About
Welcome to Let the Baking Begin!
I’m Marina — a wife, mom, and someone who has been cooking and baking for most of my life. I started baking at eight years old simply because I loved it. That passion never faded.
For over three decades — and consistently for more than twenty years — I’ve been in the kitchen refining recipes, improving techniques, and chasing that feeling of getting something just right. I genuinely enjoy food that is properly seasoned, thoughtfully balanced, and executed with care. When the texture is right and the flavors work exactly as they should, it brings me real joy.
That attention to detail has shaped everything I share here.
Where This All Began
On February 7th, 2009, I published my very first online recipe: Chocolate Macarons by Pierre Hermé. It wasn’t the easiest thing to start with — but I’ve always been drawn to recipes that challenge and teach.
Since then, I’ve shared more than 500 recipes online. Many of them have been made, shared, saved, and passed around kitchens far beyond my own. Knowing these recipes have found homes in so many families is something I don’t take lightly.
Since 2007, before Let the Baking Begin, I was sharing recipes with a small online community of like-minded cooks. In 2012, I created this website as a dedicated home for everything I had been building — and I’ve been publishing here ever since.
At different points along the way, I’ve also made cakes and desserts for sale, which raised my standards even further. When someone is paying for something you’ve made, there is no room for guesswork. That experience reinforced my commitment to precision and consistency.
Over the years, readers have even stopped me in the grocery store to say how much they appreciate the reliability of my recipes — that when they follow them, the results match what they hoped for. That kind of feedback means everything to me!
Why Precision Matters
I care deeply about the technical side of cooking and baking — the grams, the ratios, the science behind why something rises properly or stays soft. I want to know why a method works, not just that it works.
That’s why you’ll often see weight measurements and explanations included. It’s not to complicate things. It’s to eliminate confusion and build real skill. When you understand the reasoning behind a step, you can troubleshoot not only my recipes, but any recipe built on the same basics.
I do the testing, adjusting, and fine-tuning so you don’t have to second-guess yourself.
Because the kitchen should not feel intimidating.
The Heart of It
Ever since getting married, feeding my family has been one of my greatest joys. My husband and our children are the reason many of these recipes exist in the first place. One of our children uses a wheelchair, which has shaped our home in meaningful ways and taught us patience, flexibility, and resilience.
Our kitchen isn’t about impressing anyone. It’s about gathering, adapting when needed, and making food that brings everyone to the table.
I believe the kitchen is the heart of the home. When you feed your family well — when something comes out exactly as you hoped — it does more than fill stomachs. It builds confidence. It creates comfort. It makes ordinary days feel special.
That’s what I hope these recipes do for you.
November 2025
What You’ll Find Here
• More than 500 thoroughly tested recipes
• Savory, from-scratch family meals
• Clear, step-by-step instructions
• Precise measurements and practical guidance
My goal is simple:
To give you recipes that work.
To remove the intimidation.
And to help you feel proud of what comes out of your kitchen.
I’m truly glad you’re here!
Yours,
Marina
Let the Baking Begin!
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Welcome to my Online Recipe Book!
Here you'll find beautiful European Cakes and Desserts as well as other savory dishes my Ukrainian family enjoys.
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Hello Marina,
Thank you for sharing your recipe for the 8 layer chocolate Russian cake. I made the Russian Honey Cake from a recipe that was listed in the newspaper for thanksgiving and everyone flipped. It was very MOIST. But, not all the kids liked the flavor of the honey and I googled, “how can I make the Russian honey cake as a chocolate cake”. Your recipe popped up and I gave it test run. Everything was great, except the cake was not fluffy or soft. It was very dense and hard. I don’t know what I did wrong. I’m thinking maybe I didn’t let the baking soda double in size. I’m not sure. Help! Your family and your story touched my heart. You are an amazing strong person. With warm regards, Lizzie
Hi Lizzie!
Thank you for sharing your feedback and sorry it didn’t work out the way you wanted it to the first time 🙁
Could you please share how long you let the cake sit in the fridge assembled? The cake layers start out hard, but while in the fridge the cookie-like cake layers soften from the moisture in the cream. The longer it sits, the more soft it should become.
Before serving, it is best to let it come to room temperature for the best texture and mouthfeel.Hope this helps!
Thank you so much for your kind words!
Marina
I came to your blog searching for eastern Europe poppyseed pastry recipes. ( a bit rare when it comes poppyseeds as the featured ingredient )
I also live in the Pacific northwest, ( N. Cali ) where in rains and rains and rains. My Grandmother was Czech, and had owned a restaurant in Hollywood with her sister. Her pastry danced in the mouth with perfection, never too sweet, beautiful yeasted sponge and she used a lot of poppyseed, apricots, prune and cheese.
Anyway, I’ve been catering multi-ethnic foods for decades, but I’m just getting into baking. Thankyou for your blog, and you have the most wonderful selection of desserts and pastry. Very impressive. I will often refer to you when I need a special European cake or pastry.
Hi Marina. well i have been searching for so long for a recipe for a PANETONE CAKE without success. While searching bread recipes saw your “Let the Baking Begin”< Russian Easter Bread info. Unbelievable. It took 3 A4 pages to hand copy the recipe. Unfortunately nobody left in Odessa Ukraine to repair my printer. 5 attempts! I have not been associated with this type of bread so was very worried about the whole project. The window test you recommended was a total success first time. The Purpose of the bake was purely a test to prepare for Easter and give my wife Marina a special surprise. The two 5" moulds produced oh so tasty Kulick. In our village everybody makes so many "Easter Cakes" and gifts you. They do not use yeast because they are so dry as are the shop ones. This year i intend to show them what a derelict Englishman can offer thanks to you and your easily understandable recipe. My Marina was literally gob smacked by the soft and tangy texture. thank you so much. Bryan
Hi Bryan,
Thank you so much for your comment, it totally made my day! I love to see when my recipes travel all around the world and create beautiful memories for others! Hope this recipe will add lots of tasty moments during your Easter celebration!
Hello Marina,
I absolutely love your wonderful life-story! So happy you came to the USA where we always welcome great cooks & delicious recipes!
Thank you for posting the recipe for your Shortbread Meringue Cake with Custard Buttercream (Holiday Cake). I have a question…can I substitute something else for the Plum butter? A pie filling or possibly diced fruit? Thank you again & God bless you & your family!
Regards.
Hi Sharon, thank you so much for your kind comments!
You can use any tart type of jam – something like apricot jam I would think would work well here.
Not sure for the reason you would like to substitute it, but if it’s because you can’t find it, you can always puree the pitted prunes with some lemon juice and water to thin it down and just spread it on the cake layers before adding the meringue.
God’s blessings to you and your family, as well!
Hi! My name is Pat.
I love looking at your recipes, but I have yet to try one. Not because I don’t want to, but because I am a homebound disabled senior, and I have a lot of back pain (most days I can barely stand, walk or sit), but some days are better. I also have severe balance loss, which makes it difficult to do most things. There are days that are much better, and I would love to try some of your recipes! I am rarely ever on Facebook and the same for Instagram, due to my inability to sit for very long. I did try to sign up for your emails, but each time I tried, it said that it was no longer available, so it said to contact you. Are you able to fix this and add me to your emails? I would absolutely love that!
Every day since the war between Ukraine and Russia began, I have been praying so much for the war to stop, as countless Ukranians have lost their lives, their homes, their families, businesses, etc., etc. I am so happy that you, your husband and your gorgeous daughters are safe here in the USA!!! I continue to pray non-stop and will until Ukraine wins! I don’t give a darn about Putin or the Russians!
Thank you so very much for reading my message and I hope to hear from you soon and/or start receiving your emails of all of your delicious recipes! I pray that you and your family have an incredible holiday season!!! May God be with you and your family always!
I have a question about your pierogi recipe. Do i freeze them after boiling or before? Thank you! I’m so excited to make these! My neighbors are Slovak and I’m hoping to surprise them!
Hi Suzanne,
We typically freeze them before boiling. Just shape them, then set on well floured baking sheet and freeze. Then, transfer to a ziplock bag.
hi u hacked odd appears to me yellow smiley faces on your website…….
Well, young lady. I am Dave and my wife and I enjoyed our vacation back in 2021. We traveled to Ukraine and were there for a few months. When I booked the vacation, I had a chance to get a cooking class with a great family, Mama, daughter, and of course Papa. We were hoping to go back in 2022, but, all **** broke loose. We were able to visit many places and different means of transportation. We first landed in Kyiv. We were there for about 10 days then took a day train to Odessa. We were there also for 10 days and we were supposed to take a bus to Dnipro. Well, we somehow messed that up and ended up staying a few extra days to catch a night train. What an experience that was. hahaha. Well, we finally made it to Dnipro and was there a shorter time due to our mishap in Odesa. Well, we did take a bus from there to Kharkiv and were there for another 10 days or so. What a lovely city. We loved Gork Park. Oh, from there we took a day train again back up to Kyiv for the final leg of our trip. We tried just about anything that was Ukrainian. Brought back one of those stackable dolls. My wife loves it. We had so much fun there in all the places we visited that we could not pick just one city that was better than the others. The Black Sea was a treat and being there, was a dream come true.
I pray for your family and all those suffering in Ukraine.
You know that “Wars” must take place in one place or another as recorded in the Bible. We all have to endure these things, but still, it hurts us to know that it is happening to those that we love. We have friends that live throughout Ukraine and I just wish and pray that this soon ends.
I read your information about your family and I hope and pray that if you still have family there, that they stay safe.
My wife and I live close to Portland and hope to meet you and your family.
Thanks again for the great recipes.
Oh, we found a nice place here in the Portland area that has many Ukrainian dishes that we just love. The Borscht is a must-have in our home.
Dave & Tina
Hello Dave & Tina,
Thank you, so much for reaching out and sharing your experience when traveling in Ukraine. It warms my heart knowing that you got to experience it before all the atrocities started happening. There’re no words to describe the sadness about the effects of war that people are experiencing right now. Such senseless loss of life and possessions that many people worked all their lives to gain 🙁 🙁 :(.
If you live close to Portland, I wonder if you know about all the European/Slavic stores that are all throughout the city that have many of the foods and dishes that you can buy.
It was great to “meet” you, Dave & Tina! Thank you so much for your sweet comment!
Marina
You have a beautiful family Marina. Your recipes are a source of pleasure for me. I am an 85 year old gentleman whose wife is disabled and that makes me the family cook. Surprisingly, I quickly found cooking enjoyable.
I weep for the people of your home country in this awful time. I hope if you have relatives there they remain safe.
Don Foster
Fort Gibson, OK (Southeast of Tulsa)
Thank you, so much Don! I appreciate you taking the time to share about yourself and leaving a comment.
Cooking can be such a wonderful stress relief, especially when its done for the people we love.
Yes, we all hope this madness stops soon. So many people are loosing their lives without a reason :(. I appreciate your support!
Hope you and your family are well!
You have a beautiful family. I love to try different foods, and new recipes. I am retire from the military. I enjoyed traveling
to different countries and exploring different foods and recipes. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Hi Debra!
Thank you, so much!
Glad to have you here!
Hello Marina!
I’m Megan Kimmerle. I’ve decided to follow your request and sharing things about me. I was born and raised in Moab, Utah and graduated from Grand County High School 2 months ago, on June 1st. I will turn 18 in less than 2 weeks now! Can’t believe it at all!
Anyway, cooking and baking are my biggest passions as well. I have very much enjoyed your posts and your recipes are out of this world delicious and helpful! So thank you very much for inspiring me. The scorching heat here in Moab is absolutely miserable in the spring & summer, so I am jealous since just like you, I would take rain & cool/cold weather over scorching heat anytime. I will not be going to college so instead have big dreams and goals of finding a place with weather like yours to live in! Please keep inspiring me with more new recipes-you never cease to amaze me! So thank you again-and God bless you with all he can do!
Hi megan Kimmerle!
Nice to “meet” and learn about you! PNW is a good option if you don’t mind rain. The summer and early fall are the best here! It’s not too hot and so beautiful all around. Wishing you all the luck in your endeavors as you journey through adulthood 😀
Loved seeing your newlywed photograph.
I am also a nurse, retired now. Made it to retirement.
Love all of your recipes.
Thank you, so much, Elena! Nice “meeting” you!
Hi, my name is Ashley. I’ve recently started cooking and baking. I was born in Romania, then adopted and moved to America when I was 4 years old. My husband’s family is from Budapest, and I like your touch of Ukrainian in your dishes. I’m excited to try the ricotta pancakes. Wish me luck
I love your blog because the recipes sound so good and do-able .and then I read about you and now it just makes it real -not just the recipes – your beautiful family. I see aLOT of recipes on pinterest and think yeah right . But yours I save. Oh and I was born in Washington and raised back n forth between washington and oregon and guess what? I moved to the hot desert and am happy here . Opposite of you
How should I use your Sweet dough recipe for making cinnamon rolls? Do I need to divide the dough?, if so, into how many pieces?
Your recipe sounds wonderful!
I’ll do you one better – here is the written out recipe for the cinnamon rolls with this basic sweet dough. May I mention that they’re absolutely phenomenal?! Enjoy!
https://letthebakingbegin.com/the-best-cinnamon-rolls-recipe/
I found you on the pinterest. I notice a lot of familiar recipes so I get interested and I start following you in pinterest, You will maybe ask why familiar because I came myself from Ukraine in 2000 At that time I was 25. I am very enjoying your recipes because like I said they familiar but sometimes has a kind of little twist and I like that very much, I like testing different thing and I like different actually cuisine. Actually I was born in the Uzbekistan, Sometimes I taking ideas from a different cuisines and trying put them together, and sometimes it’s actually coming very well, and other times not so good.
it’s great you actually sharing Your talent and Passion for cooking with everybody, I am opposite I’m taking recipes from everybody. I am extremely appreciated and I’m looking forward for other great recipes. And I’m hoping God will bless you and all your family .
I appreciate you taking the time to comment and share your feedback, sounds like we have been here in the US for the same amount of time.
It was nice to “meet” a fellow Ukrainian
Congratulations Marina on your mastery of the English language considering you only came to North America at the ripe old age of 14. Bravo! I wish you and your special daughter all the best. Oscar.
I support Ukraine’S FIGHT FIR SOVEREIGNTY, so I am so happy I found your Coconut Candy Recipe today while searching for a Filling for my Original Coconut-Cake Recipe,” Which I’m adapting for my “Coconut Muffins”!!! Someone, I’m surrounded by Unknown People without identities, pretending they are decent when the break-ins And thieveries prove otherwise, I concluded these are Russian-&-Chinese-trained Communist-Totalitarianists here to attack our nation from within along with the human-traffickers-&-kidnappers-&-cult’s-of-Criminals-&-BIRPS-(((Beastiality-Incest-Rape-Pedophile-&-Sadism))), so these hackers-&-plagiarizers Are Breaking Into my phone again and erasing my comments, this is my second-try!!! I have my original “Cream Brioche Recipe” you might like to try out with fully-fresh fillings, and one of my posts today on Facebook is Called, “…..Putin Is Russia’s Abusive Husband” Because Putin is EXACTLY THE PROFILE OF AN ABUSIVE HUSBAND!!! I hope you are well and secure!!! You are a great family and I respect your Rights to choose a life here with your family when you were still a maturing young adult, I WISH YOU ALL THE VERY BEST!!! Authentically Yours, Elizabeth Allen in TUCSON, Arizona, Yes I relocated from Salem, OR to this deplorably hot place and cannot wait to leave to another hot place after I make it through this next year working toward my spinal surgeries and knee surgeries!!! Wishing you All Blessings, SECURITY, And Good Fortune!!!
Hi Elizabeth, thank you so much for your comment. Ukraine needs all the support it can get, as it’s fighting for it’s survival and freedom.
I hope the recipe went well and your surgeries are a success. All the best wishes to you!