The Yellow Oven Bakery

Mix N Match Muffins

April 20, 2022 by carolineocrockett

The details

Choose your own adventure! I recently set out to develop a perfect “base” muffin recipe. Meaning, add whatever fruit, berries, or chips you prefer and the muffins will turn out perfect. Every time. These Mix N Match Muffins have done just that! The muffin base is fluffy, sweet (but not too sweet), and rich with buttery flavor. The muffin tops are broad, domed, and amazingly crunchy with that sugar crust. I swear, I could eat only muffin tops for breakfast forever. But I digress. So, all that’s left for you to decide is what will you put in the muffins? Mini chocolate chip? Bluebs??? Chopped strawberries? Done.

…

Classic Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

April 19, 2022 by carolineocrockett

The details

Everyone needs a classic birthday cake recipe. Make it for yourself on your birthday (no shame, I do it) or save this recipe for someone special’s day. Either way, this Classic Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream is cause for celebration. The cake itself is rich with egg yolks, buttery, and dense without being weighed down. It is moist and melts in your mouth. And the frosting, let me tell you. This is my favorite buttercream of all time. Rich, chocolatey, creamy, but not overly sweet. The secret is in the cream cheese/butter mixture. Make it once and it will become your go-to!

…

Coffee Black Cocoa Cake

April 19, 2022 by carolineocrockett

The details

Say hello to my new favorite cake flavor combo! Coffee Black Cocoa Cake is a rich, indulgent black cocoa cake with a silky, strong coffee buttercream. The cake has a tight crumb and a moist texture. It’s deeply chocolatey but not too sweet. The swiss meringue buttercream is the smoothest and creamiest, like a very milky cup of coffee. Together, these two components totally sing. Say yes to coffee any time of day!

…

How to Proof Dough Like a Pro

April 7, 2022 by carolineocrockett

And yeast 101

Proofing! It’s an essential part of making any fluffy, yeast-based bread (think cinnamon rolls, focaccia, sourdough loaves, dinner rolls, the list goes on!). And honestly, those are some of my favorite types of bakes, which is why so many of my recipes call for one or more proofs. Once you’ve got the hang of it, and how to best proof in YOUR kitchen (it may take a few tries to figure this out), the options are limitless and you can impress everyone with your amazing bread-making skills!! So here’s my deep dive on how to proof dough like a pro.

Here’s the thing–if you’ve never done it before, proofing can be so intimidating! My friend recently made my small-batch focaccia recipe and was so confused about proofing. She did the first proof in the fridge, per the recipe, and then wasn’t sure if she proofed properly for the second proof. I think the real question is, what does proofing mean?? And why do we do it?

…