Welcome to Bakes by Brown Sugar

Here you’ll find delicious recipes made with fresh, seasonal ingredients that will make you look like a superstar in the kitchen.

Hey There, I'm Cheryl

I’m the founder of Bakes by Brown Sugar and I’m so happy you stopped by to say hi!

I'm a self-taught baker and 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.

Obviously I love to bake, but little did I know that this passion and love for baking would turn into this blog and connecting with this wonderful community of fellow bakers.

I started Bakes by Brown Sugar to not only share my passion for baking but also to share recipes that work, taste delicious, and make you look like a superstar in the kitchen.

What You'll Find on Bakes by Brown Sugar

Delicious (mostly) sweet and indulgent recipes that I've tested in my own kitchen
Detailed recipes, pro tips and tricks to ensure your baking success
Equipment recommendations that come with each recipe and blog post
An email newsletter where I share with you new recipes, and resources every week.

As an engineer, I want to make sure my recipes not only taste but have the detail you need to successfully recreate them at home. I wish I could say that I get recipes right the first time, but most of my recipes require multiple test batches before I get them right. The recipes are my own creation and if I use someone's recipe I let you know in the blog post.

More About The Blog and Cheryl

What recipe do you recommend for someone that 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.

What recipe do you recommend for a baker looking for a challenge?

If you're a more experienced baker then I recommend your try my Puff Pastry recipe or my Chocolate Rugelach.

How many times do have to test a recipe?

It all depends on the recipe. I tested my Lemon Cupcake recipe 8 times to get the right texture and flavor. But my Peach Crumble Pie came out right the first time because I had made other recipes with pie dough and crumble topping.

How did you come up with the blog name?

While participating on The Great American Baking Show I was discussing blog names with another contestant and he suggested Bakes by Brown Sugar and that was it. I instantly loved the name and decided it would be the name of the blog.

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.

After my appearance on The Great American Baking Show season 4, I launced my blog in October 2018. I quickly learned that there was so much more to it than I realized. But my favorite part has been connecting with readers, other food bloggers, and bakers.

The journey has been challenging at times but I appreciate that others enjoy my recipes.

My Favorite Bakes

Never Miss a Recipe!

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Thanks for being here!

You can always send me a note to bakesbybrownsugar@gmail.com with any questions or concerns. I love chatting with all of you and am SO happy you are here. Now go get baking with one of these delicious recipes and be sure to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest.