapolitan Marble Cake

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 1 loaf 1x
  • Category: Dessert, Cake
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This easy Neapolitan Marble Cake recipe is tender, moist and delicious! Made with one cake batter flavored with vanilla, chocolate and strawberry giving it beautiful swirls and lots of flavor! 

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 3⁄4 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • 2/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1⁄4cup cocoa powder, preferably Dutch processed
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil or melted butter
  • 1/2 cup strawberries, lightly pureed
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons strawberry jam
  • a few drops of pink or red food coloring, optional

FOR THE ICING

  • 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3 teaspoons milk
 
 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan, line it with parchment paper leaving excess paper hanging over the sides along the length of the pan and butter the parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a hand held mixer), beat the butter and sugar 4-5 minutes, til light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined then add the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go. Add flour alternatively with the buttermilk. Divide the batter into thirds.
  4. In a small bowl, mix the cocoa and canola oil until smooth. Add the cocoa mixture to one of the three bowls of cake batter and stir til combined. To another bowl of batter, stir in the pureed strawberries and jam. Add a couple of drops of food coloring (if desired) until desired color is achieved. 
  5. Spoon the three batters into three alternating spoonfuls (vanilla, chocolate strawberry) across the prepared pan. It should look like a checkerboard. Place different color batters on top of the existing batter to create a second layer of batter.
  6. To marble the cake, use a knife or skewer to run swirls from side to side and top to bottom. Turn the pan and swirl the knife through the batter one more time. Avoid over swirling. 
  7. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until a cake tester comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn out cake from pan and cool completely on the rack. 

FOR THE OPTIONAL ICING

  1. Blend the butter and cream cheese in a bowl. Beat in the vanilla and add the powdered sugar a bit at a time. Add the milk and blend until smooth. Drizzle or pour over cake.

Keywords: marble, marble cake, cake, neapolitan, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, pound cake, buttermilk, dessert

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake

by

A delicious blueberry pound cake with homemade blueberry sauce swirled in it being sliced on a cutting board.

This blueberry cream cheese pound cake is everything you’d expect it to be: super moist, rich, and flavorful! The richness comes from the cream cheese and butter mixed into the batter and the lemon, vanilla and an easy homemade blueberry sauce adds color and flavor to the whole loaf and every individual slice! You won’t believe how easy it is and how perfect it is for breakfast AND dessert!

HOMEMADE POUND CAKE

My favorite part of this cake is definitely the blueberry sauce, BUT I definitely don’t want to minimize the deliciousness of the cream cheese pound cake itself! I mean, imagine a batter with a base of cream cheese and butter! The cake is INCREDIBLY moist and just so GOOD.

A stack of blueberry pound cake slices with a spoonful of blueberry sauce next to it.

BAKING WITH BLUEBERRIES

I know some people might think the blueberry sauce makes this recipe more complicated. When you taste how good it is and see how cool it looks, you really won’t believe how easy it is! It literally only takes five minutes and swirling it in is super easy!

The natural sweetness and juiciness of blueberries makes them perfect for baking. Blueberries, along with lemon, add so much freshness to these lemon blueberry muffins. It does not get much more delicious than these lemon blueberry baked donuts! For one more incredibly good blueberry recipe, you’ll love how blueberries taste as an unexpected but totally delicious surprise ingredient in these blueberry blondies!

I was originally going to simply add blueberries to this cake, but when I saw these beautiful Strawberry and Cream Cheese Pound Cake Loaves from Bake from Scratch, I decided this recipe needed a blueberry sauce swirled in! I used my own pound cake recipe and ingredients for the blueberry sauce, but followed the steps of the sauce recipe from Bake from Scratch.

HOW TO MAKE BLUEBERRY SAUCE

To make the sauce, you need:

  • Fresh or frozen blueberries: I used frozen blueberries since I’m trying to reduce the number of trips to the grocery store these days.
  • Sugar
  • Lemon Zest: It adds to the hint of lemon in the cake.
  • Orange juice, Lemon Juice and/or Water: Use all orange juice, lemon juice or water or a combination. I used half water and half orange juice.
  • Cornstarch: For thickening the sauce.
Blueberries and sugar in a small saucepan
Thick blueberry sauce in a small saucepan with a wooden spoon in it.

HOW TO MAKE CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE

Once you’ve made the easy blueberry sauce, you can shift over to making the pound cake batter. If you have an electric mixer, it will do most of the work!

To make the cake, I like to first prepare my pan, preheat the oven then whisk together the dry ingredients. Just makes it easier to do all of that before you start actually mixing the batter.

To mix the batter, first mix the butter, cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Once it becomes a bit pale in color, you’ll mix in the sugar. Next comes the eggs which get mixed in one at a time followed by the vanilla and lemon zest.

Be sure scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time while mixing ingredients. This will help make sure the ingredients are all incorporated. Turn the mixer on low (so that you don’t get flour allover you and your kitchen) then slowly add in the dry ingredients.

Creamy white pound cake batter in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment in it

Now it’s time to pour the batter and blueberry sauce into your prepared pan. You’ll do this in layers: batter, sauce, batter, sauce, batter.

Don’t worry about getting the exact amount of batter or sauce in each layer. The cake is both homemade and rustic which means perfection is not required.

Blueberry cream cheese pound cake in a pan lined with parchment paper.

Once you have your sauce and batter layered in the pan, it’s time to swirl it all together. Use a knife or skewer for the swirling. Start at the top of the pan and swirl from side to side until you get to the bottom. Turn the pan and do the same thing one more time. That will just give just enough swirl to create the two cool lines.

Layers of blueberry sauce and cream cheese pound cake swirled together in a pan.

The baking time will vary and should take between 55 and 65 minutes. To check for doneness, stick a toothpick into the center. It should come out almost clean. Mine usually takes me closer to 65 minutes, but you’ll want to keep an eye on yours as it approaches an hour in the oven.

Blueberry cream cheese pound cake on a cutting board layered with parchment paper.
Slices of a beautiful lemon blueberry pound cake on a cutting board.
A close up of a slice of blueberry pound cake with bright blueberry sauce swirled inside it.

I wish I could bake blueberry cream cheese pound cakes for everyone! They are perfectly moist, sweet and flavorful. The recipe works great with frozen blueberries making them perfect any season. It’s fun to make, fun to cut into and an amazing treat to eat.

FOR MORE DELICIOUS DESSERTS WITH FRUIT, TRY MY:

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Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 65 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 1 loaf 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Cake
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe flavored with lemon and vanilla makes a moist, delicious loaf featuring an easy, swirled-in blueberry sauce! Perfect for breakfast and dessert! 

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE BLUEBERRY SAUCE

  • 1 1/2 cups blueberries
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch

FOR THE POUND CAKE

  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

FOR THE BLUEBERRY SAUCE

  1. Whisk the orange juice, water and cornstarch together in a small bowl. 
  2. Place the blueberries and the sugar in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and lemon zest and bring to a boil. Stir constantly and cook for about a minute, or until thickened. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the cake batter. 

FOR THE CAKE

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper. 
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. With a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until creamy and light. Add the sugar and beat an additional minute until slightly fluffy.
  4. Turn the mixer down to low speed, add the eggs one at a time followed by the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients. Beat until dry ingredients are just incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
  5. Spoon 1/3 batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spoon and then spread 1/2 of the blueberry sauce evenly over top of the batter. Spoon and evenly spread another 1/3 of the batter on top. Spread the remaining blueberry sauce over the batter and cover that layer with the remaining 1/3 of the batter. 
  6. Stick a knife or skewer in the batter almost to the bottom of the pan. Run the knife or skewer through the batter in a swirling motion going from side to side from the top to the bottom of the pan. Rotate the pan 45 degrees and run the knife through the batter side to side from top to bottom one more time.
  7. Bake for 55-65. Be careful not to overswirl.  Bake 55-65 minutes until the cake is a toothpick comes out mostly clean inserted in the center of the cake. Remove the cake from the oven and set on a cooling rack to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out and allow it to cool completely on the rack. 

Keywords: blueberry, blueberries, pound cake, cream cheese, cake, quick bread, blueberry sauce

Flourless Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

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This flourless chocolate olive oil cake is so elegant and decadent, you won’t believe how easy it is! Filled with cocoa powder, melted chocolate and chocolate chips, it’s got a rich, fudgy center and a perfect crispy yet tender crust! Leaving out the flour makes it naturally gluten free. So easy to make and perfect for any occasion.

INGREDIENTS FOR THIS FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

I’ll start by what’s not in it: flour. I know…flourless cake sounds a little weird, but it is soooo good!

As far as what’s in it, it’s a simple list of ingredients that most people probably have on hand. You can make mini substitutions with what you have on hand.

ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS:

  • Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil. Melted butter can be substituted for the olive oil.
  • Chocolate: I recommend dark chocolate but bittersweet or semisweet also work.
  • Eggs: Use 4 large.
  • Sugar: I found that 3/4 cup is the perfect, just right amount.
  • Cocoa Powder: Use 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.
  • Vanilla: 2 1/2 teaspoons which surprisingly brings out the chocolate flavor.
  • Espresso powder: This is the ingredient that you might not have on hand. It also works to bring out the chocolate flavor. It can usually be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. You can definitely leave it out if you don’t have it. In that case, I’d suggest bumping the amount of vanilla up to a tablespoon.
  • Chocolate chips Semisweet, bittersweet, dark or milk chocolate chips all work.
  • Salt: Salt also enhances the chocolatey flavor and rounds out some of the sweetness.

HOW TO MAKE THIS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Start by melting the chocolate and olive oil in a medium bowl in the microwave. I like to first chop the chocolate since chopping it will help it melt faster. Melt the chocolate and olive oil in the microwave in about two twenty second intervals. Stir it really well after each interval. The chocolate will melt more as you stir it.

You want to keep the chocolate nice and shiny so make sure not to heat it more than necessary in the microwave. Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the olive oil and set mixture aside.

DRY INGREDIENTS

Next, you’ll add most of the other ingredients to a large bowl. Stir or whisk together the sugar, salt, espresso powder, cocoa powder and vanilla.

A mixing bowl filled with espresso powder, cocoa, sugar, salt and vanilla.

THE REST OF THE INGREDIENTS

Pour in the melted chocolate and olive oil mixture then stir in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the chocolate chips. That’s it. So easy!

BAKING IT

I like to use a springform pan because it makes it so much easier to take the cake out when serving it, but a regular round cake pan works too. Make sure to grease then line the pan with parchment paper to prevent it from sticking. The cake will take 25-30 minutes at 350 F.

A rich chocolate cake on a white cake stand topped with powdered sugar.

ENJOYING THE CAKE

I love and can’t resist this cake warm, but it can also be eaten warm, at room temperature or cold.

To get nice, clean slices run a large, sharp knife under hot water or dunk it in a glass of hot water and wipe it dry. Make sure to wipe the knife clean in between slices and dip the knife in hot water in between each cut. It adds a little time, but it gives you some nice, sleek slices!

WHAT TO SERVE WITH YOUR CAKE

Since there is chopped chocolate, cocoa powder and chocolate chips in this flourless espresso cake, I like to top it off with a dollop of chocolate whipped cream, of course! It only takes four ingredients and five minutes to make. You can also make the whipped cream without the cocoa.

MORE TOPPING SUGGESTIONS

  • GANACHE: Rich, chocolatey ganache is the perfect sauce to drizzle or pour over the cake! Here’s the easy two ingredient ganache recipe I use for my Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes.
  • ICE CREAM: A scoop of vanilla, chocolate, or coffee ice cream is AMAZING!
  • POWDERED SUGAR: A simple dusting of powdered sugar makes the cake extra pretty and adds a touch more sweetness!
  • CARAMEL: My chocolate caramel recipe comes to mind first, but this maple caramel would be delicious too!
Slices of chocolate cake on plates topped with chocolate whipped cream.

This flourless chocolate olive oil cake is my new favorite chocolate cake! I love it because it has the fudgy, gooey texture of brownies, a lovely crust and is super easy to make! Perfect for when the chocolate urge strikes or for having friends over.

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Flourless Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Desserts. Cake
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This easy flourless chocolate olive oil cake makes the best fudgy, rich treat! Gluten free and perfect for weekdays or company. 

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

  • 6 ounces dark, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or melted unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

FOR THE CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM

  • 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon natural cocoa

 

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

  1. Butter then line with parchment paper the bottom of a 9″ springform pan or the bottom of a round 9″ cake pan. Preheat oven to 350 F. 
  2. Melt the olive oil and chopped chocolate together in the microwave in two 20 second intervals. Stir very well in between intervals. Set aside and let cool for a few minutes while you assemble the rest of the ingredients. 
  3. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, salt, espresso, cocoa and vanilla. Pour in the melted chocolate and butter mixture. Stir in the eggs and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour mixture into prepared pan. Spread evenly and bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

FOR THE CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM

  1. For best results, chill the bowl and beaters or whisk attachment in the fridge or freezer for 15- 20 minutes before using. In the bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the whipping cream on high speed for 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and pour the powdered sugar and cocoa in followed by the vanilla. Turn the mixer back up to high and continue mixing until you have medium to stiff peaks, about 3 more minutes.

Keywords: cake, espresso, chocolate, flourless, dessert, gluten free

Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake

by

A vibrant looking olive oil cake with blood orange slices baked in it on a rack.

I love that cold, cloudy January in Ottawa is also the start of blood orange season in warm, sunny, faraway climates. I get a little cheerier just seeing these oranges and thinking about the vibrant color and fresh taste inside them. While olive oil cake is super moist and fragrant on its own, blood oranges add a burst of color and freshness to the cake and to my (currently) greyish Canadian winter.

A close up picture of a colorful blood oranges sliced in half on a cutting board.

UNIQUE ORANGES AND CAKE

This cake will be fun to bring for my family next time I visit. I can’t wait to see my mom’s reaction when she sees the gorgeous pinkish-reddish-purplish blood orange slices on top.

You know those toys that are popular with kids these days? The ones where they don’t know exactly what they get until they open it? I feel like blood oranges are the natural version of those toys for people who love food. You don’t know what color or shade the orange will be until you cut into it! Whether it’s more orange, red or purple, you can be sure the flesh will be vibrant and gorgeous.

I’m also excited for my mom to hear that the cake is made with olive oil. A lot of people (I’m pretty sure my mom included) don’t know that you can bake with olive oil. The olive oil is this cake makes it flavorful, moist and tender.

CAKE INSPIRATION

I love finding and creating different cakes. I first discovered olive oil cakes in an old Italian cookbook in the library of my hometown. I loved the idea and have tried a few different citrus olive oil cakes.

While searching olive oil cakes, I came across a blood orange olive oil recipe from The Smitten Kitchen and loved the idea! I took inspiration from this cake and had fun creating my own blood orange olive oil cake!

BAKING WITH BLOOD ORANGES

This cake uses the zest, juice and fruit of three blood oranges (plus the juice of a fourth orange in the whipped cream). Since we’re using the zest of two of the oranges, it’s a good idea to buy organic oranges.

I love my microplane for zesting. There’s really nothing like it and it’s definitely one of my favorite kitchen tools.

After zesting the two oranges, I juiced one and got the most gorgeous ruby red juice! This juice along with a couple of tablespoons of milk and 1/2 cup of olive oil make the cake super moist.

For the other zested orange, peel it then chop it as finely as you like. I chopped mine into pretty small 1/4″ pieces. It’ll get added to the batter and you’ll get little bites of the fruit in the cake. So nice.

A white bowl filled with mustard colored blood orange zest and a microplane with zest in it.

I cut the peel off the third orange and cut it into 1/4″ rounds then baked it on top of the cake. The blood orange rounds on top let people know what’s in the cake. They also manage to retain some of their juice even though they’re baked.

I noticed a lot of recipes for orange rounds with the peel on that get baked on the bottom (top?!) of an upside down cake. They look gorgeous, but I find the peeled rounds easier to eat.

To make sure the rounds don’t sink into the cake, bake it for about ten minutes then take it out and add the rounds. They can be arranged in any design. I just felt like spreading them out all over the cake. However you arrange it, it’ll look rustic and SO pretty!

BLOOD ORANGE WHIPPED CREAM

I thought about making a glaze for a little extra sweetness, but didn’t want to cover the pretty top of the cake. Whipped cream is the perfect topping since it can be plopped on top of or next to individual slices.

A cup of heavy whipping cream, half an orange getting juiced and some powdered sugar.

The whipped cream in this recipe is made with just three ingredients and only takes a few minutes to make. I added the juice of another blood orange to the whipped cream. The juice gives it a subtle fruity flavor and a light pink color. It just makes the cake extra pretty and delicious.

One other finishing touch is a little bit of olive oil. I brushed the top of my cake right before serving. It gives it a little extra shine and flavor.

A freshly baked blood orange olive oil cake getting brushed with olive oil.

Let me see…I think that was all I wanted to explain. The rest of the recipe is straightforward. It’s an easy cake that makes a stunning, unique looking and tasting dessert. I can’t wait for you to make it and I hope you love it!

FOR MORE BAKED IN FRUIT DESSERT RECIPES, TRY MY:

a slice of olive oil cake with a blood orange slice baked in it and some whipped cream

On a final note, as soon as I finished baking the cake, the sun came out here in Ottawa!

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Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 8–10 slices 1x
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian
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Description

This gorgeous Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake makes a super moist, colorful, flavorful dessert. Easy to make and delicious with homemade whipped cream!

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 3 blood oranges
  • Olive oil for brushing

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • the juice of one blood orange

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter or lightly oil an 8″ pan.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Two of the blood oranges will be added to the batter while the remaining orange will be added to the top of the cake as decoration while baking. Zest two oranges. Set the zest aside. Juice one of the zested oranges and set the juice aside. Peel the remaining orange then finely chop it into 1/4″ pieces. Set aside. For the third orange, chop off both the bottom and top. Use a small knife to cut the peel off in pieces from top to bottom. Cut closely to the fruit so as to remove both the peel and the pith. Follow the curve of the fruit so that you do not cut off much of the juicy flesh. Turn the orange on its side and slice it into 1/4″ rounds. Set aside.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer using a whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar for 30 seconds on medium high speed. Gradually pour the olive oil into the bowl in a slow but steady stream followed by the milk and the blood orange juice and zest.
  5. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Gently fold in the chopped blood orange fruit.
  6. Pour the batter into the cake pan. Bake 10 minutes then remove cake from oven and quickly and carefully add the orange slices on top of the cake. Return the cake to the oven and bake an additional 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake (a few crumbs are okay).
  7. Place the pan on a rack and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove cake from the pan and allow to cool completely on the rack. Once cooled or before serving, brush cake lightly with olive oil.

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM

  1. For best results, chill the bowl and beaters in the fridge or freezer for 15- 20 minutes before using. Beat the whipping cream on medium-high speed. Let the cream mix for a few minutes while watching carefully. When you have soft peaks, gently pour the sugar in followed by the blood orange juice. Continue mixing until you have medium peaks. Serve alongside or on top of the cake or individual slices.

Keywords: blood orange olive oil cake, citrus olive oil cake, blood orange cake

White Chocolate Blackberry Coffee Cake

by

A close up of white chocolate blackberry cake squares filled with freshly baked purple blackberries.

This easy white chocolate blackberry coffee cake recipe has been my go to this holiday season! Delicious and gorgeous, you won’t believe how easy it is to make! Eggs and brown sugar make this blackberry white chocolate coffee cake moist while maple syrup and melted white chocolate add the perfect amount of sweetness. Go ahead and enjoy this treat for both dessert and breakfast!

Blackberry chocolate cake squares stacked on top of each other with blackberries peaking out.

My favorite part has to be the blackberries. I had some leftover from a cheese board I had made and decided to bake something with them! They bake into a gorgeous, festive crimson color. They are lovely, wintry looking and so pretty to see popping out of each piece.

If you have extra berries, feel free to add them to the batter! I stopped at 1 1/4 cups, but it’d be yummy with even more berries! Baked, fresh, or frozen, I love using berries in the kitchen! Actually, I like using any kind of fruit! My pear and peach upside down cake is a definite must-bake if you like baking with fruit.

You can’t see the chocolate, but you’ll love knowing there’s a whole cup of white chocolate baked inside. It gives the cake a rich, sweet taste and, along with the brown sugar, makes it super moist.

A measuring cup overflowing with fresh blackberries.

HOW TO MAKE WHITE CHOCOLATE BLACKBERRY CAKE

1. Butter and line the pan with parchment paper. Lining the pan is optional but recommended. I like to leave parchment hanging from two sides to make it easier to lift them out of the pan once cooled. If you want to cut and serve them directly from the pan, there’s no need to line the pan.

2. Whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder and salt so that the dry ingredients are combined and free of lumps.

3. Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave. It’s a good idea to set the power at 50% so that you don’t burn the chocolate. After 30 seconds, give them a stir and put them back in the microwave. Give them another stir and heat again (if necessary) until the chips are just melted and the chocolate is shiny and smooth. Set it aside to cool slightly.

4. Mix the eggs and sugar until they’re creamy. This takes about a minute. Next, add in the maple syrup. Just a teaspoon and a half adds a lovely, subtle flavor. Finally, mix in the white chocolate.

5. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to mix in the rest of the ingredients. Alternatively add the dry ingredients and milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir until just mixed. Finally, gently fold in the blackberries. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake! Rotate it halfway through so that it cooks evenly.

Melted white chocolate being poured into blackberry cake batter.
A spatula stirring a gorgeous white chocolate cake batter in a mixing bowl.
White Chocolate blackberry Cake batter in a pan with lots of blackberries peaking out.

COOLING AND CUTTING

Once baked, let the cake cool completely in the pan. I was running late the first time I made them, so I cut them before they cooled. This caused the tops to crinkle a little, so if you have time, definitely let them cool before cutting. They can be cut into 9 squares or up to 16 squares, depending on the size. For 16 even squares, start by cutting the cake in half and then cutting the two sides in half. Turn the pan sideways and repeat.

HOW TO SERVE IT

If you want handholdable, smaller pieces, cut the cake into smaller squares. This is great if you are serving multiple desserts or a dessert buffet. I also love my coconut butterscotch bars for this type of easy-to-eat dessert.

This cake is also super delicious served with ice cream on top. In this case, it’s nice to serve them in larger squares. If you have blackberries leftover, they make a tasty, beautiful garnish!

A freshly baked piece of white chocolate cake with a baked blackberry oozing out.

Hope you love eating and sharing this insanely good white chocolate blackberry coffee cake as much as I do! Make one for dessert and have leftovers with coffee the next morning!

For more berry-filled dessert that’ll go great with your coffee, make my upside down blackberry cupcakes and my roasted strawberry crumb bars!

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White Chocolate Blackberry Coffee Cake

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8–12 (depending on the size) 1x
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This easy recipe for white chocolate blackberry coffee cake makes the most delicious dessert! Enjoy them for breakfast, a snack or dessert, everyone loves these treats!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips, melted
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1  1/4 cup blackberries

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter then line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
  2. Place the white chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave on 50% power at 30 second intervals. Stir well in between intervals and heat until chips are melted and smooth. Set aside to let cool slightly.
  3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  4. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on medium for about 1 minute, until the mixture is creamy. Add the maple syrup followed by the melted chocolate. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, alternatively add the dry ingredients and the milk. Gently stir in the blackberries.
  5. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Bake until a toothpick, when inserted in the center of the bars, comes out dry (a few crumbs are ok). Allow to cool completely in the pan. 

Keywords: white chocolate, blackberries, bars, squares, dessert, maple syrup

Molasses Marble Cake

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molasses marble cake slices with cream cheese frosting on parchment paper

In addition to cookies and gingerbread, ever wonder what molasses tastes good in?! Cake! Specifically, this Molasses Marble Cake. Spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and topped with a thin cream cheese frosting, this cake is delicious and as homemade tasting as they come!

As a food nerd (you might be one too if you’re reading this), I get excited thinking and talking about molasses! This syrupy byproduct of the sugar making process is one of those special ingredients because of it’s strikingly dark color and standout smell and taste.

a bowl with cake batter, molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and a spoon in it

Molasses has a sweet, warming flavor which explains why it starts to show up more in recipes in fall and winter. It goes so well the equally warming, spicy flavors of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg that are also in this recipe! You’ll love how the cake tastes with creamy, sweet cream cheese frosting!

In addition to an amazing taste, this cake is also stunning and fun to make. If you’ve never marbled a cake before, you’ll love how easy it is. It makes a fancy looking cake without the need for a difficult technique or special equipment.

You’ll start preparing the cake as you would with most cakes by creaming the butter and sugars and adding the eggs and dry ingredients. The most important thing to remember when making this cake (this goes for me as well since I forgot once) is to make sure to hold off adding the molasses and spices until after you’ve divided your batter!

Once you have your two batters, you just drop the batter into a checkerboard patter. Take a knife to swirl from one end to the other. Rotate the pan a quarter turn and, with a clean knife, swirl again and that’s it.

The cream cheese frosting is simple and only takes a few minutes to whip together. I made it with an in between consistency here because I wanted a creamier topping. This cake is also so pretty with just a thin drizzle of icing which allows the marbled top to show.

Molasses IS sold year round, so I think this Molasses Marble Cake might make me crave molasses in the spring and summer as well!

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molasses marble cake slices with cream cheese frosting on browna parchment paper lined baking sheet with a spoon on it and two glasses of milk behind it

Molasses Marble Cake

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cake 1x
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Sweetened with molasses and brown sugar and spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, you’ll love this easy, delicious, from scratch Molasses Marble Cake recipe!

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

FOR THE ICING

  • 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3 teaspoons milk

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9 x 5′ loaf pan. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy (about two minutes). Beat in the eggs one at a time.
  4. Alternatively add the dry ingredients and milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Once mixed together, divide the batter into two bowls. Add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and molasses to one half of the batter.
  5. Alternatively drop a tablespoon of each of the batters in a checkerboard pattern. Once you finish the first layer, drop tablespoons of the other batter on top of each of the first squares. You should have two layers of about 5 rows of three.
  6. To marble the cake, gently run a knife through the batter using a swirling motion. Bake 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick when inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Place the cake on a rack to cool in the pan for ten minutes and then remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool on the rack.

FOR THE ICING

1. Blend the butter and cream cheese in a bowl. Beat in the vanilla and add the powdered sugar a bit at a time. Add the milk and blend until smooth.

Notes

Add more milk to the icing for a thinner consistency or more powdered sugar for a thicker consistency, if desired.

Keywords: molasses, cake, cream cheese, powdered sugar, icing, cinnamon, dessert

Maple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Maple Glazed Nuts

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This moist, sweet maple cake is coated with a creamy, sweet cream cheese frosting and topped with my favorite maple maple glazed nuts. Between the cake and the glazed nuts, you’ll use a full cup of pure maple syrup in this Maple Cake with Cream Cheese and Maple Glazed Nuts recipe!

a large sheet cake topped with frosting and candied nuts on two sheets of parchment on top of a cooling rack with a light purple towel behind it and a glass of milk.

I had hoped to post this recipe in the spring since that’s maple syrup season. I didn’t get around to posting this recipe in the spring, but luckily maple flavors are just as popular in the fall!

I wrote a little about my great-grandmother’s cookbook when I shared her banana bread recipe. Her book’s divided by season and each section begins with a few pages describing life on their farm in Northern New York State.

a sketch of a maple tree with buckets and handwriting writing maple season and spring

Not many people know this, but New York is actually the second highest producer of maple syrup in the US! Since sugaring season is in the spring, this recipe is listed in the spring section of the book.

As my great aunt writes “freezing nights and thawing days make perfect weather for the sap to flow generously.” I love trying to picture what life was like for them, especially during sugaring season.

a close up picture of maple cake with a piece missing and a knife with frosting on it

The maple glazed nuts are literally a treat all by themselves and are the perfect topping to this cake! I chopped almonds and walnuts, but you can also use pecans or pumpkin seeds! Use two or three types of nuts/seeds, but keep the nut to syrup ratio about the same.

Keep the nuts whole or chop or slice them. If you enjoy these nuts, make sure to try them as part of the streusel in my favorite pumpkin bread recipe!

a pan with hot maple syrup cooking with chopped walnuts and a wooden spoon stirring them

Toss the chopped nuts with a pinch of salt and cinnamon and add them to a skillet over medium heat. Add the syrup and stir with a wooden spoon until the nuts are toasted and coated in the syrup. The syrup will evaporate and the nuts will caramelize after a few minutes. Carefully spread the nuts out on some parchment paper. They’re ready to use once cooled.

For the cake, you’ll start by creaming the sugar and butter til light and fluffy. Next, add the eggs. After that, grab your maple syrup again and mix in 3/4 cup. You’ll finish by alternatively add the sifted dry ingredients and milk.

Pour the cake evenly into a 9″ x 13″ cake pan that’s either lined with butter or parchment paper. I like to keep have excess parchment paper hanging over the long sides. This makes it easier for me to simply lift the cake out once cooled.

For the cream cheese frosting, make sure your butter and cream cheese are softened. You’ll cream them along with vanilla first and then add the sugar about a cup at a time. Mix it until the sugar is fully incorporated.

I wanted this frosting a bit on the thin side, so I stopped at 2 cups of powdered sugar. If you want a bit of thicker frosting, add another cup of powdered sugar.

a large sheet cake topped with frosting and candied nuts on two sheets of parchment on top of a cooling rack with a light purple towel behind it and a glass of milk.

The cream cheese frosting recipe will make enough to completely frost the top and sides, but I like the rustic look so I only did most of the top! Frost it as you like! The funnest part, to me, is adding the sweet maple glazed nuts to top off your edible masterpiece!

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Maple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Maple Glazed Nuts

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 sheet cake 1x
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This Maple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Maple Glazed Walnuts uses my family’s old fashioned recipe to makes a delicious maple-rich, moist cake!  

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Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 3 egg whites

FOR THE NUTS

  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons almonds, chopped
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup 

FOR THE FROSTING

  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup butter 
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and then line a rectangular pan with parchment paper.

2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

3. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Pour in the maple syrup and mix until combined. Mix in the egg whites. Add the sour cream alternatively with the dry ingredients. 

4. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake 20-25 minutes. Allow cake to cool in the pan the first ten minutes then transfer it to cool on a wire rack. 

FOR THE NUTS

1. In a small bowl, toss the almonds and walnuts with the cinnamon and salt. Add them to a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the maple syrup and stir to coat the nuts. Stir constantly for 3-4 minutes until the nuts are toasted and caramelized and the syrup has evaporated. Turn nuts out onto a sheet of parchment paper. Use two forks to separate them and spread them out. Allow to cool. 

FOR THE FROSTING

  1. Beat the butter and cream cheese with the vanilla until fluffy. Add the sugars a cup at a time. 

Keywords: maple, cake, walnuts, almonds, dessert, cream cheese, frosting

Apple Cinnamon Bread

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Embracing apple season with this Apple Cinnamon Bread. Made with fresh apples, warming cinnamon, seasonal nutmeg and topped with an incredibly delicious maple walnut crumble topping and a sweet, simple icing, this bread is super moist and incredibly delicious! It makes a perfect breakfast, brunch, or dessert.

A delicious loaf of apple cinnamon bread topped with streusel and icing.

ABOUT THIS APPLE CINNAMON BREAD

If you’re looking for a delicious way to use some fresh autumn apples, this recipe is definitely it. It’s delicious year round and the cinnamon and nutmeg will make you feel like it’s October no matter what month it is. It’s so good with coffee for breakfast and is also a super satisfying snack or dessert.

Freshly baked apple bread on a wooden board with a knife and icing next to it.

To make this Apple Cinnamon Bread even more of a treat, it’s topped with the tastiest maple walnut crumble! It’s buttery, sweet, spiced with cinnamon and sweetened with both granulated and brown sugar. It’s made more amazing with homemade maple candied walnuts!

A thick slice of apple bread topped with a delicious maple walnut crumble.

BAKING WITH APPLES

I love baking with apples! Here are a few reasons why:

  • They are a natural sweetener: You’ll still need to add sugar, but I love their subtle, natural sweetness. Speaking of fruit adding natural sweetness, definitely try my recipe for The Best Banana Bread!
  • They add lots of moisture: Like zucchini, apples add lots of moisture when used in baking. My Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread is also super moist!
  • Flavor: Apples are delicious as is. Whether you bake or cook with them or just toss some in a salad, I love the flavor they add.
  • Tart-Sweet: Apples are not as tart as lemons and how tart they are varies depending on the type of apple, but I love how apples are both tart and sweet.
A close up of a loaf of apple cinnamon bread with a knife in front of it.

WHAT TYPE OF APPLES SHOULD I BAKE WITH?

It’s fine to use just one type of apple in this bread, but my preference is to use two or three different types. Using more than one type will add more flavor. My favorite trio to bake with is McIntosh, Granny Smith, and Honey Crisp.

ABOUT THE MAPLE CANDIED WALNUTS

Before getting baked, this bread is topped with a delicious crumb topping that features maple glazed walnuts. The recipe can be made with or without the walnuts, but if you’re planning to use them, you will make them first.

walnuts in a pan with maple syrup in it.

To candy the nuts, toss them with a little salt and cinnamon then add them to a hot skillet over medium high heat. Add the maple syrup and stir until the nuts have toasted and are coated in the syrup. The syrup will caramelize after 3-4 minutes.

OTHER USES FOR MAPLE CANDIED WALNUTS

Do yourself a favor and double the maple walnut recipe so that you end up with some extras! You can enjoy them as a sweet snack or add them to salads or cheese boards.

CAN I LEAVE OUT THE MAPLE CANDIED WALNUTS?

The candied walnuts are delicious, but if you prefer, you can substitute them.

Here are some other options:

  • Use a Different Nut: If you don’t have or care for walnuts, almonds and pecans are also really nice in this recipe.
  • Skip the Maple Glaze: Another easy option is to just use walnuts and skip the maple glazing part. Just add an additional tablespoon in place of the maple syrup.
  • Leave Out the Nuts: Replace the walnuts with an additional 1/4 cup of flour and an extra tablespoon of brown sugar.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CRUMBLE TOPPING?

To make this Apple Cinnamon Bread even more delicious, it’s sprinkled with the tastiest maple walnut crumble! I use the same crumble recipe that I use in my Pumpkin Bread with Maple Walnut Streusel. It’s full of additional fall flavor, crunch and sweetness!

The first thing you’ll want to do is make the maple glazed walnuts. Once the walnuts have cooled, continue with the crumb topping first before making the cake batter. Since we’re making it with melted butter, it needs a few minutes to chill and become the right consistency in the fridge.

To make the topping, just mix the melted butter, flour, granulated and brown sugar, cinnamon and maple glazed walnuts together. It’ll seem a bit wet at first, but it’ll thicken up in the fridge.

Crumbly buttery brown sugar maple walnut crumble in a white bowl.

Once the batter has been mixed and poured into the pan, remove the crumble from the fridge. If needed, use your hands or a fork to break it up a bit so that the pieces are somewhat similar in size. It’s not possible to get them all the same size and the walnut pieces will be a little bit bigger than other pieces, but try to get them somewhat uniform.

A stack of three thick, delicious slices of apple bread on a stack of three small plates.

TOP IT WITH ICING

This Apple Cinnamon Bread is definitely special enough as is, but for an extra sweet treat, add some icing!

Here’s to baking with apples! This Apple Cinnamon Bread is moist, flavorful and the perfect fall treat! My favorite way to enjoy this bread is with coffee in the morning preferably while looking out at some colorful changing leaves! That said, it’s delicious and will give you all the cozy, warm fall feels no matter the time of day or year it’s enjoyed! 🙂

A slice of apple bread with a thick crumble and icing on top on a light blue plate.
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Apple Cinnamon Bread

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Yield: 1 loaf 1x
  • Category: Baking, Quick Breads
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Tart, sweet apples make this Apple Cinnamon Bread recipe moist, dense and delicious. It’s perfect for breakfast or dessert.

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE MAPLE GLAZED WALNUTS

  • 1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice 
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

FOR THE CRUMBLE

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2  teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup maple glazed walnuts, cooled and chopped (recipe above)*

FOR THE BREAD

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
  • 3 medium apples*, peeled (grate 1 1/2 cups of apple and chop the rest)

FOR THE ICING (OPTIONAL)

    • 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
    • 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream (plus more if icing is too thick)
    • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

FOR THE MAPLE GLAZED WALNUTS

  1.  In a small bowl, toss the walnuts with 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon and a small pinch of salt. Add them to a dry skillet on medium-high heat. Add the maple syrup and stir to coat the walnuts. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 3-4 minutes until the nuts are toasted.
  2. Turn nuts out onto a sheet of parchment paper. Spread the nuts out (they’ll be hot and sticking together, so you’ll want to use two forks to unclump them instead of your hands). Allow nuts to cool and dry for about five minutes and then lightly chop them. 

FOR THE CRUMBLE

  1. Combine the butter, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and prepared maple walnuts in a bowl butter in a small bowl. Set aside in the fridge to chill while you prepare the batter.

FOR THE BREAD

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Leave excess paper along two sides to make it easier to remove the bread once baked. 
  2. Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk to combine the sugar and vegetable oil. (Use a stand or hand mixer or whisk by hand).
  4. Beat the eggs in one at a time followed by the vanilla. Whisk in the sour cream or yogurt followed by the dry ingredients. Gently fold in the grated and chopped apples just until combined. Spread batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle sprinkle the crumble evenly on top of the batter.
  5. Bake for 50- 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Allow cake to cool in pan for ten minutes and then turn it out to cool on a rack. Once completely cool, drizzle with icing if desired.

FOR THE ICING

  1. In a medium sized bowl, sift the powdered sugar. Add the milk and vanilla and use a whisk or spoon to combine.

Notes

*For the apples: McIntosh, Granny Smith, and/or Honey Crisp are recommended. 

**Substitution Options for Maple Candied Walnuts: Use a Different Nut, Skip the Maple Glaze (Just add an additional tablespoon in place of the maple syrup), or substitute the walnuts with an additional 1/4 cup of flour and an extra tablespoon of brown sugar.

 

Keywords: apples, quick bread, apple coffee cake, icing, dessert, breakfast, walnuts, maple