The queen of spring cakes, now in a tender scone. Though we trade the traditional cream cheese frosting for a honeyed Crème Fraîche Icing in these carrot cake scones, we keep the base faithful to the original with a veggie-rich, well-spiced batter and plenty of chopped walnuts to add crunch.
We infused this dough with a light amber ale because it offers subtle notes of toasty malt and sweet citrus that balance out the savory Parmesan and roasted garlic. A hoppy beer (like an IPA) would make the bread too bitter. Place three dough balls into a muffin cup to yield a charming clover shape.
8. Cranberry-Hazelnut Coffee Cake
Our moist coffee cake blends buttery hazelnuts and bright cranberries while a crunchy Hazelnut Streusel and zesty Orange Glaze finish it off.
9. Caramelized White Chocolate Choux Puffs
This recipe by Jesse Szewczyk uses the same technique as choux au craquelin, the adorable cream puffs topped with crunchy sugar. The crackled topping accentuates the thick layer of silky Whipped Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache perfectly. Pastry can be complicated, but these are relatively easy and all of the steps are fairly forgiving. (If you’ve made pâte à choux and sugar cookie dough before, this will be a breeze.)
10. Peanut Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Great for occasions when you don’t want to pull out your stand mixer, this dense cake is a birthday classic—especially when coated in our favorite velvety chocolate frosting.
