I’ve been baking for a long time. I grew up watching my nana make her famous pumpkin rolls and easy cheesecake and loved helping my mom in the kitchen.

But I know that not everyone learned to cook and bake as a kid. So a lot of us are trying to learn as much as we can as adults. 

If that’s you, there’s zero shame in not knowing how to make a quick buttermilk substitute or needing someone to teach you how to measure flour or how to cream butter and sugar correctly. 

Cocoa powder is one of those baking ingredients that sounds really basic, but then you get to the grocery store baking aisle and see multiple types. How do you know which kind to buy? What is natural cocoa powder and how is it different from dutched cocoa?

Before you panic, keep reading. I’m going to teach you about the types of cocoa powder, how to know which one to use, and a few tips on how to store them and know if and when they go bad.

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If you’ve been around for a while, you know how much I love being able to make things at home.

Whether it’s having a buttermilk substitute recipe up my sleeve or knowing how to make an amazing pumpkin pie spice, I like knowing how to make some key baking basics in my own kitchen.

You might think that making butter is just for your ancestors, but I can promise you that it’s not. Homemade butter has an incredible flavor and it’s unbelievably easy!

Whether you’re making it to impress dinner guests, turning it into a delicious compound butter, or simply looking for a way to use up excess heavy cream, knowing how to make butter is a trick that’s worth keeping in mind.

There are 3 easy ways to make your own butter using tools you likely already have on hand, so let’s talk through them.

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Fancy-sounding dishes that are secretly super easy to make are totally my jam.

Whipped cherry butter looks so beautiful on your table but comes together in just minutes. Cranberry brie bites always impress guests but are made with just 3 ingredients. And this apple compote sounds fancy but takes almost no effort to make.

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There’s a local restaurant here in Ohio that serves whipped cherry butter with their bread and my brother absolutely loves it!

This Thanksgiving, I had extra maraschino cherries from making my ambrosia salad and decided to whip up some cherry butter as a surprise for him.

It turned out perfect and he said it was his favorite thing about Thanksgiving dinner, which only pissed me off a little because it took a whopping 5 minutes to make and I had prepped and cooked everything else for daaaaaays. But I guess that’s a brother for ya!

If you’re looking for a quick and easy addition to your holiday dinner rolls or breakfast spread, this whipped cherry butter is definitely it.

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When you’re planning a big holiday dinner, it’s easy to get so wrapped up in the ham or turkey and all of the sides – like garlic mashed potatoes and Jiffy corn casserole – that you forget to add a fresh veggie to the menu.

A beautiful salad is a great way to add some freshness to a heavy meal, and I’m here to tell you that it does not have to be boring. 

One of the easiest ways to make a salad both delicious and impressive is with some homemade croutons. Everyone loves croutons and they’re so easy to customize with any seasonings you like!

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As much as I love cruising through the Starbucks drive-thru, I’ll admit that going there on a regular basis gets kind of expensive.

The other day I discovered that a single slice of pumpkin loaf costs almost $4 at Starbucks. But I can an entire batch of my pumpkin bread – which makes 2 whole loaves – for less than $7.50.

You get where I’m going? Those green cups are a great treat, but not a daily habit for me. 

So instead, I like finding ways to make some of my coffee-shop favorites at home. And if you like iced coffees as much as I do, this vanilla sweet cream cold brew is a must-try.

The post Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam appeared first on My Baking Addiction.

I love a morning coffee shop coffee or tea. Whether it’s hitting up my local coffee shop or swinging through the Starbucks drive thru, it’s a great way to start my morning. Or get my second wind in the afternoon.

But doing that daily is not the best habit. It does add up after a while.

That’s why I like making homemade vanilla coffee syrup and keeping it on hand for dressing up my coffee at home. And once I became hooked on the Starbucks brown sugar syrup, I knew I had to come up with a homemade version of that, too.

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I’m a big believer in taking my recipes and making them your own. 

This is especially true with my cakes and cupcakes. I often give you cake and frosting pairings, but you should just consider those to be suggestions or starting points. 

It’s the reason why I have so many different frosting recipes for you, from buttercream and cream cheese frosting to strawberry frosting and whipped cream frosting. 

And today I’m sharing my newest favorite: brown butter frosting. I’ll give you some suggested ways to use it later in this post, but I really hope you’ll get creative. Feel free to use it however you like and make something brand new with it – that’s really the whole point of baking, after all!

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Sometimes I don’t know where I’d be without my baking basics. I’ve saved myself so many extra trips to the grocery store by knowing how to whip up a buttermilk substitute, how to make pumpkin pie spice at home, and how to make powdered sugar. 

You’ve probably seen jars of cinnamon sugar in the spice aisle at the grocery store. Maybe you’ve even bought it before! But from now on, you won’t need to.

Once you know how to make cinnamon sugar, you’ll be able to keep a jar of it on hand at all times.

HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON SUGAR

Cinnamon sugar is one of the most useful things you can keep in your pantry, especially if you have a bit of a sweet tooth. 

Like simple syrup, it’s one of those things that you CAN buy at the store. But once you realize how easy it is to make and you know the ratio to use, I bet you’ll save yourself some money and make it at home.

The most important thing you need to know when it comes to making cinnamon sugar is the ratio to use.

My preferred ratio is: 1 part cinnamon to 4 parts granulated sugar by volume.

Once you’ve got that down, you can make as much or as little as you need!

Ratio examples

Here are a few ratio examples for you, so you can see how you can make anywhere from a small amount to a larger volume:

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon + 4 teaspoons (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon + ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon + ½ cup sugar

As you can see, it’s easy to scale this up or down however you like. 

You don’t even have to use traditional measuring spoons or cups! Any scoop or spoon you have lying around your kitchen will work – just use 1 scoop of cinnamon for every 4 scoops of sugar.

USES

Need some usage ideas? I’ve got you covered.

The most common uses are for making cinnamon toast or using it to coat snickerdoodle cookies (or to top snickerdoodle blondies), but there are a whole bunch of options beyond those.

Sprinkle it on top of blondie bars, muffins, or quick breads before baking, such as apple bars, zucchini muffins, or banana bread.

Add it to your morning oatmeal, sprinkle it on top of bread pudding before baking, or use it to make cinnamon tortilla chips for a delicious snack.

And don’t forget donuts and pretzels! You can make cinnamon sugar soft pretzel bites or cinnamon sugar pretzels with your favorite hard pretzels. Skip the glaze on homemade doughnuts and cake donuts and go for a coating of this goodness instead. 

Feeling snacky? Try candied pecans or air fryer cinnamon sugar knots.

Even drinks are made better with it! It makes a great rim for apple cider margaritas, or sprinkle it over spiced apple cider.

STORAGE

Once you’ve mixed up your cinnamon sugar, store it in an airtight container, such as a glass jar. Label it and store it in a cool, dry place and it’ll keep pretty much forever.

Like all ground spices, the cinnamon will start to lose some of its flavor after about 6 months, but the mix itself will still be good – it just might not pack as much punch.

See? Now that you know how to make cinnamon sugar, you can pass by it at the store and keep a jar of it in your pantry at all times!

Print

How to Make Cinnamon Sugar

Cinnamon sugar is one of the most useful spice blends you can keep in your pantry! Learn the best ratio for how to make cinnamon sugar as well as ways to use it.

Course Baking Basics

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Author Jamie

Ingredients

• 1 part ground cinnamon
• 4 parts granulated sugar

Instructions

• Whisk together and store in an airtight container.

Notes

Use the above ratio to make as much or as little cinnamon sugar as you need. Common examples:

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon + 4 teaspoons (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon + ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon + ½ cup sugar

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The end of summer is exhausting. I love having Elle home during the summer, and this one has been so much fun, but when you add in back-to-school shopping and still trying to cram in the last fun things of summer…I’m exhausted.

So don’t be surprised when you see I’m only sharing easy recipes this week. I think we all deserve a bit of a break.

I know that pumpkin and apples are just around the corner, but I’m not quite ready yet. So instead, I’m helping you plan for the last of the summer cookouts with a few more warm-weather desserts, starting with this grilled pound cake.

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