From the Inside Flap
Fire up your ovens! With 176 sweet and sumptuous cake recipes within reach, it will be impossible to resist having your cake and eating it too. With her straightforward approach, chef Bev Shaffer walks bakers of all talents and tastes through a crash course in cake creation that results in decadent, gooey, fruity, rich, and remarkable treats. Such exceptional entries as Macadamia Madness with White Chocolate Frosting, Frosting-on-the-Bottom German Chocolate Cake, and Dried Cherry Streusel Coffeecake with Silky Cherry Butter Sauce represent the tempting versatility of the cakes in this comprehensive volume. From Fresh Banana Cake with Mascarpone Seduction to Marmalade-Topped Sweet Potato Cake with Cinnamon-Infused Whipped Cream, there is something for everyone in this irresistible collection. An introductory chapter on the basics of baking, simple tips for making great-looking cakes, and advice on everything from filling a pastry bag to freezing a cake will initiate even the most inexperienced baker into the wonderful world of cakes. Organized by type of cake--layer cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, coffeecakes and "flipped over" cakes, fancy cakes, snack cakes, Bundt cakes, and more--the volume goes on to include "slices of advice" throughout to explain useful techniques and tricks. [Back Flap] Bev Shaffer is a chef, traveling culinary instructor, and author as well as the director of Mustard Seed Market and Café Cooking Schools in Akron and Solon, Ohio. She has developed more than nine thousand recipes on a wide variety of subjects, including seafood, desserts (especially chocolate), sides, and grains, and was invited to teach a Winter Comfort Food Workshop at the James Beard House in New York City. A regular columnist for Northern Ohio Live magazine, Shaffer is the author of the popular weekly "Ask Bev" column in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. She crafts seasonal recipes with food tips for the Mountain Valley Spring Water Web site under the Red Oval Society section and is a food-community expert on chocolate for the Web site A Million Cooks. The recipient of many awards and commendations, she was presented with the Outstanding Contribution Award by the Ohio Dietetic Association. A member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Chefs Collaborative, and Women Chefs & Restaurateurs and a founding member of Les Dames d'Escoffier, Northeast Ohio/Cleveland chapter, Shaffer is the author of Brownies to Die For!, Cookies to Die For!, and Mustard Seed Market & Café Natural Foods Cookbook, all available from Pelican.
From the Back Cover
"This complete cake book is all I need to celebrate every day, holiday or not! The only problem is where to start. They're all calling my name." --Gale Gand, nationally acclaimed pastry chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, television personality, and executive pastry chef/partner of Tru restaurant "Bev Shaffer's done it again--this time with Cakes to Die For! You're sure to find the perfect cake for any occasion in this collection of mouthwatering recipes." --Greg Patent, author of Baking in America and A Baker's Odyssey "Bev Shaffer has assembled an imaginative, fun, and appealing selection of cakes of every shape, size, and style. She uses wonderful, simple ingredients and gives clear, concise instructions. Bev appeals to bakers at all levels with her broad array of tastes and techniques. This book belongs in the kitchen of every cake enthusiast!" --Amy Scherber, founder/owner of Amy's Bread and author of The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread and Amy's Bread
