Time for a lick of paint

New branding and... did someone say cake?

Hey friends 👋

If you’ve been following along for a while now, then you might’ve noticed something a little different… Taisty Bytes has a new look!

When I first started this newsletter, I thought that using AI to learn how to bake was going to be my ‘thing’ that sets me apart from everyone else. The original logo even had the “AI” in TAISTY for that very reason.

However, it didn’t take long to realise I wasn’t actually using AI much at all. I was learning from other creators - asking questions, getting tips and picking up real world advice from people who bake, photograph and share knowledge from experience.

I do still use AI - but it’s almost exclusively for weight conversions - for cups and ml to grams, as I like to be precise!

And so, I figured it was time the branding matched the vibe.

I played with the idea of changing the name, but I kinda love the ring of ‘Taisty Bytes’ - so I settled on just changing the branding.

I wanted something that felt warm and personal - but that still had a modern, clean aesthetic. As much as I liked the pink - it no longer fit my vibe of ‘self-taught baker learning as he goes’.

My friend

Shell Plant

once said “You have a very definite style that you are nurturing… comforting, rustic, a little moody”. So after playing around with a bunch of colour combos and logo ideas, I landed on this:

• Sage green for Taisty – to reflect that earthy, homemade energy

• Charcoal for Bytes – to ground that dark, moodiness

• A raw, hand-crafted font that feels organic, friendly and a little quirky

For my logo mark I’ve left out the vowels to create something that's unique, but clean and recognisable for Substack, social media and anywhere else Taisty Bytes shows up. Here’s what it looks like:

I’ve got a few more design tweaks and features are in the works - so stay tuned.

But for now, what do you think? Feeling the new vibe? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

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Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Right, after all that talk about branding - I think it’s time for a slice of cake! I spotted this recipe for a lemon olive oil cake by Olives + Thyme, which looked too good not to try.

The one thing that caught me off guard about this bake though was how wet the batter was. Like ‘makes you second guess everything’, sort of wet. But it turned out beautifully. That extra moisture gives the cake this gorgeous lightness that melts in your mouth.

I had some great advice on why an olive oil cake is so moist by friend and fellow Substacker

Vanilla Black

who said:

Fats cause breaks in the gluten strands of wheat flour. The more fat, the more breaks, the crumblier the product. So, butter has good flavour, however, a certain amount of butter is water, sometimes up to 20%. Therefore, using butter doesn’t give the full shortening effect, whereas oil gives 100% shortening.

This is what I love about baking, photography and eating aside, is the science behind it all AND learning from one another!

Time for the most important question… are you having with it: cream, ice cream or something else?

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Well, that’s all from me today, friends. Thanks for stopping by and sharing in my little corner of the world. I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s mini update post!

See you next time!
Mark + Hiro 🐾