Hey There, I'm Cheryl

I'm the professional home baker, recipe developer, and photographer behind Bakes by Brown Sugar.

Can You Relate?

Are you a home baker that finds pure delight in transforming flour and sugar into smiles, and simple ingredients into irresistible treats? Do you love to bake with seasonal ingredients?

But...are you also busy with no time for do-overs?

I get it, and you're in the right place! My recipes are designed to deliver success and joy. I've been baking for over 20 years. I have over 250 recipes and I've even participated in a Baking TV Show (scroll down to read more).

Whether you're new to baking or have been baking for years, with helpful detailed instructions, and seasonal ingredients, you can bake with confidence and share your love through every delicious creation.

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What You'll Find on Bakes by Brown Sugar

• More Success the First Time - Helpful detailed instructions, explanations, and tips for success.
• Delicious Seasonal Ingredients - Recipes that focus on seasonal ingredients and flavors for the freshest and most vibrant bakes.
• Inspiration to Bake More - More than just for special occasions! You get ideas for daily baking and all occasions.
• Confidence - Learn basic and elevated baking techniques with clarity and confidence.

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Engineer and Baking Science Geek

I’ve been baking since I was 7 years old when my mom let me bake my first batch of chocolate chip cookies. I learned a lot of the basics from my mother, such as the importance of sifting flour, using room temperature ingredients for cakes, and cold ingredients for pie dough.

While I have always continued to bake, as an adult, I was also passionate about being an Engineer, which is now my daytime career.  With my engineering background, I like to call myself a baking science geek.  I am passionate about testing to understand what makes a recipe work, then pass that info to you.  And one of the things I've learned is that weighing your ingredient produces the most consistent results.

I also create recipes based on ingredients and flavors that are scientifically proven to work together!  This means, you will get NEW and DIFFERENT recipes that you won’t find other places - that taste amazing, like my Apple and Blackberry Crumble.

You never have to worry ~ you can just enjoy the bake!  

Where to Start

New to Baking - If you're new to baking I recommend the Classic Shortbread Cookie recipe. It has four basic ingredients that are found in most kitchens. Here are 3 more recipes to start with!

• Easy and Delicious Pumpkin Muffins
• Soft and Chewy Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
• Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Looking for a Baking Challenge - If you're a more experienced baker then I recommend you try one of these more advanced recipes:

• Homemade Puff Pastry
• Traditional Apple Pie with Fresh Apple Filling
• Soft and Gooey Apple Cinnamon Rolls

From the beginning...

I grew up in Portland, OR where my mom taught me how to bake. She made the best pies and I can still taste her homemade peach ice cream. She always encouraged me to learn and let me experiment in the kitchen when I wanted to learn new things or try new recipes. My favorite cookbook at that time was my mom's Betty Crocker cookbook. I still have it and it's held together literally with duct tape.

While I've always loved baking I never thought I would turn it into any type of career. I knew from an early age that I wanted to be an engineer (or an astronaut) and after I got my degree in engineering an opportunity opened up for me in my home city. I grabbed it and have had an amazing career working with great people and on interesting projects.

How Did It Start

This blog started with my desire to share my recipes and photography with others. I originally started my pictures on Instagram, but after a while, I wanted to share recipes too, and what I was learning as I baked. As I practiced my photography in preparation for launching the blog I fell in love with food photography.

I launched by blog in October 2018, after my appearance on The Great American Baking Show (Season 4). One of things I learned from preparing and competing on that show is the need to trust myself. But my favorite part has been connecting with readers, other food bloggers, and bakers.

My Favorite Bakes

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