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The Aperol Spritz is my second favorite summertime cocktail (Palomas are firmly #1), and since I’m not a big drinker but I am a huge sweet tooth, I decided this cocktail needed to get the cheesecake treatment. Happy to report adding Aperol and Prosecco to a cheesecake is 100% something you need to try. It’s a light, fluffy, citrusy cheesecake that also happens to be adorned with a booze-laden chocolate ganache on top- because go big or go home when you’re trying to send off summer in favor of the best season ever.

Recipe and Instructions

I am all for a good dessert mashup. Brownie bottom cheesecake? Give me three slices. Chocolate chip brookies? I’m in. Basically, if there is a way to turn two desserts into one, I absolutely have to have it. So when I felt like having an apple pie the other day but also kinda wanted cake, I thought, why not both? I didn’t want my diet to get too dicey with this mashup, so I brought in my secret baking weapon: Empowrd Foods gluten free protein pancake mix. Because apple pie pancakes are also something that would be 100% golden delish, I’m sure I’ll be trying that soon, too. Until then, a fluffy, vanilla-flavored cupcake with cinnamon whipped frosting and baked diced apples will just have to do…

If you’re new here, I am positively obsessed with Shark Week. It’s like back-to-back Christmas mornings for seven days straight in this house. Being positively jaw-esome apex predators, sharks get misconstrued as being terrible man eaters, but more people die each year from mosquito bites than shark bites…don’t get me started on how evil those little winged devils are. Sharks are fascinating creatures that predate trees and even the dinosaurs. They deserve a whole week to be celebrated…and what better way to celebrate than with cake! Or in this case, a cheesecake. Topped with a Jell-o ocean and a shiver of sharks on top. Yes, a group of sharks is known as a shiver. See, you’re already learning more about how fintastic sharks are.

Recipe and Instructions

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I know gin is one of those polarizing liquors people either love or hate. In my opinion, if you hate it, you’re just drinking the wrong brand of gin. I’ve had some truly terrible gins that tasted like the hanging tree air fresheners you’d find in a 96 Toyota Corolla, so I get the gin stigma. But when you find a good brand of junipery deliciousness, that, my friends, is when life be-gins. And what better way to have gin than with a splash of tonic and some lime?

I had a moment of gin-ius several weeks ago when I made my husband’s birthday cupcakes gin and tonic flavored, but I hated how the decoration turned out, so I didn’t want to share subpar sprinkles with the world. Instead, I opted to make this recipe again, but as a giant lime slice of a cake. Sure, my husband may be away for work right now, but I am a strong gin-dependent woman who needs no man to help her finish an entire boozy cake (hi, Mom, I know you must be so proud of me right now). Since I’m not a total maniac, it’s a really macro-friendly cake for a boozy cake. A single slice will only set you back 200 calories (12 slices total). I’ll have you know that’s exactly how many calories are in the standard, liquid version of a gin and tonic, but this has twice the comfort and warm tinglies because it’s cake (scienctific fact).

I hadn’t even had a sip of the gin, I swear. But, you need:

• 1 box of gluten free yellow cake mix (or regular if not gluten free)
• 3 eggs
• 113 grams (1/2 cup) fat free Greek yogurt
• 2.5 fl. oz (1/4 cup + 2 TBS; about 3 large limes) of lime juice
• 4 fl. oz (1/2 cup) GOOD gin (Aviation or Botanist are both very smooth)
• 2.5 fl. oz (1/4 cup + 2 TBS) Zevia tonic or preferred brand of tonic water (Zevia is sugar free)

Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and bake even strips. Add all eggs, yogurt, and liquids into a stand mixer, whisking on low for one minute before switching to the paddle attachment and adding the cake mix. Blend on medium high for two minutes. Pour batter evenly into each pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. A toothpick should come out of the center of the cake with a few crumbs. Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting.

Let cakes cool completely before frosting unless you’re 5 G&Ts deep and don’t care if things look messy (no judgement). To make the yogurt cream cheese frosting, you need:

• 225 grams (8 ounces) of 1/3 the fat cream cheese, softened
• 226 grams (1 cup) of fat free Greek yogurt, strained overnight to remove moisture
• 16 ounces (4 cups) Lakanto powdered monkfruit or regular powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp citric acid (helps balance out the sweetness)
• 1-2 TBS gin
• 1/2 TBS tonic water
• 1-2 TBS lime juice
• Lime and leaf green gel dyes
• Unused sponges
• Three #16 or #18 piping tips

Whip the cream cheese and yogurt with a paddle attachment in your stand mixer until fluffy, about three minutes. Add in half the monkfruit, citric acid, one tablespoon of gin, and the extract. Blend well, then scrape the bowl before adding the remaining monkfruit, lime, and tonic; mix at this point and then taste test. If you want a stronger gin flavor, add another TBS of gin; if you want a stronger lime flavor, add a TBS of lime juice.

To assemble, you just need to slather a layer of plain white frosting on top of a cooled cake layer, then add the second layer (I always place them face down so the smooth surface on the bottom of the cake is now on top). Smooth out any excess that pops out of the sides before slathering the top and sides with white frosting. Pop this in the freezer to set for 15 minutes while you finish dying frosting. Take your remaining frosting and divide up. You will need one bag of plain white frosting with a #16 or #18 tip, and then split the remaining frosting in half. Dye one half lime green and the other half leaf green. I know a #21 tip is pictured above, but it was way too big. I ended up using #18 tips for the white and leaf green and a #16 tip for the lime green.

I took a toothpick to the top of my chilled cake and divided the top into 8 sections/lime wedges. Then I came in with the darker green and outlined each wedge.

Then I came in and piped white stars inside of this dark green border.

Then I finished by piping the lime green in the middle of the segment. Just repeat this around the rest of the top to finish your lime slice look.

Once you finish with the lime topper, now comes the hard part. Waiting. You want the side of the cake to be close to frozen before you paint on it. I popped my cake in the freezer for an hour and half. You could pass the time with a liquid G&T if so inclined, because the painting can 100% be done sloppy.

To paint the rind, you’ll need another clear liquor that doesn’t disappoint: vodka! Yeah, we’re kinda turning it into a martini at this point, but the vodka will evaporate off, so you won’t be able to taste it. Not sure if this would work with more gin, but be my guest. In two small bowls, pour a tablespoon of vodka in each. In one bowl, drop one teeny drop of lime gel dye and mix. In the second bowl, drop a few drops of lime gel dye and mix. Grab some brand new, never before touched, never seen the inside of a cup sponges and cut into small squares.

I highly recommend grabbing some latex or kitchen gloves you don’t mind dying green. You could forgo the gloves–gin and bear it, if you will–but you will 100% look like you strangled Shrek for at least a week. Dip a clean sponge into the darker green, wring out, then gently pat the sponge on the side of the cold cake. Make a few passes; doesn’t have to be pretty. Then come back in with a new section of sponge dipped in the lighter green, and pat over the darker color and into any places without color. This will give a bumpy texture like the outside of an actual lime.

Now, place this into the fridge for at least an hour before serving to allow the dye to set and the vodka to evaporate into thin air, like my hopes of making it through the summer without getting too sweaty.

Okay, truly, I am trying to keep my gin up, but it’s SO HOT. Thankfully, this cake is INCREDIBLY REFRESHING. I can’t have more than one actual G&T at a time, but I can eat this cake for days. It is sooo soft; the fizz of the tonic gives the sponge a lighter than air texture, the lime a nice bit of tartness, and then gin…so smooth. It comes last of all the flavors when taking a bite, but it is worth the wait. Even if you’re not a gin fan, you’d probably still love this cake. It isn’t overpowered with “Christmas tree” flavor, I promise. Much like my gin-credible wit, I do realize gin is typically an acquired taste, but in cake form, it is truly for the masses as a refreshing summer treat. ‘Til next time, my fellow eaters!

Recipe & Instructions

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June is almost over already? Julyin! Usually, I’m making a birthday cake for my husband this weekend since he’s an end of June baby, but he decided (read: work made him) he’d rather go hang out in the Southern Hemisphere for his birthday, so I was left with no birthday to bake for…except for America’s! It’s been a few years since I’ve busted out the red, white, and blue luster dust, and well, since I have an absolute sprinkle addiction and was probably a sparkler in a previous life, I knew it was time to shine….

I do hate when the hubs has to be away for work, but I try to look for the silver linings: I can binge watch six seasons of The Great British Bake Off in two days, I can go to bed at 8 p.m., and I can make and eat so, SO much chocolate cake (he’s not a fan). So this red, white, and blue cake painted with luster dust fireworks on top is quite literally the fudgiest chocolate cake of all time. And I don’t even have to share…so it’s a good thing each slice is only 281 calories a *pop.* It’s more like the Fork of July in my house…I realize it’s still June, but when you’re content creating for Instagram and Pinterest, you live life several delicious weeks in advance.

To make a fudgy cake that anyone who hates chocolate would never dare go near you need:

• 1 box of King Arthur’s gluten free chocolate cake mix (or regular chocolate ke mix if not gluten free)
• 4 eggs
• 152 grams (2/3 cup) fat free Greek yogurt (this is what makes the fudge factor)
• 1 1/3 cup skim or fat free milk

Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare three 6-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and bake even strips. Add all eggs, yogurt, and milk into a stand mixer, whisking on low for one minute before switching to the paddle attachment and adding the cake mix. Blend on medium high for two minutes. Pour batter evenly into each pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. A toothpick should come out of the center of the cake with a few crumbs. Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting.

I went with my usual yogurt cream cheese frosting to save on calories, but a traditional American Buttercream would be perfect (and, well, patriotic) with this chocolate cake. To make the yogurt cream cheese frosting, you need:

• 225 grams (8 ounces) of 1/3 the fat cream cheese, softened
• 226 grams (1 cup) of fat free Greek yogurt, strained overnight to remove moisture
• 16 ounces (4 cups) Lakanto powdered monkfruit or regular powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp citric acid (helps balance out the sweetness)
• 1-2 TBS milk
• Red and navy gel dyes
• Silver or gold star sprinkles
• Red, white or silver, and bright blue luster dust
• Food safe paint brushes

Whip the cream cheese and yogurt with a paddle attachment in your stand mixer until fluffy, about three minutes. Add in half the monkfruit, citric acid, one tablespoon of milk, and the extract. Blend well, then scrape the bowl before adding the remaining monkfruit and one more tablespoon of milk. To assemble, you just need to slather a layer of buttercream on top of a cooled cake layer, then add another layer (I always place them face down so the smooth surface on the bottom of the cake is now on top), then place the final layer on top. Smooth out any excess that pops out of the sides.

Now, divide your remaining frosting. Put a third of the plain white frosting into a piping bag and set aside. Split the remaining frosting into two bowls; dye one red and the other navy. Place each into their own piping bags as well; no tips needed. I wanted the top of the cake to be a dark night sky, so I started on the bottom of my cake with the bag filled with red frosting. I snipped the tip and drew red circles around the cake up to the end of the first layer of cake.

Now, I realize this looks like a disaster, but I promise things will get cleaned up. Take the white frosting bag, and draw circles around the middle layer of the cake.

Take the navy bag of frosting, and pipe around the top layer and on the top of the actual cake. You will want to make sure your cake is on a turn table at this point if it isn’t already. Grab your bench scraper, plastic scraper, any device that can make big, clean passes around the cake.

Simply make a pass around the cake with the scraper pressed closely to the side while turning the cake table. Once you’ve gone fully around the cake once, stop, and clean off your scraper. Make another pass, clean off the scraper again, and continue this process until you’ve smoothed out your frosting and your three color layers have come together. There will be a little bleeding onto the white, but it gives off a ~vintage vibe~ that our Founding Fathers would have probably been super into, so it’s all good. Now, place your cake in the freezer for 45-60 minutes. Once the frosting has firmed up a little, you can come in with a Viva paper towel pressed gently on the sides of the cake and use your hand to smooth any weird bumps. Repeat with a new towel each time you need to do this so more color doesn’t transfer. You can also do this on the top of the cake.

To paint the fireworks, you need to take 1/2 a teaspoon of luster in a small bowl (I have these little sauce-sized containers that were perfect), and then mix in 1/2 a teaspoon of clear vanilla extract; the mixture should be thick like syrup, so add more luster if needed. You can use any clear extract, really, just make sure the flavor compliments the frosting and cake. You can also use vodka (it evaporates), but in what I will now refer to as The Great Mystery of 2023, we somehow have not a drop of vodka to be found anywhere in this house, and I swear, I had nothing to do with it.

To make the fireworks, just take a clean paintbrush, dip it into one color of luster mix, and dot little explosions on the cake top. Then come in with another paintbrush dipped into another color of luster mix, and accent with little dots between the original color. I will say my paintbrushes were nowhere near small enough, so the top of the cake is kind of a “We accidentally set off all the fireworks at once,” explosion and not a “Oohhh, ahhhh,” experience. I finished off with a dusting of silver star sprinkles.

It is perfect? No. Is it cake? Yes. So you better believe it’s getting eaten.

Look, this cake lights up my life. It took all of 30 minutes to go from blank canvas to completely decorated minus the time it needs to chill in the freezer. It would make any and all sparklers look foolish at your 4th of July backyard BBQs. It’s heavenly chocolate fudge and tangy cream cheese frosting. It’s so decadent and sweet, the Brits would totally hate it, so essentially, it’s the perfect cake to celebrate the most American of holidays. Bonus- if you’re busy eating this cake, there’s way less of a chance of losing a digit to firework accidents…unless you’re trying to steal the last bite from someone else’s plate, then you’re 100% bound to be spending time in the ER due to fork-related hand injuries. ‘Til next time, my fellow eaters!

Recipe & Instructions

Bust out of your shell and try this absolutely divine pistachio pie. Perfect for summer- it’s light, airy, and just the right amount of sweet. An absolutely refreshing treat to rival even ice cream…yeah, I went there (nuts, I know, but really, it’s a great pie). It takes about 5 minutes to put together, and if you use a premade pie crust, it’s also a no-bake option…and a no-brainer to bring to all your summer gatherings.

Don’t get me tarted on how much I hate warm weather. I’d rather be layered in flannel, dashing through the snow, and enjoying ambient temperatures as cold as my heart. But here we are, early in May, with the sun trying to strike me down at every opportunity. But when life gives you lemons (or heat exhaustion) and all…it’s time to juice them and turn them into the world’s most refreshing, heat-beating dessert ever: mini lemon cheesecakes! Squeeze the day with this amazing recipe- tart and sweet cheesecake with dreamy cookie crust.

I ain’t dandy-lyin’ when I say I have a new favorite springtime cupcake flavor: gluten free key lime. They are light, springy, and full of lime flavor. Between the fresh squeezed lime juice in the cupcakes and also in the cream cheese frosting, these are some of the most refreshing cupcakes I’ve ever tried. I wanted a vibrant color palette to go along with my lime-colored cakes, so I decided to pipe some fun and super colorful flowers on top with a different technique than a standard petal tip. Sometimes I am all oopsie and no daisy, but luckily, these cupcakes turned out exactly how I’d hoped…which is great because I’ve been known to have a violet streak when things don’t go as planned. However, everything is a-bouquet, and these cupcakes are truly sublime. Read on to get the quick recipe and piping tutorial video!

Pied like to thank the phrase, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” for making this sugar free, gluten free caramel cream pie possible. I absolutely adore caramel, but hate consuming a ton of sugar, which is essentially 90% of what makes up caramel (the other 10% belong to butter and heavy whipping cream, so truly, no redeeming factors in caramel). I try to eat a lower sugar diet to keep my cholesterol level in check (aging is so much fun), so I wanted to try out my sugar free caramel recipe in a cream pie. I was hoping it would work out okay, and I am very happy to report it’s so okay, I might eat this pie every day for the rest of my life. It is light, it is airy, and its caramely. If every pie could taste this good without any added sugar, the world would be a better place.

Get egg-cited!!! It’s Cadbury egg baking season! Y’all, mini Cadbury eggs are positively dangerous. It’s a 1-pound bag of M&M’s on flavor steroids, essentially. I knew I wanted to make a few recipes with these delicious little devils, and I figured what better way to start than with the world’s chocolatiest cake? No bunny better lay a finger on this baby; it’s so good, I refuse to share…you’ll just have to whip up your own. If you’re into incredibly tender and moist chocolate cake decadence, grab the details below, and hop to it! This is seriously the softest, most flavorful chocolate cake I’ve ever made without the help of Baileys…

Looking for an easy way to make a cake look fancy and neat? Grab some of these Wilton cake combs! I used the second comb pictured, the right side of the comb, to achieve the look above. You should be able to find these at a craft store as well.