Y’all.  I’m trying to bring back birthday parties from the 90s.  The ones where your mom got a sheet cake.  Y’all know the one– one half is vanilla, the other half is chocolate with white icing.  The gallon of neapolitan ice cream and the gallon of  Kool Aid.  Okay, so things have advanced in the world, but maybe we can bring back the sheet cake? Especially this chocolate buttermilk sheet cake. It’s soft, moist and when you top it with a fudge frosting, a chocolate lover’s dream.    Honestly, this chocolate buttermilk sheet cake is so good that you ..read more

I’m going to be real honest with y’all.  I don’t love pumpkin as a flavor.  {ducks for cover} This doesn’t mean that I can’t make an incredibly flavorful pumpkin spice loaf cake, because I definitely did make the softest loaf cake ever!  Thankfully there are people in my house who love pumpkin and appreciate a little spice combo of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves any time of the year.   So if you love a good slice of pumpkin bread with a creamy vanilla glaze that hardens just enough on the top, this is a recipe for you. This recipe makes a single 9x5 loaf cake and doesn’t ..read more

This blueberry cinnamon muffin recipe is a direct result of the Blueberry Muffin Mix Challenge!  In that challenge I purchased 8 different varieties of store bought blueberry muffin mixes to see which one is the “best”.  In particular, the Sticky Fingers blueberry muffin mix is the only one out of the bunch to include cinnamon in the muffin batter.  The adults all loved the idea of a cinnamon/ blueberry combination, but we all felt like that muffin mix was missing something: more blueberries! During the recipe testing for this recipe, I realized very quickly that I enjoy warm ..read more

Hey Y’all.  I’ve been making this apple pie filling for years.  Back in the olden days (before Covid), I made these mini apple pies as an entry for a baking competition.  I will never forget talking to the pastry chef after the blind taste.  They looked at me and said “you’re a pie person”.  Even though I didn’t make it on the show, that compliment remains a badge of honor.  [feast_advanced_jump_to] Ingredients for Apple Pie Filling Granny Smith Apples Brown Sugar Butter Cinnamon Nutmeg Vanilla Extract Lemon Juice Bourbon Kosher Salt Cornstarch  I’ve been ..read more

Jiffy Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread is a savory/sweet cornbread using my favorite cornbread mix.  In the cornbread mix challenge of 2023, I tested 9 cornbread on the market.  For as long as I can remember, there’s always been a box of Jiffy in the cupboard {or now pantry}.   We still love the Jiffy brand, but that challenge highlighted a couple of new contenders. For this recipe we are enhancing the cornbread mix by swapping out a couple of ingredients and adding a couple of extras to give the cornbread a little more lift and a lot more moisture.   Back to the Jiffy Jala ..read more

Y’all.  I wouldn’t say that I am a biscuit snob.  If I want a biscuit, there are few options that are acceptable, like a biscuit from Biscuitville.  But I always prefer a batch of my homemade biscuits, especially first thing in the morning.  Not having to leave the house is a huge bonus. A hot fresh from the oven buttermilk biscuit on a weekday is possible with a little advanced planning.  When using the freezer for food storage remember that the goal is to prevent freezer burn.  Freezer burn is when food is damaged from dehydration and oxygen reaching the food ..read more

7UP Pound Cake is one of those ‘back of the church’ dessert table staples.  Baking with soft drinks became popular in the south in the 1950s because the carbonation eliminated the need for raising agents.   If you flip through any old cookbooks from this time period – and even later– you’ll notice a wide variety of “Coke” cakes.  Like the classic Coca-Cola Cake, or even a Dr. Pepper Cake.  This 7UP pound cake is moist on the inside with a nice crust on the outside and a perfect lemon lime glaze on top.  What is the difference between a pound cake and a bundt cake? The ..read more

Hey Y’all. If you're a fan of lemon with a delightful crunch, look no further. We're baking a fresh batch of  Lemon Poppyseed Muffins – a burst of sunshine in every bite. Get ready to awaken your taste buds and elevate your mornings (or afternoons!) with this easy and irresistible recipe. The citrusy aroma will make your kitchen smell like a cozy bakery.  These photos are from before I renovated my kitchen. While the color scheme wasn't the worst, I am absolutely in love with my blue kitchen cabinets! [feast_advanced_jump_to]  Simple Ingredients, Incredible Impact: Gather your ..read more

When I think of a pound cake the default flavoring is always lemon.  Chocolate pound cakes are notorious for being dry. That’s because adding chocolate to a pound cake can be tricky.   We’re going to strike that delicate balance of rich, decadent cocoa with moist interior crumb characteristic of a lemon pound cake.  What is the difference between a pound cake and  a bundt cake? The term “pound cake” comes from the literal weight of the ingredients used (e.g., a pound of butter, a pound of flour, a pound of sugar).  The ratio of the ingredients in a pound cake are all ..read more

The BraveTart baking book by Stella Parks continues to be a revelation.  I’ve written about my obsession with her Devil’s Food Cake and her homemade Vanilla Wafers.  Buried all the way on page 199 might be my favorite recipe of hers. This recipe for Homemade Animal Crackers is a dead ringer for the animal crackers that come in those red cartons.  I’ve made this animal cracker recipe for at least three baby showers and they are honestly always a hit.   I will warn you now that this recipe is kind of fussy.  You need special ingredients that you might need to order ..read more