Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

I’m a big fan of making cake recipes from scratch. While box mixes are convenient, you just can’t beat the taste of a dessert that is truly homemade. They’re just so much better!

Soft and amazingly tender, perfectly sweet, deliciously indulgent, this cake is everything you could want in a yellow cake and more. Plus it's easy to prepare!

Its tantalizing flavor will leave you convinced this homemade cake is the only way to go. No matter the occasion, this moist yellow cake recipe is always a crowd pleaser.

With its homestyle sweet vanilla flavor, paired with that sophisticated rich chocolate flavor atop, it is destined to impress. This cake proves that sometimes it's the simplest things that are the best!

What Is Honey Cake? 

The origins of honey cake recipes can be traced all the way back to ancient Egyptian and Roman cultures. In its first stages, the dessert is believed to have been made out of honey and mashed yeast or barley.

During the 12th century, it was developed into a dessert similar to what we make today thanks to bakers in Italy. Soon, it was adopted by the Jewish culture and quickly became a custom surrounding the study of the Torah. 

Over time, the cake has been incorporated into a wide variety of cultures across the globe and can be found in many different variations. In fact, it is the dessert that spurred the creation of gingerbread. However, no matter how it is made, honey cake always comes together with a simple, spiced batter that is naturally sweetened. 

Soft, sweet, and incredibly tender, it’s one dessert that truly stands the test of time and remains a favorite in many homes, including our own! 

What Are Blondies? 

A truly mouthwatering dessert, blondies are often confused with brownies and are even sometimes called blondie brownies. To be clear, blondies and brownies are not the same things, but they do have similar ingredients. 

Both desserts are made with a base of sugar, butter, eggs, and flour. However, blondies do not contain cocoa powder, which is a key contributor to any good brownie recipe. Instead, the star of the show in blondie recipes is browned butter which is made with butter and brown sugar.  

As a result, blondies have a rich, indulgent flavor and a soft, slightly chewy texture. They’re typically baked into bars and often contain a variety of different mix-ins. You’ll find white chocolate chips and walnuts in this easy blondie recipe.

No matter how you prepare and serve them, blondies are truly a unique dessert that is perfect for every occasion from holiday parties to afternoon snacks. 

Blondie Recipe Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: I use unbleached flour although bleached would be fine. I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but it should work with a 1:1 alternative. Please let us know how it turns out if you do. 

• Salt: Regular table salt works well here. 

• Baking soda: There's just a hint of this used in the recipe for a denser bar, similar to a brownie. You can increase to 1/2 tsp for a fluffier blondie.

• Unsalted butter: I recommend using unsalted butter to avoid overpowering the flavor but salted can be used as long as you reduce the amount of extra salt included. 

• Light brown sugar: This is used to create browned butter, creating the distinct, decadent flavor blondies are known for having. 

• Eggs: These help provide structure to the recipe, allowing the bars to hold their shape. I haven’t tested these blondies with any vegan substitutes. I’m not sure how well it would work since most of them tend to require a lot of liquid. 

• Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract and not imitation varieties. 

• White chocolate chips: Include whatever brand you like best.
• Walnuts: Although optional, these provide a nice crunch to offset the delicate texture of the blondie bars.

How To Make The Best Blondie Recipe

1. Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 baking dish, arrange parchment paper on top and butter the paper liberally before setting the dish aside. 
2. Whisk dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until smooth. 
3. Brown butter: Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and melt it in the microwave. Set it aside to slightly cool. Then, stir in the brown sugar. 
4. Mix wet ingredients: Add the eggs and vanilla to the bowl with the butter sugar mixture. Break the yolks with a spoon, and stir just until the ingredients are combined. 
5. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gently pour the flour mixture into the bowl of wet ingredients, and stir just until they’re smooth. 
6. Fold in extras: Mix the white chocolate chips and walnuts into the blondies batter, distributing them evenly. 
7. Bake: Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish, and bake until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes.
8. Serve: Set your white chocolate chip blondies aside to cool before slicing and serving. 

Possible Variations

• Use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips if preferred.  
• Replace the walnuts with chopped hazelnuts, pecans, or almonds. 
• Sprinkle in pieces of a candy bar. 
• Add butterscotch or toffee chips. 
• Top with colorful sprinkles before baking.

Helpful Tips 

• Avoid over-mixing: For the best blondies recipe, it’s imperative that you mix the ingredients just until they are smooth and no streaks remain. Continuing to stir will overwork the gluten in the flour causing the blondies to become tough and dense once baked. 

• Keep an eye on the oven: Blondies are a bit temperamental, and every oven bakes differently. Given that we want the center to still be slightly gooey, it can be difficult to judge when blondies are done baking. For the best taste and texture, remove them from the oven as soon as the top looks set, and insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, they’re done. If it’s coated with batter, pop the baking dish back in the oven for a few extra minutes. 

• Cool completely: It can be tempting to dig in right away, but it’s important to allow enough time for the blondies to cool and set completely so they don’t fall apart. 

How long do white chocolate chip blondies last?

• Transfer cooled white chocolate chip blondies to an airtight container. 
• Store them at room temperature for up to 3 days.  

Should you refrigerate blondies? 

It’s not necessary to keep them fresh, but refrigerating leftover blondies can help extend their shelf-life, allowing them to last for up to 1 week. 

Can I freeze them? 

• Yes, kept in a freezer-safe container, blondies can be frozen for up to 3 months. 
• I like to slice the bars and wrap them individually or place a piece of parchment paper between them to prevent them from sticking together before transferring them to a sealable bag or container. 
• To eat, let frozen blondies thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, enjoy them cold, set them out to come to room temperature, or warm them up for a few seconds in the microwave. 

More Crowd-Pleasing Dessert Bar Recipes To Try

• Nanaimo Bars

• Sugar Cookie Bars 

• Peanut Butter Bars

• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars 

• Banana Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting 

• Carmelitas 

Homemade Fried Bread

This fry bread recipe is a family favorite recipe! It's one of those comfort foods that reminds me of my mom's dinners growing up since we always had these in the rotation and I always looked forward to them.

Some people refer to these as "Indian fry bread" but there's a bit of confusion around this and they are more correctly known as Navajo fry bread since they were a created by Native American's.

These are very quick and easy to make from scratch, and they use ingredients you likely already have on hand. The dough is a breeze to mix up, you only need a shaggy rough dough here. No mixer and no kneading required.

You'll love how fluffy they are, and even though they are made with the simplest of ingredients they have undeniably delicious flavor!

What I recommend is making a double batch because people will be wanting them for the main dish for Navajo tacos and extras for dessert finished with honey butter.

I think everyone will agree they are completely irresistible in every way - especially when they are still warm!

Homemade Banana Pudding

This banana pudding recipe has it all. The pudding is made with half and half for richness, egg yolks and cornstarch for a sure thickening, just the right amount of sweetness, and to fancy it up we add a vanilla bean and fresh grated nutmeg for flavor.

Then it includes a generous amount of just ripened bananas, and of course those simple but ever so nostalgic store-bought vanilla wafers. And no baking required.

It's as good as it gets!

This is a year round dessert that's perfect for a holiday celebration, a welcome addition to a weekend dinner, or just because you want a treat yourself kind of indulgence today.

Serve it up laid back casserole style in a baking dish or make it more elegant and serve in individual tumblers or dessert cups.

Have family or friends help with this fun layered cooking project that once complete is amazingly refreshing and satisfying with each and every bite!

These recipes are inspired by my ever so popular edible cookie dough recipes (without raw eggs or flour), check them out here!

Homemade Cookie Cakes

When I set out to create this recipe I was originally just going to go with the classic chocolate chip cake. But of course I couldn't stop there because who doesn't love multiple options?

The chocolate chip version is chewy and buttery and tastes just like a classic chocolate chip cookie with a chocolate frosting upgrade swirling around the edges.

If you are a chocolate fan the double chocolate cookie cake is for you. It's made with rich Dutch cocoa, has a tempting fudgy texture and it's not just made with a chocolate base. It's also dotted with chocolate chips and finished with a decadent chocolate frosting.

And if you are a chewy and sweet sugar cookie fan and love sprinkles the funfetti sugar cookie cake is the one you'll love.

These are such a fun change from the classic fluffy cake for a birthday and people of all ages will enjoy them, because who doesn't love cookies?

What are Cowboy Cookies?

We are all familiar with the classic chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, sugar cookies and snickerdoodles but what exactly are cowboy cookies?

They are a cookie similar to oatmeal cookies as they include oats but what makes them unique is that they also include additions of shredded coconut, chocolate chips, pecans and cinnamon.

Some say they were created and attained their name in being a a good pack along cookie that held up well in a saddlebag, while others believe they originated in Texas and are named after the cowboys.

People of all ages love these cookies and they are a welcome change from the traditional cookies with one main flavor. These are tempting blend of so many cookies in one!

What's not to love about these highly textural cookies? It's a decadent cookie brimming to the max with all the best things!

The custard is baked in individual dishes in a water-bath after which it's chilled to set, and for the crowning finish it's sprinkled with plain sugar and melted with a hot flame to caramelize.

What is Creme Brûlée?

Crème brûlée is a French dessert that literally means "burnt cream," as it is a custard with a hard caramelized sugar shell coating the top. The contrasting layers make it one of my favorite dessert recipes out there.

It is generally made in individual dishes called "ramekins" and served chilled. And it can be made in various flavors but the classic mostly commonly found variation is vanilla.

Dessert really just doesn't get any better than this! To crack through that incredibly crisp, perfectly golden brown, candy-like shell into a decadent, silky smooth custard is supreme dessert bliss.

This is proof that sometimes the simplest ingredients can create the ultimate recipes.

This dramatic dessert may seem intimidating to make but it really is quite easy. Just follow this method and you can't go wrong.

Love white chocolate vanilla bean treats? Also try my triple layer Vanilla Bean Cheesecake (with Mousse!). It's easily one of my all time favorite desserts!

The BEST White Hot Chocolate

I'd dare say this velvety drink is the BEST white hot chocolate! Far better than any mix you'll by, better than what you'll get at a local shop, and yes even better than Starbucks white hot chocolate.

It's company-worthy and loved by people of all ages. And you wouldn't believe how easy it is to make.

Plus it only requires 4 ingredients (along with a pinch of salt), and it's perfectly customizable (see some fun ideas below).

It's also an unexpected and welcome change from the classic chocolate flavored hot chocolate.

You can also double or triple the recipe for a bigger crowd, just use a pot instead of a saucepan.

What more could you want on a chilly winter day than this warm, inviting, vanilla bean flecked white hot chocolate?

The Best Ricotta Cookies Recipe!

Our favorite ricotta cookies! They're easy to make and they're always consistently delicious.

They're so good that you can never stop at just one.

The ricotta cookie dough can be made two days in advance so it's a great make ahead recipe. Plus it makes a huge batch of cookies so they're great for celebrations and gifting.

You'll love their lightly lemony flavor, the melt-in-your-mouth texture and that sweet and simple icing finish. And if you want a little contrast finish them with crunchy sugar sprinkles which also adds a pretty and festive pop of color.