cakes

It’s 10 pm on a Wednesday night and I’m standing in Blessed, a south London takeaway joint, half-listening to a fellow customer talking earnestly about Jesus. I’m nodding along, trying to pay attention as reggae reverberates around the…

It’s somewhat common knowledge that I boost my baked goods with almond extract instead of, or in tandem with, vanilla. But now I’ve added a third extract to the extravaganza: cinnamon. Beyond being an exciting addition to your flavor…

“Cutting the cake” is an honor. Whether you’re getting married, retiring, or celebrating a birthday, the task usually falls to a special person on their special day. I’m not one to nitpick the aesthetics of a slice of cake—especially one…

It might look like fluff, but buttercream frostings are delicate emulsions. When chilly temperatures interfere with this fine balance, buttercream can break. The “break” could refer to the state of the emulsion or to your heart, because the…

Pastas have been used in desserts for some time now, like sweet lokshen kugel or white chocolate orzo pudding, but I confess, I’ve been missing out. All this time, my boxes of macaroni have only been treated to savory dressings, vegetables,…

Wheat flours are the building blocks we use to make our favorite breads, pastries, and other baked goods, but the array of available flours can get overwhelming. We’re lucky to live in a time of so many options, but what good are they if…

Oats need help. I am forever on the lookout for ways to make breakfast oatmeal more interesting. Despite how nutritious and filling it can be, preparing the same oatmeal every day is a recipe for tedium, and that’s not how I like to eat.…

“I was going to make a smart-ass joke about putting the cheese on the graham crackers,” the young cashier said as she handed me my bag of cheese and graham crackers. “Oh. That’s exactly what I’m doing,” I replied. “Well, I hope you like…

A mighty glob of buttercream frosting looks appealing on a cupcake, but my quick hack for eating such a cupcake is to remove the liner off the bottom, use the liner to pull off the frosting, then throw the liner and frosting into a burning…

The first time I made frangipane was in culinary school, and I remember thinking “Oh, this should go in everything.” It was so magical in flavor and texture that I immediately appreciated its potential, but expressing my awe was the…