Cakes

Wonderful book to own. I am buying a couple more for my sister and sister-in-law. My favorite ones: Pumpkin Cake roll, Pear Walnut Coffee Cake, Sour Cream Cocoa Cake, German Chocolate Cake(a lot of steps)Buttermilk Carrot Cake(I fill the layers and frost the "top only" with the cream Cheese frosting),Nutmeg Cake with Lemon Sauce, and the Busy Day Cake. I made the Chocolate Almond Ice Cream Roll with Raspberry once for a Christmas celebration. It was a hit! It was a lot of work, but I was very proud of my final product-just like the photo. If you have the time to cook and love trying new cakes this book is for you.

I have owned this book for several years (it's actually falling apart) and always go to it when I want a cake recipe that's relatively quick to make. Two of the standby's in this book for us; the Busy Day Cake, which is good, quick, and easy, and the Gingerbread. I have by no means made every recipe in this book, but I have made several and they've always turned out well. The most recent was the Sour Cream Cocoa Cake (though it was made using plain yogurt in place of the sour cream). Though we still tend to adjust fat and sugar content to a lower amount, the recipes are healthier than most. I recommend this book for anyone who likes homemade cakes, but doesn't want to spend hours mixing and baking.

This book is EXCELLENT. Every recipe I have tried has turned out not just good, but great. I haven't tried every recipe, but from what I have baked, it seems to be a reliable source. I graduated from Johnson & Wales University with an AAS in Baking & Pastry Arts. This cookbook is one I turn to again and again for great-tasting and beautiful cakes. I look forward to trying them all. The "chocolate fudge cake" on p. 62 is my favorite: moist, rich, and everything a chocolate cake should be. Highly recommended.