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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

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When You Need a Lil' Something Sweet

Vanilla Pound Cake

How do I know that it can come together that quickly? Because that's...

Grilled Peaches with Fresh Whipped Cream

Friends, I'm excited today to announce the start of a new initiative at Begin...

Biscoff Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

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

Readers Currently Crave...

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls

If the plummeting temperatures and "crisp" days are any indication, Fall has officially arrived!...

Macerated Peaches

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

Ruby Red Velvet Pound Cake

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

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

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

Simple, Classic Apple Pie

Hello, BBs, and welcome to fall at Begin with Butter! When fall rolls around,...

Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake

The weather in Maryland has been all over the place lately. Up and...

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The Statement Collection

Baba au Rhum Pound Cake

Welcome to Day 4 of the Twelve Days of Pound Cake, and Friends, I'm...

Lemon Cranberry Cake with White Chocolate Ganache

Inspiration really is annoying sometimes. There are nights when it wakes me from a...

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

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

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