Show Notes
Today’s guest is Carla Hall. Carla is a chef, cookbook author, TV personality, and all-around culinary force whose career has taken her from the runways of Paris to the sets of “Top Chef,” “The Chew,” and more. She’s the star and executive producer of the Emmy Award–winning series “Chasing Flavor,” a co-mentor on the new show, “Next Level Baker,” and the author of several books, including “Carla Hall’s Soul Food” and two children’s books, “Carla Hall and the Christmas Cornbread” and “Carla and the Tin Can Cake Party.”
Carla joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about her life and career—from her childhood memories of her grandmother’s five-flavor pound cake, to the years she spent in Paris as a model discovering her love for cooking, to the moment “Top Chef” changed everything. Then, Carla walks Jessie through her Gingerbread Cake With Snow Sugar, a deeply spiced, ultra-moist loaf that uses the reverse-creaming method for a very tender crumb. She explains why hot water is the secret ingredient, how to make “snow sugar” that won’t melt into the cake, and why “sawing” is the only proper way to slice a loaf cake.
Click here for Carla’s Gingerbread Cake with Snow Sugar recipe.
Thank you to Diamond Nuts, California Prunes, and King Arthur Baking for their support.
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More on Carla: Instagram, website More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook
More from She's My Cherry Pie
Today’s guest is Erin Jeanne McDowell. Erin is a baker, food stylist, teacher, and video host. She’s also the author of four baking books, including her brand-new “Bake Anything: Essential Recipes and Techniques to Build On for Endless Possibilities.”
Today’s guests are Claudia Fleming and Melissa Clark. Claudia is a legendary, award-winning New York City pastry chef and the executive culinary director at Daily Provisions. Melissa is a beloved home cook, author, New York Times Food reporter, and New York Times Cooking contributor.
Today’s guest is Anna Gordon. Anna is a pastry chef and the founder and CEO of The Good Batch Bakery in Brooklyn. Anna started The Good Batch in 2010, selling hand-pressed stroopwafels at the Brooklyn Flea, and later opened her brick-and-mortar bakery in Clinton Hill in 2014. She joins Jessie to talk about discovering her love of baking as a kid, learning through curiosity and experimentation, and growing The Good Batch from a market stand into a beloved Brooklyn bakery.
Today’s guest is Ruby Bhogal, baker, recipe developer, and cookbook author based in England. Ruby was a finalist on “The Great British Bake Off” in 2018, and she’s the author of “One Bake, Two Ways.” Her brand-new book, “Around the World in 80 Cakes,” is out this Tuesday in the U.S.
Today’s episode is a special live taping of She’s My Cherry Pie from Cherry Bombe House in New York City’s Meatpacking District. Host Jessie Sheehan sits down with Dona Murad of Librae and Lucie Franc de Ferriere of From Lucie to talk about their beloved New York City bakeries and their beautiful cookbooks—Dona’s “Librae: Third-culture Recipes from a Cult New York Bakery,” and Lucie’s “Cake From Lucie: Recipes and Techniques from the French Countryside to New York City.”