Easy Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel)

Fresh, crisp, and warmly spiced, this Easy Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel) is fancy enough for the most elaborate menu, yet simple enough for any night of the year.

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

What could be more perfect than Apple Strudel? (Or, as my high school German teacher Frau Müller would say, Apfelstrudel.) Fresh, crisp, and warmly spiced, this Easy Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel) is fancy enough for the most elaborate Oktoberfest menu, yet simple enough for any night of the year.

Strudel is an Austrian-inspired layered pastry dessert that is enjoyed around the world. Making strudel pastry from scratch is talent I have yet to master: the delicate dough must be rolled so thin that you can read a newspaper through it. So while some traditionalists may cringe at the idea of using store-bought phyllo dough, I embrace it.

Not only do I love the flaky, paper-thin crunch that the phyllo lends to the finished pastry, but the substitution makes this Easy Apple Strudel recipe incredibly easy, and (nearly) foolproof.

What kind of apples work best for apple strudel?

Good strudel starts with choosing the right apples. My preference when making strudel (or pie, or applesauce) is to use at least two types of apples: this improves the texture and makes the flavors more interesting.

For apple strudel, I usually go with a tart baking apple and a sweet or sweet-tart apple. (The strudel pictured here was made with a mixture of two-thirds Granny Smith apples, and one-third Jonagolds.)

Post Updated December 9, 2020 (Originally published October 8, 2014)

Easy Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel)

Made with phyllo dough and fresh apples, this Easy Apple Strudel {Apfelstrudel} is fancy enough for the most elaborate Oktoberfest menu, yet simple enough for any night of the year.

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time50 mins

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: German

Keyword: apples

Servings: servings

Calories: 291kcal

Author: Renée | The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

1½ pounds thinly sliced baking apples about 5 cups | i.e.,Jonagold, Granny Smith, etc.
¾ cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest zest of one lemon
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ cup almonds ground
1 ½ cups fresh breadcrumbs
1¼ cups butter divided
12 leaves phyllo pastry thawed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare Apple Strudel Filling

Heat a small skillet over medium heat.
Melt ¼ cup of the butter, and then add breadcrumbs.
Saute breadcrumbs in melted butter until toasty.
Set aside.
Mix together sliced apples, raisins, lemon zest, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and ground almonds.
It is very important that you do this immediately before you assemble the strudels. Do not allow the mixture to set after mixing, or it will become too juicy for the delicate phyllo leaves before the strudel bakes.

Assemble Apple Strudel

Place one phyllo leaf on a kitchen towel and brush with melted butter.
Sprinkle with about a tablespoon of breadcrumbs.
Place a second leaf on top and brush with butter again.
Sprinkle with a tablespoon of breadcrumbs.
Repeat until 6 leaves have been used.
Spread filling in a 3-inch strip along the narrow end of the phyllo, leaving a 2-inch border on the sides.
Lift towel and use it to help you roll up the strudel.
Press the ends down to seal. (I don't worry too much about this - some filling may come out, but it always turns out fine.)
Brush top of the strudel with butter and sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs.
Repeat to make the second strudel.
Bake the strudels at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned.

Notes

This recipe makes two large strudels.

Nutrition

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Oom-PahPah! More German Recipes!

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Classic Fresh Blueberry Pie

August 6 By Renée 8 Comments

Our simple, classic fresh blueberry pie recipe lets the blueberry flavors shine! Made with our homemade sweet pie crust (or store-bought crust) and fresh (or frozen) berries, this delicious pie pairs perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a hot summer night.

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

There really isn’t anything quite like a slice of fresh blueberry pie with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream on a hot summer evening.

Our blueberry bushes yielded a bumper crop this year, and I’ve been freezing and baking up berries – including blueberry pies of all shapes and sizes – for a few weeks now. I’d forgotten how much I love baking with fresh blueberries!

As I was developing this blueberry pie recipe, I compared the results against my memories of the best blueberry pie I’ve ever eaten; decades ago at a little boat-in family restaurant called Harmony Falls on the shore of Spirit Lake, at the foot of Mount St. Helens. (Needless to say, it’s been awhile.)

We couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome of this pie recipe! The filling is sweet, tart, juicy blueberry bliss; and the flaky, tender, slightly sweetened crust adds the perfect finishing touch.

Whether it’s been decades or days since you last ate a slice, this fresh blueberry pie will bring back memories of pies-gone-by like they happened yesterday. You are going to love it!

How many blueberries do I need for this pie?

Reality: This is how I measure berries for a pie.

For the purposes of this post, I weighed the berries I used so I could give an exact measurement in the recipe. (About 42 ounces for a deep dish, and 21 ounces for a standard single pie.)

However, if you fill you pie pan(s) so that the top rounds up just a bit, you will have the exact right amount for your pie. The rest of the ingredient amounts are based making filling for one deep dish blueberry pie (as pictured here) or two standard 9-inch pies.

IMPORTANT: Blueberries used for filling must be room temperature. DO NOT use chilled berries, or your filling will take too long to cook and your pie shell will burn before the filling is done.

Why is it so important to rinse blueberries before baking with them?

As you may know, you should never rinse blueberries until you are ready to use them. Rinsing removes the “bloom,” which is the waxy, silvery-white coating that appears on blueberries, grapes, and some plums. Bloom acts as a barrier against insects and bacteria, and helps to seal in the fruits’ moisture. Rinsing breaks down this protection, ultimately allowing the berries to cook more efficiently.

For the purposes of this recipe, rinsing also adds just enough liquid to the mixture to allow the tapioca to begin working its magic before the berries begin to burst during baking. Do not skip this step, or your filling may not cook correctly.

What about the pie crust?

You can use any pie crust you want for this pie. However, if you want to make your own dough (and I strongly encourage you to do so), my favorite, go-to sweet pie dough recipe is tender, flaky, and easy to make. (And if you follow the directions, it’s next to foolproof!)

Follow these three easy rules for successful pie crust:

Keep everything crust-related ICE COLD! That means; if you aren’t using it, it should be chilling. This includes your pie dish. (DO NOT chill filling ingredients.)
Mix in the fats by hand, and leave pea to peanut-size pieces in the dough.
Do not overmix your dough. Overworking encourages the formation of gluten, which makes pastry dough tough. Pastry dough should never be a uniform color: don’t try to make it so.

One more important Pie-Making Tip:

I have one more tip for successful pie making, blueberry or otherwise: invest in a good 9½-inch rimmed glass pie dish. Get a deep dish or standard pie dish depending on your preference, or both!

I prefer a glass pie dish over metal or ceramic for a couple of reasons; most notably, I can see through glass to check the color of my bottom crust, which is a primary determinate for whether the pie is done or not.

Do I have to make the pie crust all fancy like this pie?

Nope. You can top it with a well-vented solid crust; or better yet, make a simple lattice crust.

Want to fancy it up? Vary the size of your lattice strips, and add a few super simple pie dough roses like I did! [How-to post coming next week.]

If you decide to go with a solid top crust, be sure to cut some large vents, or better yet, use a small cookie cutter to open up the top to allow all that steam to escape while the berries are cooking.

For the top crust, you can go as simple as you want; but if you like this design, it’s super-easy to put together. To make it, I sliced a few random strips of pie dough, cut some simple leaves, and made five simple “4-circle” pie-dough roses.

Pie Crust PRO TIP: Cut the bottom crust larger enough so that, after you add the top crust, the bottom edge can be folded up over it and sealed, as shown in the image above. In my experience, this significantly cuts down on pie shell leakage around the edges.

5 from 4 votes

Classic Fresh Blueberry Pie

Our simple, classic fresh blueberry pie recipe lets the blueberry flavors shine! Recipe makes enough filling for one 9-inch deep-dish blueberry Pie, or two standard 9-inch pies.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time55 mins

Cooling Time1 hr

Total Time2 hrs 25 mins

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Comfort Food, Seasonal

Keyword: blueberries, pie

Servings: servings

Calories: 405kcal

Author: Renée | The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

9½-inch Pie Dish [1 deep dish or 2 standard]

Ingredients

42 ounces fresh blueberries room temperature (Defrost to room temp if using frozen berries)
4 tablespoons instant tapioca
2/3 cup white sugar See Notes below.
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter cut into small pieces
1 batch Sweet Pie Dough per pie (or your favorite double-crust pie dough)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F [200°C].
Pour fresh berries into your pie dish to measure out proper amount.
PRO TIP: Chill pie plate in refrigerator for 30 minutes before beginning.
Gather and prep all ingredients.
Rinse blueberries in colander. This step is NOT OPTIONAL.
In a large bowl, combine berries, tapioca, sugar, flour, zest, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Gently toss to mix. Sprinkle with lemon juice, toss one more time, and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
While the pie filling is setting out, take the pie plate and one half of your pie dough out of the refrigerator.
Roll out bottom crust and line pie dish. (Continue to chill other half of crust.)
Put rolled bottom crust in freezer for 5 minutes before proceeding.
Fill chilled pie crust with prepared filling.
Sprinkle lemon juice over top of pie. Dot with butter pieces.
Remove dough for top crust from refrigerator. Roll out on lightly floured board. Add top crust to pie as desired. You can simply top it with a solid crust, or make it as fancy as you like.
If you use a solid top crust, be sure to cut a few vents.
If you pie dough seems saggy or too warm when you get done adding the top crust, put the whole thing back in the freezer for 5 minutes.
Baking times will vary somewhat, depending upon your pie dish, oven, and depth of filling. Keep an eye on your pie after the first 30 minutes of baking to avoid burning.
• 9½" Deep Dish Pie: Bake at 400° [200°C] for 45-55 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• Standard 9" Pie: Bake at 400° [200°C] for 40-50 minutes, or until lightly browned.
After the first 30 minutes of baking, gently lay a sheet of plain, flat aluminum foil over the top of the entire pie to avoid over-browning the top. Do not press down or otherwise form the foil: just lay it gently, like a feather.
Pie is done when crust is light golden brown and filling is bubbly.
Allow pie to cool completely before serving.

Notes

You can adjust the amount of sugar based on the tartness of your berries and your personal tastes. Add up to an additional 1/3 cup sugar if your berries are very tart, or if you prefer your pies very sweet.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

The pastry roses on this pie are ridiculously easy to make, and will immediately up your pie-making game!

Why does this blueberry pie recipe include both flour and tapioca as thickeners?

Thickening the natural fruit juices from any berry is tricky, especially when the filling is cooked in the pie. (As opposed to pre-cooking the filling.) Blueberries are particularly pesky, natural pectin-wise, and it seems that some varieties gel better than others.

You want your pie-fruit to be thick enough to sit on a fork, but you don’t want a gummy, gelatinous mess that feels weird on your tongue and totally overwhelms the fresh, natural flavors of the berries. You also need that crust to bake up nice and flaky. It’s a balancing act.

That said, I am not a fan of cornstarch for thickening pies, and I avoid it whenever possible. Sure, thickening with cornstarch is easy, but it often results in what I can only describe as a gloppy, bouncy filling.

For this pie, I use my pie thickener of choice – instant tapioca, plus just a little flour and butter to seal the deal. This combination gives me the most consistent results with my blueberry pie filling, yielding a thick, juicy filling that highlights (instead of hides) all those delicious fresh berry flavors.

Blueberry pies, in particular, thicken a lot when they cool. Don’t be concerned if your filling seems thin when you first take it out of the oven. For best results, allow pies to set up completely before cutting in.

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Sweet & Easy Homemade Pie Crust

July 28 By Renée 10 Comments

Homemade pie crust is easy if you know a few simple secrets! This easy pie crust recipe is slightly sweet, and makes enough for one standard double-crust pie, two standard single-crust pies, or ten 6-inch hand-pies.

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

My mother made the best pies: berry pies of all kinds, pumpkin pies, and of course, her famous cherry-rhubarb pie. The secret, she always said, was in the crust.

It was magic, watching Mama make a pie crust, like a dancer on a stage. I can still see her – bending over our shiny yellow Formica kitchen table, dusting the surface with a sweep of her hand and flouring her rolling pin in one graceful motion. Then leaning forward, she would roll out the dough in smooth, perfect strokes.

Mama’s crust was always even and flawless. Once rolled, she turned the pie plate upside-down on the dough and cut a clean circle with her paring knife exactly two inches away from the edge, all the way around. Then, lifting the edge of the pastry circle, she would roll the dough up onto the pin and then gently roll it out again over the righted pie plate, forming it to the dish’s curves; her delicate hands deftly fluting the edges with perfectly practiced pinches.

Look for these recipes, coming soon to GHW: Classic Blueberry Pie, Blueberry Hand-Pies (with precooked pie filling), and Easy Pie Dough Roses.

Three Secrets to a Perfect Pie Crust

Mom taught me three simple rules for making pie crust.

Keep everything COLD. – Refrigerate or freeze everything you are using to make your pastry dough, including your mixing bowl! The colder you can keep things, the more successful your crust will be. If your dough starts feeling melty or too soft to work with, immediately put everything back in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes. You will never ruin your crust by taking some extra chill time.
Incorporate fats by hand. – This allows you to keep the bits of shortening and butter bigger, up to the size of a cooked butter bean. One of the leading causes of tough crust is that bits of fat in it are too small. (This is why I avoid using a food processor for making pastry crust.) I do, however, always grate my butter. (I usually chill it in the freezer for about an hour first.) I find that this allows me to distribute it quicker, therein keeping everything colder.
Do not overmix. – The more you mix the dough, the more gluten strands are formed. Gluten formation in pastry dough results a tough, chewy crust, and is to be avoided whenever possible. DO NOT, under any circumstances, knead your pastry dough.

There are plenty more tips and tricks out there to help you achieve that perfect pie crust, but in my experience, the three guidelines above are the ones that make or break your pastry crust.

This tender, flaky, slightly sweet crust recipe is perfect making pastries like our Classic Fresh Blueberry Pie (pictured below), and holiday favorite Triple-Ginger Pumpkin Pie.

The pastry roses on this pie are ridiculously easy to make, and will immediately up your pie-making game!

How long should I bake pastry dough?

Standard Pastry Baking Times

These are general guidelines only. Please consult the recipe for which you employ the pie dough for specific baking times and temperatures.

Single Crust Pie [Filled] • 400 – 425°F [205-218 °C] • 30-40 minutes
Pie Shell Only [Unfilled] • 400°F [232°C] • 15-17 minutes (blind bake) | 28-30 minutes (fully baked)
Double-Crust [Uncooked Filling] • 400 – 425°F [205-218°C] • 45-55 minutes
Double-Crust [Cooked Filling] • 425 – 450°F [205-232°C] • 30-45 minutes
Turnovers & Hand-Pies [Cooked Filling] • 425 – 450°F [205-232 °C] • 20-22 minutes

5 from 6 votes

Sweet & Easy Homemade Pie Crust

Homemade pie crust is easy if you know a few simple secrets! This easy pie crust recipe is slightly sweet, and makes enough for one standard double-crust pie, two standard single-crust pies, or ten 6-inch hand-pies.

Prep Time15 mins

Chilling Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

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Course: Basic, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Comfort Food

Keyword: baking, pastry

Servings: standard double-crust pie

Calories: 3363kcal

Author: Renée | The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

1/2 cup shortening chilled for one hour
1/2 cup butter chilled & coarsely grated
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons white sugar
¼ cup ice water
¼ cup vodka* [Optional: If omitted, use an additional ¼ cup ice water.]
½ teaspoon table salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, and salt together with a fork.
Using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingers (my personal choice) work the cold shortening into the flour mixture until the texture resembles that of strudel crumble.
Add grated or cut ice-cold butter to flour mixture.
Work butter in using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingers. It's OK to leave large pieces of butter (balls up to the size of a lima bean): this is what makes your pie crust flakey!
[Optional] Cool flour mixture in freezer 5 minutes before proceeding.
[Optional] If you are using vodka, mix ice water and vodka together.
Sprinkle ½ cup ice cold liquid (ice water, or ice water+vodka) over the top of the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a ball begins to form.
IMPORTANT: Do not pour liquid onto flour mixture: sprinkle it.
Turn dough out onto counter.
Press together into a large ball or disk.
Divide dough in half. (This will make it easier to work with later.)
Press each half into a disk. (Do not overwork the dough. Just press it together.)
Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate prepared dough for at least one hour, and up to two days.
Roll out and bake according to directions for whatever you are making.
TIP: I like to roll pastry dough out between sheets of parchment. It allows me to flip the dough easily, and place it without concerns over tearing.

Notes

Standard Pastry Baking Times

Single Crust Pie [Filled] • 400 - 425 °F [205-218 °C] • 30-40 minutes
Pie Shell Only [Unfilled] • 450 °F [232 °C] • 12-12 minutes
Double-Crust [Uncooked Filling] • 400 - 425 °F [205-218 °C] • 45-55 minutes
Double-Crust [Cooked Filling] • 425 - 450 °F [205-232 °C] • 30-45 minutes
Turnovers & Hand-Pies [Cooked Filling] • 425 - 450 °F [205-232 °C] • 20-22 minutes

Nutrition

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Looking for a savory pie crust recipe? Try our delicious Herbed Pie Crust – perfect for pot pies and other savory baked treats!

Does your recipe call for pre-baking or blind baking the crust? Here are some great tips for successful blind baking!

Does vodka in pie crust really make a difference?

I first read about using vodka in a pie crust recipe in a long-forgotten issue of Cook’s Illustrated. The science behind it is that the alcohol in the vodka adds moisture to the dough without encouraging gluten formation, since gluten doesn’t form in alcohol. Also, the vodka evaporates more efficiently than water during the baking process, removing more moisture and resulting in a flakier and crispier crust.

I wanted to know if the theory plays out in real life, so I did a side by side comparison to see if there was any noticeable difference between crust made with vodka and crust made with plain ice water.

The hand-pie below on the left has vodka in the dough; the dough on the right was made with ice-water only. They were baked at the same time on the same baking tray.

I expected there to be a more noticeable distinction, but there really wasn’t any significant differences in taste or texture between the two pastries once they were baked. (You cannot taste any alcohol, of course, because it has all cooks out.)

There were, however, a few differences in the dough before baking. The vodka dough was a bit softer than the all ice-water dough, and while it did require slightly longer chilling time, it was also more supple and easier to roll out.

Final Thoughts: The vodka in this recipe is optional, and using the all ice water method will still result in a delicious, flaky crust as long as you keep everything ice-cold. However, if you have the vodka and want to give it a try, I encourage you to do so; you may find that this is just the trick to raise your pastry making to the next level.

Can I freeze this pie dough?

Absolutely! Pie dough keeps very well in the freezer. Wrap it tightly in freezer-weight plastic wrap and seal it in a freezer bag. (Or do what I do and suck-n-seal it with a FoodSaver.) Tightly-wrapped dough should keep up to six months in the freezer.

For even easier use later, roll the dough out ahead of time and freeze pie crusts in the pan.

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones

April 5 By Renée 41 Comments

These Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones smell like heaven, and they taste even better! Perfectly delicious ANY time of year!

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

These Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones smell like heaven, and they taste even better! Plus, while they’re baking, your house will smell warm and cozy and utterly spectacular!

I’m not usually a Pumpkin Spice Girl. I don’t rush out when the first leaf of Autumn hits the ground in search of Pumpkin Spice Pringles and the like. (Yes. They are a real thing.) Honestly, I can take it or leave it, beverage or otherwise. But give me something baked and flakey and all dolled up in a delicious glaze of warm, cozy spices, and I am all in.

POST UPDATED: April 5, 2020. This post was originally published October 15, 2013.

So What Exactly is a Scone, Anyway?

Scones are a moist, delicious marriage between biscuit and muffin. Scones can be sweet or savory, and they are most often eaten for breakfast or brunch.

Americans inherited scones from the English. English scones lean toward the biscuit side; cut round, with a denser texture, and maybe a little less sweet. American scones, on the other hand, tend more toward a muffiny texture; a little lighter and a bit sweeter. They are often baked in wedges, as are those in this recipe.

(We won’t even talk about Utah scones. Are they delicious? Yes!!! But “scones” might be pushing the definition.)

Tips for Making Perfect Sourdough Scones

Use Sourdough Discard or Unfed Starter for this recipe. When using Discard for this recipe, it should must be from a healthy, vigorous Starter that is regularly fed. If using Unfed Starter, it should be healthy, vigorous starter that has not been fed for 12 hours or more. (DO NOT use neglected Starter that hasn’t been fed in weeks.)
Use very cold (or frozen) butter. Cold butter is what yields those lovely, delicious layers in the dough.
Grate or shred your butter instead of cutting it. This will allow you to work your butter into the dough easily and avoid overworking it when you add the wet ingredients.
Do not play with the dough! Mix your scone dough just until it all comes together. It is just fine if the dough is lumpy.
Refrigerate the dough for 15-20 minutes after you form the scones and before you bake them. This will keep them from spreading out all over the pan while they are baking.

Grating or shredding your butter (instead of cutting it) allows you to work it into the dough more easily and avoid overworking it when you add the wet ingredients.

This simple sourdough scone recipe is a perfect way to use up your sourdough discard. Sourdough adds a subtle, tangy flavor to your scones, and gives them amazing lift in the process.

5 from 11 votes

Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones

A moist, tender marriage of biscuit and muffin, these Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones are perfect any time of year!

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time55 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Keyword: baking, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, scones, sourdough, sourdough baking

Servings: scones

Calories: 405kcal

Author: Renée | The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

Medium Bowl
Wooden Spoon
Grater

Ingredients

Sourdough Scones

2 ½ cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold butter
1 cup Sourdough Starter [100% Hydration] Use Unfed Starter or Discard [See Notes]
½ cup canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon. molasses
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest optional
2 tablespoons milk only as needed

Pumpkin Spiced Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoon milk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

Sourdough Scone Dough

Stir together flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Using a grater, shred the butter.
Mix the shredded butter into the dry mixture using a fork, pastry blender, or your fingers. (OR, Cut the butter into ¼ cubes and blend together.)
The mixture should look like very coarse crumbs.
In a separate bowl, mix sourdough starter, pumpkin, molasses, orange zest, and vanilla.
Stir wet mixture into dry mixture in the bowl. Once it is somewhat mixed in, turn the contents of the bowl out onto a clean board.
The mix may seem a little dry at first. Knead it a few times before you decide to add milk.
Gently knead the dough on the board, adding milk if necessary, just until it holds together in a soft ball.
The dough should soft like a biscuit dough.
Once you've kneaded it enough for it to pull together, Just form a ball and leave it alone. The less you work with it, the tenderer your scones will turn out.
Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.
Form a 9-inch wheel with the dough dough.
Transfer the wheel of dough to the prepared baking sheet.
With a long knife, cut the dough wheel into eight pieces, like a pizza.
Separate pieces so that they are ½-inch away from one another.
Brush the top of the wheel with milk.
Put the scones on the baking sheet in the freezer.
Set your oven to 400° F.
When the oven is fully up to temperature, take the scones out of the freezer.
Put the scones into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 15 minutes.
In a small mixing bowl, combine Pumpkin Spice Glaze ingredients. Mix until smooth.
Drizzle the glaze over the scones.

Notes

SOURDOUGH STARTER: Use Sourdough Discard or Unfed Starter for this recipe.

Discard should must be from a healthy, vigorous Starter that is regularly fed.
Unfed Starter should be healthy, vigorous sourdough starter that has not been fed for 12 hours or more. (DO NOT use neglected Starter that hasn’t been fed in weeks.)

PUMPKIN: You can use home-cooked pumpkin, but you may need to add a little milk or extra flour to the mix to adjust for the difference in moisture content.

Nutrition

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Cycle of a Healthy Sourdough Starter

Use Sourdough Discard or Unfed Starter for this recipe.

Fed Starter – Fed Starter is active, healthy starter that has been fed within about 2 hours. By hour 2, it will be producing little bubbles on the surface.
Active Starter – Starter is Active about 5 hours after feeding. By hour 5, you should be able to watch large bubbles actively rising through the Starter and making their way to surface.
Ripe Starter – Starter is considered Ripe about 8 hours after feeding. The volume has doubled, and the top is just beginning to show signs of sagging under its own weight.
Unfed Starter – Unfed Starter is healthy, vigorous Starter that has not been fed for 12 hours or more. By hour 12, it collapsed after Ripening, and is ready to be fed again or put in the fridge until next time. (Note that this is NOT neglected Starter that hasn’t been fed in days.)
Discard – Sourdough discard is the portion of your sourdough starter that you get rid of when you do a feeding. It should be healthy and vigorous, with some small bubbling activity.

If you aren’t up to making bread, you can always use up extra Starter (i.e., Discard) by making pancakes, waffles, etc.

Pumpkin Spice Sourdough #Scones - They smell like heaven, and taste even better! Perfectly delicious ANY time of year!

DID YOU KNOW?

National Pumpkin Spice Day happens every year on October 1st, unofficially ushering in what has become known as Pumpkin Spice Season, or the period of time that stretches from the moment the first leaf falls each autumn until crack of dawn on Black Friday.

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Easy Sourdough Recipes & Advice for Beginners

Kaylen's Bread [Easy Sourdough]

Rye Sourdough Starter

Lazy Sourdough Caretaker's Guide

Mom's Sourdough Hotcakes

Buttery & Flaky Sourdough Biscuits

Photo Credit: www.baking-sense.com

Sourdough Hot Cross Buns

Photo Credit: www.recipesmadeeasy.co.uk

Reactivating Dry Sourdough Starter

Rye Sourdough Spaetzle

Cinnamon Sugar Sourdough Donuts

Photo Credit: www.baking-sense.com

Sourdough Rye Hearth Bread

Photo Credit: adamantkitchen.com

Date Molasses Sourdough Pancakes

Photo Credit: www.theschizochef.com

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Photo Credit: www.farmhouseonboone.com

Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Chocolate Wacky Cake (No Eggs, No Dairy, No Clean-up!)

March 12 By Renée 19 Comments

Chocolate Wacky Cake is the easiest scratch cake you will ever make! (No eggs, no milk, no butter, no clean-up.) Made exclusively with pantry staples, this surprisingly moist, delicious snack cake mixes up in a jiffy, right in the pan!

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Chocolate Wacky Cake was the first “scratch” cake I ever baked all by myself. (I think I was eight.) So named because it requires no eggs, no milk, no butter, and is mixed directly in the pan, Wacky Cake is a surprisingly moist, delicious chocolate cake that is easy enough for a child to make.

Wacky Cake is dead simple to make, but the origins of the recipe – also known as Crazy Cake, War Cake, Depression Cake, Magic Cake, and even 3-Hole Cake – are somewhat murky.

Wacky Cake is a recipe created for difficult times, passed down from one generation of frugal bakers to the next. There are references to similar cake recipes dating back over a hundred years; clear back to World War I, when War Cake could be found in a 1918 Food Administration Department pamphlet entitled “War Economy in Food,” under “Recipes for Conservation Sweets.”

After The War to End All Wars ended in 1918, Crazy Cake recipes made their way into 1930’s Depression Era kitchens, when budgets were tight, and milk, eggs, and butter were luxuries. Still later, mothers on the home front during World War II relied on this unusual cake recipe as a way to deal with wartime shortages, when milk and eggs were scarce, and other staples (like sugar and coffee) were rationed and in short supply.

Wacky Cake is the easiest scratch cake you will ever make. It is mixed in one pan with a fork. The trick to this cake is the three-hole method of mixing that allows the vinegar and baking soda to combine at the last moment and act as a leavening agent.

Six Simple Steps for Chocolate Wacky Cake

Start your cake now, and it will be ready to eat in less than an hour!

[Actual amounts can be found in the recipe card below]

Sift together the dry ingredients into a greased 8×8 (or 9×9) cake pan.
Form three wells in the sifted mix.
Fill the depressions with [1] Oil, [2] Vanilla, and [3] Vinegar.
Flood the pan with 1 cup of water.
Stir with a fork until thoroughly mixed. (Check the corners! I use a spoon to do the initial mixing, and finish by whisking it with a fork.)
Bake in a 350°F oven for 25-30 minutes.

That’s literally all there this to it. If you work super slow, you might need 15 minutes to mix it up.

BONUS POINTS: No raw eggs in this batter! Go ahead and let the kids lick the fork!

So what does Wacky Cake taste like? It is an exceptionally moist, delicious chocolate snack cake. Surprisingly so, in fact. It’s perhaps not as quite as rich as a true, butter-filled Devil’s Food Cake, but it will definitely satisfy those chocolate cake cravings.

For 1970’s Kids Only: Remember Betty Crocker’s Snackin’ Cakes? Wacky Cake is a lot like those little cakes as far as texture goes, and it tastes something like a Hostess Cupcake without the cream filling, only a little softer and richer.

Recipe Updated March 12, 2020 (Originally published July 30, 2013)

5 from 5 votes

Chocolate Wacky Cake

Chocolate Wacky Cake is the easiest scratch cake you will ever make! (No eggs, no milk, no butter, no clean-up.) Made exclusively with pantry staples, this surprisingly moist, delicious snack cake mixes up in a jiffy, right in the pan!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Dessert, Sweets

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake, chocolate, Dairy-free, eggless, vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 236kcal

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

Ingredients

1½ cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon vinegar
5 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F [177°C].
Spray an 8x8 pan (or 9x9) with cooking spray.
Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together directly into the pan.
Flatten the sifted dry ingredeints and form three depressions in the top - one large and two small.
Pour oil into the large depression, vanilla into the second depression, and vinegar into the third.
Pour water over the whole thing.
Stir with spoon or fork until thoroughly mixed. Be sure to check the corners.
The cake batter will produce bubbles on the top of the cake.
Gently tamp the cake pan on the countertop once or twice to release gas.
Bake at 350°F [177°C] for 25-30 minutes, until the top springs back when touched.
Allow cake to cool.
Wacky Cake can be served as is, or with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, or iced with your favorite frosting.

Notes

Be sure to use natural cocoa if possible, and not Dutch-pressed (which is also sometimes called European-style or alkalized). Dutch-pressed cocoa is washed with a solution of potassium carbonate which lessens its acidity, and Wacky Cake depends on that acidity to strengthen the gluten and help the cake rise.

Nutrition

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Looking for a good STEAM activity? Consider Wacky Cake as a great opportunity to demonstrate the power of baking soda and vinegar outside a volcano! (Whoohoo kitchen science!)

P.S. If you love baking cakes, be sure to try my scratch-made Triple-layer Strawberry Cake. It’s amazing!

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Winning Girl Scout Cookie Recipes (+Tips for Hosting a Kids’ Bake-off)

February 12 By Renée 15 Comments

The top three winning Girl Scout Cookie Recipes from our local Cookie Bake-off, plus lots of tips for hosting your own Girl Scout Cookie bake-off.

Cupcakes - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Sweet & Salty S’mores Cupcakes, plus two kinds of Thin Mint Cupcakes!

I didn’t start out to be a Girl Scout leader. I was, am, and will always be a Camp Fire kid at heart, but when my oldest entered Kindergarten a few decades ago, Girl Scouting was it where we lived, so that’s what we did. Five Girl Scout daughters, four troops, and twenty years later, I finally hung up my Leader hat… but I kept my Volunteer hat. (Always will.)

That’s how we all ended up at a Girl Scout Cookie Baking Competition a few cookie seasons ago. Competition in event was open to any Girl Scout from our community.

Girl Scouts is such an iconic organization that it’s easy to overlook how daring an idea it was for founder Juliette Gordon Low to gather those first 18 girls in that troop in Savannah, Georgia. It was 1912, after all, and women wouldn’t earn the right to vote for another eight years.” — Anna Maria Chavez

3 Treats - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

ExciteMint Fudge, S’mores Nutella Cheesecake, and Do-Si-Do Brownie Pops

How to Host a Girl Scout Cookie Bake-off

PLUS Top Winning Girl Scout Cookie Recipes

Samoa Cheesecake Bars [Judges’ Ultimate Winner]
Strawberry Thin Mint Cookie Delight [People’s Choice]
Toffeetastic Butterscotch Mud Pie [My Personal Choice!]

Four Important Questions to consider when hosting a Bake-off.

1. What is kind of Bake-off will it be?

Specifically, what is the bake-off challenge?

In the case of our bake-off, the specific challenge was to create a dessert using at least one variety of Girl Scout cookie as a primary ingredient.

Who can enter?

Our bake-off was open to any registered Girl Scout.

Can contestants have more than one entry?

Can a contestant enter more than one recipe? If there are multiple categories that a contestant is eligible for, can they win with more than one entry?

Is this an individual competition, or can contestants work in teams?

Must recipes be fully cooked at home, or must they be completed at the competition?

Is there a theme or primary ingredient?

We had both a theme and a primary ingredient: Desserts and Girl Scout Cookies.

How much of each recipe must a contestant provide on the day of the contest?

Each girl who entered this bake-off was asked to provide two batches of their recipe: one for Judges to observe for appearance, presentation, etc., and a second for tasting by judges and event goers. After the judges had made their determination, the first batch was offered up for tasting by the crowd as well.

Lemon Trefoil Cake - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Tiny Lemon Trefoil Cakes

2. Who decides who wins?

Will you have a panel of Judges? Do the attendees get a vote?

For our Girl Scout Cookie Bake-off, the hosting troop assembled a panel of five judges. Because of my long history with the hosting troop, I was asked to be a Judge. However, I’ve been trying to cut back on sugar lately, so at the last minute I handed that esteemed privileged over to Mr B.

(Passing the Judge’s torch to Mr B ended up being a good move for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it allowed me time to walk around and take pictures of all the sweet entries. It also saved me from the imminent tummy ache that would plague him for the rest of the day.)

PRO TIP: Mr. B’s had one vital tip for would-be Girl Scout Cookie Bake-off judges: Drink water. Lots and lots of water.

This is, unfortunately, a lesson he learned the hard way. Even though he and the rest of the judges were very careful to eat only a very small tasting from each entry, because he neglected to drink enough water, he spent most of the day following the competition with a very uncomfortable tummy ache.

Matching Cake & Dress - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

This Mini-Martha-in-training even matched her dress to her entry – “Naomi’s Tagalong Storm Cake.”

3. How will winners be decided?

It is important to clearly define the points and systems upon which the entires will be judged ahead of time.

If you are hosting a bake-off, you will need to figure out how the winners will be picked. I won’t try to tell you how to run your circus, but this is the system that was used for our Cookie Bake-off, and it seemed to work pretty smoothly.

Judges

Each Judge was given a clipboard, pencil, and instruction sheet outlining a scoring system for assigning points to each point system for scoring each entry.

Each contestant was assigned a number for judging.

Entries were judged on three elements:

Taste
Presentation
Use of Girl Scout Cookies

Submissions were judged in each of these categories on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the highest.

Judges - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

“The Judges”

Competition was divided into three Divisions, based on age. Three overall winners were then chosen from the winners of each age bracket. An Ultimate Winner was then chosen from the Division winners, for a total of ten winners.

While I wandered from table to table taking pictures, Mr B spent his time hunching over his clipboard, carefully evaluating each tasty bite that was brought to him by his assigned assistant. Together with his fellow judges, he crunched, munched, nibbled, and savored samples from each of the nearly twenty entries.

Judging is Hard Work - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Judging a bake-off is a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!

Mr B and I are both big Chopped fans, and I wasn’t surprised that this influenced his role as a judge in the competition. When Taste and Presentation scores were too close to make a call, Use of Cookie(s) tipped the scales.

We found ourselves judging not only what[the girls] made, but their use of the cookie as well. Did they get the ingredients in? Could you taste those ingredients? That made it interesting. It also made it challenging for us, because we challenged ourselves to see if the cookies came through in each dish, or if they were just sprinkled on top.” ~ Mr B

Peoples' Choice - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Cups set up for “Peoples’ Choice” voting

Event Attendees

Each attendee was given a number of tickets (5). Voting boxes with the name of one recipe was placed on a central table. Attendees circulated, trying samples of each recipe and then placing their tickets in the boxes representing the recipes they liked most. The recipe that received the most tickets won the People’s Choice Award.

4. What kind of recognition and/or prizes will you award?

You can award anything from a handshake to a certificate to gift cards donated by the community. What I noticed as the prizes were award was, especially with regard to the younger kiddos, bragging rights were worth more than just about anything.

Additional Considerations for Hosting a Bake-off

This certainly isn’t an exhaustive list; there are plenty of additional considerations to make, including location and facility set-up, announcement of the contest, timing, and so forth. However, if you can get all these questions answered, you’ll be off to a great start!

Now, on to the winning recipes in our Girl Scout Cookie Bake-off!

Judges Choice {The Ultimate Winner}

At the end of the day, it was the ooey gooey decadence of these Samoa Cheesecake Bars that won out. (Personally, I think using the term “bar” to describe this dessert is probably a bit of a stretch, but then again, who says you can’t eat cookies with a spoon?)

Samoa Cheesecake Bars - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Oooey, Gooey, Samoa Cheesecake “Bars”

Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Samoa Cheesecake Bars

Prep Time4 hrs

Total Time4 hrs

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Dessert

Author: Alyssa M - Troop 40273

Ingredients

Oreo Crust

20 Oreos
5 tablespoons butter melted

Cheesecake Layer

16 oz. cream cheese softened to room temperature
1 large egg
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Coconut Caramel Chocolate Layer

11 oz. package caramels
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 cups coconut toasted
6 crushed Samoa cookies
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 8x8 baking pan by lining it with foil.
With a rolling pin or In a food processor, crush the oreos into a fine crumbs.
Combine the crushed cookies and butter together in a medium bowl. Press cookie mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 9-10 minutes. Cool completely.
With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla together until smooth and creamy.
Spread cream cheese mixture over the prepared crust. Bake it for 30-35 minutes or until cheesecake is set. Cool completely, and then refrigerate for an hour.
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the caramel and heavy cream in the microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time. Stir and return to microwave until melted and smooth.
Add the toasted coconut and crushed Samoas to the melted caramel mixture. Cool 10 minutes.
Spread melted caramel mixture over cheesecake layer. Return to refrigerator and chill for 3 hours.
Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time until smooth. Drizzle on top of caramel.
Allow to sit for 30 minutes before cutting.

Notes

According to the recipe directions provided at time of the competition, this recipe was adapted from one found on TheRecipeCritic.com.

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

The People’s Choice

Twins - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

“It’s really hard to decide on a winner. Maybe we need to try them all again!”

Ultimately, “The People” chose the freshest, lightest, most simple dessert in the contest as their favorite. (Not a bad lesson there, folks.) Strawberry Thin Mint Cookie Delight has only three ingredients and takes less than five minutes to prepare.

People’s Choice Winner – “Strawberry Thin Mint Cookie Delight”

Strawberry Thin Mint Cookie Delight

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Dessert

Author: Daisy M, Brownie Troop #40602

Ingredients

Whipped cream
Strawberries cut up
Girl Scout Thin Mints crumbled

Instructions

Layer ingredients in cup. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

My Personal Choice

Finally, as a lover of all things caramelly and butterscotchy, this Toffeetastic Butterscotch Mud Pie with Shaved Chocolate was my personal favorite entry in the contest. My insider source (i.e., Mr B) tells me that it had a great chance to be the overall winner, but ended up coming in fourth because of poor pudding execution: the texture was just too grainy for the judges’ tastes. Flavor-wise though, it was delicious.

[Note: Granular consistency in homemade butterscotch pudding is a common, tricky challenge. It can be avoided by (a) being patient as you whisk in the cream, (b) tempering the cornstarch mixture, and (c) whisking continually as the mixture reaches a boil. You can make the pudding even smoother by straining the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. For more complete directions about how to make super-smooth butterscotch pudding, check out this great post on TheKitchn.com]

Toffeetastic Butterscotch Mud Pie

Prep Time4 hrs

Total Time4 hrs

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

Crust

1 box Toffeetastic Girl Scout Cookies
2 Tbls sugar
6 Tbls melted butter

Butterscotch Pudding

4 tbls butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/3 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons vanilla

Topping

2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 ounces chocolate shaved

Instructions

Crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a food processor or by hand, finely crush your cookie crumbs. Add sugar and melted butter and stir to combine.
Press crumb mixture into a 9" pie pan, and bake in preheated oven for for 8 to 10 minutes, or until warm, fragrant and lightly toasted.
Set aside to cool.

Butterscotch Pudding

In heavy saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar, and salt to boiling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; set aside.
In small bowl, stir cornstarch into 1/3 cup of the milk until dissolved. Add egg yolks; beat with whisk until blended.
Into saucepan with brown sugar mixture, pour remaining 2 cups milk, heavy cream and stir to combine. Add the cornstarch mixture. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. When pudding comes to a rolling boil, remove from heat. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Pour pudding into prepared pie shell. Refrigerate for 3 hours.

Topping

Beat heavy cream in a chilled bowl with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
Spread whipped cream over cold pudding-pie and sprinkle with shaved chocolate. Chill until serving time.

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Congratulations to all the winners!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. ? Be sure to PIN this post!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Originally published April 11, 2017.

Homemade Fortune Cookie Recipe | Takeout Box DIY + FREE Printable Fortunes

January 30 By Renée 15 Comments

Our easy Homemade Fortune Cookie recipe provides an easy, step-by-step directions. Add a DIY Takeout Box and personalized fortunes for an extra-special touch!

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

No matter how old you are, the moment when you crack open a fortune cookie still holds a little magic, and personalized fortune cookies are a great way to say I Love You! (Or Happy St. Patrick’s Day, or Joyous Arbor Day, or whatever day you want to celebrate.)

This post included everything you need to create personalized homemade fortune cookies, and deliver them in an adorable, easy-to-make Takeout Box!

Chinese Takeout Box DIY
Printable Valentine’s Day Fortunes
Homemade Fortune Cookie Recipe & Instructions

Post Updated January 30, 2020 (Originally published February 12, 2015)

How to Make a Chinese Takeout Box

Just print out the handy Chinese Takeout Box Pattern [PDF] and follow the easy instructions.

One box will take the seasoned crafter about 5 minutes (and those with four thumbs about 15 minutes).

Yield: 1 Takeout Box

Chinese Take-out Box DIY

Printable pattern and instructions for an easy-to-make folded Chinese Takeout Box, perfect for gift-giving!

Active Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Estimated Cost 50¢

Materials

Cardstock

Tools

Scissors

Instructions

Print out the Chinese Takeout Box pattern. Be sure to hit “fit for page” before you print.
Trace the pattern onto the back of a piece of heavy scrapbooking paper or cardstock.
Use scissors to cut along the SOLID BLACK lines.
Valley fold along the DOTTED BLUE lines. - In a valley fold, the crease is at the bottom and the paper is folded forward into itself. The paper should form a "V" when you unfold.
Mountain fold along the SOLID ORANGE lines. A mountain fold is the opposite of a valley fold. The paper folds to the opposite side.

Notes

scrapbooking paper and cardstock

Printable Personalized Fortune Cookie Fortunes

Personalized fortune cookies are perfect for kids, friends, family, teachers, and anyone else you want to surprise!

Here are plenty of printable fortunes for your sweetheart, plus a page full of blanks for you to personalize!

TIP: Look to your favorite songs for fast fortune-writing.

Fortune Cookie Recipe & Instructions

Following the fortune cookie recipe below, it will take about 40 minutes to make 24 cookies. (Add about 15 minutes plus cooling time if you want to dip them in chocolate.)

5 from 1 vote

Homemade Fortune Cookies

Personalized homemade fortune cookies are a great way to say I Love You!

Prep Time35 mins

Cook Time5 mins

Total Time40 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Sweet Treat

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cookies, Holidays, Valentine's Day

Servings: Cookies

Calories: 74kcal

Author: Renée | The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

Cookie Sheet
Silpat Mat
Standard Muffin Tin

Ingredients

5 tablespoons butter melted
4 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla

Optional:

Dipping Chocolate
Sprinkles

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Before you make the first cookie:

Preheat oven to 375°.
Gather your materials: you will need a cutting board, a coffee mug and a muffin tin.
Print out and cut fortunes.
Be sure to do this before you bake the cookies. You will not have time to do it when they come out of the oven!

Mixing the batter:

In a blender or mixer, combine egg whites and sugar.
Beat for about a minute, and then add flour and salt and beat another 30 seconds. (I do this all in my blender.)
Add melted butter, heavy cream, and vanilla and almond extracts and beat until mixed.

Making the cookies:

Spoon 1 tablespoon of dough onto silicone baking sheet or parchment paper. (I use a Silpat sheet.)
Spread batter with the back of a spoon into a thin 4-5 inch circle.
Start by making 2 circles at a time. (I don’t ever do more than 3 at a time.)
Bake for 5-6 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.
Remove from the oven.
Immediately take one cookie and place it on a wooden cutting board.
Keep bottom (the side that was "down" while cooking) down.
Place a fortune in the middle of the cookie and fold in half.
Place the middle of the flat side over the edge of a coffee mug.
Pull the corners down to shape.
Immediately place the formed cookie into a muffin cup and allow it to cool completely.
Repeat process until all the batter has been used.

Notes

No matter how crafty you are, plan on a few broken cookies. They are going to happen – accept it. It’s OK though – just dip them in chocolate and enjoy.
Be sure to have everything ready before you put the first cookie in the oven. I know I already said this. I’m saying it again.
Cookies are HOT when the come out of the oven. (Can a get a “Duh”?) You can wear non-cotton gloves if you want, but I find that very cumbersome. Instead, I use my fingernail to peel the cookie off the Silpat sheet, and then handle them gingerly with the tips of my fingers. Either way, you have been warned.
DO NOT try to make more than 3 or 4 cookies at a time, no matter how awesome you are. It won’t work. Really.
If your cookies cool too fast, 15-30 seconds back in the oven will soften them… a little.
Wait until the cookies are completely cool before attempting to dip them. This just makes sense, but some people try to rush the process. Don’t be one of them.
There are many recipes for fortune cookies out there, but in my experience, this is the best one. (It has 25% less sugar than most and the cookies are still plenty sweet, just so you know.)

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

How to Form a Fortune Cookie – A Closer Look

Place a fortune in the middle of a warm cookie and fold in half.
Place the middle of the flat side over the edge of a coffee mug.
Pull the corners down to shape.

Immediately place the formed fortune cookie into a muffin cup and allow it to cool completely.

PRO TIP: Color code your homemade fortune cookies!

If you choose to dip-n-sprinkle your cookies, you can avoid fortune-awkwardness (like giving your daughter a fortune that says “You are my Knight in Shining Armor“). Just use different sprinkle combinations for your Sweetheart, kids, friends, etc. (If you choose to leave them plain, you’re on your own.)

Valentine’s Day Dinner Idea:

Looking for a dinner recipe that says, “I love you”? Shepherd’s Pie is a Valentine’s Day tradition at our house. The epitome of comfort food, it is one way to show the people who mean the most in this world how much they are loved.

Check out this post from the DIY Network for more cute and easy Valentine’s crafts!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. • Be sure to PIN this post!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Apocalypse Salad { aka Pineapple Wheat Berry Salad }

January 28 By Renée 12 Comments

Chewy, nutty wheat berries mix with creamy pineapple fluff to make a this delicious Pineapple Wheat Berry Salad. Keep it simple, or add one (or more) of the optional mix-ins. Easy to make and freezer-friendly, it’s perfect for potlucks too!

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

A little over twenty years ago, everyone’s cousin was losing their mind over an impeding world-wide “Y2K” tech meltdown. As far as I’m concerned, this wheat berry salad recipe is the only good thing to come out of the whole brouhaha.

The Millennium Bug, tech experts explained, was a line of faulty code that would cause problems when dealing with dates beyond December 31, 1999. The Y2K glitch had the potential to disrupt anything on the planet with a computer chip, from garage door openers to airplane guidance systems.

Doomsdayers shouted from street corners, warning how life as we know was to end at the stroke of midnight on New Years Eve 1999. Even mainstream, moderate media offered public warnings about potential utility and power failures, disruption in ground transportation, and concerns over air travel safety.

The Y2K prophets of doom who envisage global blackouts, world economic recession and planes falling out of the sky may be substantially wide of the mark but even the most sanguine commentators are advising caution when it comes to transport, particularly airline transport.
– The Irish Times, Jan. 22, 1999

During this insanity, all sorts of emergency preparedness events and products popped up around the country; and while there is nothing wrong with being prepared for emergencies, the hysteria surrounding Y2K reached epic proportions.

Preparedness conferences, disaster prep classes, and doomsday survival guides proliferated. Costco sold enormous buckets of freeze-dried foods to stock the shelves of underground bunkers. Television programming, movies, unsettling commercials, and even a Y2K themed Simpsons episode fanned the flames.

As it turned out, midnight on New Year’s Eve 1999 came and went, and we passed into the new millennium* unceremoniously. Almost disappointingly so.

[**Officially, the new millennium began at zero hour, Greenwich Mean Time, on January 1, 2001* (not 2000) according to rules adopted at an international conference held in October 1884. But we can save that discussion for another time.]

Midnight December 31, 1999 came and went, and NOTHING happened. No Thing. Lights stayed on. Water continued to flow. Planes did not fall from the sky. Mutant robot kitchen appliances did not rise up. The world did not plunge into darkness or financial chaos.

For me, the only truly good thing to come from all the Y2K fuss was this amazing Pineapple Wheat Berry Salad recipe.

In the fall of 1999, my husband and I attended a preparedness conference; one primarily focused on long-term food storage and natural disaster planning. We went mostly on a lark, but I have to admit; it was an interesting experience. We were avid campers, and it was fun to see the staggering number of solar ovens and other next-level camping gadgets and gizmos.

Over the course of a few hours, we must have sampled at least a hundred different “food storage-friendly” products. Just when I thought I couldn’t look at even one more dehydrated chili sample, we were greeted by a Montana hard red wheat vendor who offered us each a little paper cup full of a creamy, sweet wheat berry salad. Not a freeze-dried lentil in sight! It was heaven!

We walked out of the conference with two things: a fancy new grain mill and a recipe for wheat berry salad printed on a small slip of paper.

Admittedly, this tasty little concoction has more processed foods on its Ingredient List than I usually like to use, but the end of the world only comes around once, so there you are.

Hence, I give you Apocalypse Salad.

Keep it simple, or make things interesting with one or more tasty mix-ins.

Perfect for Potlucks!

Apocalypse Salad (aka Pineapple Wheat Berry Salad) makes an excellent potluck dish! The recipe makes a large amount and can be made well ahead of time. It lasts for over a week in the fridge, and you can even freeze it!

"Apocalypse Salad" - Pineapple Wheat Berry Salad {w/ optional Mix-ins}

5 from 4 votes

Pineapple Wheat Berry Salad {With Optional Mix-ins}

Chewy, nutty wheat berries mix with creamy pineapple fluff to make a this delicious Pineapple Wheat Berry Salad. Keep it simple, or add one (or more) of the optional mix-ins. Easy to make and freezer-friendly, it's perfect for potlucks, too!

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Course: Dessert, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pineapple, wheat berries

Servings: servings

Calories: 115kcal

Author: Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

1 ½ cups whole wheat berries uncooked
8 ounces cream cheese softened
1 - 20 oz can crushed pineapple undrained
1 - 3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding dry
1 - 8 oz tub Frozen Whipped Topping defrosted

Mix-in Ideas [TOTALLY OPTIONAL]

maraschino cherries drained and sliced
mini marshmallows
pepitos
chocolate chips
coconut
pineapple tidbits

Instructions

How to Cook Wheat Berries

OPTIONAL: Toast the wheat berries first.
Toasting enhances the nutty flavor of the wheat berries.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spread the wheat berries evenly on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and aromatic.
OPTIONAL: Soak wheat berries overnight.
Soaking shortens the cooking time, but is not critical to cooking.
Place 1 ½ cups of wheat berries in a medium bowl. Cover with enough boiling water so that there is about an inch of water above the wheat berries. Soak overnight.
Three Ways to Cook Wheat Berries
Wheat berries are done when they are tender and chewy. Test for doneness as you cook them.
NOTE: The cooking times for wheat berries in this recipe are based on cooking hard red winter wheat berries. The specific kind of wheat berry you buy, as well as product age, will influence the cooking time.
[1] Slow Cooker Method (This is my preferred method.)
Put presoaked wheat berries in slow cooker and add enough water so that it comes to at least one inch above the wheat berries. Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours, or until chewy and tender.
When done, drain excess liquid. Set aside.
[2] Instant Pot Method:
Combine 1 1/2 cups wheat berries, 4½ cups water, and a pinch of salt in the Instant Pot.
Secure the lid and seal the valve. Set the manual timer for 35 minutes.
When done, do quick release by moving the valve to vent the steam. Let all the steam release.
Drain excess liquid. Set aside.
[3] Stovetop Method:
In a medium saucepan, combine presoaked wheat berries, a pinch of salt, and enough water so that there is at least 1 inch of water on top of the wheat berries.
Bring to a boil.
Cover and reduce heat to medium; cook until tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove pan from heat; let steam, covered, 15 minutes.
Test for doneness. Wheat berries should be tender yet chewy. (If they aren't done, just return them to the heat for a little while.)
When done, drain excess liquid.

Pineapple Wheat Berry Salad

In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to thoroughly combine pineapple and cream cheese. It does not need to be perfectly creamy; however, any remaining chunks of cream cheese in the mixture should be about the consistency of cottage cheese.
Sprinkle dry vanilla pudding mix over pineapple-cream cheese mixture and stir until smooth. (It will be the consistency of thick school paste.)
Fold in whipped topping.
Stir in cooked wheat berries, mixing until until evenly coated.
Fold in any optional mix-ins.
Serve cold.

Notes

Cooking Wheat Berries: The cooking time for wheat berries in this recipe is based on cooking hard red winter wheat berries. The specific kind of wheat berry you buy, as well as how old it is, will influence the cooking time.

Nutrition estimates do not include mix-ins.

Pineapple Wheat Berry Salad will stay good in the refrigerator for over a week. It can also be frozen.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Adding Mix-ins to Pineapple Wheat Berry Salad [OPTIONAL]

As if it weren’t already delicious enough, if you want to add some additional texture and flavor to your wheat berry salad, you can stir in a cup or so of any one (or more) of these tasty mix-ins.

OPTIONAL: Use any one or a combination of the following mix-ins, or come up with your own idea!

1 CUP TOTAL per batch of Wheat Berry Salad*

maraschino cherries (drained and sliced)
grated coconut
chocolate chips
toasted walnuts, pecans, or almonds
pepitos
mini marshmallows

*Obviously, you can add as much of any mix-in as you want. This amount is offered only as a guideline, based on personal preferences.

Interested in learning more about cooking with wheat berries?

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Potluck Recipes & Ideas from GHW

Potluck-Worthy Big Cuban Salad with Spicy Maple-Lemon Cashew Sauce

How to Make Nashville Hot Chicken {Step-by-Step}

The Naked Colonel's Original Recipe Fried Chicken {KFC-Style Skinless Copycat Recipe}

Favorite Layered Taco Salad {Vintage Recipe Redux}

Citrus Pasta Salad with Grapes & Red Walnuts

Best Ever Soft Caramel Corn

November 24 By Renée 51 Comments

A treasured family recipe, Mary’s Sticky Popcorn is the best Soft Caramel Corn recipe ever! It is everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn; and despite its nickname, it’s not sticky at all!

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Today I am sharing a very special treat; one my girls grew up calling Sticky Popcorn (although it’s not sticky at all). This ridiculously easy caramel corn recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make, and will completely turn your idea of caramel corn on its head!

But first, I want to tell you about Mary.

Mary with Cheryl’s daughter, Emily. Emily has kiddos of her own now!

Back when my oldest girls were little (before some were even born), we lived in a cul-de-sac, three doors down from my BFF Cheryl. Next to Cheryl lived a little woman named Mary, age 90ish. Mary lived on her own long past the time when most folks need to have more assistance, and I learned a lot by watching her.

Mary was able to stay independent for so long for two reasons: First, she lived next door to Cheryl and her family. (If you know them, that is all the explanation you need: they are amazing examples of loving and serving their neighbors.) Second, Mary learned to adapt.

My favorite example of Mary’s modifying life to meet her needs was her Christmas tree. Mary kept a fully decked Christmas tree year round. The tree was only about three or four feet tall, and it sat eleven months out of the year in her garage, protected by a white plastic garbage bag tied closed at the top of the tree.

Every December, Mary would ask someone would bring her tree in from the garage, sit it on a little table, and untie the twist-tie that held the bag closed. (One year, I was the someone who got to put up Mary’s tree. I felt so special!)

Once her tree was standing on its little table, Mary would carefully pull down the bag to reveal the tree already hanging with ornaments. Then she arranged the bag around the base like a tree skirt, and stand back to enjoy her beautiful decorations.

When the holidays were over, someone would go over to Mary’s, pull the bag back up to the top and tie it off, and then put her little tree back in the garage until the following Christmas.

Brilliant!

Which brings me back to Sticky Popcorn.

Every Christmas season, Mary would make her soft caramel corn recipe. As the buttery-sweet popcorn cooled, she formed it into popcorn balls, which she later handed out to the neighborhood kids for the holiday.

Normally, I don’t like popcorn balls at all. Never have. They are hard and stick to your teeth, and the popcorn in them is always gross. In fact, the first time one of my girls offered me a bite of Mary’s caramel corn, I turned her down.

But then I noticed that, as she ate it, there was no distinctive crunch-crunch-crunching and side-of–mouth biting going on, like there always was with typical rock-solid popcorn balls. Instead, my daughter was taking neat little bites and chewing them with satisfaction, making her way around the popcorn ball as if she was eating an ice cream cone.

So I snuck a little bite. And another. And then another. (Good thing she was just a toddler, or I would have never gotten away with that many bites!)

I soon discovered that Mary’s popcorn balls were different from any I had ever had, in all the best ways. The caramel was soft and didn’t stick to my teeth; the texture was smooth and buttery; and in addition to being easy to eat, the caramel popcorn itself was absolutely delicious!

As soon as I could, I asked Mary for the recipe and was floored by the simplicity of it – just five ingredients, including the popcorn!

I was soon making Mary’s caramel corn as a family treat almost weekly, although we dispensed with the “popcorn ball” model almost immediately. Now we always just eat it straight from the bowl. This caramel corn recipe – now a family tradition – is everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn; and despite it’s nickname, it’s not sticky at all!

Mostly, it’s just wonderful.

Mary has been gone for many years now, but every time I make Sticky Popcorn, I think of her. I asked Mary once what the best thing about getting old was, and I will never forget what she said:

By the time you get to be about 80, you can say anything you want to, because no matter what you say, people either think you’re wise or you’re crazy.

So now, my friends, I am passing this little bit of Mary’s wisdom onto you. Enjoy!

Best Ever Soft Caramel Corn {Mary's Sticky Popcorn} | The Good Hearted Woman

4.5 from 2 votes

Best Ever Soft Caramel Popcorn

A treasured family recipe, Mary’s “Sticky Popcorn“ is the best soft caramel corn recipe ever! It is everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn; and despite its nickname, it’s not sticky at all!

Prep Time10 mins

Total Time10 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Snack, Treats

Cuisine: American

Keyword: caramel, popcorn

Servings: servings

Calories: 377kcal

Author: Renée | The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

Large, heavy saucepan

Ingredients

1 cup unpopped popcorn about 8 quarts popped
1 cup butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pop popcorn and set aside in an extra-large bowl or roasting pan.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining ingredients.
Stirring constantly, melt butter and heat mixture on medium until it reaches a full, rolling boil. (This is a boil that cannot be stirred down.)
Boil 1 minute.
Remove from heat.
If you are want to, you can check the temperature with a candy thermometer. It should read 200° F [94° C].
Note: This is the first time I have checked the temperature for this caramel, ever. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, no worries! Just boil it for one minute, and you’ll be golden!
Immediately remove from heat and pour over popcorn.
Stir popcorn with wooden spoon until popcorn is all coated with caramel.
Immediately remove from heat and pour over popcorn.
Stir popcorn with wooden spoon until popcorn is all coated with caramel.
You need to do this step very quickly!
NOTE: My caramel got a little too cool because I was stopping the process to take pictures. If you watch the video, you can see that it is already getting stiff when I’m stirring the caramel in. If you do pour the caramel and stir it right away, without stopping in the middle to take a half a million pictures and video, it will stir in very smoothly.
Stir and mix to cool. Form into balls if desired.

Nutrition

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Have you ever had Nuts & Bolts? It’s another one of our favorite snacks, especially around the holidays!

So just how good is this caramel corn, anyway?

Mr. B always says he doesn’t much like popcorn. Which must be why the first time I made Sticky Popcorn for him, he ate almost half a batch! All by himself!! Allow me to quote him: “This (nom-nom-nom) popcorn is (nom-nom) really (nom-nom) really (nom-nom-nom) delicious!

When I updated this post in 2019 with new process photos, more concise directions, and a how-to video. (Thanks for the music, Mr. B!) So of course, I had to make a batch of Mary’s caramel corn recipe for picture-taking purposes, right? Well, guess who ate more than half the batch by the time I got done editing images?

I’m not naming names, but his name rhymes with Mr. G.

Seriously, this stuff is really tasty, folks.

I’m sharing this recipe on the Weekend Potluck Recipe Linkup.
Check it out for more great recipes!

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

UPDATE: This post was first published December 10, 2013.

The Best Triple-layer Strawberry Cake {from Scratch}

September 10 By Renée 50 Comments

Perfect for any occasion, this Southern Triple-layer Strawberry Cake (made from scratch – no boxed cake mix!) is a moist, amazingly delicious cake with a fresh, bright strawberry buttercream frosting.

^{This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.}

For me, baking is often about memories. Sometimes I bake memories for people I love: pineapple-upside down cake when we go camping, peach cobbler in August, pumpkin pie for my mother’s birthday. Other times, baking is a path that takes me back in time.

Recently, Mr B and I traveled to Tennessee, where we had the honor of attending the Change of Command and Retirement Ceremony for one of his best friends from his Navy days.

If you’ve never attended the retirement rites of a senior military officer, I highly recommend it. It may very well renew (or redeem) your faith in both our country and the people who protect it. (And if the flag passing ceremony of Olde Glory doesn’t move you to tears, I don’t know what will.)

After the formal ceremonies concluded, we were ushered into a reception room filled with sailors decked out in their full dress whites, along with families and friends. My eyes roamed from one small cluster to the next; to the smiling faces, the convivial conversations, the warm embraces.

In the middle of the reception room was a long refreshment table with two large, beautifully decorated cakes on either end. Centered between them sat a modest, unpretentious pale pink layer cake.

A memory flickered.

That pink cake. My mother always told me that Southerners love their cakes. I plated a small piece and took a bite.

In an instant, I was four…maybe five, sitting on my stool at my Pop’s yellow chrome and formica kitchen table. I don’t know the occasion, but I remember that cake. Smooth, sweet, pink, and perfectly strawberry.

It tasted like summer.

Standing in that reception room in Tennessee, I had not tasted strawberry cake in fifty years, but as that single bite melted on my tongue, it was yesterday.

When Mr B and I returned home to Oregon, I set about baking myself a memory.

Building a Perfect Strawberry Cake Recipe

Perfecting a recipe for a Strawberry Cake from scratch wasn’t easy. Nearly every recipe source I could find required a boxed cake mix, and I was intent on baking a cake *from scratch.*

In my quest, I consulted at least fifteen different recipes, cookbooks, and bakers’ websites before I finally felt confident about my game plan. However, once I got the ratios for everything right (the sugar levels were especially tricky) and recognized that those whipped egg whites make all the difference, it all fell into place.

I couldn’t be happier with the outcome!

This strawberry scratch cake is far and away easier to make than you might imagine; and in my opinion, working with the triple layers is easier than two thicker layers. My recipe for Strawberry Cake from scratch results in a moist, amazingly delicious cake with a fresh strawberry buttercream frosting. You are going to love it!!!

Frosting Philosophy

There are two basic schools of thought about frosting: (1) the cake is a necessary conveyance for getting as much frosting as possible into your mouth; and (2) the cake is the star, and frosting is, well… frosting. It is for sealing the cake and adding additional texture and sweetness, but don’t go all crazy and let it overpower the cake.

I belong to the second, “less-is-more” group. You may notice that, in the images here, there is only enough frosting between the layers to hold them together, and that the outer frosting isn’t spread on very heavily. For my tastes, this amount of frosting provides the perfect balance for this cake.

If, however, you lean toward the first, “the-more-frosting-the-better” group, be assured that you will not run short of strawberry frosting with this recipe. I had well over a cup leftover when this cake was done. (Hello, late-night frosting-n-graham-crackers!)

Southern Triple-layer Fresh Strawberry Cake {from Scratch} | The Good Hearted Woman

5 from 16 votes

Triple-layer Strawberry Cake with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Perfect for any occasion, this Southern Triple-layer Strawberry Cake (made from scratch!) is a moist, amazingly delicious cake with a fresh, bright strawberry buttercream frosting.

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Cooling time2 hrs

Total Time3 hrs

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Strawberry Cake

Servings: servings

Calories: 610kcal

Author: Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

Strawberry Puree

8 ounces fresh hulled strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar

Strawberry Cake

4 egg whites room temperature
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour VERY Important: Sift, THEN measure.
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
1 3/8 cups white sugar
1 3-ounce pkg Strawberry flavored Jell-O®
1 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks
1 cup milk 2% or whole
1/2 cup fresh strawberry puree
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon vanilla

Strawberry Frosting

6 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
1/3 cup strawberry puree
1 tablespoon strawberry jam or 1/2 tsp. strawberry extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make Strawberry Puree

Combine fresh strawberries and two tablespoons of sugar in a blender. Pulse until strawberries are reduced to a pulp.
DO NOT blend until smooth. (You will use 1/2 cup of the puree for the cake. Reserve the remaining puree to use in the frosting.)
Set aside and allow to macerate further while you perform next few steps.

Make the Cake Layers

Preheat oven to 350°F [175°C].
Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
Whip eggs whites until they form medium peaks. Set aside.
Combine sifted flour and baking powder. Set aside.
Whisk together milk, strawberry puree, lemon zest, and vanilla. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, dry strawberry Jell-O®, and salt.
Beat in eggs yolks one at a time.
Stir flour mixture into batter alternately with strawberry-milk mixture.
Gently fold in whipped egg whites.
Pour batter evenly into the three prepared cake pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer comes out clean.
Allow cakes to cool in their pans over wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Carefully tap out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Make Strawberry Frosting

Using an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high until light and fluffy.
With mixer on low, add powdered sugar to the whipped butter alternately with 1/3 cup pureed strawberries.
Combine thoroughly into a soft, creamy mixture that will hold its shape.
Cool in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, or until it has firmed up slightly.

Assemble the Cake

Spread the top of the bottom layer of cake with frosting.
Add the middle layer and refrigerate again until the frosting has firmed up a bit.
Add the top layer and frost sides and top of cake.
For a cleaner frosting, apply a crumb coat first to keep the crumbs out of your final frosting.
If you are spreading the frosting on thick, you may want to refrigerate the cake after you apply the frosting between each layer until the frosting has firmed just a bit; about 10-15 minutes for each layer. (If you are frosting it thin, you probably won't need to do this.)
Decorate with fresh strawberries if desired.

Notes

Cake freezes well.

Nutrition

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The BEST Strawberry Cake Ever (from scratch - no boxed mix!) with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Frosting • You are going to love it!

Cakes are Persnickety, and Ingredients Matter

Flour: It’s important to use cake flour for this cake. Cake flour is a finely milled, delicate flour that results in a fine crumb and a good rise.

The primary difference between cake flour and all-purpose flour [AP] is that cake flour has slightly less protein, which translates to less gluten in your cake, which means you will have a more tender cake. My personal cake flour preference is Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Cake Flour.

I cannot stress this enough: when it comes to flour in baking, sift first, THEN measure.

Jell-O®: Y’all know that I try to avoid the boxes, but this recipe just doesn’t fly without Jell-O®. If possible, avoid using off-brand gelatin: the strawberry flavor in them usually tastes like cheap kids’ candy.

Strawberries: Fresh and frozen will both work.

Egg White Whipping Stages

Soft peaks barely hold their shape, and flop over as soon as the beaters are lifted.
Medium peaks can hold their shape, but the peak curls over when the beaters are lifted.
Stiff peaks stand straight up when the beaters are lifted.

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P.S. Did I mention how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new cake pans!?! I finally took the plunge and bought three – count ’em: 3 – matching 9″ cake pans. As in, they are all the same size, shape, and weight! As in, I can put them all in the oven at the same time and take them out at the same time because they all bake evenly!! Aaahh!

I was so excited to get my new pans that I completely cleaned out my baking shelf so that they would have a cozy new place to hang out when they aren’t in use. (For those of you who regularly bake a lot of cakes, this might sound ridiculous, but this is the first time in my life that I’ve ever had more than two cake pans that match exactly, and I am going to celebrate it! Whoohoo!)

If you are thinking of buying a new set of cake pans, check these out; they are the ones I have now.

I’m sharing this recipe on the Weekend Potluck Recipe Linkup. Check it out for more great recipes!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Fresh, crisp, and warmly spiced, this Easy Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel) is fancy enough for the most elaborate menu, yet simple enough for any night of the year.

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

What kind of apples work best for apple strudel?

Post Updated December 9, 2020 (Originally published October 8, 2014)

Easy Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel)

Ingredients

Instructions

Prepare Apple Strudel Filling

Assemble Apple Strudel

Notes

Nutrition

Oom-PahPah! More German Recipes!

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Our simple, classic fresh blueberry pie recipe lets the blueberry flavors shine! Made with our homemade sweet pie crust (or store-bought crust) and fresh (or frozen) berries, this delicious pie pairs perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a hot summer night.

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How many blueberries do I need for this pie?

Why is it so important to rinse blueberries before baking with them?

What about the pie crust?

Do I have to make the pie crust all fancy like this pie?

Classic Fresh Blueberry Pie

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

Why does this blueberry pie recipe include both flour and tapioca as thickeners?

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Homemade pie crust is easy if you know a few simple secrets! This easy pie crust recipe is slightly sweet, and makes enough for one standard double-crust pie, two standard single-crust pies, or ten 6-inch hand-pies.

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Three Secrets to a Perfect Pie Crust

How long should I bake pastry dough?

Sweet & Easy Homemade Pie Crust

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Standard Pastry Baking Times

Nutrition

Can I freeze this pie dough?

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These Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones smell like heaven, and they taste even better! Perfectly delicious ANY time of year!

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POST UPDATED: April 5, 2020. This post was originally published October 15, 2013.

So What Exactly is a Scone, Anyway?

Tips for Making Perfect Sourdough Scones

Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Scones

Equipment

Ingredients

Sourdough Scones

Pumpkin Spiced Glaze

Instructions

Sourdough Scone Dough

Notes

Nutrition

Cycle of a Healthy Sourdough Starter

DID YOU KNOW?

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Chocolate Wacky Cake is the easiest scratch cake you will ever make! (No eggs, no milk, no butter, no clean-up.) Made exclusively with pantry staples, this surprisingly moist, delicious snack cake mixes up in a jiffy, right in the pan!

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Six Simple Steps for Chocolate Wacky Cake

Recipe Updated March 12, 2020 (Originally published July 30, 2013)

Chocolate Wacky Cake

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

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The top three winning Girl Scout Cookie Recipes from our local Cookie Bake-off, plus lots of tips for hosting your own Girl Scout Cookie bake-off.

How to Host a Girl Scout Cookie Bake-off

PLUS Top Winning Girl Scout Cookie Recipes

Four Important Questions to consider when hosting a Bake-off.

1. What is kind of Bake-off will it be?

2. Who decides who wins?

3. How will winners be decided?

Judges

Event Attendees

4. What kind of recognition and/or prizes will you award?

Additional Considerations for Hosting a Bake-off

Judges Choice {The Ultimate Winner}

Samoa Cheesecake Bars

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THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. 🌻 Be sure to PIN this post!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. ? Be sure to PIN this post!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. • Be sure to PIN this post!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
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