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National Dessert Day is October 14th and boy was I excited when I found out! It’s a day to indulge and enjoy sweets, and I love dessert…. any dessert….so I could not pass up sharing three of my favorite dessert recipes with you. When I say I love sweets, I mean I REALLY love sweets. If I’m offered a second helping of food, I would rather turn it down to save room for dessert. Or start my meal with dessert so I’m not too full afterward. National Dessert Day is my day 🙂
The 3 recipes I want to share with you today are:
First up is Tres Leche Cake. This is an authentic Mexican cake, soaked in a sweet milk mixture, and topped with homemade whipped cream, cinnamon, and berries. Tres Leche means “three milks” and that is what makes up the filling. It’s a perfectly light and airy cake that melts in your mouth.
Start by making the cake. Preheat the oven and spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Separate the eggs into 2 bowls – yolks in one bowl and whites in the other bowl. Add sugar to the egg yolks and use a hand mixer to mix on high speed until the yolks are a pale-yellow color. Then add 1/3 cup milk and vanilla and stir to combine.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the egg yolk mixture and gently stir until combined.
Use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites on high. Slowly add the remaining sugar while you beat the egg whites. You want stiff peaks to form and that’s when you know you’re done.
Fold the egg whites into the rest of the batter until combined. Then pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Make sure to smooth the top with a knife so it is level and without any divots.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. You can speed up this process by placing the cake in the fridge if you prefer.
Once the cake is cooled, combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk in a small bowl (these are the “three milks” the cake gets its name from). Use a fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake, making sure to poke around the edge as well.
Slowly pour the mixture all over the top of the cake, including the edges. Then cover and place in the fridge for at least one hour but up to overnight to allow the cake to soak up the liquid. I let the cake sit overnight because I think one hour is not enough time but if you are serving the cake same day, you can still create a perfectly delicious cake after one hour of refrigeration.
Once the cake has absorbed the liquid you want to cover with homemade whipped cream. Add the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla to a bowl. Use a hand mixer and beat on high until stiff peaks form. Spoon on top of the cake and smooth over with a knife or spatula.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and slice some berries to top with before serving. Super yummy!
The recipe can be found here.
Next up is Butterscotch Budino with Salted Caramel. Budino is an Italian dessert that is rich and creamy, like a custard or pudding. This recipe is a layered dessert with rich butterscotch pudding, homemade salted caramel sauce, and a hint of sea salt on top. It’s a sweet and savory indulgence, and you will be licking the bowl clean!
Start by making the butterscotch budino. Use a Dutch oven or pot to melt the salted butter over medium heat. Then add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Add the cornstarch, heavy cream, and milk, and whisk together until smooth.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for bout 5 minutes. You want the mixture to be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
While the mixture is simmering, separate your eggs. Place the egg yolks in a bowl and discard the egg whites and shells. Gently whisk the yolks. Continue to whisk while spooning a small portion of the hot liquid (the butterscotch budino) into the bowl. You’ll want to add a few spoonsful to temper the eggs. This will prevent the eggs from cooking when added to the hot liquid and creating scrambled eggs in your pudding 🙂 When ready, pour the egg mixture into the pot with the rest of the budino and stir to combine.
Continue to cook for about 1 minute then add the vanilla extract. Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly.
If you are serving from a large bowl, pour the mixture into the bowl at this time and let cool completely. I like to create individual servings from small jars. It’s a fun way to present the dessert if you are hosting dinner and also helps me not eat the entire dessert in one sitting 🙂 At this time, I would pour the mixture into small jars to cool completely.
While the budino is cooling make the salted caramel sauce. Start by melting butter and sugar in a pot over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to continually stir until melted and fully combined. Then add the heavy cream and sea salt. Continue to stir.
Boil for about 1 minute and remove from heat. I like to let the caramel sauce cool slightly before adding to the budino.
Either pour the caramel sauce over the bowl, if serving from a bowl, or pour small amount of the caramel sauce into the individual jars. Top with additional sea salt and either serve immediately or store in the fridge to chill until ready to serve. You will be in heaven once you taste this dessert!
The recipe can be found here.
Last, I want to share my recipe for Pistachio Cheesecake. This cheesecake has a beautiful green color, has pistachios baked in the crust and filling, is light and airy, and delicious! It’s creamy, decadent, and enough to satisfy a sweet tooth! If you love pistachio and you love cheesecake, you’ll love this recipe 🙂
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and making the crust. Combine the graham crackers, chopped pistachios, melted butter and sugar in a bowl. Pour the mixture in the bottom of a springform pan and press down to make a flat crust. I like to use my fingers to press down, but you would use the bottom of a glass as well. Then bake for about 10 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese, flour and sugar with the paddle attachment. You want the mixture to be smooth.
Add the pistachio pudding and continue to mix until smooth.
Keep the mixer on low speed and slowly pour in the milk.
Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, and mix until just combined.
Turn off the mixer, add the pistachios, and stir by hand until combined.
Pour the batter into the springform pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the edges and set and the center is barely set – it will jiggle if you gently shake the pan. I like to bake for 40 minutes, then check to see if it’s done. You can always continue to bake if needed but you can’t undo your baking time if the cheesecake is overcooked!
Remove from the oven and let cool for about 20 minutes. You can now remove the outside of the springform pan and allow the cheesecake to cool completely. Then place in the fridge and cool for bout 1-2 hours before serving.
To serve, top with whipped cream (homemade or store-bought), and additional chopped pistachios. A tasty alternative to a classic cheesecake recipe!
The recipe can be found here.
Does anyone else have a sweet tooth like mine? What are your favorite desserts? Perhaps you’ll try one of these recipes or make something of your own to celebrate National Dessert Day. All I know is it will be a day packed with sweets to honor my favorite meal (aka my indulgences)!
Happy Cooking!
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