BUST went bonkers over BabyCakes NYC owner Erin McKenna’s new cookbook, which is filled with the bakery’s signature not-so-bad-for-you treats.
I’ve been a devoted fan of the vegan and gluten-free bakery BabyCakes NYC since I moved to New York. Their delicious and not-so-bad-for-you treats, with ingredients like agave nectar and applesauce replacing sugar and eggs, satisfy my sweet tooth as much as the fat-laden competition. So my inner baker went bonkers over owner Erin McKenna’s new cookbook, which is filled with BabyCakes’ signature goodies, including a variety of muffins, scones, pies, cupcakes, cookies, and their famous frosting (offered by the ìshotî at the bakery). The recipes are straightforward (even a novice baker could pull most of them off), but here’s the catch: all that healthiness is kinda pricey. I nearly went broke stocking up on unusual ingredients like xanthan gum and coconut oil (available at health-food stores or from the online purveyors listed in the book), but once you’ve made the initial investment, you’re set to make almost all the treats featured, including my faves: banana bread and chocolate-chip cookie sandwiches (slapped together with icing). Punchy personal anecdotes written by McKenna and testimonials from totally BUSTy celebs, like Mary-Louise Parker and Zooey Deschanel, make even the nonrecipe text fun to read. Throw in photos of every tantalizing treat, the adorable bakery, and the gals who work there, and you’ve got an awesome cookbook for folks with or without diet restrictions. My goodies didn’t come out as pretty as the ones at BabyCakes NYC, but I’m committed to keep trying until they do.
