Bake and Destroy was born in 2006 from a combination of hunger and sheer boredom. As a stay-at-home mom and junk food junkie, I decided to take advantage of nap time by spending those precious minutes in the kitchen working my way through my favorite cookbooks.

Pretty soon I started putting my own goofy spin on recipes, drawing from my love  of pro-wrestling, punk rock and heavy metal. My goofiness has landed me appearances on Food Network, The Cooking Channel, and WTTW Chicago Tonight as well as mentions in Time Out Chicago and Bust Magazine.

In 2008 I founded SugarSlam, a pro-wrestling themed bake off, and I’ve served as a judge for the Threadcakes competition for two consecutive years.

Find out more about me by checking out my press page and online portfolio.

Email me at Natalie@bakeanddestroy.com

FAQ

Where is your bakery?

I don’t own a bakery, I’m just obsessed with cake.

Can I buy your cupcakes?

Sometimes. I’ve been known to bake small batches of specialty cakes here and there for local friends and customers. Email me if you’re interested.

Can you cater my wedding?

Nope! I’m a home baker with a 9-5 job in marketing, I’m simply not set up to bake for large crowds.

I’m visiting Chicago, what bakeries do you recommend?

Angel Food Bakery, Fritz Pastry, More Cupcakes, Molly’s Cupcakes, Sprinkles and Vanille Patisserie, just to name a few. Looking for something in particular? Email me, I probably know where to find it.

How long have you been vegan?

I’m not vegan, I am vegetarian. I bake a lot of vegan treats because I was vegan for about 5 years and I still prefer those recipes. Plus, a lot of my friends are vegan and I like to make my friends happy.

Do you do product reviews?

Not usually, unless it’s a really awesome product or a really stupid one. If you’re a PR rep you may as well not waste your time emailing me about meat products, diet products, cake mixes or alcohol because I’m not interested. At all.

Who does your tattoos?

I’ve been tattooed by a lot of great artists, but Chris Smith at Deluxe Tattoo is the man I currently pay to poke me. Yeah, that’s right.

Where do you get all your hair thingies?

Lucky Cupcake Hairclips! Enter BAKEANDDESTROY for 10% off and tell Joy I said hello!

What’s up with you and Grind for Life?

Grind for Life is an organization that helps families of those suffering the effects of cancer. I’ve been working with them for a few years now, since losing my friend Mat to cancer. They’re fantastic – please donate to them!

When is your book coming out?

Soon! Read more about my book here! Want to publish my book? E-mail Sally at sally@lisaekus.com

Where can I buy a Bake and Destroy shirt?

You can get one at http://www.cafepress.com/bakeanddestroy – thanks!