What are you doing this Valentine’s Day? I think Mr. Spatula and I are going to stay in and cook up something tasty. It’s a little different from our usual tradition which consists of going out to a good restaurant and eating delicious food while people-watching other couples. I’d like to think that while many restaurants are no-gos for many of us, that we are all enjoying a delicious meal with our loved ones. Because breaking bread together is always one of the best ways to share love.
This cheesecake bar really is a marriage of a lemon bar with the hint of lemon and the shortbread crust and a creme brûlée cheesecake. The sugar torched topping is not an option. It really gives it the perfect crisp shell for a dessert that is fitting for Valentine’s day. I used Meyer lemons because they’re in season and they’re less intense than lemons. But if you can’t get your hands on Meyer lemons, please feel free to use regular lemons. Just expect a more lemon-y punch. 🙂
Left: Before Torching | Right: After Torching
Meyer Lemon Creme Brûlée Cheesecake Makes about 12 servings, pending on how you large you make your squares
Ingredients:
For the crust: 8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp. ½ c. (100 g.) sugar 1 tbsp. Meyer lemon zest (be careful to not grate the pith of the lemon – the white part) ½ tsp. vanilla extract 1 c. (120 g.) all purpose-flour ¼ tsp. kosher salt
For the filling: 8 oz. (1 box) cream cheese, softened 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk 1 egg, large, room temp. 1 tbsp. Meyer lemon zest (be careful to not grate the pith of the lemon – the white part) ⅓ c. Meyer lemon juice a pinch of kosher salt
For the burnt sugar crust: Granulated sugar, as needed (if you have caster sugar, this is the time to use it)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. (This will make it much easier to remove the cheesecake.)
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla on medium speed until well combined.
Switch the mixer speed to low and in the flour and salt, mixing until just combined.
Press the dough into the prepared baking pan, trying to get it as even of a layer as possible.
Refrigerate the baking pan with the dough while you prepare the cheesecake layer.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in another bowl using a handheld mixer), mix the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides.
Add the sweetened condensed milk, mix on medium speed and scrape down the sides again.
Add the egg, lemon zest and juice and mix on medium-low speed, scrape down the sides and mix again until homogenous.
Remove the pan from the fridge, pour in the cheesecake filling and bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the filling does not jiggle when you lightly shimmy the pan.
Remove cheesecake from the oven, and let cool completely.
Refrigerate cheesecake until firm.
Cut the cheesecake into the number of slices that you want.
Sprinkle sugar over the cheesecake evenly, and use your kitchen torch to heat the tops of the cheesecake until amber – a spotted dark brown. (If you don’t have a kitchen torch, you can apparently do this under a broiler. But I’ve never tried and would advise that you keep a close eye on the caramelizing sugar.)
I can’t believe Easter is this Sunday! I don’t know about you, but personally, all the days seem to blend together these days. (I honestly thought today was Saturday and was panicking that I didn’t write this up fast enough for you guys.) Like most holidays, Easter was the most memorable to me as a kid. While I never got to participate in Easter egg hunts, I knew I would get some sort of treat at church. Whether it was opening up the contents of a hollow plastic egg, or getting a chocolate bunny, it was a day of celebration and joy. As an adult, Easter arrives with a depth of meaning but that undertone of childlike excitement still persists in my heart.
A year ago, faultline cakes became super popular. A cake that has a fracture in the center of a cake to display a fun interior was a novel design that took the Instagram world by storm. It was always an idea that I had pinned in the back of my mind but never got to try. So with Easter coming, it was natural to marry those ideas together. This faultline cake features super cute Easter sprinkles and pastel hued candy. The pastel candy against the yellow buttercream background cheers me up just by looking at it.
From Left to Right: Carrot Cake, Milk Crumbs, Graham Crust
The cake itself is inspired by Momofuku’s carrot cake. It features a graham cracker frosting, their signature milk crumb, a cheesecake filling and a sunken in carrot cake that serves as a pie crust like layer for the filling. Is it a lot of work? Yes. Is it worth it? A resounding YES. If you prepare for the cake in advance and make each component a few days ahead, it’ll save you time and sanity.
And yes, I had to shape the cake into an egg shape. The top of the cake is actually a molded cake ball out of all the cut scraps of the cake, so you don’t waste any of the delicious bits. Unlike a traditional cake that has more structure, this was not a clean cut project. You try your best to make it into an egg shape and stop cutting if you think you are shaving off too much. You can always add a bit more frosting to cover up your mistakes. But shaping the cake is an optional task. All of this is. If you want to just make the cake without decoration? That’s cool. If you want to decorate the cake without shaping it? That’s awesome. If you just want to bake the liquid cheesecake filling and eat it with a spoon? I caution you that it’s addictive and please, save me some. The point is, do what brings you the most joy and go with it. Happy Easter.
Easter Egg Faultline Cake (Milk Bar Carrot Cake)
You will need:
1 batch of carrot cake (recipe below) 1 batch of liquid cheesecake (recipe below) 1batch of milk crumbs (recipe below) 1 batch of graham frosting (recipe below) 1 batch of vanilla swiss meringue frosting, ¼ of the batch tinted yellow (recipe below) assortment of Easter candies 5 inch cake board thick straws
Assembly:
On a cake board, place one 6-inch cake with the concave side facing up.
Using an offset spatula spread a third of the liquid cheesecake in an even layer over the cake. The cake layer should now be a flat and even surface.
Sprinkle one-third of the milk crumbs evenly over the cheesecake. Use the back of your hand to anchor them in place.
Using an offset spatula spread an even layer of graham frosting taking care to smooth the edges of the cake.
Chill cake until firm in freezer. About 10-20 minutes.
Remove cake from freezer.
Top the cake with the 7-inch cake with the concave side facing up.
Fill with liquid cheesecake, and layer milk crumbs and graham frosting.
Chill cake until firm in freezer. About 10-20 minutes.
Remove cake from freezer.
Place a 5 inch cake board in the center of the cake and trace outline of the cake board. Remove cake board.
Mark halfway between the center of the cake and the center of the traced circle at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock position.
Insert a straw into the 12 o’clock mark on the cake and snip the straw where the straw sticks out of the cake. Continue for the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock position.
Place the 5 inch cake board back on the center of the cake. The cake is now stable and will not sink from the extra weight of the upper layers.
Place one 6-inch cake with the concave side facing up.
Fill with liquid cheesecake, and layer milk crumbs and graham frosting.
Chill cake until firm in freezer. About 10-20 minutes.
Remove cake from freezer.
Top the cake with the 5-inch cake with the concave side facing up.
Fill with liquid cheesecake, and layer milk crumbs and graham frosting.
Chill cake until firm in freezer. About 10-20 minutes.
Carve the cake to an egg like shape.
Take the cake scraps, liquid cheesecake, and milk crumbs and mix to make a large cake ball. Add some graham frosting if the cake ball won’t hold together.
Shape it to be the pointed part of the cake.
Chill cake.
Remove cake and crumb coat the entire cake with a thin layer of graham frosting.
Chill cake.
Remove cake and frost a thin, smooth layer of yellow buttercream in the center of the cake, and decorate the cake with sprinkles and candies.
Chill cake.
Remove cake and using a piping bag with a large, round decorating tip, pipe the upper and lower half of the cake as high as you desire.
Scrape off the extra frosting with a cake scraper for a smooth finish.
Enjoy.
For the Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
1 ½ c. vegetable oil 2 c. sugar 4 large eggs 2 c. all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon ½ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg 3 cups finely grated, peeled carrots (about 1 pound)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325˚F and grease and line your baking pans with parchment paper. If you are planning on making the cake egg shaped, bake your cake in one 5-inch pan, two 6-inch pans, and one 7-inch pan. If you are making a standard cake, use four 6-inch pans.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the sugar and oil together on medium speed until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg.
On low speed add the dry mixture and mix until just combined.
Take the bowl off of the standing mixer and fold in the grated carrots.
Divide the batter evenly into your prepared pans. (If you are using different sized pans, divide the batter so the batter comes up evenly amongst all the pans. So if it comes up ¼ way up the pan for 5-inch pan, it should also come up ¼ way up the side of your 6-inch pan). Bake about 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and until a toothpick poked in the middle comes out clean. Note: The cake will be sunken in the middle. This is done on purpose to have a pie crust-like cake for the filling.
Cool cakes on cooling rack until ready to assemble.
For the Liquid Cheesecake
Ingredients:
16 oz. cream cheese, room temp 1 ½ c. sugar 2 tbsps. cornstarch 1 tsp. kosher salt ¼ c. milk 2 large eggs
Instructions:
Heat the oven to 350° F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and salt. Whisk in the milk in a slow, steady stream, then whisk in the egg until homogenous.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the cream cheese and mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the sugar and mix for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sugar has been completely incorporated.
Turn the mixer to medium-low speed, and stream in the egg slurry. Mix for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is smooth.
Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pan, put the pan in the oven, and bake for 20 minutes. Gently shake the pan. The cheesecake should be set on the outer edges of the baking pan but still wobble in the very center. If the cheesecake is not set at all, bake for 5 more minutes. Avoid browning the cheesecake at all. If it does brown, remove immediately.
Cool the cheesecake on a wire rack. Once completely cool, it is ready for use. If making ahead of time, the cheesecake can be wrapped and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
For the Milk Crumb
Ingredients:
½ c. milk powder ¼ c. flour 2 tbsp. cornstarch 2 tbsp. sugar ½ tsp. kosher salt 4 tbsp. (½ stick) butter, melted ¼ c. milk powder 3 oz. (90g) white chocolate, melted
Instructions:
Heat the oven to 250° F.
Combine the ½ c. milk powder, the flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and mix using a spatula, until the mixture starts to come together and form small clusters.
Spread the clusters on a parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes. The crumbs should have sand like appearance. Cool the crumbs completely.
Crumble any milk crumb clusters that are larger than ½ inch in diameter and put the crumbs in a medium bowl. Add the ¼ c. milk powder and toss together until it is evenly distributed throughout the mixtures.
Pour the white chocolate over the crumbs and toss until your clusters are enrobed. Then continue tossing them every 5 minutes until the white chocolate hardens and the clusters are no longer sticky. The crumbs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for up to 1 month.
For the Graham Frosting
Ingredients:
1 recipe Graham Crust ⅔ c. milk ¾ tsp. kosher salt 12 tbsp. butter, at room temperature 2 tbsp. light brown sugar, tightly packed 2 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar 1 tsp. ground cinnamon ¼ tsp. kosher salt
Instructions:
Combine the graham crust, milk, and ¾ tsp. salt in a blender, turn the speed on to medium-high, and puree until smooth and homogenous. It will take 1 to 3 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugars, cinnamon, and ¼ tsp. on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, until fluffy and lighter in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
On low speed, add in the graham mixture from blender. Mix on medium speed until the color is a uniform tan and silky smooth.
Use the frosting immediately, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
For the Graham Crust
Ingredients:
1½ c. graham cracker crumbs ¼ c. milk powder 2 tbsp. sugar ¾ tsp. kosher salt 4 tbsp. (½ stick) butter, melted, or as needed ¼ c. heavy cream
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, add and mix the graham crumbs, milk powder, sugar, and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk the butter and heavy cream together. Add to the dry ingredients and mix again to evenly distribute. The butter will act as a glue, adhering to the dry ingredients and turning the mixture into small clusters. The mixture should hold its shape if squeezed tightly in the palm of your hand. If it is not moist enough to do so, melt an additional 1 to 1½ tablespoons butter and mix it in.
Eat immediately, or use as directed in a recipe. Stored in an airtight container, graham crust will keep fresh for 1 week at room temperature or for 1 month in the fridge or freezer.
For the Swiss Meringue Frosting
Ingredients:
1 ¼ c. sugar 5 large egg whites 2 c. (4 sticks) unsalted butter 2 tsp. vanilla extract a pinch of kosher salt
Instructions:
Bring a small pot filled with about an inch of water to a simmer.
In a bowl of a standing mixer, whisk the egg whites, sugar, and salt together.
Place the bowl on top of the pot and whisk continuously until the mixture becomes slightly foamy and you cannot feel the grittiness of the sugar, about 5-8 minutes. The mixture will be hot. Be careful.
Move the bowl to the standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip the egg mixture until the bowl feels cool to the touch.
Add in the butter, and continue to whip until a smooth buttercream forms.
Add in the vanilla extract and continue to whip until incorporated.
The English language is a funny thing. I never understood why some dishes that are sweet are called “salads”. It’s off-putting. It’s in the name. If you hear “strawberry pretzel salad”, what do you picture? I imagine a bowl of salad greens with strawberries and pretzels. No, thank you. Other examples of such salads are Jello salad, snickers salad, cookie salad and the list goes on and on. But after reading numerous blogs all featuring the same recipe and all with glowing reviews of how they grew up with this particular dish and how it’s everyone’s favorite at their family gathering, I broke down and had to try it. And after trying it myself, I can see why people would like it, especially with fresh strawberries. The pretzel crust is salty and crunchy, the cheesecake layer is smooth and creamy and the strawberry jello layer is fruity and refreshing. You pretty much hit every flavor profile. The best part? It’s super easy and the ingredient list is very short. Oh! Also, you only have to bake the pretzel crust for 10 minutes so your kitchen doesn’t get too hot. It’s a serious win-win-win situation. Strawberry Pretzel Squares (AKA Strawberry Pretzel Salad)
Ingredients:
2 c. finely crushed pretzels
1 cup and 3 tbsp. sugar, divided
¾ c. salted butter, melted
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
8 oz. cool whip, defrosted
2 c. boiling water
1 – six ounce package strawberry jello
1 ½ c. cold water
4 c. hulled and sliced strawberries
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400˚F and prep a 9×13 inch baking dish by spraying the inside with nonstick spray.
In a bowl, stir the pretzel crumbs and 3 tablespoons of sugar until well mixed.
Pour the melted butter over the pretzel mixture and stir until evenly coated.
Press the pretzel crumb mixture into the bottom of the baking dish, pressing it down with a spatula to form an even layer.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and cool completely.
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Fold in the cool whip and spread evenly over the cooled pretzel crust. (Wipe off any cream cheese mix you get along the sides of the glass pan for a clean presentation later on.)
Refrigerate crust while you prep the strawberry layer.
In a large bowl, mix the strawberry jello mix with the boiling water. Stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in cold water and refrigerate for about 1½ hours. (At this point, the mixture should have the consistency of egg whites.)
Stir in fresh strawberries into the jello mixture and carefully pour over the prepared cream cheese layer and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until the strawberry layer is set. If you wiped the sides clean as suggested in step 6, the strawberry layer should set to a glass-like finish.
This is the prettiest dessert I’ve plated so far. I’ve never really mastered the art of plating, but for some reason, I couldn’t help myself when arranging this dessert. It might be because there are so many components to it, or because I was just excited to do something intricate for once, but this one is a stunner for sure, both on the eyes and on the palate. Sometimes I look at certain recipes and wonder, “Uh…. Yeah, right. Who has the time for that??” I’m thinking this recipe will probably give a lot of people the same thought. I honestly set out with a simple recipe in mind: a honey caramel swirled cheesecake topped with meringue bits. But when I tried this new method of making meringues, I botched the first try and baked the sugar for way too long which resulted in caramelized sugar bits. Luckily, the second time was successful. I have to say, it was worth the trouble because I’ve always had a tough time making meringues that don’t crack or stay perfectly white and this method worked wonders. It’s crunchy, crispy, creamy, smooth, nutty, sweet, salty, rich and light. It’s pretty much a party in your mouth. Honey Caramel Cheesecake with Crispy Meringue Bits and Almonds
Ingredients:
Honey caramel cheesecake (recipe below)
Honey caramel (recipe below)
Crispy meringue bits (recipe below)
Caramelized sugar bits (recipe below)
Almonds, chopped into small pieces
Maldon sea salt
Instructions:
Trim the edges of the cheesecake to get neat sides.
With a sharp knife, cut cheesecake into long strips, wiping the blade of the knife down after each cut.
Top each cheesecake pieces with crisp meringue bits, caramelized sugar bits, almonds and sea salt.
Optional: put dollops of honey caramel around the edges of the plate and top with sea salt and almond pieces.
Honey Caramel Cheesecake
Ingredients:
½ c. butter, softened
½ c. sugar
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract, divided
¼ tsp. kosher salt
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
6 tbsp. heavy cream
honey caramel (recipe below)
Instructions:
Preheat oven 350˚F and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, flour, vanilla and salt until a dough forms.
Press dough into an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until homogenous.
Add egg and heavy cream and mix until combined.
Pour cream cheese mixture on top of the flour mixture.
Put dollops of honey caramel and swirl with a toothpick to form swirls.
Bake 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven until cheesecake is set.
Cool on a wire rack and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Honey Caramel
Ingredients:
½ c. honey
¼ c. heavy cream
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Instructions:
In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine honey and cream.
Cook until mixture reaches 238˚F.
Remove from heat; stir in butter, vanilla and salt.
Cool, and refrigerate if storing for future use.
Crispy Meringue Bits
Ingredients:
150 g. superfine sugar
75 g. egg whites, room temperature
1 pinch of cream of tartar
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400˚F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spread sugar in an even layer over parchment.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites and the cream of tartar.
Place sugar into the oven and bake until the edges of the sugar begins to melt but not brown, about 5 minutes.
Once the sugar begins to melt, turn the mixer onto high.
Remove baking sheet from the oven and the eggs whites should be foamy.
Turn the mixer to medium high and slowly pour the hot sugar from the parchment paper into egg whites.
Once all the sugar is added, turn the mixer onto high and mix until stiff, shiny peaks form.
Reduce oven to lowest setting 140˚F.
Line another baking sheet with parchment paper.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a closed star tip, make small flower shapes until you have used up all of the meringue.
Bake about 10-20 minutes until they are crisp and hollow.
Turn off oven and let it dry out for about 30 minutes to an hour.
Remove meringues out of the oven and store in a cool, dry place.
Caramelized Sugar Bits
Ingredients:
50 g. superfine sugar
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400˚F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spread sugar in a thin even layer over parchment.
Place sugar into oven until it becomes liquefied and golden brown.
Wordy, I know. This journey of mine started when I was trying to figure out what to post next for the blog. I have this great caramelized banana bread recipe that I use and was going to blog about that. But right when I was about to start baking, I realized that banana bread recipes are a dime a dozen on the internet. Why would I bore you with something that has been done for the umpteenth time? No, I needed to do something different, maybe even drastic. That’s when I spotted a bag of caramel bits that I picked up at Target a few months ago and the cogs in my brain started turning.
It starts with a soft caramelized banana cake. What makes it “caramelized” banana cake? Because you caramelize bananas with sugar and melted butter until it starts to smell like banana heaven in your kitchen. Then you mix your caramel bits into the batter to increase the caramel factor. Next, the cake layers are sandwiched with cheesecake frosting which is essentially my version of a cream cheese frosting only it is extra thick and tastes very much like cheesecake. Then the entire cake is surrounded by marshmallow frosting which you toast with your kitchen torch (or in your oven if you don’t have one) and as if you really needed more, you finish it off with a caramel drizzle. Sweet, gooey, soft, toasty, and slightly chewy (from the caramel bits) this cake is definitely worth making for a celebration… or for no reason because it’s your kitchen and you can bake if you want to. 😉 Toasted Marshmallow Caramel Banana Cake with Cheesecake Frosting
Makes one 6 inch 4-layer cake
Caramelized Banana Cake
Ingredients:
2 oz. unsalted butter
¾ c. brown sugar
3 medium brown bananas
½ c. buttermilk
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. cake flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. kosher salt
8 oz. caramel bits
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350˚F and prepare four 6 inch cake pans by spraying them with non-stick spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper.
In a small pot, melt the butter. Once the butter melts, add the brown sugar and bananas and cook for 4 minutes. Cool mixture for 10 minutes before transferring mixture into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat for 2-3 minutes until mixture is cool and combined.
In a small bowl, whisk buttermilk, vegetable oil and eggs until homogeneous.
In another bowl, mix both kinds of flour with baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
With the mixer on low, add half the buttermilk mixture followed by half the flour mixture.
Finish the batter by alternating the buttermilk mixture and flour mixture again.
Fold in the caramel bits into the batter.
Divide the batter evenly between 4 pans and bake about 12-15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Cheesecake Frosting
Ingredients:
10 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ c. powdered sugar
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pinch of kosher salt
Instructions:
In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter until combined.
Add the powdered sugar slowly, followed by the mascarpone cheese, vanilla extract and kosher salt. Do not overbeat the mascarpone cheese it will separate if you do.
Marshmallow Frosting
Ingredients:
4 large egg whites
¾ c. sugar
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions:
In a metal bowl of a standing mixer, whisk egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar over a small saucepan with simmering water.
Whisk until sugar is dissolved and whites are slightly foamy and warm to the touch, about 2-3 minutes.
Transfer bowl to the standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat starting from low speed and gradually moving to high speed until stiff and glossy.
Mix in the vanilla extract to finish the frosting.
Caramel Drizzle
Ingredients:
3 oz. caramel bits
¼ c. heavy cream
Instructions:
In a small saucepan, melt caramel bits with heavy cream until a thick sauce forms. If the sauce is too thick, feel free to add more heavy cream.
Assembly:
Frost each layer of banana cake with cream cheese frosting, ending with a layer of banana cake. Make sure you smooth the sides as well as you can. (As shown above.)
Generously frost the top and sides with marshmallow frosting using your spatula to make swirl patterns along the cake. This will make a more impressive cake when you toast the frosting.
Toast the frosting with a torch (kitchen, butane, or propane your choice) until golden brown.
But after reading numerous blogs all featuring the same recipe and all with glowing reviews of how they grew up with this particular dish and how it’s everyone’s favorite at their family gathering, I broke down and had to try it. And after trying it myself, I can see why people would like it, especially with fresh strawberries. The pretzel crust is salty and crunchy, the cheesecake layer is smooth and creamy and the strawberry jello layer is fruity and refreshing. You pretty much hit every flavor profile. The best part? It’s super easy and the ingredient list is very short. Oh! Also, you only have to bake the pretzel crust for 10 minutes so your kitchen doesn’t get too hot. It’s a serious win-win-win situation.
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