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Molly Baz

by Schmidt•
A classic Caesar salad with chicken, often shortened to Cae-Sal by Molly Baz whose Caesar dressing recipe became her signature dish
A classic Caesar salad, often shortened to Cae-Sal by Molly Baz whose Caesar dressing became her signature dish and personal brand identity.

Molly Baz is the American chef, cookbook author, and former Bon Appetit food editor whose Cae-Sal (Caesar Salad) recipe became one of the defining viral recipes of the late 2010s and whose post-Bon Appetit brand has built one of the most commercially successful creator-economy operations in American food media. Cookbook author of Cook This Book (2021) and More Is More (2023), Baz also runs the Baz with Caz personal brand including merchandise, recipe newsletter, and a sustained social media presence that has positioned her among the most influential post-BA personalities.

TL;DR

  • American chef, cookbook author, and former Bon Appetit food editor
  • Cook This Book (April 2021) became a New York Times bestseller; More Is More (October 2023) extended the brand
  • Departed Bon Appetit in October 2020 after the racial pay disparity scandal
  • Built Baz with Caz, a multi-product personal brand including merchandise and recipe newsletter
  • Caesar Salad (“Cae-Sal”) became her signature dish and personal brand identity

Key facts about Molly Baz

Real name Molly Baz
Nationality American
Brand Baz with Caz (recipe newsletter, merchandise, multi-product)
Previous role Bon Appetit food editor (until October 2020)
Major books Cook This Book (April 2021), More Is More (October 2023)
Signature dish Cae-Sal (Caesar Salad)
Husband Ben Willett (musician, photographer)

Origins from Bon Appetit to Baz with Caz

Molly Baz built her early career through professional cooking and recipe development before joining Bon Appetit as a food editor in the mid-2010s. Her on-camera presence in the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen YouTube series during 2018 to 2020 made her one of the recognizable cast members, particularly through her recurring appearances in Making Perfect and other series. The Caesar Salad recipe she developed became a viral hit and the foundation for her later personal brand identity.

Baz departed Bon Appetit in October 2020 after the racial pay disparity scandal that triggered the broader BA Test Kitchen exodus. Unlike some colleagues who joined other publishers, Baz built an independent creator-economy brand from scratch, with Cook This Book (April 2021) as the foundational cookbook launch and the subsequent Baz with Caz personal brand expansion across merchandise, recipe newsletter, and social media. The trajectory has been studied as a creator-economy case for how former on-camera food talent can build durable independent businesses.

A thick deli-style sandwich, the kind of casual cooking Molly Baz built her brand around through her Cook This Book recipes
A thick deli-style sandwich, the kind of casual cooking Molly Baz built her brand around through Cook This Book and More Is More.

Molly Baz career timeline

  • Early career Works in professional kitchens and recipe development; develops the foundation for her casual American cooking voice
  • Mid-2010s Joins Bon Appetit as a food editor
  • 2018 to 2020 Becomes a regular Bon Appetit Test Kitchen video presence; her Caesar Salad recipe goes viral, becoming a signature dish
  • June 2020 Bon Appetit Test Kitchen racial pay disparity scandal breaks
  • October 2020 Departs Bon Appetit; begins building independent creator-economy brand
  • April 2021 Publishes Cook This Book: Techniques That Teach and Recipes to Repeat with Clarkson Potter; becomes a New York Times bestseller
  • 2021 to 2023 Builds Baz with Caz brand including merchandise (totes, apparel, kitchen products), recipe newsletter, and ongoing social media presence
  • October 2023 Publishes More Is More: Get Loose in the Kitchen with Clarkson Potter
  • 2023 to 2024 Brand expansion continues with additional merchandise drops and recipe content; remains one of the most commercially successful post-BA personalities
  • 2024 to 2026 Continues recipe development, cookbook projects, and Baz with Caz brand operations

Molly Baz signature style and editorial approach

The Molly Baz editorial signature is casual American cooking with a deliberately fun, irreverent voice. The brand identity is built around accessibility, with recipes designed to be replicable by ordinary home cooks but framed with enough personality to feel distinctive. The Cae-Sal (her shorthand for Caesar Salad) framing exemplifies the approach: take a familiar dish, give it a memorable personal voice, and turn it into a signature item that audiences associate specifically with Bazs brand.

Cook This Book (2021) extends the same approach into a teaching cookbook format, with techniques and recipes organized around developing home cooking confidence. More Is More (2023) shifts the framing toward maximalist flavor combinations and bigger personality dishes, signaling the brands evolution from teaching cookbook to lifestyle voice. The overall trajectory has positioned Baz as one of the defining lifestyle-food brands of the post-BA cohort, alongside Andy Baraghani and Sohla El-Waylly but with a more explicitly commercial brand strategy.

Notable work: Cook This Book, Cae-Sal, and the Baz with Caz brand

Cook This Book: Techniques That Teach and Recipes to Repeat (April 2021, Clarkson Potter) is structured as a teaching cookbook focused on fundamental techniques that build home cooking confidence. The book became a New York Times bestseller and one of the most commercially successful debut cookbooks from a former Bon Appetit cast member. More Is More: Get Loose in the Kitchen (October 2023, Clarkson Potter) extended the brand with maximalist recipes and lifestyle framing.

Beyond the cookbooks, the Baz with Caz brand represents one of the most ambitious creator-economy expansions among former food media personalities. Merchandise drops including totes, apparel, kitchen tools, and seasonal product lines have built a sustained consumer-product business that operates independently of any single platform. The Cae-Sal framing has become a personal brand signifier extending into merchandise, recipe content, and ongoing social media activity.

Awards and recognition

  • 2018 to 2020 Bon Appetit food editor and Test Kitchen video host during the channels YouTube peak
  • April 2021 Cook This Book debuts on the New York Times bestseller list
  • 2021 to 2024 Baz with Caz brand expansion across multiple merchandise lines and recipe content
  • October 2023 Publishes More Is More to extensive critical attention
  • 2025 to 2026 Remains one of the most commercially successful creator-economy operations among former BA cast members

Impact and cultural relevance

Molly Baz is among the most commercially successful food personalities to emerge from the 2020 Bon Appetit diaspora. The Baz with Caz brand operation is studied as a creator-economy case for how former on-camera food talent can build durable consumer-product businesses outside of single-publisher models. The combination of cookbook bestsellers, sustained merchandise drops, and recipe newsletter subscriptions demonstrates that the personal-brand approach can sustain a serious independent business.

Within the post-BA cohort, Bazs trajectory is frequently cited alongside Sohla El-Waylly, Andy Baraghani, Priya Krishna, and Rick Martinez in coverage of how the 2020 reckoning reshaped American food media. Where most of the cohort focused on cookbook publishing or journalism careers, Baz pursued the most explicit consumer-product brand strategy, demonstrating that the food creator economy can support multi-product personal brands.

Molly Baz FAQ

Who is Molly Baz?

Molly Baz is an American chef, cookbook author, and former Bon Appetit food editor. She is best known for Cook This Book (April 2021), More Is More (October 2023), her Cae-Sal Caesar Salad signature, and the Baz with Caz personal brand including merchandise and recipe newsletter.

What is Cae-Sal?

Cae-Sal is Molly Bazs shorthand for Caesar Salad, the dish that became her signature recipe and personal brand identity. The Caesar Salad recipe went viral during her Bon Appetit years and has become a recurring brand signifier across her merchandise and recipe content.

When did Molly Baz leave Bon Appetit?

Molly Baz departed Bon Appetit in October 2020 after the racial pay disparity scandal that triggered the broader BA Test Kitchen exodus. She subsequently built the Baz with Caz independent brand operation.

How many cookbooks has Molly Baz written?

Molly Baz has published two cookbooks: Cook This Book (April 2021), a New York Times bestseller focused on techniques and teaching, and More Is More (October 2023), which shifts toward maximalist flavor combinations.

What is Baz with Caz?

Baz with Caz is Molly Bazs personal brand operation, including recipe newsletter, merchandise (totes, apparel, kitchen tools, seasonal products), and ongoing social media presence. It represents one of the most ambitious creator-economy expansions among former Bon Appetit cast members.

What is next for Molly Baz

Molly continues cookbook development, Baz with Caz brand expansion, and recipe newsletter content. Follow her on Instagram (@mollybaz).