2024 BAKING CHALLENGE
Baking is a cherished ritual in my family, with my mom always taking the initiative to create something sweet from scratch and with lots of love. I suspect that this is how I developed my insatiable sweet tooth. And in recent years, I became inspired to take it up as a hobby to not only learn how to make my favorite childhood desserts, but more importantly to create more bonding moments with my mom.
At the beginning of the year, I set a goal to try baking a different recipe each month. A few of them were recipes I’ve made before but wanted to master. Others were brand new ones that I decided to challenge myself with. Now that the end of the year is here, I can say with pride that I’ve grown so much as a baker and really have inherited all my talent from Mama, the baking queen herself!
One of the most rewarding parts is being able to share what I make with loved ones and those who truly appreciate a homemade treat. So whether it was for a special occasion or because I spontaneously decided to whip up something that day, I can assure you that my family, friends and I thoroughly enjoyed everything featured in this post. :)
I’m so excited to discover new recipes and pour love into all the delicious baked goods I’ll make in 2025!
January
Blueberry croissant bake for a simple breakfast.
February
Dessert menu for a Galentine’s Day dinner party: Tiramisu. Chocolate hazelnut puff pastry hearts with strawberries.
March
Daddy’s favorite cake for his 60th birthday: Chocolate ganache cake with raspberries and chocolate shavings.
April
Mama and I made Leche Flan - a Filipino egg-based custard dessert with a caramel syrup on top. Loved this as a kid!
May
Matcha pistachio chocolate chunk cookies, topped with ground pistachios and flaky salt. One of my most popular bakes of the year!
June
Cherry tart with French frangipane filling and topped with vanilla ice cream.
Spiced carrot pineapple cupcakes with orange ginger cream cheese frosting and topped with ground pistachios.
Matcha banana bread.
White & dark chocolate chip banana muffins.
Peach cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream.
July
Dessert and a savory snack for a Tomato Girl Summer Picnic with all of my girlfriends: Lemon raspberry cake with raspberry cream cheese frosting. Homegrown cherry tomato and grilled green olive focaccia topped with roasted garlic olive oil, herbs and flaky salt. These two are real crowd pleasers!
August
Strawberry shortcake with citrus sugar and freshly whipped cream.
S’mores brownies with a graham cracker crust and topped with marshmallow meringue, for something sweet to eat on a beach trip.
September
For the birthday of one of my best friends, she challenged me to bake a dessert that captures her essence! And since she loves peaches, I knew I had to feature this fruit in something decadent. Peach crumble cheesecake!
Cinnamon apple loaf cake, to slowly welcome the autumn season.
October
In order to upgrade my old camera gear, I decided to raise the funds by holding a bake sale. It was the first one I’ve ever done and I’m thankful to share that it was a huge success! I offered three kinds of baked goods: Pumpkin cream cheese muffins topped with chopped pumpkin seeds. Matcha pistachio chocolate chunk cookies. Tomato olive garlic focaccia.
Lemon meringue pie, my sister’s favorite!
November
To celebrate our birthday this year, my sister and I decided to throw an extravagant party with our family and friends! So of course I volunteered to bake the birthday cake: Strawberry matcha cake filled with homemade jam and cream cheese frosting, decorated with mint leaves and freeze dried strawberries.
Apple blackberry pie for our Thanksgiving dinner at home.
December
Bake sale #2 was holiday-themed so I chose one cozy recipe that also nods to my Filipino heritage, and two recipes with classic flavor profiles that embody the Christmas spirit! Ube cinnamon rolls filled with homemade ube halaya (jam) and topped with ube cream cheese frosting. Gingerbread reindeer cookies. Chocolate peppermint cupcakes with vanilla peppermint buttercream and topped with crushed candy canes.
I even had time to whip up a few sweets for Christmas Eve dinner and for some holiday gifts! Blood orange cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting. Peppermint chocolate chip cookies topped with crushed candy canes and flaky salt.
