☘️ Hello Baking Buddy! ☘️

Welcome to March! As I type this email, we're currently snowed in as a blizzard continues to dump snow in Southern Minnesota. Just 3 days ago it was sunny and 64°F (17°C) outside as we experienced "false spring!"

What’s Inside:​
✔️ My latest baking revelation: Powdered Salt (Popcorn Salt) & Why You Need It!​
✔️ Berry-Licious Cakes – Fruity cakes filled with berries!
✔️ Cherry Season Spotlight: Meet my latest cake – Cherry Garcia Cake 🍒🍫
✔️ St. Patrick’s Day Cake: Irish Cream Pound Cake & Glaze ☘️
✔️ Viral Alert! – Our Funfetti Cake is taking over the internet 🎉
✔️ Egg-Free Desserts: A must-read for anyone baking without eggs!

My Latest Baking Revelation: Powdered Salt (Popcorn Salt)

Did you know? Salt plays a critical role in baking, including balancing flavors, especially sweetness. It impacts the consistency of doughs and plays a major role in preserving your baking goods, keeping them fresher longer.

If you haven’t baked with powdered salt yet, you’re missing out! Ultra-fine powdered salt (aka popcorn salt) dissolves faster and distributes evenly in doughs, batters, and frostings, leading to better flavor in every bite—smooth, balanced sweetness.

When it comes to baking, most home bakers reach for standard iodized table salt. This was me! And while it does the job, it has a few drawbacks:

• Uneven distribution: The larger, coarser grains don’t always dissolve properly.
• Added anti-caking agents: Chemical additives are something I was looking to eliminate.
• Slightly metallic taste: The iodine can give table salt a slightly metallic flavor, which can subtly impact the taste of your baked goods.

The biggest reason I ditched table salt in my baking is that “research shows microplastics in 90 percent of the table salt brands sampled worldwide,” due to being sourced from the ocean according to a National Geographic article from 2018.

Why Use Powdered Salt:​
✔️ Swap easily 1:1 for regular salt in your recipes
✔️ Use it in buttercream and frostings for extra smoothness
✔️ Enhance cookie dough flavor without the grainy bits

>> Find out more about the salt I'm using now instead.​

Berries & Cherries 🍓🍒

I’m deep in a fruity cake phase—berry curds, berry frostings, berry-studded cakes—and loving every second of it! I'll be posting more cakes with fruit in the coming months.

My current favorites:​
​Strawberry Cream Cake – Light, fluffy, and bursting with juicy berries
​Blueberry Crumb Cake – Soft cake with a crunchy streusel topping
​Lemon Raspberry Muffins – Tangy, bright, and perfect for spring

New Recipe Spotlight: Cherry Garcia Cake 🍒🍫

Inspired by the classic Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor, this cake is loaded with juicy cherries, chocolate chips, and a creamy cherry frosting. It’s rich, fruity, and totally irresistible.

🍒 Key Ingredients:​
✔️ Fresh or frozen cherries (pitted, of course!)
✔️ Dark chocolate chips or chunks (the good stuff!)
✔️ Whipped mascarpone cream for that nostalgic creamy flavor

Perfect for a birthday, weekend bake, or just because. This cake is best eaten within two days of baking due to the cherries.

Get the recipe for Chocolate Cherry Garcia Cake here.

St. Patrick’s Day: Irish Cream Pound Cake ☘️

This rich, buttery pound cake is infused with Irish cream liqueur and topped with a smooth Irish cream caramel glaze. It’s the kind of dessert that makes you want to pour a cup of coffee and just savor every bite.

💡 Baking Tip: This cake is a cold oven pound cake—meaning you start baking it in a cold oven first (no preheating!). The slow heat creates a tender, fine crumb that’s totally worth the added wait.

Get the Irish Cream Pound Cake recipe here.

Going Viral: Funfetti Cake 🎉

Our Funfetti Cake is having a moment right now! If you haven’t tried this buttery, sprinkle-packed classic, now’s the time.

What makes it special?
✨ The perfect vanilla flavor – rich, buttery, and just the right amount of sweet
✨ Soft, moist texture – thanks to the addition of buttermilk
✨ Loads of sprinkles – because Funfetti is meant to be FUN!

Get the Funfetti Layer Cake recipe here!

Egg-Free Baking: Desserts Without Eggs

Whether you’re out of eggs, can't find them locally, or baking for someone with an allergy, eggless desserts are still amazing.

​Egg-Free Chocolate Cake – Just as rich & moist as the classic
​Eggless Tiramisu – Served in individual cups for easy serving
​Melt-In-Your Mouth Butter Cookies – Perfect with coffee or tea

Here's my full list of 15 egg-free desserts you'll love.

March Baking Calendar 📅

✔️ March 14 – Pi Day 🥧 (Excuse to bake a pie? YES.)
✔️ March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day ☘️ (Hello, pretty green desserts!)
✔️ March 20 – First Day of Spring 🌷 (Lemon desserts to celebrate!)

I’d love to hear from you! What are you baking this month? Hit “reply” and let me know!

Cheers,

Stephanie Gonzalez

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