Tag Archives: almond

Chocolate and Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Filling, Strawberries, and Almonds

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Looking for a no-fail birthday or event cake? This chocolate and vanilla layer cake is everyone’s favorite! Topped with chocolate dipped strawberries, sliced almonds, and filled with cream cheese filling, this delicious cake is definitely at the top of our list.

To make this cake, it surely isn’t a one-step process but it isn’t that hard either! All you need are two pans and two easy-to-make cake recipes that we’ve shared below. The cream cheese filling is also much more healthier than your standard buttercream icing that’s filled with nothing but butter and sugar! If you are searching for a healthier alternative, try this cake out and let us know what you think!

*If you would like to share my recipe and photos please provide proper credit and a link back. Thanks!  

Chocolate and Vanilla Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
 
Vanilla Cake Layer
 
  1. 1 cup of sour cream
  2. 2 large eggs
  3. ½ cup Sugar
  4. Pinch of salt
  5. 1 ¾ tsp baking powder
  6. 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  7. 3 tsp vanilla extract
  8. 3 tsp rum
  9. 2 cups all purpose flour
Chocolate Cake Layer
 
  1. 3 large eggs
  2. 1 cup sugar
  3. 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  4. 2 tsp cornstarch
  5. ½ cup pure cocoa
  6. 2 tsp baking powder
  7. ¼ tsp baking soda
  8. Pinch of salt
  9. ½ cup vegetable oil
  10. 2 tsp vanilla extract
  11. 2 tsp rum
  12. ¾ cup water
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
 
  1. 1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened at room temperature for an hour
  2. 2 cups whipping cream
  3. 4 tbsp powdered sugar
  4. 2 tsp vanilla extract
  5. Sliced strawberries
Directions:
 
To Make Cake
 
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line with parchment paper two 9” round cake pans. (Make sure to grease the parchment paper again!)
  2. For vanilla cake, whisk together sour cream, eggs, sugar, salt, baking powder, vegetable, oil, vanilla, flour, and rum. Keep mixing until smooth and pour into one of the prepared pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden on top.
  3. Remove from oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes and then turn out onto cooling rack.
  4. To make chocolate cake, whisk together all of the dry ingredients and then add in the eggs, oil, vanilla, rum, and mix until smooth. Slowly add in the water and keep mixing until the batter is smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes.
  5. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
  6. Slice the cooled cakes in half horizontally and place one of the vanilla layers on a plate. Now make the filling.
How to Make Filling
 
  1. Whip the cream cheese in a small bowl until soft and aerated. In a separate larger bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Scrape in the cream cheese and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Beat in sugar and vanilla.
  2. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
How to Assemble the Cake
 
  1. Frost all layers of the cake and place strawberries on each layer. To decorate I sprinkled sliced almonds on the sides and then dipped strawberries in chocolate to garnished the top.

 

Bajadera Recipe – A Croatian No-Bake Dessert

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Searching for an easy yet impressive bite-sized dessert? These traditional Croatian bajadera squares are going to become your favorite go-to no-bake recipe! What I love about these bajadera squares is that you can make them ahead of time, pop them in the fridge, and let them chill until you are ready to serve. Easy, peasy, fast, and delicious! Bajadera squares are something everyone should take a chance to try. Here’s your chance:

Bajadera Recipe

Yields 16
An easy no-bake, and traditional Croatian holiday dessert recipe. These bite sized treats are addictive for chocolate lovers!
 
Ingredients:
 
Dough
 
  1. 1/2 cup of water
  2. 1 cup of sugar
  3. 1/2 lb of crushed plain tea biscuits
  4. 1/2 lb of walnut, almond or hazelnut meal (or blend)
  5. 2 sticks of butter (16 tablespoons)
  6. 3 oz. of dark chocolate
  7. any alcohol (for flavor)
Icing
 
  1. 2 tablespoons of milk
  2. 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
  3. 3 tablespoons of butter
  4. 3 oz. of dark chocolate
Instructions:
 
  1. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan then add the sugar. Stir. Wait until the sugar is completely dissolved (about 3-5 minutes) then add the crushed biscuits, nut powder(s) and butter in small pieces. Mix well until homogeneous.
  2. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (double boiler).
  3. Take saucepan off the heat, then add alcohol to the batter and mix.
  4. Divide dough into 2 equal parts. In one of them, add the melted chocolate, and incorporate.
  5. Place a square baking frame (approximately 8×8 in) on a plate (or you can also use a square pan) and line with parchment paper.
  6. When the dough is warm, spread half of the chocolate batter at the bottom of the frame (or pan). Pack well to form a very uniform and dense layer. Reproduce the process with the plain dough, then the remaining half of chocolate batter, making sure to smooth the surface at the end of each step.
  7. Prepare the icing. Start by simmering the milk, powdered sugar and butter. When everything is dissolved, add the chocolate and mix until you obtain a uniform glaze.
  8. Pour the icing, spreading it evenly and gently then tapping the plate on the work surface to level the surface and get rid of any air bubbles.
  9. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (preferably overnight).
  10. Using a large sharp knife, cut strips about 1×3 in.