Cake

Yellow cake soaked in cheesecake pudding and salted caramel, topped with Cool Whip and a salted caramel swirl.

Salted Caramel Cheesecake Poke Cake Recipe

Yellow cake soaked in cheesecake pudding and salted caramel, topped with Cool Whip and a salted caramel swirl.

Yellow cake soaked in cheesecake pudding and salted caramel, topped with Cool Whip and a salted caramel swirl.

If you love caramel and you love cheesecake, then I can tell you right now– this recipe is for YOU.

I didn’t really think I could be surprised by a poke cake anymore, but I have to confess that this one was shockingly good. I don’t mean that I was shocked that it was good. Just that it was that good. Like, it’s on an entirely new level of good.

Yellow cake soaked in cheesecake pudding and salted caramel, topped with Cool Whip and a salted caramel swirl.

The yellow cake base is simple enough– I just used a cake mix. If you’d rather, you can always use this homemade and utterly delicious yellow cake recipe. That’s totally up to you.

As for me? Most of the time, I don’t mind a good cake mix cake. They’re soft, fluffy, and wonderfully dependable. ????????

Once the cake is baked (and while it’s still warm), poke holes in the cake and fill them with cheesecake pudding and salted caramel sauce. You can use a fork if you’d like, I see a lot of people do that. But I really prefer using the handle of a sturdy wooden mixing spoon. Bigger holes = more filling = more better.

Yellow cake soaked in cheesecake pudding and salted caramel, topped with Cool Whip and a salted caramel swirl.

Top the whole thing with whipped cream and more salted caramel sauce and let it chill for a few hours. Once everything has come together, you’ll have this incredibly indulgent cake filled with caramel and cheesecake flavors. And the light, fluffy, yet sinfully saturated-in-caramel texture is absolutely unbeatable!

This cake is so easy to make– it really just takes a few minutes of hands on time. And it’s so, so, SO good! This is a perfect Thanksgiving or Fall dessert, but it’s still a cool and creamy summer treat too.

So what are you waiting for?? I can’t wait for you to try it!

My new favorite 3-step cheesecake covered in chocolate, stuffed with salted caramel, and sprinkled with toffee.

Salted Caramel and Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Recipe

My new favorite 3-step cheesecake covered in chocolate, stuffed with salted caramel, and sprinkled with toffee.

My new favorite 3-step cheesecake covered in chocolate, stuffed with salted caramel, and sprinkled with toffee.

Calling all cheesecake lovers!

And chocolate lovers.

And caramel lovers.

And toffee lovers.

This is the recipe for YOU. And most definitely for me too. I have a serious love of chocolate dipped cheesecake. Fortunately (for my waistline), I rarely get a chance to eat it simply because it’s not a super accessible food. Basically, they serve it at the fair and maybe at the odd food truck or two. But otherwise, it’s never really in my direct path.

My new favorite 3-step cheesecake covered in chocolate, stuffed with salted caramel, and sprinkled with toffee.

Until now.

Because now I know how incredibly easy this is to make in my own kitchen.

In my home.

Where I live. Every day. ????

My new favorite 3-step cheesecake covered in chocolate, stuffed with salted caramel, and sprinkled with toffee.

And, you guys, it turns out that chocolate dipped cheesecake is dangerously easy to make.

It all began when I bought the wrong kind of cream cheese from Sam’s. I accidentally bought a 3 pound BRICK of cream cheese instead of the 3 pounds of cream cheese in six 8-ounce boxes that I was trying to buy. And I thought, what on earth am I going to do with this??

Because, clearly, I wasn’t going to cut it up into six 8-ounce portions myself. ????

So I looked up the simplest cheesecake recipe I could find, tripled it, and stuck three cheesecakes in my freezer to use for cheesecake layer cakes throughout the holiday seasons.

My new favorite 3-step cheesecake covered in chocolate, stuffed with salted caramel, and sprinkled with toffee.

But as one’s frozen cheesecake tends to do, it called to me from the freezer.

And eventually I gave in and dipped it in caramel and chocolate and topped it with toffee and a chocolate drizzle and fancy flaked sea salt.

No, you have no self control!

My new favorite 3-step cheesecake covered in chocolate, stuffed with salted caramel, and sprinkled with toffee.

I think you’re going to be very happy with this recipe. Maybe not your pants. But you will be. ????

PS- don’t let the length of the instructions scare you! I just wanted to be detailed about the process to make it easier on you. I swear, I did all of the dipping in less than 30 minutes before I ran out the door for carpool! It’s totally NBD ????.

You have to try this cake made with layers of pumpkin cake and pumpkin chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting. And don't forget the butterscotch caramel!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Butterscotch Caramel Recipe

You have to try this cake made with layers of pumpkin cake and pumpkin chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting. And don’t forget the butterscotch caramel!!

You have to try this cake made with layers of pumpkin cake and pumpkin chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting. And don't forget the butterscotch caramel!!

There are FOUR outrageously delicious flavors happening in this cake.

Can you guess them just by looking at the outside?? One of the flavors is a little tricky, but I bet you can do it.

You have to try this cake made with layers of pumpkin cake and pumpkin chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting. And don't forget the butterscotch caramel!!

Today we’re playing with:

Pumpkin cake.

Pumpkin + Chocolate cake.

Cream cheese frosting.

Annnnnnnnnd BUTTERSCOTCH CARAMEL. ????

You have to try this cake made with layers of pumpkin cake and pumpkin chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting. And don't forget the butterscotch caramel!!

You have to try this cake made with layers of pumpkin cake and pumpkin chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting. And don't forget the butterscotch caramel!!

You guys. This butterscotch caramel sauce is basically heaven on earth. I’ve been eating it on everything lately– apples, ice cream, straight outta the jar. It’s SO GOOD.

So don’t judge me too harshly for not whipping up a batch from scratch. I just figure, why fix what’s not broken, right? Plus…. it just makes things that much easier. Which is always A-Okay in my book.

You have to try this cake made with layers of pumpkin cake and pumpkin chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting. And don't forget the butterscotch caramel!!

Ok, so I am being 1000000000% for real when I promise you: this cake is SO EASY. Here’s the basic breakdown:

Both cakes are overly simple using just cake mix, pumpkin, and a little milk. You’ll need a yellow cake mix, a chocolate cake mix, and two cans of pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling).

Next, you’ll make my favorite cream cheese frosting. It’s easy. You can do it.

Last, you’ll buy that amazing butterscotch caramel sauce. I found it at Target near the ice cream. You could also use my other favorite– Smuckers Caramel Delight Sundae Sauce (which I also usually buy at Target).

You have to try this cake made with layers of pumpkin cake and pumpkin chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting. And don't forget the butterscotch caramel!!

And voila! You’ll have one incredibly moist, flavorful, and beautiful cake perfect for ushering in pumpkin everything season Fall.

Enjoy!

If you liked Hostess Cupcakes in your lunchbox as a kid, you'll love this cake version that's all grown up!

Hostess Cupcake Cake Recipe

If you liked Hostess Cupcakes in your lunchbox as a kid, you’ll love this cake version that’s all grown up!

If you liked Hostess Cupcakes in your lunchbox as a kid, you'll love this cake version that's all grown up!

OH my gosh. This cake. YOU GUYS! Where to even begin?!? Because, honestly, this cake was all kinds of ridiculous. In the very best way…

I remember back when my mom would pack my lunches and would on a very rare occasion send me to school with a Hostess Cupcake in my lunchbox. I tried to not let my friends see me geek out over a cupcake in (but seriously, how come none of the other 5th graders ever seemed as fall-over-yourself excited about cupcakes as I did?? Was I truly alone in that feeling?!). So I’d carefully set it aside until I had finished my lunch. I wanted it to be the very last thing that I tasted before going back to class.

And there was no just shoveling the whole thing in my mouth. Oh no. I took my time and savored each component separately. First, I peeled (yes, peeled, you know what I’m talking about!) off the chocolate icing and ate that first. Next I scooped out the cream filling. And finally, I’d eat the remaining cake. If I was lucky enough to get a Hostess Cupcake in my lunchbox, you can darn well believe I made it a full-blown experience when it came time to eat it!

If you liked Hostess Cupcakes in your lunchbox as a kid, you'll love this cake version that's all grown up!

Being the mature adult that I am today, it’s been long, long time since I’ve sampled fine packaged delicacies such as a Hostess Cupcake. But that doesn’t mean I hold it in any less regard. In fact, I made this cake as an ode to my favorite lunchbox treat!

Basically, if a Hostess cupcake grew up to be a full-blown layer cake, this is what it would be. And it’s nothing short of OMG SO GOOD. To use my most eloquent terminology there.

If you liked Hostess Cupcakes in your lunchbox as a kid, you'll love this cake version that's all grown up!

If you liked Hostess Cupcakes in your lunchbox as a kid, you'll love this cake version that's all grown up!

Today’s cake recipe combines layers of my all-time favorite chocolate cake with a copycat Little Debbie cream filling (that I also used in these Oatmeal Cream Pies), and it’s topped with a sinfully indulgent chocolate ganache.

It’s literally a larger-than-life Hostess Cupcake with better chocolate frosting, a better cream filling, and much better chocolate cake.

So, what I’m say is pretty much this: if you were that child geeking out in the cafeteria over a Hostess Cupcake… this one’s for you ????.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

Another Yellow Birthday Cake with Chocolate Frosting Recipe

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

I am particularly excited about this cake, because…. IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!

And I like my birthdays. A LOT.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

So, in celebration of my very favorite day of the year, I’m sharing my very favorite birthday cake: yellow cake with chocolate frosting and lots of sprinkles!

I’ve actually shared this cake before. Here.

But I’ve made some upgrades to the cake recipe, so that it’s moister, softer, and fluffier! And I couldn’t use the same chocolate frosting as before. That particular frosting was made to be EXTRA creamy. Which is amazing. But it doesn’t work quite as well on a stand-alone layer cake. I needed to make a chocolate buttercream that could hold it’s own for this cake.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

Let’s talk about this cake.

Hopefully, you guys know by now that I put the SIMPLICITY of a recipe at the top of my priority list before I post something new. It’s important to me that all of my recipes are completely do-able in a REAL LIFE chaotic, busy, never-enough-time, at-home setting.

In 99% of my recipes you will NOT find much chilling, softening, sifting, or anything else that is time consuming. With that being said, I hope you’ll trust me when I tell you something like this…

The ingredients that go into the batter of this cake must be brought to room temperature. I wish I was joking. But after umpteen hard and dry yellow cakes, I’ve finally conceded the fact that I have to let all the cold ingredients come to room temp before whisking up the batter.

If you plan it right, it’s really not a big deal. Set the stuff on the counter early morning or even the night before and you’re ready to go a few hours later. And great news– you can actually just melt the butter! So that’s one less cold ingredient you have to worry about.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

Just promise me you’ll wait for the ingredients to come to room temp. If you’re desperate for a quick cake, use a mix. I won’t judge you. But don’t rush this recipe!

I could not believe the difference it made to simply let the ingredients come to room temperature before mixing. The cake was moister, fluffier, and downright yummier than any other from-scratch yellow cake I’ve ever made before!

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

And that chocolate frosting is everything. I don’t know what it is about yellow cake and chocolate frosting, but I just don’t think it gets any better than that. The only thing I would dream of adding is a gigantic scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!

Enjoy 🙂 And Happy Birthday to all the rest of you July birthdays out there!!

This is the best banana cake! It's simple to whip up, starting with a mix, and is supremely moist and flavorful. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing too :)

Banana Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

This is the best banana cake! It’s simple to whip up, starting with a mix, and is supremely moist and flavorful. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing too 🙂

This is the best banana cake! It's simple to whip up, starting with a mix, and is supremely moist and flavorful. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing too :)

We always, always have old bananas on the counter. Mostly because every time I go to the grocery store, I get all fired up about eating more fruits and vegetables and buy out the produce department. And then, I’m ashamed to admit, a lot of it just sits around for the rest of the week… not getting eaten. Oops!

Thank goodness, old bananas are a LOT easier to rescue than, say, slimy old green beans. ????

This is the best banana cake! It's simple to whip up, starting with a mix, and is supremely moist and flavorful. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing too :)

This is the best banana cake! It's simple to whip up, starting with a mix, and is supremely moist and flavorful. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing too :)

I’ve been wanting to make a banana cake that starts with a cake mix. I love the concept of just throwing a few ingredients into the bowl and whipping up a perfectly soft and fluffy cake. I’ve never been one to shy away from a cake mix, and I’ll say it again: I love that you know what you’re getting with a mix.

You know the cake is going to be soft, fluffy, moist, and flavorful. It’s just so reliable! You know the texture is going to be good and that it’s going to bake up just right. I’ve yet to use a cake mix and be disappointed.

So it’s no surprise that this recipe ended up being a slam dunk.

This is the best banana cake! It's simple to whip up, starting with a mix, and is supremely moist and flavorful. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing too :)

All you need is a yellow cake mix, a 2-3 bananas, and a few other simple ingredients. It bakes up beautifully in less than 30 minutes, and it tastes AMAZING. Perfectly sweet with a serious banana flavor.

And the chocolate cream cheese frosting... omg.

I almost made just a regular cream cheese frosting. Which would have been good, I’m sure. But chocolate was for sure the right call to go with banana. Although… isn’t chocolate always the right call??

This is the best banana cake! It's simple to whip up, starting with a mix, and is supremely moist and flavorful. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing too :)

This is the best banana cake! It's simple to whip up, starting with a mix, and is supremely moist and flavorful. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing too :)

I hope you enjoy every bit of this cake as much as we did!

Rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and a decadent chocolate ganache on top!

Death By Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe

Rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and a decadent chocolate ganache on top!
Rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and a decadent chocolate ganache on top!
Today, we’re revisiting one of my oldest recipes. And one of my very favorites. Because (aside from my favorite chocolate cake) I’ve yet to meet another chocolate cake that rivals this chocolate zucchini cake in terms of flavor, texture, and moistness. Plus, we’re talking about FOUR layers of chocolate goodness here:

???? chocolate cake.

???? chocolate chips inside the cake.

???? chocolate ganache.

???? more chocolate chips on top of the ganache.

This is a MAJOR chocolate experience you guys.

Rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and a decadent chocolate ganache on top!

And the best part is: you’re totally getting in your veggies! Not that you’ll even notice.

You won’t believe there are TWO WHOLE zucchinis in there! And you know what they say– you need 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. So, basically, that means you need 2 and a half cakes per day. Which seems reasonable. Amiright? ????

Rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and a decadent chocolate ganache on top!

Rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and a decadent chocolate ganache on top!

That ganache is practically a superfood on it’s own.

I mean, just look at that! Does anyone else get all ???? ???? ???? watching ganache drip down the side of a cake? Be still my heart!

Ganache is so simple to make. I actually wrote a whole post about it here (which I plan to update soon, in fact. But it’ll do for now). It just takes two simple ingredients: chocolate and heavy cream. I usually nuke it in the microwave in 30 second increments until everything is warm and melty and stirs smooth. But it’s probably a little safer to make it over medium heat on the stove top if you don’t work with chocolate much, just to avoid burning or seizing it.

Rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and a decadent chocolate ganache on top!

Rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and a decadent chocolate ganache on top!

This cake is seriously a dream come true. You are going to be obsessed with it!!

Two layers of rich, chocolate Oreo cake with a fudgy chocolate buttercream and Oreo crumbles on top.

Cookies & Cream Chocolate Layer Cake Recipe

Two layers of rich, chocolate Oreo cake with a fudgy chocolate buttercream and Oreo crumbles on top.

Two layers of rich, chocolate Oreo cake with a fudgy chocolate buttercream and Oreo crumbles on top.

Today I’m bringing you a ridiculously indulgent chocolate cake filled with Oreos and chocolate buttercream and topped with even more cookies! It’s a chocolate cookie lover’s dream come true. And *omg*, saying that it’s GOOD doesn’t even begin to cover it.

This recipe combines my very favorite, ultimate go-to chocolate cake recipe with my favorite chocolate buttercream. So you know it’s going to be amazing.

An easy and delicious Cars birthday cake!

An easy and delicious Cars birthday cake!

In addition to being uber amazing, this cake was my chocoholic two-year-old son’s birthday cake this year.

Can I just take a second to say, what the what???? How on earth is my sweet baby two years old?! I know for a fact that I didn’t give him permission to get that old. Man, I miss my sweet little baby! ????

Annnnnnnnyway. Since it was his birthday cake, and the day was kind of crazy, I didn’t get around to taking pictures of the cake sliced. So you’ll have to make do with pictures of the outside of the cake and use your imagination a bit on the inside, so sorry!

It looks a lot like the slice of cake in this post. But picture more Oreos.

Two layers of rich, chocolate Oreo cake with a fudgy chocolate buttercream and Oreo crumbles on top.

Take my word for it, this cake is totally something you need in your life.

Enjoy!