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Simple Cake: All You Need to Keep Your Friends and Family in Cake [A Baking Book] Hardcover – March 12, 2019
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“A sweet book full of incredible photography, delightfully simple recipes, and so, so much love.”—Alison Roman, author of Dining In
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES AND FOOD52
Everyone has a favorite style of cake, whether it's citrusy and fresh or chocolatey and indulgent. All of these recipes and more are within your reach in Simple Cake, a love letter from Brooklyn apron and bakeware designer Odette Williams to her favorite treat.
With easy recipes and inventive decorating ideas, Williams gives you recipes for 10 base cakes, 15 toppings, and endless decorating ideas to yield a treat—such as Milk & Honey Cake, Coconut Cake, Summer Berry Pavlova, and Chocolatey Chocolate Cake—for any occasion.
Williams also addresses the fundamentals for getting cakes just right, with foolproof recipes that can be cranked out whenever the urge strikes. Gorgeous photography, along with Williams's warm and heartfelt writing, elevate this book into something truly special.
- Print length204 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherTen Speed Press
- Publication dateMarch 12, 2019
- Dimensions8.3 x 0.9 x 9 inches
- ISBN-100399581421
- ISBN-13978-0399581427
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"The idea of offering ten base cakes, fifteen toppings, a flavor chart, and dozens of decorating ideas is both fun and ingenious! This might be the only cake book one needs."—Helen Goh, co-author of Sweet
"Simple Cake delivers quick and easy cakes that you can enjoy any day or dress up for special occasions. The recipes are unfussy and joyful; they are the perfect excuse to share with the ones you love. You will make these cakes part of your baking legacy."—Aran Goyoaga, author of Small Plates & Sweet Treats and creator of Cannelle et Vanille
"Simple Cake is such a sweet book full of incredible photography, delightfully simple recipes, and so, so much love. It's as deeply personal as it is useful and I can't wait to bake from it."—Alison Roman, author of Dining In and Nothing Fancy
“Wonderfully uncomplicated . . . Thoughtful and inspiring, this fresh take on cakes should find an enthusiastic audience.”—Publishers Weekly
"Odette Williams loves cake. Her book, a collection of "unfussy, classic recipes" that she's been perfecting for years, is all about delivering on your cake craving, even if life wants to get in the way. The recipes are simple and achievable: She offers 10 base cake recipes and 15 topping ideas that can be mixed and matched to fit your dessert needs, wants, and desires."—Epicurious
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Simple Cake is a selection of unfussy, classic recipes that I’ve been tinkering away at for years, not only to satisfy cravings but also to share my love of cake with my family and friends. These recipes are the ones that are in high rotation in my busy home. They’re simple enough to survive a little household chaos; in fact, let’s just agree that pandemonium is one of the ingredients.
Because no two cravings are the same, I’ve written this like a choose-your- own-adventure cake book: ten cakes and fifteen toppings that can be mixed and matched to create endless flavor combinations. At their simplest, these cakes can be baked and dusted with confectioners’ sugar. I’ve also created a chart of flavor combinations for you to experiment with as you get to know the recipes. Following the base recipes are thirty cake-worthy moments when the people in my life need or enjoy cake, and it goes way beyond birthdays.
You might be wondering where to find the time and energy to bake a cake. It’s hard enough most days just getting dinner on the table; right? But here’s the thing; I promise you that it won’t take long to bake one of these cakes for that birthday boy or girl, for a friend who’s having a rough time, for yourself as a bribe, for someone who has captured your heart, for a family treat, or because it’s rainy and you’re stuck inside with sick kids. Bake for the people you love, and they’ll surely love you for it. Baking a cake for someone shows that you’ve put them at the forefront of your mind, that you’ve used your time and creativity to love them. Even if it’s lopsided love.
I had the idea for Simple Cake rattling around in my head for years. There’s
an iconic publication that had a huge impact on my relationship with cake: The Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book. Published in the eighties, it became the bible for kids’ parties around the country and a cult classic back home in Australia. The premise was simple: one cake recipe, a handful of toppings, and a bunch of fanciful themed designs that made
it nearly impossible for a child to choose just one every year. You wanted them all so badly that the selection process became half the fun. There were typewriters, pools, rockets, castles, pirates, and the coveted train cake that graced the cover. (I never got that one!) These cakes satisfied every kid’s birthday cake dream. It was an imaginative workhorse of a book— home-baker friendly and a source of rich family folklore. Making the cakes generated many happy and hilarious memories. It was always exciting to turn up at a friend’s birthday party to see which cake they had chosen and how their family had executed the design.
It was the unexpected death of my father that finally gave life to Simple Cake. When I was back in Australia helping organize Dad’s funeral, I found myself poring over his old photos. In among the curling images was one of Dad and me. We’re in the backyard with a neighborhood friend and my brother. I was dressed in Dad’s paint-splattered cargo work shirt, looking at a cake he had baked for my birthday, taken from a recipe in The Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book. Dad is craning over the cake, lighting the candles as I helped by shielding them. Despite the fact that my father’s family had owned a successful bread bakery in town, I know that Dad, a newly divorced father in his late thirties, would have been out of his comfort zone baking a bunny birthday cake. It was a bittersweet discovery, a happy childhood memory I’d forgotten about that I suddenly wished I could thank him for.That photo was taken more than thirty years ago, and I’m now a mother to Opal and Ned and stepmother to their big sisters Dixie and Matilda. Remembering that cake my father had created made me appreciate how important small acts of kindness are in the big picture, that when you step outside your comfort zone, good things can transpire. I’m now a long way from that secure, suburban childhood. Twelve years ago, I left Australia for love, and it has been an adventure.
Home is now a brownstone in Brooklyn with a never-ending rotation of friends and family coming and going. I love the energy of a full house. It keeps homesickness at bay and gives me a good excuse to bake. After I returned home from Dad’s funeral, I felt a need to share why I believe cake matters.Simple Cake started with a summer of baking and jotting down my cake memories. (Tough gig.) My infatuation with cakes began, as it does for many, in early childhood. On special occasions, my mother would bake, and after she had finished mixing the batter, my brother and I would each get a beater to lick. One beater was never enough. I’d sneak my fingers into the batter when she wasn’t looking and rescue the spatula from the sink. When I was a little older, I’d come home from school cravingsomething sweet. When I couldn’t find anything except the salty sandwich spread, Vegemite, and brown bread in the pantry, I’d mix myself some cake batter. I did this so often that I memorized a basic batter recipe—with just the perfect afternoon portion. Most times, I wouldn’t bother baking the cake—I’d just eat the batter. To this day, I still don’t know which I lovemore: the batter or the baked cake. I have no fear of salmonella.
Product details
- Publisher : Ten Speed Press (March 12, 2019)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 204 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0399581421
- ISBN-13 : 978-0399581427
- Item Weight : 1.65 pounds
- Dimensions : 8.3 x 0.9 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #390,578 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #315 in Cake Baking (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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About the author
![Odette Williams](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/amzn-author-media-prod/9u5rvcol72pnrg7v54r0vcq9ch._SY600_.jpg)
Odette Williams is an Australian cook and writer with a simple, effortless cooking style. She is the author of Simple Cake, which was named one of the best cookbooks of 2019 by the New York Times. Odette’s eponymous brand of aprons and kitchenware has sold at goop, Anthropologie, J. Crew, ABC Carpet & Home, and Le Bon Marché, among other retailers. Odette writes for the Wall Street Journal, and her work and writing have been featured in Food Network, Rachael Ray, Vogue, InStyle, Martha Stewart, Real Simple, Parents, Southern Living, and Saveur. Odette lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the recipes in the book easy to follow and straightforward. They appreciate the simple, quick recipes that don't require a lot of time or ingredients. Many readers find the premise of the book fantastic and appreciate the concept. The photography is beautiful and enticing. The variety of recipes and options for baking are appreciated. Overall, customers enjoy reading the book and find it fun to read.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the recipes in the book easy to follow, with clear instructions and ingredients. They describe the book as amazing and a go-to for baking simple cakes. The recipes taste great and are baked perfectly.
"...They were well balanced and not overly sweet (but not under, I do like my sweets)...." Read more
"...Love the simplicity, the mix-and-match approach to cakes + toppings, and everything is DELICIOUS" Read more
"...Both, cake and topic recipe are well-written and easy to follow with the ingredients listed on the left and baking instructions on the right...." Read more
"...of Brooklyn, and the weight measures to name a few... it's a very concise book of cakes and definitely not the only book you'd ever need unless..." Read more
Customers find the book's recipes straightforward and easy to follow. They mention the recipes don't require a lot of time or ingredients, making them great for beginners as well as experienced cooks.
"...The recipes are easy to follow and don't call for too fussy of ingredients...." Read more
"...Both, cake and topic recipe are well-written and easy to follow with the ingredients listed on the left and baking instructions on the right...." Read more
"...The title says it all. It's a simple and concise collection of recipes." Read more
"This book has some great looking recipes and easy and clear instructions...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's premise and concept. They find it a great addition to their cookbook collection, with gorgeous photos and many sweet reasons to eat cake. The recommendations and tips leave them feeling creative.
"...I love the options that you have and the recommendations listed on the side...." Read more
"A fun little book, but not necessarily simple. Certainly worth it as inspiration." Read more
"...She provides the right amount of guidance before leaving you to be as creative as you want to be. This will be my go to gift from here on out...." Read more
"...a masterpiece (you really can't go wrong) but leaves an unadulterated sense of creativity!..." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's photography. They find the photographs enticing and real-life moments. The recipes look great with clear instructions. The book is beautifully written, designed, and photographed.
"...On top of that the book is beautifully written, designed, and photographed. I bought this on a whim and have zero regrets. :D Update:..." Read more
"...Measurements are listed in decimal and metric. The colour photography throughout the book is stunning." Read more
"...is a very made at home feeling to all of these cakes that are a touch rustic...." Read more
"This book has some great looking recipes and easy and clear instructions...." Read more
Customers enjoy the variety of recipes in the book. They appreciate the suggestions for icing, baking, and toppings for each cake. The book is simple and versatile, with many variations on themes. Readers also appreciate the tips and ideas for making their own creations.
"...For every cake she provides additional variations for baking as well as toppings to choose from, with accompanying recipes...." Read more
"...lot of things I love about this book - the matte pages, the interesting cake variations, the touches of Brooklyn, and the weight measures to name a..." Read more
"...I like the herb pairings and different options. That lemon cake loaf is the best thing I've ever baked...." Read more
"...Overall the options are classic and very versatile, which means that they’ll become your quick “go-to” choices for years to come." Read more
Customers enjoy the book. They find it fun to read and engaging, saying it's a great book for busy people who want to start a family.
"...Odette writing style is very personal and sweet, which makes it fun to read and engage with...." Read more
"A fun little book, but not necessarily simple. Certainly worth it as inspiration." Read more
"...Thank you! This is the book for the busy person who wants to whip up a family pleasing homemade cake without fuss...." Read more
"I really enjoyed reading this book, as the author simplifies the whole cake mysteriousness. It can be easy! It can be quick!..." Read more
Customers like the cake mix. They appreciate the simplicity and the mix-and-match approach to cakes and toppings. They say it's a step above box mixes and a "choose your own cake adventure".
"...Love the simplicity, the mix-and-match approach to cakes + toppings, and everything is DELICIOUS" Read more
"I love how this cookbook gives you a variety of cakes and frostings to mix and match...." Read more
"...and options for creativity with different matchings and pairings of cakes and toppings." Read more
"A Step Above Box Mixes / Choose Your Own Cake Adventure..." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the recipes. Some find them simple with basic ingredients, while others mention a disappointing lack of recipes and odd ingredient requirements. The recipes do not allow for gluten-free adaptations, and the book has only ten cake recipes.
"...Lots of recipes requiring grapeseed oil, too, which seems quirky but not in a good way...." Read more
"...topic recipe are well-written and easy to follow with the ingredients listed on the left and baking instructions on the right...." Read more
"...-free baking, but it’s disappointing that the recipes do not lend to gluten-free adaptations." Read more
"...The ingredients are pared down to the essentials. My whole family was so pleased with my fluffy madeleines...." Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2019I bought this book a little over a week ago and couldn't wait to get baking. This weekend I made the lemon yogurt cake and added poppy seeds and cream cheese frosting, as well as the chocolate coconut cake. They were well balanced and not overly sweet (but not under, I do like my sweets). The recipes are easy to follow and don't call for too fussy of ingredients. On top of that the book is beautifully written, designed, and photographed. I bought this on a whim and have zero regrets. :D
Update:
After having this book for a little over a year I still love it. In quarantine I've gotten into the habit of baking something sweet every week and I am consistently reaching for this book. I read a review before saying that the recipes aren't complicated and you could find something similar online. That might be perfectly true (the book is called Simple Cake after all), but for everyday cakes and a beginner/intermediate baker I find that they are just unique enough. If there was one downside to the book I would say that she provides alternative pan sizes for all of the cakes, but they feel random to me and I only have 3 pans myself (a cake, bundt, and cupcake pan. I would prefer if she added a chart that showed pan size and bake time for all of the cake recipes. Even with that gripe, I plan to cherish this book for many years and will be buying it as a gift for others.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2024After checking the book out 7 times from the library, finally decided to buy it to avoid the continual late fees =)
Love the simplicity, the mix-and-match approach to cakes + toppings, and everything is DELICIOUS
- Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2019I am not much of a book reviewer, neither am I much of a baker. Luckily this book helps me fix one of those two things. Odette Williams’ book “Simple Cake: All You Need to Keep Your Friends and Family in Cake” helped me impress my loved ones with delicious cakes, from simple to elaborate.
Odette writing style is very personal and sweet, which makes it fun to read and engage with.
She includes recipes for favorites such as Chocolatey Chocolate Cake, Olive Oil Cake, Madeleines and Meringue. For every cake she provides additional variations for baking as well as toppings to choose from, with accompanying recipes.
I love her Cake-Worthy Moments chapter, which provides great ideas for cakes for any special occasion you can think of.
My first Williams cake I baked was the Chocolatey Chocolate Cake with a German chocolate Ganache. Both, cake and topic recipe are well-written and easy to follow with the ingredients listed on the left and baking instructions on the right. Measurements are listed in decimal and metric.
The colour photography throughout the book is stunning.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2019This is a pared down or modernized rendition of a book that's been done before - Cake Magic by Caroline Wright, which I also own. The differences are Cake Magic is brimming with special dietary needs or ideas to adapt them while this one has 10 cakes, 15 toppings, and make with it what you will attitude with a few additional suggestions. It's a choose your own cake adventure of sorts in both books. Simple Cake also has far more personal stories and memories woven through for a sentimental heart string tugging approach. The recipes are very basic. Still, I was obviously curious enough to purchase this one.
On a scale of box mixes, box mix with add-ins, made from scratch, advanced, and pastry chef style cakes, this falls in the beginner / easy make from scratch and if you frequently bake it won't stretch your skills.
There are a lot of things I love about this book - the matte pages, the interesting cake variations, the touches of Brooklyn, and the weight measures to name a few... it's a very concise book of cakes and definitely not the only book you'd ever need unless having baked a cake before. In fact, if you have many cookbooks you likely have very similar recipes already.
The things I don't particularly love are the heavy Australian notes with Lamington and Meringues (not my favorite), but I get it, those are touches of "home" for the author. Despite the professional images there is a very made at home feeling to all of these cakes that are a touch rustic. The personal family celebrations and memories thread runs through this one in a big way. If you're looking for some new family traditions based around cakes this one might be great for you. If you're after an array of more versatile recipes without lots of stories and want to push your skill set you may feel a little disappointed.
The title says it all. It's a simple and concise collection of recipes.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2024Very recipe is mouth watering I am trying to make every cake in the book! Thank you Odette Williams
Welcome to Lamu Island, we make a lot of cakes and desserts here, Swahili food..
Very recipe is mouth watering I am trying to make every cake in the book! Thank you Odette Williams
Welcome to Lamu Island, we make a lot of cakes and desserts here, Swahili food..
Images in this review
- Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2020I absolutely love this cookbook, but it's not for square boring people who have no imagination. If the thought of food excites your soul, this is a book for you. I won't write a review for a cookbook unless I've made at least one recipe. I made the lemon yogurt loaf, and from there you have a bunch of options. I added a lemon syrup on top and did a glaze as well, the tartness of the lemon was just magic with the sweet, but also balanced. I love the options that you have and the recommendations listed on the side. If you want a boring recipe, go online, this is for people who want to experiment but in a way that is also guided. I like the herb pairings and different options. That lemon cake loaf is the best thing I've ever baked. In a few weeks for my husband's birthday, I'm making chocolate cake ramekins with caramel sauce and Toblerone ganache (from this book), which should be kind of lava cake-like consistency. Seriously, how do you beat that?
- Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2024This book has some great looking recipes and easy and clear instructions. However the ink the book contents are printed with is very light colored, and hard to see, the font size itself is also extremely small. This would be a much better book if those two things were adjusted.
Top reviews from other countries
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Shahanaz A NomiyamaReviewed in Brazil on August 7, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Muito bom livro! Vale a pena
Estou fazendo cada semana uma doas 10 receitas de bolos!!!
Adorei os 2 primeiros que fiz!! Muito simples!! Receitas que dão certo!!
Shahanaz A NomiyamaMuito bom livro! Vale a pena
Reviewed in Brazil on August 7, 2020
Adorei os 2 primeiros que fiz!! Muito simples!! Receitas que dão certo!!
Images in this review
- KrisReviewed in Canada on February 12, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Best cake book you'll ever own
Williams' book has only been with me a short while, and, in that time, it has become my go to for cakes. Not a book I was sent to review but one I treated myself to (and I'm so glad I did!). Reading through Williams' Introduction makes me a bit emotional -- it's all about nostalgia and memories. About Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book, eating more batter than cake, her father, and her children and family. Not only is her introduction about all these things, it's about luring the home baker into the kitchen with the promise of cake. Simple and joyful. I appreciated her warm tone -- one that told me baking a cake isn't complicated.
Simple Cake is organized into 4 main chapters: Let the Baking Begin!, Cakes, Cake Toppings, and Cake-Worthy Moments. I appreciate how she begins by outlining all the essential advice, equipment, and techniques you'll need and, follows this with the cake recipes and toppings. Williams even offers instructions on how to bake up cakes for any event or reason -- I already know that the "How Did You Get So Big?" Cake will be the one I bake for my daughter's upcoming birthday. Doesn't chocolate cake with marshmallow icing sound perfect? There's also a small section at the back of the book that is dedicated to ingredients. I appreciate that the book is called Simple Cake and the recipes contain a very small number of ingredients. How simple is that? The ingredients are all ones you most likely have in your pantry right now, and if you don't, then you can find them easily at the local supermarket.
I love to bake with my daughter and, Simple Cake is a great first cookbook for young bakers. With 10 cakes and 15 toppings the possibilities are limitless and offer what kids love the most: experimentation. A "choose your own cake adventure" if you will. It started with a fistful of leftover candy canes and some peppermint bark. We decided on the recipe for Very Vanilla Cake and instead of adding sprinkles for the Funfetti variation we added crushed up candy cane to the batter and a bit of peppermint extract. Our glorious creation was frosted with her Easy Creamy Icing and was then topped w/ chopped up peppermint bark. My daughter was so proud of our "Ode to Christmas" Cake! We sliced it up and she gleefully took her first bite. The look on her face is what childhood is all about. And, in case I'd forgotten, my first bite tasted like childhood too.
This is also a fun book to hand to any visitors that come to stay. Once the book is in their hands you tell them to choose a cake to make. When my dad was here, he picked out the Cinnamon Spice Cake and when my MIL came to stay, she chose the Bribery Cake (the Chocolatey Chocolate Cake topped with Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream). My Mother-In-Law loves anything chocolate (my husband comes by it honestly!) so I was excited to bake her something special. This cake is perfection on a plate but, to be honest, it’s so much more. About three years ago I saw a gloriously layered and buttercreamed cake I wanted to make for my daughter’s birthday. The cake turned out fine, but that buttercream was such a fail that it brought me to tears (and, of all the things that do bring me to tears, food usually isn’t one). But with Willams’ tips and instructions I was able to overcome my fears and try again. This luscious frosting has been renamed (in my mind) “No Tears Swiss Meringue Buttercream” — it’s the perfect topping for a cake that I’m calling the “Have Faith Chocolate Cake” because when you pour the batter into the cake pan it’s so soupy you wonder (doubt) how it will ever bake, but, it does! (A good metaphor for life when you wonder how it can get better/turn out, then magic happens).
Another favourite I enjoyed making was the Cinnamon Spice Cake (full of beautiful ingredients like spelt flour, honey, and applesauce) which I frosted with the Cream Cheese Frosting and sprinkled with chopped, toasted pecans. The cake smelled like a dream while it baked! I chose to bake it as a 9X13" sheet cake but Williams also gives options (as she does with all of the cake recipes) for other sizes. Just as the cake for Cookbook Club was finishing baking, I got to work mixing up the Very Vanilla Cake recipe using the Funfetti variation for my family. I made it in a 6" springform pan -- a perfectly petite afternoon treat and, I also used some clear, imitation vanilla extract to really double down on those Betty Crocker-laced memories of funfetti cakes of my childhood. As soon as the cake cooled, I dusted it with icing sugar and then I whipped up a batch of Nutella Whipped Cream.
Some cookbooks can act like a safety net -- even when you're not sure of anything you can trust the recipes. Simple Cake is the cookbook I turned to so that I wouldn't show up empty handed to my cookbook club meeting and as I took the carrying lid off my cake carrier at the meeting, I knew that the cake would be loved. Sharing it with the group, I think that this is a cookbook everyone should have in their life. Even with a small, unassuming book like, Simple Cake, it's one that will bring much joy to your kitchen like it has in mine.
KrisBest cake book you'll ever own
Reviewed in Canada on February 12, 2020
Simple Cake is organized into 4 main chapters: Let the Baking Begin!, Cakes, Cake Toppings, and Cake-Worthy Moments. I appreciate how she begins by outlining all the essential advice, equipment, and techniques you'll need and, follows this with the cake recipes and toppings. Williams even offers instructions on how to bake up cakes for any event or reason -- I already know that the "How Did You Get So Big?" Cake will be the one I bake for my daughter's upcoming birthday. Doesn't chocolate cake with marshmallow icing sound perfect? There's also a small section at the back of the book that is dedicated to ingredients. I appreciate that the book is called Simple Cake and the recipes contain a very small number of ingredients. How simple is that? The ingredients are all ones you most likely have in your pantry right now, and if you don't, then you can find them easily at the local supermarket.
I love to bake with my daughter and, Simple Cake is a great first cookbook for young bakers. With 10 cakes and 15 toppings the possibilities are limitless and offer what kids love the most: experimentation. A "choose your own cake adventure" if you will. It started with a fistful of leftover candy canes and some peppermint bark. We decided on the recipe for Very Vanilla Cake and instead of adding sprinkles for the Funfetti variation we added crushed up candy cane to the batter and a bit of peppermint extract. Our glorious creation was frosted with her Easy Creamy Icing and was then topped w/ chopped up peppermint bark. My daughter was so proud of our "Ode to Christmas" Cake! We sliced it up and she gleefully took her first bite. The look on her face is what childhood is all about. And, in case I'd forgotten, my first bite tasted like childhood too.
This is also a fun book to hand to any visitors that come to stay. Once the book is in their hands you tell them to choose a cake to make. When my dad was here, he picked out the Cinnamon Spice Cake and when my MIL came to stay, she chose the Bribery Cake (the Chocolatey Chocolate Cake topped with Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream). My Mother-In-Law loves anything chocolate (my husband comes by it honestly!) so I was excited to bake her something special. This cake is perfection on a plate but, to be honest, it’s so much more. About three years ago I saw a gloriously layered and buttercreamed cake I wanted to make for my daughter’s birthday. The cake turned out fine, but that buttercream was such a fail that it brought me to tears (and, of all the things that do bring me to tears, food usually isn’t one). But with Willams’ tips and instructions I was able to overcome my fears and try again. This luscious frosting has been renamed (in my mind) “No Tears Swiss Meringue Buttercream” — it’s the perfect topping for a cake that I’m calling the “Have Faith Chocolate Cake” because when you pour the batter into the cake pan it’s so soupy you wonder (doubt) how it will ever bake, but, it does! (A good metaphor for life when you wonder how it can get better/turn out, then magic happens).
Another favourite I enjoyed making was the Cinnamon Spice Cake (full of beautiful ingredients like spelt flour, honey, and applesauce) which I frosted with the Cream Cheese Frosting and sprinkled with chopped, toasted pecans. The cake smelled like a dream while it baked! I chose to bake it as a 9X13" sheet cake but Williams also gives options (as she does with all of the cake recipes) for other sizes. Just as the cake for Cookbook Club was finishing baking, I got to work mixing up the Very Vanilla Cake recipe using the Funfetti variation for my family. I made it in a 6" springform pan -- a perfectly petite afternoon treat and, I also used some clear, imitation vanilla extract to really double down on those Betty Crocker-laced memories of funfetti cakes of my childhood. As soon as the cake cooled, I dusted it with icing sugar and then I whipped up a batch of Nutella Whipped Cream.
Some cookbooks can act like a safety net -- even when you're not sure of anything you can trust the recipes. Simple Cake is the cookbook I turned to so that I wouldn't show up empty handed to my cookbook club meeting and as I took the carrying lid off my cake carrier at the meeting, I knew that the cake would be loved. Sharing it with the group, I think that this is a cookbook everyone should have in their life. Even with a small, unassuming book like, Simple Cake, it's one that will bring much joy to your kitchen like it has in mine.
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- P PatersonReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Best cake book I have ever owned!
I am surprised at the negative reviews! I am a terrible baker and my cakes nearly always fail. Since getting this book that has all changed! I love it - I love that its 10 recipes with masses of variations, alternative frostings, shapes, flavours and additions which totally change the characteristic of the cake with little fuss. There really is a cake for every occasion and absolutely everything has turned out perfectly. I agree the chocolate cake is not chocolatey enough for my liking but is still delicious. I think this book is a true find and I love the way its written and presented!
- parag c.Reviewed in India on October 4, 2019
1.0 out of 5 stars Bad service from the bookshop! Torn book sent
The book is superb! Can’t wait to try out the recipes however, the book is torn from the corners.
parag c.Bad service from the bookshop! Torn book sent
Reviewed in India on October 4, 2019
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Erika SelaReviewed in Spain on May 29, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Recetas fáciles para hacer pasteles
El libro trae 10 recetas básicas de bizcochos y multitud de variaciones, incluyendo también coberturas. Todas ellas me han parecido fáciles de hacer. De momento he hecho ya una de ellas y ha salido muy bien. Al ser la autora Australiana y residente en EEUU, las medidas son el onzas y los grados del horno en ºF, asi que simplemente hay que buscar las conversiones. Todo está muy bien explicado, bonitas fotos, un tamaño cómo manejar y sobre todo, recetas fáciles de hacer. A mi me ha gustado mucho.