Customer Reviews

The Cake Book

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have bookshelves in my kitchen,overflowing with baking books that still have pristine pages, doomed to live their lives as mere gastroporn. Amongst the hundreds(yes,hundreds!)of cook books, only a couple of dozen make their way to the "active" shelf. In the three weeks since I purchased Tish Boyles' latest offering,it has worked its way to finger-smudged, frosting-smeared glory.
There's a lot to like about this book; the clear explainations of ingredients, equipment and techniques in the introductory chapters, a clean easy to read typeset and layout,and attractive,though limited in number,photos. Also appreciated by an antipodean like myself, measurements are given in both imperial and metric. This includes dry ingredients such as flour and sugar, which are often only listed by cup measurements in other baking books. If you've ever checked the discrepancies between one scooped cup of flour and the next, by weight,you'll appreciate the reason a careful baker chooses weighing.
But the real pleasure in this book are the recipes; there are real originals, such as the Jasmin Ginger and Plum upside down cake,and Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Fig Topping. There are also great versions of classics. The Deeply Dark Devil's Food cake is the most tender version I have ever made, with a truly luscious flavour (just don't try to reel the name off your tongue too quickly!. The Banana cake with Caramel Expresso Frosting defied the usual dense and gummy banana cake stereotype. Although time-consuming, and a need for careful attention to the details with the frosting ,itis definitely worth the effort. The difficulty of each recipe is indicated by a cake slice symbol at the start of each cakes description. Just a tip on the Banana cake,the author gives a choice between pureed or well-mashed bananas in the ingredient list,it's worth pureeing the bananas in processor or blender (I used a mini-Cuisinart) for the lightest cake. The Lemon Lust cake lived up to its name,with a true citrus flavour.Unlike many other lemon cakes I've tried,the lemon was not just evident in the frosting, but carried right through the cake crumb. The cake chapters are rounded out by a chapter on Mousse and Icecream cakes, something of a rarity in baking books.Although I've yet to try any of the recipes from this section (it's Winter here in New Zealand), I'm enticed by cakes with names like Oranges and Cream cake.
So,having decided that this is a "Top Ten" book, up there with Rose Levy Beranbaum's Cake Bible, or any of Maida Heatters magnificent works, why have I given four-stars,instead of five? Firstly,a glaring error in the Fresh Ginger Spice cake. There's no raising agent,neither baking powder or soda, listed in either the ingredients or the main text of this recipe. Despite my misgivings (I have previously cooked professionally, and can pretty well tell whether a recipe will work from reading it)I have a lot of faith in Tish Boyle, based on previous books by her that I have used, producing outstanding results, even when the methods have been somewhat unusual. Sadly,this didn't happen here, and the result was a flabby puddle of goo. Ms. Boyle is editor in chief of Chocolatier and Pastry Art and Design magazines, and should have picked this error up. Secondly,I quibble with her Pavlova recipe. Pavlova is not merely a meringue by another name, but distinguished by its soft marshmellow interior under a crisp exterior

Overall a 'must have' for the serious baker and anyone with a love of baking.

I've got to updated this review,as since I first wrote it, Ms.Boyle has uploaded a corrected version of her Ginger Spice cake on her blog page(just google Tish Boyle.) I had to bake it as soon as I saw the new version. The cake was lovely. Also, after owning the book since 2006, I would have baked something from it at least once a week. The page that has the Deeply Dark Devils Food cake is nearly obscured by spatters of batter. Fortunately I make it so often, I can now make it without opening the book. This book has proved its worth in my kitchen.

`The Cake Book' by chocolate guru Tish Boyle evokes in me the exclamation ... `Holy butter crème, Batman, yet another book on cakes! What with several recent and classic big books on cakes, including those from great teachers such as `Perfect Cakes' by Nick Malgieri, those from dessert icons such as `Cakes' by Maida Heatter and those from baking expert explainers such `The Cake Bible' from Rose Levy Beranbaum, one wonders, does the world really need another book on cakes?

Well, I bought it, and I'm glad I did. Beranbaum does a somewhat better job of explaining the reasons why cakes work or don't work, and Heatter covers more of the classic European types of cakes, and Malgieri covers some pedagogical matters a bit better, but if you like baking cakes, then this book will not be intimidated by sitting alongside these other volumes on your shelf.

One thing which did surprise me (and which actually increases the value of the book) is that Ms. Boyle actually covers a lot more than cakes understood in a narrow sense as those confections generally done in layers, with icing in the middle and leavened primarily with eggs. The first and most interesting `out of spec' chapter covers cheesecakes, and I believe she has done us a major service by pointing out that cheesecakes, and the cream cheese from which they are made, are one of our great American originals. Her second great service is to give us a recipe for the classic New York cheesecake. I was quite surprised to find that these are not baked in water baths and a little crack or two is considered quite acceptable. This is totally understandable, as I'm sure Juniors in Brooklyn doesn't roll out their thousands of cakes a day by baking in water baths.

The other major straying from topic is a chapter on Ice Cream cakes. With these detours, I'm really surprised Ms. Boyle didn't do a chapter on cupcakes. There are only two references to cupcakes in the index, and one of these is a cheesecake (and therefore not a real cake at all).

The book most similar to Ms. Boyle's effort is Nick Malgieri's `Perfect Cakes', so I compared the two to get some impression of which was the better. My ultimate opinion is that you loose nothing by having both books. Both volumes cover, for example, cheesecakes, and Malgieri is just a little better at giving you tips on general cheesecake expertise. And, both include the Italian speciality, pizza dolce di ricotta, but with markedly different recipes. Like Heatter, Malgieri leans towards European classics, especially Jewish and Italian classics, while Ms. Boyle leans to American standards. Regarding these standards, her recipe for `solid gold Carrot Cake' particularly took me. It does not include the pineapple from my favorite Malgieri recipe, but it includes lots of other yummy things such as ginger, orange zest, and the cookie spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves). It is also illuminating to see her take on strawberry shortcake, since (unlike everyone from James Beard to Martha Stewart) she uses a genoise spongecake instead of the traditional sweet biscuit. To redeem herself from this sin, she gives us some of the very nicest recipes for the strawberry filling, syrup, and whipped cream and frosting.

She includes a chapter on flourless cakes, and I'm disappointed that she did not include a recipe for my favorite Hungarian nut cake, but than Maida Heatter has that covered.

I tried to find some piece of advice missing from Ms. Boyle's book, and the only thing I could come up with is that she does not give any general advice on how to give a cake a crumb coat. I was very impressed by her chapter on cake decorating. Malgieri gives a very similar tutorial, and does just a slightly better job in illustrating some basic techniques, but Ms. Boyle gives us more piping techniques and examples.

By biggest impression came at the end of the book with Ms. Boyle's recipes for `Basic Recipes and Accompaniments'. I typically make my lemon curd from a Chez Panisse recipe and I often have trouble getting the stuff to stiffen up after cooking. Ms. Boyle gives me a new approach I certainly plan to use.

Overall, this book will certainly cut the mustard by itself, if you only want one book on cakes. Even better, it does not have a lot of overlap with the other good books on cakes, so go ahead and indulge in a second cake book.

I have made the chocolate sour cream with peanut butter icing, lemon poppyseed with white chocolate icing, triple ginger pound, cream cheese cherry pound, chocolate pound and peach crumb coffee and all have been outstanding. The recipes are straightforward, ingredients can all be found in a regular supermarket (for the most part, I had to mail order the morello cherries, with plans to make the cherry cheesecake cups, although you could probably just use cherry pie filling), baking times are right on, I feel I could put one of these cakes in the oven, set a timer, and it will be perfect. Lots of mix & match possiblities with the frostings/fillings, and I like that there are some ice cream cake recipes. A great addition to any collection, and I have at least 5 other "cake" cookbooks.

I brought this book home expecting to have some new knock-out recipes to add to my repertoire, and let me say that my expections were met! As an avid baker and self-proclaimed food snob, I am often disappointed by the flat-flavored and coarse-textured crumbs I find in other books, but these cakes are moist and delicious beyond words. These are the cakes of dreams, when (and if) you dream of cakes. My favorite is the Brooklyn Blackout Cake, a true classic with its smooth pudding filling and creamy, perfect frosting. But there are so many recipes here, with varying flavor combinations and levels of difficulty (conveniently labeled), that you'll scarcely be able to choose only one. I've also made the Lemon Lust cake, which is a zesty triumph, and the Brioche Cake with Caramel Custard Cream, a comforting and delightful treat for breakfast or dessert. Even the recipes marked with four "slices" for maximum difficulty are explicated clearly, removing any intimidation from these decadent excursions. A definate must-have for anyone who loves to indulge in rich, satisfying cake.

This is a great cook book. The Author, Tish Boyle has a knack for taking recipes that would otherwise overwhelm and breaking them down into an easy to read format that serves for foolproof baking. The Jasmin and Ginger Upside Down Cake is simply sublime and the Chocolate Intensity does it's name justice - if you like deep rich truffles and fudgey brownies this cake will send you over the edge. I also made the incredibly delicious Cherry Topped Cheesecake Cups for an Easter Brunch and the only complaint was that I didn't make enough - so you may want to make a double batch.

This is a great addition to my cookbook library--a must-have for the home baker. The recipes are easy to follow and I especially appreciate the how-to's for piping techniques and assembly. I made the Creamy Coconut Cake for my son's birthday and it was a hit! So far, my family's favorite is the White Chocolate Peach Cheesecake. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to bake and loves getting compliments.

When you want to bake a cake that looks like it took you all day to make and required a culinary arts degree, this is the book to turn to. I've made a bunch of cakes from her book and Tish Boyle's recipes have sophisticated flavors and bakery-quality appearances with pretty average effort. These cakes are elegant but simple and the pictures are beautiful. Good book for cakes that impress with looks and tastes.

As author Tish Boyle put it, "Cakes are the edible symbol of life's celebrations." Cakes are - or should be - celebrations on their own, however, and this volume gives many reasons to rejoice.

Boyle is a professional. She serves as editor-in-chief for both "Chocolatier" and "Pastry & Art Design" magazines and is a graduate of LaVarenne Ecole de Cuisine (founded by the extraordinary Anne Willan). She has worked extensively as a pastry chef, food stylist, caterer, and has authored several other dessert books. Cakewise, Boyle is in the same caregory as Carole Walter, Susan Purdy, Rose Levy Beranbaum, Maida Heatter, Carole Bloom, Nick Malgieri, and Lisa Yockelson - all of whose books I own, along with another dozen devoted to cakes alone. Did I need this volume? Absolutely. Did I glean things from this book that I had not found in others? Without question. Is the book overpriced at $40? Yes, it is - about $10 more than it should be - but it can be had for less at Amazon and other sites.

What makes this book valuable? For me, cookbooks and baking books should be as much about technique, equipment, and ingredients as a compilation of recipes. The first 57 pages of "The Cake Book" is just that. The first chapter, "Ingredients for Cakes" boasts a simple guide for "Boiled Sugar Syrup Stages". In the third chapter "Cake-Baking Equipment", there is a handy "Guide to Cake Pan Sizes" giving not only surface area, but volume in cups for 24 different pans! A guide to blanching and toasting nuts in Chapter 4: "Cake-Making Techniques, Tips and Troubleshooting" provides oven temperatures specific to five different varieties of nuts. A chapter toward the end of the book, "Basic Recipes and Accompaniments" gives instructions for tempering chocolate, and provides recipes for "Basic Soaking Syrup"; "Praline Paste"; "Lemon Curd"; "Caramel Sauce"; and "Candied Orange Zest" among others - including a recipe for "Banana Ice Cream". The final chapter, "Sources" supplies 21 different sources for hard-to-find ingredients and equipment.

Now for the recipes: The "Banana Cake with Caramel Espresso Frosting" is a winner - at least the cake part - I frosted my cake with whipped chocolate ganache. The cake was moist and full of banana flavor. The "Brooklyn Blackout Cake" shares a similarity to Dorie Greenspan's "Devil's Food White-Out Cake" in that both use chocolate crumbs from one of the layers to cover the frosted cake. One of the disappointments was the "Dark Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake" until I made it again with Pernigotti cocoa, instead of Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa (I was temporarily out of the Pernigotti). The cocoa switch made all the difference, eliminating the dry texture and bitter taste. I like to use boiling water to bring out the cocoa flavor - but using Boyle's technique worked fine. The chapter entitled "Cheesecakes" is especially appealing, with such offerings as "Classic New York Cheesecake"; "Hazelnut Vanilla Cheesecake"; and "Marbled Mascarpone Cheesecake". Another reviewer pointed out the obvious error in the "Fresh Ginger Spice Cake", which lacks a rising agent - no baking powder! While some pound cakes and certainly flourless cakes do not use baking powder or soda, this one will indeed suffer without it. My suggestion would be to add 2 teaspoons baking powder to the dry ingredients. One grave sin is the "Strawberry Shortcake" recipe which employs a Genoise rather than the traditional biscuit shortcake - so it really isn't Strawberry Shortcake after all. (A biscuit base is sturdy enough to support all the juice from the strawberries, without falling apart). The given recipe appears to be a lovely cake, however and is probably delicious. There are 24 fillings and frostings offered with variations (I'm going to try the fig filling with my mother's Lady Baltimore Cake) and none are difficult.

The book is peppered with charming sayings throughout - from George Bernard Shaw to Calvin Trillin and there are 16 pages of beautiful color photographs. My recommendation is to buy the book more for techniques and information than the recipes (although the Banana Cake was among the best I've ever tried). This shouldn't be your first or only book dedicated to cakes. There are many other books with a larger collection of classics. Most of the recipes in "The Cake Book" appear reliable, however - although I have only tried a few - but there are many handy tips and resources that will serve the cake baker well (although on a personal note, I prefer baking parchment to silicone baking mats any day of the week).

I got this book for the reputation of the author and tried some recipes already and loved them!!!! The carrot cake is really, really good. Instructions are clear enough for my 13 year old boy to follow (he made the carrot cake) and complete sucessfully. I am a pastry cook and really appreciate that that the recipes are in weight as well (weighting ingredients is more accurate than measuring).
I highly recommend this book for novice and pros alike!!!

I fancy myself quite the home baker, but, cakes are not exactly my thing. When I stumbled over The Cake Book I thought I'd give it a whirl, so I started small with the Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes which I barely finished icing before my family had devoured them all! Armed with The Cake Book, I baked on, Sour Cream Fudge Cake With Peanut Butter Frosting, all I can say is mmmm, cake!