For Scottsdale’s newest baking entrepreneur, cake is a gift of affection—and now she’s inviting others to share in the joy.
Sarah Chisholm, the founder and chief baking officer of Wild Rye. PHOTO COURTESY OF WILD RYE BAKING CO.
Ballerina turned world-class executive pastry chef and now entrepreneur, Sarah Chisholm’s newest pursuit centers on cake as a love language. Launched mid-November, Wild Rye Baking Co. (wildryebaking.com) is a scrumptious new online baking destination offering an assortment of restaurant-quality cake, frosting and pancake mixes for easy and accessible at-home baking. “It’s an act of love to bake for someone,” says Chisholm, founder and chief baking officer. “Cake is just the vehicle for expressing generosity.” From decadent olive oil cake topped with chocolate sea salt frosting to Madagascar vanilla cake with coconut matcha frosting and even bright pink velvet cake, Chisholm’s mixes create deliciously elevated desserts to warm the hearts and wow the taste buds of family and friends—no baking experience necessary.
The tasty brunch cake. PHOTO COURTESY OF WILD RYE BAKING CO.
Formerly the executive pastry chef at the acclaimed St. Francis restaurant and the Phoenix Public Market Cafe, her career trajectory has been anything but linear. Chisholm was inspired to pursue baking by her family, citing a love for sharing recipes and gifting desserts for special occasions. Wild Rye is Chisholm’s way of spreading this joy.
Upon falling in love with her new craft, Chisholm coined her company’s slogan: baking magic. “It’s the whisk in the bowl, the scent of cake in the oven, the magic of simple ingredients coming together and transforming,” she explains. “It’s the feeling you get when you share something you’ve made with someone you love; the face people make when dessert hits the table.”
In the spirit of sharing the gift of delicious desserts with as many people as possible, Wild Rye’s cakes and pancakes come in vegan and gluten-free options that are just as tasty as their classic counterparts. Exemplifying this ethos, Chisholm’s delightful almond flour pancakes were the first recipe created for Wild Rye and have emerged as a fan favorite. Kid-friendly, gluten-free and with the potential to make this recipe plant-based too, these breakfast delicacies can be ready in a matter of minutes and are unbeatable when served with maple syrup. The rich chocolate cake paired with peanut butter coffee frosting has also quickly emerged as a popular pick.
To new bakers, Chisholm’s No. 1 tip is to stay calm and let Wild Rye do the heavy lifting. This brunchworthy olive oil cake recipe provided by Chisholm will yield eight to 10 servings and truly takes boxed cake to the next level.
Chocolate sea salt frosting and olive oil cake mix are just a couple of the products by Wild Rye. PHOTO COURTESY OF WILD RYE BAKING CO.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE
1 box Classic or Gluten-Free Wild Rye Baking Co. Olive Oil Cake Mix
3 eggs
1 ¼ cups whole milk
1 ¼ cups olive oil Zest of 3 lemons
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
INGREDIENTS FOR THE GLAZE
½ cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
PREPARATION
Step 1 Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. (I like to use a small Pullman pan here. It makes a very lovely tall loaf cake.)
Step 2 In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, olive oil, milk and lemon zest. Add dry mix and poppy seeds, whisking until well combined and the batter is smooth.
Step 3 Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, rotating after 30 minutes. When done, the cake will be just firm and dry on top and a toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean.
Step 4 While the cake is cooling, make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk powdered sugar, honey and lemon juice until smooth. The texture of the glaze should be runny but not watery. (If it’s too thick, add more lemon juice. If too thin, add some more powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time.)
Step 5 When your cake is completely cool, run a knife around the edges of your pan and remove your cake by inverting it onto a cutting board. Remove the parchment from the bottom and set it right side up.
Finally, pour your glaze over top of the cake allowing some to run down the sides. Slice and enjoy!
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