Baking is in Matt Lewis’s DNA. When the Baked NYC co-owner was growing up in Florida, his mother would happily “bend the rules of the food pyramid so that we could occasionally share cake for breakfast or bonbons for dinner,” he writes in his new cookbook, Sure Thing Desserts.
That love of sweets continued through college at the University of Alabama and Lewis’s early career in the New York corporate world. Now with a successful bakeshop (with locations in Brooklyn and Tokyo) and five co-authored cookbooks on his resume, he’s bending the rules of baking in his own way—with streamlined, beginner-to-intermediate-friendly recipes that require minimal bowl washing and even do away with measured vanilla extract.
Sure Thing Desserts, Lewis’s first solo project, presents his “greatest hits”: an abundance of brownies and bars, classic chocolate chip cookies, and cakes sure to impress—including the whiskey-kissed Bundt shown below. “It is a big, beautiful, and bold cake,” he writes of the Bundt. “While the steps are relatively straightforward, it does involve a few more than the average recipe in this book. But it is worth every dirty bowl you have to clean.”
He also caught up with G&G to share a few tips and reflect on baking in the South.
What was your inspiration for the Bundt cake?
I am partial to Bundts in general—I love the simplicity of their presentation and their dense but pleasant texture—and I have always had an affinity for whiskey. Whiskey and cocoa powder feel like brothers: smoky, luxe companions.
Do you have any tips for home bakers tackling this recipe?
Bundts are beautiful, but it is really important to properly prepare all the nooks and crannies of the Bundt so the cake doesn’t stick to an odd corner. You want this cake to slide out beautifully, and I recommend a heavily buttered pan dusted in cocoa powder to avoid sticking.
Are there any drink pairings that would complement the cake flavors?
I would recommend a nice bourbon straight up, or if you want the cake to play center stage, a bubbly unflavored seltzer. Of course, coffee and tea are naturals for dessert, and this one is no different.
How did the South influence this recipe or the cookbook?
I lived in Florida and went to school in Alabama, so elements of the South are baked into my DNA. I think the South, at least the one I grew up with, excelled at best-in-class classic flavors—caramels, chocolates, vanilla, pecan, and coconut—and was less consumed with trends and froufrou new flavors, which I admired greatly. While that is a general statement about the state of dessert in the Southern region, it is a compliment.
What was your experience like attending college in the South?
I really enjoyed my time at the University of Alabama. It was quiet and lovely and green, and I made so many wonderful friends and connections that shaped my world.
