Dessert Edition

Sweet Treats Only

Author

Christina Chen
February 11, 2026

Welcome to the Dessert Edition!

I’ve been cooking a lot for Savor, and honestly, I’ve been loving every minute of it.

My one tiny complaint is that this leaves less time and energy for baking.

We are working on adding more baking to Savor, but have found it to be a whole different beast. Baking is very scientific and precise. So while I’m reading as many baking books as I can to learn (so we can create some amazing recipes for you to make with your loved ones), there are so many amazing recipes already in existence that I want to share with you.

You will notice a lot of these recipes come from the brilliant mind of Sarah Fennel, creator of Broma Bakery. I can’t recommend her blog and book, Sweet Tooth, enough. I’ve never been disappointed, and my sister and I have made so many of her recipes.

Enjoy!

This was my request for my 30th birthday and probably will be for every birthday to come!

Lizzy and Riley’s Wedding Cake (AKA a perfect funfetti cake) 

My sister and I made her wedding cake. Hopefully that alone tells you how special this cake is.

I’ve since made it for a number of other celebrations - funfetti is perfect for any occasion :)

There’s a carrot cake at C. Adam’s Bakery in the Milwaukee Public Market that I think about a lot — it’s covered in walnuts, moist, dense, and has lots of texture. This cake reminds me of the C. Adam’s one, and I absolutely love it.

I make the version of this cake from Sarah’s cookbook, which differs from the version on her blog in the following ways:

Cake:
1 cup sugar (instead of 1 ½ cups)
¾ cup vegetable oil (instead of 1 cup)
1 cup coconut (instead of ¾ cup)
1 tsp baking soda (instead of 2 tsp)
¾ tsp salt (instead of 1 tsp)

Frosting: (the entire amount of frosting is increased)
1 cup butter
8 oz block cream cheese
5 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla

I also swap the ½ cup raisins for ~¾ cup toasted walnuts, just personal preference. I toast raw, chopped walnuts at 375 degrees for about 6 minutes (they should be golden and fragrant), and I always include extra walnuts for decorating!

Insane!

Once again, I make the version of this cake from Sarah’s book. In Sweet Tooth, she specifies ¼ cup demerara sugar for topping and adds 2 Tbsp of confectioners’ sugar to the whipped cream. The whipped cream is fragile and will deflate over time, so it’s best made right before serving!

Blueberry desserts are a frequent request in my family. Consequently, I’ve made this recipe numerous times. I always add extra blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a good pinch of cinnamon to the blueberry mixture. I’ve made it with both fresh and frozen blueberries with great results.

Life Changing Sticky Buns

We make sticky buns or cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning every year, so I’ve tried a fair number of recipes. No other recipe I’ve tried comes close to this one. She uses brioche dough. Finally, my search is over!

As with most sticky bun/cinnamon roll recipes, these are a labor of love and a real time commitment. If you’re going to put in the time and effort, let it be for this recipe!

By the ever-talented Alison Roman. Great with any berries — shown here with blueberries and raspberries

My grandfather requested these for his 96th birthday. So simple and easy to make —and sooo addictive.

I shared my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe in the last edition, so I’ll share Erik’s favorite here. Please note this recipe makes a LOT of cookies. You could probably make ⅓ of the batch if you want a more “normal” amount. My recommendation is to make the full batch and freeze some cookie dough balls for fresh cookies whenever you want :)

I look forward to making these every fall. They are a little more labor-intensive, but they really are worth the extra effort.

I know boxed brownies are good, but please try these just once! Fudgy, moist, and unmatched in flavor. Unfortunately, you won’t go back to the box (just don’t overbake!).

I love an oreo milkshake. I love an oreo milkshake even more when I can dip a french fry into it, but these are great even without the fry!

I recommend using Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream, goooood vanilla, a little less milk and a few more Oreos than called for :)

My one piece of advice to improve your bakes - always err on the side of underbaking. 

If you buy Sweet Tooth, here are a few other favorites (in addition to all those mentioned above): 

Lemon-Olive Oil Cake

Matilda’s Chocolate Cake

Coffee, Caramel, Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

I’d love to know your favorite sweet treats, if you try any of mine, and if there’s anything you’d love to see added to Savor’s offerings.

Thank you so much for reading!

Love,

Christina