Two Delicious Dessert Recipes to Try!

Summer’s great weather and endless hours of freedom are the perfect opportunity to spend more time with friends and family trying out new food. You can bake all kinds of new things, and doing so is a fun way to spend your afternoons as you refine your recipes, from the classic cake pops to variations of your grandma’s famous brownies - or even an all-new recipe of yours. To add to your list of new foods to try, here we present two delicious summer baking recipes that will have all your friends and family asking for an extra serving.

Summer Cake With Cream & Fruits

This simple-to-make tasty recipe is beautiful and serves up to 12 people. Topped with a delicious layer of whipped cream and lots of colorful summer fruit, its looks will be hard for any of your guests to resist. The best part? This summer cake is very easy to make!

What you will need:

For the Cake

- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (soft)

- 1 1/2 cups sugar

- 3 large eggs

- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

- 1 1/4 cups whole milk

- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Cream

• 2 cups heavy cream
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
  
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  
• A pinch of salt

For the Fruit

• 2 nectarines or peaches, sliced
  
• 1 apricot, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped strawberries
  
• 1/2 cup blackberries
  

Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. While you wait, prep your bakeware, greasing a pan thoroughly with baking spray (this will prevent the cake from sticking to the pan).

Using a hand or stand mixer, mix and beat the butter and sugar until you get a fluffy and light consistency; then add the eggs until you get a thicker and creamier mix. Next, gradually add in - while still mixing - the flour, salt, baking powder, milk and vanilla. Continue to beat the cake batter on low for 30 seconds, and later on medium-high for approximately 3 minutes. 

Once the batter is ready, pour it into the prepared pan and place it in the oven to bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top springs back slightly when pressed. You can also check if it’s baked thoroughly by inserting a toothpick near the center; if it comes out clean, that means it’s ready.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for at least an hour. Next, mix and beat the cream, sour cream, powdered sugar and salt together until soft peaks start to form. Spread this mix over the cooled cake, and top it with a layer of fruit (either sliced or chopped).

Place the cake in the refrigerator until serving. Leftovers are good to serve for up to five days. Enjoy!

Summer Pie (Blueberry)

Another simple-to-make yet elegant alternative in our delicious summer baking recipes, this pie will serve up to 10 people. Its intense blueberry flavor can mix easily with other foods; try serving a warm slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top for a change. 

What you will need:

- 2 prepared 9-inch pie crusts

- 6 cups fresh blueberries, washed and dried

- 3/4 to 1 cup sugar

- 3 to 4 tablespoons cornstarch

- zest from 1/2 lemon

- 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice

-1 large egg yolk whisked with 1 tablespoon warm water for the glaze

Start by chilling an 11” to 13” pie crust in the fridge, snug on a round aluminum pan, for at least 30 minutes.

Grab a small bowl and combine the blueberries, ¾ cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, lemon zest and lemon juice. If the berries are too tart for your taste, add more sugar. If they’re too juicy, add more cornstarch. Stir the mix until the sugar dissolves into a viscous coating, and allow the berries soften on the counter for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 425°F. 

Remove the pie crust from the fridge and pour the berries into the baking pan. Roll a second pie crust to a diameter of 11” to 13” and gently lay it over the top of your pie, trimming the edges to make them look even. Next, tuck the edges under themselves. Cut a few vent holes in the top pie crust and brush all over the crust with a layer of egg yolk.

Make sure you use a baking sheet to catch any drips, and place the baking pan in the oven for 15 minutes. Then turn down the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the berry juices are bubbling and the top crust is golden brown. If you notice the edges of your pie baking faster than the middle area, cover them with tinfoil.

Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool at room temperature for at least 4 hours before cutting and serving. 

Enjoy!