Disastrously delicious Mango crunch cake

Mango is in season! 

Have I told yall that I hate to bake? I’m sure I say it in every single cake post. But this next disaster takes the cake (no pun intended…well…maybe a little). The flavors are on point, the texture on point, would I make it again yes, but with some serious changes.

Nutella stuffed french toast with coffee patron maple syrup

"Feast of Saint Valentine"

My French toast skills just keep growing and growing. I thought the crunchy pumpkin French toast was good, but “lord have massy”  this is yummy. The thick bread is stuffed with Nutella coated in a hazelnut and vanilla bean flavored batter, rolled in crispy corn flakes and fried in butter.  And instead of Aunt Jemima, we invited coffee patron to the party. This is the ultimate Valentine ’s Day breakfast for ya boo.

Ultimate nutella Chocolate Cake

"Feast of Saint Valentine"

I’m finally back from my cooking holiday and a day late as well. It’s another January and chocolate month is here once more. Let start things off with a yummy chocolate cake. This is not just any cake though! This is rich, decadent, chocolaty layers with Nutella frosting and topped with Ferrero rocher ….sigh…too epic not to try. 

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice-cream

Call me the Dairy Queen

This ice-cream will be the hit will all the cheesecake lovers out there. Unfortunately I am not one of them. I could never wrap my head around eating a large chunk of cheese and butter. I generally peel off the crust and eat that with a little strawberry topping. However as a cheesecake hater I will say this ice-cream is quite good.  The consensus from everyone who has tasted it is that it tastes exactly like cheesecake. I think it taste better.

Christmas Trifle

"Christmas is coming"

 Recently in Jamaica we had restaurant week November 14th to the 22nd. I made great use of the opportunity to taste as much as I could. I dined at Black orchid, Redbones, A-bar and Regency bar and lounge.  This post is inspired by a delicious dessert my mother and I had at Regency bar and lounge at Terra nova hotel; a perfectly chilled sweet trifle.

Strawberry shortcake-ish

Cake Cake Cake...

My family members are always the catalyst for recipe ideas. That cookie and cream ice-cream cake for my cousin, the entire vegetarian month was for my mom, and now this strawberry shortcake for my beloved little sister. Her middle name is “strawberry short cheesecake” because if there is anything she loves more than strawberry shortcake it would be cheesecake. Cheesecake I detest, but strawberry shortcake on the other hand can be delicious.

Black Forest Cake

Cake Cake Cake...
 

It’s a weird thing, but I don’t think Jamaican’s like chocolate cake as much as the rest of the world. I have really been observing it. I always pay close attention to several bakery display cases, the chocolate cake, or the chocolate anything is not always the most sold; it’s like the word ‘chocolate’ is a repellant. I have heard many persons say chocolate is to over powering, and even at church functions, we always have to order a vanilla cake, because most of the kids won’t eat the chocolate ones. At the bakery, the plain cake, marble cake, cheese cakes are the faster sellers. However there is one exception, and that is Black forest cake, I guess rum soaked chocolate cake is the way to get a Jamaican’s interest.

Louisiana crunch cake..Coconut cake at its best

Cake Cake Cake...
 
Louisiana crunch cake holds a special place next to my heart. When we were in college, our cafeteria (God bless their hearts) had a fully stocked Entenmann's case, cookies, cakes, pastries, donuts all payable by meal card. We murdered those boxes of chocolate chip cookies. It was here I was introduced to the heavenly flavor of a Louisiana crunch cake.

'Carrots n Cream'

Cake Cake Cake...
 
The only way to feel better about stuffing your face with cake is to make sure it’s a vegetable cake; I mean, that is what a carrot cake is? What sounds better than having a large, sweet slice of your daily serving of vegetable? What makes this even better is the lack of cream cheese icing, instead is a light refreshing dollop of whipped cream, rendering this cake totally guilt free.

Not your mothers Pineapple upside-down cupcake

Cake Cake Cake...

By now you all should know how much I love an upside down cupcake. I have tried blueberry and strawberry upside down cupcakes in the past. However the pineapple upside down is the most socially acceptable. Since I’m never one to follow rules and traditions I did the pineapple upside down my way.

Mochaccino Cupcakes

Cake Cake Cake...

Well greedy guys and gals it’s another year and another June, my birthday month. So I decided that a month of baking cakes and cupcakes is in order (let’s forget for a moment that baking is not my forte) I begin with chocolate, simple chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing, black on black. Well not too simple seeing as though I added coffee into the mix.

Mini Lemon Passion Cakes

Appetizing...

Can I just start by saying what a task it was to find passion fruits out of season? I managed to get four, two were ripe, and the other two are still in my kitchen.  That’s one thing about Jamaica; produce is extremely seasonal, whereas in NY I can almost get any fruit or veggie any time of the year (which may not be a good thing). However here in Jamaica, if it’s not the season, please prepare to go on the hunt and fork out top dollar when you do find it. At least the dessert I envisioned a few months ago is here in all its lemony passion filled glory. Crisis averted!

Egg nog Ice-cream

"Christmas is coming"

 So I recently just learned that my mother is not superwoman. My mother, sister and I were casually talking about the recipes I would be making for November. I mentioned egg nog ice-cream, then my sister and I began to regale her about how much we loved her egg nog as kids, and asking what’s her recipe, come to find out she purchased canned egg nog! All these years I was here thinking my mom made the best egg-nog, turns out its, store bought Ha Ha! Well it was quite the revelation; I began to wonder what other tricks she had up her sleeve.

Rum and raisin roll cake

"Christmas is coming".

In Jamaica rum is as synonymous with Christmas as that baby in a manger. Its in so many desserts and drinks that are consumed in the season; sorrel, black cake, egg-nog, and rum soaked raisins. The latter is a long standing Jamaican tradition. Households are always stocked with sealed containers full of raisins, prunes and currants soaking in rum from the previous year. There are two types of rum cake. The white rum cake (basically vanilla cake soaked in rum) and black cake or fruit cake, which is made with the addition of the blended rum soaked fruits (and then soaked in rum).

Pumpkin Rum Cake

  "Pumpkin Everythang”

It’s time for the dessert course 

Regardless of what anyone says, I absolutely love Paula Dean. She has always been one of my favorite cooking personalities on TV. I always love the chefs that give you recipes that tastes as delicious as they looks.  And with Paula, rest assured you can follow her recipes and be happy. Thanks to her we inducted a pumpkin bar recipe into our family, to us  its known as the pumpkin cake.

Strawberries are oh so Yummly

I interrupt Independence Month to bring you a....

Strawberry upside down cupcake with an orange butter cream filling

It’s been a long time since I have used strawberries to make a dessert, years actually. I tend to order strawberry desserts from restaurants but never actually make them. Interestingly enough they are one of the easiest to find in the grocery store, always stocked. Yet still, I tend to go for blue berries and apples. So today I am proud to say no blueberries were harmed in the making of this dessert. 

Vanilla bean, Grape-nut Ice-cream (NO EGGS)

Cookout and BBQ Season!

For the month of July my posts will be dedicated to summer foods. The food you can expect at every BBQ; Ice-creams, sorbets, grilling, potato salads, and sauces, all with my special twist of course.

So to kick off the month which also happens to be National ice-cream month (USA) let’s begin with an ice-cream recipe I have made countless times.  Vanilla bean, grape-nut ice-cream

Blueberry butter & Vanilla bean cream upside-down cupcakes

DISCLAIMER

If you are on a diet, trying to diet, want to diet or need to diet. This is not the recipe for you; it’s pure decadence, rich, sweet, heaven on a plate comfort food. So please check out a less fatty post…You have been warned.