I have always loved the way baking brings people together. Some of my earliest and fondest memories are of making family recipes alongside my great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother: the delicate and buttery cut-out cookies during the holidays, my mom’s homemade rhubarb pies—with rhubarb picked from our backyard—cooling on the kitchen counter in summer, or her insanely rich chocolate cake with fudge icing all year long.
When I was eight years old, my mother went to work full-time. We had a family meeting to discuss how each of us would pitch in around the house, and I volunteered to help get dinner ready. I signed up for my first cooking class at the local YWCA, a twelve-week course called “International Cooking.” The first week we made cinnamon toast and hot chocolate. Twelve weeks later, we wrapped up with paella. Since that moment, cooking and baking have been my true passion.
During college, I decided to become a professional chef. After packing up my grandmother’s collection of cookbooks from the 1940s and 1950s, and her beautiful, handmade vintage aprons, I left my hometown of Chicago to study at the Modern Gourmet Cooking School in Boston under the renowned French chef Madeleine Kamman. Upon graduating, a partner and I opened American Accent, a restaurant and café in nearby Brookline with a small retail bakery where we made everything from scratch daily.
Since then, I’ve been a personal chef, service manager at Union Square Café, a controller, and co-owner of several New York eateries. I was lucky enough to work with some of the best in my industry, learning about each facet of running a food business. All these formative experiences ultimately led me to Magnolia Bakery and my love of baking.
When my business partner, Steve Abrams, and I took over the reins of Magnolia Bakery in 2007, it was a cozy shop with a welcoming, vintage vibe on the quiet, tree-lined corner of West Eleventh and Bleecker Streets in New York City’s Greenwich Village. At the time, cupcakes were all the rage, due in no small part to Magnolia Bakery’s cameo appearance in a 2001 episode of Sex and the City. Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) perched outside the shop discussing Carrie’s love life as they ate vanilla buttercream cupcakes and licked pink icing from their fingers. Aired around the world, that episode made Magnolia Bakery—and those pink cupcakes—a global phenomenon. Six years later, the bakery was still drawing in Sex and the City fans, as well as anyone passionate about classic American baked goods.
I’ve managed to stay true to the bakery’s original spirit while upgrading the ingredients and expanding its offerings. I listened to our loyal customers and our devoted staff (the ones who we say “bleed pastel”) and responded accordingly. There are now a greater variety of cakes, cupcakes, and banana pudding flavors, plus scones and insanely good pies. And we’ve taken the Magnolia Bakery experience to other locations—first in New York, then to other cities across the country, and now we have an international presence. Wherever we go, there we are: a little corner shop with that welcoming feeling of entering an old-fashioned kitchen, where everything is made by hand, carefully, and with love.
That welcoming feeling will come to you as you bake your way through this book. In these pages, you’ll find Magnolia Bakery’s most beloved recipes for American homestyle baked goods made from scratch, updated for today’s tastes; some of my family recipes that have been handed down through the generations; and some favorites of mine that I’ve perfected over the years. I guide you through all the tools and techniques I’ve found most useful and provide helpful tips so you can up your baking game. If you’re at all like me, you’ll agree that few things are more satisfying than baking. It demands precision, but there’s always an element of surprise that comes from having to relinquish control while your goodies spend time in the oven. You follow the process as best you can, and at the end there’s a big, rewarding transformation. There’s nothing sweeter.
Invaluable Tips and Techniques for the Home Baker
My home kitchen is my happy place. It’s where I retreat when I’m stressed. All the careful measuring, chopping, and mixing calms and refocuses me. My husband lovingly teases me when he sees me dicing ingredients into tiny pieces—he knows it’s a sign I’ve had a rough day, and before you know it, I’ll be refreshed and happy.
Many professional pastry chefs say that baking is a science, but I say it’s a study in preparation and patience. It’s essential to read a recipe through from beginning to end. Then do it again. On this second go-around, check the ingredients and be sure you have everything required. There’s nothing worse than getting halfway through a recipe, only to find out you don’ t have any eggs. Confirm you have all the tools and the right pan sizes and that your ingredients are at the correct temperature. If a recipe calls for ingredients at room temperature, remove them from the refrigerator a half hour before you begin. Premeasure as many of the ingredients as possible.
If you have the counter space, portion them all into little bowls, so they are ready when you need them. If using a scale—and I highly recommend you do—weigh out all your dry ingredients first (you can even do this ahead of time and keep them covered on the counter). Finally, take your time! Being in a hurry makes you more likely to forget the vanilla or salt (speaking from experience).
ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR BAKING
Ingredients at the Right Temperature
It’s important for ingredients to be at the proper temperature to ensure the recipe is successful. Some types of baked goods, such as cakes and cupcakes, call for butter, eggs, and dairy ingredients at room temperature; others, such as pie doughs and scones, require cold butter. Room temperature is around 68° to 70°F. Allot at least 30 minutes to attain that. If you aren’t sure, use an instant-read thermometer to confirm. I have a very warm kitchen (no AC and too much heat), and carefully check my ingredients with a thermometer before baking. Butter beats up creamier at room temperature; eggs will foam more, which is an important requirement to create an emulsion that traps air and makes a lighter batter. On the other hand, it’s easier to separate cold eggs and cut in cold butter; heavy cream won’t whip if it’s not cold.
Preheat Your Oven and Verify the Temperature
Before placing anything in an oven, be sure that it hits the correct temperature. Ovens vary greatly and some have “hot spots” where the temperature spikes. Buy an oven thermometer and check all areas of your oven: top, bottom, front, and rear. For even baking, cakes, cupcakes, and cookies should be baked on the center rack.
Prepare Your Pans
If the recipe calls for lining your pan with parchment paper or greasing and flouring the pan, do this step before you undertake other recipe steps. Grease the pan all over with butter or shortening, being sure to get into the corners. Place a little flour (or cocoa, if making chocolate cakes) in the pan and shake until the bottom and sides are covered. Invert the pan and give it a firm tap to remove any excess flour.
Line the pan neatly with parchment paper. You can purchase precut parchment paper rounds online or place your cake pan on a piece of parchment paper, trace the pan size, cut out the round, and place it on the buttered and floured surface of the pan.
Don’t skip this important step or you may not be able to get your cake out of the pan. A dear friend called me late one night when this happened with her daughter’s birthday cake, and I rushed over to help her. Turns out, she hadn’t greased and floured her pan before lining with parchment.
UNSTICKING CAKES
If your cake sticks to the pan, here’s a trick to save the situation. Place the cake back in a 325°F oven on the bottom shelf for about 10 minutes, just to warm the pan. Then, carefully turn the pan upside down onto a flat baking sheet and firmly rap on the bottom of the pan a few times. If the cake doesn’t fall out easily, turn the pan right side up again and run an offset spatula around the cake, gently nudging it away from the sides of the pan. Try flipping the cake again.
Use a Scale
Professional bakers use a scale for a key reason: It’s precise. All ingredients in this book are in cups (for those without a scale), and in grams and ounces. Baking is so much neater and more reliable when you use a scale. For example, when measuring dry ingredients, place a bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients on the scale, tare or zero it out, add the flour, zero it out again, then add the remaining ingredients one at a time, zeroing out between additions. This saves on cleanup, as you are only using one bowl.
Measuring Dry Ingredients
I really want to emphasize how important it is to weigh flour in grams and ounces rather than trusting a measuring cup. I have done a few experiments with our bakers at Magnolia Bakery in which five people all scooped a cup of flour from the bag and, when we weighed the scoops, they ranged from 126 grams to 140 grams per cup. This adds up to a big difference when a recipe calls for 2 or 3 cups of flour. You could end up with ¼ to ⅓ cup more flour than needed, leaving you with either flat cookies or dry cake. If you must use a measuring cup, I recommend that you scoop your flour. Whisk the flour in the bag first to lighten it up, then gently scoop and swipe with the flat edge of a knife. If you have a scale and want to have a little fun, check your scoop in weight. One cup of all-purpose flour should weigh 4.8 ounces/135 grams.
Measuring Liquid Ingredients
Place a liquid measuring cup large enough to hold all the wet ingredients on the counter and confirm at eye level that you hit the measuring marks on the cup. However, it’s much easier to measure liquid ingredients by weight. It’s also faster, and you won’t have to clean another cup.
Measuring Sticky Ingredients
When measuring sticky foods, such as honey, peanut butter, or syrup, coat the inside of your cup with a nonstick spray. The sticky stuff will slide right out.
When to Sift
If a recipe calls for “3 cups sifted flour,” it means you must sift the flour before measuring it out. If the recipe calls for “2 cups flour, sifted,” it means you sift after you measure. If there is no mention of sifting, you don’t need to do it at all. I recommend you always sift ingredients that easily clump, such as cocoa, cornstarch, and powdered sugar.
Most of the recipes call for whisking the dry ingredients together. Whisk for a solid minute to be sure that the dry ingredients are fully incorporated.
Cracking Eggs
If the recipe calls for separated eggs, it’s much easier to separate them when they are cold. The whites, however, will whip to a greater volume when they are at room temperature. Crack eggs into a separate bowl, one at a time, before adding them to a recipe. It’s much easier to remove a piece of shell from a small bowl than from your batter. And egg whites will not whip if there is any trace of egg yolk. I always separate my whites one at a time into a small bowl, then combine the total into another bowl.
Adding Eggs to Dry Ingredients
I like to put all my eggs in a liquid measuring cup with the vanilla extract. It’s much easier to pour one egg at a time into a batter this way. Carefully tilt the measuring cup over the mixer; the weight of the yolk will drop one egg at a time. Mix until incorporated before adding the next egg. If the recipe calls for eggs mixed with milk or another liquid, lightly whisk them together in a liquid measuring cup or a bowl with a spout.
Whipping Egg Whites
Be sure your mixing bowl and beaters are completely clean and grease-free or the whites will not whip. Your bowl needs to be big enough for the egg whites to expand to as much as eight times their original volume. I use a tiny amount of cream of tartar or lemon juice to stabilize the egg whites so they reach their full volume without collapsing. If making meringue, gradually add the sugar once your egg whites have just about doubled in size and are foamy. Take your time. Don’t add additional sugar until the previous addition has dissolved. To confirm if the sugar is completely dissolved, rub some of the egg whites between your thumb and finger; if it’s smooth, you can add more sugar.
Scraping the Mixer Bowl
Scraping is essential to successful baking because it ensures that all ingredients are well mixed. If butter is stuck to the side or bottom of the bowl, your cake won’t rise properly. If flour isn’t fully incorporated, it can leave streaks in your batter. Stop the mixer and use a large-headed rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, as well as the paddle. Scrape after every step of a recipe. You really can’t scrape too much.
Folding in Ingredients
Folding is that part of mixing where you blend two mixtures together. In most of the recipes that require folding, you are blending something lighter, such as whipped egg whites, into a heavier batter. Start by placing about one-third of the whipped egg whites on top of the batter. Place a rubber spatula in your dominant hand and gently insert it under the batter in the bowl at the twelve o’clock position. Scoop underneath the batter and fold the batter over from the six o’clock position. Using your other hand, give the bowl a quarter-turn and repeat this process, adding the rest of the egg whites until all the egg whites are no longer visible and you have a cohesive batter.
Scooping Cupcake and Cookie Doughs
I use a scoop to evenly portion cupcake batter and cookie doughs. (See Tools of the Trade.) Unless otherwise instructed, for cupcakes use a #20 scoop, which is about a ¼ cup, and scoop directly from the mixer bowl, pressing the scoop against the top edge of the bowl to smooth the batter out flat. For cookies, if the recipe specifies a rounded ball, use the scoop to evenly portion the dough, then form a ball in the palm of your hands.
Checking for Doneness
Why is bake time given in a range? Because ovens tend to vary and there are other factors, like how often you open the oven door. You’ll know your pie is done when the crust is golden brown and the fruit is tender. Cheesecake and custard pies are ready when they’re just set; the batter should jiggle slightly and evenly over the whole surface when you give the pan a tiny shake. Brownies and bars are ready when they’re just set, or when a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. For muffins, coffee cakes, cakes, and cupcakes, I use a few different tests: First, the room will start to smell like cake. Second, touch the center of the cake with your finger. If it springs back and holds a slight indentation, it’s done. If you’re not sure, try the skewer test: Using a wooden skewer or cake tester, pierce the center of the cake. If the skewer comes out clean, the cake is done. (The cake will continue to cook out of the oven.) If the batter is wet, it needs another 3 to 5 minutes in the oven. Final doneness indicator? When the cake starts to pull away from the pan ever so slightly and begins to turn a light golden brown.
Melting Chocolate
There are two methods for melting chocolate: microwave or hot water bath. I usually use my microwave, because it’s faster and easier. Place chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in a glass bowl and heat in the microwave in 30-second increments. Depending on how much chocolate you are melting, you may need to do this several times. After 30 seconds, check the chocolate. If it’s shiny and starting to melt, remove it from the microwave and stir with a rubber spatula. If you still see a few large pieces of chocolate, return to the microwave and heat for another 20 to 30 seconds. Stir again until the chocolate is smooth and pourable. Do not overheat! You don’t want hot chocolate, just melted chocolate.
To create a hot water bath, pour an inch of water into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Place the chocolate in a heatproof glass or stainless steel bowl. Place the bowl over the simmering water, being careful that the bowl does not touch the water. You want the steam to melt the chocolate, not the water, since the steam is considerably hotter. Also, water and chocolate are not friends. If you get even a droplet of water in your chocolate, the chocolate will seize up.
As the chocolate softens, stir it from time to time with a spatula. Before the chocolate is completely melted, remove the bowl from the pot and continue to stir until completely smooth. Let cool to room temperature before using.
The Ingredients Used in My Kitchen and at Magnolia Bakery
The most delicious baked goods rely on the freshest and finest ingredients. High-quality butter is paramount, and be sure to buy the best flour, sugar, eggs, and chocolate that you can.
BUTTER AND OTHER FATS
BUTTER: The be-all, end-all. So much of baking relies on butter. Butter provides flavor, and the necessary fat, moisture, and texture. For all the recipes in this book, I use a good-quality 81 to 82 percent butterfat, unsalted butter. The reason for using unsalted is that the amount of salt in salted butter varies. With unsalted butter you can control how much salt you add. Always make sure your butter is fresh. It can pick up smells from the refrigerator and quickly go rancid. Don’t keep butter in your fridge for more than a month. If you buy too much and need to store it longer, place wrapped sticks in a resealable freezer bag and be sure to write the date on the bag. Butter may be kept frozen for up to 3 months.
Why is butter temperature so important? Butter and flour are the building blocks for cakes, cookies, scones, and most of the muffins in this book, as well as for the all-butter pie crust. Cake and cupcake recipes call for softened butter at room temperature. Butter needs to be soft enough to cream so that the fat molecules can hold the moisture from the sugar, which makes for a tender, lifted cake. Pies, scones, and biscuits need chilled butter to be tender and flaky.
Typically, room temperature is 68–70°F. I teach our bakers to pull out their instant-read thermometers to check the temperature before using the butter. Butter will not cream correctly if too cold, cakes won’t rise, and cookies won’t be tender. Take your butter out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you need to use it. If you have a warm kitchen, take the butter straight from the refrigerator, unwrap each 4-ounce stick, and place in the microwave for 10 seconds on the defrost cycle. Rotate and press the butter gently; if it dents slightly, it is at room temperature. If you leave the butter out on the counter, do the same test. Gently press the butter with your finger and it should dent just a little. If the butter is shiny and oily looking or smooshes easily when you press it with your finger, it is too soft.
Chilled butter is essential for flaky, tender pies and scones. I can’t recall where I first saw this excellent method for cutting and shredding cold butter, but in the last few years it’s been all over the Internet. Open a 1-pound package of butter and place all four unwrapped 4-ounce sticks in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes until frozen. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Remove one stick at a time from the freezer and unwrap. Roll the butter in flour just to coat. Using the large holes of a box grater, quickly grate the butter onto the lined baking sheet. As soon as the grater is full, spread the butter over the pan; continue until you have grated all four sticks. Transfer the baking sheet back to the freezer until the butter pieces are fully frozen. Place the shredded butter pieces into a freezer bag and store up to 3 months for future use. I usually grate 2 or 3 pounds at a time so that it’s ready when I need it. When making pies or scones that call for chilled cut butter, take out what you need, weigh it, and gently toss with your flour mixture. This really saves a lot of time!
MELTED BUTTER: If a recipe calls for melted and cooled butter, you can melt it in the microwave or on the stove, but be careful not to cook the butter. You just want to heat it to where it’s melted and pourable, not hot. If you heat it too much, allow it to cool to body temperature before using. Hot butter will melt the sugar, which is not good. Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second increments. When about half the butter is melted, with a few large pieces remaining, stir until it’s all melted. You want it to melt slowly but not cook.
BROWNED BUTTER: Browned butter adds a depth of flavor that can change the overall taste of a recipe. Blondies made with browned butter, for instance, have a deeper butterscotch flavor. To brown butter, heat it on low heat until the butterfat solids sink to the bottom of the pan and gives off a toasty, nutty aroma. Remove the pan from the heat immediately to stop the butter from cooking. Be sure to cool browned butter to room temperature before using.
VEGETABLE OIL: Vegetable oil or canola oil is used in some of our cake and muffin recipes. Vegetable oil is 100 percent fat and doesn’t have the water content of butter, so does not contribute to rise or lift. Vegetable oil can come from soybeans, corn, or rapeseeds (canola), with little difference in taste or color, which makes the different types interchangeable for baking.
FLOUR
I use two types of flour: all-purpose and cake.
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR: The versatility of all-purpose flour means it’s used the most frequently. It has a protein content between 10 and 11.7 percent, which provides structure yet is light enough for cakes and cookies. I prefer unbleached flour and recommend any of these brands of all-purpose flour: Hecker’s, Gold Medal, and King Arthur.
CAKE FLOUR: Almost all the cake and cupcake recipes in this book call for cake flour, which is finely milled, soft winter wheat. It has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour and less gluten, producing a fine crumb and a lighter, softer texture. You will be amazed at the difference the first time you make a cake with cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. I recommend Softasilk or Purasnow.
SUGARS AND SWEETENERS
Sugar is necessary for adding sweetness and texture to baked goods. White sugar should be scooped and leveled. Using a scale is the easiest and most consistent way to measure out sugar.
SUGAR: If a recipe calls for “sugar,” it means granulated white sugar. I prefer Domino extra-fine granulated cane sugar. Extra-fine sugar dissolves perfectly when creaming with butter for cakes and cookies. If you cannot find extra-fine sugar, you can make your own by processing regular granulated sugar in the food processor for about 30 seconds.
BROWN SUGAR: Unless otherwise stated in a recipe, I use light brown sugar that is packed and leveled into the measuring cup. I love what brown sugar does to a recipe and have changed up many a cookie or bar recipe over the years by using half white and half brown. More white sugar results in a crispy cookie; more brown sugar in a chewier one. You can play with your favorite recipes to see which you prefer. Always store brown sugar in a tightly sealed bag. If it becomes dry and clumpy, it will not mix properly. You can refresh brown sugar that is dried out by placing it overnight in a tightly sealed plastic bag along with a slice of grocery store white bread.
POWDERED SUGAR: I prefer to use Domino 10X powdered sugar. Because powdered sugar is prone to clumping, measure (or weigh) the quantity of powdered sugar you need, then sift it.
MAPLE SYRUP: I use Grade A “dark” maple syrup for its richer, deeper flavor. Always purchase the real thing. No artificial syrups allowed!
CORN SYRUP: I rarely use corn syrup as a sweetener, but occasionally it is a necessity. For instance, you can’t make pecan pies without it. I use dark corn syrup in both the Pecan Pie and Black Bottom Pecan Pie, but if you prefer a lighter taste, you can opt for light corn syrup.
SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK is made from cow’s milk that has been heated to remove the water and concentrate the liquid and then sweetened. Sweetened condensed milk is an essential ingredient in all the banana pudding recipes. I recommend either Eagle Brand or Magnolia by Borden.
EGGS
I only use Grade A Large eggs for baking. A large egg weighs about 50 grams. Eggs have many responsibilities in baking. The yolk is high in fat and adds richness, tenderness, and color to baked goods. The white is high in protein and provides structure and moisture. Beaten eggs also act as a leavening agent, as air is pushed into the tiny cells that expand during baking. If you make sure your eggs are at room temperature before baking, you will get greater volume. It’s also easier to separate eggs when they are cold.
DAIRY
MILK: All my recipes that call for milk use whole milk unless otherwise specified.
CREAM: I only use 36 percent fat heavy cream, never light cream or whipping cream. You’ll never get that cream whipped to fluffy perfection unless everything is cold. Place your bowl and beaters or whisks in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes before you begin whipping. If whipping by hand, use two whisks at the same time and the cream will whip up faster and fluffier.
CREAM CHEESE: Philadelphia brand cream cheese is my pick because it guarantees a consistent outcome. Bring cream cheese to room temperature before mixing. Most recipes call for cutting it into 1-inch pieces. I usually just pull chunks with my fingers as I add it to the mixer.
BUTTERMILK is made by culturing low-fat milk with a lactic acid bacteria. The result is a thicker, tangier milk. It is used in baked goods for added flavor, as well as to whiten and tenderize cakes. If you find that you are in the middle of a recipe and don’t have any buttermilk, you can make your own. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or distilled white vinegar to 8 ounces low-fat milk. Let sit for 10 minutes. If you have a farmers’ market near you that sells fresh buttermilk, give it a try. It’s amazing what a difference it can make.
SOUR CREAM is made by culturing light cream with a lactic acid bacteria. Use only full-fat sour cream in these recipes.
CHOCOLATE
The most important thing to know about chocolate is that quality really counts. I was lucky to be able to travel to Ecuador to visit an organic cacao farm, where I learned so much about the importance of how we source ingredients. Ultimately, provenance and quality really affect the outcome of your baked goods.
Most of my recipes call for semisweet chocolate. Most grocery stores carry Ghirardelli, Guittard, and Valrhona. If you want to splurge, I recommend Scharffen Berger 62% Cacao Baking Chunks. Some gourmet retailers carry these, and you can always find them on the Internet. Always store your chocolate at room temperature.
COCOA POWDER is the liquor from chocolate rendered in a powder form. There are two types available on the market, Dutch process and natural. I prefer a Dutch process cocoa with a cocoa fat content of 22 to 24%. It provides a richer, darker flavor, which makes brownies and cookies much fudgier. My favorite brand is República del Cacao from Valrhona. Other more readily available brands are Droste and Guittard.
WHITE CHOCOLATE is made from cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids, so it doesn’t contain any of the dark cocoa solids. “White baking chips” contain partially hydrogenated oil instead of cocoa butter. When buying white chocolate in any form, make sure it has at least 20% cocoa butter.
LEAVENING AGENTS
Ever notice how some recipes call for both baking powder and baking soda? They are both leavening agents but they behave differently and have somewhat different roles. Think of baking soda as the ingredient that helps spread your batter and baking powder as the one that gives you “poof,” or lift.
BAKING SODA is much stronger than baking powder. In order for it to become active, it requires that an acid be present, such as buttermilk, sour cream, lemon juice, or vinegar (as in the Red Velvet Cake). The soda reacts to the acid and releases carbon dioxide, which creates lift. To test for freshness, place 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar in a small bowl, add ½ teaspoon baking soda, and watch for it to bubble up.
BAKING POWDER contains some baking soda. I only use double-acting baking powder, which reacts twice: once when added to liquid and again when exposed to heat. Make sure your baking powder is fresh. A good habit to get into is to date the containers when you purchase them. To test for freshness, place ½ teaspoon baking powder in a small bowl and mix in 3 tablespoons water. If the powder is fresh, it will fizz a little like soda.
MISCELLANEOUS
COCONUT MILK isn’t a true dairy product, as it is made from a blend of coconut and water. However, it has the same consistency as cow’s milk. Be sure you purchase canned coconut milk and not coconut cream or coconut milk beverage. Shake the can well before using and store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
SWEETENED SHREDDED COCONUT is my go-to in all the recipes calling for coconut. You can use unsweetened flaked coconut as a garnish if you prefer, in which case I recommend toasting it.
PEANUT BUTTER: Skippy peanut butter is the brand I recommend for the recipes. Be sure to purchase creamy peanut butter, not chunky. Don’t purchase natural peanut butters; they will separate as they don’t contain stabilizing ingredients.
PUMPKIN PUREE: Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin is an excellent canned puree. Don’t mistakenly buy pumpkin pie filling, which already has the spices added to it.
JAM OR JELLY: For the recipes that call for jam or jelly, choose a high-quality brand such as Bonne Maman. However, the grape jelly I use for my PB&J Cupcakes is Welch’s. My childhood PB&J was made with Wonder bread, Skippy peanut butter, and Welch’s Grape Jelly. I still crave one every now and then.
EXTRACTS: Vanilla extract should always be the real thing; substitutes just don’t cut it. I prefer vanilla from Madagascar. For other extracts, including peppermint and almond, always buy the best quality since the recipes call for very small quantities.
SPICES: With spices, freshness really counts. Their aroma and flavor dissipate over time, so purchase smaller quantities that you will use up faster. When we opened our first Magnolia Bakery location in the Middle East, I bought nutmeg and cinnamon from the local grocery store. The spices were so fresh and potent, I had to cut the amount in the recipe by half!
FOOD COLORING: I much prefer thick, highly concentrated gel paste over liquid food coloring for dying buttercream. AmeriColor and Wilton both offer student kits with a large selection of colors. It takes very little, sometimes just a touch, to get the color you want. The technique I use is to dip a toothpick into the gel paste and touch the buttercream in my bowl to get a lovely pastel color. If you overdo it, there is no going back. The only time I use liquid food coloring is for red velvet cake. At Magnolia Bakery we use a pastel color palette for decorating our famous swirled cupcakes. We use gel powders to hand-dye white sprinkles in yellow, pink, green, blue, and lavender. For 4 quarts of white sprinkles it takes just a smidge of gel powder. You can purchase special measuring spoons with a smidge, a pinch, and a dash.
CUPCAKE DECORATIONS: There are many online sites that offer a wide variety of fun cupcake decorations. I love the custom sprinkle blends from Layer Cake Shop. Michaels craft stores carry a huge section of Wilton cake decorating supplies.
HOW TO FILL A PIPING BAG
Put one hand into the bag, folding the top over so that the rim extends toward your fingertips. You can also use a wide-mouth jar, folding the top of the bag over the sides.
If you’re only using one tip or a large tip like the Wilton #1M, drop it to the bottom of the bag and push it down to the point. Cut the bag so that about half of the tip is exposed.
If you’re using a coupler, slide the large part into the bag, with the narrow end pointing toward the bag’s tip. Cut the bag just past the end of the coupler (3a). From the outside of the bag, place the decorating tip onto the coupler. Twist the small part of the coupler over the tip and onto the larger part of the coupler to secure it (3b).
Using a spatula or icing wand, add buttercream, being careful to fill the bag no more than ⅔ or ¾ the way up. Scrape any excess off of the wand or spatula before withdrawing it.
Unfold the bag and push all the buttercream down toward the tip. Do this a few times to remove any air bubbles, as air in the bag can cause uneven pressure, causing icing to spurt out of bag and/or create an uneven design. To make sure the icing is flowing evenly, give the bag a squeeze over a small bowl.
Tightly twist the top of the bag closed and set aside until you’re ready to use it.
The best piece of advice I can give to the home baker is to purchase the right assortment of good-quality tools. It’s an investment in your future baking success that will definitely pay off.
STAND MIXER: Your first and most essential purchase should be a stand mixer. My favorite is the KitchenAid 5-quart mixer. If you bake a lot, consider purchasing an extra bowl, as there are a few recipes that require you to whip cream or eggs whites and add them to a batter. Having both a glass and metal mixer bowl really comes in handy. Get the spouted clear glass one, if you don’t have it; it’s fun to watch your batter mix.
HAND MIXER: For whipping up small amounts of whipped cream, I like to have a hand mixer available. Hamilton Beach made one just for Magnolia Bakery.
FOOD PROCESSOR: I use a Cuisinart DLC 10 Pro Classic 7-cup, a workhorse I’ve had for years. It’s the ideal size for a small kitchen, yet big enough to make a batch of two-crust pie dough.
DIGITAL SCALE: A more modest investment, this adds an important element of consistency to your measurements. I like the OXO 6-pound scale, which is available almost everywhere.
BAKING PANS
CUPCAKE AND MUFFIN PANS: You’ll need several of these. I prefer the WinCo AMF 12-cup aluminum pan. It has a low, wide cup that gives your cupcake or muffin a larger top surface. I also have a couple of mini-muffin pans, which come 24 to a pan, and an extra-large muffin pan with 6 to a pan.
13 × 9 × 2-INCH BAKING PAN: Purchase a couple of different styles. This is the pan size used for most of the brownie and bar recipes in this book. Metal is good for basic baking, and glass or ceramic work well if you are presenting your dish in its cooking vessel, such as the Blueberry Jamboree.
12 × 17 × ½-INCH BAKING SHEETS: Amazingly versatile tools. These are the perfect size for baking cookies and scones. Be sure to purchase some without a rim, because they work best for the cut-out cookies, as you can slide the parchment paper directly off the sheet and onto the cooling rack.
PIE PANS: I use a 9-inch glass Pyrex deep-dish pie pan for my apple pies. It’s helpful to be able to see the crust browning. For pies with a single crust, I prefer to use 9-inch metal pie pans. Metal conducts heat much better and ensures that the bottom crust will be fully baked and not soggy. Stoneware is pretty, but I don’t like baking pies in it. The pans are never consistent in size, and crusts don’t bake up as crisp and flaky. Use a metal pan for baking and place it in a stoneware one for serving.
9 × 2-INCH ROUND CAKE PANS: You should have at least three of these. I prefer Fat Daddio’s anodized aluminum pans. They reflect heat rather than absorb it, and heat evenly, which is very important to the outcome of your cakes. These are available on Amazon and at some specialty stores and websites.
9-INCH SPRINGFORM PAN: Most specialty stores carry springform pans. Be sure to get. Get a good-quality, heavy-duty nonstick pan, such as Calphalon. Cheap ones leak and break quickly.
BUNDT PAN: For the full-size pan, get the 12-cup-capacity pan from Nordic Ware: It’s the best one out there. For the mini-Bundt cakes, Wilton and Sur La Table offer nonstick pans that make 12 or 20 mini-bundt cakes.
9 × 2-INCH FLUTED NONSTICK TART PAN WITH REMOVABLE BOTTOM: This is the one I use for the Sour Cream Coffee Cake.
SAUCEPANS: Stainless steel saucepans with lids in 4-quart and 2-quart sizes are the most useful and also work with induction burners.
SMALL WARES
In the professional kitchen, these make up the arsenal of supplies we need for all our baking functions. Listed in alphabetical order, each is equally important for a well-stocked baking kitchen.
BENCH SCRAPER: I prefer all-stainless or stainless with a wooden handle.
COOKIE CUTTERS: A package of assorted round cookie cutters in stainless steel is a good start. My Cut-Out Sugar Cookies are perfect for any cut-out shapes you can find.
COOKIE PRESS: A necessary and fun tool to make the Holiday Spritz Cookies.
COOLING RACKS: It’s good to have two or three.
GRATERS: A Microplane grater is excellent for grating lemon, lime, and orange zests. A box grater with large holes works well for grating butter and carrots. Get a good-quality stainless steel one with a solid handle and a nonslip rubber base.
KITCHEN SHEARS: These are helpful for cutting pie dough.
KNIVES: You should have at least three knife sizes in your arsenal, including a good 10-inch chef’s knife, a 10-inch serrated knife for cutting cakes in half, and a good-quality paring knife.
Measuring Cups and Spoons
DRY MEASURING CUPS: Purchase good-quality stainless steel, accurate measuring cups. Don’t purchase cheap ones, which sometimes are not precise. Get a set that includes 1 cup, ¾ cup, ½ cup, ⅔ cup, ⅓ cup, and ¼ cup measures. KitchenMade is a reliable brand.
LIQUID MEASURING CUPS: Purchase a 1-cup and a 2-cup. I like having options. If you bake a lot, get a 4-cup as well. OXO makes quality plastic cups, and Pyrex is reliable for glass versions.
MEASURING SPOONS FOR DRY INGREDIENTS: Get a stainless steel set that has all the sizes, from 1 tablespoon to 1/16 teaspoon and everything in between. Don’t use decorative spoons; they are not accurate.
PARCHMENT PAPER: Totally essential. Get the half-sheet size and cake rounds. You can usually get these at specialty stores or online. I also have a few silicone baking mats that I love to use for cookies.
PASTRY BRUSH: I like the all-natural, 2-inch white boar bristle brushes by Ateco.
PEELER: I like the OXO Y-Peeler. It has a good grip.
PIE SHIELDS: Pie is done when the crust is browned, but sometimes the edge will start to burn. This simple little invention sits on the edge of the crust to protect it. You can also make your own with a piece of foil rolled into a cylinder and then formed into a circle the size of your pan.
PIE WEIGHTS are used to keep your pie crusts from bubbling and shrinking. I prefer Mrs. Anderson’s ceramic pie weights.
ROLLING PIN: I prefer a big, moist-resistant hardwood rolling pin with handles, such as Farberware classic wood rolling pins. I like to let the rolling pin do the work for me.
RUBBER SPATULAS OR BOWL SCRAPERS: These are mostly used for scraping down the sides, bottom, and paddles of the mixing bowl. Get a variety of sizes from a reliable brand like Rubbermaid or Ateco. I also like to have a spatula that is heat-resistant for stirring lemon curd and melted chocolate.
RULER: You would be surprised by how many times you’ll need one—for measuring pie dough to evenly cutting bars and brownies.
SCOOPS: It’s so much easier to portion batter and dough uniformly if you use a scoop. I use two sizes: a #20 and a #40. The higher the number, the more scoops you will get out of your batter. For cupcakes and muffins, I use a #20 scoop (¼ cup); for cookies, I mostly use a #40 (1-ounce) scoop. Norpro and OXO both make good-quality stainless steel scoops with food-release blades.
SIEVES: Cuisinart carries a set in three handy sizes, 3⅛ inch, 5½ inch, and 7⅞ inch. I use the large size to sift flour, cocoa, and powdered sugar, and the smaller ones when I need to dust powdered sugar over cakes or cookies.
THERMOMETERS: Purchase an oven thermometer, an instant-read thermometer, and a candy thermometer. My favorite candy thermometer is from Taylor Precision. It clips to the side of your pan and is easy to view.
TIMERS: You’ll need two. I frequently use my phone alarm as a timer, but sometimes you have two things working at the same time, so a good old-fashioned timer is always helpful.
WHISKS: I have six whisks in my kitchen and I use them all, from a 12-inch French whip to a 6-inch whisk.
WOODEN SKEWERS AND TOOTHPICKS: These are used for testing cakes, cupcakes, and muffins.
WOODEN SPOONS: In all shapes and sizes, for stirring those hot sauces.
CAKE-DECORATING SUPPLIES
ATECO ICING SPATULAS: At Magnolia Bakery we have always referred to these as “icing wands.” Invest in a 6-inch straight spatula as well as a 4½-inch offset and a 9¾-inch offset spatula.
CAKE BOARDS: These are indispensable for moving cake layers around, decorating cakes, and serving cakes.
CAKE TURNER OR CAKE STAND: I love the Ateco cast-iron nonslip 12-inch cake stand that revolves. It will last a lifetime. If you don’t want to spend this much, Wilton makes an inexpensive cake turntable for less than twenty dollars that is available almost everywhere.
PIPING OR DECORATING BAGS: Wilton and Ateco make disposable bags.
PIPING TIPS AND COUPLERS: Wilton offers several variety packs of tips and couplers, which include just about every tip you would ever need to have on hand for basic cake decorating.
