Baking at BSM [Recipes Included]

Juliet Scallon, Staff Writer • June 3, 2025

Baking is a common hobby that many BSM students enjoy.

Ever since the Egyptians created the first ovens around 2600 BCE, baking has been a common and productive hobby for billions of people worldwide. There are thousands of different baked goods, whether they are sweet or savory, whether they use the leavening agent (makes it rise!) of baking powder, yeast, or a sourdough starter. Many students at BSM like to bake, but the question then becomes, what are the best baking staples, and how can everyone make them at home?

An absolute classic in the baking realm is chocolate cake. This gooey, decadent dessert can make anyone’s mouth water, which is why it is sophomore Tessa Erickson’s favorite treat. Erickson loves baking, especially her favorite chocolate cake recipe. “I feel like [it’s] always [a] good cake,” Erickson said.

Chocolate Cake Recipe

Cake
1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 and 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons espresso powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or canola oil or melted coconut oil)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee (regular or decaf)

Frosting
1 and 1/4 cups (282g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3 and 1/2 cups (420g) confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or dutch process)
3–5 Tablespoons (45 – 75ml) heavy cream (or half-and-half or milk), at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
optional for decoration: semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment mix the oil, eggs, and vanilla on medium-high speed until combined. Add the buttermilk and mix until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the hot water/coffee, and whisk or beat on low speed until the batter is completely combined. The batter is thin. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 23-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely in the pan. Make the buttercream: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy—about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoons heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 1 full minute. Do not over-whip. Add 1/4 cup more confectioners’ sugar or cocoa powder if the frosting is too thin or 1-2 more Tablespoons of cream if the frosting is too thick. Taste. Add another pinch of salt if desired. Assemble and frost: If cooled cakes are domed on top, use a large serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the tops to create a flat surface. This is called “leveling” the cakes. Discard or crumble over the finished cake. Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer and spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I always use an icing spatula and bench scraper for the frosting. Garnish with chocolate chips, if desired. Refrigerate uncovered cake for at least 30-60 minutes before slicing to help set the shape. After that, you can serve the cake or continue refrigerating for up to 4–6 hours before serving. Cake can be served at room temperature or chilled. Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days. I like using a cake carrier for storage and transport.

Muffins are another classic that transcends generations. The best part about muffins, aside from the tops, is the vast array of flavors you can make. If someone can think of a flavor, they can make a muffin out of it. Baking connoisseur sophomore Connor Gugger’s favorite baking staple is blueberry muffins, with their delectable crumble and burst of sweet berries. “They don’t take that long. They’re a quick and easy breakfast in the morning. I like how the blueberries get all warm and like melty,” Gugger said.

Blueberry Muffin Recipe

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Zest of 2 Meyer lemons
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 large egg
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 cups blueberries

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Start with the streusel crumb topping. In a small bowl, whisk to combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and mix with a fork until crumbs form. Chill in the refrigerator while you continue with the recipe. For the muffin batter, in a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and citrus zest. In another large bowl, whisk to combine the melted butter, egg, and buttermilk. It’s fine if it looks curdled or lumpy. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir just enough to bring the batter together. It will be thick and lumpy, and that’s fine. Take care not to over-stir, which can make your muffins tough. Dump in the blueberries, and fold them in gently, just enough to distribute them somewhat evenly. Take care not to stir too much, or your batter will turn purple. Use a large 3-tbsp cookie scoop and scoop slightly overfilled portions evenly into the 12-lined muffin wells. Remove the crumb topping from the fridge and break up the crumbs with your fingertips, sprinkling the topping onto each of the muffin batter scoops. Bake for 28-30 minutes, until the crumbs are golden brown. To make sure they are done inside, I gently press my fingertip in the top center of the muffin. It should spring back to the touch. They can be enjoyed warm out of the oven, but the flavor is at its best after they’ve cooled for about 2 hours. Enjoy!

Although most baking staples you think of are sweet, the world of savory baking takes you on a whole new adventure. Sophomore Maddy Wacek loves to bake and has found the best of both the sweet and savory worlds with her favorite baking staple, focaccia bread. Wacek likes to make focaccia bread due to its versatility. “There are lots of different flavors,” Wacek said.

Focaccia Recipe

1¾ cups warm water, 105° to 115°F
2 teaspoons cane sugar
1 (¼-ounce) package active dry yeast, 2¼ teaspoons
500 grams all-purpose flour, 4 cups
2 teaspoons sea salt
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for your hands

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir together the water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top and stir again. Set aside for 5 minutes, or until the yeast is foamy. If the yeast doesn’t foam, discard the mixture and start again with the new yeast. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 5 minutes. A very elastic, sticky dough should form and begin grabbing the sides of the bowl. Brush a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, using a spatula to scrape it out of the bowl of the stand mixer. It will be too sticky to transfer by hand. Use your fingers to lightly brush any oil that’s pooling at the edges of the dough over its surface. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set aside until the dough has doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours. Brush a 9×13-inch baking dish* with another 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Uncover the dough and rub your hands with olive oil. As best you can, slide your hand under one edge of the dough and fold it into itself. Continue working your way around the edge of the bowl, folding the dough into itself, until you have a rough ball that you can lift from the bowl Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and turn to coat in the oil. Press the dough to the pan’s edges. Let it relax and pull away from the edges, then press it to the edges again. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set aside to rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes. 30 minutes into this rise, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Remove the plastic wrap and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the dough. Rub your hands with olive oil, then use your fingers to make indentations across the surface of the dough, pressing through the dough to the pan. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and rosemary, if desired. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Cookies are a classic for everyone growing up. Many different types of cookies make everyone’s mouth water. Some people like sugar cookies, others like peanut butter cookies, or oatmeal raisin cookies. Freshman Sebastian Zamorano has the best of both worlds as his favorite baked item to whip up is oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. These are a nutty, delicate, sweet treat that anyone can make on a whim. Zamorano found himself unable to produce a recipe to share, “I usually just eyeball a lot of the ingredients,” Zamorano said.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon dark molasses
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats
1 and 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until combined and creamed, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, molasses, and vanilla and beat on high speed until combined about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Beat in the oats and chocolate chips. The dough will be thick and sticky. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 45 minutes in the refrigerator (and up to 4 days). If chilling for longer than a few hours, allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking because the dough will be quite firm. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough, about 2 Tablespoons (40g) of dough per cookie, which is a heaping cookie scoopful, and place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 13–14 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. While the cookies are still warm, I like to press a few more chocolate chips into the tops and sprinkle with flaky sea salt—both are optional! Cookies stay fresh and covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

As for other types of cookies that students love to make, sophomore Fiona Lealos’s favorite items to bake are red velvet sugar cookies and churro sugar cookies. The reason she likes making these sweets is because she has a good time frosting them. “I like to listen to music and watch movies while I bake, and it’s very rewarding,” Lealos said.

Although many BSM students enjoy baking, everyone has their own opinion on what the best baking staple is. After looking at all these recipes and perspectives, the best move is for everyone to try the treats and decide for themselves who truly makes the best baked goods.

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