Hyperrealistic Cakes With Cake Artist Julie McAllister

Today’s guest is Farideh Sadeghin. Farideh is a chef, recipe developer, video host, and food writer based in New York City. She’s been the test kitchen director at Saveur and was executive culinary director at Vice’s Munchies. Her first cookbook, “The Hot Dog Cookbook: 50 Recipes for the World’s Best Food,” was recently released and is full of classic, international, and original takes on her favorite food. Farideh joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about growing up in an Iranian-Italian household, how cooking became her path after college, what she learned working in restaurants in New Zealand, and how a chicken liver pâté recipe led her to Saveur. They also dive into “The Hot Dog Cookbook,” and Farideh walks us through her Klobásník recipe—a savory pastry with a yeasted dough traditionally wrapped around sausage. It’s similar to a kolache and was adapted by Czech immigrants who settled in Texas. Farideh makes hers with hot dogs, Cheddar, and jalapeño. Click here for Farideh’s Klobásník recipe from “The Hot Dog Cookbook.” Reserve your hot dog for The Hot Dog Edit hereLearn more about The Hot Dog Edit Subscribe to our Substack for more baking news and recipes Visit cherrybombe.com for magazine subscriptions, tickets to upcoming events, and more. More on Farideh: Instagram, "The Hot Dog Cookbook" More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Lisa Steele. Lisa is a fifth-generation chicken keeper, Maine master gardener, TV personality, and founder of Fresh Eggs Daily, her brand and blog devoted to backyard chickens, gardening, and seasonal living. Lisa is also a cookbook author and recently released her new book, “In Season: 125+ Sweet and Savory Recipes Celebrating Simple, Fresh Ingredients.”  Lisa joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about growing up across the street from her grandparents’ chicken farm, baking angel food cake with eggs from the family flock, and how raising chickens led to her blog, books, TV show, and natural poultry product line.  Lisa also walks Jessie through her recipe for pannukakku, the Finnish oven pancake with a custardy interior and puffy, golden brown exterior. Lisa’s version is savory with a ricotta honey whip, peas, asparagus, soft-cooked eggs, and honey mustard dressing. Click here for Lisa’s Finnish Oven Pancake with Ricotta Honey Whip, Peas, and Asparagus from “In Season.” Subscribe to our Substack for more baking news and recipes. Visit cherrybombe.com for magazine subscriptions, tickets to upcoming events, and more. More on Lisa: Instagram, website, “In Season” cookbook More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Mariela Camacho, pastry chef and founder of Comadre Panadería, a Mexican American bakery in Austin, Texas, known for its beautiful pan dulce made with traditional techniques, local ingredients, and heirloom Texas grains. Mariela is a two-time James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef. She joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about the journey that led her into baking and starting a pop-up, which eventually led to her brick-and-mortar. Mariela also talks about how her upbringing shaped her ethical business practices and her mission of nourishing her community.  Then, Mariela and Jessie dive into one of Mexico’s most iconic treats—the concha. Mariela shares all her best tips for making the enriched sweet bread with its signature crackly shell top, and dives into the flavors they offer at Comadre Panadería, including strawberry, chocolate, and matcha. Subscribe to our Substack for more baking news and recipes Visit cherrybombe.com for magazine subscriptions, tickets to upcoming events, and more. More on Mariela: Instagram, website More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Edd Kimber—baker, cookbook author, food writer, and the first winner of “The Great British Bake Off.” He has written eight cookbooks, including his latest, “Chocolate Baking: The Ultimate Guide to Cakes, Cookies, Desserts, and Pastries.”  Ed joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about growing up in a home where everything was made from scratch and how he taught himself how to bake after working a stressful job. He shares how winning the first season of “Bake Off” changed his life, why he loves cookbook writing, and how he developed his voice as a baker. Then, Ed walks Jessie through his Tahini Milk Chocolate Paris-Brest from “Chocolate Baking.” He gives tips for mastering choux pastry, making stable ganache, and building layers of flavor and texture. Click here for Edd’s Tahini Milk Chocolate Paris-Brest recipe.  Subscribe to our Substack for more baking news and recipes Visit cherrybombe.com for magazine subscriptions, tickets to upcoming events, and more. More on Edd: Instagram, "Chocolate Baking" cookbook More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Julie McAllister, a Charleston-based baker known for her hyperrealistic cakes. Julie transforms cake, fondant, and modeling chocolate into lifelike creations—from magnolias and oysters to designer handbags and Charleston architecture. She has also been a contestant on Netflix’s “Is It Cake?” and Food Network’s “Holiday Wars.” Julie joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about her baking journey, from childhood cake mixes to discovering her love of decorating in grad school after a memorable Christmas tree cake attempt. She shares how she taught herself how to decorate cakes from cookbooks, her early days juggling a 4 a.m. bakery shift with a full-time job, and how she built a business focused on hyperrealistic cakes. They also dive into Julie’s signature work, from groom’s cakes to custom creations, and she walks Jessie through some of her most memorable designs, including a handbag cake for her Reese Witherspoon and a citrus topiary cake made of mini cakes. Get our Mom’s the Bombe Issue Visit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, tickets to upcoming events, and more. More on Julie: Instagram, website More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Roxana Jullapat, the baker, pastry chef, and co-owner of Friends & Family, a beloved seasonal cafe and bakery in Los Angeles. Roxana is also the author of two cookbooks, “Mother Grains: Recipes for the Grain Revolution” and her latest, “Morning Baker: Recipes and Rituals for Breakfast and Beyond.” She’s known for her commitment to whole grains and her thoughtful, flavor-driven approach to baking. Roxana joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about her journey from growing up in Costa Rica in a big household to discovering her path in pastry after a formative tarte tatin moment early in her career. She shares how working at Nancy Silverton’s Campanile helped shape her baking philosophy and how opening Friends & Family helped her fully identify with the title “baker.” They also dive into Roxana’s new book and walk through her Sour Cream Cake Doughnuts recipe, which uses both baking powder and baking soda to puff up the dough. Roxana explains the importance of moisture and fat in whole-grain baking to why freshly grated nutmeg is a non-negotiable. Click here for Roxana’s Sour Cream Cake Doughnut recipe.  Jubilee NYC 2026 tickets here Subscribe to our free baking newsletter Visit cherrybombe.com for magazine subscriptions, tickets to upcoming events, and more. More on Roxana: Instagram, Friends & Family, “Morning Baker” cookbook More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Mallory Oniki, recipe developer, food photographer, and the creator behind The Palatable Life. Mallory is known for her creative, flavor-packed bakes, especially her cookie recipes inspired by pop culture. Her debut cookbook, “Cookie Club: 80 Creative Cookies to Make, Swap, and Share,” is out April 14th. Mallory joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about her baking journey, from childhood kitchen experiments to teaching herself how to develop recipes in college. She shares how launching her food blog and social media during the pandemic led to her breakout cookie series inspired by movies and TV shows, including “Stranger Things,” “Gilmore Girls,” and “Ted Lasso,” and how that momentum helped her turn content creation into a full-time career. They also dig into “Cookie Club,” and Mallory walks Jessie through three of her recipes in it: classic shortbread rounds, “Ted Lasso”–inspired shortbread cookies, and her “Clueless” checkerboard shortbread.  Click here for Mallory’s “Clueless” Checkerboard Shortbread Cookie recipe.  Jubilee NYC 2026 tickets hereGet our Mom’s the Bombe Issue Visit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, tickets to upcoming events, and more. More on Mallory: Instagram, website, “Cookie Club” cookbook More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Colu Henry. Colu is a cook and writer who has contributed to The New York Times, Food & Wine, House & Garden UK, and more. She’s also the author of three cookbooks: “Back Pocket Pasta,” “Colu Cooks: Easy Fancy Food,” and her newest, “Better at Home: Recipes for Big Nights In.” Colu joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about her fascinating path into food—from musical theater student to PR pro to recipe developer. She shares how working in restaurant PR unexpectedly gave her a crash course in recipe writing and cookbook production, and how a simple Instagram hashtag led to her first book deal. They also talk about Colu’s childhood food memories, her approach to “pantry fluency,” and the joys of cooking at home. Then, the duo dive into pizza. Colu walks Jessie through her go-to pizza dough recipe from her new book (adapted from Chris Bianco), shares her favorite toppings, and explains why pizza building reminds her of pasta making.  Click here for Colu’s Pizza with Soppressata & Pickled Peppers recipe. Jubilee NYC 2026 tickets hereGet our Mom’s the Bombe Issue Visit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, tickets to upcoming events, and more. More on Colu: Instagram, Colu Cooks Substack, “Better at Home” cookbook More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Danielle Sepsy, baker and founder of The Hungry Gnome, a New York–based wholesale bakery. Danielle has become known as “The Scone Queen” and was a contestant on Dan Levy’s culinary competition show, “The Big Brunch.” She’s also the author of the upcoming baking book, “The Scone Queen Bakes: 100 Recipes for Scones, Muffins, Cookies, and Cakes from the Founder of The Hungry Gnome.” Danielle joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about growing up in a big Italian family on Long Island and baking alongside her grandmother. She shares how receiving a stand mixer (and a Martha Stewart Living subscription) at eight years old fueled her love for baking and led her to start a scone business as a teenager. They also discuss the early days of The Hungry Gnome and what it was like to compete on TV. Then, the duo walk through Danielle’s signature chocolate chip scone recipe. The baker discusses why heavy cream and egg yolks make all the difference, how to cream the butter perfectly into the flour, and why you want a higher oven temperature, at first, to prevent the scones from spreading too much.  Click here for Danielle’s Raisin Tea Biscuit recipe.  Get our Mom’s the Bombe Issue Jubilee NYC 2026 tickets here Visit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, tickets to upcoming events, and more. More on Danielle: Instagram, The Hungry Gnome, “The Scone Queen Bakes” cookbook More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Today’s guest is Mariam Daud of the popular @mxriyum social media account. Mariam is a home cook, recipe developer, and author of the new cookbook “I Sleep in My Kitchen: Comfort Recipes from My Palestinian American Home.” She is known on social media (where she has 7+ million followers) for her beautiful recipe videos highlighting traditional Palestinian dishes, nostalgic bakes, and comforting meals.  Miriam joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about growing up in a bustling household with nine siblings, learning to cook alongside her mom, and rolling hundreds of grape leaves assembly-line style. She shares the story of how she accidentally set the kitchen on fire, how a spontaneous milkshake video launched her social media career, and what it was like to bring her cookbook to life. The duo then walks through Mariam’s recipe for Knafeh Kishna, a sweet and salty dessert beloved across the Levant. They discuss the differences between Palestinian and Lebanese styles, the signature orange hue of Palestinian knafeh, the briny cheeses traditionally used, and the magic of that dramatic cheese pull when served hot and drenched in orange blossom syrup. Click here for Miriam’s Knafeh Kishna recipe.  Get our Mom’s the Bombe Issue Jubilee NYC 2026 tickets here Visit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, tickets to upcoming events, and more. More on Mariam: Instagram, “I Sleep In My Kitchen” cookbook More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook