The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting crisper, and fall baking season is fully underway. I’ve spent the last few weekends baking various things with apples because it just feels so properly autumnal, and also because Isabelle, at four and half, declared herself capable of learning how to peel apples. She was right; with the proper […]...
Happy Birthday to Me: Strawberry Pink Velvet Cake
Alice Medrich’s Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Happy Easter! I took opportunity of the occasion to try out another recipe from one of my current bookshelf must-haves, Alice Medrich’s Flavor Flours. The hubby had marked the particularly tempting Carrot Spice Cake for my list to Things He’d Like Me to Make, so I pulled out the carrots and cake pans to give […]...
Theo Chocolate Stout Cake with Mint Whipped Cream
In the never-ending quest for the perfect chocolate cake, I realized that I’ve never tried a very popular variant, the chocolate stout cake. I’m not much of a beer drinker, which is why I’ve passed by this cake many times, but with St. Patrick’s Day coming up, I thought what better time to revisit my […]...
{Sweet San Francisco}: Paris Baguette Bakery
I’m excited to see an increasing number of globally-inspired bakeries rising into the spotlight in the Bay Area’s ever-growing pastry scene, opening people’s eyes to a world of sweet pastries beyond just American and French-inspired treats. Asian bakeries have always flown a bit under the radar, but several modern new chains are making Asian pastries […]...
Happy Year of the Monkey! With Chinese Pineapple Cakes (Feng Li Su)
Happy Chinese New Year! I’ve just returned from Hong Kong, where preparations for the Year of the Monkey were fully underway. I’m sad I couldn’t stay for the actual new year festivities, but I’ve brought back plenty of new year treats, including these traditional Chinese pineapple cakes that are a wonderfully simple baking project as well. […]...
Anita Chu, also known as pastrygirl, is a baker, writer, and photographer with a passion for pastry. She trained at Tante Marie's Cooking School and is the author of Field Guide to Cookies, Field Guide to Candy, and Lollipop Love. Anita lives in San Francisco with her husband, baby girl, and rescue cockapoo Snickerdoodle. 
