💖 You’ll love These Easy Mason Jar Desserts

🧾 What You’ll Need

🍓 More Fresh Berry Desserts

Mixed Berry CobblerStrawberry Rhubarb ShortcakeChocolate Raspberry Mousse CakeStrawberry CrispBlueberry Toasted Coconut TartRaspberry Almond Spiral Cake

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5 from 6 votes

Berry Shortcake in a Jar

Love mason jar desserts? Then these cute Berry Shortcakes are for you! Mixed berries are layered with whipped cream and buttery shortcakes in jars to create the perfect single-serving summer dessert!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time6 minutes mins

Resting Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: homemade whipped cream, mason jar desserts, strawberries, strawberry shortcake

Dessert Type: Misc. Desserts

Servings: 3 shortcake jars

Author: Elizabeth LaBau

Equipment

• 8 oz mason jars
• Round cutters
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper

Ingredients

• ¾ cup blueberries
• ¾ cup strawberries hulled and sliced
• ¾ cup raspberries
• ¾ cup blackberries
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 TBSP fresh lime juice (from approx 1/2 a lime)
• 1 crescent dough sheet (8 oz sheet)
• 2 cups whipped cream
• Fresh mint leaves optional garnish

US Standard – Metric

Instructions

Prepare Shortcake Layers

• Wash all the berries, and hull and slice the strawberries. Place all the berries in a bowl, and cover them with the granulated white sugar and lime juice to begin macerating.
• Stir well, then let them sit for 30 minutes before plating. Stir them a few times during this time, so they get nice and sweet and juicy.
• In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare two baking sheets and two parchment paper sheets. Set them aside for now.
• Roll out the crescent roll sheet. Using a 2-inch or 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 9 circles.
• Line one of the baking sheets with a parchment paper sheet, and lay the crescent circles on top.
• Place the second parchment sheet on top of the crescent roll circles, followed by the second baking sheet. This is to weigh the crescent rolls down during baking so that they don’t puff up too much.
• Bake in the oven for 5-6 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool completely.

Assemble Shortcakes

• Place 3 8-oz wide mouth mason jars in front of you and assemble layer by layer.
• For the first layer, place a shortcake followed by a little berry mixture followed by whipped cream inside of each jar.
• Repeat this set of layers until the mason jars are full (about 3 sets). Finish the berry shortcakes with a little more cream, a few fresh berries and mint (optional).
• For the best taste and texture, these jars are best enjoyed within a few hours of assembly. However, if you don't mind a softer, cakier shortbread experience, these shortcake jars do keep well! To store them in the refrigerator, place lids on your mason jars and eat them within 2-3 days. You can also store these in the freezer for a few months, then thaw in the refrigerator for a delicious cold, creamy dessert.

Notes

• If you want a thicker biscuit, double up the crescent sheet and bake for 2-3 minutes longer.
• If you use a 3-inch round cookie cutter, you may need to cut the cooked biscuits down slightly to fit inside the jar. I used a 2-inch cookie cutter because of this.

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Nutrition

Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 253mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 388IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 1mg

Prepare The Berries

1. Prepare berries: Wash and prepare the berries (you should have 3 cups of berries total), then place them in a bowl with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon lime juice.
2. Macerate berries: Stir well, then let the berries sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. During maceration you’ll notice the berries softening and the mixture becoming much juicer. Yum!

Bake the Crescent Dough Shortcakes

3. Prepare to bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two baking sheets and two parchment paper sheets. Set aside for now.
4. Unroll dough. Unroll the crescent dough sheet. If you’re using the precut dough, gently press together the seams so it stays in one sheet.
5. Cut out dough circles. Using a 2 or 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 9 circles.
6. Prepare to bake dough circles. Line one of the baking sheets with a parchment paper sheet, and lay the crescent circles on top. Top with another piece of parchment and a second baking sheet–this is to weigh the crescent rolls down during baking so that they don’t puff up too much.
7. Bake. Bake 5-6 minutes until golden brown, then cool completely.

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This is the only recipe for homemade Vanilla Ice Cream you will ever need! It’s fast and easy, and you don’t need any special equipment to make it. Enjoy it plain, or add your favorite mix-ins to create your own custom flavors.

🧾 What You’ll Need

🍦More irresistible ice creams

We aaaaaallllll scream for ice cream recipes, so satisfy your sweet tooth with one of these:

Almond Coconut Fudge Ripple Ice CreamNo-Churn Peach Ice CreamNo-Churn Chocolate Ice CreamStrawberry Shortcake Ice CreamCinnamon Crunch Ice CreamCircus Animal Ice Cream (No-Churn)

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5 from 6 votes

No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream

This is the only recipe for homemade Vanilla Ice Cream you will ever need! It’s fast and easy, and you don't need any special equipment to make it. Enjoy it plain, or add your favorite mix-ins to create your own custom flavors.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Chilling Time6 hours hrs

Total Time6 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chocolate Homemade Ice Cream, easy ice cream recipe, no-churn ice cream, vanilla ice cream

Dessert Type: Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Elizabeth LaBau

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream very cold (16 fl oz)
• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk (1 standard can)
• 1 vanilla bean can substitute 2 tsp vanilla extract or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

US Standard – Metric

Instructions

• Whip the cream: In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream with a hand mixer or stand mixer, until firm peaks form.
• Scoop vanilla beans, optional: If you’re using a vanilla bean, use a sharp paring knife to split the bean down the middle, then use the back of the knife to scrape out the vanilla bean seeds.
• Add milk and vanilla to cream: Add the condensed milk and vanilla bean seeds (or extract, or paste) to the whipped cream, and begin gently folding them together. This ice cream gets its texture from the whipped cream, so you don’t want to stir it too vigorously and deflate the cream.
• Freeze: Scrape the ice cream mixture into an ice cream storage container, or a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Cover the container firmly with a lid, or plastic wrap if using a loaf pan. Place the pan in the freezer for at least 4-6 hours, or until the top of the ice cream is firm to the touch.
• Serve or store: Scoop and enjoy! This ice cream can be stored, well-wrapped, in the freezer for up to a month.

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Nutrition

Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 241mg | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 1007IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 0.2mg

📸Photo Tutorial: How to Make Easy Vanilla Ice Cream

Here’s a quick overview of how to make this easy vanilla ice cream recipe. Full instructions are included in the recipe card above.

1. Prep vanilla bean, optional: If you’re using a vanilla bean, use a knife to split it down the middle, then scrape out the seeds with the back of the knife.

2. Whip cream, fold in milk & vanilla: In a bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Add the condensed milk and vanilla flavoring of choice, then gently fold everything together.

3. Freeze: Pour the mixture into an ice cream storage container or loaf pan, then freeze until firm.
4. Scoop and enjoy!

💭 Variations

Plain vanilla ice cream is great, but this recipe also makes a fantastic base for any ice cream your heart desires! Here are a few ideas:

• Use another flavor: You can add other extracts like mint, almond, orange, lemon, etc., to flavor the ice cream. Start with one teaspoon, then add more to taste.
• Give it some crunch: Add some crushed Oreos, M&Ms, chopped nuts, dried fruit, mini chocolate chips, chopped Andes mints, crushed peppermint pieces–you name it!
• Make it fruity: Mix in fresh or drained canned fruit like berries, peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, cherries, etc. OR mix in your favorite pie filling. Apple or cherry would both be delicious!
• Add a swirl: Swirl in your favorite peanut butter, hot fudge sauce, caramel sauce, marshmallow fluff, etc. You really can’t go wrong!

Browse More:

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Don’t miss the step-by-step tutorial showing how to make Vanilla Ice Cream – check out the web story here!

These Stars and Stripes Sugar Cookies are perfect for the 4th of July. The hidden star shape inside the cookies is surprisingly easy to make, and I’ll show you all the tips and tricks you need to know to make these dazzling cookies.

🧾 What You’ll Need

Ingredients

Like many cookie recipes, these require just a handful of pantry staples. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when assembling the ingredients. Full ingredient amounts are located on the recipe card below. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• All-purpose flour: It’s important to measure the flour correctly to prevent dry cookies.
• Baking powder
• Unsalted butter and salt: Your butter should be at room temperature to make these cookies. This means it’s pliable but cool–you don’t want it to be greasy and melty. I always recommend unsalted butter in baking, so you can control the precise amount of salt. If you only have salted butter, use that but omit the additional salt in the recipe until you have tasted the completed dough, then add additional salt if desired.
• Granulated sugar
• Large egg: A room temperature egg is best. If you need to warm up an egg quickly, place it in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes. This won’t cook the egg, but will bring it to room temperature so it’s perfect for baking.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla is the classic sugar cookie flavor. My favorite vanilla extract is by Nielsen-Massey.
• Gel food coloring: It’s more concentrated than typical water-based colorings. You won’t have to use as much coloring to get strong, vibrant shades. For this recipe, I used Americolor Super Red and Americolor Royal Blue.
• Sprinkles: I used nonpareils, but most sprinkles will work. Jimmies, nonpareils, and sparkling sugar are all great choices. Avoid any sprinkles that are too large, or made of chocolate or royal icing.

Equipment

The equipment list is pretty basic, but you will want to make sure you have the right size cookie cutters to achieve the look you see here. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Circular cookie cutter: Grab a circular cookie cutter – the one I used is 2.25″, but anything from 2-2.5″ should work well. I own and love this circular cutter set; it gives me lots of options!
• Star cookie cutter: The size of the star is flexible, but you’ll just want to make sure that the cutter you use doesn’t come too close to the edges of the cookie. I have this star cookie cutter set, and I used the one that is about 1.5″ wide.
• Baking sheets: Heavy-duty baking sheets will keep the bottoms of the cookies from burning and help cookies bake evenly
• Parchment paper: I never bake directly on my baking sheets–it’s all about the parchment, baby! Save time and cleanup by using silicone liners or parchment paper when baking cookies. I also roll my cookie dough out between sheets of parchment to avoid adding extra flour, which will make the cookies tough.
• Rolling pin: I like using a French rolling pin to roll out cookie dough, but whatever you have should work just fine.
• Mixer: A stand mixer or a hand mixer will both work in this recipe.

Ready to Make These?

1. Get the recipe below 👇👇
2. Scroll below the recipe for step-by-step photos
3. Read important FAQs and more

❤️ More Red, White, & Blue Desserts

American Flag Layer Cake for the Fourth of JulyHomemade Fruit PopsiclesEasy Homemade LollipopsExploding CupcakesStrawberry-Dusted Shortbread StarsFourth of July Layer Cake

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5 from 6 votes

Stars and Stripes Sugar Cookies (Fourth of July Cookies)

These Stars and Stripes Sugar Cookies are perfect for the 4th of July…or any time! The hidden star shape inside the cookies is surprisingly easy to make, and you can customize the colors and shapes to so they suit any occasion.

Prep Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Chilling Time2 hours hrs

Total Time3 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 4th of July, sugar cookies

Dessert Type: Cookies

Servings: 24 cookies

Author: Elizabeth LaBau

Ingredients

• 13 oz all-purpose flour (3 cups)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 8 oz unsalted butter (1 cup), at room temperature
• 8.75 oz granulated sugar (1 ¼ cups)
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• red gel food coloring I used Americolor Super Red
• blue gel food coloring I used Americolor Royal Blue
• 6.75 oz sprinkles (1 cup)

US Standard – Metric

Instructions

• Combine dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, and set aside temporarily.
• Cream butter and sugar: Combine the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix the butter and sugar together at medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
• Add egg and vanilla to butter mixture: Turn the mixer to low, add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix until well-incorporated.
• Add dry ingredients to wet: With the mixer still on low speed, slowly add the flour and mix until just a few streaks of flour remain. Stop the mixer, and finish scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The dough should be soft and supple but not sticky.
• Separate the dough: Divide the dough into 3 parts, with one part twice the size of the other two. If you have a kitchen scale, the large portion should be 15 oz and the two smaller portions each about 7.5 oz.
• Wrap large portion tightly: Leave the large portion uncolored, and form it into a disc and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.
• Color and wrap smaller portions: Use gel food coloring to color the other two portions red and blue. You can stir the food coloring in by hand, knead it in like bread dough, or mix it in using the mixer. (If you use the mixer, keep a close eye on the dough and run it for a short time so the dough doesn’t get overmixed and tough.) Wrap the red and blue in plastic wrap as well.
• Chill: Refrigerate the three wrapped discs of dough for at least 45 minutes, until firm.
• Roll red and blue dough: Roll the red and blue doughs out between two sheets of parchment paper until they are rectangles ¼” thick, approximately 5” x 7” long. Try to avoid adding additional flour at this step, or else the cookies might be tough.
• Cut colored dough into strips: Use a sharp knife to cut the red and blue doughs into thin strips widthwise, about ¼” x 5” each.
• Press strips together: Arrange the strips into a long rectangle, alternating the colors red-blue-red-blue, and pressing the strips together as you go. If the dough becomes too soft to easily work with, refrigerate or freeze briefly to chill.
• Roll over rectangular strips: Once all of the red and blue strips are arranged into one long rectangle, place a piece of parchment over the top and gently roll over the top so they adhere together. Refrigerate again until firm.
• Prep oven and baking sheets: Preheat the oven to 350 F, and cover 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Roll and cut uncolored dough: Roll out the uncolored dough to a rectangle ¼” thick, about 5” wide and 14-15” long. Cut out 2.25” circles of dough. You should get 12 cookies – you can re-roll the scraps and cut out more dough if necessary.
• Roll in sprinkles: Roll the edges of the cookies in sprinkles and place on a parchment-covered baking sheet. (If the sprinkles don’t stick well, you can lightly brush the edges with egg whites or corn syrup.)
• Cut and add sprinkles to striped dough. Cut out 12 circles from the striped dough and roll the edges in sprinkles.
• Cut stars and swap centers: Now, take a star cookie cutter and cut a star from the middle of each cookie. Press the plain stars into the middle of the striped cookies, and add striped stars to the plain cookies.
• Bake and cool: Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes, until they have spread and puffed, and no longer have a raw shine in the center. They will continue to cook for a few minutes after they’re out of the oven, so don’t wait until they feel firm in the center or they will be overcooked. Once cool, remove from the baking sheets and enjoy!
• Storage: These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature and should be enjoyed within 4-5 days for maximum freshness. Unbaked cookies can be frozen, well-wrapped, for up to 3 months.

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Nutrition

Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 53mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 246IU | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

Make the cookie dough

1. Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside temporarily.
2. Cream butter and sugar: Combine the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix the butter and sugar together at medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

3. Mix in egg and vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix until well-incorporated.

4. Add flour mixture: With the mixer still on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just a few streaks of flour remain. Stop the mixer, and finish scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
5. Check dough texture: The dough should be soft and supple but not sticky when you press it between your fingers.

Divide and color the dough

6. Divide dough: Divide the dough into 3 parts, with one part twice the size of the other two. If you have a kitchen scale, the large portion should be 15 oz and the two smaller portions each about 7.5 oz. 
7. Wrap large portion: Leave the large portion uncolored, and form it into a disc and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. 
8. Color two smaller portions: Use gel food coloring to color the other two portions red and blue. Wrap those in plastic as well.
9. Chill: Refrigerate the dough for at least 45 minutes, until firm.

Roll out the dough

10. Roll colored dough: Roll the red and blue doughs out between two sheets of parchment paper until they are rectangles ¼” thick, approximately 5” x 7” long. Try to avoid adding additional flour at this step, or else the cookies might be tough.
11. Roll plain dough: Roll out the uncolored dough to a long rectangle 1/4″ thick, about 5″ x 14″. You can do this step now, or wait until later when you’re ready to cut out the circles.

Cut the dough into strips

12. Cut colored dough into strips: Cut the red and blue doughs into thin strips widthwise.
13. Press strips together: Arrange the strips into a long rectangle, alternating the colors red-blue-red-blue, and pressing the strips together as you go. Once all of the red and blue strips are arranged into one long rectangle, place a piece of parchment over the top and gently roll over the top so they adhere together.
14. Chill: Refrigerate again until firm.

Cut out cookie dough circles

15. Cut circles: Cut 2.25″ circles from each rectangle of dough. You should get about 12 circles of each type. You can re-roll the uncolored dough to make more cookies, if you’d like. (You can also re-roll the striped dough, but you will lose the stripe pattern.)

16. Roll in sprinkles: Roll the edges of the cookies in sprinkles and place on a parchment-covered baking sheet. If the sprinkles don’t stick well, you can lightly brush the edges with egg whites or corn syrup.
17.  Cut stars: Take a star cookie cutter and cut a star from the middle of each cookie.

18. Swap star centers: Press the plain stars into the middle of the striped cookies, and add striped stars to the plain cookies. 
19. Bake and cool: Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes, until they have spread and puffed, and no longer have a raw shine in the center. Cool on the baking sheet and enjoy!

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Don’t miss the step-by-step tutorial showing how to make Stars & Stripes Cookies – check out the web story here!

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Cookie RecipesCut-Out CookiesJuly 4th DessertsSummer Desserts

🍔 Easy Hamburger Cupcakes

Very important question: are Hamburger Cupcakes dinner, or dessert? If you have a mega sweet tooth like me, the answer is YES! All of the above. These cute homemade Hamburger Cupcakes are perfect for parties, summer gatherings, picnics, and more. Serve them with Sugar Cookie French Fries and lots of frosting “ketchup” for the ultimate dessert meal!

We’re more than a little obsessed with cute cupcakes around here, so be sure to check out our Mermaid Cupcakes, Narwhal Cupcakes, Pineapple Cupcakes, and Flamingo Cupcakes! And these Cookie Monster Cupcakes might be a new favorite; the frosting they are stuffed with is out of this world!

🧾 Ingredients

Simplicity is the name of the game when it comes to these cupcakes! They’re meant to be fun and easy, so you can whip them up for a party, picnic, or make them with the kids on a whim. I recently made them with my 8-year old son and he was so thrilled with himself when his cupcake looked just like a hamburger at the end!

In my opinion, this is not the time for making everything by hand–we’re going for maximum results and minimum time! So I typically make these with boxed cake mix and brownie mix, and I’ve linked to my recommendations below. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, I’ve also linked some homemade recipes for the cupcakes, brownies, and frosting. Do whatever is easiest for you, and remember that they’ll taste great whether you go store-bought or homemade! (The following are affiliate links, and I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.)

If You Like Store-Bought:

• Yellow cake mix, plus ingredients for making the mix
• Brownie mix, plus ingredients for making the brownies
• 1 tub of vanilla frosting

If You Like Homemade:

• 24 regular (or 12 jumbo) yellow cupcakes
• 1 pan of these fudgy brownies
• About two cups of buttercream frosting

You’ll Also Need:

• Sweetened shredded coconut for lettuce
• Fresh strawberries for tomatoes
• Kiwi slices for pickles (not pictured)
• Food coloring: red, green, and yellow
• Sesame seeds (for maximum authenticity!)

🥄 Equipment

At the risk of stating the obvious, the #1 piece of equipment you need are cupcake pans. I recommend using silicone pans, because these cupcakes are made without paper cupcake liners, and silicone pans release baked goods cleanly and easily. I like to make jumbo cupcakes, so the “hamburgers” are more true to size, but you can also use a regular cupcake pan to make them “slider” size. These options work great:

• Jumbo Silicone Muffin Pan (2.5″ diameter)
• Standard Silicone Muffin Pan (2″ diameter)

You will also want a round cutter for making the brownie “burgers.” If you’re making them jumbo sized, you’ll need a 2.5″ cutter and for regular sized you’ll need a 2″ cutter. To really complete the fast food vibe, consider getting red and white checked deli wrappers, and toothpicks with frills as a finishing touch.

📋 Instructions

Before you can assemble the hamburgers, you first need to get all the individual components ready! Bake the cupcakes following the box directions, then get all of your burger fixin’s together. Here’s a quick step-by-step breakdown, and you can get printable directions in the recipe card below.

Make the Hamburger Cupcake components

• Use a round cutter to cut circles out of the brownies to make the “patties.”
• Hull the strawberries, then slice them widthwise to create 1/4-inch thick strawberry rounds.

• Place shredded sweetened coconut in a plastic bag, and add a few drop of green food coloring.
• Knead the bag between your hands to distribute the color, until you have bright green coconut “lettuce.”

• Add red food coloring to vanilla frosting, and stir until you have a vibrant “ketchup” color. Depending on your food coloring, you might want to mix a little black or brown coloring in to deepen the red shade.
• Add yellow food coloring to vanilla frosting to make a “mustard” color. You can add a touch of orange or red to make it more mustard-y if you’d like.

Assemble the Hamburger Cupcakes

Once everything is prepped and ready, it’s time for the REALLY fun part: assembling the burgers!

• Slice a yellow cupcake in half. Pipe a squiggle of yellow frosting all around the edge, peeking out from the side, to look like mustard.
• Lay strawberry slices on top of the yellow frosting. Top the strawberries with a thin layer of frosting so the brownie has something to stick to.

• Set a brownie patty on top of the strawberries.
• Add a squiggle of red frosting around the edge to look like ketchup.

• Press a generous layer of green coconut on top of the red frosting.
• Add the top half of the cupcake. Brush the cupcake with corn syrup mixed with a little water, and sprinkle sesame seeds all over the top. Stick a frilled toothpick into it, and the transformation is complete!

💭 Variations

• Not into brownies? You can use a thick swirl of chocolate frosting or ganache in place of the brownie patty.
• Use a green fruit leather or fruit roll-up instead of green coconut.
• Similarly, you can use red fruit leather to replace the ketchup or the strawberries.
• Add slices of kiwi fruit to represent pickles

💡FAQs

Happy hamburger-ing, SugarHeroes! These are sure to be the star of the show for backyard bar-b-ques, Father’s Day, April Fool’s Day and more! Please leave a review if you give them a try–I love to hear how your baking turns out.

❤️ More Fun Desserts to Try

• Dirt Pudding Cups
• Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
• Narwhal Cupcakes
• Unicorn Milkshakes
• Tons of Cupcakes You’ll Love

Sugar Cookie French Fries

Love cookies? Love French fries? Then this is the recipe for you! Sugar Cookie French Fries are crisp, buttery cookies that look just like French fries. 

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Oreo Fudge

Like Oreos? Like white chocolate? Then you are going to LOVE this Oreo Fudge! The smoothest, creamiest, packed-full-of-cookies-est fudge you'll ever taste.

View Recipe

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5 from 12 votes

Hamburger Cupcakes

Homemade Hamburger Cupcakes are so cute and easy! Yellow cupcakes are filled with brownies, shredded coconut, and frosting to make them look just like hamburgers. Serve them with Sugar Cookie French Fries for the ultimate dessert meal!

If you prefer to make your own components rather than used boxed mixes, see the Notes section for links to suggested recipes.

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time2 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: birthday party cupcakes, cupcake recipes, hamburger cupcakes,, kid-friendly desserts

Dessert Type: Cupcakes

Servings: 12 jumbo cupcakes

Author: Elizabeth LaBau

Ingredients

• 1 yellow cake mix plus ingredients for making the mix
• 1 box brownie mix plus ingredients for making the mix
• 1 vanilla frosting tub 16 oz, approx. 2 cups
• Assorted gel food coloring I use Americolor Brand: Super Red, Lemon Yellow and Leaf Green
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 lb fresh strawberries washed and hulled
• Light corn syrup
• Sesame seeds

US Standard – Metric

Instructions

To Make the Components:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Spray your cupcake pans well with nonstick cooking spray—silicone pans recommended if possible. Do not add paper liners. Prepare the yellow cake mix according to package directions, and divide the batter into 12 jumbo cupcakes or 24 regular cupcakes.
• Bake the cupcakes according to the package directions, and let them cool once out of the oven. Remove them carefully from the pans.
• Line a 9×13 pan with foil or parchment, and spray well with nonstick cooking spray. Prepare the brownie mix according to package directions and bake as instructed. Let the brownies cool completely.
• Divide the frosting equally between two bowls. Color one bowl with red food coloring so that it resembles ketchup. Depending on your food coloring, you might want to mix a little black or brown coloring in to deepen the red shade.
• Color the second bowl with yellow food coloring to make it look like mustard. You can add a touch of orange or red to make it more mustard-y if you’d like.
• Place the shredded sweetened coconut in a zip-top plastic bag, and add a few drop of green food coloring.
• Knead the bag between your hands to distribute the color, until you have bright green coconut “lettuce.”
• Slice the hulled strawberries widthwise to create 1/4-inch thick strawberry rounds.
• Use a round circular cutter to cut circles out of the brownies to make the "patties.” (2.5" for jumbo sized and 2" for regular sized.) You can press together the brownie scraps and cut out more circles to make as many as you need—it doesn’t matter if the rounds look perfect since they’ll be covered by all the other burger ingredients.
• Slice each cupcake in half. If they seem a little too tall to be buns, trim them from the middle to make them bun-sized.

To Assemble the Hamburgers:

• Pipe a squiggle of yellow frosting all around the edge, peeking out from the side, to look like mustard.
• Lay strawberry slices on top of the yellow frosting. Top the strawberries with a thin layer of frosting so the brownie has something to stick to.
• Set a brownie patty on top of the strawberries.
• Add a squiggle of red frosting around the edge to look like ketchup.
• Press a generous layer of green coconut on top of the red frosting.
• Add the top half of the cupcake. Brush the top of each cupcake with corn syrup (you can thin it out with water if it’s too thick to easily work with) and sprinkle with a generous pinch of sesame seeds.
• Stick a frilled toothpick through the cupcake, and the transformation into hamburgers is complete!
• Serve these within 2 hours of assembly, since the fresh berries will gradually soften the cupcakes. If you use canned frosting, these can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. If you use homemade frosting with butter, I recommend refrigerating them in an airtight container, and letting them come to room temperature before serving.

Notes

If you don’t want to use boxed mixes, make 12 jumbo (or 24 regular) yellow cupcakes using this recipe. You can make a 9×13 pan of brownies using this brownie recipe. And a quarter batch of this buttercream recipe works great for these hamburger cupcakes!

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Nutrition

Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 1mg

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These Homemade Fruit Popsicles are made with fruit juice, and packed with real, fresh fruit inside, so they’re as beautiful as they are tasty! Use your choice of fruit and juice, or make a grown-up version with sangria! Fruit juice popsicles are easy, refreshing, and perfect for enjoying all summer long.

🍈 Fruit Popsicles with Fresh Fruit Inside!

When hot weather hits, we are all about easy, refreshing desserts at my house. Goodbye intricate cakes with extended baking times, and helloooooo no-churn ice creams, milkshakes, and fast fruit popsicles.

If you’re in that lazy summertime state of mind, you will love these easy fruit popsicles. They’re made with fruit juice and packed with real, fresh fruit inside, so they’re as beautiful as they are tasty!

Bonus: Level up this simple recipe by cutting your fruit into shapes, and make these popsicles REALLY pop!

🧾 What You’ll Need

❤️ More Fun Frozen Treats

White Chocolate Mint Cookie PopsiclesBrownie Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream SandwichesPeach Passion PopsChocolate-Dipped Frozen BananasHomemade Choco TacosCinnamon Roll Ice Cream Sandwiches with Cream Cheese Ice Cream

Print Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Homemade Fruit Popsicles

These Homemade Fruit Popsicles are made with fruit juice, and packed with real, fresh fruit inside, so they’re as beautiful as they are tasty! Use your choice of fruit and juice, or make a grown-up version with sangria! Fruit juice popsicles are easy, refreshing, and perfect for enjoying all summer long.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Freezing time8 hours hrs

Total Time8 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: popsicles, summer desserts

Dessert Type: Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts

Servings: 10 popsicles

Author: Elizabeth LaBau

Equipment

• Silicone popsicle mold
• Popsicle sticks
• Star cookie cutters

Ingredients

• ½ canary melon
• 6 oz strawberries (1 cup), washed and hulled
• 6 oz blueberries (1 cup), washed
• 2 ½ cups white grape juice or lemonade or other juice of choice

US Standard – Metric

Instructions

• Cut thin melon rounds: Take half of a canary melon, and slice it into thin rounds about ¼-inch thick.
• Cut rounds into stars: If desired, use a star cookie cutter (or other shape) to cut the melon into small shapes about an inch wide. You can also just cut it into small bite-size pieces.
• Prepare berries: Cut the strawberries into thin slices. The blueberries can be left whole.
• Layer the fruit: Place the fruit in the popsicle molds in desired order. For the popsicles pictured here, I started with strawberries, then melon stars, then ended with blueberries.
• Fill with juice: Pour the juice into the molds, filling them completely. Cover the mold and insert the popsicle sticks.
• Freeze: Freeze the popsicles for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
• Unmold: When ready to serve, put the popsicle mold under running hot water for 5-10 seconds for easy removal of the popsicles.
• Storage: Store any extras wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container in the freezer.

Notes

Sangria Pops: Mix together 1 ½ cups of white wine and 1 cup of white grape juice in a pitcher, then pour this mixture over the fruit in the popsicle molds.

Juice and Fruit Variations: Other juices you could use include apple juice, pear juice, lemonade, or even coconut water. Looking for more fruit ideas? Try raspberries, cherries, watermelon, blackberries, clementine sections, or peeled apples and pears.

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Nutrition

Calories: 76kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 15mg | Potassium: 251mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 48IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

Prepare the Fruit

The star-shaped melon pieces are completely optional, but since they’re also completely adorable, here’s how you do it!

1. Cut melon rounds: Cut the melon into thin circles–aim for about 1/4-inch thick if possible. You don’t want your fruit pieces too thick, or else they won’t fit nicely in the popsicle molds.
2. Create melon shapes: Use a small cookie cutter to cut little shapes from the melon. You can use stars, hearts, flowers, butterflies, or anything else you’d like!
3. Prepare other fruit: Other large fruit, like strawberries, should also be sliced thinly. Smaller berries like blueberries can be left whole.

Fill the Molds

1. Add fruit in desired order: Layer the fruit in the popsicle molds in your desired order. For the popsicles picture here, I started with strawberries, then melon stars, then ended with the blueberries.
2. Cover with juice and freeze: Pour the juice into the molds, filling them completely. Cover the mold and insert the popsicle sticks. Freeze the popsicles for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
3. Unmold: When the popsicles have fully frozen, place them under hot running water for 5-10 seconds, just long enough to gently heat the outside of the popsicles so they slide out easily.

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Ice Cream RecipesIce Cream SandwichesFrozen Pie RecipesJuly 4th DessertsFruit Dessert Recipes

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🍓 Easy Berry Cobbler Recipe

This Mixed Berry Cobbler is the answer to any summertime dessert dilemma you might have. Bought too many berries at the farmers market? Cobbler. Want to enjoy juicy, bubbling fruit and buttery sugar-topped crust but don’t want to make a pie? Cobbler. Need to make something easy for a BBQ, potluck or picnic? Cobbler, cobbler, cobbler baby! Fruit cobbler is a 10-minute marvel that’s easy to throw together, and it’s so delicious, people will be begging you for the recipe.

❓Cobbler vs crisp vs crumble

Let’s answer the age-old question, what the heck IS a cobbler, and how is it different from a crisp or a crumble?

If we were to make a dessert family tree, I would say that cobblers, crisps, and crumbles belong to the PIE branch of the family because they all involve a fresh fruit base and some kind of buttery, carb-based topping. However, they’re significantly faster and easier than most pie recipes, and they are often made in a casserole pan to serve family style–perfect for feeding a crowd on a lazy Sunday.

So that’s what they have in common. As to the differences? It’s all in how you top the fruit.

And, if this whole discussion has left you craving a good old fashioned pie, don’t miss our Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, Blueberry Coconut Tart, or Salted Caramel Apple Pie.

🧾 What You’ll Need

Ingredients

One of the huge benefits of making a crumble is that the ingredient list is very basic. You probably have most, if not all, of these ingredients on hand already! Here are a few tips as you gather supplies. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Berries: Use whatever looks freshest when you’re at the market! I love a mix of berries, because mixing a few different types provides a lot of different textures and flavors in the dessert, but definitely go for quality and freshness over variety for the sake of variety. Want to use frozen berries? I’ve got you covered in the Tips down below! You’ll need about 8 cups of fruit.
• Lemon juice: The lemon juice helps keep the filling from being too sweet. I always use freshly squeezed if possible, but bottled lemon juice works as well.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps the fruit filling “gel” and binds some of the fruit juices as the cobbler cooks. Without it, you would probably find the cobbler too soggy. If you don’t have cornstarch, you can use flour, ground tapioca, or a gelling product like E-Z Gel (previously named Clear Gel).
• Butter: It’s very important that the butter be COLD when you make the biscuit topping. Keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it–this will get you the best biscuit texture.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk is what gives the biscuit topping their traditional slightly tangy flavor. See the Tips section if you want to make your own buttermilk instead.

🥄 Equipment

There’s a reason everyone loves cobblers: no special equipment required! All you really need is a baking pan and your own two hands. I’ve included a few tools if you want to make the process easier, however. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• 9×13 baking dish: I love to bake my cobblers in a ceramic baking dish, so the dish looks as pretty as the dessert!
• Pastry cutter: If you don’t want to make the biscuit dough by hand, you can pick up an inexpensive pastry cutter to get the job done faster.
• Food processor: For maximum efficiency, a food processor makes a killer biscuit dough!

🍓 More Fabulous Fruit Recipes

Berry Shortcakes in a JarGrilled Pound Cake and PeachesLemon Blackberry TrifleDoughnut Strawberry ShortcakesStrawberry CrispBlueberry Pavlovas

Print Recipe

4.72 from 7 votes

Mixed Berry Cobbler

This easy Mixed Berry Cobbler is comfort food at its best! Use any combination of your favorite berries to make this cobbler recipe, and in under an hour you’ll have a bubbling, juicy cobbler with a sweet biscuit crust on top. Don’t forget the whipped cream or ice cream!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time55 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: blueberries, easy dessert, easy desserts, quick recipes, raspberry, strawberries, summer desserts

Dessert Type: Pies

Servings: 12

Author: Elizabeth LaBau

Ingredients

For the berry filling:

• 16 oz blueberries
• 12 oz raspberries
• 6 oz blackberries
• 16 oz strawberries washed and chopped
• 2.3 oz granulated sugar (⅓ cup)
• 3 TBSP cornstarch
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon

For the cobbler topping:

• 9.5 oz all-purpose flour (2 cups)
• 3.5 oz granulated sugar (½ cup)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 oz unsalted butter (½ cup), cold
• 8 fl oz buttermilk (1 cup), divided use

US Standard – Metric

Instructions

To prepare the berries:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Wash all of the berries and drain them well. (You should have about 8 cups of fruit.) Pat the berries dry with paper towels.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the berries, ⅓ cup sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Stir well to combine, and make sure all the berries are coated.
• Spread the berry mixture evenly in a 9×13-inch baking dish.

To make the topping and bake:

• Whisk together the flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, and mix well.
• Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add them to the flour bowl.
• Rub the butter into the flour using your hands, until it looks like fine bread crumbs. I like to use a “money money” motion and use just my fingertips to work the butter into the flour. Don't spend too long on this step–you don't want the heat of your hands to start warming up the butter. Alternately, you can use a pastry cutter or food processor to incorporate the butter.
• Once all the butter has been mixed in, add 6 fl oz (¾ cup) of buttermilk to this mixture and stir just until incorporated. Don’t overmix! The dough will be somewhat wet.
• Shape the dough into roughly palm-sized balls, and flatten them into discs.
• Place the dough on top of the berries. Don’t worry if it doesn’t cover the whole surface–it’s best to have some fruit peeking through.
• Brush the remaining 2 fl oz (¼ cup) of buttermilk over the top of the dough, then sprinkle liberally with sugar.
• Bake the cobbler for 45 minutes. The top should be golden brown, and you should see the fruit bubbling around the edges. Check if it is done by sticking a toothpick into the dough–if it comes out clean, it’s ready!
• Let the cobbler cool until it’s warm but not hot. Then scoop it up, and serve it with whipped cream or ice cream on top.
• Store leftovers covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 116mg | Potassium: 268mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 326IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2mg

Time to get our hands dirty. Here are the basics for making this mixed berry cobbler. Full printable instructions are included in the recipe card above!

prepare the berries

1. Coat berries. Combine the berries, 2.3oz (1/3 cup) sugar, 3 TBSP cornstarch, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 1 TBSP lemon juice in a large bowl. Stir gently to coat the berries.
2. Put berries in baking dish. Spread the berry mixture evenly in a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Make the biscuit topping

1. Prepare to bake. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together the 9.5 oz (2 cups) flour, 3.5 oz (1/2 cup) sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt in a medium bowl, and mix well.
3. Add cubed butter. Cut 4 oz (1/2 cup) cold butter into small cubes and add them to the flour bowl.
4. Work butter into flour. Rub the butter into the flour using your hands, until it looks like fine bread crumbs. I like to use a “money money” motion and use just my fingertips to work the butter into the flour. Don’t spend too long on this step–you don’t want the heat of your hands to start warming up the butter.

3. Pour in buttermilk. Add 6 fl oz (3/4 cup) buttermilk to this mixture and stir just until incorporated. Don’t overmix! The dough will be somewhat wet.
4. Shape and flatten dough. Shape the dough into roughly palm-sized balls, and flatten them into discs.

5. Cover fruit with dough. Place the dough on top of the berries. Don’t worry if it doesn’t cover the whole surface–it’s best to have some fruit peeking through.
6. Top dough with buttermilk and sugar. Brush the remaining 2 fl oz (1/4 cup) of buttermilk over the top of the dough, then sprinkle liberally with sugar.
7. Bake. Bake the cobbler for 45 minutes. The top should be golden brown, and you should see the fruit bubbling around the edges. Check if it is done by sticking a toothpick into the dough–if it comes out clean, it’s ready!
8. Cool and serve. Let the cobbler cool until it’s warm but not hot. Then scoop it up, and serve it with whipped cream or ice cream on top.
9. Enjoy!

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Pies & Tart RecipesFruit Dessert RecipesCrisps, Cobblers, & Crumbles4th of July Desserts

🌟A Simple Patriotic Cake

You may not think of the Fourth of July as a big dessert holiday, but in my opinion, EVERY holiday, no matter what, should be a big dessert holiday. So if there’s even the slightest chance of a get-together, gathering, shindig, hoedown, or box social happening, you can bet I’m showing up with a big ole layer cake, ready to get the party started.

I’m no stranger to giant Fourth of July cakes — this American Flag layer cake I made a few years ago is still one of the most ambitious and fun cakes I’ve ever made! But this year, I kept the inside of the cake a LOT simpler, with just four layers of alternating red and blue velvet cake.

💙Red, White and Blue Decorations

The real stars of the show are the candy decorations on top, bursting out of the cake like a fireworks display. This might just be my incurable sweet tooth talking, but I LOVE candy-topped cakes with a passion.

They’re incredibly fun, with a beautiful variety of colors and textures from all of the different candies used. Here’s what my spread looked like:

I’m a bit of a candy hoarder, and admit that my pantry has some big bags of M&Ms and gumballs that are left over from old projects, so I didn’t go out and buy all of the candy just for this cake. I recommend seeing what’s in your kitchen, using what you have, and then supplementing with a couple fun and eye-catching candies from the store.

I do like to add some vertical height to these cakes, so I recommend you definitely include lollipops (try my Easy Homemade Lollipops here!) and rock candy, if possible. Otherwise, it’s just a matter of using what you like! I found some fun red, white, and blue gummy stars in a bulk bin at my grocery store, and they were my favorite addition to the top of the cake.

🥣Buttercream Frosting

I did something a little different with this cake, and used buttercream instead of traditional cream cheese frosting. My thinking was twofold: one, I wanted a sturdy frosting that could stand up to all those cake layers (and all those candies poking into the top!) and two, cream cheese frosting is ALWAYS  paired with red velvet, and honestly, sometimes a girl wants a change and just wants to enjoy regular buttercream!

That being said, I know I live with a family of cream cheese lovers, so I compromised and added some cream cheese flavoring to the frosting. I used this LorAnn Cream Cheese Icing Super Strength oil, which is my favorite way to add cream cheese flavor without actually using cream cheese. It’s not quite the same as the real thing, but it does a good job of adding a cream cheese flavor without changing the texture of the buttercream.

Enjoy!

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These Exploding Cupcakes are a real blast for the Fourth of July. Vanilla cupcakes are filled with Pop Rocks candy so they literally explode in your mouth when you bite into them. 

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4.50 from 2 votes

Fourth of July Layer Cake

Celebrate Independence Day with a bang by making this Fourth of July Layer Cake! Four tall layers of red and blue velvet cake are finished with silky-smooth buttercream and a fun assortment of red, white, and blue candy on top. It’s the perfect party cake!

Prep Time2 hours hrs

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Chilling time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 4th of July, layered cake, red velvet cake

Dessert Type: Cake

Servings: 24 servings

Author: Elizabeth LaBau

Ingredients

For the Red Velvet Cake:

• 11.25 oz all-purpose flour (2 1/2 cups)
• 10.5 oz granulated sugar (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 8 fl oz vegetable oil (1 cup)
• 12 fl oz buttermilk (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp red gel food coloring I like Super Red from Americolor
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Blue Velvet Cake:

• 11.25 oz all-purpose flour (2 1/2 cups)
• 10.5 oz granulated sugar (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 fl oz vegetable oil (1 cup)
• 12 fl oz buttermilk (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp blue gel food coloring I like Americolor brand
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Buttercream:

• 6 fl oz pasteurized liquid egg whites (3/4 cup)
• 24 oz powdered sugar (6 cups)
• ½ tsp salt
• 24 oz unsalted butter (6 sticks, or 3 cups), at room temperature
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 tsp LorAnn Cream Cheese Icing Super Strength flavoring optional

To Decorate:

• Assorted candies gumballs, lollipops, rock candy, or anything else!

US Standard – Metric

Instructions

To Make the Cakes:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line four 8-inch pans with parchment rounds, and spray the pans with nonstick cooking spray.
• First, prepare the red velvet batter. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.
• In the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, red gel food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium-low speed until well-combined.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the pan with a spatula, then mix on medium speed until the cake batter is smooth and all the lumps of flour have disappeared.
• Divide the cake batter between two of the prepared pans. If you’re using a kitchen scale, each pan should get about 25 oz of batter.
• Repeat the process to make the blue velvet layers. They are made exactly the same, except you’ll want to omit the cocoa powder from the blue layers as it tends to make the color very muddy. Divide the blue batter between the remaining two pans.
• Bake the cakes at 350 F for 36-40 minutes, until they pull away from the sides and spring back when lightly pressed with your fingertips. Cool completely before using. The cakes can be baked several days in advance. If making in advance, wrap the cooled cakes in cling wrap and freeze until ready to use.

To Make the Buttercream:

• Combine the whites, powdered sugar, and salt in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix everything together on low speed, until the sugar is moistened and no dry patches remain. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula, then turn the mixer to medium speed. Beat on medium for 5 minutes.
• After 5 minutes, turn the mixer to medium-low and start adding the softened room temperature butter, 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Once all of the butter is incorporated, add the vanilla extract, and 1 tsp cream cheese flavor, if using, and mix it in. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides once more. Turn the speed to medium and beat the buttercream for 10 minutes. At the end, you’ll have a frosting with a wonderfully light and creamy texture. Taste, and adjust the flavoring as desired.
• This buttercream can be used right away, or stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or the freezer for up to two months. If you have chilled the frosting, let it come to room temperature and then beat it for several minutes to smooth it out and restore its texture before using it.

To Assemble and Decorate:

• Place the cake rounds on 8-inch cardboard cake circles. Place one layer on a cake turntable. Place a big dollop of frosting on the cake layer—about 1 generous cup—and use a metal spatula to spread the frosting into an even layer going all the way out to the edges of the cake.
• Top the cake round with a second cake layer, and repeat the frosting process again. Do it with a third layer, and finally, add the last cake layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with a very thin layer of frosting—this is the crumb coat, which locks crumbs into the frosting and also provides some stability to the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 45-60 minutes, until the crumb coat is set and the cake feels firm and stable.
• If the buttercream has started to get spongy, re-whip it briefly until it is smooth and silky. Cover the top and sides of the chilled cake with a thicker layer of frosting. Use a bench scraper or metal spatula to smooth out the sides and top of the cake as much as possible. Chill for another 30 minutes before decorating.
• Decorate with the candy as desired. I like pressing M&Ms or gumballs around the base of the cake to make an easy and eye-catching bottom border. Decorate the top with candies of different heights, like lollipops, rock candy, large gumballs, small sprinkles, and everything in between!
• For the best taste and texture, serve this cake at room temperature. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, although the texture is best within the first few days of assembly. Prolonged storage in the refrigerator may cause the candies to get sticky or bleed colors.

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Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Nutrition

Calories: 715kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 405mg | Potassium: 105mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 795IU | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1.4mg

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