What are the odds that two people baked their own birthday cakes in July? I chose both their photos to feature this month and get this: One baker is only 10 years old and the other is 74! Lucci from the Philipines, who turned 10 on July 16th, made her own chocolate cake. She said, “It was soo easy. I did one layer, my sister did another layer, my mom frosted the cake, and I piped the borders!!” What a beautiful job she did piping the border, just like a pro.”
The vanilla cake on the right was made by Janice from Michigan, celebrating her 74th birthday on July 8th. “The cake was delicious and I have enjoyed it everyday since making it,” she said. “Every morsel I ate was DELICIOUS.” Janice, I just celebrated my own 74th birthday in June and yes, I baked my own cake too! ? Birthday blessing to you both. ❤️
Here’s another no knead bread that I love. It’s crunchy on the outside and on the inside too! I make it with two kinds of flour (whole wheat and white) and then I add a half cup of cracked wheat to the dough. The result is a fabulous high-fiber bread with a golden crust and a delicious nutty interior with lots of crunch.
Cracked wheat is made by milling raw wheat berries into smaller pieces, preserving the nutrient and fiber rich bran and germ layers. So this delicious loaf has extra fiber and protein, and cracked wheat is also a good source of iron.
If you like hearty, farm-style bread with extra crunch, you will love this recipe. I have never been able to find cracked wheat at the store so I order it online, solely to make this recipe. Cracked wheat is a series of uncooked, hard, dry pieces and looks like this:
I have also made the same recipe with steel-cut oats but it does not have the flavor or texture that this one does. I use the overnight version to allow the uncooked cracked wheat time to soften. Click herefor the recipe. – Jenny Jones
By popular demand, here is the vanilla version of my hugely popular quick & easy chocolate cake. As simple as the recipe is, it was not easy to get it right. I finally came up with a version that always turns out for me. I know it has a lot of sugar but every time I tried to use less, it did not turn out. With this “wacky” style cake, the sugar is needed for structure.
I also tried different pans, a square 8 x 8 pan and a round 8-inch pan, and was disappointed in both results. A 9-inch pan was the perfect size for a consistent cake. I suggest sticking with the recipe as written and you won’t be disappointed. It’s a light and delicious homemade cake that anyone can make, even amateur cooks. During the coronavirus quarantine, it’s good to have a dessert that does not use eggs, or even butter except for the frosting.
I’ve also just posted my new 2-minute vanilla frosting, made with just 2 tablespoons of butter, although this cake is really good with chocolate frosting too. I usually cool the cake in the pan and only frost the top.
If you plan to remove the cake to a platter, I suggest greasing the pan and lining the bottom with parchment paper. You can buy packages of parchment paper rounds or cut our own. I hope everybody likes this simple yet delicious cake and I’ll be waiting for the first photo! Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
So many people worldwide are home and cooking and I love seeing photos of my recipes from all over the world, so please say where you’re from – include yourself in the photo too! (I post these manually so you won’t see it right away.) Use this link to send your photo: YourPhotos@JennyCanCook.com
MARY (from Texas) MADE MY HOMEMADE BARBEQUE SAUCE
“Hi Jenny~ This is the third time I’ve made your homemade barbecue sauce, and it is the most awesome stuff I’ve ever seen or tasted! Quick, easy, and the smell in our Dallas, TX home just lingers for days, lol. In this pic I added the sauce to smoked brisket for an awesome sandwich, and paired it with potato salad and pickles. Suffice it to say, I have a terribly spoiled husband, lol- Love your recipes, and I tell everyone about your recipe site- girl….who knew???!!! Mary Nagy, Dallas, TX.”
– You are right about the aroma of this sauce. It means something good is coming. My husband is in the same club! 🙂– jenny
JULIE (from England) MADE MY HOT DOG BUNS
“Hot dog rolls!! Hi Jenny, made your hot dog rolls and they were lovely!!! Will be making these again. I never used sugar but honey and never needed to egg wash them , the family loved. Take care and all the best from Somerset in England ❤️”
– Thank you so much for this great photo of your rolls and for the tip that honey works just as well. – jenny
LEILANI (from Hawaii) MADE MY LEMON BROWNIES
“These are great! I used whole wheat flour and swapped the eggs with applesauce. Thank you for a great recipe and video! Miss your show, Aloha from Hawaii!”
– It’s good to know they work with applesauce for anyone wanting to make the swap. Mahalo! – jenny
SANDRA MADE MY NO KNEAD BREAD & PAN PIZZA
“Love your recipes and hacks. Having arthritis in my wrists this recipe has saved me. I added Kalamata olives and it was lovely.”
– Thank you for sending your photos. It all looks good to me. – jenny
“The dough was too sticky and hard to work into a pie. Missing a skillet and need a thermometer for my oven. It’s electric and I reduce the temp by at least 50 degrees. I needed to bake dough longer before adding ingredients. Nonetheless it was good enough to eat.”
– You made two of my favorite things and I’m so glad you liked them too. Thank you for the photos. – jenny
SOREYA (from California) MADE MY SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS and GRANOLA
“Jenny, thank you so much! I love reading your recipes (and watching the videos.) Followed both recipes exactly as written. All I can say is, “Delicious.” Thank you, Jenny! ~ Soreya from Orinda, California.”
– You made two of my favorite things and I’m so glad you liked them too. Thank you for the photos. – jenny
LUCCI (from the Philipines) MADE MY CHOCOLATE CAKE
“Hi Jenny! My name is Lucci, from Manila Philippines. I just turned 10 last July 16. Part of my birthday plans was to bake my own cake. I used your recipe again, it was soo easy. I did one layer, my sister did another layer, my mom frosted the cake, and I piped the borders!! It was so fun to do and it was delicious!!”
– Happy 10th Birthday, Lucci! 🎈Your cake is beautiful! My chocolate cake has never looked this good! What a fantastic job you did on the border, just like a professional chef.👨🍳Thank you so much for the awesome photos!!– jenny
BARBARA (from Ohio) MADE MY NO KNEAD BREAD
“My success! Love the no knead bread – stumbled upon the familiar face of Jenny Jones on YouTube with a no fuss bread recipe I was dying to try. Two weeks and a dozen loaves later, I am the hero of the family and the neighbors. I have taught my husband and his twin brother to make, and am sharing the recipe with many. Thank you!! Barbara in Ohio.”
– I love to hear that you are sharing this bread with others. Thank you for taking time to send your photo. – jenny
DALILA MADE MY QUICK & EASY VANILLA CAKE
“Hi Ms. Jenny I had a taste for sweets…..when don’t I! I made your QUICK & EASY VANILLA CAKE recipe and I used your recipe for MILD CREAM CHEESE FROSTING, a wonderful combination if you ask me. One change I made was to experiment with the cake pan size. That’s the only change I made, just to see if it’ll work for me. I use three of my 6” X 2” cake pans instead of one 9” cake pan. It worked perfectly for me, I just made sure the batter was evenly distributed in the pans. For me that was about 11oz. per pan, give or take a smidgen. I made sure I lined my pans with parchment paper for easy removal. Bake for about 18-22 minutes and then start checking it. They came out great, no problems whatsoever. I wrapped and froze one cake layer for another time. I doubled your frosting recipe in order to frost this cake. I assembled the other two cakes and added a sugar-free apricot filling. This cake recipe is very good!!! I will definitely be making this recipe again. BTW…..please excuse my decorating, I was rushing because hubby couldn’t wait to eat it. Happy baking! Dalila.”
– This looks amazing and I love the idea of apricot filling! Thank you for another lovely photo.– jenny
GUY (from Illinois) MADE MY NO KNEAD BREAD
“Such an easy recipe and great results. The bread is delicious. Guy Cesario, Oak Lawn, Illinois.”
– Thank you for your great photos – that crust is perfect! – jenny
KRYSTINA (from Singapore) MADE MY NO KNEAD BREAD
“Last bake of today …. such an easy recipe!”
– I’m glad it turned out so well and thank you for taking time to send your photo. – jenny
BEV (from Canada) MADE MY PAN PIZZA
“Hi Jenny – Made this last night and it was a hit. Had to use an induction hob for the 3 minutes before baking since I have a ceramic stovetop – I think it probably only needed 2 minutes because of that so will try that next time, but it was so good. Loved the crispy crust on the top and bottom. Thanks for being such an inspiration to so many of us as we’re spending more time in our kitchens. ~ Bev (from Canada).”
– Thank you very much for the before and after -and that “after” looks so good!! – jenny
Pan Pizza from Jennycancook.com – before and after (starting on the Induction Hub, then into 500 degree oven)
Pan Pizza from Jennycancook.com – before and after
DALILA MADE MY SESAME SEED HAMBURGER BUNS
“Hi Jenny! We were in the mood for BBQ pulled pork so I started that for our dinner. While that was cooking away I decided to make your Sesame Seed Hamburger Buns recipe. They were soooo good, so easy to make, such a great recipe! I baked the buns exactly like your recipe, tasty buns for sure, nice and fluffy! I froze some of them so we can enjoy them later. Have a good evening! Happy baking!”
– Your buns look great and that pulled pork looks divine! Thank you for your photos. – jenny
JOSIE (from Canada) MADE MY CINNAMON ROLL
“Gigantic Cinnamon Bun! Hi Jenny. Love your recipes and your videos on you Tube, I discovered your videos while on quarantine and been watching over a month before I realized its you Jenny Jones the talk show host, I used to watch you when I was a little girl. I loved your shows. Good to see you again. Here is my 2nd attempt at your cinnamon bun…. it came out gigantic and I put in a fancy twist. I’m from Oshawa, Canada. Stay safe and healthy Jenny! Cheers ~ Josie Lee.”
– I think you just started a trend. This looks amazing and what a great idea! Thank you.– jenny
GEERT (from Belgium) MADE MY 20-MINUTE PIZZA DOUGH
“Hello, I’m Geert from Belgium. Best pizza in town … with your 20 min pizza dough! yours sincerely, Geert.”
– Wow, That looks fantastic! I’m so excited to see my pizza dough in Belgium!! Thank you. ❤️ – jenny
PEARL MADE MY LEMON BROWNIES
“I love these lemon “brownies” so much but I think it’s really more of a cake texture! Best, Pearl.”
– Thank you for this beautiful photo highlighted with a fresh lemon.🍋 It looks delicious! – jenny
JANICE (from Michigan) MADE MY VANILLA CAKE & CHOCOLATE FROSTING
“Hi Jenny, Made your vanilla cake and chocolate frosting for my 74th birthday on 7/8. The cake was delicious and I have enjoyed it everyday since making it. Followed the cake recipe exactly as well as your chocolate frosting recipe ( I did add 1/4 tsp of espresso powder). Every morsel I ate was DELICIOUS. Also want to say I have made many of your recipes and all have turned out well. Enjoyed the lemon brownies twice in the last month.Thanks for all the effort you put into your recipes and website. ~ Janice, Ann Arbor, MI.”
– That’s the way to do it – Frost it right in the pan! Your slice looks perfect. Thank you for sharing your photos. I just had my own 74th birthday in June – Happy Belated! ❤️ – jenny
RENATA (from the UK) MADE MY QUICK & EASY CHOCOLATE CAKE
“Dear Jenny, My name is Renata. I am Brazilian & Italian, but have been living in the UK for more than 30 years. I have been shielding with my hubby for the last 16 weeks. I don’t like cooking (although I cook every day from scratch!) and don’t like baking. I have a bread machine and in any other circumstances, my machine is as close I would be to baking. It’s therefore a pure coincidence that during lockdown, like so many people around the world, I felt this enormous desire for baking.
Yesterday I was looking for a chocolate cake recipe without egg. And came across to your YouTube video Quick & Easy Chocolate Cake. I made only half of the recipe (just measured all in half), used olive oil (the only oil I had at home) and didn’t used any vanilla extract (never bought it, don’t see the need). It was DELICIOUS!! Will definitely check your website for more easy recipes. My regards, Renata (Sinclair). Ps: I had to search how much 350 Fahrenheit was to Celsius (European grade oven).”
– How lovely are these heart-shaped cupcakes! ❤️ Thank you for sharing your photos and I hope you continue to discover the joy of baking. – jenny
LIZ (from Riverside) MADE MY BLUEBERRY COFFEE CAKE
“Hi Ms. Jones. I just want to thank you for sharing your awesome recipes. Being tired of the news & everything being politicized nowadays, I decided to get up & try baking your blueberry coffeecake. I used my toaster oven as it was a hot day to be baking in the oven. FYI… I had substituted some ingredients with light tasting olive oil, coconut brown sugar & just added a little lemon juice with the almond milk. I followed the recommended half all purpose flour- half white whole wheat flour. I used a metal cake pan as you can see and baked it in the toaster oven. Usually, with some recipes, I had to watch out during half of the total baking time and some would be done. This one was baked for what temperature & total time you mentioned and came out perfect! I don’t agree with any racial divide. I could only agree with dividing this delicious coffee cake! So, pardon me for the missing pieces before I took the photo. They were already eaten long time ago with hibiscus tea & our favorite coffee! Thank you so much and may God bless you.”
– Summer is definitely the time for blueberry recipes. I’m glad it was a hit and thank you for sharing the photo of (what’s left of 🙂) your cake. – jenny
LINDY MADE MY NO KNEAD BREAD
“Hi Jenny, We are addicted to your no knead bread recipe!!! I’ve made it multiple times now and each time we are amazed and delighted on how it comes out! We love it! I like to put fresh, chopped up rosemary and garlic in it which makes it even more delicious! We are going to add kalamata olives next time. Thank you for your wonderful recipes!”
– Your photo would make anyone make their next loaf with rosemary and garlic. Thank you so much for the eye-popping photo. – jenny
KATE (from Canada) MADE MY QUICK & EASY VANILLA CAKE
“Dear Jenny, Thank you so much for all your amazing recipes, I’ve started baking during quarantine & have just made the egg free vanilla cake & the 2 minute frosting! Delicious!! Also: Hello from my mom Krysia, who, like you has tons of roosters in her kitchen! ~ Kate Rogozinski, Edmonton, Canada.”
– Kate, you just made my day! ? I’m happy to see this cake turn out so well in a different kitchen. I’m so glad you liked it and my best to your mom, Krysia. ❤️ – jenny
DEBORAH MADE MY NO KNEAD BREAD
(no message)
– Thank you for the photo. Your loaf looks great. – jenny
JERRY MADE MY HAMBURGER BUNS
“They were amazing!”
– And they look amazing, too. Thank you for the fabulous photo! – jenny
PTOMOM MADE MY NO KNEAD BREAD
“Made bread for the 1st time ty.”
– Congratulations and thank you for the photo. It looks good! – jenny
DIANNA (from Minnesota) MADE MY HOT DOG BUNS
“Dear Jenny, I found you on YouTube a couple of years ago and fell in love with your style! I teach cooking classes locally and through my Pampered Chef business. I have learned so much from you. I loathe white hamburger and hot dog buns, so usually make my own. But your recipe looked superior to anything I have done and so I tried it last night. What a success!! I grind my own flour, so did 50% spelt flour and 50% unbleached organic flour. I also used 2 TBSP honey instead of the sugar. The results were just over-the-top!! The next day, I used the leftover buns to make Reuben sandwiches with homemade sauerkraut and homemade corned beef (and homemade mayo). I was so proud of the buns and shared photos to my Facebook page and gave the link to your recipe. Thank you so much and I hope you keep cooking!! You are such an inspiration!! Warmly, Dianna Kasprzak, Mora, MN.”
– What? You didn’t make the wieners?! I’m joking of course, but a little bit in awe of all the things you make from scratch! The buns look and sound incredible. Thank you for the photo. – jenny
What are the odds that two people baked their own birthday cakes in July? I chose both their photos to feature this month and get this: One baker is only 10 years old and the other is 74! Lucci from the Philipines, who turned 10 on July 16th, made her own chocolate cake. She said, “It was soo easy. I did one layer, my sister did another layer, my mom frosted the cake, and I piped the borders!!” What a beautiful job she did piping the border, just like a pro.”
