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Amanda
Hey sweet friend. Before we jump in today's podcast episode, I want to let you in on something special. Mark your calendars because June 19th at 6pm Central 2025 this year I'm having a free training and you are invited. On that night, I'm going to be showing you how I doubled my sales with corporate clients. If you're a baker, decorator or treat maker who's feeling stuck trying to get more consistent sales, or you're tired of posting online and still not seeing any real come in, or maybe you're just not ready for digital products yet, then this is definitely for you. Because when I first started, I was in the exact same position, wondering how can I grow my business without burning out and without doing custom orders that take up all my time, especially on the weekends. I want it to be with my family and my husband too. And so for me, that all changed when I started booking corporate clients. And now I'm hosting a free live training called How I Doubled My Sales with Corporate Clients and I would love to see you there. To register, go to www.baking for business.com training that's www.baking for business.comblash training. In order for you to register, sign up and make sure you get to come out to the live. And right after the class, I'm also having a free Q and A. No questions go unanswered. And so I cannot wait to meet you and help you in any way, way possible. I want you to be there as I'm pulling back the curtain and walking you through exactly how I did it, what I pitched, how I priced myself, and what I say to keep companies coming back to order with me. And not only that, but you're also going to get to hear from amazing students who have graduated from my signature program, More Dough, which shows you all the details on how you can add corporate clients to your business. So what are you waiting for? In order to register, go to www.baking for business.com backslash training. That's www.baking for business.comet R A I N I N G In order to attend the free info session, learn how I double my sales with corporate clients and how you can too. Can't wait to see you June 19th live at 6:00pm Central. All right, now let's get into the next show. Hey sweet friends. My name is Chef Schomburg. I started my baking business with a bottle of Di Sereno and one Bundt cake pan. Fast forward to today. From news to magazines, speaking on national stages and more, I can truly say that baking has changed my life. So now as a bakery business coach, I get to help others have the same success. I've helped hundreds of my students across the world and my global membership program create six figure businesses, mainly from home. The Baking for Business podcast is an extension of that. From actionable tips to valuable tools and resources that can impact you as a business owner. I truly believe y' all, we would never have been given a gift if we couldn't profit and prosper from it. So come on, darling, what are you waiting for? Hey, what's going on, you guys? And welcome to the Baking for Business podcast. I'm so excited to be here with you guys today because today we have a special guest, Molly. Molly Ye is here and I'm pretty sure you guys are all familiar with her. Not only is she a New York Times best selling author, but she's also a blogger as well as you're probably familiar with her work on Food Network. But more than anything, today, she's here to talk all about her new book, Sweet Farm, y' all. Isn't this the cutest little cover ever? And so we're gonna dive deep and talk to Molly all about the book and the recipes because obviously you do need cookies with salad, right? And so you're gonna find all about the unique about this book today. And so, Molly, thanks so much for joining us.
Molly Ye
Thank you so much for having me, Amanda. And yes, you're so right. You obviously need cookies with salad.
Amanda
Yes, I know. I definitely do. And for those who are unfamiliar with just how you got started, Molly, how did your total journey begin?
Molly Ye
Yeah, so I grew up outside of Chicago in a family that loved food. My mom is big in the kitchen. She, she loves cooking, she loves baking. Every night it was dinner is made from scratch. And every weekend I would wake up on Sunday mornings to a fresh coffee cake that she had just pulled out of the oven or cinnamon rolls or just things like that. I thought it was normal to grow up with fresh baked goods every Sunday morning. And my dad loves food. His family favorite food is leftovers. And he. Which is funny. I was just listening to your interview with Tiffany Thiessett and hearing about how her husband hates leftovers. I was like, oh, he's the complete opposite of my dad. Tangent. Anyway, so I also grew up in a very musical family. My dad is a professional musician. And when I was in high school, I was really into music. I played classical percussion and decided to go to college to study percussion. And so I got into Juilliard, which is where my dad went. And it was my dream of going there, and I dreamt of moving to New York City, so I moved there to study music. And what I really fell in love with, though, was the food scene in New York. And so that is when I started my blog. It's when I got my first apartment, and I was cooking food for myself for the first time, because growing up, you know, I would cook with my mom, and we would do baking projects, and. And I was always around it. But when I lived in New York, that was the first time where I was, you know, really at the helm, you know, doing my own cooking, and I fell in love with it. And so I'd started my blog when I was in New York, sort of as a way of keeping in touch with friends and family back home. And it was just meant to be like a life diary of, you know, what's going on in college in New York. And I quickly discovered that all I wanted to write about and all I wanted to do when I got home from school was write about food and cook food and go and try restaurants in the city and just completely immerse myself in this world of food. And a lot of that came from the fact that when you're a classical percussionist, you spend a lot of time in the back of an orchestra waiting for your. Your big. Your big moment. Like, it might be a couple of bass drum notes, it might be one cymbal crash, it might be a few triangle notes. And in those moments when I was waiting for my moment to play, I was dreaming about where I was gonna eat or what I was gonna cook after rehearsal. And so I found that I was getting a creative satisfaction out of food that I wasn't really getting as much as I wanted to with music. I still love music. I still have pieces of music that I want to play. And I had amazing opportunities when I was at Juilliard to play different pieces of chamber music and to play with great conductors. But at the end of the day, what was giving me more creative satisfaction was working in food and blogging about food. And so I took that as just, I guess, a sign that I think that I should, you know, lean a little bit more into this and. And explore what my opportunities would be. So when I graduated school, I decided to stay in New York and take opportunities, any opportunities that came my way, whether they had to do with food or music. And since I had the degree in music, I was paying my rent with music gigs, but with food things, it was more like I had an internship. And I, you know, was doing little, teeny, tiny writing assignments. Nothing that was really paying the rent, but I was getting the experience.
Amanda
Yeah.
Molly Ye
And then when I started dating my now husband, we made the decision to move back to where we live now, which is in northern Minnesota, right on the North Dakota border, to his family's farm. And there's. There's no freelance music scene here. So when we moved here, I had just. I devoted myself completely to food. I worked at the one town bakery that we had. I grew my blog. That was when I had the time and the energy and the focus to grow the readership of my blog, to be able to create a job out of it. And then that led to my now literary agent contacting me to see if writing a book was something that I would want to do. And so I. I wrote my first cookbook. This was back in 2016. And then when that came out, I had my first meeting with Food Network. And then about a year after my book came out, that's when Girl Meets Farm started. And now we're on our 15th season of Grill Meats Farm. So. And. And then Sweet Farm is. It's technically my fourth book. I wrote a little short stack. I don't know if you remember those short stack books. Wrote a little short stack on yogurt right after Molly on the Range. And then Home is where the eggs are. And now Sweet Farm has just come out.
Amanda
Oh, my gosh. Wow. That is. That is so awesome. And I just love the. The evolution of your entire brand. And so is it safe to say, when it comes to inspiration, do you think it would be your mom, or do you think it would just be New York? Because you mentioned just food as an outlet, creative a lot. Which one do you think is your biggest?
Molly Ye
Well, I think that. I think that my mom and my dad. So. So my mom was, you know, always in the kitchen. And then my dad was really into going out to restaurants and trying new restaurants and. And whenever he travels a lot and trying foods whenever he travels. So both of them, like, their love of food set the stage for this evolution to happen. But I was also very picky growing up. So even though I was around a lot of food, I didn't want to eat a lot of it. Like, I was very much Mac and cheese, grilled cheese, scrambled eggs, pot stickers, steamed buns, lots of. I was all the carbs. And new foods didn't really appeal to me that much, but I think it was because I saw new foods around me all the time. And I saw people getting excited about new food and, and with my mom, it was cooking. And baking was always seen as this joyous thing to do. It's how you show somebody that you love them. You, you cook them a meal or you bring them a batch of brownies. And so like, when I moved to New York, it felt like I had already had this foundation. Like I had the. What's the word that I'm looking for? Like, like you're gonna have to cut this part out. I'm like, no, you're fine.
Amanda
It seems like you already had the love of it in you, but New York just maybe brought it out.
Molly Ye
Yes, yes, I had the possibility, like the, there was that possibility there that I could fall in love with food. And then when I moved to New York, it was like, oh, yeah, I do love food. I just haven't truly discovered it yet. And now New York is kind of that, you know, last straw on the camel to make me truly fall for it.
Amanda
Absolutely. And so you've definitely fallen. Like you've stated, there's a blog and 15th season on your Food Network show that is amazing. And now we are on book. Didn't know about the yogurt one, but book four. So tell us, with Sleep Farm, what was the inspiration that sparked you to write this book?
Molly Ye
So I've always felt like I was a baker first. Baking always came naturally to me. I always, I'm, I'm such a math minded person and I think that there's such a connection there with the baking and it's, it's what I feel strongest with in the kitchen. And it's also at the very beginning of my blog, it's what came at that center point between what resonated with my audience the most and what I wanted to be doing the most. And so for a while, my, my blog was mostly a baking blog. You know, occasionally I would throw in a salad recipe or a soup recipe, but, but for the most part, the, the recipes that I get most excited about are baking recipes. I always knew I wanted to write a baking book. I also married a sugar farmer. My husband farms sugar beets. And so that felt like a natural fit. At the same time, this concept was so special to me that I felt strongly about a sweets book not being my first book because I wanted to have experience writing a cookbook before I wrote this book. And so, you know, with Molly on the range and the yogurt book and Homeless where the Eggs Are, the Sweets chapters in those books, they filled up the fastest and I was most excited about those recipes. Those chapters could have taken over the whole book if I didn't hold them back. And then after home is where the eggs are, I felt like, okay, I feel confident in this process. I feel great about the team that I'm working with. I think it's time. And, and so I started developing the recipes. I mean, it's been years that I've been working on this book, and I can truly say that it was some of the most creative, creatively satisfying moments I've ever had working.
Amanda
I love that. And so how is Sweet Farm? You touched on it a little bit, but how is Sweet Farm different from your previous book? So would you say this is 90% baking with some food, or what's the differentiation?
Molly Ye
I mean, it's. It's all sweets, so it's. And, and it is. It's mostly baking. There are a couple. There's like a, there's a no bake chapter, there's a drinks chapter. And so I, I've been careful not to call it strictly a baking book, but it is mostly baking. And I think it just represents truly just what I was born to make and what I was born to share with the world and how I can most express myself and share my story and heritage and truly, like, create newness. I mean, a lot of these, most of these recipes are inspired by the past and by my heritage and by the history of the farm. But I was really excited to be able to create recipes that couldn't have created or that couldn't have have been created even one generation ago. Like, for example, there is. There's this recipe for UBE fluff, which combines a flavor that I adore, that I grew up with enjoying, you know, in Chinatown with my family ube and then this type of dessert called a fluff that is super duper unique to the upper Midwest. And it's. It's essentially a very fluffy pudding, or if you can imagine a non frozen ice cream, it's sort of like that. And it typically has fruit in it. You make it, you make it by folding jello, like, kind of like whipping up jello with whipped cream. And then people add different things in it. And a distant family member of my husband's, she makes it with tapioca pearl or tapioca pudding. And I saw the tapioca and I was instantly brought back to having bubble tea with my sister and my dad in Chinatown on the weekends. And I associated that with taro and UBE and all of the Asian dessert flavors that I love. And so I combined the format of fluff with ube and it worked. I just thought, like, this is really fun because a generation ago, how would you have gotten UBE extract or ube halaya on the farm? You couldn't just order those things from Amazon like I did. So. So it's recipes like those that I am really proud about in the book.
Amanda
I love that. And you actually touched a little bit on my next question. But just in case you have any more, were there any recipes that surprised you while developing them? Now, I'll you hold your thought because I want to share mine. Rosemary potato loaf cake.
Molly Ye
This is.
Amanda
And I have a rosemary, and it's always taken over. So you really gave me another idea. What were some of the ones that surprised you inside the book?
Molly Ye
I will say that one was a big one that surprised me. It started off as an experiment. You know, we've all made pumpkin bread things like, you know, we've all added, like, you know, those hearty fall winter vegetables, mashed them up, and put them into cake. And it works. You know, sweet potato is so delicious in desserts. And I have a squash cake in the book, too. But I really love white potatoes. And using white potatoes in sweets is something that is. It's not uncommon around here. Adding potato to breads and to, like, enrich doughs for cinnamon rolls and stuff is pretty common around here, and I just. I love that. And then also there's a Norwegian flatbread lefse that uses russet or. Yeah, just any sort of white potato that you. Rice and you. You make. It looks like a tortilla with it, but it's very tender. And you roll it up with butter and sugar and cinnamon, and it's so delightful. But I had never seen a potato in just a classic loaf cake. So I tried it one day. I think I might have. It might have even started with, like, a leftover potato that I had that I just wanted to heat up in the microwave. And then I love anytime I don't need to wait for butter to soften to make a cake. I really get a kick out of that. So I use the hot potato to melt the butter, and I just mixed in some other stuff, and it made just this beautiful, tender texture. And I. I love rosemary so much. It's. It was. Rosemary was my mom's mom's name, and now it's my daughter's middle name. It was in my wedding bouquet. It's just one of those comfort herbs. And with the potato and the butter, something just Something in my mind just said rosemary to me. So add a little bit of that and then dark chocolate on top with a little bit of flaky salt kind of just seals the deal. So that was, that was something that, when I was thinking about it, I thought this could be really complicated because normally when I add potato to enrich doughs, it just adds a whole other step that is kind of annoying. But with the cake, it actually made the process a little bit easier because it can all come together in one bowl. And again, it melts the butter, so it kind of just, it helps the batter come together really easily. There's, there's a little bit less gluten in the, in the batter, so you can kind of, you can really mix it. And it's a very user friendly cake. It's very forgiving and it's. And it's unique. It's like a, it's a, it's a little uniqueness that is going to be, you know, familiar in some senses. But also, you know, who, who has seen a mashed russet potato in a cake before? I don't, I don't think that many people have. So it's like I love combining these familiar flavors together to create something new.
Amanda
You're so right. Because when, when I saw it and I saw cake, I was like, I don't think I've ever seen that. Now I'll normally see it in donuts. Some donuts.
Molly Ye
Oh, I love potato donuts.
Amanda
Yeah.
Molly Ye
Yes.
Amanda
So I, I know that's probably definitely going to be a really, really amazing treat. And aside from the u. This one, what's one recipe from the book that really feels the most personal.
Molly Ye
To you and why the black sesame babka?
Amanda
It.
Molly Ye
It's Asian and it's Jewish, just like me. And it, it combines probably my all time favorite flavor, black sesame, which is also another one of these flavors that is so nostalgic to me that I grew up eating with my family in Chinatown on the weekends. And with babka, which is just one of my favorite formats for any dessert, it looks pretty. It's satisfying to make the flavors in it. I think just, they come together so nicely there. There's a lot going on in it because I feel like in order to make black sesame truly sing, you've got to have a little bit of citrus zest. The dough for the babka has, it has potato flour, so there is that softness from the potato. I add a little bit of coconut oil into my enriched dough, which is your insurance policy against Having a dry dough and that hint of coconut flavor with the bitter sesame and the bright citrus. It's beautiful. And there's a little bit of chocolate in there from some crushed Oreos that help the structure, that help everything kind of stick together. So I think it's. It's a project, but it's well worth it.
Amanda
I love that. And see, it's. It's nice to hear you say that as obviously the author on the opposite side. When I look at that question, it actually made me think about the sprinkle cake, which is actually in here too, because from a viewer side or a fan, like many of us are, I just always think it's so cool when you see something in a new book that's in the older book, it's like, yeah, she brought this one back. You know, like, you feel like, oh, I remember this ride. Like, I've seen this before, so.
Molly Ye
Oh, thank you. Yeah, that was it. I think it speaks to my habit of just never being able to, like, settle for anything. And I lost so much sleep over that cake because it was like, yeah, you're right. I put the recipe on the blog. I put a refined recipe of it in Molly on the Range. And then I had a teacher in college who told me, if it ain't broke, fix it anyway. Yes. So I thought, you know what? This could be improved. And I'm gonna do it, and I'm gonna lose sleep over it because I just. This is what I do. I just. I. I obsess over cake. And so I. I did. I. I tweaked a couple of things since Molly on the Range that are all explained in, like, the pages. Long head 2.0 cake. Do you have it? You have it right there. There it is.
Amanda
Yeah, I was gonna say. And this is the beautiful picture. You guys, I'm gonna have to let you all read it and you decide because, again, I don't know how you can tweak perfection, but when I saw that, I was like, yay.
Molly Ye
This is. This is why I can't eat sprinkle cake anymore, because it's too triggering. I'm like, oh, no, too much. I'm gonna have too many emotions with this.
Amanda
I love it. And so the book beautifully mixes not only the recipes, but also the storytelling of it, Obviously, the farm and entrepreneurship and all the things. How do you balance handling a mix of entrepreneurship and then also just life?
Molly Ye
I'm really good at time management. I love to schedule. In fact, I schedule my scheduling. So every week I have. I have a Week or every week I have maybe like half an hour where I just sit down and I schedule out my, my next week, minute by minute. Almost. It's almost. It's borderline obsessive. But I love just having a plan and knowing where. Where I'm supposed to be. Because it can be hard, you know, when, when your own boss, you're your own boss and you're in charge of your own schedule. You know, before kids, it was like, yeah, I'll work until the sun goes down, I'll work until 10pm, eat whatever leftovers are in my fridge for dinner, and then watch Game of Thrones and go to sleep. And now with kids, it's so different. And so I have to be done at 5 in order to make dinner for the kids. Like, I have to be done at a certain time, you know, and I have to have my weekends free and all of that. So just being, you know, really focused about a schedule is something that I enjoy doing and that gives me peace of mind when I am trying to strike that balance. But at the same time, it's like it's always changing and it's always going to be a challenge to find that balance. And so I just, you know, I try to keep telling myself, okay, this is, this is a process. The only constant is change. And whatever happens, we just have to try our best to take it with grace.
Amanda
Absolutely. I love that approach because too often so many people, they beat themselves up, especially entrepreneurs. And I'm always telling that to my students. I'm like, you write your schedule like that is the best. That's the best part. Scheduling the mom time, scheduling the me time, because sometimes it can get hectic. So I love your response. And I know overall, farm life has played such a huge role in just your brand as well as your recipes. So what has living on a farm taught you about running a business?
Molly Ye
Farmers are some of the hardest working people I've ever met, and they have to wear many hats. I mean, it's. It's planting the seeds and it's growing the seeds and it's. And it's harvesting the crops, but it's also being a mechanic for your tractors and combines and what not. It's managing a crew during harvest. We have people here who help drive the trucks during sugar beet harvest. So it's like it's managing a team of a dozen people. For my husband, there's a lot of paperwork, there's a lot of continuing education. During the winter, there's a lot of workshops to learn about new technology and things like that and, and, and welding. My husband is really into welding. I guess welding metal pieces is it. That's a really important skill to have on the farm. And so seeing how they balance all of those many, many different jobs and then also at the end of the day, they're still at the mercy of mother nature is extremely inspiring. And it has taught me that when you can work, work really hard and put your all into it and be focused because tomorrow a storm could roll through and you might not be able to work. And if you didn't get all of the seeds planted by tomorrow, when there is a storm in the forecast, you know that, that could be really bad for business. So just seeing, seeing that sort of work ethic of just like when you can work, go hard and then also know that some things are out of your control and you just have to be nimble and work with that.
Amanda
Absolutely. For anyone who is listening, who's like, Molly, I want a career like yours. I want to be a blogger or I want to write a cookbook or I want to build a brand from my baking. What advice would you have to any entrepreneur who's looking to get started it.
Molly Ye
So something that I love to see when I am looking at whose books to read or who to follow online or whose shows to watch is I love to see unique stories. And I think that so many times, you know, when we're living our day to day lives, we think that the breakfast that we're having, oh, that's normal or that's boring or, or the, the work that we're doing, like, oh, that's, that's just normal. But like, I, I want to see your normal life. Like, I want to see what makes you unique. I want to, I want to know about your, your heritage, your story. I want to see that broaden to what you're baking. I want to see new flavors. I want to see new flavor combinations. I want to see, you know, like something whether it's a way that you've decorated a cake that's unique to you and that is, is something that you feel is your superpower. Like, I, I would rather see that than somebody replicating, you know, a cookie that is everywhere in a million places on the Internet. So like this whole, this whole trend of, of people creating videos, oh my gosh, what are you gonna say?
Amanda
I feel like you're about to say the, the same thing that I've been saying to people for everybody. I cannot stand to see a copycat version of I'm like, you were created to be your own person. Like, literally, the word you is in unique. Why do we always do. Here's a copycat crumble. I don't want a copycat crumble.
Molly Ye
I don't want a copycat. Oh, I do not want a copycat crumble. I just had crumble for the first time last week. I don't want the real crumble. But, no, it's. Yeah, it's so true. It's like, I want to know what flavors are special to you and what flavor you think would go well in a chocolate chip cookie. Like, what is something that you grew up with? Or what is something. A flavor that you had on a recent vacation that you just can't stop thinking of that you think would go well in this cookie? And. Yeah, and this whole trend of yeah, creating like, this is me making the viral insert recipe here. Like, no, make something new. Don't just create content from the other people's content. Like, tell me your story. Tell me about your day. Something that I used to think about when I was, you know, blogging every week. And if I ever felt like I had writer's block, I would think, you know what? I'm. I'm just writing a letter to a friend. This isn't broadcasting. You know, something crazy and big. Like, I am writing to an audience, and I consider them all friends. And so I would say, like, if you're looking for what is truly unique about you, think about how you would have a conversation with your best friend and share that and start there and then see where that goes.
Amanda
Absolutely. That is such a beautiful response, Molly, for anyone who gets this book, I'm not sure if you have a choice, but what would be the first thing that you would like to see us bake from this book?
Molly Ye
Oh, a cookie. The cookies. Yeah. Oh, the. Either the pistachio. The pistachio sandwich cookies. I'm gonna go with that. Or the tahini. The frosted tahini cookies. Both of those cookies are really big, chewy, rustic cookies. You really want to eat.
Amanda
Yes. All right, you got. Well, we have our marching orders, so we know what to bake. You heard it directly from Molly. Molly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for coming on today and for sharing your story and your journey and all of your wisdom, as well as your new book. But before I let you go, we have to play a game of lightning round.
Molly Ye
Are you ready? Yes.
Amanda
Awesome. What is your favorite color?
Molly Ye
Green.
Amanda
What is a kitchen utensil?
Molly Ye
You cannot live without the silicone. Spoonula.
Amanda
What is a dessert that you cannot live without?
Molly Ye
Chewy peanut butter cookies.
Amanda
The next question we're going to skip, as we do for all of our authors, because it is what is a book that you would recommend us read? And we're going to recommend all of our readers to go out and grab Sweet Farm, because this is definitely a must read. And so our very last question. Who is your celebrity crush?
Molly Ye
Oh. Oh, my celebrity crush.
Amanda
Tom Cruise. Jason Momoa.
Molly Ye
My celebrity crush. This is a really hard one. Really think about this.
Amanda
Normally, that's the one people go so well.
Molly Ye
Like, everybody knows this. Are you supposed to have, like, a celebrity crush crush in your head?
Amanda
Yeah, they're like Magic Mike or, I.
Molly Ye
Don'T know, can I say the dad from Bluey?
Amanda
Oh, wow.
Molly Ye
Is he a cartoon?
Amanda
Yeah.
Molly Ye
No.
Amanda
No.
Molly Ye
You're not satisfied with that answer? Okay, okay, okay, okay. Pretty crushed.
Amanda
That was like the equivalent of saying Urkel Urkele.
Molly Ye
Oh. You know who my first ever celebrity crush was? The Red Power Ranger.
Amanda
Okay, there we go.
Molly Ye
First it was Red Power Ranger. Then it was Zach from Saved by the Bell. Then it was Heath Ledger RIP oh, yes. Oh, Zach, girl, you have, like, five to choose from.
Amanda
Yeah, I'll take Zach. I'll take Zach from the bottom of my heart. Molly, thanks so much for coming on the show and hanging out out with us.
Molly Ye
Thank you so much, Amanda. This was so much fun.
Amanda
Absolutely. So how awesome was Molly? You guys, it's always so much fun when new baking books and new cookbooks hit the shelves. And it's even better when we get to talk to the actual author and share everything that went inside of the book with all of you guys. So special thanks again to Molly A. For coming on the Baking for Business podcast, for sharing her fourth book with us, as well as all the things that go into running a farm, a bakery, being an entrepreneur, and just everything else. It was really awesome just to hear her spin on it. And you guys, this book is filled with 100 recipes from Cook, cookies, cakes, salads, and other delights from Molly's kitchen. And I hope you guys thoroughly enjoy it as you read it as much as you enjoy today's podcast. Thanks so much for tuning in, guys. Take care, and bye for now.
Host: Chef Amanda Schonberg
Guest: Molly Yeh, New York Times Bestselling Author, Blogger, and Food Network Personality
Release Date: June 11, 2025
In this special episode of the Baking For Business Podcast, Chef Amanda Schonberg welcomes renowned food personality Molly Yeh to discuss her latest cookbook, Sweet Farm. The conversation delves into Molly’s culinary journey, the inspiration behind her new book, and her insights on entrepreneurship within the food industry.
Background and Early Influences
Molly Yeh shares her roots, growing up near Chicago in a family passionate about food. Her mother’s love for cooking and baking instilled in Molly the joy of creating delicious treats from scratch. "Every weekend I would wake up on Sunday mornings to a fresh coffee cake... I thought it was normal to grow up with fresh baked goods every Sunday morning" (04:16).
Transition to New York and Blogging
Molly's initial passion was music, studying percussion at Juilliard. However, her move to New York City sparked a deep love for the vibrant food scene. "I found that what was giving me more creative satisfaction was working in food and blogging about food" (07:35). This led to the creation of her blog, initially a life diary that gradually transformed into a beloved culinary platform.
Return to Northern Minnesota and Expansion
After moving back to northern Minnesota to live on her husband’s family farm, Molly fully embraced her culinary career. "I worked at the one-town bakery that we had. I grew my blog... and that led to my first cookbook in 2016" (08:25). Her subsequent successes include a partnership with Food Network and the creation of the show Girl Meets Farm.
Genesis of Sweet Farm
Molly elaborates on the inspiration behind her fourth book, Sweet Farm, emphasizing her identity as a baker. "I felt strongly about a sweets book not being my first book because I wanted to have experience writing a cookbook before I wrote this book" (12:29).
Unique Focus on Sweets
Unlike her previous works that mixed savory and sweet recipes, Sweet Farm is solely dedicated to desserts, ensuring a comprehensive exploration of baking. "It's mostly baking... but there are a few no-bake and drink chapters" (14:47).
Cultural and Personal Influences
The book reflects Molly's multicultural heritage and personal experiences. "Most of these recipes are inspired by the past and by my heritage and by the history of the farm" (16:00). One standout recipe, Ube Fluff, combines Asian flavors with traditional Midwestern desserts, symbolizing her unique culinary fusion.
Innovative Creations
Molly discusses the creative process behind some of her standout recipes:
Rosemary Potato Loaf Cake:
An unconventional combination of mashed russet potatoes and rosemary creates a tender, aromatic loaf cake. "It was fun because a generation ago, how would you have gotten UBE extract or ube halaya on the farm? You couldn't just order those things from Amazon like I did" (17:22).
Black Sesame Babka:
Merging Asian and Jewish culinary traditions, this babka incorporates black sesame, citrus zest, and coconut oil for a rich, flavorful experience. "It's well worth it... it's a project, but it's well worth it" (21:46).
Sprinkle Cake Revision:
Molly shares her commitment to perfection by refining her Sprinkle Cake recipe multiple times, ensuring it surpasses previous iterations. "I had to lose sleep over it because this is what I do... I just obsess over cake" (23:14).
Surprising Recipe Developments
Some recipes pushed Molly's creative boundaries, such as incorporating white potatoes into a classic loaf cake, which resulted in a unique texture and flavor profile.
Balancing Life and Business
Molly emphasizes the importance of time management in balancing entrepreneurial endeavors with personal life. "I love to schedule... It gives me peace of mind when I am trying to strike that balance" (27:14).
Lessons from Farm Life
Living on a farm imparted invaluable lessons about hard work, adaptability, and resilience. "Farmers are some of the hardest working people... They have to wear many hats" (27:48). Molly draws parallels between farming and running a business, highlighting the necessity of dedication and the ability to navigate unexpected challenges.
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Molly encourages budding entrepreneurs to embrace their unique stories and flavors. "I want to see your normal life... I want to know about your heritage, your story... create something new" (30:08). She advises against replicating popular recipes and instead fosters creativity and personal expression in culinary ventures.
To add a personal touch, Amanda and Molly engage in a fun lightning round, revealing snippets about Molly’s preferences:
Amanda wraps up the episode by praising Molly’s contributions to the culinary world and encouraging listeners to explore Sweet Farm. "This book is filled with 100 recipes from cookies, cakes, salads, and other delights from Molly's kitchen" (36:01). The episode not only celebrates Molly’s latest work but also provides invaluable insights for entrepreneurs in the baking industry.
Key Quotes:
“Every weekend I would wake up on Sunday mornings to a fresh coffee cake... I thought it was normal to grow up with fresh baked goods every Sunday morning.” — Molly Yeh (04:16)
“I felt strongly about a sweets book not being my first book because I wanted to have experience writing a cookbook before I wrote this book.” — Molly Yeh (12:29)
“I love to schedule... It gives me peace of mind when I am trying to strike that balance.” — Molly Yeh (27:14)
“I want to see your normal life... I want to know about your heritage, your story... create something new.” — Molly Yeh (30:08)
Molly Yeh’s Sweet Farm offers a delightful blend of innovative recipes and heartfelt storytelling, making it a must-read for baking enthusiasts and entrepreneurs alike. Tune into the Baking For Business Podcast for more inspiring conversations and actionable insights to grow your home bakery business.