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

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When You Need a Lil' Something Sweet

Grilled Peaches with Fresh Whipped Cream

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

My Favorite Baguette

They say that good things come to those who wait. And they are...

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Friends! It's time for Juneteenth and I...just love this holiday. I was...

Readers Currently Crave...

Toffee Crunch Cake, Charcuterie Style

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

Vegan Snickerdoodle Pound Cake

Hey Friends! Welcome to Day 9 of the Twelve Days of Pound Cake!...

Red Velvet Marble Cake

One of the reasons why this Red Velvet Marble Cake recipe took so long...

Snickerdoodle Pound Cake

Hello Friend! I'm fond of every pound cake I've ever made, but I'm...

Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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

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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The Statement Collection

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf

Happy National Pumpkin Day, Friends! It's not often that I will participate in...

Biscoff Cake

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

Limoncello Layer Cake

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

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