FindEatDrink: Baker's Half-Dozen

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Edition: 10 August, 2010

Meg Ray's passion for baking was ignited as a kid, when she scored a coveted county fair Blue Ribbon for her fudge cake. But it wasn't until her Silicon Valley career went bust that she started Miette Cakes and sold her pastries at the Berkeley farmers market.

Almost a decade later, Miette (French for "little crumb") is now one of the most popular San Francisco bakeries with two locations: the Ferry Building Marketplace and Hayes Valley. In addition, Miette's cookies, confections, and macarons can be ordered online.

Baker Meg Ray's Tips:

Biggest rookie move: over-mixing. It's hard to stop when you should.
Expert tip: KitchenAid mixing bowl can go directly in the microwave providing that no part of the bowl touches the walls of the microwave. This is essential to warming buttercream.
Advice for storing baked goods: go to a restaurant supply store and buy a big roll a food film. It will last a lifetime. Cakes love to be frozen and can even improve their texture.
Cookbook that's like a bible to you: "The Cake Bible" by Rose Levy Beranbaum, because it is flawless.
Favorite pastry shop: I love Fortnum & Mason in London for the packaging, which I find equally as interesting as the pastry itself and is an important part of Miette products.
Local San Francisco restaurant you love: Ao Sen for pho and bun.