Learn. Bake. Repeat.

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

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...

How to Get Sharp, Stunning Results with Bundt and...

The good old days...   My mother's pound cakes were a moment because they were both...

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

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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...

Biscoff Cake

My dear friends, there is a cookie that has taken both the internet and...

Biscoff Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

What makes this Biscoff Cookies and Cream Ice Cream so different? The Lotus Biscoff...

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Strawberry Shortcake in a Charlotte Pan

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

Very Vanilla Pound Cake

BBs, I have a dear son who is positively ga-ga over vanilla cake. He...

Limoncello Layer Cake

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

All-Purpose Flour Test: King Arthur v. White Lily

Friends, let me tell you. I have been a King Arthur Baking fanatic for...

Southern Rice Pudding

In 2023, the theme of Black History Month is Black Resistance. Eat the...

Goat Cheese Skillet Focaccia

This Goat Cheese Skillet Focaccia post is sponsored by Vermont Creamery. However, all...

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The Statement Collection

Classic Lemon Pound Cake Recipe – Moist, Buttery, and...

It’s the kind of lemon pound cake that whispers home before you even slice...

Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Cake

Yes. Ricotta. Ricotta cheese contributes a tender, moist texture and a subtle tanginess to...

The Easter Coconut Cake

This post is sponsored by Vermont Creamery. However, all of the opinions are...

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