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Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Microwavable Cake

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3-Ingredient Creamy Caramel Sauce: Rich, Smooth, & Sweet

I love a rich, buttery, and creamy caramel sauce. A homemade version is simple to make and can be used throughout the year for many desserts. I love it drizzled over ice cream, apple pie, the cream of my hot chocolate, or in my chocolate and cherries caramel oat bars. Anywhere you enjoy caramel sauce, use it! In this post, I’m sharing a simple, dry homemade caramel sauce that consists of only 3 ingredients: granulated sugar, butter, and cream. Let’s check it out!

Caramel Sauce Ingredients

granulated sugar, butter, and heavy whipping cream

For the ingredients, you’ll only need three. They include granulated sugar. I find that superfine granulated sugar melts more quickly, but any granulated sugar will work. You’ll also need butter either salted or unsalted along with salt if you’re using unsalted butter. Finally, you’ll need heavy whipping cream.

TIP: If you want super- or ultra-fine sugar, you can simply take your regular granulated/cane sugar and spin it in your food processor until it’s in finer granules.

Make the Caramel Sauce

Mise en Place

Begin with a “mise on place” which is French for “put in place” meaning to have all the ingredients measured and set out around the work area. This recipe is a dry caramel sauce meaning there is no water to help melt the sugar. The sugar melts on its own with heat alone. Thus, it’s important to stand at the stove as the sugar melts or it may quickly and easily burn. So, having all that you need to make the caramel ready to go is imperative.

Melt the Granulated Sugar

To a large saucepan, add 200 grams (1 cup) of granulated sugar. Turn on the burner to medium heat. Within a few minutes, the sugar will begin to melt. Stir consistently and lower the heat as needed to prevent burning. I suggest using either a wooden or metal spoon or whisk instead of any rubber-type utensil. I discovered that once the hot sugar or caramel hardens on a rubber spatula or spoon, bits of the utensil can easily break off when trying to stir. So, save your rubber spatulas and use wooden or metal utensils instead. Stir until all sugar has melted and the liquid.

TIP: If there’s any sugar on the edge of pan as the sugar melts, it will harden and stick to the pan. No worries! Just let it be. The only way to remove it is to wait until after the caramel sauce is made and then soak the pan in water to dissolve. Thus, try to keep the sugar off the pan edges, if possible.

2. sugar is just beginning to melt- glistening at the bottom of the pan

3. continue to stir until all of the hardened sugar lumps are melted; lower heat as needed

4. continue to stir as sugar is almost completely melted; ensure the heat is low to medium

Burning Caramel? Oh, no! Here’s the trick…

It is very easy to burn caramel, but once you make this mistake, you probably won’t do it again. What I have found to be the key is to turn the heat down to low-medium once much of the sugar has melted. You may even want to lift the pan periodically from the burner to help reduce the heat. Keep in mind that once the caramel turns dark, it’s too late and you can’t go back. Just keep an eye on the whole process.

Add the Butter & Salt (if Using Unsalted Butter)

As soon as all the sugar is melted, add 85 grams (6 tablespoons) of salted or unsalted butter. Don’t wait any longer. If you’re using unsalted butter, also add 1.5 grams (¼ teaspoon) of salt. You can remove the pan from the burner to help cool down the caramel and use a whisk to stir vigorously. The butter will cause the caramel to bubble (due to the water in the butter hitting the hot caramel), however; whisk until it is combined, and the butter has melted. The bubbling will settle once the butter is incorporated.

1. 85 g (6 tbsp) butter (salted or unsalted) and 1.5 g (¼ tsp) salt, if using unsalted butter

2. sauce will boil/bubble; whisk consistently until butter has melted and combined

Add the Cream

Once the butter has melted and is incorporated, remove the saucepan from the heat. Wait a few seconds off the heat by counting to 5. Then, slowly pour in 119 milliliters (½ cup) of heavy whipping cream while whisking consistently. Continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth. While still hot, pour the sauce into a heat-proof jar or bowl and set aside uncovered at room temperature until cooled.

2. once combined, pour sauce into a heat-proof jar or container and cool at room temperature

3. sugar that has hardened on edge of pan; soak in water to dissolve

Close Ups of Caramel Sauce

Check out the smooth and creaminess of this homemade caramel sauce. When hot, the sauce is thin and oozes off the spoon. Once cooled, the sauce will somewhat firm but will still be runny. Yummy!

caramel sauce with bubbles from stirring

1. caramel sauce layer on oatmeal carmelitas

2. my chocolate and cherries caramel oat bars (oatmeal carmelitas)

Storage Suggestions for Caramel Sauce

Allow the sauce to cool completely before storing it. Cover the sauce and store it in the fridge for a week or two. You can reheat the sauce as desired over the stove or in the microwave. Once the sauce is made, you can also use it in a recipe that calls for caramel sauce like in oatmeal carmelitas.

Usage Suggestions for Caramel Sauce

Caramel sauce is clearly a perfect topping for ice cream or a banana split. However, there are many uses for this amazingly tasty treat. My mom uses this sauce to pour over her homemade bread pudding that she makes for my dad. In addition, drizzle it over the cream in your hot chocolate (or dessert coffee), pancakes and waffles, baked apples, your Thanksgiving apple pie, or use it as an ingredient in baked recipes that call for caramel sauce such as in brownies and oatmeal carmelitas like in my chocolate and cherries caramel oat bars (recipe coming next) 😋. Yummy! There are so many uses for such an easy and simple ingredient.

Final Thoughts for Homemade Caramel Sauce

Why buy caramel sauce when you can make it from scratch in little time with very few whole ingredients? It really doesn’t take much time and it’s incredibly good even by itself. A spoon (or two) of caramel sauce can certainly satisfy a sweet treat craving. We love this recipe and hope you do, too.

Baker’s Perspective of Homemade Caramel Sauce

Homemade caramel sauce truly is easy to make. From personal experience, I do think you need to burn at least one batch to truly understand what to and not to do to keep it from happening again. It’s all about getting the heat right while the sugar melts. I think once you’ve made a couple of caramel sauce batches from scratch, you’ll never go back to buying a commercial brand. The only time you’re spending in the kitchen is watching sugar melt and that takes a lot less time than watching water boil. Give it a try and don’t be afraid of “messing it up”, it’s easy and quick enough to make again 😉.

Taster’s Perspective of Homemade Caramel Sauce

A spoonful of caramel sauce makes me a happy camper. This sauce is creamy and buttery thanks to the butter and cream. It’s smooth and thick, once cooled, thanks to the heavy, fatty dairy components. It’s a wonderful condiment, if you will, to enhance many sweet treats. Since we are in the summer months, I have been enjoying it over ice cream. I love that you can make this sauce any time of year (and in a very short time) to use over or in a variety of sweet desserts and beverages.

Check out my YouTube video on making this caramel sauce. “3-Ingredient Homemade Caramel Sauce: Creamy, Smooth, Rich, & Sweet.”

Print Recipe

3-Ingredient Homemade Caramel Sauce

This simple 3-ingredient homemade caramel sauce is a versatile topping or ingredient to use on and in many sweet desserts. Drizzle it over ice cream, the cream in your hot chocolate (or dessert coffee), pancakes and waffles, baked apples, your Thanksgiving apple pie, or use it as an ingredient in baked recipes that call for caramel sauce like in brownies and oatmeal carmelitas You only need sugar, butter, and cream. Add vanilla and spices for extra flavor!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Dessert, ingredient

Cuisine: American

Keyword: caramel sauce, homemade, dessert topping, ice cream topping, homemade caramel

Servings: 1 cup

Author: Summer

Ingredients

200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
85 g (6 tbsp) butter salted or unsalted
1.5 g (¼ tsp) salt add only if using unsalted butter
119 ml (½ cup) heavy whipping cream

Optional Additions

1 tsp vanilla extract
½ -1 tbsp holiday spice pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, gingerbread spice, or cinnamon

Instructions

Set up your “mise en place” by having all ingredients measured out and near the stove. Heat sugar in a medium to large saucepan on medium heat. Sugar will begin to melt within a few minutes. Stir or whisk consistently using a wooden or metal utensil. Lower heat as needed to prevent burning. Continue stirring until all sugar has melted.
TIPS: Any sugar on edge of pan will stick and only come off when washed. Try to keep sugar off the pan edges. No worries if it sticks.
Add in butter (and salt, if using unsalted butter) and whisk until melted.
TIP: The sauce will bubble and boil when adding the butter and cream, but it will settle again once the additions are incorporated.
Immediately remove saucepan from heat. After only 5 seconds off the heat, slowly pour in the cream while whisking consistently. Continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth. Pour sauce into a heat-proof jar or bowl. Serve as desired and enjoy.

Video

Notes

Storage Suggestions

Allow the sauce to cool completely before storing it. Cover the sauce and store it in the fridge for a week or two. You can reheat the sauce as desired over the stove or in the microwave. Once the sauce is made, you can also use it in a recipe that calls for caramel sauce like in oatmeal carmelitas.

Usage Suggestions

Caramel sauce is clearly a perfect topping for ice cream or a banana split. Drizzle it over homemade bread pudding, the cream in your hot chocolate (or dessert coffee), pancakes and waffles, baked apples, your Thanksgiving apple pie, or use it as an ingredient in baked recipes that call for caramel sauce such as in brownies and oatmeal carmelitas like in my chocolate and cherries caramel oat bars (recipe coming next).

You might be interested in these other sweet treats.

Gooey Almond Butter Cake

5-Minute Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake (Microwavable)

Spinach Lasagna Pasta Noodles

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes.

Simple Sun-Dried Tomato and Italian Herbs Farfalle (Butterfly) Pasta

Tomatoes and pasta go together like peanut butter and jelly. I recently decided to put them together in the form of fresh pasta noodles. This recipe only contains two ingredients and water! Serve this sun-dried tomato with Italian herbs pasta with a homemade béchamel or Alfredo sauce and you have a fantastic meal. While this pasta recipe can be cut into any shape, the farfalle pasta shape (aka butterfly or bow tie) is quite fun and tasty. Let’s check out how to make it.

Ingredients for Sun-Dried & Italian Herbs Farfalle Pasta

sun-dried tomatoes with Italian herbs packed in oil, semolina flour, and water

The ingredients for this recipe are so few and simple. You only need two ingredients plus water. I prefer to use a jar of sun-dried tomatoes with Italian herbs packed in oil, semolina flour, and water. That’s it! The sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil with herbs add such flavor to a simple recipe.

Combine All Ingredients in a Food Processor

Drain & Pulse Sun-Dried Tomatoes with Italian Herbs

Drain 150 grams (8.5-ounce jar) of sun-dried tomatoes with Italian herbs packed in oil in a strainer to remove excess moisture. Place them in a food processor and blend (~ 1 minute) until broken down. You can use just a simple jar of sun-dried tomatoes soaked in water, but the oil and herbs add so much flavor. If using sun-dried tomatoes without herbs, you can add your own dried Italian herbs. However, the flavor might not be quite as enhanced, since the herbs haven’t been marinated in oil and tomatoes.

TIP: I like to use a spoon to move the tomatoes around in the strainer to encourage the oil to drip down.

1. 150 g (8.5 oz jar) sun-dried tomatoes with Italian herbs and packed in oil, drained

2. place drained tomatoes in food processor

Add Semolina Flour & Blend

Add 300 grams (~2 cups) durum wheat semolina flour to the food processor with the tomatoes. Blend for ~30 seconds until the mixture is combined but still grainy. Stop the machine and scrape down the bowl edges as needed.

2. blend until combined but still grainy

Add Water & Blend

Add 59 milliliters (¼ cup) of water and blend again for about 30 seconds. The mixture should start to stick together. Add another 30-59 milliliters (2-4 tablespoons) of water until the mixture forms a ball in the machine and is moist. There shouldn’t be any dry crumbs left.

1. 59-118 ml (¼ - ½ cup) water, or more as needed — 1. 59-118 ml (¼ – ½ cup) water, or more as needed

2. dough should be moist; no dry left behind

Knead Pasta Dough for 7 Minutes

Remove the dough ball from the machine. Place it on a lightly floured work surface. Knead for about 7 minutes by hand until the dough reaches a tacky smooth ball. The dough will be dense.

TIP: You can use any flour for kneading like semolina or regular all-purpose flour.

1. place dough on a lightly floured work surface (any flour like semolina or all-purpose)

3. after 7 minutes, dough will still be dense but will be smoother

Cover Pasta Dough & Rest for 20 Minutes

Cover the dough ball with a towel or plastic wrap. Let it rest for 20 minutes to relax the gluten.

cover dough with a towel to rest for 20 minutes

Prepare Baking Sheet

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust the paper with semolina or other flour.

TIP: You can simply flour the pan without paper, but the paper helps to manipulate the pasta in and out of the pan.

line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour

Roll, Cut, & Shape Pasta Dough

At this point, you can roll out the dough in the shape you want for making different pasta shapes. You can use a pasta machine if available.

To Form Farfalle (Butterfly or Bow Tie) Shapes

In this blog, we are cutting and shaping our pasta dough into “farfalle” which is the Italian word for “butterfly” (what the shape resembles). It is also called bow tie pasta.

Divide Pasta Dough into 3rds & Roll into Rectangle

Divide the dough into three equal portions. You can eyeball the division or weigh the dough total and divide it into thirds based on weight. Place one third of the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Set aside and cover the other two thirds to prevent the dough from drying out. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough flat keeping the work surface floured. The dough should be thin, about 1/16th of an inch thick (about the width of a US nickel). Roll out each sheet to about a 10-x14- inch rectangle. The rectangle doesn’t need to be perfect as we will trim it down.

TIP: If using a pasta attachment, flatten as described.

1. divide into 3rds (eyeball or by weight)

2. place 1 on the work surface and set aside the other 2 covered

4. rectangle should be as thin as a nickle width

Trim Uneven Edges & Score into 1½ -inch Squares

Trim off any excess odd-shaped edges so you have even, squared-off corners. Place the scraps aside to roll out at the end to cut into strips to cook separately. Use a ruler or bench scraper and knife to measure and gently score 1½ -inch lines horizontally and vertically in the dough to create squares. You’ll notice in the images below that I scored marks at 2-3 different areas (both vertically and horizontally) to connect for making straight lines, but that is not necessary.

TIP: Do not cut all the way through as it will be difficult to cut straight and even perpendicular lines.

2. score vertical marks to create a straight line

3. score vertical lines based on scored marks

4. horizontal marks are scored and now I'm connecting them with a knife to create a straight line — 4. horizontal marks are scored and now I’m connecting them with a knife to create a straight line

Cut Completely through Scored Lines

With a knife, pizza cutter, or fluted (or ruffled) pasta wheel, cut completely through the scored lines to create individual squares.

TIP: For traditional farfalle fluted edges, use a fluted pasta wheel to cut either along all of the horizontal or vertical lines so that 2 opposite sides of each square have fluted edges.

1. After scoring the lines, use a pizza cutter or knife to cut through the scores completely

2. traditional fluted pasta wheel for created the ruffled edges

Form the Farfalle Pasta (Butterfly or Bow Tie) Shapes

Pick up a square. Fold the center edges toward each other to touch like an accordion. Use your thumb and index finger to squeeze the accordion center tightly to flatten enough to equal the thickness of the rest of the pasta shape so the entire pasta will cook evenly. The pasta should resemble a butterfly or bow tie.

TIP: If using a fluted pasta wheel, fold in the center smooth edges and leave the ruffled edges as the farfalle (butterfly wings) edges.

6. press fingers together in the center to seal the accordion

3. shape begins to look like an accordion

7. the squeezed center should be the same thickness as the butterfly winged edges

4. use fingers to begin squeezing the center

8. one farfalle (butterfly or bow tie) shape done!

Store, Cover, & Rest Farfalle Pasta on Prepared Baking Sheet

Place the farfalle (butterfly or bow tie) noodles in a single layer on the lined baking sheet. Cover the noodles with a towel, parchment paper, or wax paper to prevent them from drying out. Continue rolling and cutting the remaining dough and placing them covered on the baking sheet. Place parchment paper or wax paper between layers of rolled out dough to prevent sticking. For any leftover scraps of dough, combine and roll it out. Then, cut out simple strips to cook separately as a taste test. Once all the dough is shaped, the farfalle can be cooked and eaten immediately or stored.

1. place shaped pasta in a even layer on the prepared pan

3. add layer of paper and flour to begin a 2nd layer of pasta

4. roll out any leftover scraps and cut out strips to use for a taste test

Storage Suggestions: Sun-Dried Tomato and Italian Herbs Farfalle Pasta

Wrap the pan of pasta well in plastic wrap to prevent the pasta from drying out. Place the well-wrapped pan with the pasta in the fridge for up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze the pasta on the pan for a couple of hours or until frozen. Once frozen, transfer the pasta all together to a sealed bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.

this recipe makes 2 layers of pasta on 1 baking sheet; cover well to store in the fridge

Close-ups Images of the Sun-Dried Tomato and Italian Herbs Farfalle Pasta

close up of the sun-dried tomato and Italian herbs farfalle pasta

notice the herbs and dark tomato pieces scattered throughout (the white specks are a dusting of semolina flour)

Serving Suggestions: for Sun-Dried Tomato and Italian Herbs Farfalle Pasta

Use any preferred pasta sauce. A creamy béchamel or Alfredo sauce would go well with this tomato-based pasta. Add your favorite veggies or Italian sausage to round out this dish for a main course. Like with most pasta dishes, you can serve this one with a side salad and/or bread like a nice Italian Focaccia😉.

Cooking Suggestions: Sun-Dried Tomato and Italian Herbs Farfalle Pasta

Bring a large pot of 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add about 1 tablespoon of salt, enough so that the water has a salty taste like the ocean (salinity of the sea). Add the pasta and reduce the heat to a simmer. Once the pasta rises to the surface, cook for 2 minutes. Taste a noodle to check for doneness or “al dente” meaning “to the tooth”. If a dense white spot is in the center of the pasta, it needs to cook another 20-30 seconds. Once the pasta is done, drain and serve it immediately with your preferred sauce.

Final Thoughts for Sun-Dried Tomato and Italian Herbs Farfalle Pasta

That’s it! The best thing about homemade pasta is that you have options like flavor, shape, size, and how to store the noodles. Eat them immediately, dry them out, refrigerate them until tomorrow, or freeze them for later. This is a fantastic make-ahead pasta that looks fancy and tastes really good.

Baker’s Perspective

Making homemade pasta is certainly not as easy as buying it from the store. However, think of it as an afternoon activity that will take a couple of hours to do with incredible rewards later. I usually store my pasta in two different ways. I typically make the pasta in an afternoon and refrigerate it if I know we’ll eat it within a couple of days. If I’m not sure when we’ll eat it, I’ll freeze as described and place it in a gallon-size plastic zip-top bag for weeks.

As for the preparation, making homemade pasta dough is work. If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, you could knead in the machine instead of by hand. The actual farfalle shaping takes time, but once you get into a groove, the process moves fairly quickly. I enjoy making homemade pasta, but I have to be in the mood with a plan if I decide to do it. Homemade pasta is not something we have often, but it is a nice treat.

Taster’s Perspective

Of all the pasta recipes I have made from scratch, this one is our favorite. That is due to the olive oil-soaked tomatoes and herbs flavoring. In a pinch, a bowl of this pasta with just some cheese alone makes me a happy camper. However, sauce is what most of us will want to add for a delicious well-balanced meal. The tomatoes and herbs are well defined in each bite. While you could use a simple jar of sun-dried tomatoes without herbs, the herbs really provide a depth of flavor. I’ve also made this pasta cut into strips instead of the farfalle and it is just as good. When the pasta flavors are right, the shape doesn’t matter as much 😊.

Check out my YouTube video on the ins and outs of making this pasta recipe. “Simple Sun-Dried Tomato and Italian Herbs Farfalle (Butterfly) Pasta: Only 2 Ingredients plus Water”

Print Recipe

Sun-Dried Tomato and Italian Herbs Farfalle Pasta

This simple sun-dried tomato and Italian herbs farfalle pasta only uses 2 ingredients (sun-dried tomatoes and semolina flour) plus water. The pasta is flavorful on its own but goes well with a cream sauce, veggies, and/or Italian sausage. You can use this recipe to make any pasta shape, but the recipe below explains how to make farfalle (butterfly or bow tie) shapes.

Prep Time1 15

Resting Time20

Total Time1 35

Course: Appetizer, ingredient, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: sun-dried tomato pasta, farfalle, bow tie pasta, butterfly pasta, Italian pasta, homemade pasta, noodles

Servings: 1 pound

Author: Summer

Ingredients

150 g (8.5 oz jar) sun-dried tomatoes with Italian herbs and packed in oil drained
300 g (~2 cups) semolina flour
59-118 ml (¼ – ½ cup) water or more as needed

Instructions

Make the Pasta Dough For All Pasta Shapes:

Drain sun-dried tomatoes to remove excess moisture. Place in a food processor to blend (~ 1 minute) until broken down. The tomatoes should be in small pieces.
Add semolina flour to the food processor with the tomatoes. Blend for ~30 seconds until the mixture is combined but still grainy. Add 59 ml (¼ cup) of water and blend again for about 30 seconds. The mixture should start to stick together. Add another 30-59 ml (2-4 tbsp) of water until the mixture forms a ball in the machine and is moist. There shouldn’t be any dry pieces left.
Remove the dough ball from the machine and place it on a floured work surface. Knead for about 7 minutes by hand until the dough reaches a tacky smooth ball. The dough will be dense.
Cover the dough ball with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with semolina or other flour.
TIP: You can simply flour the pans without paper, but the paper helps to manipulate the pasta in and out of the pan.
At this point, you can roll out the dough in the shape you want for making different pasta shapes including using a pasta machine if available.

Cut & Shape Farfalle (Butterfly / Bow Tie) Pasta:

Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Place one third on a lightly floured work surface. Set aside and cover the other two thirds to prevent them from drying out. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough flat keeping the work surface floured. The dough should be thin, about 1/16 of an inch thick (about the width of a US nickel). Roll out each sheet to about a 10-x14- inch rectangle. Trim off excess odd-shaped edges.
TIPS: If using a pasta attachment, flatten as described. For accurate measurement, you can weigh the total dough and divide equally by weight. The rectangle doesn't need to be perfect as you will trim off the edges.
Use a ruler or bench scraper to score 1½ -inch lines horizontally and vertically in the dough to create squares.
TIP: You make score marks in 2-3 different areas on the dough (both vertically and horizontally) to aid in making straight lines, but they are not necessary.
Use a knife, pizza cutter, or fluted pasta wheel, to cut completely through the scored lines to create individual squares.
TIP: For traditional farfalle fluted edges, use a fluted pasta wheel to cut either along all of the horizontal or vertical lines so that 2 opposite sides of each square have fluted edges.
Pick up a square. Fold the center edges inward toward each other to touch like an accordion. Use your thumb and index finger to squeeze the accordion center tightly to flatten enough to equal the thickness of the rest of the pasta shape so the entire pasta will cook evenly. The pasta should resemble a butterfly or bow tie.
TIP: If using a fluted pasta wheel, fold in the center smooth edges and leave the ruffled edges as the farfalle (butterfly) wing edges.
Place shaped noodles separately and evenly on the lined baking sheet. Cover the noodles with a towel to prevent them from drying out. Continue rolling and cutting the remaining dough and placing the shapes covered on the baking sheet. Separate each single layer of pasta with a sheet of parchment or wax paper dusted with semolina or regular flour to prevent them from sticking to the paper. You should be able to get 2 layers of noodles on 1 baking sheet.

Video

Notes

Make a Day or Two Ahead & Store in the Fridge:

Freeze for Later:

Place the farfalle noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet and dust the tops lightly with flour. Add a sheet of parchment/wax paper in between each layer. You should have 2 layers of farfalle noodles on a baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap to ensure the noodles are covered well. Place in the freezer for 1-2 hours until frozen. Then, remove noodles and stack them together placing them in an airtight bag or container. Freeze them for up to a couple of months. Follow the cooking directions for fresh pasta.

Cooking Suggestions for Any Shaped Pasta:

Regardless of how the pasta is stored and its shape, it’s cooked the same way. Bring a large pot of 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add about 1 tablespoon of salt, enough that the water has a salty taste like the ocean (salinity of the sea). Add the pasta and reduce the heat to a simmer. Once the pasta rises to the surface, set the timer and cook for 2 minutes. Taste a noodle to check for doneness. It should be “al dente” meaning “to the tooth” and should have a small bite to the pasta. If a dense white spot is in the center of the pasta, it needs to cook another 20-30 seconds. Once the pasta is done, drain, and serve it immediately with your preferred sauce.

Serving Suggestions:

Use any preferred pasta sauce. A creamy béchamel or Alfredo sauce would go well with this tomato-based pasta. Add your favorite veggies or Italian sausage to round out this dish for a main course. Like with most pasta dishes, you can serve this one with a side salad and/or bread like a nice Italian Focaccia.

You might be interested in these other Italian recipes.

2-Ingredient Fresh Southern Italian Pasta (Busiate, Fettucine, Tagliatelle, & Pappardelle)

2-Ingredient Ricotta Cheese and Flour Pasta (Orecchiette & Cavatelli)

Italian Herb Seasoning

Rosemary Focaccia Flatbread

Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus

Italian Savoiardi Ladyfinger Cookies

Italian Gluten-Free Savoiardi Ladyfinger Cookies

Strawberry Tiramisu Dessert

Italian Panettone Christmas Bread

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!

Gooey Butter Cake with a Decadent Almond Twist

The traditional gooey butter cake has been around since the 1930s. The simplest recipes include a box of cake mix along with butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and eggs. Put these ingredients together and you get a dense cake layer topped with a custard-y, gooey sweet cream cheese layer. Many of us have eaten gooey cakes at family gatherings, church potlucks, or as an indulgent weekend treat. As much as I love a traditional gooey cake, I put an almond twist on this popular dessert adding layers of almond flavoring with a thin crusty almond topping. Let’s check it out!

Ingredients for Gooey Butter Cake with an Almond Twist

yellow cake mix, butter, eggs, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extracts, and sliced almonds

I’ve kept this recipe simple with almond flavors throughout. For the ingredients, you’ll need a box of yellow cake mix, butter, eggs, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extracts, along with sliced almonds for the crunchy topping.

Preheat Oven & Prepare Pan

Begin by preheating the oven to 350˚F (177˚C). Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper. You can eliminate the paper and just grease the pan.

TIP: The parchment paper will allow you to easily lift the baked cake out of the pan and cut it into squares for serving. So, the paper sits flush with the pan, cut the corners of the paper down to where the paper meets the bottom of the pan and overlap the flaps.

line a 9-x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper

Combine Cake Layer Ingredients

In a medium bowl add the contents of a box of yellow cake mix (~15 ounces), 113 grams (8 tablespoons or 1 stick) of softened butter, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon of almond extract. Stir until combined. The mixture will be stiff and crumbly.

TIP: You could mix the ingredients in a stand mixer.

2. 113 g (8 tbsp / 1 stick) butter (softened), add 1.5 g (¼ tsp) salt if using unsalted butter

Press Cake Layer in Pan

Press the crumbly mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. You may need to spray your fingers with a little cooking spray to keep the mixture from sticking. I also like to use a spatula to flatten and smooth out the top.

1. add crumbly cake mixture to the prepared pan

2. use fingers to press mixture evenly in pan

4. cake layer is dense and evenly spread out in the pan

Combine Cream Cheese Custard Layer Ingredients

In the same medium bowl, add 226 grams (8 ounces) of softened cream cheese. Beat with an electric hand mixture until smooth. Add 2 large eggs and 1 teaspoon of almond extract. Beat again until smooth. Add 453 grams (4 cups or 1 pound) of powdered sugar and mix again until all combined. The mixture will be runny and resemble an egg custard.

6. 453 g (4 cups /1 lb / 16 oz) powdered sugar

Pour Custard Layer Over Cake Layer & Top with Almonds

Pour the cream cheese mixture over the cake layer. Smooth out the top with a spatula ensuring an even layer of custard coverage in the corners and along the edges. Scatter sliced almonds over the cream cheese layer. Add enough to cover the top so that an almond will be in each bite.

1. pour cream cheese custard layer over cake layer

3. scatter on almond slices to cover the cream layer

Bake the Gooey Butter Cake with an Almond Twist

Bake the cake for 40 minutes. The top should be golden brown to create a crust. The center will be jiggly but will firm as it cools.

gooey butter cake with an almond twist is ready to bake

Cool the Gooey Butter Cake Completely

Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 2-3 hours. It’s important to cool, so that the cream cheese custard layer firms enough to hold its shape when cut and served.

TIP: Wait to add the powdered sugar until the cake has cooled or the powdered sugar will melt if the cake is too warm.

gooey butter cake with an almond twist is hot out of the oven, golden brown, and puffy

Dust with Powdered Sugar, Slice, & Serve

Once cooled, dust the top with powdered sugar. If you lined the pan with parchment paper, you can lift the cake out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Then, slice the cake into individual serving bars or just leave the cake in the pan and cut slices as you want them.

TIP: You can get 12 large bars if you cut four rows down and three rows across.

2. cake removes easily from pan by lifting up the paper

3. gooey cake cuts easily into serving pieces

Close Up of the Gooey Butter Cake with an Almond Twist

The almonds and powdered sugar on top add visual texture. Notice the crunchy top layer from the almonds and crispy custard. The cake is gooey, so it’s meant to be soft in the center. Once cooled the gooey layer doesn’t ooze off the cake. While the bottom cake layer is a bit dense, it holds up well to the soft, gooey center layer. It’s an easy, hand-held dessert for any gathering.

gooey butter cake with an almond twist sliced and ready to serve

full cake edge view showing the defined bottom cake layer with cream cheese custard layer on top

slice of the gooey butter cake with the crusty almond topping

side view of a slice of gooey butter cake with almond crust on top

this side view highlights the thin crispy, crusty almond top layer over the gooey cream cheese custard layer on top of the chewy bottom cake layer

Storage Suggestions

You can store the bars covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. In a warm environment, it’s best to store the bars covered in the fridge for up to a week.

Add a Holiday Twist to this Gooey Butter Cake Recipe

This is such an indulgent, creamy, easy dessert to make for your family or any gathering. During the holidays, you can add 1 teaspoon of holiday spice like pumpkin pie, apple pie, gingerbread, or cinnamon to the cake layer for that extra holiday punch.

Final Thoughts of Gooey Butter Cake with an Almond Twist

For me, gooey butter cake harkens back to my childhood in the 80s. My mom made it many times for family and friend gatherings. I still enjoy traditional gooey cake, but it’s rare to eat it these days. After all, what’s not to like about cake and sweetened cream cheese? Since the recipe was so popular, I wanted to change it up and modernize it a bit. To me, adding almonds and flavoring simply added elegance, depth, and texture to an already good dessert. If you like gooey cake, consider giving this version a try. The almond flavoring adds a nice variation.

Baker’s Perspective

Traditional gooey cakes are pretty simple and standard. You can go as basic and easy as using a commercial cake mix or more complex by creating your own basic cake mix for the base. The gooey layer is a simple custard-like layer enhanced with cream cheese. The little almond twist includes layers of almond flavoring in the cake base, cream cheese custard layer, and a sliced almonds on top. Adding the almond additions are very simple and do not complicate the original recipe. This gooey cake recipe variation is as easy to make as a traditional version; you simple need to have almond extract and sliced almonds on hand.

Taster’s Perspective

On first bite, I’m reminded of my childhood. I love the crunchy layer on top from both the cream cheese crust and the almonds. The thinly sliced almonds create more of a thin crispy crust to the top rather than a thick crunch like what a thick almond chunk would provide. The thin top crust is perfect with the cream underneath and chewy cake. The cream cheese layer is not overly cheesy but very creamy. The eggs contribute to the light custard-y texture. The cake layer is a bit chewy instead of light and airy. The textures work well together (a crusty top, creamy center, and chewy bottom). I love the additional almond flavoring in layers. The almond extract and sliced almonds add a touch of elegance, depth, and additional texture to an already great dessert.

For additional visuals of this recipe, check out my YouTube video “Gooey Butter Cake with an Almond Twist: Rich and Creamy Elegance with a Crust”.

Print Recipe

Gooey Butter Cake with an Almond Twist

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Cooling time2

Total Time3

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gooey cake, butter, cake, almond cake, gooey almond butter cake, easy cake, summer dessert, simple dessert

Servings: 12 large bars

Author: Summer

Ingredients

Cake layer:

1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
113 g (8 tbsp / 1 stick) butter softened
1.5 g (¼ tsp) salt, if using UNSALTED butter no salt if using salted butter
1 large egg
1 tsp (.15 oz) vanilla extract
½ tsp (.08 oz) almond extract

Cream cheese layer:

226 g (8 oz) cream cheese
2 large eggs
1 tsp (.16 oz) almond extract
453 g (4 cups /1 lb / 16 oz) powdered sugar plus more for dusting
½ cup (45 g) almond slices

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350˚F (177˚C). Grease or parchment line a 9-x13-inch baking dish.
TIP: If using parchment paper, cut the corners down to where the paper meets the inside bottom of the pan. Overlap the flaps and trim as desired. The paper allows for easy cake remove once baked.
In a medium bowl mix together cake mix, butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir until combined. The mixture will be stiff.
TIP: You could mix the ingredients in a stand mixer.
Press mixture evenly into the parchment-lined or greased baking dish.
In the same medium bowl, add cream cheese and beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Add eggs and almond extract. Beat again until the mixture is smooth. Then add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and then increase speed until mixture is smooth. It will be a thin, runny mixture.
Pour the cream cheese mixture over the cake layer and smooth out the top. Scatter sliced almonds over the cream cheese layer to cover the cake evenly
Bake the cake for 40 minutes. The edges and top should be golden brown and crusty.
Remove from oven and allow to cool 2-3 hours. Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar and serve.
TIPS: Wait to add the powdered sugar until the cake has cooled or the powdered sugar will melt if the cake is too warm. You can get 12 large bars if you cut four rows down and three rows across.

Video

Notes

Storage Suggestions:

You can store the bars covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. In a warm environment, it’s best to store the bars covered in the fridge for up to a week.

Holiday Variation:

For holiday flavor, add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, gingerbread pie spice, or cinnamon to the cake layer.

You might be interested in these other sweet treats.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Microwavable Cake

5-Minute Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake (Microwavable)

Rosemary Focaccia Flatbread

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes.

Simple Spinach Lasagna Pasta: Only 3 Ingredients

Lasagna was the first dinner recipe I took the time to recreate using ingredients that we like. I have been making the same version for more than 25 years. These days, I don’t make lasagna as much as I used to, but rather I’ve transitioned to making my own pasta noodles following the southern Italian styles keeping the recipes simple with very few ingredients. In this post, I’m sharing a simple 3-ingredient recipe for spinach lasagna pasta noodles that includes only spinach, flour, and water. You can use these noodles in your favorite lasagna recipe or cut them into any shape for any pasta dish.

Spinach Lasagna Pasta Inspiration

Pasta-

Pasta (mainly spaghetti) used to be my husband’s favorite meal because it was filling (or maybe there’s some unknown Italian heritage in his blood 😉). When we were first married, he could consume a pound of pasta (any kind) in one sitting and still have room to eat anything else. With age comes a slower metabolism, so our diets have changed, and he doesn’t eat as much. These days, he’s not much of a pasta eater, so I don’t make it that often. Since I don’t “have” to make so much of it, I’m at the point where I enjoy learning about the noodles and making them from scratch. I’m sure that sounds strange, but when I used to make pasta dishes so often, it was easier to buy the dried version than make it. Back then, I didn’t have or want to take the time to make it from scratch. Times have changed!

Spinach-

Rarely my fridge or freezer does not have a bag or container of spinach. We eat spinach or some sort of greens everyday. Since we have so much of it, it is an ingredient I put in almost everything savory. Over the past couple of years I’ve become really interested in making homemade pasta like my 2-ingredient water and flour Italian pasta and my 2-ingredient ricotta cheese and flour pasta recipes. Now that pasta is a treat for us, I love the idea of adding flavor and nutrients to the noodle to create something pretty, flavorful, and versatile. Since I put spinach in everything anyway, one day it occurred to me to make pasta noodles with it, too. Therein lies my spinach pasta noodle inspiration😊. It’s fun pairing different, from-scratch pasta shapes and flavors with different homemade sauces.

Spinach Lasagna Pasta Ingredients

thawed frozen spinach, semolina flour, & water

This recipe makes about a pound of pasta (~12 lasagna noodles) and is enough for a standard lasagna recipe. For the ingredients, you’ll only need two plus water. They include frozen spinach that has been thawed, semolina flour, and water. The great thing is that you make any pasta shape from this recipe.

Make the Spinach Lasagna Pasta

Process the Spinach

Thaw 150 grams (5-6 ounces) of frozen spinach by setting it in the fridge overnight. Then, place it in a strainer and drain by lightly squeezing the spinach to remove excess moisture. Place the spinach in a food processor and blend it until smooth and broken down which will take about a minute.

3. break down spinach into smaller pieces in a food process (~1 minute)

Add Semolina Flour

Add 300 grams (~2 cups) of durum wheat semolina flour to the food processor with the spinach. Blend until the mixture is grainy and combined. Add 59 milliliters (¼ cup) of water and blend again for about 30 seconds. The mixture should begin to stick together. Then, add another 15-59 milliliters (1-4 tablespoons or more) of water until the mixture forms a ball in the machine and is moist. The dough should be moist or kneading will be very difficult.

1. 300 g (~2 cups) durum wheat semolina flour

4. mixture begins to stick together; add more water & blend

5. dough is moist enough to knead but not too much

Knead the Dough

Remove the dough ball from the machine. Place it on a lightly floured work surface. Knead for about 7 minutes by hand until the dough reaches a tacky smooth ball. Add flour or water as needed. The dough will be dense but not sticky.

1. knead by hand for 7 minutes adding flour or water as necessary

2. dough is tacky after 7 minutes of kneading

Resting Time

Cover the dough ball with a towel or plastic wrap. Let it rest for 20 minutes.

Prepare Baking Sheet

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust the paper with semolina or other flour. You can simply flour the pans without paper, but the paper helps to manipulate the pasta in and out of the pans.

line baking sheet w/ parchment paper or towel & dust w/ flour — line baking sheet w/ parchment paper or towel & dust w/ semolina flour

Shape & Cut Spinach Lasagna Pasta Dough

At this point, you can roll out the dough in the shape you want for making different pasta shapes. You can even use a pasta machine if you have one available, but it is not necessary. To make lasagna noodles, divide the dough disk into thirds. Place one third on a lightly floured work surface. Set aside and cover the other two thirds to prevent drying.

TIP: You can eyeball or weight the balls into equal portions; however, it’s not necessary since you’ll have leftover dough anyway that will be combined to create a fourth dough ball that will be rolled out and ultimately yielding 12 total lasagna noodles.

2. place 1 dough ball on work surface & other 2 on a plate or in a container & cover; set aside

Roll into Sheets & Cut Dough

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough flat keeping the work surface floured. For each dough ball, roll it larger than a 9-x13-inch rectangle since you will need to trim the rough edges down to a 9×13-inch rectangle or about the size of your baking dish. If you use a pasta attachment, flatten the dough as you would for lasagna noodles. Lasagna noodles can come in different widths and textures. Some are flat, others have ridges like Ruffles potato chips. Any and all are acceptable in making homemade lasagna. The ridges, however, are thought to hold the sauce and cheese in place. Use a pizza cutter, knife, or fluted or ruffled pasta wheel to cut out three, 3-inch-wide long strips that are the full length of the dough. Each sheet of dough should yield 3 long pasta noodles that will completely fill a 9-x13-inch baking dish. The extra dough trimmed off from each rectangle will likely be enough (when combined) to roll into a 4th rectangle ultimately yielding 12 lasagna noodles.

1. use rolling pin to roll dough thin/bigger than 9x13 inches — 1. use rolling pin to roll dough thin/bigger than 9×13 inches

2. dough does not need to be a perfect rectangle

5. cut dough into 3rds (3-inch wide strips) — 5. cut dough into 3rds (3-inch-wide strips)

3. trim edges down to a 9-x13-inch rectangle

Keep Noodles Flat & Separated

Place cut noodles flat on a lined baking sheet. Cover the noodles with a towel, parchment paper, or wax paper to prevent drying out. Continue rolling and cutting the remaining dough balls into rectangles and strips. Place paper between layers of rolled out dough to prevent sticking.

TIP: If using wax or parchment paper to cover each lasagna noodle layer, add flour on top of the flour before adding the noodles to prevent sticking.

1. place strips separated on lined/floured baking sheet to prevent sticking

2. use immediately or cover well & store in fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer for several months

spinach lasagna pasta noodles ready to cook or store

close up view of the spinach lasagna pasta noodles

another view of the spinach lasagna pasta noodles

Storage Suggestions for Spinach Lasagna Pasta

You can make fresh pasta noodles and assemble them immediately in a baking dish with the lasagna ingredients. Eat them immediately, refrigerate them until tomorrow, or freeze them for later.

Make a Day or Two Ahead & Store in the Fridge

Refrigerate the noodles overnight for up to 2 days. Place lasagna noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet and dust the tops lightly with flour. Add a sheet of parchment/wax paper in between each layer. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap to ensure the noodles are covered well. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Cook as directed for fresh pasta.

Freeze for Later

Freeze the noodles for up to a couple of months. Place lasagna noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet and dust the tops lightly with flour. Add a sheet of parchment/wax paper in between each layer. Place in the freezer for 1-2 hours until frozen. Then, remove noodles and stack them together placing them in an airtight bag or container. Freeze them for up to a couple of months. Follow the cooking directions for fresh pasta.

Par-Boil the Noodles? Is it Necessary?

There is a debate among professionals as to whether or not to par-boil lasagna noodles. Homemade pasta holds more moisture than dried, so some say par-boil them first, so they don’t soak up all the sauce during baking. It’s totally up to you!

How to Par-Boil Spinach Lasagna Pasta Noodles

Since fresh pasta absorbs more liquid than dried, it’s best to par-boil the noodles before using them in a baked pasta dish. To par-boil, bring a large 4-quart pot of water to a boil. Salt the water heavily to the salinity of the sea, particularly since there isn’t any salt in the noodles. Place 3 lasagna noodles into the pot. Boil for 30 seconds (just par-boiled). With a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer noodles to a colander. Immediately run the noodles under cold water to wash off the starch to prevent sticking and to stop the cooking process. Place them in a single layer on clean kitchen towels. Continue to par-boil the remaining noodles until all are par-boiled following the above steps. Use them right away or store in an airtight container, separated by layers of parchment paper to use later.

Cooking Suggestions for Any Shaped Pasta

Regardless of how the pasta is stored and its shape, it’s cooked the same way. Bring a large pot of 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add about 1 tablespoon of salt, enough that the water has a salty taste like the ocean (salinity of the sea). Add the pasta and reduce the heat to a simmer. Once the pasta rises to the surface, set the timer and cook for 2 minutes. Taste a noodle to check for doneness. It should be “al dente” meaning “to the tooth” and should have a small bite to the pasta. If a dense white spot is in the center of the pasta, it needs to cook another 20-30 seconds. Once the pasta is done, drain, and serve it immediately with your preferred sauce.

Usage Suggestions

Use these spinach lasagna pasta noodles in your favorite lasagna recipe. You can cut them into different shapes or even make the noodles thinner to resemble pappardelle. Then, serve the pasta with your favorite sauce. Spinach pasta goes well with a simple tomato sauce or white cream sauce like alfredo or béchamel.

1. spinach "lasagna" pasta noodles cut into strips (raw noodles) — 1. spinach “lasagna” pasta noodles cut into strips (raw noodles)

2. spinach "lasagna" pasta noodles cut into strip & cooked as described — 2. spinach “lasagna” pasta noodles cut into strip & cooked as described

Spinach Lasagna Pasta Final Thoughts

The best thing about homemade pasta is that you have options like flavor, shape, size, and how to cook them. Spinach pasta creates a visually interesting pasta that can be cut into any shape and compliments a good tomato-based or cream-based sauce. You can imagine the pretty green color contrast to the red tomato and white cheese layered lasagna dish. We have enjoyed this pasta cut into simple strips and served with a good tomato sauce and cheese. Throw on some crispy pancetta and you have a hearty dish.

Baker’s Perspective

Homemade pasta is certainly not as easy to make as buying dried pasta. However, I find that making and eating homemade pasta is a treat and more interesting when you start adding different flavors and colors like spinach. When you decide to make pasta, think of it like making homemade yeast bread. It will take time and will require kneading, but you can make a large batch and freeze it for later cooking and consumption. If you like to make bread dough and have never tried homemade pasta, if you like pasta, you should give it a try, since the preparation steps are very similar. Of course, the cooking time is MUCH less than baking a loaf of bread AND there’s no rising time! Bonus!

Taster’s Perspective

Scott and I have enjoyed eating homemade pasta. The spinach is very defined in this noodle but is very simple, since it only contains spinach and flour. Be sure to salt the water heavily when cooking the pasta, since there is no salt in the actual noodle. If you’re using the noodles for lasagna, you still need to salt the water well because the par-boiling time is short enough that not much salt will be absorbed but some of it will. Much of the salt flavor will come from the lasagna dish ingredients, not the noodles. We enjoy the spinach pasta with a tomato-based sauce and cheese. The combination of the three flavors creates a well-flavored pasta dish.

Check out my YouTube video on making this spinach lasagna pasta. “Homemade Spinach Lasagna Pasta Noodles: Only 3 Ingredients- Spinach, Semolina Flour, & Water”

Print Recipe

Simple Spinach Lasagna Pasta Noodles

This simple 3-ingredient spinach lasagna pasta recipe only includes spinach, semolina flour, and water. Use it in your favorite lasagna recipe or cut the pasta dough into your preferred shapes. Serve the pasta with your favorite tomato-based or cream-based pasta sauce.

Prep Time1

Cook Time10

Total Time1 10

Course: ingredient, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: spinach pasta, spinach noodles, lasagna noodles, spinach lasagna, homemade noodles, homemade pasta

Servings: 1 pound

Author: Summer

Ingredients

150 g (5-6 oz) fresh or frozen spinach cooked (if fresh), thawed (if frozen) and drained
300 g (~2 cups) durum wheat semolina flour
59-118 ml (¼ -½ cup) water, as needed

Instructions

Make Pasta Dough (For All Pasta Shapes)

Thaw frozen spinach. Drain by lightly squeezing spinach to remove excess moisture. Place in a food processor and blend until smooth and broken down.
TIP: Place bag of frozen spinach in the fridge overnight to thaw & drain before using. If using fresh spinach, cook the spinach in a skillet until wilted and drain.
Add semolina flour to the food processor with the smooth spinach. Blend until the mixture is grainy and combined. Add 59 ml (¼ cup) of water and blend again for about 30 seconds. The mixture should begin to stick together. Add another 30-59 ml (3-4 tbsp) of water until the mixture forms a ball in the machine and is moist but not too wet.
TIP: The dough will be dense but should be moist enough to knead like bread dough.
Remove the dough ball from the machine and place it on a floured work surface. Knead for about 7 minutes by hand until the dough reaches a tacky smooth ball.
Cover the dough ball with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with semolina or other flour.
TIP: You can simply flour the pans without paper, but the paper helps to manipulate the pasta in and out of the pans.
At this point, you can roll out the dough in the shape you want for making different pasta shapes including using a pasta machine if available.

Roll & Cut into Lasagna Noodles

Divide the dough disk into thirds. Place one third on a lightly floured work surface. Set aside and cover the other two thirds to prevent drying. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough flat keeping the work surface floured. For this amount of dough, roll it larger than a 9×13-inch rectangle. Don't worry about the shape since you will trim off uneven edges.
TIP: You can eyeball or weigh out the thirds into equal portions. If using a pasta attachment, flatten as you would for lasagna noodles.
Use a pizza cutter, knife, or fluted pasta wheel to trim off uneven edges down to the size of pan you’re using for lasagna. Cut three 3-inch-wide long strips that are the full length of the dough. If using a 9×13 pan, you should get three long strips to fit the pan from each dough ball.
TIP: Set aside extra dough pieces to combine with other dough pieces at the end. These extra pieces will likely give you enough dough to make another 3 long strips giving you a total of 12 strips of noodles (3 more than you need for a traditional lasagna recipe.)
Place cut noodles flat on lined baking sheet and cover with a towel, parchment paper, or wax paper to prevent drying out. Continue rolling and cutting the remaining dough and place covered on baking sheet. You should end up with ~12 lasagna noodles giving you extras if needed.
TIP: Place wax or parchment paper along with a dusting of flour between layers of rolled out dough to prevent sticking.

Video

Notes

Make a Day or Two Ahead & Store in the Fridge:

Place lasagna noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet and dust the tops lightly with flour. Add a sheet of parchment/wax paper in between each layer. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap to ensure the noodles are covered well. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Cook as directed for fresh pasta.

Freeze for Later:

Place lasagna noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet and dust the tops lightly with flour. Add a sheet of parchment/wax paper in between each layer. Place in the freezer for 1-2 hours until frozen. Then, remove noodles and stack them together placing them in an airtight bag or container. Freeze them for up to a couple of months. Follow the cooking directions for fresh pasta.

Par-Boil the Noodles? Is it Necessary?

There is a debate among professionals as to whether or not to par-boil lasagna noodles. Homemade pasta holds more moisture than dried, so some say par-boil them first, so they don’t soak up all the sauce during baking. It’s totally up to you!

How to Par-Boil Spinach Lasagna Pasta Noodles:

Since fresh pasta absorbs more liquid than dried, it’s best to par-boil the noodles before using them in a baked pasta dish. To par-boil, bring a large 4-quart pot of water to a boil. Salt the water heavily to the salinity of the sea, particularly since there isn’t any salt in the noodles. Place 3 lasagna noodles into the pot. Boil for 30 seconds (just par-boiled). With a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer noodles to a colander. Immediately run the noodles under cold water to wash off the starch to prevent sticking and to stop the cooking process. Place them in a single layer on clean kitchen towels. Continue to par-boil the remaining noodles until all are par-boiled following the above steps. Use them right away or store in an airtight container, separated by layers of parchment paper to use later.

Cooking Suggestions for Any Shaped Pasta:

Usage Suggestions:

Use these spinach lasagna pasta noodles in your favorite lasagna recipe. You can cut them into different shapes or even make the noodles thinner to resemble pappardelle. Then, serve the pasta with your favorite sauce. Spinach pasta goes well with a simple tomato sauce or white cream sauce like alfredo or béchamel.

You might be interested in these other Italian recipes.

2-Ingredient Fresh Southern Italian Pasta (Busiate, Fettucine, Tagliatelle, & Pappardelle)

2-Ingredient Ricotta Cheese and Flour Pasta (Orecchiette & Cavatelli)

Italian Herb Seasoning

Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus

Italian Savoiardi Ladyfinger Cookies

Italian Gluten-Free Savoiardi Ladyfinger Cookies

Strawberry Tiramisu Dessert

Italian Panettone Christmas Bread

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!

Easy Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cake: Less than 5 Minutes!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Microwavable Cake

I love a quick and easy sweet treat that only takes minutes to make. Many years ago, I discovered microwavable cakes. I couldn’t believe I could make a homemade dessert in minutes for one person. Since then, I have made and created so many different versions depending on what I have available in my pantry and what I’m craving at that moment. In this post, I’m sharing one of my favorite variations… a Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Microwavable Cake.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cake Ingredients

butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, milk, all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, chocolate chips, caramel topping, salt, and chocolate shavings or chips

For the chocolate chip cake ingredients, you’ll need butter or coconut oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, milk of any kind, I used my homemade almond milk, all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and chocolate chips. For the salted caramel topping, you’ll also need caramel sauce or dulce de leche, I used my homemade dulce de leche sauce, flake or coarse salt, chocolate chips or shavings, & optional ice cream for extra indulgence.

My Little Inspiration

You’ll notice that the ingredients resemble those typically found in a homemade chocolate chip cookie. Since that’s my favorite dessert, that was my inspiration in this microwavable cake variation. When I want a chocolate chip cookie and want it fast, this is what I make. Let’s check it out!

Prepare Bowl or Mug

First, grease a small (240 milliliters – 500 milliliters / ¼-½ quart) microwavable-safe dish or coffee mug with butter or cooking spray and spread it around the dish. For this post, I used a small microwavable-safe glass dish so you can see the process but use whatever you have.

1. grease a microwavable-safe coffee mug

Combine Ingredients

Stir Wet Ingredients

In a small bowl, add 15 grams (1 tablespoon) of butter or coconut oil and melt it completely in the microwave ~20-30 seconds. It’s best to use a solid fat here instead of oil; I find that oil makes the cake dense and leaves an off flavor. Stir in 14 grams (1 tablespoon) of granulated sugar, 14 grams (1 tablespoon packed) brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 42 milliliters (3 tablespoons) of milk (of any kind). I used my homemade almond milk here. Whisk or stir until well blended.

Whisk in Dry Ingredients

Add 45 grams (¼ cup + 1 tablespoon) of all-purpose flour, ⅛ teaspoon of salt, and ⅛ teaspoon of baking powder. Whisk to stir well.

1. 45 g (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) all-purpose flour

Fold in Chocolate Chips

Fold in 1½-2 tablespoons of chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips (minis provide a milder chocolate flavor). I used regular size chocolate chips for a burst of chocolate flavor.

TIP: If using a coffee mug, after greasing the dish, add all the remaining ingredients and stir or whisk until well blended. There’s no need to dirty any extra dishes; one mug is all you really need.

1. 1½-2 tbsp chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips

Bake in Microwave

If mixing the ingredients in a separate dish, spoon mixture into greased baking dish or coffee mug and spread the mixture out evenly. Bake the dessert on high in the microwave for 1:20.

TIP: If mixing everything in a mug, simply eliminate this step and place the mug in the microwave.

1. If transferring to another dish, scoop the mixture into the prepared dish

Done!

Remove the baking dish or coffee mug from the microwave. Allow the cake to cool ~1- 2 minutes.

easy & simple chocolate chip cake without toppings

Add Toppings

Top with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream. Then drizzle with some smooth caramel or dulce de leche. Sprinkle coarse salt over the top along with additional chocolate chips or shaved chocolate and enjoy!

1. add a dollop of ice cream or whipped topping

2. drizzle on some caramel or dulce de leche

4. add shaved chocolate or chocolate chips

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cake with the indulgent toppings

Picture Worthy 😋 Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cake

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cake after a bit (or 2 😉)

Storage Suggestions

You should be able to eat the single serving delight in one serving; however, you can cover the dish or mug and store it in the fridge for up to several days. When ready to eat, eat it cold or reheat it for 30 seconds in the microwave if you want it warmed.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cake Final Thoughts

This super easy dessert can be so elegant when you add the indulgent toppings. However, if you just want something truly no fuss, forget the toppings and just make the cake. I have done that many times to satisfy my sweet tooth. It’s super easy and quick!

Baker’s Perspective

I love that you can make this fresh anytime you want a homemade dessert. You can even make single servings for multiple people. This no-fuss, one dish dessert can be made simple or turned into magnificence with the additional toppings!

Taster’s Perspective

If you have a sweet tooth, this dessert hits the spot. It’s fresh and made in no time. The chocolate chips add a burst of chocolate. Molasses is detectable from the brown sugar like you expect from a chocolate chip cookie. The cake is not dense, but not super light like an oven-baked cake with eggs. The texture is soft. While hot, the ice cream oozes down through the crevices adding a pleasing cool dairy component. The flake salt provides a crunchy texture. The gooey caramel topping is the icing on the cake 😉. Yummy!

Print Recipe

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Microwavable Cake: Less than 5 Minutes!

This microwavable cake can be as simple as just the chocolate chip cake. Add the toppings for elegance and indulgence. The basic ingredients are many of those found in chocolate chip cookies but in quantities just right for a single serving, quick dessert. If you have a chocolate craving, this dessert hits the spot.

Prep Time3

Cook Time1

Cooling Time1

Total Time5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate chip cookie, chocolate chip cake, salted caramel dessert, quick dessert, easy cake, 5 minutes dessert

Servings: 1 serving

Author: Summer

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cake:

15 g (1 tbsp) butter or coconut oil
14 g (1 tbsp) granulated sugar
14 g (1 tbsp packed) brown sugar
¼ tsp vanilla extract
42 ml (3 tbsp) milk any kind
45 g (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) all-purpose flour
⅛ tsp salt
⅛ tsp baking powder
1½-2 tbsp chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips minis provide a milder chocolate flavor

Salted Caramel Topping

2 tbsp caramel ice cream topping, homemade caramel sauce, dulce de leche, etc.
1 tsp flake or coarse salt
1 tbsp chocolate shavings or chocolate chips

Instructions

Make the Chocolate Chip Cake:

Grease a small (240 ml – 500 ml / ¼-½ quart) microwavable-safe dish or coffee mug with butter or cooking spray and spread it around the dish.
If mixing in a separate bowl, add butter or coconut oil to a small bowl and melt it completely in the microwave ~20-30 seconds. Stir in sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and milk until well blended.
Add flour, salt, and baking powder. Use a fork or small whisk to stir well.
TIP: If mixing everything in a mug, a separate bowl is NOT needed to mix the ingredients. Simply mix all the ingredients in the greased mug.
Fold in chocolate chips. If mixing the ingredients in a separate bowl, spoon the mixture into the greased baking dish or mug and spread out the top evenly. Heat on high in the microwave for 1:20.
Remove the baking dish or coffee mug from the microwave. Allow the cake to cool ~1- 2 minutes. Add the following toppings, if desired, and enjoy.

Add the Toppings:

Top with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream. Then drizzle with a smooth caramel or dulce de leche. Sprinkle coarse salt over the top along with additional chocolate chips or shaved chocolate. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Storage Suggestions:

You should be able to eat the single serving delight in one serving; however, you can cover it and store it in the fridge for up to several days. When ready to eat, eat it cold or reheat it for 30 seconds in the microwave if you want it warmed.

Check out these other sweet treats.

5-Minute Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake (Microwavable)