When my husband took this photo, I had just brushed buttercream out of my hair and wiped a confectioners’ sugar explosion off the floor. My daughter helped decorate this sprinkle-loaded 6 inch cake and we’re celebrating something huge!
Milestone.
A significant marker in our lives pinpointing a momentous event. This month, I reached one and I hope you’ll celebrate with me. Afterall, I wouldn’t have reached it without you!!!
In December 2011, I started a food blog that unbeknownst to me would someday host 1,200 recipes used by millions of bakers all over the world. I still cannot wrap my head around it.
I feel I could easily turn this post into a novel with all that has gone into building this career over the past 10 years, but I will keep it short because truly—what I want to convey is just how thankful I am for everyone who bakes, trusts, shares, and enjoys my recipes as well as everyone who helped me get to this point including my absolutely wonderful and mighty SBA team.
When I pressed publish for the first time 10 years ago, I had no idea how much weight that mindless click would hold. My intention was to put cookie recipes in a place for my friends and family to see them, a solution I thought would be easier than emailing recipes to loved ones. I had a full time job and was absolutely not looking for a career change—heck, I had no idea that people even made a career out of food blogging. (It was rare back then.) I took pictures of cookies on paper plates with my fancy new smartphone. I typed vague instructions on my blog, uploaded a photo, and forwarded the link to loved ones. That’s it. That was my food blog. Instagram and Facebook pages were barely new at the time—social media for content creators was in its infant stage. Recipe videos were mostly limited to cooking shows on TV.
So what happened in the past 10 years?
Well, I built a brand from scratch! In 2011, I had never picked up a fancy camera before, never wrote professionally, never owned a business, never managed employees, never wrote a book, and knew nothing about website development. But I had passion and grit—and I believe both are the secrets to entrepreneurial success. I began to build a community who would soon share my recipes with others and before I knew it 1 follower turned into 100 and then 1,000 and then 100,000 and now there are millions of bakers looking at my recipes and sharing heartfelt stories, memories, and traditions based around the content I’ve created.
IT’S SURREAL. THANK YOU.
It’s no secret that baking can spread joy and perhaps it’s become your hobby or an activity when you need to relax or escape. Thank you for making my recipes part of your world.
What’s next? A website refresh & redesign coming in January! Finishing my cookbook proposal so cookbook #4 can happen! Developing quality baking recipes, authoring my blog posts, taking all of my own photography, and managing a trusted and knowledgeable team! These are my professional priorities for (hopefully) more decades to come. But after 10 years of hustling, it feels remarkably rewarding to slow down and reflect on what I’ve created. And without YOU + my supportive family, friends, and team + all of the blogging friends I’ve met along the way, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.
Thank you so much for being here. Bake something delicious today!!!!
Happy Baking xo,
Sally
When I plan on baking something, I always check your blog first. And I own all of your cookbooks. Thanks for doing this and best of luck to you in the future :-).
Hi Shannon, Thank you so much for trusting our recipes!
I’m portuguese and I found your blog on Pinterest last july (2021) when I was looking for a recipe to make a birthday cake for my daughter first birthday.
And I’m writing this comment because I think you should know that, since I “met” you, I’ve tried a lot of your recipes and every single one went well. You make anyone a great baker, even if we have never done a single cake or cookie that before.
Thank you so much for all your posts and how much you dedicate to this project! Sending a big hug from Portugal
Maria, Thank you so much for sharing! We hope you continue trying new recipes. Happy baking!
Thank you for being the baker I can confidently go to when I need a recipe I can trust to work out well. Your demos and clearly written instructions are presented in a way that even a novice baker can follow. Just one question, where did you get the very pretty sprinkle mix that you used in the photo for the cake in this post?
All the best to you and your family for the new year and thank you for all you do!
Hi Laura, Sally used these sprinkles!
Thank you Stephanie, much appreciated!
Your website is the best. I always recommend you to anyone who wants to bake. The care you put into your posts is obvious. EVERYTHING WORKS!!!!! You are the gold standard. I recommend you when someone tells me they are afraid of yeast and you converted her!
The stromboli recipe is her family’s favorite! All because you made it doable! Congrats on 10, cheers to 10 more!
Congrats I am a newbie on your site, am looking forward to
Making great things. I’m currently working on your whole wheat pizza. Dough will let you know results. Thanks for doing this.
Hi Pen, thanks for being here. Definitely let us know how it turns out!
Congratulations ! Happy anniversary!
Thank you. You are a trusted and worthy baking staple in my life and for the cost of my time and effort—-you are worthy of ALL the praise.
Your treats are awesome
Happy anniversary Sally!!
Thank you for the amazing recipes you share.
Happy holidays and may the new year be more than amazing!!
That part about trusting is huge – I TRUST your recipes. I have tons of books and recipes I have collected over many years but I always trust that yours will work. When a friend recently got her first cookie press I sent her your recipe. You got me through the first months of the pandemic. Congratulations and thank you!
Congratulations!
hi Sally
happy anniversary n congratulations
i love watching all your videos at youtube n you teach.us all a lot. i am not a baker but now i am proud to call myself a baker because of you…thank you so much Sally.
Wish merry christmas n a happy new year
Thank you, thank you Sally for your wonderful recipes and guidance! I bake so many of your recipes and have shared your site with many others. Best wishes to you and thank you for your hard work!
Congratulations!!!! I am so happy for u & ur family, thank u so much for all the baking advice, tips, tricks & of course delicious recipes u have given the world, Merry Christmas , Happy New Year & best wishes from my family to urs!!!
Thank you so much to Sally and her team!! Congratulations on 10 years!!! I’ve loved your baking blog ever since my stepmom introduced me to it, and I think this blog definitely helped to spark my love of baking! Have a wonderful holiday season, and stay well! To Sally and her team, have a great day, and I hope you and your loved ones stay well and healthy!
Congratulations on 10 Years! I am so grateful I found your page when I decided to make cookies in the pandemic for my husband. I have not looked back, you have made a non baker into a baker! Thank you for your wonderful directions and explanations why we are doing a step. I look forward to many more years of you wonderful baked goods!
Congratulations Sally!!! You deserve such a huge blessing for how you’ve blessed thousands with your sweet personality & delicious recipes!!! I go to your dessert books so often when I need a special dessert! Lord bless you with many more recipe ideas for the future & I’ll be watching out if you publish another cookbook to add to my Sally’s Baking Addiction collection!
Good Morning….and a BIG CONGRATULATIONS!!! So very Thrilled for You!! Can’t imagine the many hours you have spent thinking, planning, experimenting, tasting…albeit this phase can be DELISH….” ) Look Forward to your next 10 plus years. Merry Christmas and All the the Best to You and I Wish you and your family A Happy Healthy 2022!!
Happy 10th Anniversary! My Mom and I use your recipes regularly and we have all your cookbooks. We just flipping through one to decide on Christmas desserts ☺️ Very excited to hear you’re coming out with a fourth! Thank you for everything. It’s been pleasure following you and baking with you. Here’s to another ten (minimum)! ❤️
Congratulations and thank you.
Congratulations Sally! Thank you for your good recipes. Here’s to more years of baking. Cheers!
Thank You Sally. Your recipes and blog have created a peaceful place in my life. I always loved reading recipes, , imagining the smells, and the tastes, and how my family would love the food I was making. I have mostly made your cookies and deserts. They always come out wonderful, filling the house with their wonderful smell. Congratulations on 10! May there be many more anniversaries, and cookies.
Happy Anniversary Sally. I have been visiting your website for some years now. You are AMAZING!!!
Thank you for all the Great recipes and decorating ideas. You helped to make me a better baker. Please keep up the Great work.
DJ
Happy Anniversary Sally – you keep me inspired with your delicious recipes and books.
Congratulations Sally!! You are amazing and I always go to your website for baking recipes because they are always yummy! I love your detailed instructions! Here’s to another 10 years!!
And, thank you young lady for the incredible, edible incredibles!
Happy and safe holidays and a successful 2022.
Congrats! hope you’re baking will inspire other the way you inspired me!
Congratulations on a wonderful milestone 10 years. Thank you for all your amazing recipes and helpful hints. Merry Christmas to you and your family and A Happy and Healthy New Year.
Congratulations! You’ve done a fantastic job and look forward to all your future recipes
Happy Anniversary, Sally! Can’t believe it’s been ten years and that I’ve been following you since the beginning! Wow, I’m getting old! LOL. All the best to you this holiday season.
Wow! Congratulations! Thank you so much because you have become a very vital part of my kitchen life. I can’t thank you enough for what you do for me and your community of followers. We have great food spreading love to our families and friends. I get some of the best hints, and recipes from your very comprehensive blog. Merry Christmas, Happy Healthy new year to your family, your staff, your dog, and you. I want to thank you for helping me cope with the pandemic…and still coping with it…..all the delicious inspiration you gave me.
Congratulations on 10 years. I’ve enjoyed your recipes