Babycakes Cookbook Review
I’ve talked about my extreme love of the Erin McKenna Bakery before in my post about Disney Eats. (Erin McKenna Bakery is FKA Babycakes - she rebranded a few years ago). It’s not an exaggeration to say it is my very favorite place to get sweets. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth but I get to eat a donut like once a year and it is always worth it. I’ve actually never had another item there and my mouth literally waters at the thought, rn. A few years ago, our realtor - whose name is literally Don Powers. Ya’ll what is a better real name than Don Powers? Also, he’s a really, really great realtor in super difficult market. #notanad Anyways, Don freakin’ Powers gave us a housewarming gift after hearing me wax rhapsodic about these donuts - the bakery cookbooks. - which is just the coolest freaking gift.
Fast forward to today: I’ve literally used these cookbooks once. Cookbooks, plural (there are two). One time in five years. Why? Because baking things gluten free is actually really difficult. Wheat flour has actual starch in it to bind the ingredients together. Gluten is actually hella important for baking. Thus, the ingredient list for things that would be simple irl, are very, very long. Second, I was still a pretty novice gluten-free baker five years ago and didn’t know simple things that I know today - like you have to melt coconut oil before you mix it in. It’s so obvious. Additionally, I’ve learned in my sort-of strange pastime of literally reading cookbooks to determine if I want to buy them , Ms. McKenna LITERALLY tells you that in the book so, reading is knowledge friends.
Anyways, today, we’re trying again in the name of adventure! And instead of making a cupcake or something, let’s just cut straight to the point and do what we’re here for: Can Selfie recreate even a fraction of the glory that is a DisneySprings Erin McKenna’s Bakery donut? Let’s put on our fake bangs in homage to the woman, the myth, the baking legend: Ms. McKenna, herself.
This is the face of a woman who does not have the correct baking equipment
Well, kind of. I can definitely make A donut do I got that going for me. So my feedback on trying to recreate something you love. First of all, the ingredients are pretty expensive. I paid over $20 for what I couldn’t find in bulk. Bulk, by the way, is the real winner if you have to use weird flours btw. But a bunch of items, I had to buy Bible red mill and those three bags were $8 a pop and for ingredients that required like 1/8 a tsp.
Second, I read the instruction very carefully and Erin is deadass serious about using the exact ingredients she lists, the exact measurements and using only the dry cup measuring cups for all ingredients. Here’s the problem, last week I dropped and broke my 1/4 cup. Uh, I desperately needed my 1/4 cup. Also, who the heck has a 1/8th teaspoon?! Very stressful.
The book had a recipe for the chocolate glaze which is great. But uh, no information whatsoever about how to dip pastries and uh, I know exactly NOTHING about dipping donuts. I did my best.
Lastly, I didn’t know vegan sugar was a thing. So the recipe called for vegan sugar and I was like oooohkay. I have…coconut sugar? But apparently, coconut sugar was so it an acceptable alternative.
This post brought to you by 6 am wake-ups and coffee. Thanks, coffee!
So what did I learn here? First, now that I had to buy a ton of ingredients I can make most of the recipes in the book - so that’s freaking awesome. I, and other humans, enjoyed them very much but are they as good as fresh bakery donut? Of course not! I either need a heck of a lot more practice or to save my annual donut for the real thing.
How about you? Have you ever tried to recreate a favorite professional dish? What was it and how’d it go?