Recipes by Kareem “Mr. Bake” Queeman. Follow him on Instagram, Youtube or TikTok.
Banana Pudding Parfaits
Ingredients
To make the pudding:
- 8 egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch or 1 envelope of gelatin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups of half & half
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla ext.
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
- 4 cups heavy cream, chilled
To assemble the pudding parfait:
- 2 boxes of vanilla wafers cookies
- 6-8 large bananas sliced
- Fresh whipped cream for the topping (optional)
Directions
- In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch/gelatin, and salt until well blended. The mixture will be thick and pale in color. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the half & half to its boiling point (do not actually boil. 215F in temperature. Think warm to touch for a baby bottle.)
- Temper the egg mixture by whisking in 1 cup of the warm half & half into the egg-yolk mixture. Mix until combined, then pour the remainder of the half & half into the egg mixture, whisk until filling combined.
- Place the mixture over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water in the pot. This is called a double boiler. Whisk constantly, until the mixture has thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and butter until fully incorporated, the pudding should be smooth and silky.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. You do not want a skin to form over the custard while it cools down.
- Whisk in the condensed milk and chill for 2 hours or overnight.
- Using a stand or hand mixer with whisk attachment whip the heavy cream in a COLD bowl on medium speed until the cream holds nice medium peaks.
- Gently fold the chilled pudding custard into the whipped cream until fully incorporated.
To Assemble the Parfait:
Spoon one-third of the pudding into a large serving bowl. Top with banana slices then wafer cookies. Repeat this process with you ending with custard as the finished topping then add wafer cookies or fresh whipped cream and banana slices on top as décor.
Baker’s Notes:
- Best to separate egg yolks from the whites when they’re cold.
- If you don’t have gelatin or don’t eat pork, you can use cornstarch.
- Heatproof bowls are best to ensure the bowl doesn’t creak when placed over a heat or steam.
- Boiling point 215F in Temperature. Warm to touch, think bottle of milk for an infant.
- Tempering the eggs is important because it prevents you from cooking the eggs too fast so they don’t begin to scramble.
- Double boiler is best when making custards and melting chocolate, because it keeps the custard from cooking too fast you be able to have a more precise control over the cooking process.
- Please make sure when you’re cooling the custard you place plastic wrap directly over the custard so a skin doesn’t form. This will ensure you have a smooth and silky custard when ready to use.
- When making whip cream for best results make sure the bowl and whisk are ice cold, which can be done by placing the items into the freezer for about 20-30min. This helps create nice whipped peaks.
- When assembling the custard there’s no right or wrong way to do it, I like to start with a little custard, then bananas then cookies and I repeat this process until I’m done making sure I end with custard and cookies on top and that I cover all the bananas with the custard.
- If you choose to use a box mix you can follow the box recipe (3.4oz instant vanilla pudding mix) to make the custard just add 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract. Then follow steps 7, 8 and 9. For this custard you will only need to chill for about an hour before you can assemble.
- I love to make this custard the day before it needs to be served. Gives the flavours time to get all happy before the guests do!
Sweet Potato Spice Cake
(Paired with classic cream cheese frosting)
Makes two 8 inch round cake pans or 24 standard size cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup melted unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs lightly beaten
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 can (14oz) Sweet potato in syrup (blended with syrup)
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F.
- Sift together all dry Ingredients in one bowl and set aside.
- In a separate bowl combine both brown and granulated sugar with melted butter (melt butter in microwave or stovetop) for about 2 minutes until everything is blended.
- Next add in the lightly beaten eggs half at a time until incorporated. Mix for about 2 minutes. Please make sure you don’t add all the eggs at once to ensure a perfect blend.
- Using a blender or immersion blender to purée the sweet potato making sure there are no chunks of potato in the mixture. Add the purée into the sugar oil and egg mixture beat for 2 minutes until fully incorporated.
- With the mixer on low, add the dry mixture in two halves into the wet mixture. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the batter is evenly mixed.
- Scoop batter into cupcake holders or cake pans and bake until toothpick comes out clean or when you softly touch the top of the cake, the cake bounces back.
- Rotate your pans in the oven to ensure your cakes/cupcakes bake evenly. Once your cakes/cupcakes are down cool them down inside the pan on a baking rack for 15 minutes. Then release them from the pans and allow them to cool down for another 20-30 minutes before adding frosting on the cake.
Tip: I use a classic cream cheese frosting, cinnamon or caramel cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes about 3-4 cups
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter (room temp)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (cold)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on medium-high speed until very light, creamy, and smooth.
- On low speed, gradually add in the sugar and beat until fluffy.
- If you need a stiffer consistency for decorative piping, add more powdered sugar.
Browned Butter White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies
These rich and chewy blondies start with nutty browned butter, giving them a deep toffee-caramel flavour. White chocolate and tart dried cranberries add sweetness and balance — perfect for the holidays or anytime you want a cozy, indulgent treat.
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1½ cups packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons of orange zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup white chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line an 8x8-inch, 9x9-inch, or 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving a little overhang for easy removal.
2. Brown the butter:
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once it starts to bubble, swirl the pan often. After about 3–4 minutes, the butter will turn golden brown and smell nutty.
Tip: Watch closely — once it begins to brown, it can go from perfect to burnt in seconds.
3. Add the brown sugar and orange zest:
Remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar until the mixture looks glossy and smooth then add in the orange zest. Let it cool to room temperature (about 10–15 minutes in the fridge if needed).
This step keeps the eggs from scrambling.
4. Add eggs and vanilla:
Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until fully combined.
5. Add dry ingredients:
Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt just until no dry streaks remain. Avoid over mixing for a tender, chewy texture.
6. Add mix-ins:
If the batter feels warm, chill it for 5–10 minutes before folding in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries to prevent melting.
7. Bake:
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 20–24 minutes, or until the top is shiny, lightly cracked, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
8. Cool and cut:
Let the blondies cool completely in the pan before lifting them out and cutting them into squares.
9. Top with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting. Add some chopped dried cranberries on top, then drizzle some melted white chocolate or thin out some of the cream cheese frosting in the microwave and drizzle that on top of the bars. Cut then enjoy!
Note On Browning Butter:
When you see tiny golden flecks at the bottom of the pan and smell a warm, nutty aroma, that’s your cue. Those browned milk solids are where the magic and flavour live.
Classic Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring
- 2 teaspoons distilled vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans (or line them with parchment paper).
2. Combine the dry ingredients:
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and sugar. Set aside.
3. Mix the wet ingredients:
In a separate bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, red food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
4. Combine wet and dry mixtures:
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
5. Pour and bake:
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool completely:
Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.