Cakes, Pies, and Tarts

Dark chocolate cupcakes are taken up a notch with the addition of  fresh orange zest and topped with a rich chocolate orange frosting.   We’re officially in midwinter and that means it’s citrus season! This is one part of winter that I love. All our favorite citrus fruits are not only at their prime in juiciness and deliciousness, but are also available at the best prices right now.  I always buy a hefty bunch of oranges with the intentions of eating…

Soft and moist spice cake is even better with Nutella added to the batter.  Topped off with an indulgent and creamy chocolate whipped Nutella frosting, these cupcakes may look basic, but are anything but! A couple of weeks ago I discovered that I had never posted a cupcake recipe to AHB. In three years, not a single one. How can I even call myself a baker?  I don’t even know how that happened because I make cupcakes fairly regularly. With…

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GrabHolidayHappiness #CollectiveBias Tiramisu sheet cake is a light and tender cake that’s soaked with an indulgent coffee syrup and topped with a rich and creamy cheese frosting for a delicious and quick to make twist on the classic. I am the mother of four kids which means we are constantly on the go, with barely enough time for me to think straight. This…

Gorgeous mini banana bundt cakes feature moist banana cake draped in smooth chocolate nutella ganache. These banana bundts might be little, but there’s plenty here to love. It’s the first Monday of the month! That’s right, it’s Yum of the Month time! Today we’re sharing the bundt cake love. Knowing how partial I am to mini desserts, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise to you that I opted to make my bundt cakes mini!

This Caramel Apple Dump Cake is the easiest, yet most delicious cake you will bake this fall. With only 4 ingredients and 5 steps it’s completely goof proof.  Sometimes I struggle with what is acceptable to include in blog posts, especially with a blog name that includes the word happy. Am I happy all the time? Oh heck no. A lot of times baking is my therapy. It’s how I work out frustrations and stress. I knead it! Last week…

These pear Rumchata cheese tarts sound sophisticated and look elegant, but they’re actually a breeze to make. Flaky puff pastry, a rich cheesecake filling, topped with spiced pears and a Rumchata glaze make these hard to resist.  Do you remember last week when I mentioned my baking tirade for the charity auction? Well, these pear tarts were probably my favorite of the things I baked for the auction. Maybe because I was sipping some Rumchata as I was working on…

Dark, rich and delicious, this Apple Upside Down Gingerbread is a great way to kick off your fall baking spree. I have one cabinet that is full of dishes that will basically hold one serving of food. They are my special “picture” plates and my kids get really excited when they get to use them, which is once a week after I’m done photographing the recipe for the blog.

Imagine the center of a chocolate chip cookie, still warm from the oven. As you sink your teeth in, it’s the perfect texture; soft, buttery, sweet. The chocolate chips are still melty and you find yourself licking chocolate off your lips and the corners of your mouth. That’s what chocolate chip cookie pie is like, except bigger and better. 

How much butterscotch should you add to a cake? Well my triple butterscotch pound cake has butterscotch batter, butterscotch chips baked inside, and a totally addictive browned butter butterscotch glaze drizzled on top. Butterscotch lovers rejoice! This cake is for you.  Today’s recipe would not be possible without the assistance of one of my lovely readers, Janet Ligas. Janet was so kind to remind me that I had mentioned this recipe on the blog, but had never gotten around to…

This Pina Colada Swiss Cake Roll is an indulgent tropical treat! A light and airy pineapple cake rolled with sweet coconut whipped cream and topped with pineapple coconut buttercream. This cake looks difficult and sounds exotic, but it’s made easier with cake mix and a few other convenience items! Have you ever heard the term kit-bashing? Kit-bashing is when you buy a kit to make something, and then use the pieces of the kit to make something completely different than…