by: Maddie Rowley
Scrolling through Instagram for true crime content that fits Hunt A Killer’s audience can be a full-time job, so when I landed on a photo of a delicious-looking cake with a letter board next to it that read “The Ted Bundt Cake,” I thought to myself ‘this is the content we need in the world.’
I shared the Ted Bundt Cake photo from the Baking A Murderer Blog account and the owner, Jillian Bond and I got to chatting via DM and Email. It was perfect timing, really, because Hunt A Killer had just launched our newest premium murder mystery case called Baker’s Dozen, and Jillian was immediately game to bake all the cakes from the game despite my warnings that the recipes were difficult and included ciphers!
Strawberry Cloud Chocolate Cake from Baker’s Dozen.
Jillian is an avid 20/20 watcher, a clothing designer for a big brand (um, so cool) and is game to receive any challenging suggestions for true crime confections she should bake next!
Strawberry Cloud Chocolate Cake from Baker’s Dozen. How delicious does that look?!
Check out our Q+A with her below and the drool-worthy Strawberry Cloud Chocolate Cake she made using our recipe from the Baker’s Dozen game.
Q: How did you come up with the idea to start Baking A Murderer? Have you always been into true crime and baking?
A: I listen to true crime podcasts (it's an addiction) while I work my full-time job and I was listening to "Murder Made Me Famous." The episode featured a crime where a husband kills his wife (classic). The show reported that the last thing she did was bake a French toast casserole. Police and detectives discovered the recipe print out on the counter when they searched the house for evidence. I was immediately intrigued and searched online to see if someone published that recipe. I didn’t find the recipe but I did discover a white space of the internet that I wanted but couldn’t find—a place where recipes and true crime joined together, and thus Baking A Murderer was born.
I’ve always been into true crime. My Friday night ritual as a young teenager was watching the newest episode of 20/20. I’ve seen every single one, it's kind of embarrassing. Then when podcasts became popular, I dove head first into those. I think I subscribe to around 50. As for baking, I grew up watching my mother bake but didn’t get into it myself until I was in college. I would use it as a stress relief during busy times and fell in love.
Q: Do you watch any specific shows/ documentaries or listen to any podcasts for inspiration? If so, which ones?
A: I watch 20/20 religiously and any new crime docs that pop up on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc. Also LOVED Mindhunter on Netflix and can’t wait for the next season. I’m currently watching Prodigal Son. As for podcasts, it's hard to narrow down my favorite but I'm currently binging "Housewives Of True Crime" and "Crime Junkie." A classic favorite is "My Favorite Murder" and "Dateline." Oh, and I recently discovered "Moms and Murder" which is really good too. I like the idea behind “Housewives of True Crime” and “Moms and Murder,” just a couple moms chatting true crime while their kids hang out. It makes me giggle.
Q: What has the response been so far to your baking blog?
A: The response has been great! Which I'm a little surprised by. I didn't realize how many bakers out there loved true crime as well. The first post I had was The Ted Bundt Cake, which got an INSANE amount of love.
Q: Where are you from and what do you do full-time?
A: Well I am from Orange County, California. I lived there until I was 23 and moved to Ohio to go to Fashion Design school. After graduation I moved to Columbus, Ohio where I work as a clothing designer for a pretty big company whose headquarters are based here.
Q: What or who got you into baking?
A: As stated earlier, I grew up watching my mother baking. She makes the BEST pies. I think that's why I favor pie so much. But I didn’t get into baking until college. It became a late night stress relief for me. It's where I made my first pie and developed a love of fresh baked bread. My lovely roommate became very fond of it too haha.
Q: Which Baking A Murderer treat are you most proud of so far?
A: I’m obsessed with The Ted Bundt Cake. It's packed full of maple which is my choice of flavor profile topped with candied coconut. It was a hit with followers and made me feel a sense of "Okay I got this, there's an audience out there."
Q: What do you see for Baking A Murderer's future?
A: I see BAM growing with more followers and more collaborations. I also plan on attending CrimeCon next year to sell some merch including enamel pins and illustrated recipe cards. Maybe sell some goodies there too, I'd love for people to try Maura Murray's Mysterious Knots and The JonBeignets.
Q: Anything else you want to tell readers about BAM?
A: I love suggestions and challenges, so if anyone out there wants to see a certain cake or baked good send me a DM on Instagram. I do a feature where I get a quote from a follower on their opinion of the case, and if it’s unsolved, I like to feature their theory. It's fun and a great way to interact with followers. And to end it, I would like to say what I always say signing off a post, “Stay Inside, Bake A Pie, and Don't Get Murdered.”
Stay up-to-date with Jillian’s latest bakes & cakes by following her on Instagram at @BakingAMurdererBlog!