You may know her as the former baker at Greenwood Grocery, or the woman who in 2020 penned Hot Cheese (aptly named—it’s a collection of recipes with hot cheese as the star), or even as the author of the Chesnok food blog, but Polina Chesnakova’s gunning for a new title: the cake lady. Her new book, Everyday Cake, is for cake lovers in the truest sense, the kind of people who just like to have a sweet treat sitting on the counter. Of course, the Seattle-based author admits, there are a few recipes that might be better saved for a special occasion than a Tuesday afternoon (looking at you, rum raisin bundt, emphasis on the rum), but because the book is uniquely organized by pan shape, she’s made it easy to get just what you’re craving.
Catch her at Common House on September 22 to dive into each beautiful page. In the meantime, here’s what she had to say about her new release.
Knife & Fork: Why cake?
Polina Chesnakova: I wanted to write a baking book and felt like 1) the great thing about cake is that they can be made as simple or as complicated as you want, but they’re always welcome, and 2) there were so many cake books out there that focused on decorating, layering, or making four to five different components. I wanted to write a book that focused on simple, rustic cakes that hit on all the everyday reasons to make them—when a craving hits, for the unexpected guest, or when you want something sweet to celebrate with, but without the fuss.
Do you have a favorite in the book, or are they kind of all your babies?
They’re all my babies obviously! But, as the title suggests, it just depends on my mood or the occasion. The olive oil cake is super easy and quick to whip up, and great for showcasing whatever fruit is in season (I suggest pairing it with a fruit compote and whipped cream). It’s my go-to for when I want to serve a simple, yet elegant dessert (which is often the case). I’m also really proud of the golden milk tres leches—the milk mixture is this gorgeous electric yellow and because it’s infused with turmeric and whole spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper, the flavor is out of this world. The sponge soaks it all up and the cool whipped cream makes each bite extra creamy (plus it helps cut the sweetness!).
Are there any family recipes included?
Yes! I have my mom’s rum raisin bundt cake (ironically, a family favorite seeing as the recipe calls for an entire cup of rum, and yet no one in my family drinks, ha!); the apple sharlotka (so quick and easy to whip together—think soft, sponge cake studded with apple chunks); napoleon (puff pastry layered with whipped pastry cream); and grated jam cake, which is perfectly homey and just the kind of dessert you want always want lying around.
What’s the first cake you remember making?
I think my first ventures into cake making (if they count) were cupcakes. There were definitely Betty Crocker box mixes and Duncan Hines frosting involved, but I think the first from-scratch batch I remember making was an Ina Garten chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting recipe. I really got into baking in high school, and I was a big “Barefoot Contessa” fan and loved all of her cookbooks. I brought the cupcakes into school and of course my fellow 16-year-olds were like, ‘Whoa, you made them from scratch?’ I’m pretty sure that’s also when my love-for-baking reputation began.
Your cookbooks focus on one specific thing—cheese, cake… Was that on purpose?
Not a deliberate choice! Just sort of worked out that way. My dream has always been to write a book on my food heritage and family recipes— the mainly Russian and Georgian dishes I grew up with—so when the opportunities to write these past two books arose, I saw them as stepping stones to this goal. But when and how I’ll write it is still TBD!
