Katalin Nagy

Professional Recipe Developer · Food Writer

About Katalin

I'm Katalin Nagy, the founder of Spatula Desserts. My work is rooted in European baking tradition, particularly French pastry, and expanded by years of exploring food cultures across more than 70 countries. I bring all of that experience back to the American home kitchen, where I help everyday bakers ditch the box mixes, pick up a kitchen scale, and discover what baking from scratch can actually taste like.

I was a self-taught baker before I became a trained one. I had my fair share of kitchen failures in the past, mainly because there weren't many credible, insightful baking recipes and information available.

My recipes are step-by-step, trustworthy, and helpful, no matter your experience level. Precise where it matters, forgiving where it doesn't, and always honest about what's actually happening in the kitchen and why.

Experience

I'm a professional recipe developer with 10+ years of hands-on experience creating, testing, and publishing baking content. Every recipe I publish on Spatula Desserts is personally developed and tested by me.

Unlike many other bloggers, I do no outsourcing, no AI, no shortcuts!

Beyond Spatula Desserts, my writing reaches a broader audience through Yahoo, where I cover everything from dessert recipes and roundups to culinary culture and emerging food trends.

I also teach online baking classes, small-group sessions designed to help home bakers build real skills in a fun, guided environment.

My husband, Balazs, joins me on the creative side, handling all food photography and video production for the site.

Expertise

French & European Pastry — Choux pastry, tarts, laminated doughs, and the full canon of French technique. This is the foundation on which everything else is built.

American Baking from Scratch — I'm passionate about helping American home bakers move beyond box mixes and pre-made shortcuts. My recipes show you how to build classic American desserts — cupcakes, brownies and cookies, cheesecakes — from scratch, with the confidence and precision of a trained baker.

International Baking — From Japanese cheesecake and matcha desserts to Middle Eastern-inspired desserts like my popular baklava cheesecake, I have real, hands-on familiarity with global baking traditions, shaped by extensive travel and direct culinary experience across these countries.

Baking Science & Technique — I don't just share what to do; I explain why. Gluten development, fat ratios, emulsification, and temperature control. I translate the science into practical, actionable guidance for home bakers. In addition to the hundreds of recipes on the site, you will also find helpful lessons on baking basics and ingredient substitutions.

Education

I graduated with an economics degree and spent over a decade working in market and consumer research for major international companies, including Mondelēz International and Volvo Cars HQ. That corporate background in an analytical field shapes what I do at Spatula Desserts more than I admit.

On the baking side, I completed formal training at pastry schools and programs in Europe, and continue to develop my skills through extensive hands-on testing, professional study, and culinary travel across the globe.

Personal

When I'm not baking, I'm traveling, often with a fork in hand. My husband and I love exploring together and eating our way through local markets and pastry shops along the way. That constant curiosity about food, culture, and flavor is what keeps my baking fresh and my recipe ideas from ever running out.

The economist in me never fully left: I have an Excel file for everything, and yes, Balazs and I have weekly check-in meetings to align on content, goals, and what's coming next. Running a food blog is a creative career, but it's also a business, and we treat it like one.

Let's Connect

Please leave a rating and comment on the recipes you tried! It is available on each recipe card and helps me create more free recipes in the future.

Recipe questions, baking wins, or just to say hi at hello@spatuladesserts.com.

Featured Recipes by Katalin

I must admit, I like eating and baking equally! Unless I passionately fall in love with the flavors and textures of a dessert, you won´t see it on my blog! I enjoy perfecting my desserts, getting the most out of simple ingredients, combining classics, and creating something new. Here are my current favorites!