Postres on Pics and Cakes

Chocolate and caramel cake with banana and crunchy cereal layer

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 12:07:11 +0000

This time I wanted to make a chocolate cake that didn't have a super intense pure-chocolate flavor, since some of my taste-testers aren't huge fans of that level of intensity. The banana filling won me over as a way to balance out all that sweetness, and the crunchy layer adds a bit of joy to creamy desserts.

The recipe is from Ettore Cioccia, although I made several changes to the filling and decoration because I wanted to use up ingredients I had at home and try out some new things. So here's my version of this delicious cake — I hope you like it. It's not a complicated cake, but it does have several components and requires patience and planning to give yourself enough time, considering all the chilling/freezing times involved.

Strawberry Petit Suisse

Thu, 04 Jun 2015 19:52:43 +0000

For many of you, this is probably a childhood memory, and I bet that every once in a while you get tempted to buy them again and eat two in a row without your mom scolding you. Well, if I tell you that you can make them at home and that the size is up to you, I think you should already be on your way out to buy some good ripe strawberries.

Estonian Kringle

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 19:00:44 +0000

It’s not just that it seems like we haven’t published anything in ages — it’s actually true… almost three months without any blog action on PiC! The summer has been a bit hectic but here we are, back and loaded with new finger-licking recipes. Today I’m bringing you a recipe that could be considered the Nordic roscón de Reyes, and some say its shape is reminiscent of pretzels and the dough is brioche-style. In short, a sweet wonder we pulled from a Thermomix magazine but made without one to prove that any recipe is adaptable.

Chocolate and Salted Caramel Tart

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:07:25 +0000

Even though putting the words ‘caramel’ and ‘salted’ together in the same phrase sounds weird, it’s a delicious combination that I tried for the first time thanks to French delicatessens. So as soon as I saw this recipe on La receta de la felicidad I couldn’t resist giving it a go, and I knew it’d be a guaranteed success. Even those weird beings who aren’t crazy about chocolate end up liking it, thanks to the crunchy bite of the crust and the creaminess of the filling. So what are you waiting for to try it?

Petal Cake

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:46:18 +0000

We’ve had this recipe pending for a few days now, but since in the meantime we published our Whole Kitchen challenges, it had to be pushed back to this week. And well, what better week for a birthday cake… :-D I made the recipe following exactly the one @SandeeA did at La Receta de la Felicidad. So all credit for the explanation this time goes to her. My personal touch was just the little sugar bear.

Baklava

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 23:42:44 +0000

Whole kitchen, for their Sweet Proposal for the month of November, invites us to prepare a Persian classic: Baklava. Apparently this little pastry has its origins in ancient Mesopotamia, although several cultures and civilizations are still fighting over who actually invented it. Persian, Greek or Arab — it’s delicious. This time we’ve made two versions: one with dates and toasted almonds, and another with hazelnuts and chocolate. Filo pastry is a wonder of the kitchen that you really have to try, both for sweet and savory.

Doughnuts

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:25:55 +0000

I think this is hands-down one of the best culinary discoveries I’ve made in my life. As unbelievable as it sounds, the flavor is really close to the store-bought ones — the dough is super fluffy, it doesn’t feel greasy like some bakery doughnuts, and the chocolate glaze is simply magnificent. The only problem is that they’re highly addictive… I’m warning you: once you try them, you’ll want to make them again and again. But hey, I think it’s worth it.

Brownie

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:12:10 +0000

Whole Kitchen’s Sweet Proposal for October invites us to make an American classic: brownies

And what a treat, seriously. I’ve made dozens of brownies in my life and I have to confess I almost always pull out a different recipe and they all turn out delicious. The secret is that a brownie is a compact but fluffy cake (sometimes even moist), since it usually doesn’t have any leavening and therefore doesn’t rise. I read somewhere that the brownie was actually discovered thanks to someone forgetting to add the leavening to a chocolate cake. All I can say is… blessed mistake!

Piononos

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:11:42 +0000

Whole kitchen, in their Sweet Proposal for September, invites us to make a Spanish classic: “Piononos”. And honestly, this challenge made me really happy because I think these little pastries are an absolute delight. I’d actually come across them before, though under the popular nickname ‘Vicksvaporub’ at Confitería Rufino in Aracena. Apparently they’re typical of Granada, and legend has it they got their name because they were made in honor of Pope Pius IX. Of course, like with every recipe, the origin and authorship are still up for debate, but whoever made them first, these little pastries are wonderful.

Shortcrust Pastry Cookies

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:05:45 +0000

On one of my regular visits to the La Receta de la Felicidad blog, I came across this recipe for express cookies. In my case they weren’t quite so express since I decided to make the shortcrust pastry myself instead of buying it. In any case, the idea of the woven cookies is striking for how simple it is and how pretty they look, so you have no excuse not to try them.

Cake Pops

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 10:57:35 +0000

Or pop cakes. Any name works for these little lollipop-shaped treats stuffed with cake. The original idea is to use up the trimmings from a cake you’ve made for something else, or one that didn’t turn out pretty enough — so you don’t feel bad destroying it (literally).

What do we need?

```
 Cake*
```
```
 Cream cheese
```
```
 Chocolate for melting
```

 Chocolate sprinkles, colored sprinkles, crushed nuts, colored sugar...

```
 Lollipop sticks
```

Buttercream: