Raspberry Rosé Cake

You know how they say that you shouldn’t go to the grocery store hungry, because then you’re just going to buy all of the bad food? WELL! That’s sorta, kinda how this recipe stumbled into my head…

I was, as always, craving cake, but then also the day was pretty spectacular—the warmth of the summer sun was upon my skin, the sound of birds chirping was all over, the flowers were blooming gorgeously, and people were just happy. It’s days like these that no matter what, I can’t be brought down—and then I thought why not add a little rosé wine into the mix?!

And so I did.

I went to the store and bought too many bottles for a little taste-testing afternoon. No regrets!

…Except maybe the fact that I have been missing out for a whiiilllle. Like, can someone please tell me why I’ve never been a rosé drinker? Because I sure can’t! I’m a true Riesling gal in the warm months, I can’t get enough of it—but this cake has led me rethink my summer beverage choices. The crispness, slight sweetness, with just the hint of a red wine, there are no bad qualities to this wine!! Well, maybe the fact that I drank an entire bottle while perfecting the recipe—hey, what can you do!?

So, along with the glorious addition of wine to this recipe, fresh fruit also shows its face. Like, hellooooo juicy and luscious raspberries. Gosh, I am so obsessed with this season and all of the beauty it produces, fruit will be making many, many appearances over the next few months for sure! Et voila my friends, a masterpiece was created, and just in time for the true start of the summer—Memorial Day Weekend!

Yes, a barbeque, a big fruit salad, some cold beers, that may be your go to, but I promise that this cake will 1. Be a huge hit, 2. Fill up those alcohol filled tummies and 3. Get people to switch to an ice-cold glass of rosé…quite a classy BBQ if I do say so myself!

Oh, and did I mention that I soak the raspberries in the wine as well?! You’re welcome.

…And now we are at the end of this nice long rant about my newfound love for pretty pink wine. So see, my hunger made me want cake, which made me step out into the beautiful sunshine to pick up some fresh fruit, then some rosé, and then I made a beautiful, Welcome Summer cake. Not all cravings are bad, and I sure hope that this one satisfies yours!

cake ingredients

Butter, room temperature—4 oz, or 8 TBL

Sugar—8 oz, or 1 C

Eggs—2

Vanilla—2 tsp

Flour—12 oz, or 2 C

Baking Powder—2 ½ tsp

Salt—½ tsp

Milk—4oz, or ½ C

Lemon Juice—3.5 oz, or ½ C

Lemon Zest—2 medium

process

Preheat your oven to 350˚ F.

In the bowl of your mixer, cream the butter and sugar.

Once light and fluffy, add in the eggs and vanilla. Scrape.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Alternating between the sifted ingredients and the milk/lemon juice, slowly add to the mixer in 4-5 increments.

Add in the zest.

Once you have all of the ingredients combined and mixed together, pour into 2-6” cake pans that have been sprayed with nonstick spray and lined with parchment or a light dusting of flour.

Bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes, until the top springs back slightly when touched.

*Note: if you do not have 2-6” cake pans, cut the recipe in half and just make in two separate batches!*

Allow to cool completely before building your cake

buttercream ingredients

Butter, room temperature—12 oz, or 1 ½ C/3 sticks

Confectioner’s Sugar—18 oz, or 4 C

Vanilla—1 tsp

Rosé Wine—2 oz, or 4 TBL

process

In the bowl of your mixer, cream the butter until very, very smooth.

In a separate bowl, sift the confectioner’s sugar, and then slowly add to the creamed butter.

When all smooth and incorporated, add in the vanilla, and then slowly stream in the rosé.

Optional—if you want a light pink color, add in just the smallest drop of red food coloring!

Turn the mixer up to high and whip the buttercream for about a minute, this will make it light, fluffy, and easy to apply to the cake!

filling ingredients

Raspberries—6 oz, or ~1C

Rosé—2 oz, or 4 TBL

process

In a small bowl, combine the berries and the wine.

Smash a little bit with the back of a spoon, and allow to marinate just slightly before putting them in between your two cake layers.

assembly

Once both of your cake layers have cooled completely, trim off the tops of each of the cakes so that they are flat in both sides.

Place one cake layer on either a plate or a turntable, whatever you are going to decorate on.

Fill either a piping bag, or a plastic baggie that seals shut, with the buttercream; make a moat around the outside edge of your cake, about ½” thick—this will help make sure that your cake is level, and the filling will not ooze out of the cake.

Take a dollop of buttercream and spread evenly inside of the moat you just made.

Slightly strain the wine soaked raspberries, and add on top of the buttercream.

Place your second layer of cake on top of the first, making sure to press just slightly.

Take another big spatula-full of buttercream and place on the top of your cake, smoothing it out.

Now, some of that will go over the sides, which is great, and you can just use it to cover the sides of your cake as well.

Once you have finished and are satisfied, you make decorate however you would like—naturally I went for the star sprinkles—and take a nice big piece to enjoy.

Bon Appétit!

Apple Crisp

If I haven’t said it enough, fall is by far one of the most beautiful times of the year. There’s this special smell in the air, the leaves are showing off for the final time of the year with their incredible colors, it’s just chilly enough to bust out those cozy sweaters, amazing goodies at the fall markets, our wedding is next fall (!!), and, of course, all of the crisps, pies, apple and pumpkin everything is in season!

Did I give you enough reasons to be obsessed with autumn?!

Next stop on the fall infatuation trail? Apple Crisp!

This recipe was made special for my fiancé. He is literally obsessed with any desserts apple. Whether it’s blizzarding in February or 90˚ in July, Roberto wants all things apple. Sometimes I entertain him, like with these Apple Pie Hearts. And now that it’s October, it’s a must that he gets his apple fix.

What makes a crisp stand out? First we start with the apple. I like to use half granny smith and half honey crisp. The granny smith has such a distinct tartness that it would be too overwhelming on its own, but necessary to balance out the sweetness of a honey crisp. Why honey crisp apples? Because just that—sweet. You may use whatever apple or apples that best suit your taste buds, but for me, you can never go wrong with these two!

The topping on a crisp is also something that you can really make unique. In our house, oats is a must have! Then some extra crunch and saltiness with the pecans, add in the sugar (brown for me, please!), and some spice to round out the flavors.

I love just how much you can specialize this dessert. From the apple filling, to the topping, to whatever garnish you decide to put on top, a crisp is whatever screams yummy to you! Now all you need to do is bake it in some absolutely adorable Le Creuset Mini Cocottes (Roberto proposed to me with the ring inside one of those cute little cocottes!), and you have yourself the perfect apple crisp!

filling ingredients

Apples—2 medium sized (I like to use 1 granny smith:1 honey crisp)

Butter—1.5 oz, or 3 TBL

Flour—3 oz, or ½ C

Brown Sugar—2 oz, or ¼ C

Cinnamon—0.15 oz, or 1 tsp

Nutmeg—0.1 oz, or ½ tsp

process

Chop your two apples into small, bite sized pieces.

I like to use one granny smith and one honey crisp—this gives your crisp a delightful balance of sweet and tart!

Cut your butter into small cubes.

In a bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix.

Add in your apples and toss to completely coat the fruit.

Mix in your butter.

Portion into whatever ramekins you are going to use for your crisps, filling them about ¾ of the way.

I use small Le Creuset cocottes, but any small, ovenproof dish will work. If you want one large crisp, that is of course just as tasty!

topping ingredients

Butter—2 oz, or 4 TBL

Oats—2 oz, or ½ C

Brown Sugar—4.5 oz, ½ C + 1 TBL

Pecans (chopped)—2.5 oz, or ½ C

Cinnamon—0.15 oz, or 1 tsp

Salt—pinch

process

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.

Mix together the oats, brown sugar, chopped pecans, cinnamon and salt.

Add in your butter. Either using a pastry blender or your hands (my preference!), rub the butter into the dry ingredients until there are no pockets of the dry mixture.

Divide evenly on the top of the apples that you have prepared in your ramekins.

Put in your preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the topping of your crisp is golden and the entire house smells of scrumptious apples!

Although you may be tempted to eat this right away, allow to cool for at least 5 minutes.

Optional toppings—whipped cream, ice cream (pumpkin is a delectable choice!), or even some plain yogurt!

Bon Appétit!