The Perfect Cake: 150 cakes for Every taste and Occasion [Paperback]

Susan G. Purdy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 9, 2002

Originally published as A Piece of Cake, this baking classic is now back in print, thoroughly revised, and beautifully redesigned.
Author of The Perfect Pie and renowned baking authority Susan Purdy has spent a lifetime mastering the art of baking perfect cakes–those mysterious delicacies that are not too dry, not too dense, and never stuck to the pan. Revealing her secrets for the complete range of easy to elegant recipes, The Perfect Cake gives every home baker an extra helping of confidence.

With Purdy at your side sharing her precise troubleshooting tips and clever shortcuts, layer cakes, sheet cakes, sponge cakes, angel-food and chiffon cakes, tortes, and jelly rolls become wonderfully feasible. Helping readers skillfully create everything from a simple pound cake to Old-Fashioned Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, Black-and-White Cheesecake, or Hazelnut Torte, The Perfect Cake features easy decorating pointers that are sure to impress on special occasions. Providing a selection of more than 150 exceptional recipes, this is the book that will keep even the novice from ever resorting to mediocre mixes again.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Many cakes rise in this superb collection--"Marvelous Mud Cake," "Crazy Mixed-up Chocolate Cake," "Jo's Blitz Torte," even "Parsnip Cake"; sponges, charlottes, ladyfingers, scones. From the simplest to the many-tiered, Purdy ( As Easy As Pie ) enlists over 200 of her "personal favorites," combining lucid advice on basic equipment, ingredients and techniques ("What Happens When a Cake Is Baked") with detailed directions and playful asides on cake history. We learn that the modern custom (or folly) of "girls jumping out of cakes" at stag parties originated in medieval banquets made merry with "live rabbits, frogs, other small animals, and occasionally dwarves . . . encased in pastry crusts," while American frontier corn dodgers were so called "because they were so hard you had to dodge or risk injury if one was thrown at you." Glamorous French (hazelnut white-chocolate marquise) and Viennese (Sachertorte) pastries serve as divas, yet the most appealing may well be the old-fashioned jam cake, buttermilk spice cake, devil's food cake, caramel cake with penuche icing and their cousins. Illustrations not seen by PW. BOMC Cooking and Crafts Club main selection.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Purdy's A Piece of Cake, originally published in 1989, has been long out of print, making this revised, reorganized, and retitled edition very welcome. This is really one of the standards on the topic, filled with delicious recipes from classics like Lord Baltimore Cake to family favorites such as Pineapple Upside-Down Cake to mouthwatering treats like Marvelous Mud Cake. Purdy is a perfectionist, and her recipes are reliable and filled with useful tips and suggestions. An essential purchase for any baking collection.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; 1 Reprint edition (April 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767905377
• ISBN-13: 978-0767905374
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #808,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Perfect Cake" is a perfect book., June 8, 2003

By 

Lawrence W. Meegan (Jackson, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Perfect Cake: 150 cakes for Every taste and Occasion (Paperback)

Unlike many cook books that are simply collections of recipes and a few photos of what the finished product should look like, Purdy's "The Perfect Cake" goes further. It is a "why" book, explaining how the different ingredients interact as you mix them then bake them. It also discusses the different qualities those ingredients have and offers advice on what you should choose and why. And perhaps more importantly, why not.

The book also gave me the confidence to experiment with some of the basic recipes. And I didn't mind eating the results, thank you very much.

I borrowed a copy of the book from my local library, learned a lot, and enjoyed it so much that as soon as I submit this review I will buy my own copy.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Special effects, flavorings, and decorative techniques, June 6, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Perfect Cake: 150 cakes for Every taste and Occasion (Paperback)

The Perfect Cake: 150 Cakes For Every Taste & Occasion by baking expert Susan G. Purdy is quite simply a definitive, single volume compendium designed to enable the family cook to have a wealth of delicious, imaginative, desert choices for any occasion from daily family dining to special celebratory events. Enhanced with a wealth of "tips, tricks and techniques" for everything from measuring ingredients to preparing pans for baking, the profusion of cake recipes are grouped into Butter and Shortening Cakes; Cheesecakes; Sponge and Foam Cakes; Elegant and Special Cakes; as well as Filings, Frostings, Icings and Glazes, Sauces and Syrups. Of special interest is the section on Decorating Cakes covering special effects, flavorings, and decorative techniques. Before you bake your next cake, browse through Susan Purdy's The Perfect Cake!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It Really Is a Piece of Cake!, April 22, 2005

By 

Maureen L. Smith "love to read" (North Manchester, IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Piece of Cake (Hardcover)

I borrowed this from the library and have renewed it twice. I'm ready to buy! My son and husband fought over the last slice of the 1-2-3-4 Cake and want me to make it again. I prefer to bake cakes from scratch; they prefer that "light, airy" texture of boxed cakes. This cookbook convinced me to sift the flour - and it made the difference. I like the detail given; it's not just do this, do that. I got an understanding of why the steps were included. A really terrific cake-recipe book!