Since I published this recipe in 2017, it’s been one of the most popular recipes on my site – and with good reason! It’s my go-to frosting for icing Red Velvet Cake, topping Carrot Cake Cupcakes, or slathering across homemade Gooey Cinnamon Rolls.

After hearing consistent feedback that the original recipe became too runny for many HTH bakers, I experimented to make this frosting even sturdier without increasing the sugar.

The result? A frosting that pipes like a dream and elevates every bite with its velvety texture and tangy flavor. No ingredient changes were needed—just a slightly different mixing method!

Check out my baking science tips below and the FAQ box underneath the recipe for ALL my tips and tricks to help you make the BEST Cream Cheese Frosting you’ll ever taste.

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make the BEST Cream Cheese Frosting

My Cream Cheese Frosting Experiments

I know some of you had trouble getting the original recipe to hold its shape when piping. Adding more powdered sugar made it too sweet!

The solution? Changing the ORDER of ingredients! Instead of adding the powdered sugar last, we beat the butter and sugar first, much like a buttercream recipe. Then add the cream cheese. That one little change makes a HUGE difference! See the difference in studiness:

In the left photo, the frosting is smooth but just a bit too soft—it started sliding right off the cupcake when flipped upside down! But on the right? My new method pipes beautifully and stays put—even when flipped upside down.

This makes it sturdier for hot days, BBQs, picnics, and transporting, as well as more decorative piping.

Why this works: When butter and sugar are creamed together first air becomes trapped, resulting in a fluffier texture and more stable structure. The powdered sugar also acts as a slight barrier, coating the fat in the butter to prevent the extra moisture in the cream cheese from absorbing.

Use Original Method for Cinnamon Rolls

For the best melt-in-your-mouth texture, stick with my original method! Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together on medium-high speed until light, creamy, and smooth, about 2 minutes. Then, gradually mix in the powdered sugar on low speed and beat until fluffy. This creates a soft, silky frosting that melts beautifully over warm cinnamon rolls.

The Butter

For light, fluffy frosting that holds its shape, use unsalted butter at a cool room temperature (about 67°F). Why unsalted? It gives you total control over the flavor—some brands of salted butter have twice as much salt as others! Check out my article on Unsalted vs. Salted Butter for more on this.

Have a question you don’t see answered here? Be sure to check the FAQ Box just below the recipe!

More Frosting Recipes You’ll Love:

• The Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe
• Best Ever Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
• Peanut Butter Frosting
• Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Delicious Ways to Use Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Perfect Carrot Cupcakes (pictured in this post)
• Gooey Cinnamon Rolls 
• Red Velvet Cake
• Brown Butter Carrot Cake

Print

The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting

My BEST Cream Cheese Frosting has undergone extensive testing to create an ultra-creamy, silky-smooth, yet STURDY texture without being overly sweet. The perfect finishing touch for cakes, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, and more. Quick and easy, ready in just 7 minutes!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 7 minutes minutes

Total Time 7 minutes minutes

Servings 1 1/4 cups frosting

Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

• 3/4 stick (85 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature (67°F)*
• 1 1/2 cups (188 grams) powdered sugar, sifted (don't skip sifting!)
• 6 ounces (170 grams) cream cheese, completely softened to room temperature (brick-style, not spreadable)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract

Instructions

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sifted powdered sugar on low, then gradually increase to medium-high to prevent a sugar cloud. Beat for 3 minutes until smooth. (It may look dry at first, but it will come together like magic!). Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and paddle, then add the cream cheese and beat on medium-high for 1 minute until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat for 30 seconds until fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl again as needed.

Serving, Storing, and Make Ahead:

• Cream cheese frosting, alone or on cake or cupcakes, can sit at a cool room temperature for up to 8 hours before it should be refrigerated.
• The frosting can be made and transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature and re-whip with an electric mixer before using.

Notes

*Butter Temperature Matters! Make sure your butter isn’t too warm—even a few degrees too warm can lead to runny frosting. While adding more powdered sugar can help, it also makes the frosting sweeter. Instead, chill the frosting in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up, then whip it again before using for the perfect texture.

Yield: This recipe makes enough frosting for 12 cupcakes. It can be easily doubled to frost a 2 or 3-layer 8-inch cake.

If Using for Cinnamon Rolls:
For the best texture, stick with my original method! Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together on medium-high speed until light, creamy, and smooth, about 2 minutes. Then, gradually mix in the powdered sugar on low speed and beat until fluffy. This creates a soft, silky frosting that melts beautifully over warm cinnamon rolls.

This post was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2025 with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Joanie Simon.

The post The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Handle the Heat.

The absolute best part of my job is seeing someone trust one of my recipes enough to make it for a special occasion like a birthday party.

The thought of one of my recipes becoming a tradition in your families (like the birthday cake your child will request you bake for them year after year) is something that fills my heart with joy.

Below, you’ll find all the birthday cake recipe ideas you could ever dream of, from easy sheet cakes to impressive layer cakes to cookie cakes and even some unexpected non-cake celebratory treats.

I made sure to include flavors that will satisfy every taste preference. Yellow cake covered in sprinkles, lots of chocolate cakes (because if you know me, you know I love chocolate recipes!), and fun birthday cake flavors like funfetti, carrot cake, and banana cake—you name it, it’s on this list!

I have also added a few Baking Science tips at the bottom of the post to help you nail the best birthday cake ever.

If you make one of these birthday cake recipes for a special birthday dessert, please tag me on Instagram so I can see!

Vanilla Birthday Cake Recipes

Classic Best Birthday Cake Recipe

This Best Birthday Cake is a classic birthday cake recipe and just tastes like a celebration! My vanilla-scented yellow cake combined with perfectly sweet milk chocolate buttercream will have you wishing it was someone’s birthday every day. Top with rainbow sprinkles and birthday candles for the most celebratory centerpiece ever.

Funfetti Cake

Birthday cakes don’t come cuter than this Funfetti Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. It’s the perfect birthday cake recipe for feeding a crowd. This cake is quick, easy, super moist, and ready in just 40 minutes. Bonus: this cake can be made as the super-easy sheet cake you see here, or adapted easily into cupcakes!

Vanilla Poppy Seed Cake with Whipped Ganache

My Vanilla Poppy Seed Cake with Whipped Ganache features three layers of ultra-moist cake and pure vanilla decadence. No special decorating skills needed for this beautiful naked cake! Top with fresh berries for a simple, pretty birthday celebration.

Best Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

You’ll never go back to a box mix after you try my Best Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting. Classic yellow cake with a simple yet luscious chocolate frosting. Super easy and a million times better than any boxed mix. This birthday cake recipe will become your go-to cake recipe!

Chocolate Birthday Cake Recipes

Best Chocolate Cake

My Best Chocolate Cake recipe is the most flavorful, moist, and tender chocolate cake you’ve ever tasted! Paired with Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting for pure chocolate heaven. Everyone LOVES this cake, and you don’t even need a mixer to make the batter. This will be a hit at any birthday party!

Chocolate Brownie Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Holy indulgence! This Chocolate Brownie Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting is the best birthday cake recipe for any chocolate + peanut butter combo lovers in your life. Three layers of fudgy brownie cake, sandwiched with rich peanut butter buttercream and topped with chocolate ganache. As if that’s not enough, decorate with peanut butter cups on top for the perfect easy yet special finish.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Layer cakes are a lot of work, which is why this Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake is such a winner! The cake is tender and moist, and the chocolate fudge frosting is thick and fudgy. Super simple to bake, frost, transport, and serve. Pro tip: serve with vanilla ice cream for maximum birthday fun.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake is decadent, rich, fudgy, and super easy to make. The perfect simple yet elegant dessert for any birthday gathering. Serve with homemade whipped cream and berries for a simple yet stunning birthday treat.

Nutella Cake

This decadent Nutella Cake features four layers of moist and tender Nutella chocolate cake, a generous helping of luscious Nutella buttercream filling, and a super simple naked decoration. This is the perfect birthday cake recipe for any Nutella lover! Top with edible flowers for the ultimate stunning centerpiece.

Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream

The perfect birthday cake recipe for those who like a little booze in their desserts! Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream features an easy, fudgy, moist cocoa cake made with Guinness beer, frosted in a thick, creamy, sweet Irish cream buttercream, all finished with a semi-naked look and a decadent ganache drizzle. Indulgent adults-only birthday deliciousness at its finest.

German Chocolate Cake

What I love most about this German Chocolate Cake recipe is how simple and easy it is – you don’t even need a mixer! Tender cocoa cake layered with a thick and fudgy coconut and pecan frosting – what’s not to love!? Plus, it only takes a little over an hour to make. There won’t be any leftovers with this birthday cake!

Chocolate Bundt Cake

Chocolate Bundt Cake is decadent chocolate cake heaven at its finest! Fudgy, rich, and moist, this is the birthday cake of every chocolate lover’s dreams. Bonus: it’s super easy to make with no decorating skills required. A couple of birthday candles to top and you’re done!

Peppermint Chocolate Cake

Peppermint Chocolate Cake is as easy as it is beautiful. This cake is ultra moist and loaded with chocolate and refreshing peppermint flavors. The best birthday cake for any mint chocolate lover out there!

Fun Birthday Cake Flavors

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake is a delicious and crowd-pleasing layer cake alternative! This cookie cake features a thick base of chewy and slightly gooey chocolate chip cookie, topped with creamy vanilla buttercream, and garnished with plenty of sprinkles. The perfect birthday cake recipe for any cookie lover!

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is the most mouthwatering birthday cake recipe. Ultra moist, soft, tender, and buttery cake with the most perfect red velvet flavor. Topped with easy cream cheese frosting, and you can get as creative as you’d like with decorating – maybe some confetti sprinkles on top?!

Brown Butter Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This Brown Butter Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a must-make birthday cake recipe for any carrot cake lover. The cake is perfectly sweet, nutty, and flavorful, while the frosting is rich and tangy. Pro tip: decorate the perimeter of your carrot cake with crushed walnuts or pecans for an easy yet elegant finish to this birthday cake.

Lemon Bundt Cake

This Lemon Bundt Cake is ultra moist, tender, buttery, full of fresh lemon flavor, and topped with a simple lemon glaze. This cake is super easy to make! Decorate with some simple lemon zest or use these adorable lemon-shaped sprinkles for extra cuteness.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

This fun and unusual Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting is better than any store-bought cake. The banana cake is moist and tender with bites of mini chocolate chips throughout. The peanut butter frosting is ultra creamy, luscious, and smooth. Heavenly and a definite crowd-pleaser.

Angel Food Cake

This Angel Food Cake has the most perfectly fluffy texture – and you only need 7 ingredients to make it! Serve with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries for a beautiful, light birthday cake – or add some of my homemade ice cream to really wow your guests!

Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake

Salted Caramel Apple Sheet Cake features an ultra-tender, slightly spongey cinnamon apple cake with a thick, shiny salted caramel glaze. Perfect for serving a crowd during the fall, but it’s delicious year-round, too!

Non-Cake Birthday Treats

Ultimate Classic Cheesecake

Who says birthdays have to be celebrated with cake? My Ultimate Classic Cheesecake recipe is the best cheesecake recipe ever and might just become a new birthday tradition with your family! Buttery graham cracker crust and a perfectly smooth and tangy cheesecake make for the most delicious, creamy celebratory treat you’ll ever try. Check out more of my cheesecake recipes here.

French Silk Pie

For a non-cake birthday dessert that’s delicious and fun for all ages, look no further than my French Silk Pie! It features an Oreo cookie crust, a rich and creamy chocolate filling, and is topped with homemade whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Chocolate decadence at its finest.

Cosmic Brownies

This copycat recipe for Cosmic Brownies is ultra-rich, fudgy, and chewy, just like the kind you buy at the store, but oh so much better, with no preservatives! The perfect birthday treat for kids of all ages.

Peanut Butter Pie

This homemade Peanut Butter Pie is made from scratch with just a few ingredients and is perfect for any peanut butter lover. This pie is so good, you might want to make two so the birthday celebrant can have one all to themselves!

Tiramisu

This Tiramisu recipe layers classic coffee-dipped ladyfingers with a silky-smooth, rich, creamy mascarpone filling, all finished with a beautiful dusting of cocoa powder. A beautiful and decadent celebratory dessert that will impress your guests and make them feel like they’ve been transported to Italy!

Sprinkle of Science

Birthday Cake Baking Tips

1. Measure Your Flour Accurately: If your cakes are dry, dense, rubbery, or crumbly, you may have accidentally added too much flour. Measuring ingredients with a digital scale is the best way to ensure accuracy. Check out my How to Measure Flour article for more tips.
2. Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder: It’s important to understand that baking soda and baking powder are not interchangeable, and both can lose their effectiveness before the expiration date printed on the package. Check out my Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder article for more information, and learn how to test for freshness.
3. Why Did My Cake Sink in the Middle? There’s nothing more frustrating than baking a cake only to have it sink. Learn How to Prevent Cakes & Cupcakes From Sinking here.
4. How to Make Birthday Cakes Ahead of Time: You can wrap cooled, uncut, unfrosted cake layers well in plastic wrap and place them inside a freezer bag. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge (do not defrost at room temperature or you will end up with mushy cake).
5. How to Turn Cake into Cupcakes: Almost any cake recipe can be made into cupcakes! Check out my full guide on how to convert cake to cupcakes (and vice versa!).

Must-Have Tools for Birthday Cakes

These are my favorite tools for baking and decorating cakes:

• Round cake pans (I prefer 3-inches deep to prevent overflow)
• Parchment paper rounds
• Stand Mixer or electric hand mixer
• Offset spatula
• Plastic side scraper
• Cake turntable
• Whisk
• Toothpick or cake tester

Want even more cake ideas? Check out my full collection of Cake Recipes here!

The post Best Birthday Cake Recipes appeared first on Handle the Heat.

As a complete chocoholic, this tends to be a deviation from my usual sweet cravings.

While this cake is delicious year-round, it’s the perfect citrusy dessert to enjoy during spring and summer. Also, this lemon cake smells absolutely amazing while it bakes. Imagine the combination of the smells of a clean house, a bakery window, and the best candle ever. Guests won’t want to leave when they smell this baking!

After the cake is done baking, it gets a drenching of lemon glaze. This amplifies the citrus flavor and boosts the moisture of the cake.

The icing on this best Lemon Bundt Cake recipe is just the way I like it: ultra thick and smooth! Feel free to add more or less cream or lemon juice to thicken or thin it out, but I think thick icing makes a bundt cake extra beautiful and gourmet. Just be sure to let the icing set completely before you serve or transport it.

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Lemon Bundt Cake

What is the Difference Between Cake and Bundt Cake?

The main difference is the style of baking pan that’s used. A bundt pan is typically 10 to 12 cups in volume capacity, whereas a single 8-inch round cake pan has 6 cups volume capacity. Besides the shape and design, Bundt cakes are typically more dense, moist, and sturdy than some layer cakes. They need to hold up to the more intricate design of the Bundt cake pan without collapsing or breaking apart. Bundt cakes are also typically covered in an icing or glaze instead of being assembled with buttercream frosting.

How to Make MOIST Cake

• Don’t overmeasure your flour. Accidentally adding too much flour will yield a dense, dry, or crumbly cake. I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale, but if you don’t have one, use the spoon and level method to measure your dry ingredients.
• 8 large eggs – Eggs are crucial to this bundt cake’s richness, moisture, and structure. I do not recommend using egg substitutes in this recipe. Use room-temperature eggs to ensure they blend smoothly into the batter.
• Don’t reduce the sugar – Sugar does so much more in baking beyond simply sweetening. Learn more about sugar’s role in baking here.

Do I Have to Use Cake Flour in this Lemon Bundt Cake?

• This recipe uses half all-purpose flour and half cake flour for the best of both worlds.
• When using only all-purpose flour, the cake has more of a muffin texture.
• When using only cake flour, the cake is too delicate and crumbly.
• While you can use only all-purpose flour in the flour mixture, I’d highly recommend using real cake flour for the best results.
• Check out my Cake Flour 101 article here (and why I don’t use DIY substitutes) for more on the science of this ingredient.

Do You Glaze a Cake When it’s Hot?

Allow the bundt cake to cool completely before glazing; otherwise, the glaze will melt right off the hot cake.

How to Prevent Bundt Cake from Sticking

There’s absolutely nothing worse than spending a bunch of time, energy, and ingredients on a cake only to have it stick to the pan and fall apart like the cake on the right:

Here are my three top tips for preventing bundt cakes from sticking to the pan:

1. Use a simple, quality nonstick bundt pan and take proper care of it (hand washing and drying instead of using the dishwasher). This is the best bundt pan I’ve found.
2. Use the right type of grease. I use baker’s nonstick cooking spray for this recipe, specifically Baker’s Joy. I’ve also had success in the past using melted shortening to grease other bundt cake recipes.
3. Grease every nook and cranny of the bundt pan just before baking. This prevents the grease from sliding down the sides of the pan and collecting in a pool at the bottom by the time you pour in the batter. Use a pastry brush to generously apply the grease, being careful to get every centimeter, including the middle column.
4. In my How to Prevent Bundt Cakes From Sticking article, I detail even more of my best tips for bundt cake that glides out of the pan perfectly. I also share some tricks for releasing a cake that’s already stuck.

Should You Let a Bundt Cake Cool Before Flipping It?

After baking the cake, cool it in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes, then run a thin, flexible knife around the edges before inverting it onto a wire cooling rack.

Topping Ideas Bundt Cakes

• The Lemon Glaze included in the recipe below
• Fresh berries, such as strawberries or blueberries
• Whipped cream
• Cream Cheese Frosting (if using cream cheese frosting, serve the same day you frost – refrigerating this cake will dry it out)
• A dusting of powdered sugar
• Learn How to Make Ice cream with my simple, easy-to-follow recipe!

How to Store Lemon Bundt Cake

The glazed cake can be covered in foil or plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. Don’t refrigerate this cake as that will just dry it out. Wrap sliced leftovers well in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

More Recipes You’ll Love:

• Lemon Pound Cake Loaf
• Lemon Cupcakes
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
• Glazed Lemon Cookies
• Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Bread

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Lemon Bundt Cake

This Lemon Bundt Cake is ultra moist, tender, buttery, full of fresh lemon flavor and so easy to make. Topped with a simple lemon glaze. It's the perfect show stopping cake for any occasion!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 14 servings

Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 1/2 cups (191 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups (170 grams) cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 1/2 cups (500 grams) granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon zest (from about 6 lemons)
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
• 8 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120 grams) sour cream*, at room temperature
• 4 sticks (452 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the glaze:

• 2 1/2 cups (313 grams) powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons milk or cream

Instructions

Make the cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a large mixing bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor or high-speed blender, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Pulse a few times to evenly distribute the zest. Add the lemon juice, eggs, and sour cream and pulse until combined. On low speed, gradually drizzle in the melted and cooled butter in a slow steady stream until well combined.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredient mixture. Pour in the wet ingredients. Mix gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Batter will be slightly thin.
• Grease a 10 or 12-cup bundt pan generously with baker’s nonstick cooking spray, such as Baker’s Joy, or melted shortening. Use a pastry brush to spread the spray into every nook and cranny of the pan. Immediately pour in the batter.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached, about 50 to 60 minutes.
• Cool in pan for 15 to 20 minutes, then run a thin flexible knife around the edges before inverting onto a wire rack. Cool completely.

Make the glaze:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients until thick but pourable. Add more juice or milk to thin out or more powdered sugar to thicken until your desired consistency. Spoon over the cake, letting it drip down the sides if desired. Let set for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
• The glazed cake can be covered in foil or plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Video

Notes

*You can alternatively use full-fat unsweetened plain yogurt instead of sour cream.

This post was originally published in 2018 and has been updated with new photos and recipe improvements. Photos by Joanie Simon.

The post Lemon Bundt Cake appeared first on Handle the Heat.

I am frequently asked about sugar, its role in baking, and whether or not lowering the sugar in a recipe is possible.

I previously conducted experiments using my viral Soft & Chewy Sugar Cookies recipe, where I reduced the sugar by 50% and also increased the sugar by 25%, comparing the batches side-by-side with the original recipe. The results were super interesting!

So, I decided to take to the kitchen once more and experiment with my control cupcake recipe, to see how changing the sugar levels would impact the results.

Check out the results below, along with some baking science insights into sugar’s surprising role in your favorite recipes.

Quick disclaimer: This post is intended to give insight into the science of sugar’s role in baking. It is not intended to serve as a guide for people who must reduce sugar intake due to medical diagnoses or for weight loss. Here at Handle the Heat, we use sugar, dairy, eggs, and wheat in the majority of our recipes and fully believe dessert is a delightful part of enjoying life!

Reducing Sugar in Baking

Why is Sugar Important in Baking?

You might be thinking, “Sugar is the sweetener. THAT is sugar’s role in baking.” … but that’s not the whole story. Here are some of the other important factors sugar contributes:

1. Moisture: Sugar is a key component in lending moisture to baked goods. It binds with the water content of your dough or batter to lock in moisture. This also helps extend shelf life, meaning your baked goods will stay moist and fresh for longer.
2. Tenderness: Sugar contributes to the tender texture of baked goods.
3. Leavening: When creamed with butter, sugar can also assist in leavening recipes like cakes and cupcakes, for a light and fluffy texture. In some recipes, sugar also increases spread.
4. Caramelization: Sugar is crucial in the process of producing caramelized tastes and textures. This is how your baked goods develop their golden brown color and, in some cases, crisp exterior.

Sugar’s Role in Cupcakes

When baking cupcakes, sugar works with the other ingredients to contribute moisture, caramelization, height, lightness, and fluffiness, as well as sweetness. This is why altering the sugar in a recipe can have widespread consequences!

Experimenting with Sugar Levels in Cupcakes

We took to the kitchen, armed with my control cupcake recipe, to demonstrate the effects of decreasing the amount of sugar called for by 50% and also increasing the sugar by 25%. The exact same recipe was used for each batch. The only difference between batches was the amount of sugar used.

The control recipe was made exactly as written and baked for 15 minutes, yielding cupcakes that were soft, tender, and described by everyone in the studio as “perfect”.

What Happens if You Lower The Amount Of Sugar Called For in Cupcakes?

For this experiment, we decreased the sugar in the control cupcake recipe by 50%.

The batter texture was light and fluffy, but the batter taste was more flour and butter forward. This batch needed 3 minutes longer than the control batch (18 minutes total) to fully bake through.

Results: This batch of cupcakes was, of course, less sweet than the control batch – but they were also significantly drier, denser, bland, and doughy. Brendan, our food stylist, said these cupcakes reminded him of a Kringle cookie in texture. Emily, from Team HTH, said they reminded her of the biscuit part in strawberry shortcake – slightly dense but still light in mouth-feel, and they lacked flavor. These cupcakes didn’t stick to the liners at all. It was also interesting to note that decreasing the sugar yielded 2 fewer cupcakes.

What Happens if You Increase The Amount Of Sugar Called For In Cupcakes?

Here, we increased the sugar in the control cupcake recipe by 25%.

In this batch, the batter was smoother and more aerated, and the sugar was more visible in the batter than in the other batches. These cupcakes needed 5 minutes longer than the control batch (20 minutes total) to fully bake through.

Results: This batch of cupcakes was sweeter and developed a crunchy top and edges, where they were also the sweetest – almost as if all the sugar went to the top and edges! The cupcakes were slightly more speckled on top and sank slightly in the middle once cooled. These cupcakes stuck to their liners. Interestingly, this batch did not yield any additional cupcakes.

The Bottom Line

Sugar is a crucial ingredient in baking. It contributes so much to baked goods, and when the balance of each ingredient is correct, the texture, height, and flavor will be perfect. Too much sugar and your cupcakes may develop a thick, sweet crust on the top and sides and lack a balance of flavor. Too little sugar and your cupcakes will be dense, bland, and unpleasant to eat. Reducing sugar in cupcakes will not only alter sweetness, but texture too.

How Can I Reduce the Sweetness Without Lowering the Sugar?

Of course, you’re always free to experiment with reducing sugar in cupcakes as you wish – just take the above into consideration and know that your final taste and texture will change as a result. I always recommend making a new recipe as written once so you have a baseline to compare to, and then make changes one at a time, little by little until you’re happy with the result.

Here are a couple of pointers for reducing sweetness while maintaining the sugar level:

• Salt: Increase the salt level to help balance sweetness. Also, be sure you’re using the right type of salt in your recipe. Learn more about different types of salt here.
• Chocolate: In any recipe using chocolate chips, use dark chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, or even unsweetened chocolate to help balance the sweetness.
• Acid: Balance with ingredients that lend bitterness or acidity, such as citrus zest or buttermilk. Never substitute those ingredients, and look for recipes that use them for a better depth of flavor.

Have you ever experimented with reducing the sugar in cupcakes? Let me know how it went in the comments below!

More Science of Baking Articles:

• Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder
• How to Cream Butter & Sugar
• Kosher Salt vs. Sea Salt vs. Table Salt
• How to Prevent Cakes & Cupcakes From Sinking
• Cake Flour 101

Cupcake Recipes You’ll Love:

• Best Yellow Cupcakes
• The Best Chocolate Cupcakes
• Lemon Cupcakes
• Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Photos by Joanie Simon.

The post Reducing Sugar in Cupcakes appeared first on Handle the Heat.

What better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Or just any day, really. Because some days require chocolate and Bailey’s.

Celebrating always involves chocolate for me. Whether it’s my crowd-pleasing Chewy Brownies, my go-to Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies, or a decadent cake like this, celebrations = chocolate to me.

The best thing about this recipe is that it’s secretly super simple. You don’t even need an electric mixer for the cake batter!

This cake contains sour cream to give the cake a ton of richness and moisture, and the Guinness stout beer gives it a deep, roasted, slightly coffee-like taste that pairs so wonderfully with that rich chocolate flavor.

Feel free to get creative with decorating this cake! We went for a ‘naked’ look where the sides of the cake peek through the frosting. That focuses the attention on that beautiful Chocolate Ganache drip topping. You could go crazy with green food coloring, shamrock sprinkles, or anything you like, decoration-wise.

Or keep it classic with chocolate shavings or even a drizzle of Salted Caramel Sauce for an extra tasty garnish.

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream

How to Make Moist Chocolate Cake

Be very careful not to accidentally over-measure the flour and cocoa powder in this recipe. This will lead to dense, dry, or tough cake. The best way to ensure this never happens is to measure your ingredients by weight using a digital kitchen scale. This will forever improve your baking! If you don’t have a scale, be sure to use the spoon and level method to measure your dry ingredients.

What Cake Pan do I Need for This Cake?

This Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream recipe was written to use two 8-inch pans. These Fat Daddios pans are my favorites. Be sure to use pans that are deep enough (I recommend 3 inches) to avoid your cake spilling over.

Can I Bake This with Different Sized Baking Pans?

Probably! You’ll just need to do a little math to adjust the timing and calculate the volume. Check out Wilton’s handy guide for converting cake baking pans.

Can you Bake This Cake into Cupcakes?

Almost any cake recipe can be made into cupcakes. Check out my full guide on how to convert cake into cupcakes (and vice versa!). 

Print

Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream

Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream features an easy, fudgy, and moist cocoa cake with Guinness beer and thick creamy and sweet Irish cream buttercream. The perfect St. Patrick’s Day cake!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

For the Guinness Chocolate cake:

• 1 3/4 cups (222 grams) all-purpose flour, measured correctly
• 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (64 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 cup (170 grams) sour cream or plain full-fat yogurt, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup fresh vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup Guinness beer

For the Irish Buttercream:

• 4 sticks (454 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
• 6 cups (750 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Irish cream, such as Bailey’s

For the Chocolate Drip:

• 4 ounces (113 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• sprinkles or chocolate curls for topping, optional

Instructions

Make the cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease two 8-inch wide x 3-inch deep cake pans and line with parchment paper rounds.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and beer.
• Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans for 30 minutes before carefully turning them out onto a cooling rack or wire rack to cool completely. If possible, freeze the cakes while you prepare the buttercream.

Make the buttercream:

• In a large bowl, use an electric mixer or hand mixer to beat the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, then the Irish cream. Beat the mixture on high speed until very light, fluffy, and smooth, about 3 minutes. If the frosting is too thick, add a splash more Irish cream. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Assemble:

• Place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Frost the top of the cake generously, as this will become the filling. Use even more if you're decorating as a 'naked' cake as shown in the photos. Top with the other cake layer, flat side up.
• With an offset spatula, spread a very thin layer of frosting all over the cake. This layer is a crumb coat and should act like spackle. For the smoothest frosting, return the cake to the fridge or freezer until firm to the touch. 
• Spread the remaining frosting all over the cake. If desired, focus the frosting on the top to maintain the 'naked' look. Refrigerate while you prepare chocolate drip.

Make chocolate drip:

• Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small pan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer then immediately remove from heat and pour over chocolate. You can also do this in the microwave. Cover for a few minutes then stir until smooth.
• Allow to cool until it has thickened but is still pourable, about 10 minutes. Don’t place ganache in the fridge to cool. Test the consistency of the drip by pouring down the side of a glass. If it’s too thick, microwave for 5 to 10 seconds. If it’s too thin, continue to cool.
• Carefully pour some of the ganache over the top of the chilled cake. Use an offset spatula to quickly smooth the ganache over the top of the cake before it sets, spreading evenly just to the cake’s edge. Use a squeeze bottle to gently squeeze one drip at a time down the sides of the cake.
• Before the ganache fully sets, add sprinkles, chocolate curls, or any other decor you like. It won’t adhere properly if you allow the ganache to firm up before adding.
• This cake can be stored, covered with a cake keeper, at a cool, dry room temperature for 2-3 days.*

Notes

*Frosting acts as a protective seal that keeps the cake moist and fresh, so frosted cakes can be stored at a cool, dry room temperature for 2 to 3 days – especially this frosting, since it has some alcohol content to further help preserve. Cover with a cake keeper to keep the frosting and decorating intact. Don’t use plastic wrap, which will not only ruin your frosting, but also create condensation that can cause the frosting to separate.

This recipe was originally published in 2014 and recently updated with weight measurements and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.

The post Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream appeared first on Handle the Heat.

This homemade cookie cake is perfectly chewy, gooey, and thick, with plenty of chocolate chips in every bite. Whether you’re having a party or it’s just a regular weekday, this recipe will add a little sparkle and fun to your dessert. No one will be able to stop at just one slice.

Growing up, I never really liked birthday cake. Don’t get me wrong, I loved a good fresh, homemade cake baked with quality, flavorful ingredients. But neither of my parents baked. Store-bought birthday cakes or ones made with cake mix and packaged frosting were sickeningly sweet and artificial tasting, even for my 10-year-old taste buds. And I’ve loved sweets my entire life!

Don’t even get me started on the actual bland, dry store-bought cakes.

This Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake recipe is perfect for those who don’t like birthday cake. Or for when you just don’t have the time and patience to bake a cake! Or maybe for those times when you just want something fun and a little different.

Whatever you do, make sure you’re generous with the rainbow sprinkles for an extra festive cake!

I’ve formulated the chocolate chip cookie base recipe to be ultra-thick, chewy, and slightly gooey in the middle with tons of flavor. The melted butter, dark brown sugar, extra egg yolk, bread flour, and cornstarch all help to accomplish this.

If you’d like to know more about the science of cookie baking, check out my cookbook, The Ultimate Cookie Handbook!

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Do I Have to Use Bread Flour in This Cookie Cake?

The bread flour in this recipe helps make the cookie cake ultra chewy and thick. If you don’t have any bread flour, feel free to use only all-purpose flour, though your cookie cake might lose some chewiness.

Why is There Cornstarch in This Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake?

Along with bread flour, cornstarch is our magic ingredient for achieving that perfect thick, chewy, and soft texture. It can also aid in lift and height. I use cornstarch in my Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies. Don’t skip the cornstarch!

How to Decorate a Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

For this cookie cake recipe, I used a half batch of my go-to Best Buttercream. I’ve also listed other topping ideas below. If you’d like, you could also use a piping tip to pipe some beautiful buttercream swirls around the edges of your chocolate chip cookie cake.

How to Store Cookie Cake

You can store this Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake covered at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

This Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake recipe features a thick base of chewy and slightly gooey chocolate chip cookie topped with creamy vanilla buttercream and garnished with sprinkles. It's the perfect birthday cake for any cookie lover!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 8 to 10 servings

Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

For the chocolate chip cookie base:

• 1 1/4 cups (247 grams) lightly packed dark brown sugar*
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (191 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups (159 grams) bread flour**
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 cups (340 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

For the buttercream:

• 1 1/2 cups (153 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Pinch fine salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoons cream or milk
• Sprinkles, for garnishing

Instructions

For the cookie base:

• Place sugars in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Add the butter to a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, swirling occasionally until melted. Alternatively, place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between bursts, until melted. Add hot butter to the sugars and stir to combine. Set aside to cool until just warm.
• Stir in the eggs, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Using a spatula, gradually mix in the flours, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips. Bake now or cover the dough and refrigerate until ready to bake, up to 72 hours.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch spring-form pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Press the cookie dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes for a gooey center or 35 to 40 minutes to cook completely. Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow the cookie cake to cool completely before removing from the pan and frosting.

For the buttercream:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase the speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the salt, vanilla, and cream and beat on medium for 1 minute, adding more cream if needed.
• Spread all over the cooled cookie cake then garnish with sprinkles. Serve or cover and let stand at room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerated for up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.

Video

Notes

*If you don’t have dark brown sugar, use light brown sugar. Just note that you will lose some depth of flavor, and the texture will change slightly. More on this in the ‘Sprinkle of Science’ Tip Box above the recipe.

**If you don’t have any bread flour, feel free to use only all-purpose flour, though your cookie cake may not be as chewy. More on this in the Tip Box.

Make Ahead: The cookie dough can be stored in greased pan, covered, and refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking. If you need to prep the dough further in advance, check out my article on freezing cookie dough here. 

This post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.

The post Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake appeared first on Handle the Heat.

It wasn’t until I had a slice of AMAZING carrot cake from a little café called Fragments in Paris that I realized just how great carrot cake could be.

So I got to work testing and tweaking, elevating my recipe for Carrot Cake Cupcakes into a show-stopping layer cake.

The nutty flavor of the brown butter complements the flavors in carrot cake beautifully – and it also helps make the cake super rich and moist.

Plenty of warm spices in the batter and an extra dash of cinnamon in the cream cheese frosting round everything out perfectly.

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Brown Butter Carrot Cake

The Best Baking Pans For Cake

My favorite cake pan is this Fat Daddio’s pan. Never use dark-colored nonstick cake pans. They conduct heat too aggressively and often lead to hard, dry edges and undercooked or sunken centers.

Do I Have to Add Nuts?

I added pecans or walnuts as an option for this Brown Butter Carrot Cake. They add a nice crunchy texture and a bit of savory flavor to contrast the sweetness. Feel free to skip the nuts or add a few tablespoons of raisins, if preferred.

Applesauce in Carrot Cake?

This isn’t necessarily a healthy addition, although it does allow us to use a little less butter. Applesauce in Carrot Cake helps provide tender moisture and a nice, sweet, fruity flavor to complement the carrots. You don’t really taste apples, just a light freshness.

How to Tell When the Cake is Done Baking

The cake is done baking when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Can You Make This Recipe Into Cupcakes?

Sure – check out my guide on how to convert a cake into cupcakes (and vice versa!) – or simply use my easy Carrot Cake Cupcakes recipe here.

Can I Make Carrot Cake Ahead of Time?

Wrap cooled, uncut, unfrosted carrot cake layers in several layers of plastic wrap and place inside an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Check out the freezing instructions below if you need to store longer.

Does Carrot Cake Need to be Refrigerated? How to Store Carrot Cake

Yes, because of the cream cheese frosting, Carrot Cake does need to be stored in the fridge. You can keep the cake at room temperature for up to 6 hours, but if storing longer, cover with a cake keeper and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Can You Freeze Carrot Cake?

Yes! Wrap cooled, unfrosted carrot cake layers in several layers of plastic wrap and place inside a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Don’t defrost at room temperature, or you will end up with mushy, sticky cake.

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Brown Butter Carrot Cake

Brown Butter Carrot Cake is so moist, tender, perfectly sweet, and iced with tons of cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Even carrot cake haters will LOVE this cake! Perfect for Easter dessert, Mother's Day, and birthdays.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups (318 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 cups (400 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup (250 grams) unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups (296 grams) finely shredded carrots* (about 4 medium carrots)
• 3/4 cup (84 grams) finely chopped walnuts or pecans

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 24 ounces (680 grams) cream cheese, completely softened to room temperature
• 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, completely softened to room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 5 cups (625 grams) powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions

Make the cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• In a medium skillet set over medium heat, melt the butter. Swirling the pan occasionally, continue to cook the butter. It should become foamy with audible cracking and popping noises. Once the crackling stops, continue to swirl the pan until the butter develops a nutty aroma and brown bits start to form at the bottom. Once the bits are amber in color, about 2 to 3 minutes after the popping stops, remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl. Let cool completely.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.
• To the browned butter, whisk in the brown sugar, then the eggs. Stir in the applesauce, vanilla, and carrots. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the nuts.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely before transferring to wire racks.
• Slice each cake layer in half for four layers using a cake leveler or serrated knife. Place layers in the fridge while you make the frosting.

Make the frosting:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt on medium-high speed until very light, creamy, and smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. On low speed, gradually add in the sugar and beat until creamy.

Assemble the cake:

• Place one cake layer cut side up on a cake stand or platter. Spread about 1/4 of the frosting all over the cake layer, pushing it out over the edge just slightly. Repeat with the remaining layers. With an offset spatula, spread the remaining frosting evenly all over the cake, smoothing the edges.
• Serve or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

*For extra moist carrot cake, shred fresh carrots – don’t use packaged pre-shredded carrots. Freshly grated carrots are more flavorful and more moist! Don’t grate your carrots too finely. Use the bigger holes on your box grater – or, if you have one, use your food processor’s grating attachment.

This post was originally published in 2020 and has been updated with additional recipe tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.

The post Brown Butter Carrot Cake appeared first on Handle the Heat.

It’s no secret that I’m a total chocoholic. There’s pretty much never a time I don’t want chocolate.

Chocolate cakes, however, can often be dry, overly sweet, or just bland … but not this cake!

I packed a ton of moisture-enhancing ingredients like sour cream and brown sugar into this cake, along with Dutch-processed cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate for the most perfectly balanced chocolate fudge cake with a positively irresistible texture.

The other great thing about this cake is how simple it is! Just a couple of bowls, a quick ganache over the top, and you don’t even have to bust out your mixer. No awkward cake assembling, difficult decorating, or anxiety-inducing transporting. It’s showstopping without being labor-intensive or time-consuming.

If you’re a chocolate lover like me, or you’re going to a party or potluck with chocolate lovers, I hope you’ll give this cake a try! It’s sure to be the talk of the party.

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Chocolate Bundt Cake

How to Make Moist Cake

1. Don’t overmeasure your flour. Accidentally adding too much flour will yield a dense, dry, or crumbly cake. I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale, but if you don’t have one, use the spoon and level method to measure your dry ingredients.
2. Oil. We tested this cake with vegetable oil, but any neutral oil that’s liquid at room temperature should work (such as avocado oil or canola oil, but not coconut oil). Because oil is a liquid at room temperature, it gives the sensation of moisture by coating the tongue. Learn more about oil vs. butter in baking here. 
3. Brown sugar. Brown sugar is more hygroscopic than granulated sugar, which basically means it draws and attracts moisture more than granulated white sugar. It also provides a bit more complex flavor than white sugar in this recipe. Don’t reduce the sugar in this recipe – learn why here.
4. Eggs. This cake contains 5 eggs for richness, fudginess, moisture, and structure. I do not recommend using egg substitutes here. Use room-temperature eggs to ensure they blend smoothly into the batter.
5. Sour cream. This helps make the cake more tender and fudgy and activates the baking soda. Be sure to use full-fat sour cream at room temperature. Full-fat plain yogurt will work as a substitute.
6. Chocolate + Dutch cocoa. More on this just below.

The Bundt Cake Pan

This recipe uses a 12-cup bundt pan, like this one. If your pan is a little larger, that’s fine, but don’t use a smaller pan as the cake will overflow.

How to Prevent Chocolate Bundt Cake From Sticking to the Pan:

1. Coat the bundt pan with melted shortening and work it into every nook and cranny with a silicone pastry brush right before pouring the batter into the pan. If this is done too early, the grease will slide down the sides of the pan and leave you with an uneven coating.
2. Alternatively, use Baker’s Joy spray. While I don’t prefer to use nonstick sprays because they can damage the nonstick coating on baking pans over time, Baker’s Joy does work well. It just may reduce the lifespan of your pan.
3. Check out my article on How to Prevent Bundt Cake from Sticking for more tips.

How to Store

Store this cake covered or inside an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or at room temperature for 3 days. This cake is even fudgier when enjoyed chilled!

Can You Freeze Chocolate Bundt Cake?

Freeze uniced cake wrapped in plastic wrap and place inside an airtight container. Defrost in the fridge overnight before icing with ganache and serving. We have not tried freezing this cake once iced.

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Chocolate Bundt Cake

Chocolate Bundt Cake is decadent chocolate cake heaven at its finest! Fudgy, rich, and moist, this cake is a surefire hit with any chocolate-loving crowd. It’s also super easy! No stand mixer or decorating skills required.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12 slices

Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup (85 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups (400 grams) lightly packed light brown sugar
• 1 ½ cups (191 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (227 grams) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
• ½ cup (112 grams) neutral oil
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon melted shortening or Baker’s Joy, for greasing pan¹

For the ganache²:

• ½ cup (119 grams) heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 4 ounces (113.5 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped

Instructions

Make the Cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a medium heatproof bowl, add the chocolate, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Pour hot water over mixture. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk mixture gently until smooth, then set aside to cool until just warm (95-98°F).
• In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flour, salt, and baking soda, breaking up any clumps.
• Whisk the sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Making a well, pour the wet mixture into the center of the dry mixture and use a spatula to gently fold ingredients together until just combined and no flour pockets remain. Do not overmix.
• Spray a 12-cup Bundt cake pan generously with Baker’s Joy or brush with melted shortening, using a pastry brush to brush the spray or shortening into every nook and cranny of the pan. Immediately pour the batter into the pan. Bake the cake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a platter and let cool completely. If your cake doesn’t release, run a thin spatula around the inner tube to help.

Make the Ganache:

• In a small saucepan, heat the cream and corn syrup over medium heat until hot. Remove from heat and add the chocolate, whisking until smooth. Let cool until thickened. Drizzle over the cake. Allow to set at room temperature, about 10 minutes, before serving.
• For an extra fudgy cake, serve chilled.

Video

Notes

1. Melted shortening or Baker’s Joy are the best choices to grease a bundt pan, as aerosol nonstick sprays can harm the coating and leave a stubborn residue that’s hard to clean. If the residue isn’t removed, future cakes may stick, no matter what the greasing method. Avoid using butter, as its milk solids can also cause cakes to stick.

2. For a sweeter dark chocolate topping, try this alternate glaze recipe instead:

1 cup (125 grams) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons (11 grams) cocoa powder
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt

Sift powdered sugar and cocoa into a small bowl. Whisk in milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Drizzle onto cooled cake and let set, 15-20 minutes.

Photos by Joanie Simon.

The post Chocolate Bundt Cake appeared first on Handle the Heat.

One of the questions I’m asked most frequently has something to do with the different kinds of baking flours on the market. What are they and why are they used for certain recipes?

Possibly the most important ‘specialty’ flour to understand is cake flour.

In fact, there are a couple recipes that I’ve made and some that I’ve published on the site that absolutely require cake flour. Using all-purpose flour instead will actually fundamentally damage the final result of the recipe. A good example of this is Angel Food Cake or even my Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts.

Why is this? What is cake flour and how does it work?

In order to answer these questions for you, I went crazy in the kitchen baking up multiple batches of cupcakes with the specific intent of creating visuals that illuminate the science of this special flour in an easy-to-understand way.

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it pains me to intentionally make batches of anything that I know aren’t going to come out exactly right, but the photos are so valuable. They actually show you how different ingredients and techniques impact your favorite treats. Sometimes the differences are shocking!

Quick side note: check out the HTH Science of Baking Headquarters for lots more delicious and fascinating kitchen experiments.

I don’t know about you, but I’m such a visual person that the best way I can learn about the magic and science of baking is by seeing it in action.

So, I not only experimented with different brands (and styles) of cake flour, but also how cake flour substitutions work.

Let’s get into the experimenting!

Sprinkle of Science

Cake Flour 101

What is Cake Flour?

Cake flour is very finely milled from soft wheat from the heart of the wheat endosperm. This helps to give cake flour its very fine silky soft texture. That fineness is actually why cake flour should be sifted before use as it’s more likely to clump together.

What’s the Difference Between Cake Flour and All-Purpose Flour?

The primary differences are that each flour is made from a different variety of wheat, milled to a different texture, and contain different amounts of protein vs. starch.

Cake flour has the lowest protein content of most flour products available:

• Bread flour: 12-15% protein content
• All-purpose flour: 9-12% protein content
• Pastry flour: 9% protein content
• Cake flour: 6-8% protein content

Protein content differs by brands and even styles of flour under the same brand. To figure out the protein content in any flour, divide the number of protein grams per serving by the number of total grams per serving.

This lower level of protein means cake flour also has more starch. Overall, the use of cake flour in a recipe will discourage gluten formation compared to a higher protein flour product. Lower levels of gluten equal more softness and tenderness in a baked good. Think of something that has a really high level of protein, like steak. It’s tough and chewy. When we want the opposite of that texture, we want lower levels of protein to achieve a soft and delicate crumb.

By contrast, this is why bread flour has more protein than all-purpose flour and certainly more than cake flour. Breads require that extra protein to form strong gluten webs that shape the backbone of a loaf and create that slightly chewy, bready texture.

Is Cake Flour Bleached or Unbleached? (This is important!)

Cake flour is typically bleached, which further weakens the proteins and prohibits gluten formation. Bleached flours in general soak up more water and produce thicker batters.

In the photos below, I actually tested Swans Down Bleached Cake Flour vs. King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour to show you just how important this one detail can be! But before we get there, let me clear up some common misconceptions about bleached flour.

The bleached flour you buy at the supermarket does NOT contain chlorine in the final product. When flour products are chlorinated, manufacturers treat the flour with an extremely low level exposure to chlorine gas to provoke a chemical reaction. That chemical reaction not only changes the flour’s characteristics (more on that below) but it changes the chlorine itself. The chlorine turns into several other compounds: chlorite (which occurs naturally in unbleached flour), hypochlorous acid (found in our own immune cells), and chloride (an electrolyte found in a product like Smart Water). However, this is just one method of bleaching flour. You can learn more about flour bleaching here.

Bleached flour actually allows more moisture to be absorbed in a batter or dough to make dough less sticky and easier to handle. This can also help prevent excess spread in baked goods (think cookies). It improves the structure and height of cakes. It can make taller, sturdier breads. It also makes the flour more shelf stable and will not kill yeast.

There are tons of sources on this in scientific publications; here’s one on the safety of consumption.

Are Cake Flour and Pastry Flour the Same?

Where cake flour has a protein content of 6-8%, Pastry Flour is around 9% and has less starch than cake flour. Pastry flour is also typically unbleached unlike cake flour, so it will absorb less liquid in a recipe compared to cake flour. If you’re in a bind and only have pastry flour for a recipe that calls for cake flour, it’s better to use the pastry flour than all-purpose flour if you’re in a pinch.

Testing Cake Flour Substitutions

Tools & Ingredients Used for Experimenting

• I made every effort to replicate each batch as perfectly as possible, using the same exact tools and ingredients whenever applicable.
• I used a kitchen scale to measure ingredients to ensure 100% accuracy.
• Each batch was baked separately but in the same oven at the same temperature for exactly 20 minutes.
• I used Bleached Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour for the control batch and DIY cake flour.
• The two brands of cake flour I tested were Swans Down Cake Flour, which is bleached, and King Arthur Cake Flour, which is unbleached.
• Lastly, I baked the batches in my Wilton Cupcake Pan, using a large spring-loaded scoop to fill each cavity evenly with batter.
• All the cupcakes were baked on the same day to be photographed together. Before I reveal some of those photos, let’s cover the basics you need to know.

Pre-Experiment Thoughts & Predictions

The fact that cake flour is made from a different variety of wheat, milled differently, and is often bleached, makes it behave very differently than all-purpose flour in terms of how it affects the chemistry of a recipe. This also means it’s impossible to recreate cake flour exactly at home using “DIY” substitutions. That’s why I was so eager to compare side-by-side cake flour vs. all-purpose flour vs. DIY cake flour.

I had a suspicion of how this experiment would turn out, but I wanted to be 100% sure. I know many of us don’t always have cake flour in our pantries so it’s kind of an annoying ingredient when you see it called for in a single recipe! Yet, because of all of the baking experiments I’ve done, I know one small, seemingly insignificant change can have drastic results in baking.

Control Recipe with All-Purpose Flour

The cupcakes I baked were based on my standard cupcake recipe you can see at the bottom of this article. I re-made the same recipe each time, simply changing out the flour for each batch you see below.

These control cupcakes were soft yet sturdy with a slightly open crumb. They weren’t super tall and had some cracking on top that I think visually reflects the slight chewiness they had. Basic yet delicious and full of vanilla flavor.

Experiment 1: DIY Cake Flour

Using the DIY cake flour technique just below, these cupcakes turned out visually more like the control / all-purpose flour cupcakes than the cake flour cupcakes. Their texture was another story. These were more crumbly and had an almost gritty texture which I’m attributing to the cornstarch. They almost felt like they dissolved in your mouth, which honestly, I didn’t care for. I won’t be using DIY cake flour in my baking… even if it’s a total pain to run to the store to grab cake flour!

How to Make DIY Cake Flour

Although I would NOT recommend using DIY cake flour based on our experiment results, here’s how I did so:

1. 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons cornstarch
2. Then I sifted this flour + cornstarch mixture 5 times with a fine mesh strainer.

Comparing Brands of Cake Flour: Which is the Best?

Experiment 2: Swans Down Cake Flour (Bleached)

I used the same amount of Swans Down Cake Flour in place of the all-purpose flour in this batch. These cupcakes baked up pale and tall with a spongier and softer texture. The softness actually reminded me slightly of a more commercially produced cupcake – but not necessarily in a negative way. They were so soft and delicate that I don’t think they’d hold up well to a heavy or generous frosting or filling. They also had a slightly less pronounced vanilla flavor than the all-purpose flour cupcakes.

Experiment 3: King Arthur Cake Flour (Unbleached)

I was SO excited to see the comparison between the Swans Down and King Arthur Flour cupcakes to see what impact bleaching had on the final result, among other variances between the two brands.

Although I love King Arthur as a brand, the cupcakes made using KA’s flour were noticeably less flavorful than the all-purpose cupcakes. Compared to the Swans Down cupcakes, the King Arthur cupcakes had an almost cornbread texture. I’ll be sticking with Swans Down when I need to use cake flour.

Cake Flour vs. Substitutions Final Comparison

Personally, I tend to prefer cupcakes made with all-purpose flour instead of cake flour. However, for some recipes like Angel Food Cake or certain cakes formulated to use cake flour, it helps to create that fine and delicate crumb characteristic of that style of recipe. In those cases, it really shouldn’t be substituted!

I think visually, these comparisons do a good job of proving the belief I’ve always held that nothing is quite as good as the real thing.

Can Cake Flour be Substituted?

It shouldn’t be. Recipes that use cake flour are typically more delicate and finicky and require the exact ingredients called for.

In fact, 90% of substitutions you make in baking will alter the taste and texture of the final result. Sometimes substitutions are necessary, and I understand that. However, the Handle the Heat method of baking recommends that you always follow the recipe exactly as it’s written… at least the very first time you make it, so you know how it’s supposed to turn out. Then you can experiment with substitutions and alternatives as needed once you have that baseline.

Does Cake Flour Go Bad?

Luckily, since cake flour is refined and bleached, it will keep in your pantry for a long time. If stored in a cool and consistently dry and airtight place, it should last at least 6 months if not up to a year. So why not have some on hand for those few recipes that use it so you can really take your baking to that next level?

Recipes Using Cake Flour:

• Funfetti Sheet Cake (instructions included for making as cupcakes!)
• Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts
• Best Yellow Cake

More Baking Science Articles:

• How to Prevent Cakes & Cupcakes From Sinking
• Buttermilk 101
• Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder
• Best Baking Pans
• Ultimate Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Control Cupcakes

Diving into Cake Flour 101 – A fun visual guide to cake flour including what cake flour is, how to substitute cake flour, and side-by-side comparisons so you can see how it works in action!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 cupcakes

Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (191 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Scrape down the bowl again. Add the dry ingredients and milk alternatively, starting and ending with the flour, beating well after each addition. Continue beating for one minute. Using a spring-loaded scoop, divide the batter between the cupcake cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Control recipe from my Ultimate Cupcake Guide.

Photos  by Joanie Simon | The Bite Shot

The post Cake Flour 101 appeared first on Handle the Heat.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: butterscotch is absolutely underrated!

It’s one of my favorite flavors for fall because it just feels like warm sweetness that pairs so well with other autumn fruits and spices.

However, in this recipe, the butterscotch is the STAR. There’s a hint of cinnamon in the cake but it’s just there to round out the flavors and balance the sweetness.

The cake layers are made with brown sugar, which is the primary ingredient of butterscotch, for even more depth of flavor.

Then there’s butterscotch sauce in between every layer of cake. This provides a moist, rich, and gooey texture in every bite. THEN there’s even more butterscotch in the buttercream icing.

Can you say HEAVEN?!

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Homemade Butterscotch Cake

How to Make MOIST Butterscotch Cake

1. Don’t overbake! Start checking the doneness with a toothpick or cake tester at 30 minutes. Also, avoid using dark-colored cake pans which will dry out the edges.
2. Measure your flour correctly. Compacting too much flour in your measuring cup is shockingly easy to accidentally do, and can easily create a dense or dry cake. Read my article on how to measure flour the right way here.
3. Moist ingredients. Brown sugar and sour cream both help to add moisture, as well as a beautiful flavor. You can use plain unsweetened yogurt if you don’t have sour cream.

The Butterscotch Sauce

Butterscotch sauce is our filling for this Butterscotch Cake. I LOVE to use homemade butterscotch here because it really makes a difference in the taste. This will make your cake sweet, but not cloying. Plus, making butterscotch sauce from scratch is surprisingly easy. Check my homemade butterscotch recipe here.

How to Make Perfect Buttercream

The butterscotch buttercream in this recipe is very straightforward, but I have a few tips to ensure smooth, sweet perfection.

1. Make sure your butter is at a cool room temperature. If it’s too cold, it won’t get light, fluffy, and creamy. If it’s too warm (if it looks greasy or barely holds its shape) then it will melt into your cake and be difficult to frost.
2. Be sure to use finely ground powdered sugar. Some brands are 5x ground and some are 10x ground, you want the latter for a silky smooth texture.
3. SIFT YOUR POWDERED SUGAR! Don’t skip this step, or your frosting will be lumpy.
4. Add salt to taste. I love the salty-sweet invitation butterscotch provides so give your frosting a taste and adjust as needed.

How to Assemble and Frost a Layer Cake

For this recipe, we bake two cake layers and cut each in half for a total of 4 cake layers.

1. Cut each cake layer in half using a wire cake leveler or a sharp serrated knife. Cake layers are easier to work with if they’re slightly chilled.
2. Place one cake layer on a cake turntable or cake stand. Spread about 1/3 cup of butterscotch sauce all over the cake layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border at the edges so it won’t spill over. Repeat with the remaining cake layers.
3. Place the last cake layer upside-down onto the frosting so that the top of the cake is nice and flat and even.
4. With an offset spatula, crumb coat the assembled cake by spreading a thin layer of frosting evenly all over the cake, scraping off any excess like spackle. When crumb coating, never dip your spatula back into your bowl of frosting. This helps avoid getting crumbs in the frosting.
5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes until the crumb coat frosting layer is firm to the touch. Smooth on the remaining frosting and decorate as desired!

Which Cake Pans Should I Use for Butterscotch Cake?

I love using Fat Daddio’s pans because they’re high-quality, and their light color means they won’t overbake the edges. This recipe was written to use two 8-inch round cake pans.

How to Make Butterscotch Cake Ahead of Time

How to Make The Butterscotch Cake Layers Ahead

Bake the Butterscotch Cake layers, cool them completely, and then wrap them well in plastic wrap. Place inside a freezer bag. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days, in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Hint: slightly cold cake layers are easier to frost! Less crumbs to catch.

How to Make the Buttercream Frosting Ahead

The butterscotch buttercream can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let come to room temperature and re-whip in the stand mixer until light and fluffy again.

How to Assemble the Butterscotch Cake Ahead

Since frosting acts as a protective seal that keeps the cake moist and fresh, frosted cakes can be stored at a cool and dry room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Cover with a cake keeper to keep the frosting intact. You can also store the assembled Butterscotch Cake in the fridge. Let come to room temperature before serving. Don’t use plastic wrap, as this can ruin your frosting application and also create condensation that can cause the frosting to separate.

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Butterscotch Cake

Delicious scratch-made Butterscotch Cake features super moist and tender brown sugar cake layers, filled with thick homemade butterscotch sauce, all finished with butterscotch buttercream. The perfect fall cake!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 2 1/2 cups (318 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup (227 grams) sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature

For the frosting:

• 2 cups (250 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (use more or less depending on how salty your butterscotch is)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups homemade butterscotch sauce, or storebought, divided

Instructions

Make the cake layers:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter, flour, and line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles.
• In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugars and beat on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs and beat on medium-high speed until combined.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix. Batter will be thick.
• Pour into prepared pans and bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes in pans before turning out onto a cooling rack. For easier frosting, freeze the cake layers until firm.

Make the frosting:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase the speed to medium and beat for another 2 minutes. Add the salt, vanilla, and 1/3 cup of the butterscotch and beat on medium for 2 minutes, or until thoroughly combined.

Assemble the cake:

• Cut each cake layer in half using a wire cake leveler or a sharp serrated knife.
• Place one cake layer on a cake turntable or cake stand. Spread about 1/3 cup of butterscotch sauce all over cake layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border at the edges. Repeat with the remaining cake layers.
• Place the last cake layer upside-down onto the frosting so that the top of the cake is nice and flat. With an offset spatula, crumb coat the assembled cake by spreading a thin layer of frosting evenly all over the cake, scraping off any excess like spackle. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes until the crumb coat frosting layer is firm. Smooth on the remaining frosting and decorate as desired.
• Serve or cover and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let come to room temperature for an hour before serving.

This recipe was originally published in 2019 and has been updated with additional recipe tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.

The post Butterscotch Cake appeared first on Handle the Heat.