You had the sourdough baking phase, but now it’s time to get creative. I scoured Pinterest for cakes that presented a good baking challenge, and used interesting ingredients. It’s my mission to make them all, so see if any of them take your fancy as well!
- Apricot Chamomile Cake
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This recipe advertises a simply-decorated cake highlighting flavors of apricot and chamomile. The ingredient list looks a little lofty, and requires a few things that will take some extra care. You’ll need to separate an egg white, find some cake flour, and make your own chamomile simple syrup to even get started. Then, you’ll need to grab that chamomile simple syrup, mix it with some white rum, and use it as a soaking syrup for the rest of the cake. This recipe definitely sounds involved, but the thought of an apricot cake with chamomile buttercream is absolutely heavenly.
Recipe: https://www.thelittleepicurean.com/2017/06/apricot-chamomile-cake.html
- Earl Grey Cake with Lavender Ganache
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I consider Ear Grey to be the king of all teas, so this recipe caught my eye immediately. That, and the charcoal black color of these finished cakes in the picture. This is a gluten-free recipe that also requires a few ingredients outside the norm, including coconut sugar, coconut oil, coconut milk, gluten-free flour, and culinary lavender. The cake-baking process is actually fairly standard after brewing your tea, but the lavender white chocolate ganache may present a few challenges. The lavender must be pressed and strained with the coconut milk before melting it in with the white chocolate to drizzle over top the finished cake.
Recipe: https://www.wifemamafoodie.com/chocolate-earl-grey-cake-lavender-ganache/
- Orange Dream Angel Food Cake
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Angel food cake is already a tricky recipe to nail, and now we’re adding an ombre of orange into the mix. The ingredients aren’t too far outside the box here. Just make sure you can get your hands on some cream of tartar, almond extract, and a whole carton of eggs. Separating out all twelve of the egg whites and zesting the orange will surely be time-consuming, but it’s a necessary part of the process. In order to get the zig-zag effect of the white and orange cake, the baker will need to spoon over and swirl in the orange-colored batter. It might be a little finicky, but the finished product is surely delicious.
Recipe: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/orange-dream-angel-food-cake/
- Apple Cider Donut Cake
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Here’s one for all the fall fanatics embracing the season. This one uses a Betty Crocker cake mix as its base, but also includes tart apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and apple cider. You’ll need a 12-cup fluted tub cake pan to make sure this dessert comes out in a perfect giant-donut form. After it comes out of the oven, the baker will need to brush it all over with melted butter and cinnamon twice over before it’s ready for a taste test. This cake might require a few extra steps, but it has to impress at Halloween and Thanksgiving parties.
Recipe: https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/apple-cider-doughnut-cake/7d9dadd5-834d-469e-9485-3356d8f028c4
- Cherry Chocolate Chip Cake
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We’ve all heard of chocolate cherries, but in a cake? This cute pink layer cake is actually fairly simply, with its only atypical ingredients being maraschino cherry juice and lots of mini chocolate chips. While the batter itself is flavored with cherry juice, the homemade icing also uses 5-6 tablespoons as well. This two-layer cake recipe is complete with decorating instructions that include piping around the top, and creating a chocolate chip stripe around the base. Follow the instructions below for a desert that is cute-as-can-be.
Recipe: https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/cherry-chocolate-chip-cake/
- Blackberry Lime Cake
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Before you get baking, you’ll need to have a few extra things on hand for this cake. Check your cabinets for lime zest, lime juice, and fresh blackberries to make this tasty purple treat. Like the others, you’ll need to do a little prep work in the kitchen. This recipe requires you to make a blackberry reduction that will then be used as a part of the homemade blackberry buttercream. When the cake is finished, you’ll have a lime-flavored cake with with blackberry icing. The recipe recommends you save a few blackberries and purchase some edible flowers and micro mint for garnish. Yum!
Recipe: https://thecakeblog.com/2017/03/blackberry-lime-cake.html
- Ruby Red Grapefruit Pound Cake
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A lot of us associate grapefruit with a very tart and pungent flavor, but when used correctly it can actually be quite delicate. If you’re a fan of the fruit, head to the store for some Greek yogurt, buttermilk, and grapefruits, and strap in for a new baking adventure. With only thirteen steps, this cake presents an approachable challenge. While the cake itself contains grapefruit juice, the drizzle on top also uses the ruby red citrus, as well as some vanilla extract. If you’ve been searching for something light and tangy, look no further than this recipe!
Recipe: https://www.callmepmc.com/ruby-red-grapefruit-pound-cake/
- Blueberry Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
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You’ve heard of banana bread. Heck, you’ve probably made your fair share of it. Now it’s time for a blueberry banana cake. Make sure your shelves are stocked with cake flour, buttermilk, cream cheese, blueberries, and overripe bananas before getting out your spatula. This is a three-layer cake speckled with whole blueberries and held together with cream cheese icing. The bananas find themselves mashed in with the rest of the batter. The creator of this recipe also suggests substituting blueberries for chopped walnuts or other berries if you’re feeling creative. Top this tall treat with a handful of blueberries and a few sprigs of thyme, and you’ve got yourself a showstopper.
Recipe: https://livforcake.com/blueberry-banana-cake
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