This week we’re featuring some of the talented black bakers in our community. Baking is beautiful because of its diversity, and we pledge to honor that truth, this week and every week. From sweets to breakfast bakes to local restaurant reviews and everything in between, here are some incredible bakers you need in your feed! If you’re looking for memorable stories of baking, seasonal recipes, stunning layer cakes, or mouthwatering photography, these bloggers cover it all with their passion for baking and recipes made with care. Take a scroll through these accounts for endless inspiration and delectable recipes.
MIKE BAKES NYC
Mike Johnson started his baking blog as a creative outlet in 2016 while he was a law student. Now an attorney, he continues to share his passion for baking and exploring the restaurants and bakeries of New York City. His recipes feature comforting flavors, approachable concepts, and bright pops of color. Strawberry Cardamom Puff Pastry Pop Tarts, Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Macarons, and Chai Spiced Cinnamon Rolls are just a few of the indulgences awaiting you on his feed. Keep your eyes peeled for his cookbook, Even Better Brownies, which will be released in December 2020.
CHOCOLATE FOR BASIL
Jerrelle Guy is the award-winning cookbook author of Black Girl Baking, which was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2019. She also owns her own food photography studio in Dallas, Texas. On her website and Instagram, you can find delicious photos and recipes like Miso Brown Sugar Cashew Buns, Strawberry Balsamic Shortcakes, and Sweet Potato Rice Krispies. Jerrelle also posts mouthwatering savory and healthy recipes, plus blooper appearances by her cat, Christopher.
BENJAMINA EBUEHI
A quarter finalist on the Great British Bake Off in 2016, Benjamina Ebuehi is a London-based recipe developer, food stylist, and cookbook author. Follow her on Instagram for elegant sweets of all types and flavors—from layer cakes to sweet buns and pastries to classic cookies—and beautifully minimal photography. Follow her blog, Carrot & Crumb, for recipes like Sour Cream Madeira Cake with Brown Butter Frosting, Hazelnut Cream Choux Puffs, and Double Chocolate Chunk Shortbread. Her cookbook, The New Way to Cake, is available now.
CELEBRATE CREATIVITY
If you’re looking for elegant creations and gorgeously moody photography, Lisa Tutman-Oglesby of Celebrate Creativity is someone to add to your feed. “I just like making stuff and I delight in the simple rewards that come from taking raw materials, applying a little elbow grease and imagination and making something wonderfully unexpected,” she says on her website. Before starting her website, she was a television news reporter and White House/Capitol Hill correspondent and has won an Emmy award for Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence.
GRANDBABY CAKES
You might recognize Jocelyn Delk Adams of Grandbaby Cakes from the TODAY Show, the Cooking Channel, or her award-winning cookbook. She started her blog to share modern spins on her grandmother’s beloved, traditional baking. On her website, she says, “I hope to inspire a new generation of bakers and cooking enthusiasts to learn kitchen skills and not feel guilty about enjoying dessert. . . . I didn’t realize I had the ‘baking’ gene as my family calls it until my 20s. Now that I am in my 30s, I can’t stop baking! I achieve my ideal state of zen in my condo’s cozy kitchen, whipping up delicious treats for family and friends as they lounge nearby to taste-test.”
BREE BAKES
Based in South Carolina, Bree is the social work grad student and passionate baker behind Bree Bakes. If you’re looking to add more frosting, sprinkles, and bursts of bright colorful inspiration to your feed, give her a follow! Her posts focus on cakes with vibrant drips and perfect piping, candy-coated treats, cake pops galore, and beautifully crafted sweets for every holiday, season, and occasion! Her blog includes recipes like Monkey Bread Muffins and Cinnamon Roll in a Mug.
VINTAGE CONFECTIONS
Lauren Newsome’s Instagram is filled with swirls of buttercream, stunning layer cakes, and beautifully captured photos. We love her nostalgic baking style and her captions full of personal stories. Add some sweetness to your feed and give her a follow for recipes like Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes, Cinnamon Sugar Muffins, Oatmeal Toffee Crunch Cookies, and so much more.
JESSICA IN THE KITCHEN
Jessica Hylton Leckie is a home chef who has been blogging and sharing her vibrant and delicious recipes for more than 10 years. On her blog, she says, “I believe in living a balanced lifestyle, and so I also put a lot of focus on exercising and taking care of your mental health. That also means that I don’t want you to feel restricted whilst in the kitchen or outside of it! Enjoy your vacation, eat your dessert and unplug every now and then. Live your best life!” Take a look at her blog for amazing recipes like Vegan Chocolate Cake, No Knead Bread (Dutch Oven Bread), and one-bowl Vegan Banana Bread.
BRITNEY BREAKS BREAD
Do you want to try recipes like Bacon, Onion, and Cheese Beer Bread, Blueberry Challah French Toast Bake with Earl Grey Cream Cheese Topping, and Browned Butter Tahini Crumb Cake Muffins? Then you don’t want to miss out on what Britney’s baking. Her feed includes a variety of fresh recipes, from comforting quick breads to intricately braided loaves and other sweets and healthy options sprinkled between. You can find her recipes on her website.
SOUTHERN SOUFFLÉ
Erika Council, a Southern baker, food writer, recipe developer, and photographer, is popular for her biscuit pop-ups in Atlanta, Georgia. Erika is a go-to voice on the topic of African American food, social justice, and food’s impact on community. She has also been a contributor for numerous cookbooks, developed recipes for major national brands, and featured in countless food magazines. She attributes her passion for baking to her grandmothers, and you can find recipes like Brown Butter Cornbread, Summer Peach Upside Down Cake, and Grapefruit Sugar Pound Cake on her site.
