A Lambeth-style cake wrapped in bows and love. My friend Roelien just had her fifth baby — a little girl, after a girl and three boys. A true bookend baby, and the most peaceful little bundle you could imagine. I got to go meet her last week, and she’s perfect. There’s something so tender about a new baby when you’ve already walked the parenting road a few times. A few weeks before Esme arrived, we celebrated with a shower at Southern Baking Co. in Spring Hill. It’s a homey old ...
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At Home With Southern Protea: Rooted and Raised
Keeping Culture Alive in a Cross-Cultural Home Originally published in SAWITU Essentials Magazine | July/August 2025 This piece was first written for SAWITU Essentials, a digital magazine created by and for South African women living in the U.S. and Canada. I’m honored to contribute regularly to the publication, and this latest article is one that felt especially close to home. It’s a quiet reflection on the ways we try to keep culture alive in a cross-cultural household — not through ...
Cake Story: The One That Looked Like a Meltdown, But Wasn’t
An Ice Cream Party for One Very Loved Four-Year-Old This cake was made for the sweetest little four-year-old with a big personality and a birthday party to match. Her mom has a gift for throwing these wildly creative, Pinterest-worthy celebrations and every time I’ve made a cake for them, she’s come to me with a clear vision and the kind of excitement that makes the whole process feel fun from the start. This time, the theme was "We All Scream FOUR Ice Cream." And not just any ice cream — ...
How to Cake on Vacation
How to Cake on Vacation (And Why It's Worth It) Yes, I packed my KitchenAid. Yes, I also used a hand-crank mixer. And yes, I packed a whole cake kit. Because, when you're the designated cake person in the family (hi, it’s me!), sometimes the celebration travels with you. Last week we were up at the lake with Ryan’s side of the family, soaking up slow mornings, afternoons on the dock, and long, chatty dinners. And somewhere between a retro ‘70s-themed lawn olympics (complete with opening ...
Cake Story: The One with the Flag Cake at the Cabin
A Fourth of July Memory Baked into a Sheet Pan I’ve made a lot of cakes over the years—stacked and sculpted, piped and polished—but sometimes, the ones that stay with you are the simplest. This flag cake was one I made two years ago at the cabin for the 4th of July. We were in full summer mode: kids running barefoot through the grass, wet towels draped over the porch rail, someone always halfway through a popsicle or a card game. It wasn’t the kind of setup that usually calls for a cake, ...
Cherry Chocolate Cake with Brandy Whipped Cream
Cherry Chocolate Cake: Brandy, Berries & Boxed Cake Bliss Some recipes are fussy. This one isn't. And maybe that’s part of the magic. This cherry chocolate cake has been in my husband’s family for years — originally baked in a large tray for potlucks, picnics, and celebrations. I’ve adapted it into a round springform cake and added one little luxury: a soft brandy whipped cream, inspired by my love for Black Forest cake. It’s unapologetically simple. You won’t find scratch-made ...
Vanilla Buttercream (and What It’s Taught Me)
Vanilla Buttercream (and What It's Taught Me) There’s something about buttercream. People assume it’s the easy part—the fluffy, sweet, just-pipe-it-on part of cake decorating. But if you’ve ever tried to smooth a side or fix a wonky edge, you know it’s anything but. Over the past few weeks, I’ve made a wedding cake, cupcakes, and a unicorn birthday cake. And every time, I’ve ended up back in that same familiar rhythm—where working with buttercream becomes less about frosting and more ...
Cake Story: The One With the Rainbow That Made Me Brave
Cake Story: The One With the Rainbow That Made Me Brave. I’ve made a lot of cakes since this one—some bigger, some more detailed, and many with far more confidence. But this little rainbow cake still stands out. It was one of the first that truly mattered to me, not just because of how it turned out, but because of what it represented. It was 2020, just after things had started opening up again. A friend of mine was planning her daughter’s first birthday—a small, sweet celebration at home ...
Olivia’s Dirt Pie
Olivia's Dirt Pie: A Garden Treat Too Cute to Weed Out We planted a garden…in a pie dish. Some recipes stick because they’re delicious. Others because they’re simple. But this one’s special because of the tiny hands that first made it. When my daughter Olivia was five, she started making this ice cream tart almost entirely on her own. It quickly earned the nickname “Olivia’s Dirt Pie” among our friends — thanks to the crushed Oreos that reminded her of soil. Over the years, it’s become a ...
Cilantro Lime White Chicken Enchiladas
The Saucy Weeknight Enchiladas You'll Keep Making Mexican food wasn’t part of my childhood, but after moving to the States, I slowly started exploring all its bold, vibrant flavors. Some dishes took time to grow on me, but these enchiladas? They were love at first bite. Over the years, they’ve become one of my secret-weapon recipes: simple enough for a weeknight, but just special enough to bring to a friend or serve to a crowd. (And yes, I’ve dropped them off with a couple margaritas for new ...
