I lied. I said I wasn’t going to post anything new until January. But it’s December 31, so I almost made it. I just had to post this cake recipe because it's the PERFECT dessert for New Year’s Day. Christmas week is drawing to an end, and, even if you’re not one who celebrates that particular holiday, I’m sure it’s been hard to escape the tons of cookies, cakes, and other sugary treats popping up at parties, friends' homes, and...
This book-inspired recipe was kind of a no-brainer. Evelyn Hugo has seven husbands. Clearly, this woman is a knock-out and needs no help catching a man -- or a woman, for that matter. So, I figured it was only fitting that I should pair my review of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo with the Man Catcher Cake. Full disclosure: This is by no means an original CJ recipe. I’ve been making this cake for years after first discovering it in All Cakes...
If you were going to eat your very last meal, what would it be? A lot of people probably aren’t as morbid as I am and therefore have not given this concept much thought. I, however, have thought about it extensively, and despite all the possible scenarios under which this “last meal” might occur (alien invasion, being on death row, brink of world annihilation, etc.), my selection remains constant: penne vodka. Penne vodka is my favorite...
When we first meet the titular character of The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, she is traveling through dreary Ingolstadt, Germany to find her friend Victor. Even though the adventure is shrouded in creepiness, author Kiersten White’s vivid description of the medieval city made me nostalgic for Germany – particularly, for its desserts, which I believe are some of the best in the world. Since the novel is mostly set in Germany and...
Hands down, this is the BEST coconut cake recipe you will EVER come across. During my years upon this earth, I have made the important discovery that coconut is a very divisive flavor. As a coconut lover (some may say fanatic), I can't fathom how anyone could despise this magical ingredient. One of my favorite treats growing up was a coconut FrozFruit popsicle that I would get from the snack bar at the town lake. That cool, creamy taste and...
While I didn't love The Road to Little Dribbling, author Bill Bryson's time in England did inspire me to make some delicious English treats. I'm a huge Anglophile, and I appreciated his enthusiasm for English culture with all its delightful quirks, gorgeous landscapes, and elegant teatime traditions. One of my favorite things to do in London is have afternoon tea at a luxury hotel. I try to visit a different tea salon each time, but I'm also...
Confession: I don't love chocolate. I never have. (I hope you're still reading.) (Here's a picture of cake dripping in icing to keep you interested.) I was that weird kid at birthday parties who always asked for vanilla cupcakes while everyone else had chocolate frosting schmeared all over their faces. I once even lied and said I was allergic to chocolate just to get one of the three vanilla cupcakes brought in for a student who actually had...
