Cooking fats can operate quietly in the background, solely to keep your food from sticking to the pan. (I’m looking at you, vegetable oil.) Or they can enhance the flavor and feel of your recipes, like the way butter so perfectly complements a baked potato. Grass-fed beef tallow has that flavor-enhancing power along with a high smoke point and tons of versatility — qualities that may convince you that this cooking fat could be your new secret weapon in the kitchen.

Here’s how to use beef tallow and why it’s worth trying.

What is beef tallow?

Beef tallow is rendered and strained beef fat. It is made from suet, which is fat from around the kidneys. The approximate fat breakdown is:

• 50% to 55% saturated fat
• 40% to 45% monounsaturated fat
• 3% to 5% polyunsaturated fat

Tallow contains trace amounts of vitamins A, D, E, and K, omega fatty acids, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Grass-fed beef tallow, which comes specifically from grass-fed cows, can have slightly higher amounts of these versus grain-fed tallow.

Beef tallow is 100% fat, so it doesn’t qualify as healthy by any standard. But it does have some interesting qualities. Vitamin K2, particularly abundant in grass-fed animal fats, plays a role in calcium metabolism and bone health. Omega-3 fatty acids and CLA have been studied for their potential anti-inflammatory properties and cardiovascular benefits. The clinical significance of dietary CLA remains an active area of research.

Beef tallow texture

Beef tallow can differ in texture depending on the fat composition. Grass-fed beef tallow is solid but waxy and scoopable at room temperature. It is firmer than vegetable shortening and lard, but it will soften in warm kitchens and firm up in cool kitchens. When you heat it, beef tallow melts into a clear, stable cooking fat.

Read next: Substitutes for butter in mashed potatoes

Why cook with beef tallow

The two reasons to start cooking with beef tallow are its high smoke point and its rich, savory flavor.

• Smoke point. Beef tallow can handle high heats without breaking down or turning bitter. Its smoke point ­is around 400°F or 204°C, which means it’s better than butter or lard for searing, frying, or roasting.
• Flavor. Beef tallow is rich and savory, but not greasy, heavy, or dominant. It tends to perform as a flavor-enhancer for things like potatoes, eggs, and vegetables.

Beef tallow vs. butter and oil

You might wonder why you should switch away from butter or oil to use beef tallow. Truth is, the answer depends on what you’re making. Beef tallow isn’t necessarily better than butter or oil, but it can be a more workable choice for high-heat cooking.

• Relative to butter, beef tallow has a higher heat tolerance, more neutral flavor, and less water. It remains stable and cooks cleanly at high temperatures, two things butter cannot do.
• Relative to oil, tallow is minimally processed, more heat-stable, and more flavorful. It can also add more crisp to your dishes than many oils can.

Best foods to cook with beef tallow

Beef tallow can deliver crispy roasted potatoes that are fluffy inside, roasted Brussels sprouts, and possibly the best fried eggs you’ll ever eat. You can also use beef tallow to:

• Enhance browning and flavor of steaks and burgers
• Caramelize carrots or onions
• Pan fry chicken, hash, and skillet meals

Read next: How to reverse sear steak

Where to get beef tallow and what it costs

You can find beef tallow at local butcher shops, farmers markets, specialty grocery stores, and online retailers like Golden Age Fats, Greensbury Market, or Five Marys Farms. Prices vary from $20 and up, with quality, grass-fed varieties commanding a premium price tag.  

Where to start with beef tallow 

If you’re ready to start experimenting with beef tallow, try these beginner-friendly ideas:

• Replace half the oil in your roasted vegetable recipes
• Use a small scoop of beef tallow to finish soups and stews
• Use beef tallow instead of butter or oil to sear steaks and other proteins
• Swap beef tallow in 1:1 for shortening in your biscuit recipes or ­— this might blow your mind — pie crust
• Toss cubed sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips with melted beef tallow, salt, and fresh thyme. Roast the veggies on a baking sheet 425°F or 218°C until caramelized.

Read next: How to roast small potatoes

Upgrade your cooking fat game

Cooking fats can do so much more than prevent your foods from sticking. Try beef tallow and you’ll see — this flavor-boosting fat can add a new dimension to everything from pies to fried eggs.

The post The why and how of cooking with grass-fed beef tallow appeared first on BlogChef.

According to a November 2025 survey by health policy researcher KFF, one in eight adults said they were taking a GLP-1 drug to lose weight or treat a chronic condition. Research shows that these treatments change appetites and attitudes about food — which means more than 12% of the adult population potentially needs to adopt new eating habits.

If you’re in that population, know that a solid eating strategy can help you reduce nutritional deficiencies, unwanted body changes, and exaggerated symptoms during your GLP-1 treatment. Use the six practical, realistic, and expert-informed tips to help you establish good nutrition habits that support your long-term health goals.

Read next: Meal plans that make cooking easier

Structure your daily meals

Dr. Farhan Abdullah of Magnolia Functional Wellness and Kezia Joy, registered dietician and medical advisor at Welzo emphasized the importance of structured meal planning while you’re “on the shot.”

GLP-1 medications reduce your desire for food and your hunger. Without those internal hunger cues, Joy explained, you’re more likely to skip meals or reach for unhealthy convenience foods. “Prior planning for each day’s meals will help provide some assurance that you get all the nutrients you need,” Joy said.

What does prior planning look like in real life? Once weekly, define three healthy meals per day for the upcoming week and grocery shop accordingly. Each night, confirm that the next-day’s meals are already prepared or easy to assemble. Aim for a maximum five-minute meal prep for breakfast and lunch, so you’re not tempted to skip.

Prioritize protein

Abdullah and Joy agree: Protein consumption helps you maintain lean muscle mass while losing weight. Protein can also provide a sense of fullness, which will become more important as you transition off your GLP-1 treatment.

You can plan protein for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Omelettes and yogurt are great foundations for high-protein breakfasts, while grilled chicken or tuna salads can anchor your lunch meals. Stir-fries with protein or grilled salmon and vegetables can deliver tasty proteins for dinner. For more high-protein meal ideas, see: Carb-cycling meal plan with 21 recipes

Choose smaller, nutrient-rich meals

Although you may not feel like eating much, your body still needs the same nutrients. Balancing your reduced appetite with your nutritional requirements can be challenging. Since you can’t afford to waste your limited hunger on foods that don’t deliver nutrients, commit to eating small but very healthy meals. “Eating small amounts of nutrient-rich foods will allow you to get all the necessary vitamins and minerals you need to function properly on reduced food intake,” said Joy.

Eating tidier portions of wholesome foods has the added benefit of nausea reduction. According to Abdullah, “smaller, more frequent low-simple-sugar content meals have been shown to reduce nausea which is often experienced during initial drug treatment.”

Conversely, neglecting your intake of necessary vitamins and minerals can lead to fatigue and other unpleasant symptoms, like thinning hair, brittle nails, and dull or sagging skin, which is also known as Ozempic face.

For nutrient-rich recipe ideas, see our V-shred meal plan, which focuses on lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats. Intended for weight loss, the meal plan incorporates smaller portion sizes — which may be a good fit for your reduced appetite while on GLP-1 treatment.

Gradually increase fiber

A higher fiber intake can help with constipation, another common complaint of GLP-1 users. Simple sources of dietary fiber include:

• Fruit with skin
• Vegetables
• Lentils, black beans, chickpeas
• Oats, brown rice, whole wheat bread
• High-fiber cereals
• Avocado
• Air-popped popcorn
• Dried fruit

There is some evidence, too, that combining fiber with protein can help you feel more satisfied. That may help you keep the weight off later, once you move off the GLP-1 treatments.

Hydrate

If you’re eating more protein and fiber, you’ll want to drink more water, too. Proper hydration can minimize gastrointestinal issues and generally help you feel better.

Admittedly, staying hydrated can be a challenge, particularly if you’re not hungry and/or you don’t like water. Try these hydration-hacking tips:

• Drink no-calorie flavored water
• Try sparkling water
• Add a bit of juice to filtered water
• Make herbal teas and drink them hot or cold
• Eat watery foods like watermelon, oranges, cucumbers, and soups

Avoid high-fat, heavily processed foods

Eating high-fat, heavily processed foods can work against your weight goals in two ways. First, these foods can contribute to nausea while you’re taking GLP-1 meds. And you’re more likely to give up on the GLP-1 protocol if you’re miserably nauseous.

Second, continued consumption of unhealthy foods during and after GLP-1 treatment increases the chances you’ll regain any weight you lose. As Joy explained, “individuals will be able to maintain their weight loss and prevent rebound effects if they create healthy eating habits as part of their treatment plan.”

Planning meals ahead of time and keeping healthy staples on hand are the best ways to avoid unhealthy processed foods. You can also:

• Read labels habitually and opt for foods with short ingredient lists
• Choose grilled or baked dishes over fried ones
• Shop store perimeters, where the healthier, fresher foods usually live
• Swap yogurt for mayo, popcorn for chips, and broth-based sauces for cream-based ones

Eat for lasting results with GLP-1s

GLP-1 medications can change your appetite, but your health and comfort still demand consistent nutrition. A balanced eating regimen with protein, nutrients, and hydration during treatment can ease symptoms and set you up for success after you stop taking those meds. So lean into simple, high-quality eating — and watch your short-term progress turn into long-term results.

The post The 6 real rules of eating on GLP-1 medications, according to experts appeared first on BlogChef.

Honey is a natural sweetener that can help you reduce your consumption of refined foods — without giving up on flavor. There are many recipes that feature honey as a primary ingredient. You can also substitute honey for other sweeteners with a few smart adjustments.

Honey is delicate, however. So whether you’re following a recipe or getting creative with substitutions, a solid list of dos and don’ts for cooking and baking with honey is a handy resource. Use the guidelines below to leverage honey’s flavor, texture, and color for dishes that are deliciously sweet and complex .

Don’t directly substitute honey

It’s tempting to substitute honey directly for sugar at a 1:1 ratio. However, doing so can make your recipe overly sweet and too dense.

You can substitute honey for sugar, but plan on using less honey and reducing other liquids in the recipe. This can minimize radical taste and textural changes from the original recipe.

Don’t heat honey too fast

It’s tempting to toss a bottle of honey in the microwave so you can pour it into a measuring cup. But heating honey at high temperatures can break down its delicate flavor and change its color.

You can preserve honey’s natural flavors and colors by using indirect heat. Simply place the honey container into a bowl of warm water to make it pourable. If the recipe allows, you can also add honey to the dish after cooking or near the end of the cooking process. Also, stirring honey as it warms helps dissolve crystals and contributes to more even heating.

Don’t overlook honey variations

Honey comes in many varieties, and they vary in taste, texture, aroma, color, processing level, and nutritional value. A mild honey like clover or acacia will blend easily without changing the flavor of your dish, while a darker buckwheat honey adds a stronger, more noticeable taste. Texture matters too. Some honeys are thin and pourable, while others are thick or crystallized, which affects how they mix into recipes.

Noticing the type of honey you’re using and how it works for your cooking helps you control the flavor and consistency of your dishes. Usually, mild honeys work well in baked goods and stronger honeys fit nicely into glazes and sauces.

When you’re starting out with honey, use premium-quality honey from a reputable supplier.

Do balance honey in baked dishes

Honey is more acidic than sugar, which can change how your baked dishes rise and set. You can balance honey’s acidity by adding baking soda to the dish, to keep your baked goods light and lifted. You only need a tiny bit of baking soda, though. Use ¼ teaspoon of baking soda for every 1 cup of honey.

Read next: How to substitute honey for brown sugar

Do lower baking temperature

Honey browns faster than sugar, which can lead to burned tops on baked goods. Fortunately, there’s an easy adjustment. Lower the baking temperature by 25°F or 15°C and turn on the oven light so you can watch your dish as it cooks.

Do start with the right recipes

Set yourself up for success with honey by starting with the right recipes. You’ll see the best results by substituting honey into denser baked goods, salad dressings, and sauces. Try banana bread, muffins, chewy cookies, vinaigrette, or barbecue sauce.

You can also get a good feel for honey usage by making popular recipes that call for honey. This way, you won’t have to worry about substitution adjustments. Honey-based recipes that BlogChef readers love include:

1. Chinese honey chicken. These deep-fried chicken pieces served with a honey garlic sauce are irresistible.
2. Honey garlic pork chops. Easy and healthy, these pork chops have a smokey, sweet flavor.
3. Honey pepper chicken strips. Fry your own chicken or buy breaded chicken tenders to cook in the oven. The real hero of this recipe is the honey pepper sauce, seasoned with soy sauce, pineapple juice, honey, and dark brown sugar.
4. Honey mustard chicken flatbreads. This is an upgraded chicken sandwich, featuring bacon, Swiss cheese, and a tangy honey mustard sauce.
5. Honey chipotle chicken crispers. Sound familiar? It’s a Chili’s copycat recipe for fried chicken pieces alongside a fun honey chipotle dipping sauce.

Do know how to store honey properly

Following the dos and don’ts of cooking and baking with honey only produces the best results if you’re storing your honey properly. Honey absorbs moisture from the air and that changes its texture and quality over time.  This natural sweetener also crystallizes naturally, especially at colder temperatures. Crystallization contributes to uneven mixing and inconsistent results.

Avoid those issues by storing honey in an airtight container at room temperature. If it crystallizes in the container, warm it slowly by placing the container in a bowl of warm water.

Make honey work for you

With a few small adjustments — less honey, a little baking soda, lower heat — you can get consistent, great results with honey substitutions. The usual rules apply: Start simple, pay attention to how your recipes respond, and tweak as you go. Before long, you’ll be using honey with confidence in everything from baked goods to sauces, getting better flavor and more versatility out of every dish.

The post How to cook and bake with honey: Dos and don’ts appeared first on BlogChef.

Hi, my name is Catherine, and I love buying kitchen appliances. Thankfully, I have space at home for the essentials: giant Instant Pot, stand mixer, two food processors, multi-function countertop oven, and – now – a Suvie Kitchen System 3.0+.

I bought the Suvie oven as a splurge purchase to streamline my weekday meal prep. Before Suvie, life’s many obligations had me prepping Factor microwave meals for dinner. And while those aren’t bad, I wanted a better process for quick meal prep – specifically, a process that didn’t involve microwaving vegetables.

After some research, I bought the Suvie oven along with a Suvie meal plan. I’ve had the appliance and the meal plan for three months, and here’s my take on both. This review was not sponsored or requested by Suvie.

Quick take: Suvie oven is convenient, meals are good

The Suvie oven is quirky but convenient, and the Suvie-prepared meals I’ve had range in quality from good to great. I love that I can prep my dinner in the morning, put it in the oven, and schedule a cook completion time. I also appreciate that I can use Suvie’s scheduling power on my own meals as well as Suvie-prepared meals.

One negative is the cost of the Suvie-prepared meals. The per-serving price is $12+ and the ingredients seem to comprise a tiny fraction of that price. You definitely pay for the convenience more than the actual food. I can accept that trade-off to a point, but you may feel differently.

Read next: Home Chef review from a former subscriber

Suvie oven overview

The Suvie is a multi-function kitchen appliance that refrigerates and cooks. Because it gets cold as well as hot, you can add fresh or frozen ingredients to the oven and schedule cooking for later. The refrigeration protects your ingredients until the oven turns on. There is a setting to cook from frozen, which presumably tells the Suvie to stay even colder until it’s time to start cooking.

The cooking modes are:

• Roast
• Air fry
• Bake
• Broil
• Sous vide
• Slow cook
• Steam
• Reheat
• Egg mode
• Proof

The oven has two zones, and you can generally use different settings on each zone. You might sous vide a steak in the bottom while you roast veggies in the top, for example. You can do this on different schedules, too. It’s no problem if your steak takes 20 minutes and your veggies take 35.

Note: You cannot use sous vide and slow cook modes at different temperatures at the same time.

Meal scheduling workflow

To schedule a cook plan on the Suvie, start by pushing the knob. This opens the settings. You set up the bottom zone first, by selecting a cook mode, temperature, and time. For the top zone, you can duplicate bottom zone settings, choose different settings, or leave the top zone off.

Next, you set whether you’re cooking from frozen ingredients with a yes/no toggle. You can then select to cook the meal now or schedule it for later. If you schedule the meal for later, you set the time you want your food to be done, and the unit will go into refrigeration mode initially.

Pans

My Suvie oven came with two deep pans, one roasting rack, an air fry basket, and two sheet pans. I have used all the pans except the sheet pans. The deep pans get the most use in my kitchen. Fortunately, they are easy to clean.

You cannot use your own pans unless they are magically the right size.

Read next: 10 kitchen essentials every raw chef needs

Pricing

You can buy the oven for $149 if you also buy a meal plan consisting of at least six meal boxes in the first year. When you sign up for the plan, you get 12 servings free. The regular price on a meal box with four meals for two people — eight servings total — is about $120 including tax and shipping.

The “regular” price on the oven is $649.

Meal plan

You can opt for a meal box weekly, bimonthly, or monthly. You can customize your meals and skip weeks as needed. Fewer shipments with more meals is an option because the meals are frozen, so you don’t need to eat them immediately. You will save on shipping this way.

The meal plan selection is good, but not great. My husband is a picky eater and we’ve already worked through nearly all the recipes that fit his parameters — at least those without a premium price tag.

Seafood and steak meals do cost more, sometimes substantially more. One thing I don’t like is that Suvie will auto-add these pricey meals to your box, which increases the box price to upwards of $170. You can avoid unintended expensive meals by setting a reminder to yourself to customize your meals before the shipment is finalized.

The good

What I love most about my Suvie oven:

1. The ability to schedule cooking later in the day is a gamechanger, particularly if your evenings are booked solid.
2. Two zones with separate settings streamlines meal prep. I made a meal with reheated pulled pork in one zone and baked sweet potatoes. I prepped the ingredients and scheduled different temperatures and cook times for each zone. Everything was ready as expected, even though the potatoes took an hour and a half to bake and the pork took 15 minutes to reheat.
3. I can schedule my own meals and Suvie-prepped meals. The oven would have a lot less value in my life if it only worked with Suvie’s prepacked, frozen meals.
4. The Suvie-prepped meals are frozen. Most meal services send you fresh ingredients. Fresh is preferred from a flavor perspective, particularly when produce is involved. But frozen meals are vastly more convenient, because you’re not on a short timeline to consume them.

The bad

The appliance has some quirks, such as:

1. The water level monitoring is questionable. The Suvie uses water to power its refrigerator and some of the cook modes. The thing is, it’s not always clear how much water the appliance needs. It has prompted me to add water, then overflowed all over my kitchen counter.
2. The oven is noisy. The Suvie makes a lot of gurgling noises.
3. Counter placement can be tricky. The oven is 14 inches tall and requires 4 inches of clearance on the sides and 6 inches of clearance behind. It won’t fit in a small, tight kitchen.
4. The cool down cycle can be problematic. If the ambient room temperature is 75 degrees or higher, the oven may prompt you to run a cool-down cycle. The problem is, you don’t know the cool-down is needed until you’ve prepped your food in the pans and you’re ready to schedule the cook. And the cool-down cycle prompts you to use the pans for water and ice. So…the instruction requires you to undo your prep to run the cool-down cycle, then redo your prep. That is a bad workflow, given this oven is positioned as a time-saver.

Read next: 8 of Amazon’s best gift cookbooks under $31

The ugly

The ugly aspects of the Suvie oven are related more to the recipe instructions than the oven itself. Twice my oven has produced under-cooked chicken, and once I had crunchy rice. Here are my tips to avoid those scenarios:

1. Keep meat pieces from touching one another. Chicken pieces are more likely to be under-cooked if they are touching or overlapping. I cooked a frozen Suvie meal for four and the chicken pieces did overlap due to their shape. The overlapping areas were still raw after the cook cycle was done.
2. Pay attention to the settings. The per-person settings are important with frozen Suvie meals. Don’t forget to switch to four servings if you are indeed cooking for four people.
3. Use your judgment with Suvie blog recipes. Suvie’s blog, Recette Magazine, publishes recipes that are presumably optimized for the Suvie oven. Out of the three Recette recipes I made, two were not workable with the provided cook settings and instructions. One produced under-cooked chicken and the other had crunchy, uncooked rice. If the timing, heat settings, or prep instructions of a Recette recipe don’t seem right, they probably aren’t. Adjust accordingly.
4. Adjust for scheduled cooks. If you are going to rely on Suvie’s refrigeration, consider setting a longer or hotter cook time to account for the cooler temperatures in play when the oven turns on.
5. Always check for doneness. Don’t wait until your chicken breast is plated to check for doneness. Use a meat thermometer after resting to prevent raw-meat mishaps.

Recipes I made in the Suvie oven

I made these Suvie recipes from Recette Magazine:

1. Chimichurri steak. To date, the best thing my Suvie oven has produced.
2. Super simple crispy chicken thighs. Thumbs down on this one. The chicken thighs were not crispy or even cooked thoroughly.  
3. Stuffed cabbage rolls. Also thumbs down. The recipe calls for uncooked rice, which remained fully crunchy after three hours of slow cooking. Mistakes like this make me wonder if they’re using ChatGPT to produce their recipes.

I’ve also used the Suvie to roast potatoes, air fry or reheat leftovers, and warm burger buns. The Suvie performs these every day, off-the-cuff cooking tasks well, in part because it heats up very quickly.

Suvie oven: Quirky, but convenient

I don’t regret my Suvie oven purchase, mostly because I’ve learned how to work around its quirks. I have also gotten hooked on scheduling my meals, which is the oven’s most powerful capability.

Whether this kitchen robot works for you depends on how you plan to use it and how adaptable you are. If you don’t already have appliances for air frying, slow cooking, and sous viding, it might be worthwhile to add those tools to your arsenal. And, if you’re willing to experiment with your own recipes, that’s where this oven proves the most value.

The post Honest, uncut Suvie oven review appeared first on BlogChef.

Classic butterscotch cake is rich and buttery and just a touch different from a vanilla or chocolate cake. Its interesting flavor profile makes it a fun choice for special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, holidays — and even regular days when you’re in the mood for an upgraded dessert. Try it for your next Women’s Day celebration (March 8), Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or your next family gathering.

Use this walk-through of a classic butterscotch cake recipe as your guide to prep a dessert that’s soft, moist, and packed with irresistible butterscotch flavor.

Why this recipe works

Butterscotch and cake is a winning flavor combo. Butterscotch is made by teaming brown sugar and butter. The brown sugar provides a rich, round molasses flavor, while butter adds fat. Think of butterscotch as caramel’s softer, friendlier cousin. This warm, creamy, buttery profile pairs beautifully with cake.

Butter and brown sugar create a soft, delicate texture. What sets this cake apart is the moisture. The use of butter and brown sugar in the batter ensures that the cake stays soft and delicate, even the next day.

You can personalize a butterscotch cake, or enjoy it as is. A butterscotch cake can suit any occasion. It suits romantic anniversary celebrations as well as casual gatherings with friends.

Serving suggestions for butterscotch cake

You really only need a plate and a fork to enjoy butterscotch cake. But if you want to elevate the experience, try:

• Serving butterscotch cake with a hot drink. Pair your slice of butterscotch cake with a cup of freshly brewed coffee or tea. The warmth of the drink complements the richness of the cake, bringing out the deep butterscotch flavor.
• Decorate with colored frosting and candy decorations. Frosting and candy decorations can easily add some visual pop to this cake.
• Adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A scoop of vanilla balances the cake’s richness.
• Topping butterscotch cake with fresh whipped cream. Whipped cream is light addition that enhances the buttery elements of the cake.
• Adding a caramel drizzle to the top. Caramel amplifies the butterscotch flavors.
• Serving alongside sauteed apples. Sauteed apples can add tartness that pairs nicely with the cake’s richness.

Read next: Top baking soda substitutes for cake

Butterscotch cake recipe

• Author: BlogChef
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

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Description

A rich and buttery butterscotch cake with warm brown sugar flavor and a soft, tender crumb.

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup butterscotch chips (optional for an extra dose of butterscotch goodness)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

1. Do the prep. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan or line it with parchment paper.
2. Mix the cake batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the melted butter and vanilla or butterscotch essence, then slowly mix in the milk until fully combined. Slowly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until the batter is smooth and slightly creamy.
3. Pour and prep for baking. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula. If using butterscotch chips, sprinkle them evenly over the top.
4. Bake. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Cool. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
   Frost if desired. Once cooled, you can optionally frost evenly with buttercream or cream cheese frosting.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 310
• Sugar: 25.6 g
• Sodium: 261.6 mg
• Fat: 12.9 g
• Carbohydrates: 44.3 g
• Protein: 4.9 g
• Cholesterol: 77.5 mg

More cakes to try

Your new special occasion dessert

Butterscotch cake could easily be your new signature dessert. It’s easy to make, tastes incredible, and is versatile enough to fit many occasions. From birthdays to random Thursdays, this cake can upgrade many celebrations. So the next time you want to bake something indulgent or need a cake for a gathering, reach for this recipe. Or, if baking’s not on your to-do list, remember it’s easy to order cake online and still enjoy the delicious taste of butterscotch.

Happy baking (or ordering)!

The post Celebrate special moments with this classic butterscotch cake recipe appeared first on BlogChef.

At this moment, I have six types of vinegar in my pantry. Six! Do I need them all? Technically, no. I can substitute for some of these ingredients…but each vinegar has its own personality and I like experimenting with them.

Still, maintaining a portfolio of vinegars eventually gets to be impractical. If you already have five or six of them on hand, you may not be thrilled to run out and grab the brown rice vinegar called out in your dinner recipe. When that happens, you’ll appreciate having a good understanding of common vinegar types and how they taste. That way, you can substitute one vinegar for another with confidence.

Put yourself in the kitchen

The first thing to do is get into your cooking mindset. You’re standing in the kitchen, holding a whisk. You’ve got guests arriving, and you need to deglaze a pan, whip up a salad dressing, or prep a fun international dish that’ll inspire a bunch of compliments. That’s when you need some vinegar mastery to carry you through.

What vinegar does

Let’s start with the basics. Vinegar provides acidity or sourness. That zing can:

• Enhance flavors
• Balance rich, fatty ingredients
• Highlight sweetness

Functionally, vinegar can also tenderize meats as a marinade and preserve food as a pickling liquid.

Each type of vinegar takes these actions in its own way, which affects how you make vinegar substitution decisions.

Basic vinegar flavor profiles

Vinegar substitutions make more sense when you know the basic flavor profiles you’re working with. Here’s a closer look at the most common of them. Pro-tip: To get a true feel for the nuances of vinegars, do a home tasting. Slice some French bread and pour different vinegars into tasting dishes with a bit of mild olive oil. Dip your bread in each and note how they differ.

Balsamic vinegar, dark and white

Traditional dark balsamic vinegar is rich, sweet, and slightly syrupy, with a deep, caramelized flavor. White balsamic vinegar is lighter in color and milder in taste. It sweetens dishes, but does not add a dark color.  

Both balsamics are commonly used in salad dressings, glazes, roasted vegetables, and finishing dishes where balance matters.

Read next: 5 substitutes for white balsamic vinegar and 2 to avoid

While white and dark balsamic vinegars are related, they normally do not substitute well for one another. White balsamic vinegar is more like a sweet white wine vinegar, while dark balsamic vinegar is in its own category.

Read next: What does balsamic vinegar taste like?

Wine vinegars

Red wine, white wine, champagne, and sherry vinegars are made from fermented wine. These usually have clean, sharp acidity with subtle fruit notes.

Wine vinegars are commonly used in vinaigrettes, pan sauces, marinades, and reductions.

Rice vinegar

Rice vinegar is milder than many Western vinegars and slightly sweet. It’s widely used in Asian cooking, sushi rice, pickles, and stir-fries.

Seasoned rice vinegar includes added sugar and salt, which changes how you handle a substitution.

Read next: Top rice vinegar substitutes

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is tangy, fruity, and very sharp. Some find the taste overpowering and difficult to use, but it is popular in dressings, marinades, sauces, and home remedies.

Read next: What can you substitute for apple cider vinegar?

Specialty vinegars

Coconut vinegar, cane vinegar, and Chinese black vinegar (Chinkiang) have distinct flavor profiles tied to regional cuisines. These usually require more thoughtful substitutions to maintain balance.

Choosing the right vinegar substitute

Three variables should guide your vinegar substitution choices: acidity, sweetness, and color. Acidity refers to the sharpness of the vinegar’s flavor. Sweetness balances acidity, making it taste smoother and less aggressive.

Vinegars by acidity

Distilled white vinegar is the most acidic. Wine vinegars and apple cider vinegar are less acidic, and balsamic vinegars are the least acidic.

Vinegars by sweetness

Here’s my attempt at ranking common vinegars from sweetest to least sweet:

1. Traditional balsamic
2. White balsamic
3. Sherry vinegar
4. Seasoned rice vinegar
5. Rice vinegar
6. Champagne vinegar
7. Apple cider vinegar
8. Red wine vinegar
9. White wine vinegar
10. Chiankiang vinegar
11. Distilled white vinegar

Pro tips: If you want to substitute a vinegar for one that’s not as sweet, you can add sugar in pinches to taste. You can also make a vinegar taste sharper by adding a tiny bit of lemon juice. Note that the lemon juice will change the flavor slightly by adding citrus notes.

When vinegar substitutes work best

It’s usually easiest to substitute vinegars in dressings, vinaigrettes, marinades, sauces, and when deglazing a pan. These applications often don’t use vinegar as the primary flavor, so your substitution will be more forgiving. The dish might taste or look slightly different if you swap in another vinegar — say, white vinegar for apple cider vinegar — but it won’t be as noticeable as it would be in recipes that showcase vinegar.

Pickling and baking recipes are more challenging for vinegar substitutions.

Read next: Can I substitute rice vinegar for white wine vinegar?

Find the right vinegar substitutes

• Champagne vinegar substitutes
• Sherry vinegar substitutes
• Coconut vinegar substitutes
• Tarragon vinegar substitutes
• Cane vinegar substitutes
• Red wine vinegar substitutes
• White vinegar substitutes
• Brown rice vinegar substitutes

With vinegar, balance is key

Balance is the key to experimenting with vinegars in the kitchen. To try a substitution for the first time, start with a small amount, taste as you go, and adjust with sugar or a tiny bit of lemon juice. You’ll gain confidence quickly as you learn how each vinegar behaves. That’s when you can start having fun with vinegar substitutions — and designing your own vinegar-based recipes.

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