Customer Reviews

Cupcakes Galore

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Being an avid baker, I was given this cookbook as a gift from a coworker, and I couldn't be more disappointed in the actual taste of these recipes. I've now tried four or five of them, and each batch has been inedible. I think I have LITERALLY thrown away every single batch (which is probably the only reason I am even writing this review). The first ones I tried, just a vanilla cupcake, I thought I had maybe done something wrong, so I made them AGAIN and the results were just as unfavorable. The cupcakes are dry and flavorless. Even though a lot of the recipes look really good, I'm afraid to waste any more of my time and money trying out recipes that I could end up tossing in the garbage.

This new cupcake book by Gail Wagman shows that one is only bound by the limits of their imagination when it comes to creating recipes for a specific area of baking, in this case - cupcakes. Wagman's use of themes, design, color and artistic concepts are unlike anything I've seen. I love cookbooks and am aware that cupcakes are all the rage currently and the market is flooded with books on this subject. I look at all of them and haven't seen anything that can compare with her exquisite presentation, unique ideas, clear descriptions and easy to follow recipes. And the photographs do it all justice. This book should become the gold standard in this area and should be owned by all cooks and pastry chefs whether professionals or beginners.

that the humble cupcake could be elevated to an art form. This is one of the most visually stunning (prepare to salivate copiously) collections of recipes I have ever seen. The recipes range from Grandma's favorites to wildly unusual inventions. Clearly Ms. Wagman is an artist, chemist and gourmet with an impressive dose of creative genius thrown in. I particularly appreciate the "cupcake tips" that are generously peppered throughout the book. There's nothing like learning how to do something from a pro. The recipes are presented concisely and clearly with magnificent color photographs of the finished products. There is something here for every occasion and every audience including a chapter of kid's cupcakes. Cupcake books are everywhere nowadays. This one is by far the best one I've seen. Your parties will never be the same.

The photos are beautiful, the instructions are very user-friendly, and the portions are small (a dozen instead of 36+ cupcakes) and therefore good for experimenting. The downside is if you don't like alcohol, it rules out most of the "After Dinner" cupcakes and a few in other sections (almost 30 recipes include some form of alcohol). If you do like wine, beer, liqueurs and spirits in general, you'll probably love this book! Also, the "Gourmet Cupcakes" and the "Cupcakes Plus" section looked intimidating for an inexperienced baker. Overall, though, there are so many recipes to try, with such beautiful photos, I'd say it is a good buy. :)

The cupcakes in this book seem to be geared for presentation, but they don't taste good. I would look at this book if you need ideas on decorating cupcakes, but would get the actual recipes elsewhere.

The first thing I noticed when I opened Cupcakes Galore was the decorating style. For example, the Mint Julep cupcakes has a little straw poking out to make it look like a drink, a black and white yin-yang design, and a cupcake made to look like a crown. After I looked at all the photos, many of the titles were equally eye-catching (Blueberrys n' Creme, Rootbeer Float, and Tiramisu). In addition to all the fun creations, there are many elegant cupcakes suitable for a wedding reception or other formal event. 'Cupcakes Galore' is full of fresh ideas and I am glad to be adding this one to my collection.

As a big cupcake fan since childhood-- I still stand in line at the trendy Magnolia bakery every time I'm in NYC--I found Cupcakes Galore to be a fabulous inspiration for decorating cupcakes, and the best source I have found for making moist, delicious cakes that are the foundation for the fabulous frostings. I love the tips from a pro and the book is presented in a very playful, yet passionate way--the author obviously loves baking. It's super for both the simple cupcakes-with-frosting of my childhood and for the many fantasy cupcakes for special occasions. Great layout and photos, too! Out of the many cupcake books that are suddenly around, think this is the best I've seen.

This cookbook is quite pretty, pictures are lovely, nice glossy pages but....
the recipes are just plain and often awful. Like many of the other reviews these are tasteless recipes. Most of them the amount of time and cost to icing 24 individual cupcakes you could just purchase them at a bakery and save yourself hours worth of work. The Hot Chocolate and Marshmallow cupcake just calls for making dark chocolate cupcakes (which were way too dry) and then toasting marshmallows and putting them on top as the icing. What?!
If you need a cupcake cookbook purchase the Cake Doctor Cupcakes by Anne Byrn. It's well worth the money, this cookbook is not. Just go to the library and borrow it because you will want to return it afterward.

I am an avid baker, a food blogger, more specifically a cupcake blogger- I have tried three recipes from this cookbook and I have been disappointed with all of them. All came out way too heavy & dense, and crumbly. I prefer a cupcake that is light and fluffy with a velvety texture. First I made the almond ones with a pear baked in the middle- dense, heavy and odd flavor kind of like sweet corn bread. Then I did the creme brulee cupcakes which call for adding store-bought caramel sauce to the batter and then making a caramel sauce for the topping? The caramel topping/frosting was so incredibly sweet, way too sweet! and it was just too much sweetness to cover the entire top of the cupcake in it, maybe If I had done a normal buttercream frosting and just drizzled a little bit of the caramel over the top it would have been ok, except the cupcake had the same texture issues as the last one. Then I made the brownie cupcakes, and while the frosting was very good the cupcakes were horrible. The recipe made 12 cupcakes and called for a teaspoon of salt in the batter! a whole teaspoon, I really knew better I don't why I din't modify it. Everyone complained that they were way too salty. I thought they were too salty and too dry as well. I'm done with this book. I recommend these cookbooks: Crazy about Cupcakes, Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, and Cakelove if you like a soft tender cake!

I have tried 4 recipes from Cupcakes Galore and I am now convinced that I must stop! As a semi-pro home baker I use high quality ingredients (organic eggs, Irish butter, top shelf liquor) and my results have been consistently disappointing to the point where I am throwing away most of every batch. Each recipe has been bland or one-dimensional. I can appreciate the lack of cloying sweetness--these aren't doctored cake mixes--but I cannot get past the unpleasant texture of all the cupcakes. A heavy cake with a coarse crumb seems to be Wagman's preference, which doesn't work well in a small package. These recipes seem to be more suited for rustic loaf or bundt-style coffee cakes. I love to tinker with recipes, but hers all need more time than I am willing to invest to produce results. I'll keep the book around for the photographs because I like her decorating style, but I am now convinced her recipes aren't for me.