Warren Brown seems to know little fear.

	Bert V. Goulait, The Washington Times Warren Brown will demonstrate his cake-making techniques here on May 5. Click photo for larger image. Related articles and recipes 'Ace of Cakes' can sculpt whatever you want out of batter Fresh Find: "The Confetti Cakes Cookbook" Yellow Butter Cake Italian Meringue Buttercream

Not of massive career change.

Not of baking a cake from scratch.

The Food Network host ("Sugar Rush"), baking instructor and owner of a bakery and cafe in the Washington, D.C., area, was a lawyer seven years ago. But he ditched that career and in 2003, armed with a credit line, started his business, CakeLove, on Washington's U Street.

After publicity that included an appearance on an Oprah show about successful career changes, Mr. Brown's ascent into the food stratosphere really took height, and he has been adding layer upon layer of success since. Soon he will be opening a new storefront in Arlington, Va., and early next year, he'll publish a cookbook about baking from scratch.

He will bring his cake-making prowess to Pittsburgh on May 5, appearing at Ross Park Mall as part of Simon SuperChefs Live!, a tour billed as a "daylong celebration of food."

Bert V. Goulait, The Washington Times Warren Brown makes a chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream at his bakery on U Street in Washington, D.C. Click photo for larger image.

Hosted by Marc Silverstein of the Food Network, the event from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. also will feature local chefs in a cooking competition, cooking demonstrations, food and beverage sampling, autographs and cookbook sales. Admission is free.

Mr. Brown will stir it up with demonstrations of how to make buttercream (around 1 p.m.) and vanilla cake batter (around 3 p.m.), extolling the crowd to extinguish any fear of baking from scratch.

"There's a lot of fear. I don't think it needs to be there," he says, in telling how he'll walk the crowd through the role of ingredients and how to use them.

He acted on a New Year's resolution to learn to bake, "to get over this fear of flour I had."

To see the results of his education, go to cakelove.com. You'll be ohhhing and ahhing over the decadent cakes and pastries -- and tempted to drive to Washington. You'll have to, because you can't order the buttercream cakes online. (You can, however, get CakeLove's brownies, cookies and pound cakes delivered to the 'Burgh.)

A few of Warren Brown's cakes. Click photo for larger image. Local cake contest There's going to be a lot of cake lovin' going on from 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at the Society for Contemporary Craft in the Strip District. The event is "Let Them Eat Cake!" -- the Midwife Center's annual cake decorating and tasting contest. Cake lovers can sample the wares of three dozen professional and amateur bakers and vote for their favorites, as well as enjoy a live cake auction, a silent auction, a wine tasting by Barefoot Cellars and music by Sugar Daddy and the Big Boned Girls. This year's entrants include a cake shaped like a squid and one shaped like the Loch Ness Monster. Tickets are $25 at the door. Proceeds benefit the Midwife Center for Birth & Women's Health (412-321-6884). -- Nancy Anderson

All of this is produced by a Cleveland Browns fan (you may forgive him if you taste his products).

Warren Brown grew up in the Cleveland suburb of University Heights minus a sweet tooth.

"I didn't eat candy. It's [full of] artificial ingredients I didn't really like."

Among his likes: learning, whether it's about cakes or anything else.

"I am an advocate for education and being informed, making an informed decision," says Mr. Brown, who taught reproductive health before becoming a lawyer for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The subject of education comes up in relation to his blog at cakelove.com. He has posted several times against the trend of banning trans fats.

"I don't think trans fats go to the level of something that is so dangerous for somebody that it's worth spending the time on for a state legislature," he says, though he does not use trans fats in his baked goods.

"But in addition, it creates a false sense of security," with people thinking they can eat more food if it's trans-fat free.

The reality with food is not so far from the realities he observed when teaching reproductive health, he says.

	Brown, SuperChefs at Ross Park Mall Mr. Brown will share more of his cake-making tips at the Simon SuperChefs Live! tour from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 5, at the Ross Park Mall. Hosted by Marc Silverstein of the Food Network's "The Best Of," the day will also include four local chefs competing for the title of "SuperChef Pittsburgh." They are Chris O'Brien of Hyeholde, Moon; Eric Fisher of Jimmy G's, Sharpsburg; and Drew Hebson of Sonoma Grille and Brian Annapolen of the Original Fish Market, both Downtown. For more information, go to www.simon.com.

Moderation is not only key, "it's also just reality. People are going to eat desserts," he says.

"The problem is people are eating irresponsibly to the amount of activity in their life," says Mr. Brown, who runs both to burn calories and relieve stress.

There's nothing irresponsible or stressful about cake, though.

He says:

"I just say that cake is something that can be enjoyed and really treasured, and I think cake can be made to taste just fantastic in a great way."

How does Warren Brown make a cake full o' love?

"First of all, you have to buy a scale," he says. "To weigh your flour using a scale is so critical to baking. If you don't do that, you might as well not start."

The old scoop/level/pour method can leave you using "20 to 30 percent" more flour than you need. And always sift your flour -- never mind if it's labeled pre-sifted.

"A lot of people say you don't need to sift the flour. That's just poppycock," he says.

Set a bowl on the scale and sift the number of ounces needed into it.

"I don't have to tap, I don't have to try and level it. I don't have to fiddle with my measurement system," he says.

"It's fast, easy, accurate and makes for the beginning of a very good cake."

He uses white, extra-fine granulated sugar. "The size [of the granules] matters because it will help deliver air into whatever you're mixing."

Easy does it when it comes to creaming the butter -- and use a stand mixer on the slowest or next to slowest setting, he says.

"When I first started [baking], I was going fast, because everything in America -- fast is better. ... You have to slow down when you're baking."

But when it comes to adding the dry ingredients, "I'm not taking more than 15 to 20 seconds" to mix those in. Then, up the speed to medium.