The Bewitching Baker KC

Happy birthday to Matt who recently turned 40!
Cherry cheesecake without the water bath!? It's possible!

I used a recipe from Lauren's Latest and it worked like a charm. It uses limited mixing and gentle temperature changes to ensure no cracks. I also lightly ran a fork over the surface after tapping out air bubbles before baking to help pop any I couldn't see..
I added paste from a vanilla bean to deepen the flavor and lemon zest to brighten. Lemon juice was added to the combo of tart and dark sweet cherries for a lovely topping.
Enjoy!!

Happiness is being able to enjoy one of your own vanilla and chocolate marble cupcakes with a luscious swirled buttercream frosting.
I typically don't get any of my creations unless I happen to make extra. Tonight was such an occasion.

I added a few tablespoons of to the chocolate buttercream....delicious!!!
And for a little added shazam!, I sprinkled them with luster dust.

Come see me on July 15th at the !!!
I'll have cupcakes, pumpkin bread, cookies, and marshmallows to toast!

The Three Witches Market is July 15 & 16 in Da House! That’s during the 3rd Friday Art Walk in Englewood.
Vendors of curious goods, craftspeople and tarot readers will be set up in the original gallery space.
There are two spaces left if you’d like to be a vendor! DM us soon!

Come support local artists, creators, and readers at !!!

I've got:
2 cakes (carrot or chocolate) at $7 a slice
Cookies bars for $3
Marshmallows toasted on site for $1
Pumpkin loaves $4 (or baker's oops loaves for $2)

This carrot cake is definitely a favorite and it makes the house smell like fall.
I always use the carrot cake recipe by but I customize just a bit. In addition to her spice mix, I add allspice. I swap out 75% of the vegetable oil with blood orange olive oil from . The orange pairs well with and elevates the entire flavor palette.
Toasty pecans were saved as a garnish only as well as the raisins.
I reconstituted the golden raisins in a hot bath of cinnamon water before patting them dry and dusting them in gold.
Her cream cheese buttercream is to die but so beautifully simple. Yummmmmmm!

S'mores cupcakes!
Chocolate cupcakes, milk chocolate buttercream, homemade graham crackers, and toasted marshmallows.

'mores

For a wedding shower for our chaplain at the hospice I work for, we celebrated with good eats, beautiful scenery, and amazing company. Congrats to Val and John on a long and lovely life together!!! ❤️

Lemon curd tarts with fresh fruit and spiced chocolate tarts with a browned butter oatmeal crunch dusting.

#❤️

When a sweet little girl hits 1 whole year old, you celebrate with a delicious cake!
I suggested we go for something seasonal and we all agreed together... strawberries!!
Happy birthday!!

You know those girl scout cookies with chocolate, caramel, and coconut?
I made a trifle in the likeness of that cookie with from-scratch chocolate cake, homemade whipped cream, toasted coconut, chocolate toffee bits, and those cookies, chopped.
My co-workers are getting a special treat tomorrow!

Sometimes my two passions intersect: baking as and working in hospice as . One of our social workers requested a chocolate cake for a patient's birthday and I'm happy to bake for him.
Happy birthday!

When your niece turns 13, you make strawberry cupcakes with strawberry buttercream, and homemade marshmallows that sparkle. Like you do...
The key to making excellent strawberry buttercream is to use powdered freeze dried strawberries in place of some of the powdered sugar. Strawberries have a lot of water so they don't mix as well with butter easily (oil/water).
Blitz the freeze dried strawberries and you've got fantastic flavor.

When you have to get a quick photo of the pillowy soft, homemade lemon marshmallow bars you made because co-workers are coming...
Not my best photography but you get the idea. 😉

When your wife is about to leave on a girls trip and asks for road-snacks, salted oatmeal chocolate chip cookies will do the trick!

Old fashioned peanut butter cookies are so easy! And when I've made them using a popular name brand peanut butter, the oil separated out and it was a mess...both times I tried it!
But 1 cup of sugar, 1 egg, and 1 cup of creamy regular (not natural) peanut butter works like a charm! 350° for 8-10 minutes and you've got a simple and delicious cookie.

Browned butter is hands down my favorite way to elevate a recipe.
For Administrative Assistants Day tomorrow, I've made spiced pumpkin whoopie pies filled browned butter cream cheese buttercream.
Not only are there vanilla bean flecks in the frosting but also some toasty bits from the butter. It creates a different dimension of amazing flavor. I hope our ladies will enjoy them!

As I adjust to a new work-life balance, my baking has slowed down.
But not this week!
I'm making homemade moon pies for a small event and needed to practice the filling.

There's no better marshmallow fluff than homemade. And old fashioned peanut butter cookies make a delicious vehicle for that heavenly fluff.

Yummmmmmy!

My dear mama-in-law had a birthday this week and today we celebrate!
She requested my German Chocolate Cake: I elevated it with toasting both the pecans and coconut for that luscious caramel frosting and garnish. I dusted the whole pecans with gold to give a subtle shimmer. And as always, I used coffee and espresso powder in the cake to enhance the chocolate.
I can't wait to dig in!!

This weekend, I'm technically unemployed but I start my dream (day) job on Monday.
To celebrate this new chapter, my wife prepared me a glorious Fresh Start breakfast:
Double provolone, savory pineapple ham, a billowy egg scrambled in rosemary infused butter, all enraptured in an earthy whole wheat thin bun. On the side, we have Greek yogurt bejeweled with fresh fruit, guilded with golden whipped honey.

On Monday, I'll be the volunteer coordinator for a local hospice. I am so excited!!!

When you reschedule your oldest dog's 16th birthday party for Kansas weather, you have more time to make gourmet doggie treats.
We have mini doggie donuts for tomorrow!

One set is apple and peanut butter donuts with a pb and coconut oil drizzle, garnished with zested freeze dried raspberries.
The other has an addition of pumpkin, same drizzle, and zested freeze dried blueberries.

Happy birthday to our Greta!


#16

This Golden Girl: our Greta Louise turns 16 on February 25th. For her size, this is amazing.
If you're in the or area that evening, I hope you could come out and visit out sweet girl. I'll be providing pupcakes and cupcakes to share until supplies last! More details to come!
Maybe will stop by?

A return customer requested a strawberry shortcake for her daughter's birthday and I was so excited to make this. Out of all the cakes I've made, this is my favorite no matter what kind of fruit. It's so versatile!
And there's something so refreshing about the clean taste of vanilla cake, cold and luscious whipped cream, and big juicy strawberries...all from scratch of course.
♥️

My wife cooks for the week and today, she made some amazing food.
We have sautéed mushrooms in butter, garlic, and shallots.
For breakfast, Scotch eggs using sage sausage. They are totally worth the work and make for a filling, protein heavy breakfast.

And it was so nice out, she GRILLED lots of protein for lunches and dinners. I didn't get pics of those but I did take advantage of the hot grill.
When you don't have a range hood, the grill is a great way to clean and season cast iron without setting off the fire alarm. :)

What are cooking this weekend?!

Sometimes, simplicity is best.
Here in Kansas, it's snowy and just plain cold. We're snuggled in, cozy and warm with our dogs. The oven was begging to to be turned on for some baking.

An easy chocolate chip oatmeal cookie recipe is authored by
It's a kid friendly and delicious cookie. This is my go-to recipe and the best comfort food, hot out the oven.

The only additions I made were extra chocolate chips pressed into the top of the cookie dough mounds before baking and a generous garnish of flaked salt.

#350

I've been MIA due to a significant neck surgery (my neck is mature beyond my years) so I haven't been baking. And I didn't get to see what my top instagram photos were!
Pies, hand pies, a tartlet, a marshmallow, and a cereal bar were the favorites!
As I continue to recover, I'm working on even more amazing bakes to create, flavors to explore, and techniques to practice for 2022.
Hang in there with me. There's more to come...complete with my neck brace until March. 😉

#2022

Come out and see me today at Aquarius!

Saturday 10a-5p
Sunday 11a-4p
Aquarius Bookstore 3936 Broadway KCMO 64110

I have fond memories of our trips to New Orleans as a kid and it absolutely includes pralines.
I found an easy recipe by native and I got it on the second try. That first batch might just need to go in some homemade no-churn ice cream. :)

Come by tomorrow in Westport to get your sugar fix from The Bewitching Baker of Kansas City. Get all of your shopping done at our women-artisan event. Shop local!!!

A naturally gluten free delicious cookie?
1 cup of peanut butter + 1 cup of sugar + 1 egg:
350° for 12+ minutes for 20+ cookies. Mix together, roll into 1 inch balls, and press with a fork cross-wise.

Come see me at the at
to get some of these cookies this weekend!!