This past weekend I attended my first food bloggers conference, The Big Summer Potluck. The event surprised me in a wonderful way: instead of sessions focused solely on technical topics like SEO and social media, the conference emphasized inspiration, community, and the core reasons many of us began blogging.
One of the opening speakers, Jessamyn Rodriguez of Hot Bread Kitchen, shared how she turned an idea into an organization that helps minority women advance in the culinary industry. At first it didn’t seem like a typical blogging topic, but her talk reminded me that blogging can be about purpose and impact, not just metrics.
Jessamyn Rodriquez of Hot Bread Kitchen
Listening to the talks, I remembered why I started this blog. Early on I wasn’t focused on subscribers, pageviews, or professional-quality photos. I blogged because I loved cooking and wanted a place to save and share my favorite recipes. Over time, pressure to perform on social platforms and chase collaborations can make blogging feel like a job. The conference helped me refocus: I’ll still aim to improve my photography and stay active online, but I won’t let those demands overshadow the joy of creating and sharing food.
Throughout the event I met many generous and talented bloggers whose work I admire: Courtney of Cook Like a Champion, Annie of Everyday Annie, Shanon of The Curvy Carrot, Audra of The Baker Chick, Kelly of Kelly Bakes, Stephanie of Girl Versus Dough, Kelli of The Corner Kitchen, Carla of Chocolate Moosey, Erin of Eat Bake Drink Cook, Heather of Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks, Joanne of Eats Well With Others, Isabelle of Crumb, Brandy of The Nutmeg Nanny, Samantha of Sweet Remedy, and more. I also had the chance to meet Abby Dodge, an accomplished cookbook author and culinary instructor, which was a highlight for me.
Chris of The Peche interviews Jeni Britton-Bauer of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
The conference included a variety of speakers and demonstrations: Jessica Powers of WhyHunger.org; Robyn Hillman-Harrigan of Shore Soup Project; Coach Mark Smallwood from The Rodale Institute; a demo by Brian Samuels of A Thought for Food; and live music from Martha Redbone. Representatives from sponsors like Gourmet Garden, OXO, Philips, KitchenAid, Sabra, Attune Foods, Musselman’s, Kerrygold, and The Middle Sister were also present. The gathering was organized by the teams behind Three Many Cooks, SmithBites, and The Peche—credit to them for creating a thoughtful, welcoming event.
Joe Yonan, food editor of The Washington Post
The conference theme—The Big Summer Potluck—meant each attendee brought a dish to share. I was assigned a “down-home” cake, pie, or cobbler, so I made a Fig-Raspberry Upside Down Cake. It felt fitting: figs are not widely loved in my family, so this was a chance to share something special. The cake was lightly sweet, tender, and received several compliments from fellow food lovers.
To help you replicate it, I included both weight and volume measurements. Weighing ingredients—especially flour—yields the most accurate results, so if you have a kitchen scale use it. If you must measure by volume, spoon cake flour into the measuring cup and level it off instead of scooping directly from the bag. I also recommend sifting cake flour to remove clumps and ensure even distribution; if using volume measurements, measure first then sift.
Fig-Raspberry Upside Down Cake
Adapted from Southern Living and TasteFood
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
- 1 cup (7 ½ ounces) light brown sugar
- 8 to 12 fresh figs (Black Mission or Brown Turkey)
- 4 ounces raspberries
- ¾ cup (5 ¼ ounces) granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (4 ounces) sour cream
- 1 cup (4 ounces) cake flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan and line it with parchment paper. Wrap the outside bottom of the pan in two layers of foil to prevent leaks.
- Trim stems from the figs and slice each fig in half vertically.
- In a medium saucepan, melt ½ cup of the butter. Whisk in the brown sugar until it dissolves, then pour the caramel-like mixture into the prepared pan. Arrange the fig halves in concentric circles, filling gaps with raspberries.
- Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, leaving about ½ inch intact at the top. Scrape out the seeds with the back of a knife and add them to the batter; save the empty pod for another use.
- In a stand mixer bowl, beat the remaining ½ cup of butter with the granulated sugar and vanilla seeds until light and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating and scraping the bowl between additions. Mix in the sour cream.
- Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda together. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix on low just until combined.
- Spread the batter evenly over the fruit in the pan using a spatula.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the cake is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around the edges to loosen the cake.
- After 10 minutes, tilt the pan and pour any juices into a measuring cup. Remove the side of the springform pan and invert the cake onto a serving plate. Peel off the parchment and spoon any collected juices over the top before serving.
Number of servings (yield): 8 to 12 servings