Ultimate Cake (DK Living) [Paperback]

Barbara Maher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1998 | Series: DK Living

DK's series of affordable, quality paperbacks, including: Clearly Delicious, a colorful celebration of preserving, pickling, and bottling; Ultimate Cake, the definitive guide to baking and decorating cakes; The Complete Wilderness Training Book, an amazing collection of step-by-step techniques and tips from survival expert Hugh McManners; and The Complete Guide to Flower Arranging, inspiration for both novice and experienced flower arrangers. User friendly access to detailed, practical information clear, full-color photographs and illustrations. Packed with ideas and plans for the different aspects of life.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

No one can beat Dorling Kindersley books in visual excellence in terms of layout, illustrations, photographs, and the relationship of the text to ease of comprehension and use. No surprise, then, that cake and pastry expert Maher whips up a slim yet well-designed volume on the basics of cake making. Not only are ingredients, tools, and methodologies explained, but all are illustrated and, when appropriate, accompanied by step-by-step pictures. Barbara Jacobs --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Ultimate Cake is a superb dessert book. All you have to do is look at the cover. -- Anthony Dias Blue, WCBS Newsradio 88

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT; Reprint edition (September 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789437600
• ISBN-13: 978-0789437600
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,331,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wowee-zowie fantastic cake cookbook, September 30, 2002

By 

Catherine S. Vodrey (East Liverpool, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ultimate Cake (Hardcover)

You wonder how much information can reasonably be put into a slim little volume like this (and confidently entitled "Ultimate Cake"), but in fact, Barbara Maher's book does an estimable job of getting the reader acquainted with a wide variety of information--everything from good kitchen tools to have to chocolate-decoration techniques to "basic, enriching, and decorative" ingredients.

Part of the Dorling-Kindersley "Living" series, "Ultimate Cake" does a fine job of providing a wide overview of many different types of cakes, from basic yellow cakes to pound cakes to regional specialties like genoise, tortes made with nut flours, and more. After the first third of the book is devoted to technique, ingredients, and tools, the rest has yumilicious cake recipes ranging from the simple (Pound Cake) to the exotic (Piskota with Walnuts) to the just-plain-delicious (Hazelnut Macaroon Cake, Rum and Citrus Torte, Swiss Black Cherry Cake, Poppyseed and Chocolate Torte, Apricot and Pecan Tea Loaf, and Nectarine Pavlova, to name just a few).

As with all D-K books, the photography is a big part of the equation. Dave King's sumptuous, richly colored photographs go a long way towards supporting Maher's concise and clear text. Highly recommended as a fine, basic cake cookbook.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My guests are in awe !!!!, August 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ultimate Cake (Hardcover)

Thank you so much for this wonderful book. It has been such a pleasure to use. I love all the illustrations and how the book walks you through things you might not know. Every recipe I have made from this book has enticed all of my guests. I grew up in California and most of my relatives lived in Germany, so my parents used to send us all the time, and for those of you that are familar with european desserts, they are wonderful. So many of the recipes in this book come from the european countries. It brings back great memories of my relatives that were wonderful bakers... Thanks again Corina Synowicki

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bake your cake and eat it too!, February 10, 2003

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ultimate Cake (Hardcover)

Barbara Maher is an award-winning cookbook author who was born in Germany and brought up in England. She is fluent in German, French and Italian which allows her to conduct extensive research in a wide range of international cookbooks dating back to the fifteenth century. This is an amazing cookbook because it also includes a wide variety of cakes that you might not have heard of in an English/American cookbook.

This book is a collection of the world's finest cakes. There are such divine cakes in this cookbook, you will be seduced by lavishness. Not only are there full-color pictures displaying a bakeryful of tempting tastes, there are more than 100 recipes for cakes and desserts for every occasion. If you are looking for a light, airy treat for an afternoon snack you might choose lacy Florentines.

If you are new to making some of the cakes, there are easy-to-follow photographic sequences that demonstrate every essential baking and decorating technique. Whether you want to know how to pipe rosettes or sugar-frost flowers, it is all explained in pictures.

You can find recipes for: Luxury Layer Cakes, Chocolate Cakes, Cheesecakes, Flans & Tarts, Meringues, Fruit & Nut Cakes, Pastries & Cookies, Wedding Cakes, Children's Party Cakes, Butter Cakes, Sponge Cakes, Nut & Seed Cakes.

There are easy-to-follow instructions for:

Icings & Other Finishes

Piping Methods

Decorating with Chocolate

Cake Decorations

Fruit Preparations

Fillings, Icings & Toppings

There is an entire section on key ingredients and equipment used in cake making. This is the section where you can see all the basic skills required for baking. Basic ingredients are pictured. There are also "enriching" ingredients. The "bakeware" section is helpful because at times you can read "Balmoral pan" and have no idea what that is. I had never seen one myself.

I liked the "variations" on the butter Cakes recipe. You can chose to make a simple butter cake or turn it into a chocolate marble pound cake, a mixed spice pound cake or a fresh apricot pound cake which actually looks the best with icing dripping all over it.

I had never thought of using green grapes to decorate a cake. It is such a fresh beautiful idea. How about fresh cherries, mint leaves and chocolate curls?

Some of the delicious recipes include:

Fruit & Spice Cakes - could make a beautiful Christmas Gift that would not be soon forgotten. Chocolate Eclairs, Buche de Noel and Italian Easter Cake look divine.

Delicious Yummy Cakes that you will definitely want to make!

Also look for these books by Barbara Maher:

Cakes

Traditional Cakes and Pastries

Tempting Cheesecakes

Classic Cakes

~The Rebecca Review