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.
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When You Need a Lil' Something Sweet

Peach Hand Pies

Friends, my daughter has been waiting for this one since the top of 2023....

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

My brother and sister and I saw the word "cookie" and nearly came to...

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Up next in our “Healthy-ish January: Whole Wheat Banana Bread!  Let’s be honest: sometimes, when...

Readers Currently Crave...

Brown Butter Rum Raisin Pound Cake

Y'all. Listen. This year's Twelve Days of Pound Cake theme of "Sugar, Spice, and...

Peach Cobbler Pound Cake

Friends. It's Day 10 of the Twelve Days of Pound Cake. And...

Cherry Vanilla No-Churn Ice Cream

Family. It's vacation time. And when it's time for vacation, I need...

Ruby Red Velvet Pound Cake

Friends, Ms. Ruby is back. And when I say that she is better...

Sweet Potato Pineapple Pound Cake

I *very excitedly* told my children that this Sweet Potato Pineapple Pound Cake was...

Very Vanilla Pound Cake

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

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

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The Statement Collection

Strawberry Shortcake in a Charlotte Pan

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

Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

My mother, Ms. Gloria, was known for making some *ahem* showy desserts. She was...

Carrot Cake Pound Cake

Today, Friends, you're getting an intimate look at one of my absolute holiday and...

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