Triple Lemon Layer Cake

Lemon lovers: this one’s for you! Layers of light and buttery lemon cake (the reverse-cream method produces a particularly cotton-soft texture that’s perfect for layering), a bright lemon curd filling (extra thick so it says put), and a silky smooth lemon buttercream for a flavor-packed lemon cake even non-lemon-lovers will adore.

Layer upon layer of lovely lemon flavor, this lemon cake has three times the lemon flavor for three times the deliciousness! With a filling of tart and tangy Meyer lemon curd sandwiched between layers of tender lemon cake, all covered with a cloud-like lemon Swiss meringue buttercream that’s straight out of a dream, this cake is proof that there is no such thing as too much lemon.

When life gives you lemons (and by life I mean mom, who sent me an enormous box filled with Meyer lemons from her tree without any heads up or warning) make an epic lemon layer cake that’s loaded with luscious lemon flavor.

I’ll admit, I’m not usually a lemon dessert person (I’ll choose the chocolate dessert over the lemon one almost every time), but this cake really is something special, three layers of soft lemon-scented cake with a bright lemon curd and finished with the silkiest lemon buttercream you’ve ever tasted. It’s the perfect balance of tart lemon and sweetness.

Looks like I might just be a lemon lover after all!

I particularly love Meyer lemons, which have a sweeter flavor and less harsh acidity that makes them perfect for baking (and I’ve got plenty of other Meyer lemon dessert recipes to prove it!) but you can use regular lemons in this recipe as well.

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15 Unique Strawberry Jam Recipes

Looking for something more exciting than plain ol’ strawberry jam? I’ve got you covered! These 15 unique recipes include multi-fruit mashups and fabulous flavor combinations that will take your homemade strawberry jam from ordinary to extraordinary!

Strawberries are one of the most versatile fruits when it comes to jam. They are definitely one of my favorite fruits to jam-ify, as should be obvious by the sheer number of different strawberry jam recipes I’ve shared over the years.

But what makes strawberries so perfect for jam? Their bold and recognizable flavor and gorgeous ruby-red color makes them the perfect starting point for myriad flavor combinations and variations, from sweet to spicy to boozy and beyond.

Some of these recipes can be only found in my cookbook, That’s My Jam, which, if you’re looking for more beyond-the-ordinary jam recipes, is a perfect place to start! For others, like my favorite strawberry hibiscus jam, the book has an updated version of the recipe (a lower sugar version with Pomona’s pectin, compared to the ‘old-fashioned’ style recipe originally published on the blog).

Better yet, ALL of these recipes (and all the recipes in the book!) include free printable labels, some also have editable templates available for you to customize (and don’t hesitate to reach out if you want an edible version of any of my past designs, I’ve been slowly creating editable versions of everything and would be happy to bump something to the top of the list upon request!)

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Classic Strawberry Jam, 3 Ways (Old Fashioned, Regular Pectin, and Low-Sugar Pectin)

Homemade strawberry jam is perfect in its simplicity, bright and sweet and bursting with strawberry flavor, no matter if you water-bath process it for shelf stable storage, refrigerate or freeze it, or eat it straight out of the jar with a spoon.

This post is jam-packed (pun intended) with all the info you need to make your perfect strawberry jam, comparing the different types of pectins and the pros and cons of each with recipes, as well a recipe for a traditional, old-fashioned jam with no added pectin.

Welcome to my treatise on strawberry jam, my jamifesto if you will.

The fact I managed to write over 4,500 words (!!) about strawberry jam should tell you just how passionate I am on the subject (at this point I’ve accepted that my personality is just… jam. Case in point, this purse that I picked up last week that is just TOO perfect 😍😍😍… how did Kate know I spent the entire weekend before making batch after batch of strawberry jam??)

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know I’m not one to make “plain” anything. Plain chocolate cake? How about a red wine chocolate cake instead? Plain chocolate chip cookies? Stuff ’em with ganache.

And plain strawberry jam? The fact that I’ve got a dozen unique strawberry jam recipes with flavorful additions, interesting infusions and clever combinations like strawberry limoncello, strawberry hibiscus, and guava strawberry jam to name a few, and even more in my cookbook, should tell you something about my personal feelings on ‘plain’ or boring jam flavors.

So why am I here posting a recipe for plain ol’ strawberry jam?

Well, I figure it’d be a good opportunity to wax poetic about jam in general and just what you can expect from different styles of jam and brands of pectin. These lessons can be applied to any kind of jam, not just strawberry but other kinds of fruits as well.

(Psst! Don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom of this post to download these adorable printable jar labels, absolutely free!)

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Guava Strawberry Jam

Strawberry and guava come together in one fruit-packed preserve that’s bright, fruity, and vibrant, with a perfect amount of sugar and plenty of acid to make the flavors pop.

The unique pairing of strawberry and guava makes for a truly memorable jam, whether you can it in a water bath for shelf-stable storage, or store it in the fridge or freezer for short term satisfaction (or, you know, eat it by the spoonful straight out of the pot).

Multi-fruit jams are… well, my jam.

Single fruit jams are just so… boring. If you know me, you know I love unique flavor combinations, especially when it comes to my jam recipes. Whether it is the addition of an unexpected flavor, like hibiscus or vanilla bean, basil or even chocolate, a splash of something boozy like limoncello, bourbon or gin, or a hint of heat from habanero or jalapeño.

But more than anything I love mixing fruits and flavors into unexpected fruit combinations. Like mango and raspberry, peach and passionfruit, or blackberry and apple.

But listen, this strawberry and guava jam might just be my favorite fruity combination yet.

Pink guavas have a sweet, musky fragrance with tropical notes of papaya, melon, strawberry and ripe pear… and even a little bit of bubblegum if we’re being honest. Paired with the bright berry flavor of the strawberry the combination is almost candy-like, sweet and bright with the perfect amount of acidity to balance out the sweetness.

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Strawberry Shortcake Crunch Topping (from Scratch)

With a crunchy texture and a bright strawberry flavor from freeze-dried strawberries, this strawberry crunch topping is as versatile and delicious and a cinch to prepare, not to mention entirely scratch-made!

This crunchy strawberry shortcake crumb is made entirely from scratch with no strawberry gelatin mix and no pre-packaged cookies. And yet despite its homemade nature, it comes together in under an hour (and most of that time is chilling and baking).

When developing my recipe for a strawberry sheet cake inspired by the classic ice cream treat from my childhood, I set about creating a crunchy strawberry shortcake crumb mixture—entirely from scratch.

A quick search for ‘strawberry crunch’ brings up dozens of recipes for this nostalgic topping, but almost all of them use either strawberry gelatin dessert mix and/or crushed up golden Oreo cookies (or both) to achieve the bright strawberry flavor and crunchy texture. And I really didn’t want to use either of those things.

So I set about creating my own version entirely from scratch.

I started with a milk bar-style shortbread crumb, made with flour, sugar, and melted butter, and some cornstarch and dry milk powder for added tenderness and dairy richness. It took me a few tries to get the balance right, as I wanted something that came out perfectly crunchy but wasn’t dry (my first attempt tasted too much like flour so I had to dial it back a bit).

Adding a bit of baking powder gives the crumb just a tiny bit of rise, resulting in softer shapes and a more cohesive, crunchy yet tender texture (it’s the kind of delicate crunch that almost melts in your mouth as opposed to the hard, tooth-breaking kind.)

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Strawberry Crunch Sheet Cake with Buttermilk Frosting

This pretty in pink sheet cake tastes like pure nostalgia, with a moist and tender strawberry cake, tangy buttermilk frosting, and a generous sprinkle of crunchy strawberry shortcake crumbs that add the perfect sweet and salty finishing touch.

Inspired by an ice cream truck classic, this strawberry crunch sheet cake combines all the elements you love about the frozen treat in sheet cake form: a tender strawberry buttermilk cake topped with a cloud-like buttermilk frosting and a scratch-made strawberry crunch topping.

This recipe was created in partnership with Amoretti (use coupon code LOVEANDOLIVEOILFREESHIP for free shipping on your order!) All opinions expressed here are my own.

There are few things more nostalgic than the ice cream truck, the tinkling sound of the melodic jingle that starts softly at first but gets louder as the anticipation grows. I strongly recall the breathless feeling of frantically running around the house scooping up the loose change from the couch cushions and bolting out the door before it passes you by.

The sound (and taste) of the ice cream truck is a particularly strong childhood memory for me, maybe because we grew up in an area that ice cream trucks did not frequent, so my only experiences with them were when we were visiting our grandparents in Los Angeles, making it an extra special experience.

The ice cream truck felt like a carnival on wheels, but for your tastebuds.

And of all the classic ice cream truck treats, the strawberry shortcake crunch bars are certainly one of the most memorable flavors, with a core of bold strawberry surrounded by creamy vanilla ice cream and an outer coating of crunchy strawberry shortcake crumbs. I’m usually a chocolate girl through and through, but something about that combo of creamy and crunchy, vanilla and fruit hit all the right notes.

This recipe is inspired by that nostalgic ice cream treat, with all the same flavors and textures, reimagined in a party-ready sheet cake.

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Candied Orange Ice Cream with Chocolate Fudge Swirl (Crema del Doge)

This sweet and creamy custard-based ice cream is flavored with candied orange syrup and features a swirl of rich and chewy chocolate fudge and bits of candied orange peel studded throughout.

Inspired by a particularly memorable cone of gelato from our travels, Crema del Doge is a flavor fit for a king: sweet cream with a hint of orange, with swirls of dark chocolate fudge and bits of bright candied orange peel mixed right in.

Sometimes, a single delicious bite from a trip is so memorable that you’re still thinking about it 7 years later.

This is one of those bites.

Ok, so we had quite a few memorable bites on our trip to Venice back in 2017, including a decadent pistachio cream and the always satisfying straciatella, but it was a mind-blowing scoop of chocolate-and-orange deliciousness dubbed Crema del Doge that embedded itself in my mind and refused to leave.

Crema del Doge is the signature flavor of Gelateria il Doge in Venice, Italy. (The Doge was the highest ranking leader in Venice from about the 7th to 18th centuries… so this gelato is fit for royalty, wouldn’t you agree?) If you ever find yourself in the Floating City, I highly recommend seeking out this particular gelateria as you won’t be disappointed (SuSo is the other one that’s an absolute must).

This particular flavor flavor features a sweet cream gelato base with a swirl of chocolate fudge and bits of candied orange peel, making for a lovely chocolate and orange combination that’s darn near perfection. It was one of those moments where I knew, shortly after taking that first lick, that this was a flavor I needed to recreate at home.

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