Stella Parks's Blog

The Best Chocolate for Baking

My go-to milk, dark, and extra-dark chocolate bars for better baked goods at home. Read More

Yes, You Really Do Need a Stand Mixer for That

The most important thing a stand mixer has to offer isn't convenience, it's power.
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The Best Stand Mixer for Bakers, According to BraveTart

A brief look at the unique capabilities of a stand mixer (spoiler alert, it's about power, not convenience), and which model our resident pastry wizard prefers.
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Icing on the Cake: A Guide to Basic Frosting Types

A brief guide to the world of cake frostings, with recipes and tips for how to use and customize them.
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Stella's Favorite Recipes of 2019

When not baking away for her work at Serious Eats, our resident Pastry Wizard still needs to eat. Here are the recipes she loves to make most at home.
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A No-Fuss Chocolate Yule Log That���s Easy to Roll

The secret to this flavorful chocolate roulade is a combination of bread flour and the best quality unsweetened chocolate you can find.
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Real Talk: DIY Vanilla Extract Is a Waste of Time and Money

However charming the idea, homemade vanilla extract isn't an extract at all. It's an infusion, and one that lacks the nuance and complexity of those made by commercial producers.

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Top Your Yule Log With These Super-Realistic Meringue Mushrooms

With toasted sugar and vanilla in the meringue, a lush dusting of high-fat cocoa powder on the outside, and your favorite dark or milk chocolate to serve as the "glue" for the caps and stems, these meringue mushrooms taste as good as they look!
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Lemon and Ricotta Join Forces in This Tart and Tangy Cheesecake

Made with cream cheese, fresh ricotta, and plenty of lemon, this cheesecake is light, cottony, and tart.
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Calm, Cool, Collected: The Only Way to Jelly Roll

Mastering the jelly roll is part of any baker's journey, and will naturally involve a learning curve, but a finely tuned formula, unfussy technique, and bold flavors will make the process enjoyable to say the least. Our recipe represents a huge departure from tradition, with a cake that doesn't need to be flipped from the pan, rolled with a towel, or handled in any special way.
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