Emily Spurlin
Chicago-based Emily Spurlin, founder of sourbittersalty, is a pastry chef, teacher, food stylist and recipe developer—pastry is her medium, where she explores themes of play, pleasure and connection to nature.
Photography: Jaclyn Rivas, Laura Scherb & Emily Spurlin
Polenta and olive oil cake with stone fruit and tomato jam, holy basil and French buttercream. Photo: Courtesy of Emily Spurlin. Portrait of Emily Spurlin (main left) by Jaclyn Rivas.
Hazelnut olive oil orange cake with grape jam, fennel seeds, French buttercream, crowned with a literal cornucopia of Autumn fruit. Photo: Courtesy of Emily Spurlin
Golden vanilla butter cake with strawberry jam, vanilla bean, Swiss meringue and buttercream. Photo: Courtesy of Emily Spurlin
Hello Emily! Can you introduce yourself?
Emily: Hi, there! My name is Emily and I’m a pastry chef, florist, and artist based in Chicago, Illinois. I grew up in a nomadic military family before going to culinary school in Paris, and ultimately settling in Chicago for its vibrant and diverse culinary community. I’ve always been drawn to art and creativity, and finding new channels to express this keeps me alive!
Take us back to the beginning – what were you doing before you founded sourbittersalty?
When I first moved to Chicago, I started as a line cook at The Publican. During this time, cooks were always encouraged to work on passion projects that could eventually end up on the menu. I always had a hard time coming up with ideas, but I had a notebook full of flavour combinations for desserts. My creativity just spoke more fluently in pastry, so it was there that I made the switch. The name ‘sourbittersalty’ came as a bit of a joke. I had been complaining to a friend about desserts that lacked nuance, with the main flavor just being ‘sugar’. I was explaining how I wanted to be surprised by desserts being sour, or bitter, or salty. And alas, sourbittersalty was born. I worked in restaurants for about a decade, before getting to a place of deep burnout during the pandemic. I took a couple years off, and have returned in a freelance capacity, doing custom cake orders and events!
When did you start baking – do you remember the moment it made an impact on you?
Honestly, I didn't bake or cook much growing up. I have always had a passion for eating, and a major sweet tooth. I found my way into wanting to go to culinary school after studying nutrition, and being so disappointed that turning food into a science took all of the romance and pleasure out of it for me. But I still felt connected to food as a way to connect with other people, with your own ancestors, and as a means to celebrate.
Dessert is like a canvas for you – do you think baking is the same as creating an artwork such as a painting or a sculpture?
I absolutely do. I see dessert as much as a medium for storytelling as much as writing, painting, dancing. It usually starts with a color, or a specific ingredient/flavour, or even just a feeling I want to evoke. From there I think of as many ways to carry that through, via the flavours, textures, colors and decor. It’s an incredibly intuitive and organic process.
The most rewarding part of your job is…
Making people happy! Helping people celebrate or soothe. Sometimes making cake for a living can feel a little frivolous, until I am reminded by my clients of the ways in which my work has played a role in their life.
And the most challenging aspect of your job is…
All the dishes! And in general it is just a high labour line of work. It’s been more and more important to remind myself as I get older that I have to prioritise my body and respect it’s limits.
You explore themes of play and pleasure, with a strong connection to nature… why are you so drawn to these themes?
I think these are the things that make life worth living! Play and rest and pleasure give us the sustenance we need to keep enduring, especially as life as a human on earth gets more and more challenging. Nature is always my guide on how to live creatively—in collaboration with others, with cycles of planting seeds, nurturing growth, appreciating abundance and taking periods of rest.
Almond poppyseed cake with lemon curd, caramelised white chocolate and buttercream. Photo: Courtesy of Emily Spurlin
‘Be curious about everything! Learn the basics and proper technique first.’ Photo: Laura Scherb
“Nature is always my guide on how to live creatively—in collaboration with others, with cycles of planting seeds, nurturing growth, appreciating abundance and taking periods of rest.”
‘Root cellar cake—inspired by all the sturdy foods that keep us bolstered through a Midwest winter.’ With carrots, parsnips, artichokes, sweet potatoes—filled with apple and pear butter, topped with rosemary and French buttercream. Photo: Courtesy of Emily Spurlin
Snowball cake a la Betty Jo (Emily’s grandmother) with coconut cake, lemon curd, white chocolate and buttercream. Photo: Courtesy of Emily Spurlin
Where do you mainly go for inspiration?
Outside! I love being inspired by nature, whether that’s in the wild or at the farmer’s markets. I like surrounding myself with artists of other mediums as well, in order to learn from their own creative processes.
Why do you value sustainability in your work?
I think we live in a very consumptive culture, and it’s important for me to think about where I’m getting my ingredients, if the people producing or harvesting these things are living good lives, if the way I am moving through the world helps or hurts the planet or other living things. And sustainability for myself! If I’m constantly overworking myself and getting burned out, my creativity suffers and the work loses it’s magic.
Three words that sum up your approach as a pastry chef?
Creative, playful, whimsical.
The most valuable piece of advice you would give to a pastry chef looking to break into the industry is…
Be curious about everything! Learn the basics and proper technique first. Don’t work anywhere that treats you poorly. Continue nurturing your hobbies and interests outside of pastry because they will nurture you and your work in the future.
Are there any dream projects or collaborations you aspire to undertake?
There isn’t a specific thing, but I’ve been trying to cultivate more creative collaborations with others in order to produce work that’s a bit more conceptual and interactive. I love blurring the lines between food and art and would love to continue doing so.
Do you think living in Chicago influences your work?
I do! I really love the culinary scene here… it feels really collaborative and community-oriented. There is a lot of art and cultural relevance here, but it still feels really down to earth, filled with a lot of hard-working people.
What are you most excited about that’s coming up for you this year?
I’m planning my first retreat. My friend Laura Scherb, an incredibly talented food photographer, and I are hosting a 3 day excursion in the Driftless region of Wisconsin. We are going to focus on capturing a sense of time and place via the mediums of photography and baking, using local grains and produce.