creme fraiche Archives - MyFoodChannel

Bake the best spicy chocolate cherry cake with this simple recipe. If you lean vegan, no problem, this cake is egg and dairy free. The inspiration for this recipe came from our travels in Mexico where we sampled several delicious chocolate desserts paired with the heat of peppers. Hot pepper and chocolate is a terrific combination.

Don’t worry, if you’re not a fan of spicy foods, the addition of heat in this recipe does not set your mouth on fire. But if the notion of pepper in your cake doesn’t thrill you, then just leave the pepper out, the cake is still moist and delicious.

Cherry Chocolate Cake Ingredients

1½ cups all-purpose FLOUR
1 cup white SUGAR
¼ cup COCOA powder …do not substitute hot chocolate mix, it’s not the same thing
1 tsp BAKING SODA
2 tsp CINNAMON
¾ tsp RED PEPPER POWDER or cayenne powder
1 tsp VANILLA
1 Tbsp WHITE VINEGAR
5 Tbsp refined COCONUT OIL …Using unrefined coconut oil will add a coconut taste
1 cup COLD WATER

Optional Toppings:
powdered sugar
cherry topping (recipe below)
crème fraîche (recipe below) Your favorite frosting or icing
Greek yogurt
whipped cream
cool whip

How to Bake a Cherry Chocolate Cake

Place 1 cup of water in the fridge to cool.
Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan, or grease the pan sides, and place cut parchment paper in the bottom.
Place rack is in the center of your oven and preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, and cayenne.
Add the vanilla, vinegar, oil, and 1 cup of cold water and stir until just combined. Do NOT over stir.
Pour batter into the cake pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove cake pan from oven and allow to cool on cooking rack until you can safely handle the pan. Do not try to remove the cake from the pan hot out of the oven, because it might fall apart.
Once cake pan can be handled, run a butter knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan, then turn the cake upside side on a cooling rack, tap the bottom of the pan and remove pan off of the cake. Need a cooling rack? Check current prices for cooking racks on Amazon.
Allow the cake to cool before adding any topping.

The chocolate cake is moist and delicious all on it’s own. Just a sprinkling of powdered sugar on the top of the cake will transform it into a very appealing dessert. For the video recipe, we add a rich cherry topping, but you can use any fruit you wish. You can check out the cherry cake topping recipe below, or simply top the cake with your favorite frosting, icing, or cool whip.

Cherry Topping Recipe

You can purchase a can of cherry topping to go on your fresh chocolate cake, but we’re not a big fan of the overly goopy and sweet canned cherry options. A homemade cherry topping is easy to prepare.

Ingredients for Cherry Topping

4 cups PITTED SWEET CHERRIES …we use frozen cherries
1/4 cup WATER
1 Tbsp CORN STARCH
1 Tbsp LEMON JUICE
2 Tbsp SUGAR

How to make Cherry Topping

In a medium saucepan, combine water, cornstarch, lemon juice, sugar.
Place over medium heat and constantly stir until it begins to thicken.
Add cherries and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is lightly boiling across the surface.
Remove pan from the burner and allow the sauce to cool to room temperature. The sauce will thicken more as it sits.

How to Make Crème Fraîche

This topping is basically a homemade, mild sour cream. And if you think ‘sour cream’ doesn’t belong on a dessert, give this recipe a try before you decide. But be forewarned, this stuff is addictive! Here’s our video for making a crème fraîche recipe.

creme fraiche recipe — Delicious crème fraîche can be made at home simply and inexpensively.

Ingredients for Crème Fraîche

16 oz HEAVY CREAM, also called heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp YOGURT with live cultures

You can halve or double the recipe, as needed.

The live cultures in the yogurt are key! We often use thicker Greek yogurt. Instead of YOGURT with live cultures, you can also use BUTTERMILK, but buttermilk will make a crème fraîche with a bit more tang, perhaps better suited as a savory foods topping.

How to make Homemade Crème Fraîche

Stir the two ingredients together in a jar. Top the jar with a loose fitting lid or something that allows the mixture to ‘breathe’. A coffee filter or even a napkin works.
Let jar sit at room temperature undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
Stir again and place the crème fraîche in the refrigerator. It will continue to thicken.
Your crème fraîche will keep 8 to 10 days in the refrigerator.

If hot pepper in your cake sounds interesting, what about beans? Here’s a gluten-free chocolate cake recipe that will shock you with deliciouness.

lemon meringue pie — Try this easy chocolate cake recipe…made with beans…wha!!!?

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Homemade Crème Fraîche Recipe

All you need to make crème fraîche is
HEAVY CREAM also called Heavy Whipping Cream
YOGURT or BUTTERMILK with live cultures A crème fraîche made with buttermilk has more tang.

A Crème Fraîche recipe practically makes itself. All you have to do is introduce the two parties, put them together in a warm environment around 70F, and then let them hang out for 12-24 hours. How long it takes for the cream to thicken will mostly depend on the room temperature; if it’s a bit warmer or cooler in the room, it might take a bit shorter or longer time to make crème fraîche.

I generally make 16oz of crème fraîche at a time. This is a convenient size for heavy whipping cream. Heavy whipping cream and heavy cream are similarly used names for the exact same product, so whichever label you buy will work fine. Heavy cream is cream with a milkfat content greater than 35%, by contrast, half and half is ½ milk and ½ cream, with a milkfat content around 12%. This higher fat content allows crème fraîche be added to simmering dishes without curdling, adding creaminess to soups and sauces, eggs, etc..

In a jar, combine 16oz of heavy cream with 2 Tbsp of cultured buttermilk or yogurt. It is essential that the yogurt or buttermilk contain live cultures, since this is the agent that will allow the heavy cream to thicken.

Stir the ingredients together, and then top the jar with a loose fitting lid or mesh, a coffee filter works great. Set jar aside and allow to rest at room temperature for 12-24 hours.
The cream will thicken over time, stir occasionally if desired. Once the cream thickens to the consistency of yogurt, place the crème fraîche in the refrigerator. It will continue to thicken and
will keep 8 to 10 days in the refrigerator.

Delicious crème fraîche can be made at home simply and inexpensively.

What can you do with Crème Fraîche?

It makes an ideal topping for desserts; it is rich and velvety smooth and can transform whatever it tops into a dessert, especially fruit. Or it can add creaminess to savory dishes as well. Crème fraîche has a high fat content, so it can be added into dishes as they cook and the cream will resist curdling. Add crème fraîche to soups and sauces to create a smooth, creamy richness. Crème fraîche can be used in any way you might use a whipped topping or sour cream, but the simplicity and richness of this thickened cream can elevate a dish to something special.

Love Mexican food? You can use this recipe to make a fresh, delicious Mexican crema that is better than what you buy in the stores. Mexican crema is basically crème fraîche with a bit of lime juice and salt added after it has sat in the frig for a day. And for an extra tang, use cultured buttermilk instead of the yogurt. What you will get is thick, creamy goodness that is a great topping for chilaquiles, pozole, tacos …. the list is endless!

My Favorite Ways To Use Crème Fraîche

Use crème fraîche as a fruit topping. It turns fruit into dessert. An actual dessert if you top with powdered sugar as well.
Saute apples in butter and cinnamon and then top with crème fraîche. Holy cow it’s good.
Or just drop a dollop of crème fraîche on pie or cake.
Stir crème fraîche into pasta to add a decadent creaminess. Mac ‘n cheese!
Stir crème fraîche into soups and sauces, it will add creaminess without curdling.
Top oatmeal with crème fraîche to turn a bland breakfast into a better breakfast.
Add crème fraîche to scrambled eggs for the creamiest eggs ever.

If you’ve never tried crème fraîche then give it a go. And if you’ve only previously bought it from the store, definitely try this homemade crème fraîche recipe.

Here’s some desserts that would look nice under a dollop of crème fraîche!
Try a homemade Fruit Cobbler Recipe.

homemade fruit cobbler

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We include affiliate links for products on our website, so if you make a purchase after clicking on our links, we may earn a commission which helps us produce more videos and drink more coffee :^) We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which is an affiliate advertising program providing a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, so we can make more videos.

Cherry Chocolate Cake with a Kick

Cherry Chocolate Cake Ingredients

How to Bake a Cherry Chocolate Cake