Courtney Rich, the creator of Cake by Courtney, has shared nearly 200 cake and dessert recipes on her website and now in her new cookbook, Cake by Courtney, which includes how-to's on everything cake baking from beginners to expert. She has been featured on television segments at the Today Show, the Kelly Clarkson Show, Hallmark Home & Family, and Oprah magazine. Courtney shares how baking transformed her journey in dealing with depression, gives tips and motivation on how to get started, and shares her favorite cake recipes with exciting life stories behind each one.
Follow Courtney
Instagram @cakebycourtney
Website https://cakebycourtney.com/
Pre Order Cookbook HERE
The Sweetest Thing
Bread truck gives away everything to stranded motorists on I95 during winter storm. Read story HERE Send us your good-news stories!! Email us at theplspodcast@gmail.com
Zesty of the week:
Heidi is obzest with Sweetart Ropes and gets Nicole onboard with the addiction
Check it out HERE
Sponsored by Kaotica Eyeball Microphone
Use code THANKYOU for 10% off
kaoticaeyeball.com
Follow the PLS Podcast on
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Facebook
Artwork by Kat Hennessey
Audio Engineer Andrew Schwartz
Original theme music by Heidi Webster & Nicole Kaplan
Come sip with us!
Courtney Rich, the creator of Cake by Courtney, has shared nearly 200 cake and dessert recipes on her website and now in her new cookbook, Cake by Courtney, which includes how-to's on everything cake baking from beginners to expert. She has been featured on television segments at the Today Show, the Kelly Clarkson Show, Hallmark Home & Family, and Oprah magazine. Courtney shares how baking transformed her journey in dealing with depression, gives tips and motivation on how to get started, and shares her favorite cake recipes with exciting life stories behind each one.
Follow Courtney
Instagram @cakebycourtney
Website https://cakebycourtney.com/
Pre Order Cookbook HERE
The Sweetest Thing
Bread truck gives away everything to stranded motorists on I95 during winter storm. Read story HERE Send us your good-news stories!! Email us at theplspodcast@gmail.com
Zesty of the week:
Heidi is obzest with Sweetart Ropes and gets Nicole onboard with the addiction
Check it out HERE
Sponsored by Kaotica Eyeball Microphone
Use code THANKYOU for 10% off
kaoticaeyeball.com
Follow the PLS Podcast on
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Artwork by Kat Hennessey
Audio Engineer Andrew Schwartz
Original theme music by Heidi Webster & Nicole Kaplan
Come sip with us!
00:00.00
Nicole Kaplan
We start recording if the video goes a little fuzzy. It's because it's processing in real time. But once it's all it'll be clear in the end. It looks good.
00:07.57
pinklemonadestand
Awesome. Okay, we're gonna go ahead and like read your bio first to kick things off and then we'll just launch into the questions. Oh also if we say anything wrong or um, there's something that you're like you know what? no take that out. We edit everything so it's like very cash. Um.
00:21.91
courtney
Can perfect.
00:26.95
pinklemonadestand
Okay, here we go Courtney Rich the creator of cakes by Courtney Ditched the cake cake. Oh perfect see glad we are going cake by Courtney I Wrote it wrong everywhere like what kind of fan am I.
00:31.72
courtney
Oh wait cake. No s but we'll just get that ready.
00:45.16
Nicole Kaplan
Let's get.
00:46.59
pinklemonadestand
I Just ah.
00:47.62
courtney
That's okay, that's okay when I started my Instagram cakes by courting was taken and I was like no I like cake I like the anyway yeah 13
00:55.45
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah, it is clean.
00:56.58
pinklemonadestand
It's clean. It's nice and clean. Okay, thank you for that. Take 2 courtney rich the creator of cake by courtney ditched the cake box mixes 12 years ago in pursuit of melt in your mouth to die for flavor combinations. After a career in Broadcast journalism courtney gave it all up for the Apron since then courtney has created over 1 ah hundred and twenty cake and dessert recipes that she shares with the world including her new cookbook cake by courtney.
01:27.97
Nicole Kaplan
Courtney has been featured on tv segments at the today show the kelly clarkson show and in oprah magazine she is also teaching classes at the orson gigi what? what? how you say that Giggie okay, oh big too.
01:41.30
courtney
Giggy The gig you ya.
01:44.44
Nicole Kaplan
Teaching classes at the orson gigggie culinary arts center in Salt lake city that has a waitlist of over 4000 people now people are racing to get those cakes and we can't believe we are lucky enough to have her with us today at the stand. Please welcome courtney. Ah yeah.
01:50.49
pinklemonadestand
Who.
02:00.21
courtney
Um, not that's got to be the most fun intro I've ever had on a podcast. So thank you.
02:09.63
pinklemonadestand
Ah, we love to start off with a clap and a cheer at the Pink Lemonade stand and we are so happy you're here Courtney Thanks for joining us.
02:12.68
Nicole Kaplan
Yes.
02:16.69
courtney
Oh thanks for having me. It's a snowy day here in Utah So I am just kind bundled up in my my office and this is a great way to start the day. So thank you.
02:26.49
pinklemonadestand
I Love it.
02:26.72
Nicole Kaplan
Oh my gosh this snow it's going to be a white winter or a white christmas we're in Los angeles and it is ah you're from.
02:30.62
courtney
Yes, we need it. We need it are you where are you guys located ah my home. Yes well I grew up all over but Los angeles is home I live there twice growing up I finished high school there.
02:35.69
pinklemonadestand
Um, Las Angeles. Ah.
02:50.10
courtney
And then after I graduated college ryan and I moved out there started our careers and started our family out in Santa monica and so our families are still in the Los angeles area and I am a dodger and laker fan for life.
02:56.61
pinklemonadestand
Ah. Um, no way. Yeah, oh my gosh I Love that L a.
03:03.39
Nicole Kaplan
Oh cool. Ah that is so awesome. Well well, um, if it makes you feel any better. It's a rainy day in the fifty s here. So it's you're not missing the sun right now.
03:09.50
courtney
Um, yeah.
03:15.70
courtney
Um, yeah I remember those winters. Ah.
03:21.82
pinklemonadestand
Ah, oh my gosh.
03:21.44
Nicole Kaplan
Totally so courtney we we just want to know all about you. We want to hear about these cakes and how you got started so we just wanted to take us back like tell us about the first cake you ever baked and how you discovered this passion.
03:37.39
courtney
Yeah, well, it's just something that kind of happened you know I feel like the the best businesses the biggest passions the most successes when it just naturally happens and it's not forced and so I'm going to take you back a little bit. More than just that first cake a little bit further back because I was a broadcast journalism major and I went into television consulting right? after college I worked for a company out of Los angeles and worked with them for several years doing media consulting and research and I loved it. I thought you know when I was that.
03:58.33
Nicole Kaplan
Wow right.
04:10.81
pinklemonadestand
Wow.
04:14.45
courtney
School I thought I'd do like the on-screen stuff and I loved producing but kind of found this different avenue to be in television and it was behind the scenes and really creative and really fun and I did that for years I actually was freelancing in that until 2019 when I started my own. Product line. So really I did that for the better part of 13 years but as I was kind of going along on that journey and I was working and we had moved to Santa monica um, after college my husband and I and started our family there. Um, you know we were kind of.
04:34.62
pinklemonadestand
Um, wow.
04:35.56
Nicole Kaplan
How.
04:51.22
courtney
Gosh how long have we been there. We'd been married probably for about 4 4 years and felt ready to start our family and I had my son weston 12 years ago this past December which is crazy that I have a teenager I'm just kind of still freaking out about that. It is.
05:03.53
Nicole Kaplan
Wow.
05:08.55
courtney
So wild because in my mind I'm still 26 so that feels like I was very young when I had a son anyway. So we were in the area. The foodie scene was like really starting to like build up in Los angeles food was becoming a really big deal.
05:10.10
pinklemonadestand
Totally.
05:23.79
courtney
My in-laws are really good cooks and we were living close to them so we would spend a lot of Sundays up at their house and you know I just started to take notice of the things that they were making my mom was a great cook. We baked all the time I never did a cake from scratch but we baked just about everything else but rick and connie. And their kitchen. It felt a little more gourmet and I was a little more intrigued with all the things that they were doing and the things they were making and so I'd be in the kitchen. You know every Sunday how how can I help I want to I want to get my hands on and learn and and usually I just was like chopping herbs and it was filling.
05:44.98
pinklemonadestand
So.
05:58.90
pinklemonadestand
Yeah, and chop this cucumber. Ah.
06:01.21
courtney
Water cups with ice and so you know having been married to ryan and in the family for a while and weston's birthday First birthday was upon us I thought you know what I'm gonna make a cake from scratch I'm gonna make a cake to you know, obviously like share with everyone I thought that'd be so fun. But I really um, wanted to impress.
06:20.32
pinklemonadestand
So.
06:20.80
courtney
Rick and connie and I like thought okay a homemade cake could be so fun and maybe I can earn my way up to the next level in the rich kitchen on Sunday dinners and so I grabbed a bo app petite magazine that was ah yep I love write their bible. Um.
06:32.56
pinklemonadestand
Favorite Love that. But.
06:38.63
courtney
But that was a magazine that was stacked in the Rich's Kitchen Rick and Condnie would always get recipes from there and so I thought okay it's a bone app pettite recipe. So you know I've got a browning point there. Um, and then I found a recipe for peanut butter cake with chocolate butter cream and I just went for it I.
06:54.19
pinklemonadestand
Mm.
06:57.26
courtney
Weston down for a nap 1 day a couple days before his party. It was done with my work and got into the kitchen with very little tools I had ah a mixer that I'd gotten from our wedding and I had cake pans that were like grocery store cake pans which I'll tell you later is a no no, don't do that I'll tell you the right pan.
07:12.30
Nicole Kaplan
Ah.
07:15.70
courtney
But I have any decorating tools I didn't have any knowledge really about how to do a cake from scratch except what was on the paper in front of me and I just followed it and so I often share the picture of my first cake because it's a reminder that we start somewhere right? and it's a reminder that it doesn't.
07:28.88
pinklemonadestand
M.
07:29.22
Nicole Kaplan
Like yeah like.
07:32.13
courtney
Matter what it looks like cause mine was round and kind of poofy and just I didn't know anything about leveling. But what's important and what I'll always remember is how it tasted and how I felt while I was making it and also while I was sharing it and that was something after that.
07:35.59
Nicole Kaplan
I.
07:49.81
courtney
First birthday that I wanted to do again I wanted to replicate those meetings I wanted to replicate that really joyful happy experience that I had in the kitchen just being creative and doing something new and proving to myself that you know I could do something that I wasn't familiar with making a cake from scratch was not. In my wheelhouse I can make cookies sure but a cake from scratch wasn't and I think too. Um, part of the reason that it filled my cup so much was I was a new mom I was working a ton I had been dealing with depression and anxiety since I was about 18 years old and this was something that just. Filled me up in a way that I wasn't getting anywhere else. There was a void and I so I just gravitated towards that that good feeling that was driving me to the kitchen I just kept making a cake after a cake you know every week or any excuse I was like who's got a Birthday or a party or something you make a cake and just.
08:31.20
pinklemonadestand
Mm.
08:39.46
pinklemonadestand
And.
08:41.30
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah.
08:46.97
courtney
Really dive into learning how to do this through trial and error and that's what it was for you know 6 years after that until I started my blog 6 years ago yeah
08:51.13
pinklemonadestand
Mm.
08:54.86
pinklemonadestand
Oh my gosh I love it the first baby k.
08:56.40
Nicole Kaplan
Wow! The first cake my I love the story of that and also I I just want to say um, if you're ever looking to go into the restaurant business I would love to go to eat somewhere called the rich kitchen like you kept referring.
09:12.87
courtney
I agree I ahead.
09:15.28
Nicole Kaplan
Ah, Rich Kitchen Osle I'm I'm down like I want to go there. Ah.
09:19.85
pinklemonadestand
Ah I love that and I want to see that picture of that first cake you made it just like I love I love to hear that story because I think of you in that moment and and then looking ahead and seeing where you are now and how it all came to be so and I do understand about how baking is like.
09:23.66
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah, like.
09:38.63
pinklemonadestand
Like can be like therapy I did a lot of baking through my master's program and I became um, obsessed with pies and so I know that the baking is just like oh it feels so good to give people something sweet and and to be in the kitchen with that apron. So.
09:38.70
courtney
We have.
09:53.22
pinklemonadestand
Totally get that. So so here you are you? you became obsessed with making cake after cake after cake. So what was it keep going with the story and tell us how then you decided to turn this passion of yours into this full-blown business that is now totally thriving and people cannot get enough of you.
10:09.14
courtney
Oh well. Thank you? That's really kind. Um, you know it was again like I said it just kind of happened it just evolved and there was never any intention in that moment in the kitchen with Weston's first birthday cake that I was like oh I'm going a blog about this I'm going to start a business.
10:25.73
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah, yeah.
10:28.50
courtney
no no no it was this was really fun and it made me feel good and I want to feel that way again and I still continued to do my consulting job where I was traveling around the country moderating focus groups for new television shows and talent testing and we left Santa monica after my husband got his mba at ucla. We went up to the Bay area so we were in the San francisco area and I just kept on with this hobby and it was purely to learn to teach myself I wanted to find the best chocolate cake recipe was it out there and and what made them different and there was just so much curiosity behind. Um. The intention of of making these cakes and then I started to share them with more people and take them to more parties and you know then in San francisco at 1 point I had girlfriends that were like hey can you teach us how to decorate a cake and i. Hardly knew anything about decorating and cake. But then I was like well I better learn a little bit more about decorating the cake and and how I should do that and and so it was just really this hobby turned passion that eventually turned into a business and so 6 years ago
11:35.55
pinklemonadestand
Mm.
11:36.69
courtney
Um, we had just actually moved to Salt lake city from the Bay area. Well I guess 7 years ago um and so in that that year of 7 to 6 being in cal or being in utah um I was like hi I wonder if I should start sharing these recipes. I don't know like I had started creating some of my own just based on the knowledge that I was learning from trial and error and you know I had some family members being very kind and like yeah, share your share your blog and and share the recipes and um I was really hesitant though I remember feeling like gosh this market is so saturated.
11:57.29
Nicole Kaplan
And.
12:12.64
courtney
And I don't know that there's room I don't know how to take the pictures that was not my forte I was just focused on flavor and how things tasted and um, right, right? then learning the camera and I didn't have a nice camera so I was taking pictures on my phone and sharing them on like my personal Instagram account of.
12:15.29
pinklemonadestand
Pictures are a whole nother ball game aren't they they're like now we got a showcase. Ah.
12:22.30
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah.
12:31.53
courtney
The cakes that I was doing and so as you know I was being encouraged by some close friends and family to to share the recipes and start a blog I remember thinking 1 day about my job in Consulting. So I tested television shows all the time. So many shows was mostly what I did. And every time I went out into a new city into a new group. We would usually start the conversation with the focus group like what are you watching right? Now. What is part of your lineup and then what are the priority shows that you're watching and you know people would would tell me okay I watch this this and this and that's all I have time for.
13:00.81
pinklemonadestand
Mooh.
13:10.93
courtney
And have time for a new show when I'm home after you know work or I've got the kids to bed I have very limited time and I've got I've got no more room but then we would show them a show and if it was a good show if they connected to characters if they connected to Storylines if there was something about that. Um.
13:11.44
Nicole Kaplan
M.
13:29.53
courtney
That was just good enough like people made room for it and then all of a sudden people are like oh well no actually I think I'd watch this show and I'd follow up and say well you told me you didn't have enough time and they're like well I'll make time and I kept thinking about that and I thought okay if people do that with Tv they'll do that with any kind of.
13:31.70
Nicole Kaplan
M.
13:33.81
pinklemonadestand
Mmm.
13:48.20
courtney
Media and content if there is good content out there people will make room for it and I thought okay I gotta make good content and there's room for me and so I launched cake by courtney on blogspot very amateur just sharing the recipes and started sharing the cakes with more friends and. More family around the area just to get you know word out there that they tasted good I just needed people to make my recipes to start sharing hey these are really good cakes. You should make recipes from that and so that's kind of how that evolved into the blog and that first year was a little bit of baking for people. And then I realized oh I don't want to be a bakery. This is not what I want to do I want to create the recipes I want to teach people and I hosted a couple cake classes from my kitchen with complete strangers and looking back. Maybe that wasn't super smart but I just wanted to connect with people I wanted to be face to face I wanted to teach them.
14:30.22
pinklemonadestand
Mm.
14:29.69
Nicole Kaplan
M.
14:42.31
pinklemonadestand
Moohu.
14:45.10
courtney
Um, what I had learned to make it easier for them to do the same thing and hopefully for them to find the same joy that the kitchen brought me and so I hosted a couple classes for my home and not too long after that orinki g up in Salt lake invited me to come teach my first class there and so. Was a year after I started my blog I taught this demo class with eighty people there and it was so fun and we loved it and so we started to do hands-on classes and I was like 5 years ago I think it's been oh my gosh 5 years yeah and they just took off and I think people realized it is just so fun to be in the kitchen.
15:05.77
Nicole Kaplan
Wow.
15:06.84
pinklemonadestand
Wow.
15:22.60
courtney
And not that they realized it a Hob but but maybe were reminded. You know we were reminded that being in the kitchen and making things from scratch is so fun and also like it doesn't matter how it looks It doesn't need to have all the fond in it doesn't need to look so glamorous like it came from a bakery our families and our friends are just so impressed that.
15:25.10
Nicole Kaplan
Me.
15:41.82
courtney
We get in the kitchen and we make something and that it tastes delicious and that part of like giving and sharing is so fun and I think has really been a driver for a lot of people to get into the kitchen to make these cakes that I'm sharing with them.
15:53.40
pinklemonadestand
Yes, oh I Love that I was going to ask you? You said you didn't want to be a bakery but did you ever get orders where people like can you make this cake for this. Did you get people hey.
15:55.12
Nicole Kaplan
Wow.
16:01.19
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah.
16:01.47
courtney
Yeah, yeah, I was that first year just I did it for friends and family. Um a couple wedding cakes and birthday cakes and ah that was it I did and I knew quickly I was like oh yeah, yeah, this is not where I want to be in this space. There's other people. More qualified for that and and have more of a passion for that than I do I want to create I want to be continually coming up with new flavors and designs rather than doing the same ones over and over again.
16:29.76
pinklemonadestand
Who.
16:30.31
Nicole Kaplan
Wow, That's so cool I Love that you've discovered a passion for teaching. You know that's and coming from not not having like a professional culinary background or going to culinary school like how did you even know how to teach ah a culinary class like that like I'm that's.
16:36.35
pinklemonadestand
Move the.
16:44.82
courtney
Yes, well you know it was so interesting and you look back in life and you you notice how your path lines up, you know, even though it's curvy and it's moving around right? The journey that we're on there are parts that are just so connected and.
16:46.83
pinklemonadestand
So cool.
16:49.88
Nicole Kaplan
So impressive.
17:04.78
courtney
All those years of focus groups and sitting in a room full of people asking questions kind of really translated into being able to stand in front of a room with about the same amount of people and teach them how to make the cake that I was making.
17:18.31
pinklemonadestand
Yeah.
17:20.10
courtney
And after all those 6 seven years of trial and error and figuring out. Well this doesn't work for me and this works you know I think the school of hard knocks can sometimes qualify you just as much as 1 that gives you a degree and I think it also felt very.
17:31.97
Nicole Kaplan
Colonally.
17:36.53
courtney
Um, relatable and accessible to people that I don't have a culinary background that I just worked in my kitchen because there's so many men and women just like that they're they're not gonna have the money or the time to go to culinary school but there's so much we can learn now through classes online and through a great Youtube video right? that we're teaching ourselves and.
17:39.19
pinklemonadestand
Yes, yes.
17:39.95
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah.
17:53.23
pinklemonadestand
Yes, yeah.
17:56.24
courtney
I Think the other thing too. It's been fun. Is there's so many different techniques My way is not the only way of doing things and culinary school is not the only way of doing things. There's different things that work for each of us right in so many areas of our life not just baking and so I think it's been fun to to share here's what I've learned that works for me. Try it out. See what you think.
18:06.76
pinklemonadestand
Mm.
18:15.61
courtney
If you don't like it try another 1 right? The buttercream is too sweet. You may not like american buttercream hey I've got this great vlogger friend that does swiss american buttercre you know, try that 1 out. But so it just kind of um evolved and I wanted to make it like as simple as possible for other people because I didn't want to make their cakes I wanted.
18:23.27
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah, yes.
18:26.12
pinklemonadestand
You've got the street cred.
18:34.99
courtney
You know, heidi and Nicole to make their own cakes and here's everything you need to know to to make it and to make it successful and hopefully have a lot less fails than I did. Yeah.
18:42.95
pinklemonadestand
Yes, you've already done the work. So Nicole we need to get on her waitlist for her class will be number four thousand and 1 and 2 Ah.
18:44.15
Nicole Kaplan
Wow Yeah yes, ah.
18:52.82
courtney
There you go.
18:54.48
Nicole Kaplan
Totally I could use some lessons I've made a couple of I've made a couple of cakes but I could I really really could use some help because I don't know anything about the leveling or any thing I'm probably I'm absolutely using the wrong pants like I know that now for sure. But that.
19:03.78
pinklemonadestand
Yeah, yeah.
19:10.75
pinklemonadestand
Ah, for sure.
19:14.17
Nicole Kaplan
Brings us to um, a way that many people are going to be able to access you now and that is through your new cookbook cake. So cake is out right now Brand new and so we want to. Hear all about it tell us about the book how it came to be and yeah, just just give us a scoop.
19:36.90
courtney
I'm very proud of this book I'm very excited about this book. It's four hundred and 16 pages of recipes and pictures and tutorials and I mean ideally, what my hope when you get this book is that you feel like it's.
19:39.78
Nicole Kaplan
Wow.
19:51.30
courtney
Cake bible like you don't need to go anywhere else to find your favorite recipes or to find information I Hope you do because there's so many other good things. But I I hope that you feel like oh my gosh. There's so much in this book I can find my answers here I can find the information here and I can find a great recipe here.
19:55.19
Nicole Kaplan
Wow.
20:07.20
courtney
The other thing with this book that is super special to me is that I actually co-wrote it with my mom. She is an excellent writer and we wrote the headings and the chapter headings together and every cake that I've ever made has a story. There's something there behind it. It's the flavor that reminds me of.
20:09.39
pinklemonadestand
Ah, oh.
20:10.31
Nicole Kaplan
Oh.
20:26.52
courtney
You know the Apple festivals in Pittsburgh when I lived in pittsburgh and so there's Apple cakes and then there's you are you really? I lived there for 5 years I told you I moved around to 10
20:30.68
Nicole Kaplan
I'm from Pittsburgh. Yeah.
20:36.62
Nicole Kaplan
You grew been everywhere.
20:40.65
courtney
We've been everywhere so we would go to the Apple festivals when I was a little girl in pittsburgh pennsylvania and we'd get apple butter and we'd make apple jam and we'd do all the things you know, caramel apples and everything and.
20:51.98
pinklemonadestand
Wow.
20:55.10
courtney
You know? So my Apple cider donut bunt cake is a special 1 because it reminds me of the Apple festivals in Pittsburgh but also there's a new tradition I'll take my kids to Raleley's red barn here in Santaquentin utah that has apple cider donuts. And apple cider slushies and apple picking and all the things so you know the the cakes it's like it's fun to come up with these these flavors but oftentimes there is a lot of really sentimental value and I think recipes and baking and cooking is 1 of the best ways of like journal keeping and. Having um, kind of like ah a history a life history and so this book is a little bit of that because as you go through every chapter you've got obsessed with peanut butter because I love peanut butter so much and you'll know why as you read the beginning and my parents I'm second in my family of four and so. Chris and I my older brother and I we were with my parents when they were scrapping pennies right? They were looking under cushions for the extra little bit of change that we we could get and so peanut butter was something my mom could use in a lot of different ways to make sandwiches or sauce or something that was not super expensive and a way to to to. Less up and you know so we talk about maybe my peanut butter love comes from all those years of ah peanut butter early on. Um, yeah, so anyway, there's just some fun ones. My um olive oil ricotta cake with a strawberry basil filling is actually based off a.
22:15.45
Nicole Kaplan
Oh yeah.
22:23.25
pinklemonadestand
Woo.
22:27.43
courtney
Appetizer ah had in new york the night I was on the today show and so that was super special because 1 having the broadcast background. You know you kind of always dream that you're going to walk into studio 1 a someday and be the anchor right? That's the dream of the the Naive club the college student but all these years later.
22:30.47
Nicole Kaplan
Oh my God what.
22:38.13
Nicole Kaplan
Wow.
22:46.23
courtney
To go walking in as a guest and to be there with Jenna and Savannah was just totally surreal and so cool and that night we went celebrated at abc kitchen and um west village and they had this appetizer with this homemade rustic bread.
22:47.75
pinklemonadestand
Mm.
22:51.41
pinklemonadestand
Wow.
22:52.70
Nicole Kaplan
With oh my god.
23:04.78
courtney
And this homemade ricotta and then just this drizzle of strawberry jam that had some basil and some olive oil and I was just so in love with the flavors that I thought like I do with a lot of things. How do I turn this into a cake and.
23:05.74
Nicole Kaplan
Are.
23:21.30
courtney
I went home and made my olive oil ricotta cake with strawberry basil fill filling and a lemon Mars capone frosting and it's 1 of my favorite cakes. Probably my favorite favorite cake if I had to pick 1 and you know so there's a little bit of that story. So that's all to say that this cookbook is so many things it's not just recipes it walks you through.
23:29.80
Nicole Kaplan
Wow You know.
23:30.17
pinklemonadestand
Oh.
23:40.59
pinklemonadestand
Ah, wow.
23:39.81
courtney
Picture by picture on how to stack and decorate a cake and how to make caramel and and how to do the naked cakes and lots of different things there. Um and hopefully makes it very accessible for a beginner baker. Every cake is labeled so you know if it's a beginner an intermediate or an advanced cake and tons.
23:54.90
pinklemonadestand
Yes, we need that.
23:57.45
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah, yeah.
23:58.88
courtney
Yes, there's 1 hundred and seventy ish recipes between the cake layers the fillings, the butter creams the crunches, the crumbles means so many things so it was a really fun project to work on in 2021 I think 1 of the things I'm most proud of is that I self-publish that i.
24:06.38
pinklemonadestand
Oh my god.
24:17.81
pinklemonadestand
Yes, no, 1 ne's going to tell you what to do? You're doing it yourself.
24:18.49
courtney
You know I was the creative director the publisher for this um was really neat. Yeah, right right? I had a clear vision and story for the book and I knew that if I wanted to do it my way I was going to have to just do it. You know and and not.
24:18.53
Nicole Kaplan
Wow, incredible. Yeah.
24:32.97
Nicole Kaplan
Meaning.
24:36.10
courtney
Wait for a publisher to accept my proposal or you know I just feel like that is such a special thing about the time that we live in is that I have the option to self-publish and that I'm able to do that you know and there's definitely some learning curves and oh my gosh There were some some you know blood sweat and tears that definitely went in to this book.
24:45.00
pinklemonadestand
Hm.
24:44.30
Nicole Kaplan
Um.
24:55.98
courtney
But it was a really great experience. Great learning experience. It really pushed me and stretched me in a lot of ways but I worked with incredible women on the book. So I had my mom as a co-author and my editor and 1 of my dear friends trina harris did the photography and for 2 months every Wednesday we were at my house shooting a chapter of the cake.
25:13.35
pinklemonadestand
Ah, that's not much work.
25:14.44
courtney
Um, 1 of my other dear friends Rosanna higgins helped me bake the cakes every week and you know works on the the blog with me and mackenzie recker helped design it so we just had you know a great team but all of us were learning and doing a book for the first time which was which was fun to do together.
25:25.72
Nicole Kaplan
Wow.
25:29.46
pinklemonadestand
Ah, and not only a cookbook but it's like an autobiographical cookbook like telling your story and how much work and effort and just you is probably on every single page so that is really special. That's very special.
25:33.80
courtney
It is yeah.
25:34.59
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah, yes.
25:41.57
courtney
Yeah, yeah, and there's lots of pictures I hope too that like if you're not a maker you'll still want to gift it or get it because it's a beautiful book.
25:44.40
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah, yeah.
25:49.69
pinklemonadestand
Yes.
25:51.54
Nicole Kaplan
Yes I don't know I've she listens to this podcast but I don't know if she'll have gotten it yet. But I got it for I pre-ordered it for my mother-in-law because she loves to bake cakes and she's just gonna die when she sees all of these. Yes.
26:00.58
courtney
Um, ah no I'm so excited for her. Thank you.
26:01.88
pinklemonadestand
Ah, ah oh my gosh. That's a great gift and I love pictures I I want to if I'm making or baking something or cooking something I need a picture I gotta see.
26:10.70
Nicole Kaplan
Um, my gosh of course. Yes, so gorgeous me too.
26:19.30
courtney
Yep.
26:20.18
pinklemonadestand
The thing I want to know and even you saying you have pictures of the steps on like how to layer a cake like oh that is a beginner's dream so you are doing everybody a favor with that.
26:24.61
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah.
26:26.11
courtney
Yeah, this. Well thank you? Yeah I Hope it makes it really easy for everyone and there is a picture of it. Well I think all but 2 have 2 pictures with every cake so you can see the outside and you can see a slice of it on the inside. Um.
26:44.36
pinklemonadestand
Ah, we gotta see those layers when you take a slice.
26:46.80
Nicole Kaplan
Ooh cool. So yes, speaking of pictures and books I had a coffee table book a long time ago that I just thought was the best thing I've ever seen it was called Cake Rex and it was pictures of.
26:50.96
courtney
Yep.
26:59.20
courtney
Yes.
27:02.83
Nicole Kaplan
People trying to replicate a cake that they saw on Pinterest and they were going to try to make it at home and then they would do side by sides of like what it should have been and what it actually looked like so have you gotten some um cake wreck pictures from anybody who's like.
27:16.17
courtney
My god that is so funny so that book basically turned into nailed it on Netflix right? Yeah oh my gosh that is so fun. Oh yeah, you know what it is really fun to.
27:22.97
Nicole Kaplan
Ah, totally absolutely Yes, that's exactly what it is but.
27:33.99
courtney
To relate to others um and have each other you know this whole community that is on cake by courtney is truly a community of friends supporting each other and so I have ah a Facebook group that answers questions for each other and and shares their pictures and on Instagram people will dm me. Cakes that were a success or things that failed and we'll try to you know, figure out what went wrong. But oh yeah, there's there's plenty and I mean even in my early days of decorating a cake or making a cake I had so many fails and so I try to share those often to remind people like it happens right? You can't compare your beginning to someone else's end and.
28:06.73
pinklemonadestand
Yeah.
28:06.19
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
28:12.83
courtney
Um, there's there's a lot that happens in between and you know give yourself a little little grace. But oh yeah I mean we all have our wreck moments.
28:19.76
pinklemonadestand
Yes, the fails I Like that quote you said you can't compare your beginning to someone else's end that is a great quote I don't know if you made that up or not but we're quoting you. We're okay, quick question about the recipes in the book.
28:20.71
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah I Love that.
28:28.25
courtney
Yeah I'm taking it taking it.
28:28.63
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah, yeah, we take it. We're naked it again.
28:38.19
pinklemonadestand
Is there are there like 1 or 2 recipes that you would recommend for beginners to start with that. You know like this is a great first cake. it's it's easy it's easy to follow. What would you say.
28:48.40
courtney
Oh absolutely. Um, the birthday cake chapter is called happy birthday to me because actually even though my first cake that I talk about um is weston's first birthday cake 12 years ago the first cake I actually worked on. It was a box mix but it was when I was 8 years old
28:54.21
Nicole Kaplan
Um, you know.
29:07.48
courtney
And my little brother on my birthday crashed his bike enough that he had to go to the hospital with my mom and she had already started it and said hey can you finish and frost it and I was 8 years old in our california kitchen living in Los angeles at the time and frosting the cake. And finishing and sprinkles and adding my own candles and everything and so ever since then too I mean my mom made my cakes growing up for my birthday. But as soon as I was out of the house I was making all my own birthday cakes and I loved it was so fun. Um, and so the whole chapter of happy birthday to me is cakes that are. Easy. They are beginner cakes. They are ones that are perfect to start off with and a perfect time to start your cake journey is a birthday mega cake for someone's birthday. It's such a great gift whether it's for your kids or someone else and so 1 of my favorites in there is my classic yellow cake with chocolate butter cream.
29:51.71
pinklemonadestand
Yes, yes.
29:52.15
Nicole Kaplan
Yes, that's great.
30:02.16
courtney
Really easy to follow those instructions to elements. So it's not overwhelming another 1 in that chapter is my biskoff cake that I made for my brother's birthday 6 I 5 ive-ish years ago and while there's like an extra element of a filling. It's still really easy and it's a crowd pleaser. It is.
30:11.28
Nicole Kaplan
Woo.
30:22.00
courtney
Everyone's favorite cake like the biskoff cake with Biskoff filling and a white chocolate butter cream is always a huge hit so you know there's there are definitely a lot of easy ones. Any kind of bunt cake is a great 1 to start with too cause you're not gonna worry about the decorating.
30:23.10
pinklemonadestand
Of.
30:25.50
Nicole Kaplan
Wow.
30:34.29
pinklemonadestand
Who.
30:36.79
Nicole Kaplan
3 half.
30:37.91
courtney
Just pour that into the bun pan maybe put a sauce or a frosting on top and you're done and that's when it's like okay I'm not going to worry about how it looks I Just want to focus on flavor and mastering texture and crumb and making sure I bake it the right way and it comes out tasting amazing.
30:52.59
Nicole Kaplan
Ooh that's all sounds so good and my birthday is next month and so maybe I'll have to make the I'll have to make the the pittsburgh bunt.
31:00.42
pinklemonadestand
Yes.
31:00.66
courtney
Yeah, yes, make the Apple cider donut cake that will be our secret name for that cake is the pittsburgh bunch cake.
31:10.74
Nicole Kaplan
This work. But.
31:13.29
pinklemonadestand
I love that so much. Well, you mentioned um, frosting or like decorating your cakes. Um, which we haven't talked about yet. But you're decorating that the the decorating that you do on your cakes and on your Instagram is absolutely stunning and that's how I first found you I think with your amazing.
31:30.20
Nicole Kaplan
Mm.
31:32.92
pinklemonadestand
Cake scraper and those videos of you like turning the cake and scraping it and then piping it and doing all the things is mesmerizing to watch on Instagram and so tell us a little bit about. Do you have tips on decorating and and frosting cakes in the book and what are some of your like favorite.
31:32.18
courtney
Now.
31:51.33
pinklemonadestand
Frosting decorating creations that you have.
31:52.00
courtney
Oh yeah, absolutely there's a ton of tips and advice and tutorials in the book I mean first and foremost I think you need to remember not to rush it I think we run into our wrecks and our fails when we're trying to go too quickly and we haven't let the cake cool completely and we're trying to frost.
32:09.84
Nicole Kaplan
M.
32:11.33
courtney
Ah, cake. That's still slightly warm. Well, that's gonna melt our butter creamam and things are gonna fall apart and end up on the floor so give yourself time. Don't try to pack everything in 1 day we like to spread things out. Do your Butterc cream 1 day make your cake layers 1 day and then decorate 1 day the day of the party. So. It's all ready and fresh and. I think 1 of the biggest tips is to freeze your cakes ahead of time your cake layers so that they're chilled before you start working with them. They're easier to handle and not as many crumbs will come up as you start decorating it. The other thing is do a crumb coat. That's a thin layer buttercream that goes around the entire cake to lock in.
32:38.36
Nicole Kaplan
Well well.
32:46.17
pinklemonadestand
Um.
32:49.52
courtney
The crumbs so they don't show up in that final coat of butter cream and you freeze the crumb coat for 10 to fifteen minutes to just lock everything in place I mean because really when you get started I don't think you need on the decorat eatinging tools. That's goingnna be fun to have eventually get yourself some good cake pans I love that daddio brand. They are great cake pans get.
32:55.50
Nicole Kaplan
Wow.
33:09.10
courtney
3 8 inch by 2 inch high cake pans to get started and have a mixer get started with those 2 things because then you can put your cake layers on a plate and grab a kitchen knife and frost it like make it look rustic. You know, intentionally rustic with just the the knife. It's so easy I mean that's how ina gartten and martha stewart were doing it before.
33:12.93
Nicole Kaplan
Okay.
33:14.83
pinklemonadestand
Nice.
33:19.95
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah, and.
33:27.86
courtney
Were putting in all the fancy tools. Um, so you know make your stuff ahead of time So you're not rash. Do your crumb coat and apply that last coat of frosting on and when you're ready to really focus on the decorating and you want to take that to the next level the things I would invest in are a turntable.
33:28.81
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah.
33:46.72
courtney
Which is that spinny thing that you see me decorating on right? The turntable an offset icing spatula a straight spatula and a straight ah icing scraper cake comb. So those would be like the ones that I would get first and then you can get the piping bags and the tips and practice all those things.
33:47.54
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah.
34:06.73
pinklemonadestand
Yeah.
34:05.78
courtney
Um, nothing helps more than just trying right? just going for it and trying when you're doing this scraper I always tell people you've got to use a light touch which is hard to explain over you know audio and that go over to my Instagram you'll see lots of videos I have online classes too. So if you're not.
34:07.49
Nicole Kaplan
He.
34:24.13
courtney
In Salt lake or you're not ready to make a trip out here for cake class. No problem. You can get my classes online I've got the beginner class online I've got a next level class and I've got a chocolate leverage class so you can access those anytime you want as much as you want, um, those are there for you too. So.
34:34.69
pinklemonadestand
Love it.
34:35.48
Nicole Kaplan
Whoohoo, That's an.
34:41.94
courtney
But I like you I mean you saw I I share everything there is nothing that I hold back or keep secret I want you to do it just as great as me or better and have access to all the information and tips and tutorials. So I share everything on Instagram and my blog.
34:43.31
pinklemonadestand
I.
34:56.31
pinklemonadestand
Ah, we love it so much. It is amazing I think that um you have given so much to everybody of yourself. That's just free on your website and that's so cool and 1 thing that you said just now stood out to me where you said just try it trial and error that is.
34:59.52
Nicole Kaplan
That's amazing. Yeah.
35:15.42
pinklemonadestand
How you get started. That's how you do anything and that is so much about what life is just trial and error. We are all just trying to make it and that reminds me of our next question which is the pink Lemonade stand question where we ask you Courtney individually? um.
35:14.92
Nicole Kaplan
Um.
35:31.77
pinklemonadestand
If you've had a challenge in your life that was tough and how did you get through it. How did you make lemons into lemonade in your own life.
35:37.69
courtney
Oh man, um, there's so many and of you I need to pick 1 this. This will be hard. Um, you know I will say 1 of the things I mean this journey. Um. Has truly helped me over well not overcome because I wouldn't say that I'm better and it's gone. But it's really helped me deal and manage with depression and anxiety which I started having like I said when I was about 1819 years old because this has just given me a very peaceful. Place and so you know there was a point about 5 years ago where I was talking to my dad about it and I had a bad episode and um, you know he said how do we fix it and I'd already done plenty of medication and and therapy and all the things and it kind of dawned on me that it was like this. Aha moment rather than fight it and try to run from it I said to him you know what? I actually don't think it's something that is gonna go away but I gotta better learn how to manage it and live with it and 1 of the things that that has become lemonade out of the lemons that life dealt is. The opportunity to share my story and to talk to other women about depression and mental health and I started sharing. You know, not too long after that a little bit by little bit about my journey and um, you know how I'm dealing with mental health and and kind of the ups and downs of that. Part of my life and there's been some real lemonade moments with other women being able to share that to relate to them and to encourage them and and to work through it so that that would I say probably be the most meaningful.
37:16.77
pinklemonadestand
Mm.
37:22.57
pinklemonadestand
Um I Love that? yeah.
37:24.21
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah, well yeah, thank you for sharing that and you're absolutely like hit the nail right on the head when you just say about how important it is to be able to share with other people and you know because everybody is going through something they feel alone and they. Look to you as somebody who is super successful and has a beautiful Instagram and all of these things. But then when you can get actually raw and real and say I've gone through some things like that have been really not so glamorous and you know it's ah it's such a powerful message to share and. So um, and it's also really, really fun to hear about how baking was sort of therapeutic for you and that is really cool and it also just is a reminder for maybe anybody to go out and and really find something that.
38:07.42
courtney
Yeah, yeah.
38:08.87
pinklemonadestand
Yeah, um.
38:19.98
Nicole Kaplan
Can draw you in that you love and and you know who knows where who knows where it'll take you. But um, you're really inspiring in that way.
38:20.38
courtney
Um, yeah, yeah, and I think I think having the hobby or having a passion what it does is helps clear your mind in a way that.
38:25.16
pinklemonadestand
You.
38:33.32
Nicole Kaplan
Um.
38:36.40
courtney
Other things don't So Maybe that's yoga. Maybe that's meditation I practice meditation and and affirmations and those kind of things but there's something about being in a creative space and trying something or trying to get better and trying to Improve. Um, and learning from moments of failure and realizing that there's progress ahead. But there's something ah about that whole experience for me being in the kitchen that clears my mind of some of these other things and um, when I can feel.
39:02.83
pinklemonadestand
E.
39:09.57
courtney
Anxiety or I I know those feelings of depression. So well I just try to get in the kitchen. Honestly I just try to have a moment in there because I know that it's calming for me and I've gotten to know myself a lot through this experience and through this journey.
39:17.10
pinklemonadestand
M.
39:21.29
Nicole Kaplan
I.
39:28.88
courtney
And so you know baking alone has not healed things baking alone hasn't solved things but it has helped me kind of open my mind to the things that I need to do on a daily basis um to take care of my mental health. You know I still do therapy at least once. A month I'm talking to someone and there have been times that I've had to go on medication and you know that is why we have modern medicine. It's awesome that you know if my my brain at times has not been able to balance itself out like other people and there's you know, no explanation for the dark. Feelings that I feel and I you know will struggle with that sometimes and there's times that um in the last gosh it's almost been 20 years I guess that you know I've needed the help of of modern medicine to to get through some of those moments but um I just I just hope that women especially know that they're not alone and that. You know when I was young and going through this in college people didn't talk about it. People weren't talking about mental health they didn't talk about depression I felt so alone and so crazy and um that it was there was a really quite a few times that were very dark and scary for me.
40:31.86
Nicole Kaplan
A.
40:36.17
pinklemonadestand
Boo.
40:44.55
courtney
And I just don't want other people to get there. You know and so I feel like if we know that we're on this journey together and we're not alone that it makes it a little less scary.
40:51.90
pinklemonadestand
Oh absolutely I'm so glad you shared that and um I've experienced some moments like this over the past year and I think people a lot of people have throughout their life and maybe felt like they couldn't talk about it. So I really appreciate you sharing I know it.
40:53.56
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah, yeah.
41:06.48
courtney
I.
41:06.72
Nicole Kaplan
So.
41:11.59
pinklemonadestand
Makes me feel comforted to hear you talk about it and I know that anyone listening is going to feel that too So Courtney. Thank you so much. We really really appreciate you sharing those thoughts with us. It's so nice.
41:16.65
courtney
Yeah.
41:20.57
Nicole Kaplan
Yes, and courtney now it's time to get juicy. We have we have a couple more questions for you and we're gonna ask you rapid fire style and we just want you to say the first thing that comes to your mind.
41:26.10
courtney
The.
41:34.20
courtney
Um, oh okay, yes I hope.
41:39.31
Nicole Kaplan
Are you ready? Okay here we go. We know you're a fan who's your favorite character on Ted lasso.
41:45.35
courtney
Oh my gosh Ted I Love him so much he I am such a fan of that show I just have to say I like happy shows I like shows that make me like leave me feeling uplifted and just happy and laughing. There's too much other stuff in the world I don't need.
41:49.42
pinklemonadestand
But yeah, and.
41:49.39
Nicole Kaplan
Ah, he love it.
42:03.50
Nicole Kaplan
Totally.
42:04.69
courtney
The the mysteries in the dark and all the things. No I just need Ted lasso in my life.
42:07.96
pinklemonadestand
Ah, he's your guy.
42:08.30
Nicole Kaplan
Will you ever make a head Lasso Biscuit cake is that.
42:11.54
courtney
I should right I need to find out what those? what those biscuits are how do I get 1 of those.
42:18.53
pinklemonadestand
Got to get you the biscuits my gosh. Okay.
42:20.81
Nicole Kaplan
I know okay, next question if you were going to bake a cake for the pink Lemonade stand. What would it look like.
42:27.70
courtney
Oh my gosh I have 1 like already that would be so so perfect. It's actually the design is pink and yellow stripes. It's for my strawberry banana milkshake cake but I have a strawberry lemonade cake that would be perfect flavor wise.
42:33.39
Nicole Kaplan
Ooh.
42:39.38
Nicole Kaplan
Oh.
42:46.88
courtney
For you guys. So we would put the 2 together and I think it'd be the perfect cake.
42:49.22
pinklemonadestand
Yes, yes, yes, we need it. Yes, we have to make it.
42:50.86
Nicole Kaplan
Ah, heidi we have to make it we have to make it. We'll send you a picture. Hopefully it's not a wreck if you could eat 1 thing all day every day and your health would never be affected. What would it be? ah.
43:05.47
pinklemonadestand
Ah, what kind.
43:05.44
courtney
Cereal. Oh I love Cereal so much. Um I Love Cinnamon Life I Love Cinnamon Toast Crunch I like things with cinnamon I like more of the like less the less sugary stuff like I don't want fruity pebbles.
43:19.20
pinklemonadestand
Um.
43:20.42
courtney
And don't want that but I like special K with strawberries I love cracklin opran I love any kind of granola I could have cereal anytime a day. It's like 1 of my favorites.
43:27.29
pinklemonadestand
Oh cinnamon test Crunch is it ave.
43:28.87
Nicole Kaplan
I I love fruity pebbles. But right now we do have cinnamon life in the in the cabinet. That's what we have right now. Love that What is your favorite fall festive drink.
43:35.88
courtney
Love it. Oh My favorite fall festive drink is well I Love Perk energy drinks and they have a chai latte flavor that I start drinking in the fall and you heat it up and it is so Yummy. So yummy.
43:50.95
Nicole Kaplan
Woo.
43:55.85
pinklemonadestand
What I haven't heard of perk I.
43:55.33
Nicole Kaplan
Wow That sounds great me either. We gotta look that up perk.
43:58.57
courtney
What oh guys you've got to get on the perk train. We did a flavor together. Um over the summer that was based off my peach crisp cake and you would drink that 1 cold I think it was better cold and it tasted like my peach crisp cake. It had hints of vanilla and cinnamon and oats and peach in there.
44:05.77
pinklemonadestand
Um, ah perk. Okay.
44:15.90
pinklemonadestand
Wow.
44:17.47
courtney
And then they also do like Bcas and so we did a beach peach butter cream bca they're an awesome company and I just love Gary and rina so much and their story and so we we obsess over flavor making together and but yeah, you'll have to look up perk that they have this chi latte flavor that.
44:22.32
pinklemonadestand
Wow! yes.
44:23.43
Nicole Kaplan
Wow! oh.
44:29.20
pinklemonadestand
Okay, wait first. Is it? Ah okay so quick question perk. It's like an energy drink. But then you said you heated it up so it's not carbonated like it's.
44:35.89
courtney
So good.
44:41.24
courtney
No, it's not carbonated. It's like okay they they say it the best way they're so good with their marketing. It's a hug and a mug most of the people that drink it are drinking it warm. They have a Mexican hot chocolate flavor that is so good and so they have like it has a little protein a little collagen.
44:42.90
Nicole Kaplan
Um.
44:54.11
Nicole Kaplan
Oh my god.
45:00.64
courtney
Um, and then they have a little caffeine in it too. No but you guys I'm about to change your life right now.
45:02.60
Nicole Kaplan
Ah I'm literally going to google this as soon as we're done in like Amazon ammo order. However I need to get it. We're getting our hands on this asap ah, ah.
45:06.54
pinklemonadestand
But bill and I are about ready and fall over sold sold sold.
45:07.53
courtney
Ah, is yeah oh and it's so yummy. The flavors are so good. Sometimes I'll mix it with protein. Um, so it's like a protein energy drink after a workout or something.
45:17.20
pinklemonadestand
Oh my gosh. Wow I am shook Shooketh to the core. Ah.
45:19.26
Nicole Kaplan
Oh my God sold. Wow yeah.
45:24.60
courtney
Ah, but.
45:26.54
Nicole Kaplan
Oh gosh. Okay, last question would you rather teach a cooking class to the cast of avengers or bake a cake for the president.
45:34.12
courtney
Oh teach a class to the cast of avengers any day of the week are you kidding? Oh my gosh we love. We love the avengers actually so much and um, yeah, no definitely not when I'm already envisioning. Yes.
45:48.18
pinklemonadestand
All I can think of is Chris hemsworth in a room. Great put an apron on done.
45:49.32
Nicole Kaplan
So yeah, an apron. Yeah.
45:53.78
courtney
Done done I'm sold How do we? How do we make that happen with.
45:58.50
Nicole Kaplan
Oh my God Totally Yes, ah.
45:59.74
pinklemonadestand
Universe hear us she must.
46:06.87
Nicole Kaplan
Ah, there do see questions. Thank you for getting juicy with us ah court name. Yes I know you gave us so much during that but I actually have a question for you because I've been fascinated hearing you talk about.
46:09.35
pinklemonadestand
Oh my Gosh Courtney that was so good. So many things we need to research now we're obsessed.
46:09.80
courtney
Ah.
46:24.66
Nicole Kaplan
Also your career in television and broadcasting and how that's kind of gone into this and you've been talking about these tests. Um the test audiences and everything. Um, what is the what's the most successful show you ever test a stick.
46:25.77
courtney
Um, yes.
46:38.29
pinklemonadestand
Oh great question.
46:37.39
courtney
Um, oh wow, that's a good question. Um, you know we did a lot for tv land actually and oh gosh I'm having mombrane right now but we did a show for. Tv land actually that stars hilar duff. Do you guys know much 1 I'm do you know which 1 I'm talking about hold on I got to go work I got a yes younger younger. Thank you Kate? We I worked on younger a ton and that 1 was hugely successful for tv land.
46:55.84
pinklemonadestand
Younger is it. It is it younger? yeah.
46:56.49
Nicole Kaplan
Go out.
47:13.37
courtney
Um, and had like just built this huge like cult following. It was the creators of sex in the city worked on that 1 and so the writing and the characters and the storyline. Yes, yes so that was 1 um that I would say ended up being for that genre that station that market just hugely.
47:15.80
pinklemonadestand
Um, yeah, yeah Darren What's his name Darren star.
47:22.89
Nicole Kaplan
Yes, Yes, oh how.
47:33.20
courtney
Successful and it was a really fun 1 to be a part of because it had so much success going from there but we did 1 year all of abc's pilot testing and um, there was 1 show that I personally love like occasionally I would fall in love with some of the shows and I wanted it to do.
47:42.92
pinklemonadestand
Oh So Cool. Can.
47:52.97
courtney
Better than it ended up doing so I don't think it lasted more than like 2 seasons but it was called eli stone I don't know if you guys remember that 1 but it was 1 of my 1 of my personal favorites where eli stone he's living in San francisco basically becomes like a ah prophet and and just had this really cool. Yes, religious.
47:57.33
Nicole Kaplan
Um, wow.
47:58.68
pinklemonadestand
Oh I remember the name.
48:12.45
courtney
Undertone but there was this really great just um, positivity and optimistic outlook on some you know darker things that happen in life and so it was just like you know me I like the feel good stuff so that was 1 that I just personally loved working on.
48:23.40
Nicole Kaplan
Wow! Oh yeah.
48:25.70
pinklemonadestand
I I was um, 1 of the first original watchers of younger I don't know how I found it but when it came out on tv land I think it was like because it was starring sutton foster who was a Broadway gal and I was like what's Sutton doing I got.
48:37.72
courtney
What.
48:38.70
Nicole Kaplan
Um.
48:42.79
pinklemonadestand
See and I fell in love with that pilot of that show I think every person that watched that first episode was like this is such a good concept and I I watched it I looked for it every season I'm like when's the new season and it just finished and I was so sad when it was over. It was such a good show. It was so good.
48:46.33
courtney
Um, yeah I.
48:57.96
courtney
Yeah I love hearing that because we felt the same way and it just was really cool to see how that 1 just took off.
49:01.00
pinklemonadestand
I Love this much.
49:05.40
pinklemonadestand
Oh gosh Yes, and and it it was like in in publishing and editing the whole publishing world and it was just like it was sexy. It was in New York I Just yeah I loved it so much So that's really cool that you did that job.
49:06.15
Nicole Kaplan
Wow Oh my gosh like.
49:14.83
courtney
Um, yeah I have.
49:18.77
Nicole Kaplan
I know I know that's really really fun I Love I Love hearing that I I work in um Tv broadcasting right now but I'm in sports and I don't feel like I get to watch anything that fun like I watch like fantasy football shows all day long.
49:22.20
pinklemonadestand
So fascinating.
49:30.57
pinklemonadestand
Ah, Monday night. But but.
49:32.18
courtney
I did yeah I know that's funny I worked on a few sports projects but usually mine were mostly the male or the female focused um ones but we did. We had a sports client from Los angeles that we did a ton of work with and did all of their. Talent and show testing and graphics and just that's really fun. It's a fun industry to be in even though it's kind of the same job. You know going out and testing the groups. It was always different and exciting because it was different shows and talent and people and clients. Yeah.
49:53.74
pinklemonadestand
Wow, It's so fun.
49:53.53
Nicole Kaplan
Well.
50:03.49
pinklemonadestand
Yes, now now speaking of Journalism and broadcasting there is more that you do that. We even haven't talked about yet which is your podcast beyond the cake where you are doing a lot of like what we do which is bringing people on your podcast and sharing.
50:02.79
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah, that's so fun. Yeah.
50:13.90
courtney
Yeah, yeah.
50:23.29
pinklemonadestand
Life stories and just like human connections and human stories which is so amazing. So how long have you had your podcast.
50:28.28
courtney
About a year and a half I started it last summer and it's been really fun. Um, when the opportunity came up I thought you know this really kind of brings everything full circle I do some tv stuff but being able to sit down and interview people is. Ah, passion of mine I loved doing that and broadcasting I loved doing it in focus groups. It was getting to know people and hearing their stories and getting to know so many different types of people from all over the country I love that and so. When I thought about the podcast and and starting that I didn't want to do it focused on baking I've had some bakers on there I've had some authors. Um, but it's a real variety of people that just have a story to share that can be inspiring and uplifting and so that's been the focus and. It's been really enjoyable I've learned so much and I've met some incredible people.
51:17.47
pinklemonadestand
Oh that's so cool. We share that with you and what we do. We do love that as well. So we're right there with you and I want to know? Um, if there was somebody who you looked up to or inspired you in terms of like baking cakes.
51:19.84
Nicole Kaplan
Um, that's awesome.
51:35.42
pinklemonadestand
And inspiration.
51:35.51
courtney
Oh yeah, I mean so many I was a huge follower of christine and tosi early on in milk bar and her journey and starting that um I remember my I would go to new york for work all the time. So I I remember I remember when milkbar first opened.
51:42.26
Nicole Kaplan
Um, ooh yeah.
51:53.43
courtney
I Remember hearing about that and going and checking it out so I would definitely say that was 1 um I have a friend tessa huffing in Canada she was 1 of the early bakers that I found as I was just kind of on my journey and it's been fun to become friends with her and I had her on my podcast and just learn from her but to see these other women. In the space just going for it and doing some incredible things and being really gracious and carrying themselves with so much grace and goodness has been just awesome. And yeah, there's there gosh there's so many now I'm like kind of going through my head but and yeah I mean and.
52:24.49
Nicole Kaplan
Well.
52:28.25
pinklemonadestand
We got to get you your own show on the food network of cake by Courtney I Want to watch it every day.
52:31.51
Nicole Kaplan
Totally me too.
52:33.86
courtney
I Would you know that would be a dream that would be a dream to do Tv and you know not just a guest setting would be an absolute dream who knows if that's in the plan but it would be a dream.
52:41.89
Nicole Kaplan
Yeah, yeah, that's right.
52:45.18
pinklemonadestand
Ah, oh we're planning it for you. Okay, it's happening. Okay Courtney tell everyone where they can find your cookbook. We want everyone to go go out and buy it.
52:54.19
courtney
Well thank you So I have 2 websites 1 is for all my products. It's shop dot Cake Byourney Dot Com that has the cookbook and that also has all my cake tools that I've custom designed some aprons and shirts just some fun things there but some tools that I Really really love that I think are so important to have. And then all my recipes are on Cake Bykourney Dot com.
53:16.35
pinklemonadestand
I love it so much and if you're not following her already go to her Instagram at cake by courtney and so the website will put the links to the website where you can buy the book in our show notes so you can go out there purchase this book. Try the cakes.
53:19.81
Nicole Kaplan
Yay! and.
53:36.30
pinklemonadestand
Create your before and after cake pictures and send them to her and we are dying to get our hands on this book as well. But we have just been so pleased to have you here Accordingly, It's been said to treat. Thank you so much for joining us.
53:42.60
courtney
Thank you.
53:48.21
courtney
The pleasure has been mine ladies. Thank you so much.
53:53.97
pinklemonadestand
Yay! Okay I'm going to press stop on here.