Made naturally gluten-free with an almond flour base, this delicious cake easily comes together in one bowl.

Why you’ll love this easy spiced fig cake recipe

Quick: This easy spiced fig cake will soon become a family favourite. The batter comes together quickly, with minimal tools and no stand mixer – less dishes yay!

Versatile: The fresh figs and brown sugar create a warm, comforting and moist cake – great for a breakfast, lunch or after dinner sweet treat.  

Ingredients needed for this cake recipe

For the cake:

• Large eggs: Large eggs are important to keep this cake together.
• Granulated sugar: You need just 1/2 cup sugar for this cake.
• Plain Greek yogurt: Make sure to use plain Greek yogurt, not flavored.
• Extra-virgin olive oil: I love the taste that extra-virgin olive oil gives this cake.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract is important for the flavor of this cake.
• Almond flour: Make sure to use almond flour – almond meal will not work in this recipe.
• Seasonings: Ground cinnamon and ground cardamom bring a nice warmth to this cake. And, a touch of salt (1/4 teaspoon) is necessary for most baked goods.
• Baking powder: A must to help the cake rise.

For the toppings:

• Fresh figs: Fresh figs are what make this cake so delightful! The bring a natural sweetness when baked.
• Walnuts: Walnuts pair beautifully with figs and give this cake some texture.
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness to the fig topping.

Why use fresh figs in this cake 

Using fresh figs in this fig cake recipe adds a tender texture to the topping, and special visual appeal that dried figs or fig jam just can’t do. While dried figs are intensely sweet and chewy, fresh figs truly transform under the heat of baking to elevate the entire cake.

Key steps to make this fig cake recipe

Prepare the pan: Make sure to line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper and then butter the pan well.

Stir: You will stir all of the wet ingredients in a mixing bowl. Then, simply add all of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir again to combine.

Bake: Add the cake batter to the prepared springform pan. Then, add the walnut-brown sugar topping and fresh fig quarters to the top of the cake. Then bake! 

Substitutions and variations 

Walnuts: You can easily substitute for pecans, for a similar taste and texture. Or almonds for something lighter or even try hazelnuts if you want a more earthy crunchy touch.

Fresh Figs: If you can’t find fresh figs you can use dried figs. It will just take one additional step as dried figs have less moisture and a tougher texture so they need to be soaked first. Follow these tips to get the best results:

• Soak them: Dice the figs into a rough chunks and submerge them in boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Drain thoroughly: Drain and then pat the rehydrated figs dry with paper towels so they do not water down the cake.

Plums: If you can’t find fresh figs, plums are another option. I would use 3 plums and cut them into 1/6ths. If you are using Italian prune plums, you could use 4 and cut into quarters as they are similar in size to the figs you are replacing.

Can I use a different size of baking pan?

If you don’t have a springform pan, I recommend making this cake in a 9-inch square baking pan. It’s important to line the cake pan up the sides with parchment paper for easy removal as this is a delicate cake.

Ways to enjoy this fresh figs cake 

For breakfast: Try this cake with your morning coffee or tea to get your started off right!

Whipped cream:  The warmth of the spices and sweetness of the figs pairs beautifully with fresh, whipped cream or a cold vanilla ice cream. Or, try my whipped mascarpone cream recipe!

Icing sugar drizzle: If you’re looking for something visually impressive try my icing sugar drizzle: combine ⅔ cup icing sugar, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 tbsp milk, ½ tsp vanilla extract and pinch of salt (add a half tablespoon of milk for a looser icing).

How to store this fig cake

If you happen to have any leftovers, you can store this cake a few different ways: 

Counter (1-2 days): Keep the cake under a cake dome or in an airtight container at room temperature. Line the bottom with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.

Refrigerator (up to 5 days): Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap or place it in a sealed container. 

Freezer (Up to 3 months): Slice the cake, wrap individual pieces tightly in plastic wrap, and place them inside a heavy-duty freezer bag.

Cake storage tips

• Cool completely before storing to avoid soggy leftovers
• Bring to room temperature before serving, remove from the fridge roughly 20-30 mins before serving
• Reheat gently in the microwave, 10-15 seconds 

FAQs

More fig recipes to love from the blog

• Easy Honey Roasted Figs with Pistachios & Yogurt
• Easy Gruyere and Fig Jam Phyllo Bites Appetizer
• Baked Feta with Balsamic Figs & Grapes Appetizer

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Easy Spiced Fresh Figs Cake Recipe (gluten-free!)

This easy spiced fig cake is full of warm, comforting flavors. Bursting with juicy fresh figs and spices, it's a simple dessert that is also gluten-free!

Course Dessert

Cuisine american-inspired

Keyword cake, figs

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8 pieces

Author Jess

Equipment

• 8-9 inch springform pan

Ingredients

For the toppings

• 4 fresh figs, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
• ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar

For the cake

• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups almond flour (not almond meal)
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp kosher salt

Instructions

• Arrange the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F.
• Trim and quarter the figs and set aside in a bowl.
• In a small bowl mix together the finely chopped walnuts and brown sugar and set aside.
• Line the bottom of a 8 or 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Then, coat the parchment paper and sides of the pan well with cooking spray or softened butter.
• To a large mixing bowl add the large eggs, sugar, plain Greek yogurt, olive oil and vanilla extract and whisk well until combined.
• To the wet ingredients add the almond flour, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, baking powder and salt and whisk again until the batter is smooth and combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the top out with an off-set spatula (or back of a spoon). Sprinkle the top of the cake evenly with the walnut-brown sugar mixture. Then arrange the fig quarters, cut side up, around the cake (you don’t need to press the figs into the cake as they will gently sink as the cake bakes).
• Bake for 30-40 minutes until the cake is golden brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Set the cake pan on a cooling rack and let the cake cool fully in the cake pan. Once fully cooled, remove the outside ring of the springform pan, cut into slices and serve.

Notes

• If you don’t have a springform pan, I recommend making this cake in a 9-inch square baking pan. It’s important to line the cake pan up the sides with parchment paper for easy removal as this is a delicate cake.
• Icing sugar drizzle: If you’re looking for something visually impressive try my icing sugar drizzle: combine ⅔ cup icing sugar, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 tbsp milk, ½ tsp vanilla extract and pinch of salt (add a half tablespoon of milk for a looser icing).

The post Easy Spiced Fresh Figs Cake Recipe (gluten-free!) appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

A one layer chocolate cake like this is made in just one bowl so it’s perfect to whip up for any occasion.

This chocolate cake is rich in flavour but not too sweet plus it’s so simple to make!

I love this dark chocolate cake anytime of year: beautiful for Valentine’s Day; divine in the Winter season or for a holiday dessert; lovely for a birthday; or, try it in the summer season topped with fresh berries.

We all need a homemade chocolate cake in our recipe repertoire and I am telling you this is the one!

Why you’ll love this dark chocolate cake

• Made in just one bowl, this cake comes together so easily
• It’s delicious anytime of year!
• No electric mixer is require.
• It’s a moist chocolate cake that will become a household favourite!

Ingredients Needed to make this homemade chocolate cake

Dark chocolate: Use 70-75% dark chocolate for the best tasting results! (You can use a dark chocolate bar OR dark chocolate baking squares).

Sugar, eggs and vanilla extract: Balance out the dark chocolate flavour.

Butter: All cakes need butter!

Greek yogurt & avocado or canola oil: A full fat Greek yogurt helps keep this cake very moist.

Dry ingredients: All purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

For the frosting: Hot water, butter, cocoa powder and icing sugar make the silkiest smooth light frosting.

Most of the ingredients are basic baking or pantry items, you might just need to grab some dark chocolate to make this decadent cake.

Step by Step Process to make this one-bowl dark chocolate cake

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter or spray a 9-10 inch cake pan & line with parchment paper *important so cake can be removed easily*.

Step 2: In a small bowl whisk together cocoa powder, baking powder, flour & salt; set aside.

Step 3: Put butter & dark chocolate in a small pot. Heat over medium low heat, stirring until smooth.

Step 4: Transfer the melted chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl; let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in oil, sugar, vanilla extract & greek yogurt until combined.

Step 5: Add eggs & mix well.

Step 6: Add dry ingredients into the bowl & whisk until smooth.

Step 7: Pour it into the prepared cake pan & bake 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted to the center comes out clean.

Step 8: Allow the cake to cool in the pan fully before removing from the pan to a cooling rack.

Step 9: When the cake is completely cool, make the frosting and ice just the top of the cake using a swirling pattern.

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One-Bowl Dark Chocolate Cake

A perfectly decadent, easy to make dark chocolate cake that is wonderful for any occasion. It's the best homemade chocolate cake you'll make!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate cake

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 10 -12

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 125g 70-75% dark chocolate 
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup neutral oil like avocado or canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the chocolate frosting

• 2 tbsp hot water
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 cup icing sugar
• pinch salt  

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter or spray a 9-10 inch cake pan & line with parchment paper *lining the pan is important so cake can be removed easily*.
• In a small bowl whisk together cocoa powder, baking powder, flour & salt; set aside.
• Put butter & dark chocolate in a small pot. Heat over medium low heat, stirring until smooth.
• Transfer the melted chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl; let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in oil, sugar, vanilla extract & greek yogurt until combined.
• Add eggs & mix well.
• Add dry ingredients into the bowl & whisk until smooth.
• Pour it into the prepared cake pan & bake 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted to the center comes out clean.
• Allow the cake to cool in the pan fully before removing from the pan to a cooling rack.
• When the cake is completely cool, make the frosting and ice just the top of the cake using a swirling pattern.

Notes

• While the frosting is divine, if you want a super simple cake just skip the icing and top the cake with whipped cream and fresh berries.
• If you want to make this cake ahead of time, once completely cooled after it bakes, wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap and store at room temperature. When ready, unwrap the cake, frost it and serve.
• Once frosted, cover the cake with a 'cake keeper' or an overturned large bowl - this will help keep out dust etc. You can store this cake for 3 days at room temperature.

Expert tips for making this one layer chocolate cake recipe

• Make sure to use 70-75% dark chocolate; it will give the best flavour for this cake!
• The frosting for this recipe is very light and is meant to only cover the top of the cake; if you’d like more, simply double the frosting recipe.
• While the frosting is divine, if you want a super simple cake just skip the icing and top the cake with whipped cream and fresh berries.

FAQ

Can I make this cake ahead of time?
YES! Make it a day ahead and once completely cooled after it bakes, wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap and store at room temperature. When ready, unwrap the cake, frost it and serve.

How should I store this cake?
Once frosted, cover the cake with a ‘cake keeper’ or an overturned large bowl – this will help keep out dust etc. You can store this cake for 3 days at room temperature.

Can I use milk or semi-sweet chocolate in this recipe?
The recipe is created using dark chocolate so it has not been tested using another type. Some semi-sweet chocolate however can have a higher percentage, up to about 65% so it might work.

And you cannot go wrong pairing this dark chocolate cake with a glass of wine! This recipe was originally created for it’s perfect wine pairing, Hello Someday Wine Syrah.

More delicious desserts from the blog:

The Best Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Coconut Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Chewy Chocolate Pretzel Bars

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post The Best Dark Chocolate Cake appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

Baking with apples is my favourite during the cooler seasons; I love how versatile they are.

This cake is full of classic Fall flavours like cinnamon and nutmeg which pair beautifully with apples and the delicious crumble topping. Let’s dig in!This cake recipe is one that I think you’ll keep coming back to once you’ve made it. The flavours remind me of an apple crumble: cinnamon, nutmeg & brown sugar just to name a few. And, topped with a divine crumb topping, it’s a cake that’s hard to resist.

A simple combination of baking ingredients come together to make this Apple Cinnamon Crumble Cake.

How to make apple cake

Dry ingredients: Flour, baking powder and baking soda make up most of the dry ingredients. But, we can’t forget about the spices.

Ground Cinnamon & Ground Nutmeg: Classic Fall spices, the ground cinnamon and nutmeg are in the batter and cinnamon takes center stage in the crumb topping too.

Butter: Butter makes everything better! Butter is in the cake batter and brings the crumb topping together too.

Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: A cake of course needs sugar and these are combined for the topping too.

Greek Yogurt: Keeps this cake nice and soft.

Apples: Pair with the Fall spices to bring this cake together.

What apples are best for apple cake?

The key to this apple cake is using apples which suit your tastes the best! I used a mixture of Granny smith and Honeycrisp which are a bit more tart in flavour; more crisp and keep their shape when baking. Or, if you prefer a bit sweeter apple try Gala or Fuji which are also a bit softer and will sort of ‘melt’ into the cake more.

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Apple Cinnamon Crumble Cake

This Apple Cinnamon Crumble Cake is a perfect, simple but mouth-watering treat where apples take centre stage! Topped with a delicious crumb topping, it's a lovely Fall dessert!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apple crumb cake

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 12 slices

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whole milk greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups peeled & diced apples about 2 apples

Crumb Topping:

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

• Pre heat the oven to 350F. Line a 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper and spray the parchment paper OR grease well with butter.
• In a small bowl mix together the topping ingredients with a fork until crumbly and melted butter is all combined.  Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, salt and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk melted butter with sugar until combined and a smooth paste forms.
• Into the butter-sugar mixture, whisk in the egg, vanilla and yogurt until combined and smooth.
• Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and stir with a spoon until just combined. (The cake batter will be quite thick).
• Stir the apple into the batter until just combined. Then, add the batter to the pan and pat down to make sure it's spread out to all the corners. Top with the crumb topping.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Leave in the pan to cool.

The cake batter is thicker than you might be used to but TRUST ME it works! As the apple crumb cake bakes it will rise.

I love this cake for many reasons because it’s not overly sweet. So, enjoy this apple cinnamon crumble cake for dessert; as a coffee cake in the afternoon or with brunch; heck, even eat it for breakfast. It satisfies so many seasonal cravings especially if you’re an apple-cinnamon fan like me!

And to me, this cake is best at room temperature. Even better, this cake is better the second day.

And if you are looking for more ways to enjoy these classic flavours this season try my Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins or my Apple Cinnamon Cake with Cream Cheese Icing.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Apple Cinnamon Crumble Cake appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

I took the beginning of the year a little slower, took some time to reflect on last year and start planning for this year.

And so here are my favourite things from this past month and What’s In Season to make for February!

This first weekend in February is pretty much the best in my mind; it’s Super Bowl (I love football!) and we usually celebrate both my husband’s and my birthdays. So, this weekend is full of delicious food and cake!

Each year I make us a cake so this year we chose to make something a little nostalgic. Do you remember those ‘rainbow chip’ cakes from when you were a kid?! It was a vanilla cake with rainbow chocolate chips and a rainbow chip icing. I LOVED all of the colours and those rainbow chips, YUM!

So, I found a recipe in one of our cookbooks, Date Night In, that is a homemade version of that rainbow chip cake! It’s a two layer cake with a cream cheese icing and all of the rainbow chips you could ever want! It also pairs perfectly with a glass of prosecco (just sayin’ 😉 )

Not only are we having cake this weekend but I’m making these Buffalo Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps to accompany our Super Bowl game-watching!

And if you need a little more snacking inspo for the big game, check out my Kettle Chip BBQ Chicken Nachos recipe that’s simple to make and perfect for a crowd.

So, what other recipes are great to make this month!?

Apples – Kale, Apple & Cheddar Salad with Spicy Chickpeas

Grapefruit – Grapefruit Lavender Spring Blossom Cocktail

Kale – Kale Mushroom Grilled Cheese

Lemon – Lemon Coconut Power Balls

Pears – Spiced Oatmeal with Honey Pears

Peppers – Kettle Chip BBQ Chicken Nachos **This is a perfect snack for Super Bowl!*

Needless to say this month is filled with food and celebrations and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

And if you need a little Valentine’s Day inspo, these Easy DIY Valentine’s Day Chocolates are really fun to make and make a lovely little gift for your loved ones.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Monthly Favourites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

I’ve been enjoying this Apple Cinnamon Cake for my birthday since I was a teenager. I don’t quite remember why my Mom originally made us this cake but I vividly remember enjoying many slices each birthday.

This cake is reminiscent of carrot cake flavours with the cinnamon and nutmeg plus the cream cheese frosting, however, the dough is more of a caramel-flavour which goes so well with the cream cheese frosting. You will want to dig right into this cake I promise and it might just become a new birthday favourite for you too!

My Mom would even bake me this cake when I was in University, bringing it to me when my parents would come to visit on my birthday. Let’s just say this Apple Cinnamon Cake did not last long in a house full of University students.

So, here is my favourite birthday cake, Apple Cinnamon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Total Time: 2 – 2.5 hours
Equipment: springform pan or 9 inch cake pan, whisk, large & small mixing bowls
Servings: 10-12

Ingredients:

4 cups peeled & diced Granny Smith apples (diced in 1/2 inch pieces, about 3-4 large apples)
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I like to use avocado oil)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
softened butter for your cake pan

Cream Cheese Icing:

250g package cream cheese, softened
6 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
3 cups icing sugar

Cook’s Note: If you don’t have a springform pan, that’s ok! Do note that a springform pan has taller sides, so make sure your pan also has tall enough sides, about 2 1/2 inches.  There are alternatives including lining a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper or foil, then buttering the parchment or foil and leaving a good length of the paper or foil hanging over your pan so you can lift the cake out once it’s cooled.  PLUS this article is also a great resource.

Instructions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350F. Butter your springform pan, both the bottom and sides of the pan. Take our your cream cheese and butter as well to soften for your icing.

Peel the apples and dice into about 1/2 inch pieces and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon and set aside.

Cook’s Note: Do not use a hand or stand mixer to make this cake dough. Due to the thick nature of this cake dough, it’s best to use a whisk for the eggs and then a large spoon to mix.

In a large bowl, beat 2 eggs with a whisk until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.

To your eggs, add sugar, vanilla, vegetable oil and nutmeg. Using a mixing spoon, mix all ingredients until combined.

Add your flour mixture to the egg mixture, stirring until combined. This mixture will be very thick, almost like a cookie-dough mixture.  Fold in your diced apples to the dough mixture and then scoop everything into your springform pan, smoothing out the top of your dough in the pan.

Bake your cake in the oven for 65-75 minutes. Because everyone’s oven is different, start checking your cake at 65 minutes by using a toothpick to prick the middle of the cake. The toothpick should come out fairly clean when done.  Once your cake is done, remove from the oven and let cool in the cake pan.

To make the icing it comes together best with a hand or stand mixer. Whip the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the vanilla and pinch of salt and mix for about a minute on low speed. Then add in 1 1/2 cups of the icing sugar and mix for about a 1 minute on medium speed. Add in the rest of your icing sugar and mix for about another minute or so.

Once your cake is fully cooled down you can ice the cake! Remove your cake from your cake pan and turn out onto a cake stand or plate.

I like to start icing by placing a large dollop in the middle of the cake and working my way outwards with a thin layer of icing on the entire cake.

Then, continually add the rest of the icing to the cake until it’s evenly iced and really use your own style to ice this cake!

I won’t lie to you, this Apple Cinnamon Cake is a commitment to make but the ingredients come together so easily and once the cake is done and iced, it’s SO worth it!

I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do – I absolutely LOVE the apple and cinnamon combination with the creaminess of the icing, it’s seriously addictive. Also this cake is quite amazing for breakfast accompanied by a cup of coffee!

Until the next baking adventure,
Jess

The post Apple Cinnamon Cake with Cream Cheese Icing appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

One of my absolute favourite things to do is have my family and friends over to our house to enjoy great food, drinks and time together.  And here’s the thing, it doesn’t have to be hard!

You can entertain with ease, slow down and enjoy each other’s company AND still have great food and drink without too much stress and work.

So I’ve partnered with one of my favourite local spots, Alforno Bakery & Café, to bring you some easy at-home entertaining tips featuring one of their amazingly delicious cakes and the perfect cocktail to pair with it from yours truly!

Alforno Bakery & Café is not only an amazing place to get your coffee fix, they have a full-service bakery that offers the most amazing treats that you can imagine.  Specifically I am in LOVE with their cake selection! My personal favourite cake is their Caramel Cheesecake; a luscious cheesecake with the perfect graham-cracker crumb bottom, this cake is topped with the most delicious caramel I’ve ever tasted. Alforno has classic cake flavours you can always find in their pastry case, but they also like to switch things up a bit and add new ones frequently. They can also make gluten free and vegan cakes too – cake for everyone!

So head on over to Alforno Bakery & Café to pickup one of their amazing cakes, invite some friends over and enjoy some delicious cake and the company of the people you love! You can pre-order a cake or just pop in and grab one on your way home!

A couple of entertaining tips for when you’re hosting at home to make your soirée simple from beginning to end:

1. Make a plan & do what you can ahead of time! Pickup your cake & cocktail ingredients ahead of time, the day before always works great, and this means less stress for you on party day.

2. Prep your food before guests arrive. If you’ve picked up a cake, display it on the cake platter you’re using before guests arrive and set out all of the plates, utensils & forks you’ll need so everything is ready to go when your guests arrive.

3. Make a signature cocktail like my Pear Cider Sangria (below). You can make a batch of this cocktail ahead of time, store in the fridge and then add the garnishes just before guests arrive. Also, don’t forget to put out all of your glasses too so you’ll be ready to offer guests a drink upon arrival.

4. Décor doesn’t have to be overly complicated, use what you have! Pretty, small gift boxes can be used as décor along with holiday decorations (anything glitter) and floral.

With these tips and my easy cocktail recipe, Pear Cider Sangria, you’ll be all set to host a lovely get together.

Total Time: 5 minutes
Equipment: drink pitcher
Servings: 6-8 (served in champagne flutes)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups hard pear cider
1/2 cup apricot brandy
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup ginger-ale
2 pears, chopped
1/3 cup pomegranate arils

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together in a pitcher.

Pour into glasses and garnish with pears and pomegranate arils per glass.

Then it’s time to cheers!

So now that you know where to go for an amazing array of cakes, the lovely Alforno Bakery & Café, and you have the perfect cocktail to go with your cake, set a date in the calendar to have a bunch of family and friends over!

Using my entertaining tips you can have a lovely get-together with delicious food & drink and the best part, have a ton of quality time with your loved ones.

If you host a get-together I’d love to see your photos! Just tag @cookinginmygenes or use #cookinginmygenes on Instagram and we can do a virtual cheers to your party!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

P.S. I’m giving a ‘virtual cheers’ to Terralynn from Alforno Bakery & Café who took the time to take photos of me in my kitchen for this story!

Disclaimer: Thank you to Alforno Bakery & Café for sponsoring this post.  Thank you for supporting the brands that I support. All opinions are my own.

The post Let’s Eat Cake – Easy Entertaining At Home with Alforno Bakery & Café appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

A couple of months ago I was chatting with my friend Clare and we realized we had fond memories of having tea and coffee with our grandma’s, always over delicious baked goods.

Clare mentioned that her and her Great-Grandmother had a tradition when she would go over to visit that involved teacups. Given my love for pretty serving pieces that I love to use, I had to know more!

We got together one afternoon and over my Oma’s Apple Sponge Cake, I chatted with Clare about her memories while I photographed her amazing antique teacup collection.

Having both an English Grandmother and Great-Grandmother it only made sense she’d have a love for all things tea!

As a child Clare spent days and nights with her Great-Grandmother, learning to quilt, sew and taking several tea and cookie breaks in between. Each time when she would leave her Great-Grandmother’s house she was allowed to pick one tea cup from the china hutch, to take home and begin her own collection.

The collection is comprised of family heirlooms from New Brunswick that were brought across country when the family moved and lots of fun colourful pieces that were acquired over the years – creating this lovely backdrop for endless entertaining possibilities.

As you can see, Clare has this amazing collection of teacups that carry such special memories and whenever she uses one of those teacups, she can be transported back to those lovely afternoons with her Great-Grandmother.

For me, seeing Clare’s collection reminded me a lot about my Oma (German grandma).  A tradition that I can remember since I was very young was having ‘coffee’ around 3-3:30PM every afternoon which involved everyone sitting down, enjoying coffee from teacups and of course a delicious baked good.

That is where this simple Apple Sponge Cake comes in as its a cake I remember having at ‘coffee’ and its the perfect accompaniment to coffee or tea.  It’s a light sponge with a buttery outer crust that forms from baking the cake in a springform pan. Plus the apples add the perfect sweetness and you can top this cake with either an apricot jam glaze or simply icing sugar.

Total time: 75 minutes (30 minutes preparation, 45 minutes baking)
Servings: 10-12
Equipment: springform pan, electric mixer

Ingredients:

2 large apples (i.e. Gala), peeled and each sliced into about 16 slices
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1 tsp lemon zest
3 eggs
2 cups all- purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp milk
2 tbsp butter, melted

For the topping you simply sprinkle icing sugar over the cake once cooked OR make the apricot topping:
2 tbsp apricot jam
1 tbsp water

Instructions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350F and butter the springform pan.

Peel the apples and cut each apple into about 16 slices. Set the apples aside.

For the sponge cake, use an electric mixer or hand-mixer with a whisk attachment.  Whisk the soft butter for 2 minutes on medium speed.

Add the sugar, vanilla extract, salt and lemon zest, whisking for 2 minutes on medium speed until you obtain a smoothie mixture, scraping the sides of your mixing bowl as needed.

Whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing for about 30 seconds on high speed after you add each egg.

In a separate bowl, mix together your flour and baking powder.

Then, add the flour mixture into the mixture in two instalments, alternating with the milk, whisking on medium speed briefly after each addition (flour-mix-milk-mix-flour-mix-milk-mix).  You will have a mixture that is more like a dough than a batter once all is combined.

Transfer the mixture into the springform pan and smooth the top to make it even.

Arrange the apples in two circles on the sponge cake mixture. Then melt the 2 tbsp of butter and pour the melted butter over the apples.

Put the cake in the bottom third of the even to bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

As the cake is getting close to being done mix the 2 tbsp apricot jam with 1 tbsp water in a small pan. Bring to a boil and then immediately remove from the heat.

As soon as you take the cake out of the oven, pour the apricot jam mixture over the cake.

Then, release and remove the ring part of the pan. Loosen the cake away from the bottom of the pan, then leave to cool on a wire rack.

Alternately, if you don’t use the apricot jam mixture as a topping when the cake has cooled sprinkle the top with icing sugar.

Then, enjoy a piece of this delicious cake with a cup of tea or coffee and family or friends!

This cake is best enjoyed within two days of baking.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

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