Fresh baked news
Dutch oven lovin’ from Le Creuset
Who doesn’t love carrot cake?
Croissant hair clip alert
Claire Saffitz tackles mille crêpe cake
Learn about Jessie’s clog life
Her faves? No.6
Savory Danish time at Pie Slayer in Wilmington, NC
How Cake Picnic came to be
Abi Balingit is gonna go for it
Pork floss miso brownie. YES.
Abi Balingit’s brain is a wild, wild place. We love it there. The spritely author of the cookbook Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed bakes as she lives—colorfully and with no bounds. The James Beard Award-winning book is a burst of joy, with ombre-yellow recipe pages that echo the ever-changing rainbow of Abi’s pixie cut. (Spotted here in pandan green on the cover of our Creative Class Issue.) The recipes inside aren’t strictly Filipino, because Abi doesn’t do strict. She does fun. She plays with flavors she just loves: Think Tajín Snickerdoodles, Chai Leche Flan, Silken Tofu Panna Cotta, and Creamy-Sweet Avocado Popsicles. Want, need, must have.
We’re re-airing Abi’s chat with host Jessie Sheehan on She’s My Cherry Pie this week, an insightful episode for anyone who’s just getting into baking or needs a jolt of inspiration. Abi began her baking career in the depths of the pandemic in 2020, selling pasalubong (Tagalog for “souvenir”) boxes to raise funds for Bed Stuy Strong and Bakers Against Racism. They sold out in a flash, and she developed a loyal following. So get your coconut flakes out of the cupboard, heat the oven, and have a listen as you bake the Horchata Bibingka (a coconut milk-infused rice cake) that Abi and Jessie discuss.
CATCH SHE’S MY CHERRY PIE ON APPLE, SPOTIFY, OR YOUTUBE.
Shop the show & more
Abi loves Material Kitchen’s Air Whisk, which has a crazy flat-headed, futuristic design
Finally, a shout-out to the giant bottle of Kirkland vanilla extract that accurately represents how much vanilla a person really needs—16 ounces
She uses Oxo’s silicon pastry brush, which won’t leave any stray hairs in your egg wash (phew!)
Wise words
““Not knowing is a good thing. That’s the exciting part.”
–Abi on learning to let go of perfectionism
Rabbit hole to chase
The only chase we’re making this week is to those pork floss brownies—recipe here
Tip of the week
After making horchata for her bibingka, Abi cooks it down for 10 minutes-ish to concentrate the flavor and body of the drink. Love the idea of using that as an iced coffee creamer.
Question for the class
Abi mentions “the holy grail of chocolate cake recipes” is Hershey’s Black Magic Cake, a recipe on the back of the cocoa powder container. Have you made it?
From the archives
Say hello to another Filipino baker babe: Arlyn Osborne talks ube pandesal
The cherry on top
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She’s awesome!
Thank you for sharing my clog story with all the baking peeps! 🩷🩷🩷