Plum and Lemon Curd Cake

Posted on October 14, 2026 by sparecake

Did I make this a month and a half ago and then not share it until after plum season? Well. Sorry all, but now you’ll know for next year?! The flavors here were great, and subbing in Bob’s Red Mill gf flour didn’t ruin the texture.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
  • 5-6 small to medium firm but ripe purple plums, halved and pitted
  • About 1/2 cup store-bought lemon curd
  • Whipped cream for serving

shout out to the sous chef for perfect plum slicing

Put a rack in the top third of your oven, then preheat to 350 degrees. Grease a 9″ springform, then line the bottom with parchment and grease that as well. Lightly flour the pan, shaking out any extra, then set aside. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, coriander, salt, and baking soda, and whisk together, then set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each, then beat in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the sour cream as well.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the bowl of dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Stir a few more times with a spatula by hand to finish incorporating dry ingredients.

Spread half the batter in the bottom of the pan.

Arrange 10-12 plum halves, depending on size, cut-side down, on top of the batter to fill most of the pan.

Add the remaining batter and spread evenly. At this point I was worried that there wasn’t enough batter, but once it baked up it was plenty.

Spoon the lemon curd over the batter and swirl in.

Bake until golden and pulling away from the pan, 50-55 minutes, rotating halfway through.

Let cool 20-30 minutes then run a knife around the inside of the pan before removing the side of the pan.

Slice and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Plum and Lemon Curd Cake

From Joy the Baker.

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
  • 5-6 small to medium firm but ripe purple plums, halved and pitted
  • About 1/2 cup store-bought lemon curd
  • Whipped cream for serving

Put a rack in the top third of your oven, then preheat to 350 degrees. Grease a 9″ springform, then line the bottom with parchment and grease that as well. Lightly flour the pan, shaking out any extra, then set aside. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, coriander, salt, and baking soda, and whisk together, then set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each, then beat in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the sour cream as well.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the bowl of dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Stir a few more times with a spatula by hand to finish incorporating dry ingredients, then spread half the batter in the bottom of the pan. Arrange 10-12 plum halves, depending on size, cut-side down, on top of the batter to fill most of the pan, then add the remaining batter and spread evenly. Spoon the lemon curd over the batter and swirl in.

Bake until golden and pulling away from the pan, 50-55 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool 20-30 minutes then run a knife around the inside of the pan before removing the side of the pan.

Slice and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

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No Churn Caramel Cheese and Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream

Posted on September 16, 2026 by sparecake

Late this past winter I saw a fancy cheese website selling caramel cheese and HAD to try it, high price and expensive shipping at all. This fall, you can buy a block at Market Basket, and you absolutely should! It’s a hit as part of a charcuterie board situation, and pairs super nicely with the raspberries here.

Ingredients:

Raspberry Compote:

  • 3/4 pint/10.5 ounces raspberries (I used frozen, no problems there)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Caramel Cheese Sauce:

  • 3.5 ounces Ski Queen/Norwegian brown cheese, grated
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons honey

No-Churn Ice Cream:

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 can (7 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

More cheese, other uses…

To make the compote, combine the berries and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until a bit reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes, or a bit more for frozen. Remove from the heat and cool – this can be made ahead of time.

Hmm someone should really clean my stove…

To make the caramel cheese sauce, combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until the cheese has melted and fully combined, and the mixture has thickened to a caramel sauce consistency – remember that as it cools it will become firmer – 8 – 10 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature. You can also make this ahead, but when refrigerated it firms up so you’d need to heat it back to a sauce, then let it cool back down to room temp.

When ready to make the ice cream, beat the cream in a large bowl until it reaches the stiff peaks stage.

Add the sweetened condensed milk and fold in by hand.

Pour half of the whipped cream mixture into an 8 or more cup container/loaf pan, and add both raspberry compote and caramel cheese sauce by large spoonfuls, then use a knife to swirl it in.

Repeat with the remaining whipped cream mixture, and more compote and caramel sauce – you may have extras of the compote and/or sauce, but can put them on top when serving.

Cover and freeze at least 4 hours, then let sit at room temperature briefly to soften slightly before serving. Yum!

No Churn Caramel Cheese and Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream

From North Wild Kitchen, who has several more recipes using Ski Queen cheese.

Raspberry Compote:

  • 3/4 pint/10.5 ounces raspberries (I used frozen, no problems there)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Caramel Cheese Sauce:

  • 3.5 ounces Ski Queen/Norwegian brown cheese, grated
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons honey

No-Churn Ice Cream:

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 can (7 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

To make the compote, combine the berries and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until a bit reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes, or a bit more for frozen. Remove from the heat and cool – this can be made ahead of time.

To make the caramel cheese sauce, combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until the cheese has melted and fully combined, and the mixture has thickened to a caramel sauce consistency – remember that as it cools it will become firmer – 8 – 10 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature. You can also make this ahead, but when refrigerated it firms up so you’d need to heat it back to a sauce, then let it cool back down to room temp.

When ready to make the ice cream, beat the cream in a large bowl until it reaches the stiff peaks stage. Add the sweetened condensed milk and fold in by hand. Pour half of the whipped cream mixture into an 8 or more cup container/loaf pan, and add both raspberry compote and caramel cheese sauce by large spoonfuls, then use a knife to swirl it in. Repeat with the remaining whipped cream mixture, and more compote and caramel sauce – you may have extras of the compote and/or sauce, but can put them on top when serving.

Cover and freeze at least 4 hours, then let sit at room temperature briefly to soften slightly before serving.

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Bacon Onion Gochujang Jam

Posted on September 2, 2026 by sparecake

As good an excuse as any to get some folk together for snacks/charcuterie! This is a spicy but delicious spread that will overpower most other flavors but I still kinda liked eating it with some sharp cheddar. Not exactly a health food, so get some friends together to share, but also don’t worry because it’ll keep a while in the fridge. Get to it!

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound pack bacon, diced
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped (roughly 1/2″ pieces)
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup gochujang

Cook the bacon in a big saucepan over medium-high heat until crisp, which will take a while with a full pound of bacon.

Stir occasionally and then remove the cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towel to drain.

Pour off most of the bacon grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pot. Put the pot back on the heat, lowering to medium heat, and add the onion.

Cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, then add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the bacon back in, as well as the cider vinegar, brown sugar, and gochujang, and stir together.

Reduce the heat to low and let cook down a bit, for about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will thicken some when it cools, so you don’t want to cook it to too thick.

Serve warm or cold, eat it straight from the spoon or on crackers, or come up with some entirely other use for this delicious mess!

Bacon Onion Gochujang Jam

  • 1 pound pack bacon, diced
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped (roughly 1/2″ pieces)
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup gochujang

Cook the bacon in a big saucepan over medium-high heat until crisp. Stir occasionally and then remove the cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Pour off most of the bacon grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pot. Put the pot back on the heat, lowering to medium heat, and add the onion. Cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, then add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the bacon back in, as well as the cider vinegar, brown sugar, and gochujang, and stir together. Reduce the heat to low and let cook down a bit, for about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Store in the fridge.

 

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Salted Caramel Icebox Pie

Posted on July 29, 2026 by sparecake

I had a couple issues with this recipe as originally written, but didn’t really mind because fixing them gave me an excuse to make this pie a second time, and the flavor was great from the start! One of the two changes revolved around gluten-free Oreos, which seem to need a separate butter/cookie ratio from regular Oreos to make a good crust, so I’ll list both ways in the ingredient list, just make the crust that suits your needs. (It’s a few more Oreos to the same amount of butter, and leaving out the sugar.)

Ingredients:

Crust (regular):

  • 2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (such as Oreos, including filling, processed in a food processor)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Crust (gf):

  • 24 gluten-free Oreos, processed in a food processor to crumbs
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

  • 1 teaspoon gelatin
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 pinches of fine salt, optional
  • 10 ounces (284g) salted caramel sauce or topping from the ice cream section
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1-2 tablespoons chocolate sprinkles or shavings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (I got away with just using my toaster oven.) Process the Oreos, then add the butter, and sugar if needed, for the crust and process briefly to combine.

Transfer the mixture into an ungreased pie dish and spread evenly around the bottom and up the sides.

Use the bottom of a glass/ramekin/measuring cup to press the crust firmly into the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then allow to cool to room temperature.

To make the filling, combine the gelatin and water in a small dish and set aside.

After it’s had some time to hydrate.

Beat the room temperature cream cheese for a few minutes with the paddle attachment of your blender to smooth.

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until well combined. (You may want to stir it by hand with a spatula a few times to start incorporating the powdered sugar, so it doesn’t all fly out of the bowl when you turn the mixer back on.) Mix in the caramel. Microwave the dish of gelatin for 10-15 seconds, to melt, then mix that in as well and set the bowl aside.

In a clean bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form.

Possibly beating to stiff peaks would be another way to help the pie hold together when sliced, but adding gelatin was the way I went.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the caramel cream cheese mixture.

This will firm up some when chilled.

Turn out into the cooled crust. Sprinkle with the chocolate sprinkles, then refrigerate at least 8 hours before slicing and serving.

After that 8 hours, loosely/gently applied saran wrap won’t stick too much to the surface, if you don’t have some other way to cover the leftovers in the fridge.

Salted Caramel Icebox Pie

Adapted from Bake or Break.

Crust (regular):

  • 2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (such as Oreos, including filling, processed in a food processor)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Crust (gf):

  • 24 gluten-free Oreos, processed in a food processor to crumbs
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

  • 1 teaspoon gelatin
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 pinches of fine salt, optional
  • 10 ounces (284g) salted caramel sauce or topping from the ice cream section
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1-2 tablespoons chocolate sprinkles or shavings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Process the Oreos, then add the butter, and sugar if needed, for the crust and process briefly to combine. Transfer the mixture into an ungreased pie dish and spread evenly around the bottom and up the sides. Use the bottom of a glass/ramekin/measuring cup to press the crust firmly into the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then allow to cool to room temperature.

To make the filling, combine the gelatin and water in a small dish and set aside. Beat the room temperature cream cheese for a few minutes with the paddle attachment of your blender to smooth, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until well combined. Mix in the caramel. Microwave the dish of gelatin for 10-15 seconds, to melt, then mix that in as well and set the bowl aside.

In a clean bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the caramel cream cheese mixture, then turn out into the cooled crust. Sprinkle with the chocolate sprinkles, then refrigerate at least 8 hours before slicing and serving.

 

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Chocolate Banana Upside-Down Cake

Posted on June 24, 2026 by sparecake

While my banana didn’t stay at what became the top of this cake, so the visuals aren’t miraculous, this is a delicious cake worth the hassle of cooking the banana slices! Because it only needs 3/4 cup of flour, you can get away with swapping in gluten-free flour and the texture will still be good. (I used the Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour mix.)

Ingredients:

Bananas:

  • 4 medium bananas, about 1 1/2 pounds total before peeling
  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided

Caramel layer:

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Batter:

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter chips

For serving:

  • Whipped cream
  • Flaky sea salt

To start with, peel the bananas and slice them into 1/2″ thick circles on a slight bias.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and frothy, add as many slices of banana as you can in a single layer, cooking for 2-3 minutes per side until browned and caramelized and until they release easily from the skillet.

After cooking on both sides, transfer the cooked bananas to a plate, add more butter to the pan if needed, and cook the remaining butter slices. Once complete, set the plate with the cooked bananas aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter for the caramel over medium heat. Once melted, add the 1/2 cup brown sugar, stir, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture darkens slightly. Reduce the heat to low and add the vanilla and cream, whisking together. Simmer for a further minute, then remove from the heat.

Grease a 9″ cake pan, then pour the caramel in in an even layer. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, then set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and half cup of brown sugar.

Beat in the eggs. Add half the sifted dry goods, followed by half of the milk, then the remaining dry goods, and remaining milk. Beat until just combined, then fold in the peanut butter chips by hand. Set batter aside. (It seemed pretty liquid-y to me, but the texture of the finished cake was good.)

Remove the chilled cake pan from the fridge and arrange the bananas over the caramel, overlapping them slightly and pressing them into the caramel.

Pour the cake batter on top of the bananas.

Bake for 55-60 minutes, rotating halfway through, until it passes the toothpick test.

Cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, and then while the cake is still warm, invert onto a plate.

Serve with whipped cream and a pinch of sea salt. Theoretically a bit less whipped cream if you’re going to eat more the next day for breakfast, but I’m not the cops!

Chocolate Banana Upside-Down Cake

From a random imgur post.

Bananas:

  • 4 medium bananas, about 1 1/2 pounds total before peeling
  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided

Caramel layer:

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Batter:

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter chips

For serving:

  • Whipped cream
  • Flaky sea salt

To start with, peel the bananas and slice them into 1/2″ thick circles on a slight bias.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and frothy, add as many slices of banana as you can in a single layer, cooking for 2-3 minutes per side until browned and caramelized and until they release easily from the skillet. After cooking on both sides, transfer the cooked bananas to a plate, add more butter to the pan if needed, and cook the remaining butter slices. Once complete, set the plate with the cooked bananas aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter for the caramel over medium heat. Once melted, add the 1/2 cup brown sugar, stir, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture darkens slightly. Reduce the heat to low and add the vanilla and cream, whisking together. Simmer for a further minute, then remove from the heat. Grease a 9″ cake pan, then pour the caramel in in an even layer. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, then set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and half cup of brown sugar. Beat in the eggs. Add half the sifted dry goods, followed by half of the milk, then the remaining dry goods, and remaining milk. Beat until just combined, then fold in the peanut butter chips by hand. Set batter aside.

Remove the chilled cake pan from the fridge and arrange the bananas over the caramel, overlapping them slightly and pressing them into the caramel. Pour the cake batter on top of the bananas. Bake for 55-60 minutes, rotating halfway through, until it passes the toothpick test. Cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, and then while the cake is still warm, invert onto a plate. Serve with whipped cream and a pinch of sea salt.

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Chocolate Caramel Brownies

Posted on May 27, 2026 by sparecake

Hello poor neglected blog! I’ve been traveling, and then not cooking anything interesting, and then taking even worse photos than usual, but we’re back, with brownies! These ones are very dense and soft, and apparently adapted from a recipe of Katharine Hepburn’s! It’s a one pot recipe, and comes together quite easily. These are extra good when served a bit warm, with some vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (doesn’t make them taste coffee-y)
  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup caramel bits
  • 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Line an 8×8″ baking dish with parchment – these brownies will stick on even a well-greased pan. Pro-tip from the blog I got the recipe from is to lightly spray the pan with grease below the parchment, which holds the parchment in place before you put the batter in. Helpful! Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. (I used my toaster oven, which I always set a bit cooler, in this case 300, because the heating elements are so much closer to the food than in the regular oven.)

Combined the unsweetened chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until fully melted.

Remove from the heat and beat in the sugar.

Add the eggs, then the espresso powder, salt, and vanilla.

Fold in the flour, then the caramel bits and chocolate chips.

Transfer into the prepared pan.

Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan, then bake another 15-20 minutes, until the edges have darkened and the top looks cooked.

Cool in the pan at least 30 minutes, then remove from the pan (remembering now that the bottom of your parchment will be greasy so you don’t want it directly on your counters), slice, and serve.

Chocolate Caramel Brownies

Slightly adapted from The Finely Quality Network.

  • 2 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup caramel bits
  • 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Line an 8×8″ baking dish with parchment – these brownies will stick on even a well-greased pan. Pro-tip from the blog I got the recipe from is to lightly spray the pan with grease below the parchment, which holds the parchment in place before you put the batter in. Helpful! Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Combined the unsweetened chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until fully melted. Remove from the heat and beat in the sugar, followed by the eggs, then the espresso powder, salt, and vanilla. Fold in the flour, then the caramel bits and chocolate chips. Transfer into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan, then bake another 15-20 minutes, until the edges have darkened and the top looks cooked. Cool in the pan at least 30 minutes, then remove from the pan, slice, and serve.

 

 

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Double Chocolate Slab Pie

Posted on April 1, 2026 by sparecake

A real delicious one, that I’ve made twice in the last 3 weeks. Technically I only made half batches both times, because the full recipe makes an 18×13″ pan, if you’re baking for a huge crowd. Cutting the recipe in half is easy, and has the great benefit of not requiring you to roll out and the place quite such an enormous crust. I will share the full recipe here, just remember my pictures are a half. The recipe calls for semisweet and milk chocolate chips, but you can use any kind of chip/caramel bit/other tasty little thing you like.

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 3 1/8 cups (374 grams) all-purpose flour (easier to cut in half by weight)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2″ cubes
  • 1/4 – 2/3 cup water

Filling:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (200 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 cups (340 g) milk chocolate chips

To make the crust, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor bowl and pulse for a second or two to combine.

Add the butter and process until just combined. Add 1/4 cup of water and continue mixing, adding the water a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. (For a half batch, start by adding 2 tablespoons of water. I needed 3T total to make the crust come together.)

My food processor isn’t huge – the full batch might overwhelm it?

Shape the dough into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least two hours. If it’d be more convenient, you can freeze the dough rectangle now and thaw it in the fridge for several hours when you’re ready to move on.

When you’re ready to move on, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about an inch longer and an inch wider than your pan.

Grease the pan, or line with parchment. Place the dough in the pan, so that a little bit goes up each side. I’m not sure that it’s necessary, but I stabbed all over with a fork. Place in the fridge while you make the filling.

In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and sugars.

Mix in the eggs and vanilla.

Whisk in the flour and salt, then the chocolate chips.

Spread into the crust.

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Bake 40-45 minutes, until browned.

Cool in the pan, on a wire rack, then slice and serve. If you lined the pan with parchment, you can lift out before slicing. Store in an airtight container.

Double Chocolate Slab Pie

Fractionally adapted from Bake or Break.

Crust:

  • 3 1/8 cups (374 grams) all-purpose flour (easier to cut in half by weight)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2″ cubes
  • 1/4 – 2/3 cup water

Filling:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (200 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 cups (340 g) milk chocolate chips

To make the crust, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor bowl and pulse for a second or two to combine. Add the butter and process until just combined. Add 1/4 cup of water and continue mixing, adding the water a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. Shape the dough into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least two hours.

When you’re ready to move on, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about an inch longer and an inch wider than your pan. Grease the pan, or line with parchment. Place the dough in the pan, so that a little bit goes up each side. I’m not sure that it’s necessary, but I stabbed all over with a fork. Place in the fridge while you make the filling.

In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and sugars, then mix in the eggs and vanilla. Whisk in the flour and salt, then the chocolate chips. Spread into the crust, then bake 40-45 minutes, until browned.

Cool in the pan, on a wire rack, then slice and serve. If you lined the pan with parchment, you can lift out before slicing. Store in an airtight container.

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Kix Bark

Posted on March 25, 2026 by sparecake

It’s been a while since I’d made something with such a big gap between attractiveness and tastiness, but this is a quicky lumpy mess of delicious! In theory you can make this into individual (lumpy) cookies, but I really think that’s more effort than it’s worth, and will take a lot longer than just spreading it out, breaking the finished product into chunks, and calling it a bark.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter, well softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 4 cups Kix cereal
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.

In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, sugars, butter, baking soda, baking powder and egg until smooth.

Stir in the cereal and chocolate chips.

Turn out onto the lined pan and press into an even layer – it may be helpful to spray a silicone spatula with baking spray to press with.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in the pan on a wire rack, then break into chunks and store in an airtight container.

I made it twice in a row, since boxes of Kix are huge, but apparently took 0 pictures of it broken up. Hm.

Kix Bark

Adapted from Cooks.com.

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter, well softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 4 cups Kix cereal
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.

In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, sugars, butter, baking soda, baking powder and egg until smooth. Stir in the cereal and chocolate chips. Turn out onto the lined pan and press into an even layer – it may be helpful to spray a silicone spatula with baking spray to press with.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in the pan on a wire rack, then break into chunks and store in an airtight container.

 

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Buttermilk Bread

Posted on March 4, 2026 by sparecake

2 loaves of a sandwich bread which survives freezing and thawing quite nicely. I’d been making disappointing loaves all winter (so flat!) and this recipe was a big change/success/relief! I recommend using 8.5×4.5″ bread pans for better shaped loaves – I only have one of those, and a 9×5″, and the bigger loaf is a bit flatter, as makes sense. (Trying to buy another bread pan and why do all the glass ones I can find have sloped sides?? Who wants that?)

Wider pan = shorter loaf.

Ingredients:

  • 1 packet/2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
  • 1 pinch powdered ginger (the yeast likes it, you won’t taste it)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 cup warm water (105-110 degrees F)
  • 2 cups warm cultured buttermilk (105-110 degrees F)
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 6 cups bread flour
  • 1/4 cup melted butter plus 2 tablespoons, divided

Combine the yeast, ginger, sugar, and water in a large mixing bowl and let rest 5 minutes, or until foamy.

Combine the buttermilk, honey, salt, and baking soda (perhaps in a large measuring cup, which you can also use to microwave the buttermilk to warm it), whisk together, then pour into the yeast mixture.

Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until smooth on low speed of your mixture, starting with the paddle attachment, 3-5 minutes. Add the melted butter and mix until completely combined.

Add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time, continuing to mix on low speed. I do recommend briefly stirring by hand after each addition, so that turning on the mixer doesn’t create a huge cloud of loose flour. When the dough pulls from the sides of the bowl, remove and knead until smooth. I had hoped to knead fully just with the dough hook, but it seemed like much of the dough wasn’t really getting kneaded, so I did do it by hand.

Place the kneaded dough in a greased bowl, rotate to cover all sides of the dough in the grease, and cover. Let rise somewhere warm for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled.

Grease two bread pans. Once risen, punch down and shape into two loaves, putting each into a greased pan with seam-side down. Lightly grease the top of the bread, then cover and let rise a further 45 minutes, or until the dough has reached the top of the bread pans.

Preheat the oven to 375, put in the loaves, and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven and brush the tops with melted butter.

Let cool on a rack in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Buttermilk Bread

From Restless Chipotle.

  • 1 packet/2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
  • 1 pinch powdered ginger (the yeast likes it, you won’t taste it)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 cup warm water (105-110 degrees F)
  • 2 cups warm cultured buttermilk (105-110 degrees F)
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 6 cups bread flour
  • 1/4 cup melted butter plus 2 tablespoons, divided

Combine the yeast, ginger, sugar, and water in a large mixing bowl and let rest 5 minutes, or until foamy.

Combine the buttermilk, honey, salt, and baking soda (perhaps in a large measuring cup, which you can also use to microwave the buttermilk to warm it), whisk together, then pour into the yeast mixture.

Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until smooth on low speed of your mixture, starting with the paddle attachment, 3-5 minutes. Add the melted butter and mix until completely combined.

Add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time, continuing to mix on low speed. I do recommend briefly stirring by hand after each addition, so that turning on the mixer doesn’t create a huge cloud of loose flour. When the dough pulls from the sides of the bowl, remove and knead until smooth.

Place the kneaded dough in a greased bowl, rotate to cover all sides of the dough in the grease, and cover. Let rise somewhere warm for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled. Grease two bread pans. Once risen, punch down and shape into two loaves, putting each into a greased pan with seam-side down. Lightly grease the top of the bread, then cover and let rise a further 45 minutes, or until the dough has reached the top of the bread pans.

Preheat the oven to 375, put in the loaves, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and brush the tops with melted butter. Let cool on a rack in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and let cool completely on a wire rack.

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Cake Combo Idea

Posted on February 18, 2026 by sparecake

Not so much a recipe this week as a suggestion of past recipes to throw together quite successfully.

I recommend making this yellow cake as 2 9″ rounds, then (once cooled) slicing them in half horizontally. Spread 1/3 of a batch of chocolate mousse between each layer, then top with the ganache from this recipe.

This makes a very lovely cake for a party! Plus, depending on the buttermilk you bought for the cake, may leave you 2 cups left over to make some really great bread I’ll hopefully have typed the recipe up for by next week!

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