Hetal Vasavada is a baker and cookbook author behind @milkandcardamom. I’ve been following her drool-worthy account forever and she was such an inspiration to me when I got into baking over the pandemic. So, when I was thinking about who I could reach out to to answer my questions about how to become a better home baker, Hetal was the first person who came to mind. 

Hetal’s book Milk & Cardamom was named one of the top cookbooks of 2019 by The Washington Post and San Francisco Chronicle. Her recipes have also been featured in major food publications like The New York Times, Food and Wine, and Bon Appetit. Despite seeing major commercial success as a pastry chef, she keeps home bakers at the forefront of her recipes and product recommendations. We chat about measuring techniques, her kitchen must-haves, and tips for vegan baking. 

Hetal touches on common mistakes that she sees home bakers making and offers up simple solutions for taking your baking to the next level (hint: parchment paper and aluminum foil aren’t interchangeable). We also discuss how she’s carving her own path as a content creator and traditional pastry chef, and all the projects that she’s currently working on. 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

• Baking as a practice in staying focused and present 
• Why you need to buy a kitchen scale ASAP 
• What we like to bake vs. buy 
• Using aquafaba in eggless desserts 
• Hetal’s favorite semi-homemade dessert 
• How Hetal balances social media, recipe writing, and her bakery 

Follow Hetal

• Hetal's website 
• Hetal's Instagram 
• Milk & Cardamom: Spectacular Cakes, Custards and More, Inspired by the Flavors of India 

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