Cakewalk: Adventures In Sugar With Margaret Braun [Hardcover]

Margaret Braun (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 2001

Cakewalk showcases and makes available for the first time the superbly decorated cakes that have earned cake decorator and sugar artist extraordinaire Margaret Braun her stellar reputation.

This book contains easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions for constructing fifteen of Braun's greatest creations. In addition to offering the tools and a foolproof decorating method for each featured cake, Braun also provides the creative and culinary background on each of her confections. Each sugar masterpiece is the result of many influences--all of which are conveyed through Braun's own words and an elegant blend of imagery that includes her diverse visual references, magnificently drawn and hand-lettered schematic cake plans, illustrations done in food coloring, and especially commissioned photography by renowned photographer Quentin Bacon.

Braun also reveals her secrets for beautiful cakes, such as achieving the perfect consistency for fillings and icings, mixing colors to get the right hue, and combining colors and motifs successfully. A visual glossary covers every decorative motif featured in the book, describing its creation through clear visuals and easy-to-follow text. The volume also includes Braun's favorite recipes, including basic cakes, an array of icings and ganaches, rolled fondant, pastillage, marzipan, and family recipes like Braun's mother's flourless chocolate cake. Finally, a detailed listing and description of the necessary cake-decorating tools and a sources section round out this definitive work.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Margaret Braun is a sugar craft master, for whom a cake is a work of fine art. In this exquisitely photographed and beautifully presented book, she explains how to re-create 15 of her amazing, labor-intensive signature designs, like the three-tier Saint Ursula cake with blue and green icing and a sugar chalice resting on top. This is more than a simple instruction book, though: Braun explains the historic inspiration behind each cake. For example, she invented the Afternoon with Frederick after a visit to Sans Souci Palace in Potsdam, Germany, and a four-tiered cake covered in tiny tiles mimics a mosaic in Ravenna, Italy. Not all of Braun's designs are so highbrow, however. The loopy Decal Recall is decorated with flowers inspired by bathtub no-slip decals. In any case, these cakes are ambitious projects, and Braun goes over ingredients and basic recipes, as well as tools and techniques for creating motifs such as scallop shells and polka dots. Braun (whose work has been displayed on numerous TV shows and movies, including Meet Joe Black) is charming, conveying her love for her work in an introduction in which she compares a finished cake to a musical score. Still, only the most experienced cooks won't be daunted by the recipes. Beautifully photographed by Quentin Bacon.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Margaret Braun's fantastic confections are intricately and beautifully constructed. She creates edible edifices that delight the eye and palate. And Cakewalk, beautifully illustrated, lets us in on the creative and culinary process of making these delicious and gorgeous cakes."--Maya Lin

"Margaret Braun is the cake master, a fact which would be impossible not to acknowledge after seeing the works featured in Cakewalk. By showing us photographs of her creations, paired with explanations of the intellectual process that fuels her inspiration, Margaret has managed to create an absolutely fascinating book."--Daniel Boulud, Chef and owner, Daniel, Café Boulud, and db Bistro Moderne

"Margaret Braun takes the cake! And Cakewalk is inspirational. Her writing is poetic, instructive, and certain to influence present and future generations of chefs, food artists, and scientists. The photography takes food presentation to new frontiers, while her wonderful cakes combine design, literature, and architecture in a way that makes baking and design flow together in a mellifluous and delicious continuum of art, energy, and passion. Margaret is a true visionary."--Mario Batali, chef and owner, Babbo/Lupa, Esca, and Italian Wine Merchants

"This book is an insight into Margaret's creative mind through her stories, drawings, and techniques. Quentin's photography is stunning as usual."--Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
-- Review

. . . as armchair adventures go, it's hard to beat. -- Food & Wine, September 2001

A Margaret Braun cake is not so much something to eat as an art object. -- Russ Parsons, Los Angeles Times, March 13, 2002

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli (September 22, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847823342
• ISBN-13: 978-0847823345
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 0.9 x 11.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #768,964 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YES, You Can!!!, May 12, 2002

By 

K. Zung "puppet queen" (Graham Crackers, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cakewalk: Adventures In Sugar With Margaret Braun (Hardcover)

I did it, and so can you. Right down to going to the fabulous New York Cake and Bakery Dist. store in NYC, I followed all her easy instructions. The pearlized, powder for painting the icing made my cake shimmer like nothing I'd created before. People gave me compliments on a party cake I made for 3 days straight! I felt almost guilty for plagarizing, but Margaret Braun shares her secrets with such generosity! Reading more like a diary than a cookbook, "Cakewalk..." is a love letter from her to the cake decorating enthusiast. If you are ready to take your art one step further, then this inspiring book is absolutely for you.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cakewalk's good, but..., December 5, 2002

By 

Arlene L. Burke (Jamaica, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cakewalk: Adventures In Sugar With Margaret Braun (Hardcover)

Cakewalk is a beautiful book with great decorating advice given in easy steps. I have made the Chocolate Blackout and Butter cakes. There are two problems with the book. There are only a few cake recipies. Also, the lovely photos show cakes from 6" to 14" inch tiers. Mz. Braun's recipies are for only 10" tiers. Her advice for pan preparation (butter and flour them) didn't work with the Blackout Cake. When I tried to remove the cakes, they tore badly at the tops and could not be decorated. Still tasted great, though. I suggest if you get "Cakewalk", you also get "The Wedding Cake Book" by Dede Wilson. Her book has loads of recipies and better still, she gives specific quantities for cake tiers from 6" to 14." No guesswork. Also her pan preparation really helped (grease pan, then line with parchment paper worked. I've found that what one book dosen't cover or has a hard method, the other one is more helpful or has an easier way.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Culinary Architecture That ANYONE Can Have Fun With!!, January 28, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Cakewalk: Adventures In Sugar With Margaret Braun (Hardcover)

This is a beautiful book!!! It's gorgeous photographs make it a well-purchased book anyhow, but the BEST part is that even weekend bakers with limited ability (like myself) will feel an urge to actually go out and TRY some of this stuff (The Buttercream Recipe Is WONDERFUL!!) Don't be suprised if after reading this book your kitchen is filled with new pastry bags and cake pans. Enjoy the beautiful photographs, then try the recipes out and see how much fun you have!! HIGHLY recommended!!