You will love this walnut cake with plums.
“All prunes are plums, but not all plums are prunes. When dried, plums are called prunes, but the prune fruit comes from a different type of plant than plums.”
Whatever you call them, they’re the best combination with walnuts! 🙂
Walnut Cake with Plums
Ingredients
- 240 g softened butter
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 200 g sifted flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 160 g ground walnuts
- 6-12 pieces pitted dried plums (cut into 2-4pieces)
- 8-10 halves walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Generously butter a skillet.
- In a medium bowl combine butter and sugar together and beat until creamy.
- Add eggs, flour, baking powder and mix until the batter is smooth. Add ground walnuts and mix.
- Scrape the batter into the skillet and smooth the top with spoon. Lay slices of plums and walnuts halves on top of your cake.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes. (Check often last 5-10 minutes).
Cranberry Cake
This homemade cranberry cake is perfect for the winter season. Its bright red color brings holiday spirit to your family dinner or friends party. Easy to make and delicious!
Cranberry Cake
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 220 g granulated sugar
- 115 g melted butter
- 150 g all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 380ºF. Grease and flour a cake pan.
- Beat eggs and sugar with mixer until slightly thickened.
- Add melted butter and mix well.
- Stir in the flour and baking powder.
- Add the cranberries and stir gently.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool. If desired, dust with confectioners sugar.
Vanilla Creme Brulee
Absolutely amazing what a little cream, a little sugar and couple of eggs can turn into…. Perfect restaurant quality dessert. A rich custard topped with a hard layer of caramel. This Vanilla creme brulee is very easy to make if you follow all the steps correctly.
It will perfectly complete your cafe gourmand if the crème brûlée is served in small ramekins.
Look at this short video ! 🙂
Vanilla Crème brûlée
Ingredients
- 8 egg yolks
- 120 g granulated sugar
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 640 ml whipping cream
- 6 tsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds into the cream. In a medium bowl, combine together sugar, eggs yolks, vanilla and whisk.
- Add the cream a little at a time and stir. Remove the scum with a tea spoon.
- Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and pour it into the ramekins. Divide cream mixture among ramekins (about 6 ramekins).
- Arrange the ramekins in a baking pan with deep sides. And carefully pour water around ramekins so that the water level must reach about 2/3 of the ramekins.
- Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. You will know its ready when the custard is wobbly and jiggle from side to side when nudged (it looks like jello).
- Remove the custard from the water bath and let cool completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours (overnight).
- Before serving, cover each cold creme brulee evenly with sugar (1 tsp). Caramelize using a propane torch. If you don’t have one propane torch, use the broiler: put the oven rack about 6 inches away from the broiler. Place the custards on the baking sheet and broil for about 3-5 minutes, or until sugar bubbles and turns golden brown. (Keep a close eye on them, they can burn quickly)
Notes
Ice Cream Cake Iceberg
I don’t mean to brag, but as far as homemade ice cream cake recipes go, this one is the winner. The red berry coulis topping is the perfect balance between sweet and sour. This No-Bake Ice Cream Cake Iceberg is the ideal dessert to serve at your next party on a hot summer day.
Ice Cream Cake Iceberg
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 100 g granulated sugar (50 + 50)
- 1-2 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 300 ml sour cream
- 100 ml heavy whipping cream ( 35%)
- 1 pinch salt
- 300 g red berries (blueberry, huckleberry, boysenberry, raspberry…) fresh or frozen
- Some Fresh berries for garnish
Instructions
- Separate egg yolks from egg whites. Whisk egg yolks with sugar (50 g).
- When the sugar is dissolved add vanilla extract and mix well.
- In a mixer bowl, whisk together very cold sour cream and heavy cream together until fluffy. Add sugar and continue whisking until firm (don’t over whip).
- Using a spatula, combine egg yolks with whipped cream together.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.
- With a spatula, carefully combine egg whites with whipped cream.
- You should get a nice fluffy cream.
- Spread the cream evenly into a silicone pan or salad bowl.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
- Rinse and drain fresh berries and puree until smooth. If you are using a frozen berries, place them in a leak-proof container and set the container in cold water for 10-15 minutes, then puree them.
- Pass the puree through a fine sieve to remove all tiny seeds. Coulis is ready.
- Remove it from the silicone pan and return it back to freezer until serving. (If you used a salad bowl, place it into hot water for a couple seconds). Prepare fresh berries for garnish.
- Right before serving, pour the coulis over the ice cream cake and garnish with fresh berries.
Russian Apple Cake Sharlotka
Apple Sharlotka cake is one of the most popular desserts that each Russian kid will remember from their childhood. The recipe is so simple that you don’t even need to write it down. It will be very easy to remember once you’ve made it: 3 apples, 3 eggs, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of flour. That’s it, enjoy!
Russian Apple Cake Sharlotka
Ingredients
- 3 big apples (sour)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp confectioner’s sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Grease and flour a round cake pan or line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- Wash, peel and dice apples into 1-inch pieces. Lay out the diced apples on the bottom of the pan.
- Using a mixer beat eggs with sugar, until its two times in volume. Using a spatula carefully fold in sifted flour. Pour the batter over the apples.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until а toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Once the cake cools off a little, transfer to plate.
- Dust it with powdered sugar before serving.
Lemon Cake
I’ve always had a sweet tooth. Whether it be a plain piece of dark chocolate or a decadent caramel cheesecake, I can’t remember the last time I turned down dessert. My mouth waters every time I see or think of this Lemon Cake. Each time I’m at Starbucks, I know what I will be ordering. I can’t guarantee this Lemon loaf tastes exactly like Starbucks, I personally think it’s better. You tell me. 🙂
Lemon Cake
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup yogurt (I use Greek yogurt)
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder
Icing
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a loaf pan.
- Combine eggs and sugar.
- Add lemon zest, lemon juice and lemon extract.
- Add vegetable oil and mix.
- Gradually add greek yogurt and mix until combined.
- Stir in baking powder.
- Slowly add flour. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and quickly cover the pan with aluminum foil, and return to the oven, for the last 10 minutes, to prevent excess browning.
- Cool the loaf in a pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan to wire racks to cool completely.
- Whisk confectioners’ sugar with lemon juice until smooth. Spoon evenly over the loaf and let sit for about 30 minutes.
Normandy Apple Pie
My version of Normandy Apple Pie, with calvados and sour cream, of course.
Check out my other recipes with puff pastry.
Normandy Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 1 sheet all butter puff pastry
- 4-5 apples Granny Smith
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 eggs
- 4 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp Calvados
- 4 Tbsp sour cream
- 1/4 cup almond powder
- 1 Tbsp sliced almonds
- 1 tsp sugar powdered
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Thaw one sheet of puff pastry until room temperature. Roll the pastry dough into circle and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Prick with a fork.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes.
- Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and slice the apples cross wide in very thin slices. Add lemon juice.
- Arrange the apples slices in an overlapping spiral pattern.
- In a medium bowl beat the eggs with sugar. Add calvados, sour cream and almond powder, mix well.
- Pour the mixture over the apples.
- Bake for another 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle with sliced almonds and keep baking for 30 more minutes until golden.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan. Transfer to serving plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Ponchiki (Russian Doughnuts)
Every kid of the Soviet Union should remember the taste of golden and crunchy on the outside and fluffy and tender on the inside tvoroznye ponchiki. It’s a deep-fried piece of dough shaped into a small ball and covered with powdered sugar. They don’t just look delightful, they taste the same.
You don’t have to take a trip to Russia to get the real taste of ponchiki : I’ll be sharing my recipe with you today.
Ponchiki (Russian Doughnuts)
Ingredients
- 2 cups farmer cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- olive oil or vegetable oil to fry
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat two eggs with sugar and salt, add baking soda and vanilla. Continue beating for 30 more seconds. Add two cups of farmers cheese and beat for 20 more seconds. Add flour and stir with a spatula. Dough will be sticky.
- Using a small ice cream scoop, or wet hands form dough into a small balls.
- In a large iron skillet, heat the oil until hot (350 degrees F). Add ponchiki, one at a time, and fry over medium heat until golden brown. Normally ponchiki roll over on their own, and you don’t have to turn them over.
- Lift them with tongs, drain on paper towel. Toss ponchiki in powdered sugar while they are still hot. You can serve them right away.
Fresh whipped cream with blackberries
Treat yourself with this mini dessert that is perfect for any occasion. It takes minimum time to make and looks fabulous. Fruits can be fresh or frozen, don’t worry : it will taste the same. This fresh whipped cream with blackberries will be perfect with a cafe gourmand!
Fresh whipped cream with blackberries
Ingredients
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream very cold
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp cocoa powder
Instructions
- Whip heavy cream fluffy, until soft peaks form, but not too firm.
- Equally divide washed fruits into prepared glasses. Using the piping bag or small spoon, equally spread the cream into the glasses. Refrigerate if not serving it immediately.
- Before serving, dust it with cacao powder.
