Extraordinary Cakes: Recipes for Bold and Sophisticated Desserts [Hardcover]

Karen Krasne (Author), Tina Wright (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 4, 2011

How to make cakes that are as delicious to eat as they are beautiful to behold. Karen Krasne, the “Queen of Cakes” according to Gourmet magazine, brings a fresh and contemporary sensibility to special-occasion cakes. Instead of the conventional fondant and gum paste, she relies on natural frostings based on chocolate, cream, or butter (which are also easier to make). What makes these cakes showstoppers is their unexpected flavor combinations-take, for example, the Blood Orange Ricotta Torte, the Chocolate Tiramisu, or the Yuzu Tea Cake. These desserts take full advantage of layering-contrasting textures in each bite-as seen in the New York, New York (chocolate ganache, devil’s food cake, chocolate chantilly, and caramelized apples) or the Beau Soleil (mascarpone mousse, peaches, pralines, and honey-soaked pound cake). Krasne favors vibrant touches like fresh fruit and real flowers, which add flair without being fussy. The recipes include tips from her twenty years as a pastry chef, and a step-by-step introduction covers basic techniques. Extraordinary Cakes shows how to create amazing cakes that satisfy sophisticated palates-but are still achievable for the home baker.

Some of the luscious cakes included are Toasted Macadamia Caramel Cheesecake, Shangrila (Guava Mousse, White Chocolate Mousse, Fresh Strawberries, Pound Cake), Vallarta (Key Lime Cream, Whipped Cream, Tequla-Infused Genoise), Marco Polo (Vanilla Mousse, Blackberry Gelee, Tea-Infused Cake), Chocolate Nirvana (Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Cream, Chocolate Cake), King Kamehameha (Coffee Mousse, Chocolate, Mocha Pralines, Chocolate Cake), Beau Soleil (Marscapone Mousse, Peaches, Caramelized Pralines, Honey, Pound Cake), Blood Orange Ricotta Torte, Carnaval (White Chocolate Banana Truffle, Chocolate Mousse, Rum), Caribe (Banana, Mango, Passion Fruit, Chocolate Cake), Tortamisu (Marscapone Cream, Espresso-and-Rum-Soaked Cake).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I hope that you were not planning on starting a diet tomorrow. After reading this book your thoughts will be focused on the cakes. Even if creating an "extraordinary cake" is not in your future the recipes are too good not to try." ~Chocolate & Croissant

“Modern flavors meet classic techniques in these beautiful, delicious desserts.”
—Barbara Fairchild, author of Bon Appetit Desserts
 
“One bite would hook any patisserie lover. The desserts are beautiful too … sublime.”
—Los Angeles Magazine
 
“Extraordinary is too mild a name for this collection of spectacular cakes. I’ve been a fan of Karen Krasne’s for years and I’m particularly overjoyed to see her powerfully delicious and tastefully decorated creations in print. The only problem I can see with this book is deciding which cake to prepare first. Extraordinary Cakes is destined to become a classic.”
—Nick Malgieri, author of Bake! and The Modern Baker
 
“On Saturday nights, the line outside Extraordinary Desserts can extend onto the sidewalk. But once you’ve tasted Karen Krasne’s creations, you’ll forget about the wait.” —The New York Times
 
“Extraordinary Cakes offers up easy-to-follow recipes for deliciously creative cakes, allowing avid bakers to replicate Karen’s trademark desserts at home.”
—Jacques Torres, Dean of Pastry Arts, French Culinary Institute
 
“Talented chef-owner Karen Krasne serves ‘incredible,’ ‘divine,’ ‘world-class,’ baked goods and desserts that are ‘gorgeous to behold.’”
—Zagat Survey

About the Author

Karen Krasne is the owner and executive chef of Extraordinary Desserts, San Diego’s number one destination restaurant for desserts for the last twenty years. Her cakes have graced the cover of Bon Appetit, and Forbes recognized her as one of the country’s ten best pastry chefs. She has been featured in The New York Times, Gourmet, Sunset, and The Los Angeles Times, among other publications. Tina Wright is a professional pastry chef and coauthor of two books. A graduate of the Institute for Culinary Education, she helped write the pastry curriculum for the French Culinary Institute in New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli (October 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847858081
• ISBN-13: 978-0847858088
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.9 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,393 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Baking > Cakes

More About the Author

Karen Krasne is the owner and executive chef of Extraordinary Desserts, San Diego's number one destination for desserts for over twenty-two years. Her cakes have graced the cover of Bon Appetit, and Forbes recognized her as one of the country's ten best pastry chefs. She has been featured in the New York Times, Gourmet, Sunset, and the Los Angeles Times, among other publications.

In 1988 Karen opened Extraordinary Desserts near San Diego's Balboa Park. Despite only having ten seats, it was awarded with the honor of "Best Desserts" by both San Diego Magazine and San Diego Home & Garden Lifestyles. A year later the eatery was in such demand that Karen was able to expand, offering 65 seats, and in 2004, she opened a second location in San Diego's Little Italy. Today, lines still stretch out the doors of both locations. People have discovered that once they indulged in Extraordinary Desserts' award-winning pastries, cakes, tarts, and other treats, nothing else compares.

The fare at Extraordinary Desserts infuses global inspiration with artful passion. Desserts are skillfully crafted like works of art, made only with the finest ingredients and decorated with seasonal flowers and edible gold leaf.

Karen graduated with a degree from the University of Hawaii in Food and Human Nutrition. She went on to study pastry making at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where she not only developed her skills as a dessert chef, but fostered her love of traveling. Today, Karen calls San Diego home, but returns to France to train with the masters at LeNotre, Ecole Bellouet Conseil, and L'Atelier Pierre Herme regularly. When she is not creating the menu for her two Extraordinary Dessert locations, or expanding her skill in France, she is traveling the globe, infusing her desserts with the flavors and artistry of faraway places.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite works of art! November 12, 2011

By Toni VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Wow. Wow. And wow.

There aren't other words to describe this absolutely breathtaking book of cakes that please both the eyes and the palate, all from Ms. Karen Krasne, owner and chef at "Extraordinary Desserts" restaurant located in San Diego, California.

An incredibly accomplished chef (just look at her resume on the website), she has generously shared a goldmine of talent with us, through gorgeous, pristine photography of some of the most ethereal cakes you will see. To be more specific, these are not character cakes or object cakes; these are very fancy "wow" factor presentations that will give your guests a "gasp" moment.

That being said, this is not a book for baking weaklings, because as Ms. Krasne states in her Introduction, these cakes take time, as in a couple of days, to make. Yes, some can be done within a day, but for the majority of these fabulous cakes, you definitely will need time on your side. Also, you need some solid baking skills or possess much patience, as she has given the recipes in great detail, starting with the batter, then going on to the fillings and frosting, and ending with the assembly and decorations of each masterpiece. And to note, "decor" to her is not sugarpaste or fondant but rather fresh flowers, or ganache, or purees that dot the plate, which is all that is needed with many of these cakes because the dessert itself is so beautiful.

As I mentioned previously, the photography is of each finished cake and a slice within, though in the "Introduction" section, there are several photos of how to decorate. Her presentation of each recipe is very detailed with multiple steps; this also describes the way she presents cakes that have either subtle nuances to those with complex flavors that build on each other. Most of these are those she has created from her years of crafting and loving this vocation of her life.

The book is also broken into seasons so that you can get the best out of the offerings that each holds for you. I also enjoy mentioning that several recipes are gluten-free (GF), as she has noted it is becoming an important health issue for many of her clients.

Her book has so many beautiful cakes that it would take quite some time to describe each one, therefore just a handful will be given. I guarantee that you will be enchanted with these and will want to have the rest:

PREFACE:

INTRODUCTION: This includes equipment, ingredients,and techniques. The end of this part has a listing of edible flowers and berries, etc that are safe to use, their availability, and in what recipes they were used.

SPRING:
Lemon Praline Torte

Toute Fraisies (strawberry cupcakes)

Ivoire Royale (beyond jaw-dropping; a vanilla infused sour cream pound cake w/ a white chocolate mousse, fresh berries, a whipped cream dress, and white chocolate curls on top!)

SUMMER:
Passion Fruit Ricotta Cake

Beau Soleil (thinly sliced juicy peaches, rosette-style, resting atop a hazelnut vanilla jocande cake infused w/ simple orange syrup and mascapone mousse w/ hazelnut praline crunch on the sides)

Diamond Head (a bittersweet chocolate genoise infused w/ rum simple syrup w/ vanilla bean custard and macadamia brittle)

Strawberry Shortcakes

Citronesse (a lemon cheesecake w/ lemon curd and swiss meringue)

AUTUMN:
Chocolate Tiramisu

Banana Cream Torte (banana cake w/ vanilla simple syrup, cream cheese frosting, and pecan dacquoise)

Blackberry Cheesecakes (darling mini-cheesecakes w/a pecan crust, sour cream top and blackberries)

Blood Orange Ricotta Cake (a powerful burnt orange presentation of a ricotta pound cake w/ blood orange simple syrup and curd, plus cranberry orange preserves and whipped cream)

WINTER:
Versailles (the alternate cover cake where a almond jocande is infused w/ a rum simple syrup, salted caramel mousse, and pistachio almond praline; the cake is then decorated on the sides with macarons, w/ which a delicate thin ribbon ties them all together, and the cake is topped with a simple yet delicate bouquet of white ranunculus w/green & gold berries)

Holiday Yule Log (this is a definite departure from the " wooded branch" cake you normally think of; this is made in a rectangular shaped cake pan w/ a chocolate-raspberry ganache, topped w/ shards of chocolate-almond tuile and raspberries; very different but beautiful)

Love is Chocolate (this is a bread pudding of croissants and a vanilla creme brulee mixture)

SAUCES

SOURCES

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INDEX

I realize that this book might not be for everyone; it is intense and detailed. But for those who enjoy "beautiful baking", this would be a very wonderful companion for you or as a gift for someone who also enjoys "beautiful baking". Thank you so much Chef Krasne! Hope to visit your restaurant some day! Peace.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars lovely December 20, 2011

By HelenW

Format:Hardcover

I received my copy of Extraordinary Cakes almost 2 weeks ago, and fortunately had an excuse to try out a cake for my mother's birthday last weekend.

Format:

Introduction: includes a rundown on equipment, ingredients and techniques - I found pages 14-18 the most interesting as it included some step-by-step photos on specific techniques, I skimmed through the rest - though it looked clear and logically laid out.

Cake Recipes: divided by season - the cake recipes are comprehensive and clearly broken up into steps for cake/fillings/assembly/decor.

The photos are beautiful with pictures of finished cakes, along with a slice view of many of the cakes, but not all of them.

Recipes do not seem to be doubled up, if the base cake is the same as an earlier recipe, you will be referred back to that page - i.e. the ricotta pound cake used in the Tortamisu p.120, is found on p.57, similarly for recipes such as Chocolate Ganache. I don't mind this as these cakes are generally several day projects, and I am working on a specific section at a time anyway.

The bulk of recipes are layer cakes which are assembled in a cake tin with a removable bottom and then frozen overnight to allow for a solid, uniform cake structure and ease of construction/handling.

One con for me was the fact that the recipe ingredients are not listed in weight, which is my preferred option, but are instead given in volume. It wasn't a deal-breaker for me though, I would have bought the book regardless.

The format worked for me as, if you want to, you can easily use elements from various recipes to change things up - I just want to try a bit of everything!

My experience with the recipe/s & techniques:

For my mother's birthday I created a hybrid of two of the more basic layer cakes: Tortamisu p.120 & Chocolate Tiramisu p.105.

This cake was made/assembled/decorated over a 3 day period and included the following: Ricotta Pound Cake, Mascarpone Mousse, Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse, Espresso Simple Syrup, Toasted Cake Crumbs, Coffee Whipped Cream, Chocolate Ganache

My alterations: I used a 9" cake tin instead of a 10" tin. This just required a little more cooking time, I used fresh espresso instead of espresso powder, which I have never seen in Australia, though it is probably available somewhere.

For assembly, a cake tin with a removable bottom is recommended for many of the cakes - I do not have these & feel I can work around this. It worked fine for this cake, but I may have to be inventive for others where final topping is meant to be applied whilst in the tin.

The family verdict: fantastic, the ricotta pound cake is one I will make again, it had a great taste and remained moist & the mascarpone mousse recipes - yum! I was worried that freezing the assembled layers overnight would affect the flavour, but it didn't at all.

In summary -
Recipes: clear and easy to follow.
Recommend for: someone with baking experience who likes to be a bit adverturous in their baking and doesn't mind investing several days to make a cake, they will love it.

The cakes are truly special occasion - not something I could see myself making frequently due to the size, fat/sugar content, and expense. I wouldn't consider putting this much effort into making these cakes if I wasn't going to use top quality ingredients.

I already have my next "project" planned - the Raspberry White Chocolate Linzer Torte next as raspberries are in season here right now, and I have a birthday coming up in 2 weeks!

Helen

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary Book! October 5, 2011

By Michelle Lomelin

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is like being given the manual on fabulous! As an avid Extraordinary Desserts fan I have long been curious as to the "how is that done" I experience regularly there. Now I know! I have already made two of the recipes in this book with stellar results. Karen Krasne I thank you!