Meet The Blogger | What Kate Baked

Sometimes I find myself pondering odd little questions… such as “Can peoples’ names have some weird kind of influence over their hobbies?” That particular question popped into mind when I noticed how many of the baking blogs I follow are run by people called Kate. “Do Kates have a predisposition to bake and blog?”

Regardless of the answer, I’m happy to present my next Meet The Blogger interview with Kate from What Kate Baked.

BannerHello and welcome, please introduce yourself and tell us a little about the kind of content you share.

I have the sweetest tooth of anyone I know. And I love baking. So I thought I’d put together What Kate Baked documenting my trials (and often tribulations) in the kitchen as I strive to satisfy my sweet tooth. The recipes on the blog are about 99% sweet, the odd savoury bake makes an appearance once in a while

Is there a story behind your blog’s name?

My sister helped me come up with the name- a twist on What Katie Did, a favourite book of mine during my childhood- I think she hopes she’ll get 10% of all cakes I bake as royalties!

Kate

Why did you choose to blog about baking and does blogging about baking present any particular challenges?

The only time of year when I struggle is January when my husband and I try to eat healthily after all the indulgence over Christmas – this is never conducive to keeping a baking blog up to date! Fortunately, I’ve many appreciative hungry colleagues at work who will always, always polish off any sweet treat in ten minutes flat!

What are your earliest memories of cooking? Who or what inspired you to cook?

I remember making peppermint creams and coconut ice with my Nana and Grandpa as a child and Mum used to always make the most inventive birthday cakes for us- one year I had a doll’s teaparty cake while my brother had a pirates treasure chest cake. I definitely get my sweet tooth from my Mum’s side of the family…

What are the biggest influences on your cooking at the moment?

I think the internet – be it pinterest, other blogs, established foodie websites- is an absolutely treasure trove of inspiration and ideas. Although I have a rather large collection of baking books, I can spend hours whiling away my time on exciting new recipes on the net.

Tell us the story of your most spectacular kitchen failure!

I once gave food poisoning to an ex-boyfriend after a poorly made lemon meringue pie…. This was many years ago and suffice to say the relationship was very short lived!

Which food or ingredients could you not live without?

From a baking point of view I love baking with almonds and zesty flavours

Which food writers / chefs do you find most inspirational and in the same spirit, are there any particular cookery books you cherish above the rest of the shelf?

Ohhh, this is a tough one! Delia is my go-to for classic recipes, Nigella for utter indulgence and decadence, Nigel Slater for prose and narrative and Dan Lepard for the science behind baking!

If I were coming for dinner, what would you cook for me?

I make a mean chicken and leek pie! How does that sound?

[It sounds wonderful to me! Kavey]

What’s the single piece of equipment you wouldn’t be without?

My spatula – well, I have five all together, all red.

Do you have a current favourite restaurant or top 3?

We love Dishoom at the moment- a new one has opened in Granary Square in King’s Cross. Kateh, a Persian restaurant, is round the corner in Little Venice, London and the best roast in all of town can be found in our local, The Truscott Arms

What’s been your favourite destination thus far and why did you love it so much? Can you share a favourite memory from the trip?

Foodie wise probably our month travelling around Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam a few years back. We spend a day at a cookery school run by the ex-Head Chef for the King in Vietnam. He was incredibly patient and kind. Following an insightful visit to the local market we spent the day making all sorts of delicious Vietnamese cuisine

Which destination is at the top of your foodie travel wish list? (You can make it a top 3 if you prefer.)

French Laundry, California; Noma, Copenhagen and a tour around the Champagne region in France (greedy, moi?!)

Elderflower Syllabub

Since you started blogging, has your style and content changed over time, and if so, in what ways?

I think the photos are better since we bought a great camera a few months into starting the blog. I’ve hopefully got a little better at presentation/styling but I know there is a lot of work to do in that department! My content has stayed pretty much the same, although the frequency of posting is less.

What is the hardest aspect of blogging for you?

Time! I initially started doing two posts a week for the first year or two…I now blog every fortnight, much more achievable and I figured quality over quantity…

What inspires you to keep blogging regularly?

Its a great hobby- absolute escapism from the day job, a chance to meet lots of interesting people and join various foodie events/activities. Also the blogging community is really friendly and welcoming – I’ve made lots of virtual friends since starting who share a similar interest and enjoyment. Finally, I love it when I get a tweet, email or message from someone saying they’ve tried a recipe of mine…and its been successful!

Christmas Wreath Cake

What are you absolutely loving cooking, eating, doing right now?

Lots of lovely warming, comforting slow-cooked meals at this time of year plus LOTS of Christmas baking. Its such a great time of year to spend time in the kitchen.

What’s the single most popular post on your blog?

In the summer months – elderflower syllabub and in the winter either mulled wine cupcakes or Christmas Wreath Cake.

Can we give a little extra love and attention to a post you love but didn’t catch the attention of your readers in the way you hoped?

I was really chuffed with how well this Christmas Cracker Cake turned out last Christmas.

Christmas Cracker

Spread the love

Blog URL www.whatkatebaked.com
Twitter handle https://twitter.com/whatkatebaked

Enjoyed this interview? Read the rest of the series, here.

Please leave a comment - I love hearing from you!
7 Comments to "Meet The Blogger | What Kate Baked"

  1. kaveyeats

    My sister and I used to make peppermint creams as kids, you should definitely look up the recipe, they’re a fun and quick one to do and a pretty gift.

    Reply

Please leave a comment - I love hearing from you!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *