Customer Reviews

Cakewalk: Adventures In Sugar With Margaret Braun

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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!!

If you're a cake or sweets lover or are drawn to the culinary or fine arts, this book will knock your socks off. Like the cakes, this book is a visual extravaganza. And there are great recipes for cakes and fillings, too. The book is really a work of art by a visionary. Every page is different and filled with fine art and beautiful photography. This is the best-looking cake book I've ever seen. Absolutely a treasure.

Margaret Braun is very talented and her cakes are splendid! Nonetheless, I was initially disappointed in this book, because there are just a few cakes shown, and although they are beautiful indeed, they don't begin to be worth even the discounted sticker price! A good number of the pages have just a few words spaced widely apart, having mostly to do with her thoughts on art or history. But even those very brief comments only offer the type of information you'd get in an 8th grade classroom. Also, this book is mainly for inspiration, not direction. She says at the beginning that if the reader is a beginner, to read the whole book ... but I find it hard to believe with the spare directions that any beginner would be able to actually use the book. They also said in the jacket that detailed diagrams are displayed -- when in fact they are just a sketch of the finished product, that you can see a picture of a few pages later. I got the feeling these were part of the filler. However, I do like how, on the pages where she shows a standard technique or a decoration she uses, there are several pictures of details from different building facades and references to art and history. Looking at the pictures, I felt as though I was standing next to her, getting inspired by everything around me.

Okay everyone ... this one is a GEM. Margaret is an amazing artist, and her cakes are extroadinary!!! You will get quite an insight into the technical aspects of her breathtaking sugar work from this book. It has an endless supply of historical references, recipes and practice exercises ... not to mention the inspiring photographs! Cakewalk is overflowing with personality and charm and is a must for anyone who is interested in cake design. These cakes are on a whole different level!

So, for those of you who paint ... for those of you who bake ... (and for those of you who just like cake!) ... you will NOT be disappointed!!!

What a fantastic book! For those who have never had the privilege to see one of Braun's cakes, the exquisite photographs give you a glimpse of her sugar genius. The text is congenial, informative, and often very funny, and you'll learn not only about cake decorating, but about art, history, travel and one artist's process. How generous of Margaret Braun to share her whimisical vision with readers.

I'm a longtime fan of Margaret Braun's work and very much looked forward to the release of "Cakewalk". Undoubtedly, there are some beautiful cakes here, but I was disappointed by the lack of clear instructions in this book. There are very few illustrations of the methods used, and sometimes the directions are downright useless- for example, her tips on painting with food coloring are: 1. Use good-quality brushes. 2. Stay within the lines.
That's it.

The book is very lovely to look at, but often seems to concentrate more on the inspiration for Ms. Braun's work than the work itself. Unless you are a very experienced decorator you'll likely find this more of a "coffee table" book than a resource.

This is a great book for serious decorators who are ready for a new approach to looking at cakes. I was more inspired to try new things after reading this book than I've been in a very long time. Most of the cakes are not very practical, but the insight into Margaret Braun's thought process challenged me to think of myself as a cake artist rather than a creative decorator. If you need new inspiration and want to change things in your cake world--get ready for a really cool adventure after you buy this book!

After reading some previous reviews it struck me that some readers intended to duplicate Margarets work. That's like expecting to duplicate a Picasso after reading a book he would pen describing his art! Margaret gives us a look into the process but she is a true artist whose cakes are masterpieces. Congratulations on a beautiful book that will adorn my coffee table.