Proof that “incredible” doesn’t have to be “difficult.”

This chocolate layer cake has been a part of my life since before I was even baking cakes for hire. It was one of the first scratch recipes I tested and kept in my go-to lineup, and it is THE cake that taught me that scratch baking doesn’t have to feel hard! 🙌

It is:
🤎 reliable
🤎 so soft
🤎 so chocolatey
🤎 delish with any frosting you pick
🤎 hard to screw up (honestly)

👀 Just check out this review from Lisa:
➡️ “This recipe needs to have a warning that you’ll want to eat the whole cake! HOLY MOLY! The cake alone is divine, but adding the chocolate buttercream takes it to a whole new level. I will never make another chocolate cake recipe again. Thank you for sharing!!!”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll DM you the link to this chocolate layer cake right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/chocolate-layer-cake/

#chocolatecake #cake #cakesofinstagram #cakestagram ...

I’m all for pumpkin baking season, and there’s not a whole lot better, in my opinion, than these buttery baked pumpkin donuts 🎃🍩

This recipe makes about 10 soft and moist pumpkin donuts. They’re made with canned pumpkin puree and covered in a spiced sugar coating for melt-in-your mouth texture in every bite.

Melanie said: “This is one of the BEST pumpkin recipes I’ve ever made! So moist and soft! I made a bunch for a football party and every single person went back for a second donut! Great recipe!” — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my baked pumpkin donuts right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/pumpkin-donuts/

#pumpkin #pumpkinseason #donut #homemadedonuts ...

Apple season snuck up again and honestly, I can’t wait to get them back into my kitchen! 🍎

Because for me, that means this gooey, jammy pull-apart bread will be on deck very soon!

Baking seasons change quickly, so take this as your reminder that my homemade apple butter recipe makes a LOT, and you can use it or freeze it to make it last all year long 😏

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my apple butter pull-apart bread (and homemade apple butter!) right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/apple-butter-pull-apart-bread/

#appleseason #applebutter #applerecipes #apples ...

The best part of being a recipe creator isn’t eating my own creations, it’s sharing them with YOU and hearing that one of my recipes has landed a permanent spot in your rotation 🥰

These chocolate chip cookies do just that. In fact, take a peek at these reviews from the last few months:

“This is my new go to recipe. I’ve literally been making these cookies so much that I’ve started to double the recipe. My family loves them.” — Crystal ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Always using this recipe my family loves this one!” — Zoe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“The only chocolate chip cookie recipe I use! Delicious every time!!” — Melissa ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

👋🏼 hi! I’m Lynn, and I’ve been teaching people on the internet how to bake delicious things for 12 years.

I am known for my chocolate chip cookies that have crisp edges, gooey centers, and convert Toll House diehards left and right 🍪

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these life-changing chocolate chip cookies directly to your DMs! 💌#freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/classic-chocolate-chip-cookies/

#chocolatechip #chocolatechipcookies #chocolatechipcookie #cookielover ...

When I tell you these cookies are the GOAT 🐐

Of all of the 250+ cookie recipes on my site, this is one I keep coming back to again and again (aside from my famous chocolate chip cookies, duh!)— and so will you! 🥰

This sandwich cookie features chewy Biscoff-infused cookies and a dreamy butterscotch marshmallow buttercream that come together for a sweet and tender cookie that is guaranteed to disappear fast 💨

In fact, reader Paula had this to say this summer: “I have been making oatmeal sandwich cookies for years. I’m kind of famous for them, but these are over the top! The cookies are everything you want in a cookie, but the icing is out of this world!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these sandwich cookies directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/biscoff-butterscotch-marshmallow-sandwich-cookies/

#sandwichcookies #biscoff #butterscotch #cookies ...

If pie scares you, allow me to introduce you to a galette! And since we’re right on the cusp of apple season, this one is going to be your alternative to apple pie OR the recipe that gets your apple pie feet wet 🥧

Welcome to September’s Bake Along recipe 🎉 #fafbakealong

What is the Bake Along?
1️⃣ bake the assigned recipe (or alternate)
2️⃣ snap a pic
3️⃣ include a video for one bonus entry
4️⃣ leave a review (as a mega favor 💙)
5️⃣ get entered to win $100 to YOUR CHOICE of merchant

It’s that simple 🙌

September’s recipe is APPLE GALETTE 🍎 and the alternate is HOMEMADE APPLE BUTTER 🍏

Want in on the fun this month? Comment the words “bake along” below and I’ll send the link to the Bake Along page right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/bake-along/

#apple #applerecipe #galette ...

Happy September! Have you opened your first can of pumpkin yet? 🎃

Whether you’re whipping up a classic loaf of pumpkin bread or practicing for your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, may your kitchen be filled with the aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg and your spatulas briefly be tinted orange 🧡

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to this pumpkin bread (with or without chocolate chips!) directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/chocolate-chip-pumpkin-quick-bread/

#pumpkin #pumpkinrecipes #pumpkinbread #pumpkinseason ...

Just a dessert idea to take the decision off of your plate! 🍽️
 
Everyone has their go-to cheesecake, and this one is mine. This decadent and creamy cheesecake is flavored with roasted bananas and topped with vanilla pudding, whipped cream, and crushed Nilla wafers 😋

After years of turning classic cheesecake into fun flavors, this one reigns supreme more often than not. It’s a little hidden gem in my recipe collection, because it requires a little more elbow grease than most, BUT it’s so so worth it 🤩

In fact, Moragn wrote:
“This was incredible, the banana flavor was just right and the vanilla wafer crust was such a nice change up from traditional graham cracker crust! It was also a very easy recipe to follow. I made the cheesecake one day and let it chill overnight, then did my pudding and whip cream the following day. An absolute 100/10!”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to this banana pudding cheesecake directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/banana-pudding-cheesecake/

#cheesecake #bananapudding #bananarecipe #bananas ...

Sad to see summer go? I get it ☀️

Bring that summer feeling to your kitchen ANY TIME with this classic Key lime pie 🍋‍🟩

“My, oh my! This was delicious! So smooth and creamy and super easy to make and follow the directions.” — Helen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This pie has a silky custard filling, sits in a buttery homemade graham cracker crust, and comes together in just a few simple steps. And I heard it you top it with fresh whipped cream, it tastes like a trip to Key West 😜

Ok, not really, but we can dream, right? 😆

If you’re feeling really ambitious, you can make this pie à la the version my husband and I had in Key West in 2011– with a meringue top! 😱

Whichever way you do it, don’t miss this iconic classic 🍋‍🟩

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to this Key lime pie directly to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/key-lime-pie/

#keylime #keylimepie #keylimes #pie ...

The best part of being a recipe creator isn’t eating my own creations, it’s sharing them with YOU and hearing that one of my recipes has landed a permanent spot in your rotation 🥰

These chocolate chip cookies do just that. In fact, take a peek at these reviews that came in just this month:

“This is my new go to recipe. I’ve literally been making these cookies so much that I’ve started to double the recipe. My family loves them.” — Crystal ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Always using this recipe my family loves this one!” — Zoe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“The only chocolate chip cookie recipe I use! Delicious every time!!” — Melissa ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

👋🏼 hi! I’m Lynn, and I’ve been teaching people on the internet how to bake delicious things for 12 years.

I am known for my chocolate chip cookies that have crisp edges, gooey centers, and convert Toll House diehards left and right 🍪

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these life-changing chocolate chip cookies directly to your DMs! 💌#freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/classic-chocolate-chip-cookies/

#chocolatechip #chocolatechipcookies #chocolatechipcookie #cookielover ...

Comment sections of my videos and photos of my pie crust have historically gone NUTS over my butter chunks claiming this crust will “fall apart” or “completely melt” in the oven 🤦🏻‍♀️

The actual result?

THE FLAKIEST CRUST 🤩

Here are my best tips for getting a perfect and flaky crust every time:

1️⃣ When you’re making your pie crust, keep the big chunks of butter. They = flaky flakes!!
2️⃣ Roll from the center out rather than over top the whole thing.
3️⃣ Don’t be afraid to touch your pie crust to fix the sides, fill in holes, or press some of it together to keep it even. If it gets too warm from your fingers, see next step.
4️⃣ The refrigerator is your friend! Stop and chill any time you’re worried it’s too warm.
5️⃣ I always re-chill a pie crust once it’s in the pie plate for at LEAST 15-20 minutes before baking to prevent shrinking and encourage flakes.
6️⃣ Flip your pastry mat into the pie plate rather than try to roll the pie crust onto a rolling pin or lift it off.
7️⃣ Take your time! There is no need to rush the process.
8️⃣ Know with practice, you will get more comfortable with the process. You can do this! 🙌🏼

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my perfectly flaky homemade pie crust directly to your DMs! 💌 https://freshaprilflours.com/my-favorite-homemade-pie-crust/

#pie #piecrust #bakingtips #bakinglove ...

Once you reverse cream once, you might never go back…

Ok, but real talk, reverse creaming is NOT something you should just do willy nilly. It’s not appropriate for every cake batter, but if you struggle with layer cakes, I encourage you to start here.

⭐️ Reverse creaming is the method you didn’t know you needed:
➡️ Instead of the usual butter-sugar creaming routine, reverse creaming has you mix your dry ingredients (yes, even the sugar!) with softened butter first, then bring in the wet ingredients (eggs, milk, extract) later. The result? A cake that’s tender, velvety, and— MY FAV— nice and level.

⭐️ But… Why bother?
1️⃣ A tender cake: the butter coats the flour before liquids come into play, which means less gluten development (read: softer cake).
2️⃣ Flatter layers: say goodbye to cake domes that need to be leveled! Reverse creaming keeps things nice and even, which means your layers are already perfect for stacking and frosting.
3️⃣ Moist and velvety texture: since fat is evenly distributed, you end up with a cake that’s soft and rich without being dry.

⭐️ When you’ll see it used most often:
➡️ This method shines in cakes where texture really matters. Think layer cakes, pound cakes, and cupcakes that need a delicate, even crumb. If you’re after bakery-level softness without bakery-level effort, reverse creaming is your new best friend.

This is the method I use in my basic white cake (what you see here) which is the cake base I use for more than a dozen cake recipes on my site. It’s reliable, delicious, and I’m never NOT using it to create new cake recipes for you 🫶

In fact, here’s a 5-star review from reader Katja:
“Love this white cake recipe. I’ve made some before with mediocre results and this one was just so wonderfully moist and yummy. The reverse creaming method was so simple and made quick work of making the batter! It was ideal for coloring cake layers with gel food coloring and I’ll definitely use this recipe again.”

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to my white layer cake right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.co ...

If you’ve been around here any length of time, you know I pride myself on turning yeast-phobes into yeast pros with easy breads like my easy yeast rolls and white sandwich bread 🍞

If you can believe it, things are about to get even easier, especially for those of you who hear “yeast bread” and get slightly panicky over having to knead 🫠😵‍💫

Because, yes, “no knead bread” is exactly what it sounds like: a yeasted bread dough that can come together without ever needing to be kneaded (what?) 🤯

This month’s installment of my Bread Of The Month series is for beginners and bread masters alike! I can’t wait for you to try it #fafbreadofthemonth

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to this no knead bread directly to your DMs! 💌#freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/no-knead-bread/

#bread #yeastbread #noknead ...

I switched back to hot coffee yesterday morning and today I’m wearing a sweatshirt, so it’s basically fall again ☕️🍎🍃

One thing I love about apple season is making these apple cinnamon rolls 🤤

They take the classic base you love and give it an orchard-inspired twist with layers of thinly sliced apples baked right into the gooey cinnamon-sugar filling. Soft, fluffy, and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting, they’re the perfect mix of cozy flavors and fresh apple sweetness 🥰

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these apple cinnamon rolls directly to your DMs! 💌#freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/apple-cinnamon-rolls/

#cinnamonroll #appleseason #applerecipes #cinnamonrolls ...

These fall spiced chocolate chip cookies start with the same chewy base as my beloved (and viral!) classic chocolate chip cookies, but add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves for all the autumn vibes.

Finish them off with an optional spiced glaze for the ultimate seasonal treat 🍁🍃🍂

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these fall spiced chocolate chip cookies directly to your DMs! 💌#freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/fall-spiced-chocolate-chip-cookies/

#fallrecipes #fallcookies #chocolatechipcookie #chocolatechip ...

The best chocolate chip cookie recipe? That’s my specialty 😎

So many people think the recipe on the back of the bag is the end all be all of chocolate chip cookie recipes (it’s not) 🙂‍↔️

Or that chocolate chip cookies are boring (they SO aren’t) 🙂‍↔️

But when you use the right recipe, chocolate chip cookies can actually be the most interesting cookie in the spread 🍪

Check out these reviews from this summer:

“This is my new go to recipe. I’ve literally been making these cookies so much that I’ve started to double the recipe. My family loves them.” — Crystal ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Always using this recipe my family loves this one!” — Zoe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“The only chocolate chip cookie recipe I use! Delicious every time!!” — Melissa ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

These cookies have crisp edges, gooey centers, and convert Toll House diehards left and right 🍪 So what are you waiting for? 😏

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these life-changing chocolate chip cookies directly to your DMs! 💌#freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/classic-chocolate-chip-cookies/

#chocolatechip #chocolatechipcookies #chocolatechipcookie #cookielover ...

Consider this your new favorite cake recipe! 🎂

It’s been on my site since 2017, and it always gets RAVE reviews just like this one from June:

“I’ve been wanting to make this cake for awhile and I’m so glad I finally did! We all loved it. I’m not even a frosting person and it was the best frosting I’ve tasted. Great idea to use freeze dried strawberries! Highly recommend.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is one of the first recipes I ever made that went crazy bananas— it has 200+ reviews with an average 4.9 star rating. So what are you waiting for?? 🍓

Comment “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to this fresh strawberry cake directly to your DMs! 💌#freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/fresh-strawberry-cake-with-strawberry-buttercream/

#strawberry #cake #cakerecipe #cakes ...

These bakery-style soft and chewy peanut butter cookies filled with puddles of melted, gooey marshmallow fluff have childhood nostalgia in every bite 🤤

➡️ Here’s why you’ll love these cookies:
• start with my best peanut butter cookie base
• soft and chewy cookie
• a puddle of gooey marshmallow through the whole cookie
• messy in the best way
• if you eat one warm from the oven (or warmed after cooling), they’re even better

Comment the word “recipe” below and I’ll send the link to these cookies right to your DMs! 💌 #freshaprilflours • https://freshaprilflours.com/fluffernutter-cookies/

#fluffernutter #peanutbutter #fluff #pbcookies ...

Today marks a year I’ve lived without my dad 💔

I don’t love the phrase “I can’t believe __” especially when referring to a length of time. As someone who came by a science brain honestly (thanks, dad), rationally, I know there are 24 hours in a day, and they pass whether we like it or not ⏰

How I CAN finish that sentence is with “I can’t believe I’ve been forced to live through 365 days without my dad,” as in “this is the first time I’ve done this and I had no idea how people did it and didn’t think I could do it but here I am.”

This last year was not what I expected at all. I had days I thought would be hard but weren’t. I had days where my grief seemed totally under-the-surface and then burst through like a geyser in the middle of an episode of Heated Rivalry (true story) 😭

What I ESPECIALLY didn’t expect was that grief actually has favorite foods. In fact, the day I took this video, I was genuinely, boringly fine until I took one bite of this cookie.

It completely undid me immediately. One taste and I was right back in college and he’d just handed me a batch wrapped in wax paper and masking tape (his signature move) at our mid-week dinner date.

That’s the recipe I’m sharing today. It’s the one he taught me, the one I can’t make without hearing his voice, and the one that ambushed me the hardest this year.

I don’t want to turn my grief into content— that’s not what this is. But I DO want to share this recipe with you, because it’s an amazing one, and because some days the best way I know how to keep him around is to make sure other people are eating what he taught me to make 🤍

Because isn’t that why we pass down recipes? To keep our ancestors close to us? I never met my great grandmother, but somehow this recipe that originated with her connects us in a way we can never lose. Because as long as we have an oven, we can keep them from ever really being gone 🥰

Now, about these cookies: buttery, flaky pie crust surrounds a rich, spiced honey walnut filling in these traditional Italian cookies. MAKE THEM.

Comment “family” and I’ll send the link to your DMs 💌 #freshaprilflours ...