Make everything birthday cake flavor! 

Look at this jam and cream layer cake! 

In case you missed it: a 10-layer cake with white chocolate peanut butter. Yes.

In Philadelphia, Sweetbox opens a storefront!

Mmm, carrot cake. 

Honey nut cheerio treats--sweet!

My kind of competition: A rice krispies treats challenge!

An elegant still life of...a donut toss!

USA! USA! Look at these adorable USA mint cookies!

A favorite donut discovery of late: Glazed & Infused in Chicago!

How sweet are the cloud cookies featured in this post?

Hey! My book was featured in Seattle Weekly!

It's a 10 layer cake, inspired by Smith Island Cake (the recipe for that one is in the new book). 

Regarding the peanut butter cake, here's what I have to say about it:

Want to really show off with your next dessert offering? Well then, you’ll definitely want to make this cake. It looks like a pretty normal cake on the serving plate, but once cut into, the amazing interior is exposed. Composed of 10 thin stacked cakes, each sandwiched with a layer of White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter frosting, this is “frosting with the cake,” a delightful treat that begs for a glass of milk. It’s a peanut butter-ized version of a famous cake from Maryland (actually, if you want to get technical, it’s the Official State Dessert!) called Smith Island Cake, which is given out as the prize during community events. But no need to sing and dance when you’ve got this recipe–everyone’s a winner!

Find the recipe here.

Hello, sweet ones! 

Well, the first leg of my second book tour for  The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts, is now complete (remaining dates here! And a contest to win a copy HERE!). And oh, has it ever been sweet! Here's a mini review of who I saw, what I ate, and what magical things happened.

SEATTLE: 

I arrived in Seattle on the day my book was officially released, May 7th. Woohoo! I basically went straight to the reading venue, which was the University Bookstore. The event was co-hosted by the Girl Scouts of Western Washington, who brought cookies and offered a sweet discount on the book for all girl scouts (including former girl scouts!). Why Girl Scouts? Well, the book tells the story of the cookies! 

It was a fun event--to say the least!

The next morning...I woke up hungry.

I went to the Wandering Goose Cafe, new since I left Seattle. Man, was this place wonderful. They prominently feature biscuits, one of my favorite foodstuffs. I got a biscuit, of course, and a few other items. The standout on this visit? The "Charlie Brown" cookie, a deep, dark chocolate cookie studded with peanut butter chips. Oh yum. 

I recorded a radio program next, with Rachel Belle. She is so cool!

Next, I had an event at Book Larder where I demo'ed Better Than Sex Cake (it's in the book!). This was an awesome time. I saw many cake celebrities. 

One of the attendees? Dani of High 5 Pie. And she brought me some treats!

Related: The next A.M., I started out with a cherry almond pie from High 5 Pie.

and then I baked some Katharine Hepburn brownies (recipe's in the book) for an upcoming TV appearance in Portland. And then I headed to Portland!

Even though it's kind of a silly flight because the security line is usually longer than the flight...I flew. With the brownies. Here are the brownies on my lap. They were so cradled and loved.

PORTLAND:

Once I arrived, I enjoyed some non-sweet food and hung out with my fella. Then, in the morning, I was on TV. Before my appearance, in the Green Room, I reviewed my book with Haley, the publicity all-star for my book.

Then, I was on TV! You can watch the segment here. And here's a little behind the scenes look at the script.

Look, here I am acting casual (not) in front of the tv station!

Next was breakfast at Tasty N Sons (actually, if you want to get technical, Tasty N Alder). I got some prunes that were prepared with cheese. I know this doesn't sound like a glamorous food, but WOW! were they good! The prunes were nice and sweet but the cheese gave them a little savory saltiness.

Speaking of salt...it was about time for a visit to the deservedly famous Salt and Straw! Have I mentioned they sell my artwork there?

Now, it is a true fact that my artwork looks better when you gaze at it with a hefty scoop of Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache ice cream. Yes indeed.

But you know, the world is not so bad with a milkshake, either, so we picked up one of those, too. In chocolate.

Of course, nothing can warm you up for a doughnut snack better than ice cream, so we started heading on over to Tonalli's Donuts.

But--uh oh--on the way we were distracted by Pine State Biscuits! 

We kept on walking, and I found a heart. This is a great opportunity to show you how cute the shoes are that I was wearing.

Finally, to Tonalli's!

Donut or Doughnut? Actually, the sign says both.

Confusion aside, how could anything ever go wrong in a place like this?

We got an old fashioned blueberry glazed, and a plain old fashioned.

Very good stuff. Especially the blueberry. Not completely because of the flavor, but largely because of texture. The glaze kept it somewhat soft, whereas with the unglazed one, it got kind of crispy. Still very good, though.

Later that evening, we had to try Ruby Jewel, which was near the hotel. I got one of their famous ice cream sandwiches with bourbon butter pecan ice cream between chocolate chip cookies. Trust me, there is nothing wrong with that package. The Ruby Jewel ice cream is different than Salt and Straw, but I think very good. The Ruby Jewel ice cream has a longer, lingering creaminess, whereas with Salt and Straw it hits you right away: mega creamy! Both different styles. I like them both, a LOT. 

Now, I need to ask something too, because my guy got two scoops of ice cream with chocolate sauce and called it a "sundae". For me, this does not a sundae make--it has to have more toppings. What do you think?

The next morning, I did a yoga class (I KNOW) and there happened to be a cafe attached to the yoga center called Prasad.

If you're in Portland and like raw, vegan, gluten free (in some cases, all three) baked goods--hit this place up. 

Of course, if you prefer your sweets full of gluten and better yet fried, hit up nearby Blue Star Donuts. I have a lot to say about this place, so if you want to know more, look at my post about it!

After that, at least a quick trip was needed to Saint Cupcake, a place I really love. Don't you just want to dive into this?

I'd love to show you more photos, but the mini cupcakes purchased were consumed too quickly. 

And then...time to head to...

SAN FRANCISCO:

Hello, San Francisco. I'm hungry!

Unfortunately I did not have a ton of free time in SF. Before my first reading, at Omnivore Books, I was able to hit up a Whole Foods where I got a Ginger Biscuit which actually rather surprised me with how creamy and soft and tasty it was. Baked on site, I was informed.

And yes, I found time for a chocolate water at Dandelion Chocolate.

The Omnivore Books reading was great. Beforehand, I got to meet up with Hayley of The Domestic Rebel, someone I have wanted to meet for a while. And my friends Erin and Renee came to the reading!

The next day, upon the suggestion of readers at the previous signing, I hit up Bob's Donuts. It's open 24 hours, and it looks like it's been there forever. They have some huge donuts but I stayed classic. They are straight-up old fashioned non-fussy donuts. They made me so happy.

I headed over to Hayes Valley, where I indulged in my favorite guilty chain pleasure, the almond croissant from La Boulange.

And I maybe found 15 minutes or so to lounge in the grass.

Then...time for another reading! I went to Book Passage this time, a magical place if ever there was one. The staff is SO friendly!

I got to meet up with my friend Anna too. She's kind of a big deal - her first cover story for SF Weekly was just published!

The next AM, it was time to head to the airport. I didn't get to visit as many bakeries as I would have liked on this trip, but it was still TOTALLY SWEET. Because I tend toward good manners, I sent out thank-yous today:

Yay! I can't wait til leg 2 - I still have a few more dates left on the tour! You can find them here.

Places Mentioned: 

University Bookstore, 4326 University Way NE; online here.

Wandering Goose Cafe, 403 15th Ave. E, Seattle; online here.

High 5 Pie, 1400 12th Ave, Seattle; online here.

Book Larder, 4252 Fremont Ave N; online here.

Tasty N Sons, Two Locations in Portland, OR; online here.

Salt & Straw, Multiple locations in Portland, OR; online here.

Pine State Biscuits, Multiple locations in Portland, OR; online here.

Tonalli's Donuts, 2805 NE Alberta, Portland OR; on yelp.

Ruby Jewel, 428 SW 12th; online here.

Yoga Pearl - Prasad, 925 NW Davis, Portland OR; online here.

Saint Cupcake, multiple locations in Portland, OR; online here.

Blue Star Donuts, 1237 SW Washington Street, Portland OR; online here.

Whole Foods, I went to the one on California Street in SF; online here.

Omnivore Books, 3885 Cesar Chavez, San Francisco CA; online here.

Dandelion Chocolate, 740 Valencia Street, San Francisco; online here.

Bob's Donuts, 1621 Polk Street, San Francisco; on yelp.

La Boulange, multiple locations in San Francisco; online here.

Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco; online here.

Were you, like me, a kid who freaking loved Yoo-Hoo?

If not, then please extract yourself from this website, because Yoo-Hoo RULES!

But if, just if, you feel that now you're a little more grown up and could use a less chemically contrived beverage, I submit for your approval...chocolate water. 

Chocolate water is not chocolate milk. It is not a mocha. It is not a frozen hot chocolate. 

It's chocolate water.

It's available at a magical place called Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco, and it tastes...people!...like a fancy, grown-up Yoo-Hoo. Like, if Yoo-Hoo were made with fine quality dark chocolate. 

This is a beverage that is bound to offer Yoo-Hoo enthusiasts whose tastes may have...er, grown up...a nice and slightly nostalgic treat. 

It's also true that they have plenty of other items on the menu--and, of course, complimentary MARSHMALLOWS.

But for now, I'm hooked on this delicious and refreshing water.

Chocolate Water.

Dandelion Chocolate, 740 Valencia Street, San Francisco; online here.

On my book tour's first leg (don't worry, there are more dates), I found myself in Portland, OR--a delightful city for foodies if ever there was one.

There were plenty of delicious new spots, both brick and mortar and of the food truck variety, that I wanted to try. With limited time and obligations filling my time, it was tough to make it to many, but--and I was assured by more than one person--you've gotta go to Blue Star Donuts.

Well, as it happened my first evening in Portland, my better half dinnered on a delicious Little Big Burger, a small burger joint with low prices but plenty of style. Tasty burgers, too. Guess what? Blue Star Donuts is owned by the same people! So even before going, I knew that they were probably going to be well made and served in a stylish setting (but then again, everyone in Portland is either a chef or graphic designer, so it's sort of a given). 

Well, once I got there, I knew I was going to like it from the moment I saw this sign: 

I was also amused by this:

As you walk in, they have the donuts displayed prettily so you can see what each style looks like.

And when you order, they take your name. Why? Because they glaze each donut to ORDER, so it might take a minute or two! We got an old fashioned cake glazed, a yeast glazed, and a yeast donut topped with dulce de leche and hazelnut.

Here I am with a donut. If I look a little windblown, it's because I don't always let things like brushing my hair slow me down, preferring to head directly to the donut shop upon waking.

Wow! Let's start by talking about the yeast doughnuts. They're so light and airy...almost briochelike in their lightness. They have a very good flavor. They have a very good texture. You'll never want to eat a Krispy Kreme again!

That brioche-like thing, btw, was in fact confirmed when I looked at their facebook page, which says this:

Our donuts are made from a classic brioche recipe that originated in the south of France. The dough is made from scratch every day: we start with a certified sustainable bread flour from Shepherds Grain, add Cage Free eggs from Stiebrs Farms, mix in whole milk from Sunshine Dairy, and then fold in a European-style butter from Larsen’s Creamery. All the fruits that go into our fillings and glazes are organic, and we only cook our donuts in rice oil. Our donuts are made fresh through out the day - selections change daily and sell out quickly!

The dulce de leche hazelnut was VERY sticky, owing to the fact that it was so freshly glazed. This was a bit distracting, and perhaps it would have benefitted by waiting a few minutes before consumption, you know, to let it "set". But who does that? Who can wait with something like this within arm's reach? On to the old fashioneds. Both regular (yeast) and cake.

Once again, that dazzling briochelike dough. What a fine donut!

and the old-fashioned cake for last.

A dense dough, sort of like that of a sour cream coffee cake or something. A crisp edge. Very good--but not as dazzling as the other two. But nonetheless a pure pleasure to eat.

Blue Star Donuts--just donut! You won't regret it.

Blue Star Donuts, 1237 SW Washington Street, Portland OR; online here.

I still have some book tour dates coming -- find them here!

Some of my recipes were featured on the REDBOOK website! Cool! 

Total bakery meltdown.

Chocolate chip cookie bite with cookie dough buttercream.

A tasty tale of Kipferl, and a recipe too!

OMG cute: pop-tart earrings!

What an amazing idea: dream dollhouse cake!

The low-down on soft-serve.

A sweet summer dessert table!

Love-love-love these cookies: Chocolate mudslide cookies.

How to eat an oreo more awesomely.

What the heck is a cronut? Something you wanna eat, trust me.

Tastes better than actual tiger: dark chocolate "tiger" cookies.

Contest: share the secret life of YOUR favorite baked good!

Dear Gesine Bullock-Prado,

Dudette, I love you. Not in a creepy way, because it is true you're kind of a baking big-shot. And deservedly so. But right at this moment, I am in love with you because you are the one who brought a little something called Aztec Chocolate Creme Fraiche Pound Cake into my life.

Before, I enjoyed regular old pound cake like a jerk. But I am telling you that I will never--can never--go back. Because it's so much better when it's crammed full of chocolate and creme fraiche in addition to butter, sugar, flour, and egg. Thank you for the recipe, which I found in Bake It Like You Mean It: Gorgeous Cakes from Inside Out. 

Yours in deliciousness,

CakeSpy

P.S. Here's how you make that ambrosial treat, sweeties. You're welcome.

Aztec Chocolate Creme Fraiche Pound Cake. (printable version here!)

For the cake

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup coffee, very hot
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup creme fraiche

For the glaze

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (my adaptation)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• Candied walnuts, to garnish (my adaptation)

To Make the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally spray a large nonstick bundt pan with nonstick baking spray.
2. In a small bowl, combine the chocolate and very hot coffee. Allow to sit undisturbed for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to melt, then stir to combine. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between additions until each egg is completely incorporated. Add the vanilla bean paste.

4. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and cayenne.
5. Add the creme fraiche to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine.
6. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and mix on low speed, then add half of the creme fraiche-chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Continue alternating additions until all the ingredients are incorporated and well combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared mold and level the batter with the back of a spoon. Bake for one hour and 20 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for about 20 minutes. Unmold onto a cooling rack.
7.  
8. To make the glaze, heat the cream and chocolate over low heat until combined. Add the butter, stirring in until combined. Stir in the corn syrup until nice and smooth. Drizzle over that tasty cake, and garnish with the candied walnuts. 

The book: The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts. The contest: HERE!

The remaining tour dates: 

Chicagoland:

Thursday, May 23rd

• What: Signing and discussion
• Where: Aspen Drive Library, 701 Aspen Drive, Vernon Hills IL
• When: 7-8pm

And then a hiatus, then...

Albuquerque, NM

Thursday, June 20

• What: Discussion and signing
• Where: Bookworks, 4022 Rio Grande NW, Albuquerque
• When: TBA

And then to New Jersey...

June 29th:

• What: Signing and Discussion
• Where: Booktowne, 171 Main Street, Manasquan NJ
• When: June 29th, 11 a.m.

And then back to Philadelphia...

June 29: 

• What: Signing and Discussion

• Where: Towne Book Center, Collegeville

• When: 4pm

June 30: 

• What: Cake Baking Class!
• Where: COOK, Philadelphia
• When: June 30, 2pm

Then, back to Seattle!

July 13 and 14 (Sat and Sun)

• What: Urban Craft Uprising!
• Where: Seattle Center, Seattle!
• When: July 13 and 14, 11-5pm

When it comes to baking and cake decorating, spatulas are an invaluable tool. These implements with a broad, flat, flexible blade can be applied to a myriad of different uses: to name a few, mixing, spreading, lifting, and transferring. But with so many different variations and types, what sort of spatula is most appropriate for the task at hand? Here’s a primer on the different types of spatulas and their uses for cake baking.

You can find my latest post on Craftsy, detailing the different types of spatulas and their uses, here!

In support of my fantastic new book, The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts, along with my publisher, Sasquatch Books, I am hosting a fantastic contest in which you get to dish on the secret life of your favorite baked good! 

First, here's the fantastic prize pack you could win!

And for your sweet efforts, here's the fantastic prize pack you could win:

• An autographed copy of The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts!
• An apron with matching pot holders or tea towels from Anthropologie
• A set of fancy measuring spoons
• A vintage kitchen timer

As for how to enter? Here goes:

Share the secret life of your favorite baked good! Submit a recipe and the story behind a dessert or sweet of any sort that is important to your personal history. Perhaps it's dad's "accidental" double the chocolate cake, or the pie that grandma always served at family functions? Or perhaps it's the microwave fudge you made in your college dorm room! Recipes simple and complex are welcome; please keep the story to 250 words or less. Though not required, pictures or links to blog posts are certainly welcome!

Entries must be emailed to cakespycontest@gmail.com. Each Entry must include the following: (Incomplete entries will not be considered.)

• Name (first and last)

• Email Address

• Share a recipe and story about a dessert that is important to your personal history (250 words-ish)

Your personal information will not be shared, but the stories and recipes may be posted on the website. 

Entries will be judged on Charmingness of Story, Deliciousness Recipe, and Overall Awesomeness!

Deets: Contest begins on May 10, 2013; entries must be received no later than June 10, 2013, 11:59:59 PM Pacific Time. No purchase is necessary for this contest, and it is open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia, ages 18 or older. Void where prohibited by law. Official contest rules can be found here.

The winner will be selected on or about June 15, 2013! Good luck, and can't wait to hear your sweet secrets!