All About Birthday Cake, featuring Cheryl Day and Bronwen Wyatt
May 5, 2025
Dive into a delightful celebration of birthday cakes with two Southern baking icons. Discover the secrets behind mastering the reverse-creaming method and find out what to do if your cakes sink. The hosts discuss the cultural significance of birthday cakes, share personal stories, and explore current baking trends. Plus, get inspired by fun baking projects like cinnamon roll focaccia and customizable mini pizzas, all while debating the age-old cake versus pie rivalry. It's a joyous tribute to creativity in the kitchen!
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Boyfriend's Cake Memory
David Tamarkin shares a touching story of his first boyfriend making a birthday cake for him, showing the power of a birthday cake as a loving gesture.
This memory is complicated by discovering the same cake is now made for his boyfriend, yet the emotion was real and special to him.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Start Simple with Single Layer Cakes
Start cake baking with a single layer cake to avoid failures from stacking multiple layers.
Focus on ingredient preparation like measuring accurately and ingredient temperature for best results.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Follow Recipe Pan Size Strictly
Do not ignore the recommended pan size in recipes; it affects how the cake bakes and its texture.
Using the wrong pan size can cause dryness, burning, or undercooked centers; follow pan sizes especially if inexperienced.
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Sweet Land of Liberty: A History of America in 11 Pies
Sweet Land of Liberty: A History of America in 11 Pies
Rossi Anastopoulo
Rossi Anastopoulos's "Sweet Land of Liberty" offers a unique perspective on American history, weaving together narratives of iconic pies with historical events. Each pie represents a distinct era or cultural movement, providing a delicious and insightful journey through time. The book combines historical research with personal anecdotes and baking instructions, making it both informative and engaging. It's a delightful read for history buffs, pie lovers, and anyone interested in the intersection of food and culture. The book's engaging style and delicious recipes make it a perfect gift for anyone who appreciates a good story and a great pie.
Cheryl Day's Treasury of Southern Baking
Cheryl Day
This book is a labor of love, filled with recipes that reflect the rich tradition of Southern baking. It includes a wide range of categories such as Southern slow breads, coffee cakes, loaf cakes, layer cakes, cookies, and pies. The book also serves as an oral history, incorporating personal insights, historical context, and tips for mastering various baking techniques, including piecrust variations and cake decorating. Cheryl Day’s expertise and passion for Southern baking make this a definitive guide for both novice and experienced bakers.
Today it’s everybody’s birthday, because we’re talking about birthday cakes with two Southern baking superstars.
We’re thrilled to have both Cheryl Day, award-winning cookbook author and former owner of Savannah’s famed Back in the Day Bakery, and Bronwen Wyatt, of Bayou Saint Cakes in New Orleans, join to share their top cake secrets and best tips for beginner birthday cake bakers. In Ask the Bakers, Jessica and David dig into your urgent cake questions, from demystifying the reverse-creaming method to what to do if your cakes keep sinking in the oven. And as always, they close out the episode with a big birthday cake hot take (featuring Jessica’s opiniated protege, our producer Rossi) and the best recipes they’re baking this week.
Things Bakers Know: The King Arthur Baking Podcast 