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Back The Secret Ingredient Save as PDF
Chapters (38)
  1. Chapter One
  2. Chapter Two
  3. Chapter Three
  4. Chapter Four
  5. Chapter Five
  6. Chapter Six
  7. Chapter Seven
  8. Chapter Eight
  9. Chapter Nine
  10. Chapter Ten
  11. Chapter Eleven
  12. Chapter Twelve
  13. Chapter Thirteen
  14. Chapter Fourteen
  15. Chapter Fifteen
  16. Chapter Sixteen
  17. Chapter Seventeen
  18. Chapter Eighteen
  19. Chapter Nineteen
  20. Chapter Twenty
  21. Chapter Twenty-One
  22. Chapter Twenty-Two
  23. Chapter Twenty-Three
  24. Chapter Twenty-Four
  25. Chapter Twenty-Five
  26. Chapter Twenty-Six
  27. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  28. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  29. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  30. Chapter Thirty
  31. Chapter Thirty-One
  32. Chapter Thirty-Two
  33. Chapter Thirty-Three
  34. Chapter Thirty-Four
  35. Chapter Thirty-Five
  36. Chapter Thirty-Six
  37. Honey Almond Cake with Berries and Mascarpone Crème Fraiche
  38. About the Author

She picked up the macaron that sat on the side of the plate and turned it over to yes. “Yes. Yes, I will.”

His hand shook as he slid the ring on her finger. “I missed seven years that we could have been together.”

“Don’t be sorry. We’ve both done a lot of great things over that time. We’ve matured, and our love withstood it all. That has to mean something.”

“It means we’re meant to be together.” He paused. “Can we get married in front of the tree in front of your house where we first carved our initials?”

“I like that idea,” Kelly said. “Just close friends and family?”

“Of course. I’m all for that. Pick the date.”

“That’s easy. June fourth. The same date we originally picked.”

“Just a few years later than we’d planned.”

“Right.” She leaned in and kissed him. “I’ll love you forever.”

He held his hand gently to the curve of her cheek. “I’ll never let you down again.”

“I’m not worried. I think we finally know the recipe for a good marriage.”

He raised his hand. She slapped it in a high five, and he laced his fingers through hers, tugging her in close then spinning her around. “A recipe to treasure.”

Honey Almond Cake with Berries and Mascarpone Crème Fraiche

Honey Almond Cake with Berries and Mascarpone Crème Fraiche

A Hallmark Original Recipe

In The Secret Ingredient, Kelly and Andrew were once engaged and dreaming of opening their own restaurant. But life took them in different directions, and those days are far in the past…or are they? One very special recipe turns out to be a sweet reminder of how perfect they are together. For a truly special occasion—or no occasion at all—this dessert is a showstopper.

Recipe:

Yield: 1 Three-Layer Cake

Prep Time: 60 minutes

Bake Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 90 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Almond Cake:

- 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. buttermilk

- 2¼ cups granulated sugar

- 6 large eggs

- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

- 1½ tsp. almond extract

- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour

- 1 cup almond meal flour

- 1½ tbsp. baking powder

- 1 tsp. kosher salt

- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. canola oil

Vanilla Honey Glaze:

- 1 tbsp. honey

- 1 tsp. vanilla extract

- 1 tsp. lemon zest, fresh

- ½ cup confectioner’s sugar

- 4 tbsp. half and half cream

Mascarpone Crème Fraiche

- 3 (8-oz.) packages mascarpone, room temperature

- 1¼ cups crème fraiche

- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar

- 1½ tsp. vanilla extract

- As needed, whole strawberries

- As needed, sliced toasted almonds

- As needed, fresh mint sprigs

DIRECTIONS

1. To prepare cakes: preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat three 8-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom of each pan; spray with cooking spray.

2. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine buttermilk, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract in bowl and mix until fully blended. With a rubber spatula, scrape down sides of bowl.