In which young Oliver (my nephew and godson) tires of watching us ladies fumble with the BabyCakes Madeleine recipe, dons his customized bakery outfit, and doses a batch of cookies with some magical powers and helpful advice. Thanks, Ollie! --Love, Erin McKenna

MADELEINES

Makes 24

1 1/4 CUP WHITE OR BROWN RICE FLOUR
1 CUP SUGAR
1/2 CUP POTATO STARCH
1/4 CUP ARROWROOT
2 1/2 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER
1 TEASPOON SALT
1/2 TEASPOON XANTHAN GUM
1/4 TEASPOON BAKING SODA

1/2 CUP MELTED COCONUT OIL
6 TABLESPOONS UNSWEETENED APPLESAUCE
3 TABLESPOONS VANILLA
1/2 CUP HOT WATER

1/2 CUP POWDERED SUGAR

Preheat oven to 325° F. Brush 2 madeleine trays with coconut oil and set aside. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the four, sugar, potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum and baking soda and whisk until combined. Add the oil, applesauce, and vanilla and stir with a rubber whisk until the batter is smooth. Gradually add the hot water, stirring constantly, until incorporated. Drop a rounded tablespoon of the batter into each mold, gently spreading it to fill the mold. Bake for 12 minutes, rotate the pans and bake 6 minutes more, or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Place the cooled Madeleines on the reserved cookie sheet and dust with the powdered sugar.

Produced and Directed by BabyCakes TV / Filmed by June Zandona / Edited and Special Effects'd by Bevin McNamara / And with Special Thanks to Asher Brown

Coming in November... Oliver Bakes BabyCakes NYC, Episode 2: Cake Mix For Your House!

Last Friday afternoon we were in the throws of the typical pre-weekend mayhem at the bakery--the girls were spinning their usual magic behind the counter while the bakers fought to catch up with the line snaking out the door.

Little did we know that our lives were about to change for almost 24 hours.

At roughly 12:27 pm Zach Galifianakis entered the bakery and walked straight to the kitchen looking pensive, and wild. In a hushed urgent tone he leaned in to Kitchen Rachel and confided, "I need 500 cupcakes. Tomorrow." Gasps all around. He knew what he was asking for was outrageous and begged us to do it. He explained it was his birthday and he was doing a talk for the New Yorker Festival and he needed cupcakes from us. I swear, he was practically crying. I would have told him NO but Kitchen Rachel was already mesmerized by his red beard and accepted the order. Way to go, Kitchen Rachel.

That night and straight through Saturday me and Sabrina cursed Zach's name as we slaved over the order. Batch after batch of mini cupcakes came out of the oven and were transferred to trays for a quick cool down in order to meet the fast approaching deadline. Do you know how hard it is to frost a mini cupcake? Yeah. Now think about doing 500. Terrible. We struggled to find enough space in the refrigerator to store all the bakery boxes but somehow, we made do and got them to the theater unscathed and on time.

Sunday morning I woke up (with a very sore arm but whatever, I'm over it) to this blurb in the New Yorker:

Saturday night on West Thirty-seventh Street was a special night: Zach Galifianakis turned forty-two. To mark the occasion, he appeared in conversation with Andy Borowitz, bought five hundred gluten-free cupcakes (from Babycakes) to share with the audience, and asked everyone to serenade him with a rendition of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

That's it?!?! Thanks a lot Zach. We hope you had a really Merry Christmas.

And they are amazing! This version is made with spelt flour but trying my hand at a gluten-free version this weekend. I feel a third cookbook on the horizon, oh heaven help me...

It's always extremely uncomfortable and embarrassing when the attention shifts from the sweets to me personally but I was still flattered to be featured in Refinery29's fashion story on stylish bakers. Refinery29 works overtime to make everything fun and gorgeous so I was not surprised to see the piece come out so beautifully.

Click here to check it out but before you do, a favor? Don't look at my cake caked clogs in the second shot! I was really working that day!

. It is probably the best free education you'll ever come across. I first met him a few years back when he popped by BabyCakes and found him to be one of my absolute favorite people to be around. He is hilarious and knows lots about just about everything.
We made this video on his most recent trip, when he stopped by the bakery to meet some fans and sign copies of his latest book, "The Sweet Life In Paris." (Go get it now, are you crazy!?) We squeezed in a quick conversation about a bunch of things, followed by a donut tutorial from the latest BabyCakes book, "BabyCakes Covers the Classics." Then David modeled, or tried to model, the new Built By Wendy uniforms the bakery girls wear... I'm talking full almost-frontal-but-definitely-topless Lebovitz!
Thanks, David! Come back soon, please...

Something has to be pretty major and ultra chic to make us want to bump our 8:00 bedtime up to 10:30. This Fashion Night Out benefit for the Silverlake Conservatory is just that major. We're incredibly honored that our brownies and donuts were invited and will be partying with the best of them. 3.1 Phillip Lim will host this event alongside Refinery29 at its Robertson store. Our favorite band Cults and KCRW DJ's will entertain us when we're not too busy gazing adoringly at the 3.1 fashion line, sipping Deleon Tequila and eating Xoia tacos. Meet us there to have a blast while keeping music alive on the eastside.

If you're like me, you check Gilt City before anything else when you turn on your computer every day. We're proud to be offering the following packages for walk-in customers at our New York and LA shops for 40% off while packages last: All Day Breakfast Special, 6 Cookie and 6 Cupcakes, or BabyCakes Favorites Sampler (which includes a copy of our second book!). All details, pricing and order information is here so click and pick before we sell out!

I'm lucky enough to take time out during the normal pressure of my day--from time to time-- to chat with great writers like Julia Gazdag about BabyCakes (my favorite subject besides Chanel lipgloss). I don't usually post every last thing that has been published about the bakery because that would be obnoxious but Julia tells the BabyCakes story in her usual charming way here and with many spoonfuls of sugar (humor, style) to help the medicine go down (the facts, boresville). Hello Giggles was the platform for this story and I couldn't be more flattered, honored and now beyond inflated. Thank you Julia! Call me!

With all the rumblings about the FDA imposing stricter guidelines on labeling products "gluten-free" CBS Early Show stopped by to check it out. Watch it here:

In 1996, I began experimenting with diets. From food combining to the handful-of-chocolate-chips-throughout-the-day meal plan, I exhausted every bone in my body to completely embrace each one. By 2008, my extremism led to severe burn out and I swore off diets all together. I chose a plan of eating, with the guidance of registered dietitian, that was balanced and all-inclusive.

Everything was smooth sailing until I found out I was pregnant. All sense of normal eating and table manners were thrown out the window. Desserts were de rigour and grazing was a given. "It's the baby. She's craving this ice cream cake," I would reason after I'd turned up my nose at a salad. Five months after pregnancy, I continued to embrace the pregnancy diet. I couldn't blame Darla for my funky eating habits anymore.

It was a sign that something needed to change when Erin asked me to review Mom Energy: a simple plan to live fully charged by the famed registered dietitian Ashley Koff and fitness guru Kathy Kaehler.

I anxiously opened up Mom Energy after Darla fell asleep one night. I was afraid I would have to throw the book across the room when the "cut-this-food-item-out" preaching began. I didn't think my sleep-deprived brain could handle such pressure. What I read, however, were balanced, thorough descriptions of healthy eating and living habits, coupled with complex nutrition concepts written in laymen's terms. I began to understand the mechanics of nutrition, which I had previously followed blindly.

What really caught my attention were Koff and Kahler's ability to take the guilt out of eating. This is extremely helpful for mothers, since we live, eat and breathe shame. They encourage us to change one or two things a week until we eventually reach a steady routine of healthier habits. We're even given the option to not do it perfectly.

While no amount of healthy eating can bring energy into my system that only a night with more than four hours of sleep can cure, it has helped me find the balance that my delirious brain just can't figure out on its own. Now, I make myself sit down for meals occupied by food groups other than "candy" or "donut," which helps clear my head. That's not to say, however, that sweets are banished. I just consume them in moderation. Luckily, I have unfettered access to the types of baked goods of which Koff and Kaehler approve. I'm eternally grateful that BabyCakes' is still allowed! Further, the book is a handy guide for when I shop. I've kept in mind some of the tips listed in the book and I have, already, become a much more conscious consumer who foregoes the supermarket for the farmer's market.

The exercises prescribed are very manageable, as well. I'm much more motivated to strap baby Darla into her Ergo backpack and walk her up and down the monstrous hills in my neighborhood twice a day. Once with the two of us in the afternoon and once in the evening with the husband/dad (Greg). Not only do I have more energy and a sense of calm afterwards, it has allowed me to kill time until Greg gets home, encourages Darla to go down for a nap and gives Greg and I a chance to talk.

This "choose your own adventure" book allows the exhausted mother to slowly reenter the atmosphere of saner, healthier living. Already, I feel slightly less dumb and a lot less lethargic. I'm excited to see how much better I'll continue to feel as I gradually absorb more of these lessons. Hopefully, baby Darla will start sleeping through the night soon so I can put into practice some of the ideas discussed in the sleep chapter!

Never Forget Aaliyah! from BabyCakes NYC on Vimeo.

Director: Crystal Moselle / Producer: Vivan Thi Tang / Director of Photography: Dave McGrath / Editor: Mariana Martin Capriles / Hair and Make-up: Courtney Perkins

We can't believe this Saturday will mark 6 years since we opened the doors at BabyCakes NYC with 4 recipes and just 3 girls: me, Sabrina Wells and my sister Elizabeth. It's so emotional looking back at what started as a small neighborhood specialty bakery and has turned into quite the big project! Thanks to everyone who have supported us through thick and thin over the years. We love you guys!!!