Learn. Bake. Repeat.

Everything you need to bake with more confidence, joy, and precision.

Pound Cake SOS: Ten Common Problems (and How to...

At Begin with Butter, we know that pound cake is the grand dame of...

Buttermilk Vanilla Bean Loaf Cake

About This Cake This is the kind of bake that turns heads even before it...

Macerated Peaches

Rules for My Daddy's Favorite Fruit This simple technique is rooted in reverence—for ripe fruit,...

Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract

I'm aware that it's July, BB. But it's time for us to start getting...

Strawberry Shortcake in a Charlotte Pan

That whipped cream isn’t just a topping-it’s the luxurious bridge back to the full...

Hi! I'm Shani!

Welcome to Begin with Butter! This is my slightly nerdy, beautifully nostalgic corner of the internet, where baking isn’t just about recipes…it’s about finding the rhythm in your hands, learning the skills to improve your baking confidence, finding connection through community and story, and perfecting the techniques that deepen your baking mastery.

At Begin with Butter, we break down the science of baking for the home kitchen, with thoughtful, professional techniques that are designed to make sense, combined with traditions we grew up with. Then we season it all with storytelling, because here, it's about more than technique. It’s about connecting your grandmother’s kitchen to your grandchild’s kitchen, one well-made cake at a time. Welcome!

Kitchen Orientation: This Way to the Good Stuff

Ingredient Science

Flour, sugar, leaveners, and flavor—understood, not just used.

Helpful Techniques

The hows and whys of great baking, that will help you achieve great bakes

Pound Cakes

Rich, reliable, and ready for company—these are the cakes that built this house.

Bake With Me

Join the email circle for weekly tips, recipes, and kitchen stories.
Advertismentspot_img

When You Need a Lil' Something Sweet

Simple Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Nut-Free!)

Carrot cake was always the Easter cake in my childhood home. No matter how...

Strawberry Shortcake in a Charlotte Pan

That whipped cream isn’t just a topping-it’s the luxurious bridge back to the full...

Whole Wheat Blueberry Oat Muffins

Hi BB! Welcome to Healthy-ish January at Begin with Butter! I’ve been looking forward...

Readers Currently Crave...

Sweet Potato Pie

Friends, the postseason is upon us. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and it's...

Yeast Basics for Beginning Bread Bakers

One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is to make bread....

Classic Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Friends, pound cakes are deeply, deeply nostalgic for many of us. They evoke so...

42 Must-Make Ideas for Valentine’s Day

Hi Friends! Love is in the air and romance is on the horizon...

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Friends, I've recently spent a lot of time figuring out the best tips and...

Simple Sunday Artisan Bread

My family loves Sunday bread. Whether it's my Perfect Sunday Dinner Rolls or a...

Popular Categories

Let's Stay in Touch

Get baking content wrapped in soul, story, and a whole lot of butter.

Sign up for the email list and get my Pound Cake Perfection e-book, a resource that will help you go from "I hope this turns out" to "OMG it worked!"

The Statement Collection

Limoncello Layer Cake

Family. I am ready for SPRING! We had some spring-like temperatures here recently, so...

Key Lime Pound Cake

Hey Friends! It's Day 2 of the Twelve Days of Pound Cake! ...

Toffee Crunch Cake, Charcuterie Style

Luckily, my business mentor assigned me one hour a day of "staring out the...

Latest Posts