heavy cream, room temperature

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting & Salted Caramel

Posted on March 16, 2025February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Banana bread is typically everyone’s go-to when we have overripe bananas on our countertops. There’s something so wholesome and comforting about a slice of homemade banana bread. This Banana Cake recipe gives you all of those heart-warming feelings, but it’s a little more flavorful, rich and satisfying. The cake is moist, soft and fluffy. The silky Cream Cheese Frosting pairs beautifully with the spices in the cake. A swirl of salted caramel adds the perfect, decadently delicious finishing touch.

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting & Salted Caramel

Moist, flavorful banana sheet cake topped with silky cream cheese icing and salted caramel sauce by Brownie Mischief

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 9 servings

Ingredients

Banana Cake

1 ¼ cups (142g) cake flour, sifted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg preferably freshly ground
¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
⅓ cup (74ml) avocado oil or neutral oil of your choice
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanila extract
1 cup (227g) mashed very ripe bananas about 3 small or 2 large bananas
¼ cup (57g) sour cream, room temperature

Cream Cheese Frosting & Salted Caramel

½ cup (113g) cream cheese, softened
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups (300g) powdered sugar, sifted
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-2 teaspoons heavy cream, room temperature
1 pinch fine sea salt
¼ cup (70g) salted caramel sauce store bought or homemade*

Instructions

Banana Cake

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, with an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and creamy, Add the brown sugar and oil. Continue beating until creamy and well blended, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the mashed bananas. Add the flour mixture in two additions, followed by half of the sour cream after each addition. Mix just until combined.
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and place it on a cooling rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting & Salted Caramel

In a medium-sized bowl, stir the cream cheese with a spatula until smooth. Beat in the butter, with an electric mixer on low speed, until smooth and well blended.
Beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and heavy cream, on medium speed, until smooth and well blended. Stir slowly with a spatula to smooth the frosting and remove bubbles.
Spread the cream cheese frosting on the cooled cake. Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of salted caramel sauce and swirl it into the frosting with a spoon, adding more if desired.

Notes

*For my homemade caramel sauce recipe, click here.

For my easy caramel sauce recipe, click here.

To find premade salted caramel sauce, click here.

Keyword banana, cake

Easy Apricot Pastries

Posted on June 1, 2024February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

These cheerful apricot pastries are guaranteed to bring you some sunshine. They’re so cute and easy to make! They remind me of sunny-side-up-eggs. They’re perfect for a summer breakfast or brunch.

Easy Apricot Pastries

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Servings 8 pastries

Ingredients

8 ounces (227g) cream cheese, softened
¼ cup (50g) sugar
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed but still cold
4 ripe apricots, split in half and pitted
Egg wash: 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water
3 tablespoons (60g) apricot preserves

Icing

¾ cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) whole milk
⅛ teaspoon pure almond extract

Instructions

Apricot Pastries

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, heavy cream and vanilla together until smooth.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place a puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Cut out four 4 1/2-inch rounds using a cookie cutter or trace a bowl using a paring knife. Score a border about 1/2 inch from the edge, making sure not to cut all the way through. I used a 3 1/2 inch cookie cutter for the border. Transfer the cut pastry to the baking sheets. Repeat with the 2nd pastry sheet. Refrigerate the dough rounds for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
Spoon or pipe the cream cheese filling within the border of each pastry round. Top each one with an apricot half. Brush the borders with egg wash. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 17-20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.
In a small bowl, whisk the apricot preserves with 1 tablespoon (15ml) of water Brush this mixture over the warm pastries. Once the pastries are cool, drizzle them with icing.

Icing

In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream and 1 tablespoon (15ml) of milk until smooth. Add additional milk as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Add the almond extract and whisk until smooth.

Keyword apricot, pastry

Roasted Tomato Mac & Cheese

Posted on February 10, 2023February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Roasted Tomato Mac & Cheese

Cheesy, comforting mac and cheese with roasted tomatoes, bacon and fresh herbs. Serves 2 as a main dish or 3-4 as a side dish.

Print Recipe

Course Dinner, Main Dish

Servings 3 Servings

Ingredients

1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
olive oil
fine sea salt
pepper
6 ounces (170g) cellentani, cavatappi pasta or large elbow macaroni (about 2 1/4 cups)
1 tablespoon (14g) butter
1 tablespoon (8g) all purpose flour
1 cup (237ml) whole milk, room temperature
¾ cup (177ml) heavy cream, room temperature
4 ounces (113g) shredded cheddar cheese, divided (about 1 cup, packed)
4 ounces (113g) shredded Gruyére cheese, divided (about 1 cup packed)
2 slices cooked bacon, chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh Italian parsley, divided
2 teaspoons minced fresh chives, divided

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet. Gently toss with a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast until the tomatoes are blistered, about 15-25 minutes, depending on the size of your tomatoes.
Turn the oven down to 350ºF (180ºC). Cook and drain the pasta according to the package directions.
Set aside 1/4 cup (28g) of each of the cheeses for the top. In a small bowl, whisk the milk and heavy cream together.
In a 2-quart oven safe pot,* melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in the milk and cream. Heat until thickened, whisking out any lumps. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I used 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.)
Remove from heat. Gradually stir in 3/4 cup (85g) each cheddar and Gruyere cheeses. Taste the sauce and season with more salt or pepper if necessary.
Fold in the cooked pasta, roasted tomatoes, bacon, 1 teaspoon of parsley and 1 1/2 teaspoons of chives. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake in top third of the oven, just until cheese is melted, about 7-10 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and chives.

Notes

If you watched the video on Instagram or TikTok, you may have noticed I baked my mac & cheese in a heart-shaped Dutch oven. To find a similar pink heart Dutch oven, click here. To find a blue heart Dutch oven , click here,

Keyword mac & cheese, pasta

Perfect Pumpkin Cake

Posted on September 9, 2022February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

This Perfect Pumpkin cake brings back memories. The tender, moist texture reminds me of the pumpkin cake bars I used to make in junior high. I got the treasured bar recipe from an old children’s cookbook. I lent the cookbook to a neighbor and never saw the book or the recipe again. Through trial and error, I came up with this perfectly spiced, soft fluffy cake, which I think is even better! It’s so delicious it doesn’t need frosting, but the classic pairing with cream cheese frosting takes it over the top.

Perfect Pumpkin Cake

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 8

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cake

1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly ground
1 cup (200g) sugar
⅔ cup (150ml) avocado oil or neutral oil of your choice
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (227g) pure pumpkin purée Not pie filling

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 tablespoons (85g) cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened
¾ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
1 pinch fine sea salt
2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, sifted
1-3 teaspoons heavy cream, room temperature

Instructions

Pumpkin Cake

Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Line the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan* with parchment paper**. Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg until well combined.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and pumpkin purée with an electric mixer or by hand with a whisk, until smooth and well blended. Stir in the flour mixture, just until combined.
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 38-43 minutes. Cool the cake in pan for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from pan and transfer to a cooling rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer, until creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract and salt until well combined. On low speed, beat in the powdered sugar. Keeping the mixture at low speed, beat in the heavy cream a little at a time until your desired consistency is reached. Stir with a spatula to smooth out any bubbles.

Notes

*To find the cake pan I used, click here.

**To find the parchment rounds I used, click here.

Keyword cake, pumpkin

Chocolate Peanut Butter Tarts

Posted on January 28, 2022February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Does anyone else remember those old peanut butter cup commercials where two people on the street would collide and a chocolate bar would miraculously end up inside of a jar of peanut butter? Then the person carrying the open jar of peanut butter would say, “Hey you got chocolate in my peanut butter!” and they would suddenly discover it’s a delicious combination. The real question is, why was anyone walking around outside with an open jar of peanut butter? I miss those silly commercials.

If you love chocolate and peanut butter together, you’ll absolutely love these tarts. The creamy peanut butter filling and the silky chocolate ganache topping are perfect together. The chocolate cookie crust adds a nice crunch. I used heart shaped tart pans to make the tarts a little more special for Valentine’s Day. To find the tart pans I used, click here. You can also use round tart pans if you prefer.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Tarts

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 4 tarts

Ingredients

Crust

14 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed including filling
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

½ cup (128g) creamy peanut butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (60g) powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons (30ml) heavy cream, room temperature
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Pinch fine sea salt

Topping

3 ounces (85g) bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (88ml) heavy cream
Chopped peanuts optional
Mini peanut butter cups optional

Instructions

Crust

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. (180ºC). Place four 4-inch tart pans with removable bottoms* on a baking sheet.
In a medium-size bowl, mix the crushed sandwich cookies with the melted butter until well combined. Press the crumb mixture into the tart pans.
Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool completely.

Filling

In a medium-size bowl, beat the peanut butter and softened butter until smooth. Add the remaining filling ingredients and beat until smooth and well combined.
Fill the cooled tart shells with the filling. Refrigerate the tarts until set, at least 2 hours.

Topping

Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl.
In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium-low heat just until bubbles form around the edges. Do not boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let sit two minutes then stir until smooth.
Spoon over the peanut butter filling. Add toppings if desired. Refrigerate until chocolate is set. Carefully remove tarts from pans.

Notes

To find the tart pans I used, click here.

Keyword chocolate peanut butter, tarts

Pumpkin Spice Mini Loaves with Caramel Filling

Posted on October 11, 2021February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

pumpkin spices mini loaves with caramel filling

In early September, I saw someone announce the fall season on social media. In addition to people pointing out that it was too early for the announcement, the word police corrected the person with the word autumn. Since both terms are correct, we can call the season whatever we prefer. I think autumn is a pretty sounding word, so I’ll use it for the rest of this post. Whatever you call it, these Pumpkin Spice Mini Loaves are a perfect little celebration of the season. They have just the right amount of pumpkin spices, making them so fragrant that your kitchen will smell like cozy autumn heaven.

I call them loaves because I originally made them in mini loaf pans. They’re so cute and delicious that I often give them as holiday gifts. This year I decided to try them in ramekins and I loved the results! I used 6-ounce ramekins, but you can use 8-ounce ramekins, any size mini loaf pans, a muffin pan or even an 8 or 9-inch loaf pan. Keep in mind that baking times will differ. To find the ramekins I used, click here.

Pumpkin Spice Mini Loaves with Caramel Filling

Mini loaves of tender pumpkin bread with caramel filling and luscious cream cheese frosting

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Servings 7 mini loaves

Ingredients

Pumpkin Spice Mini Loaves

1 ½ cups (6.75 ounces) all purpose flour, sifted
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅜ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg preferably freshly ground
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (7 ounces) brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup (8 ounces) pure pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup caramel sauce, purchased or homemade
¼ cup roasted, salted shelled pumpkin seeds

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch fine sea salt
2 cups (8 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted
1-2 teaspoons heavy cream, room temperature

Instructions

Pumpkin Spice Mini Loaves

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour seven 6-ounce ramekins or six 8-ounce ramekins or any loaf pans of your choice.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined.
Beat in pumpkin and vanilla until combined.
Stir in flour mixture just until combined.
Divide batter evenly into prepared ramekins. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not overbake. (Mini loaves or muffins bake for 15-25 minutes, depending on size. 8 or 9-inch loaf bakes for 40-50 minutes)
Cool completely if serving in ramekins or remove from pans after cooling for 10 minutes. Continue to cool on wire rack.
Make 3/4-inch well in the center of each loaf. Fill with caramel sauce. (For an 8 or 9-inch loaf, poke multiple holes with a skewer. Fill with caramel sauce.)
Top with cream cheese frosting and pumpkin seeds

Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add vanilla extract and salt and beat until combined.
Gradually add powdered sugar and beat at medium speed until combined.
Add heavy cream and beat at low speed until combined.

Keyword loaf, muffins, pumpkin, pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice

Purple Berry Cake with Silky Cream Cheese Frosting

Posted on June 29, 2017February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Purple is passionate. It’s mystical. It’s regal. Don’t we all know someone whose favorite color is purple? It’s painfully obvious. They can’t hide it. They don’t want to hide it. They can’t just be friends with purple. They’re in a relationship with purple. The first time I made this Purple Berry Cake, a purple lover I know said that when she saw it, it spoke to her soul.

Fresh berry purée is added to the batter, creating a soft, moist cake. The layers are brushed with berry syrup, which helps keeps the cake moist and gives it a nice punch of berry flavor. I used blackberries and blueberries, but you can use any combination of purple berries that you like. After baking, the color of the cake layers will be a brownish gray with a hint of purple, depending on your berries. I think I need to come up with name for this color. How about Silverberry? You can see tiny flecks of the berries in the cake and I think the color is lovely, especially with the lavender frosting. If you want a more purple cake, feel free to add some gel food color to the batter. I used Wilton Violet gel food color to achieve the pretty lavender cream cheese frosting. The extra butter and the addition of heavy cream makes this frosting silky and spreadable.

I’m obsessed with edible flowers lately, so I garnish my baked goods with them whenever I can get my hands on some. I found these pansies in the produce department of my local food market. If you can’t find pansies, pesticide free violets or rose petals would also be pretty. Make sure to apply them to your cake right before serving, since they are delicate and will wilt over time. Brush some of your berries with a little dab of edible gold luster dust for an extra regal touch.

Purple Berry Cake with Silky Cream Cheese Frosting

A soft, moist cake made with berry purée and topped with silky lavender cream cheese icing

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 1 6-inch cake (serves 6)

Ingredients

Purple Berry Cake

12 ounces (340g) fresh berries (plus more to garnish cake) I used blackberries and blueberries
1 ½ cups (191g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ½ cups (300g) sugar, divided
⅓ cup (75ml) vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup (118ml) buttermilk, room temperature

Silky Cream Cheese Frosting

¾ cup (170g) cream cheese, softened
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 pound (454g) powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon heavy cream, room temperature
Purple gel food color I used Wilton Violet

Garnishes

Fresh berries
Edible gold luster dust I used Alan Tetreault Edible Hybrid Luster Dust Soft Gold
Edible flowers I used pesticide free pansies

Instructions

Purple Berry Cake

Preheat the oven to 350º F (180ºC). Like the bottoms of two 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper circles. Grease and flour the insides.
Purée the berries in a blender or small food processor. Strain the puréed berries through a sieve. Reserve 2/3 cup (150g) of the berry puree. Set aside the remaining puree for the syrup.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
In a large bowl, beat 1 1/4 cups (250g) of sugar with the oil, eggs and vanilla extract, with an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Stir in the reserved 2/3 cup berry purée. Add the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beating at low speed just until combined.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from pans and transfer them to cooling racks to cool.
While the cakes are baking, make the berry syrup. In a small saucepan, heat the remaining berry purée with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar (50g) and 1/4 cup (59ml) of water over medium-low heat. Stir together and cook until sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool.
Split each cooled cake llayer into two and brush with berry syrup. Fill and frost the cake with Silky Cream Cheese Frosting.

Silky Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on speed or by hand with a spatula, until smooth. Add the butter and beat until smooth and well combined. Add the vanilla extract and salt and beat until combined.
Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat at medium speed until combined. Add the heavy cream and beat at low speed until smooth and creamy.
Add the food color with a toothpick, a little at a time, until the desired shade is reached. Beat at low speed until well blended. Smooth out any air bubbles by stirring slowly by hand with a spatula.

Garnishes

Garnish the top of the cake with fresh berries. Brush a few of the berries with edible gold luster dust. Garnish with fresh flowers immediately before serving.

Notes

*To find my favorite 6-inch cake pans, click here. To find Wilton Violet gel food color, click here. To find Alan Tetreault Edible Hybrid Luster Dust Soft Gold, click here.