The recipe for this cake came from the book, Southern Sugar [paid link], by Belinda Smith-Sullivan. I was given permission to share it from the publisher, Gibbs Smith.

When I bake recipes from cookbooks, I always want to change them. I wanted to reduce the sugar a little, add more pecans, and add spices other than the cardamom the recipe called for, but I’m so glad I left it exactly as it is written. It is a masterpiece. I can’t wait to try all of the other recipes in the book!

I grew up eating rustic, unfrosted cakes that got their flavor from fruit and nuts – think apple cake with fresh apples on top, banana cake (which I now make as banana cupcakes), and walnut sour cream coffee cake. We had an ever-present honey jar and Dad would sometimes forgo cake entirely for toasted nuts drenched in honey.

While we never had this particular pear cake, it tastes like home.

Cinnamon scones make a great breakfast with a cup of coffee, but they are also perfect for dessert. The flavor reminds me a lot of the cinnamon crunch bagel at Panera.

Ingredients

This recipe uses mostly baking basics like flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and cinnamon. The only unique ingredient you’ll need is cinnamon chips. You could leave the chips off and these cinnamon scones would still be great, but adding them gives you fun bursts of cinnamon sugar flavor throughout your bite.

Like my pumpkin cupcakes, this delicious dessert is one of the many reasons that I look forward to fall baking! It’s ideal for a festive treat in October or November!

Ingredients and Equipment

This recipe is made with pumpkin pie spices – cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg.

The good news is that with just a few ingredients you can make them yourself! Bonus – they only take a few minutes to prep. 

The texture of the homemade version is a little different from the ones you can buy. The store-bought chips [paid link] are smooth, almost waxy, while mine have a texture that more closely resembles wet sand. When they are melted in baked goods, they remain a little coarse (but it’s not unpleasant).

I love toasting s’mores around a campfire and this dessert makes me feel like I’m fireside! They are great for birthday parties and other gatherings. This recipe will teach you how to make s’mores at home in the form of yummy cupcakes!

Ingredients for S’mores Cupcakes

To make these, you’ll need:

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the amazing kitchens at Kakao Chocolate and to play at being a chocolatier for a day. This meant that I got to eat all of the chocolate that I wanted all day long – hello, sugar high!

One of the coolest things that these chocolate magicians taught me was how to make chocolate leaves. I’m excited to be able to share that with you!

This recipe was actually featured in Fine Cooking Magazine and their team did a ton of testing on it before sharing it. So, you don’t have to just take my word for it that it is a must-try!

It’s made with frozen cranberries and, because it’s an upside-down cake, it comes out beautifully every time without having to mess with frosting it.

This post was sponsored by Beko Appliances. Beko is the No. 1 appliance brand in Europe, but they are relatively new to the United States; they first launched in the U.S. in 2016.

To make the pie, use any store-bought or homemade pie crust. (I absolutely adore this this crust.) Top it with chocolate cake batter.