Notes about Recipes in this book

• Berry long cake with ginger crumb

  • hillsboroks on June 28, 2020

    Wow! This simple cake has been the flavor find of the berry season this summer. The ground ginger in the cake and candied ginger in the topping meld beautifully with the berries and are not overwhelming at all. I used a mixture of blueberries, Marionberries and raspberries. In lieu of the two tablespoons of brandy or vanilla called for in the recipe I used a tablespoon of Clear Creek Distillery Blackberry Liqueur and a tablespoon of Chambord raspberry liqueur in the berry mixture. At 45 minutes the cake was baked perfectly. I used my instant read thermometer to check that the cake part reached 200F. I served it warm with a choice of heavy cream to pour over a piece or creme fraiche to dab on top. It was fantastic! My husband wants me to make it again soon.

  • tarae1204 on January 30, 2022

    This recipe works well as written and is an easy cake to rustle up on a weekday. The cornmeal and ginger made it more interesting to adults and less so for the kids. It’s good!

• Rhubarb pudding cake

  • TrishaCP on May 09, 2013

    This recipe starts by making a rhubarb vanilla compote (I reduced the sugar by about 1/3), which is poured on top of a thick sour cream (or yogurt) cake. When I have made pudding cake before, generally the pudding layer is on the bottom and the cake rises up and over it, but that doesn't happen here. (Per on-line pics, the rhubarb is supposed to stay on top.). If you plan to serve this to company, you really should seek out red rhubarb- I had mainly green, which when cooked down turned brown- not too appetizing. But- this is a really delicious cake- and I will definitely make it again.

  • anya_sf on February 18, 2020

    As TrishaCP points out, this is not a typical pudding cake with a custardy layer and cake layer, but just cake with rhubarb compote baked on top. I made a healthier breakfast version using white whole wheat flour and plain yogurt. I enjoyed it, but would have liked even more rhubarb relative to cake.

  • tarae1204 on January 30, 2022

    I liked this cake but didn’t love it, and as rhubarb is expensive in my area I wouldn’t repeat. The cake was rich and warm the first night but gummy by the next day. Also, the compote boiled over in the stove- messy! - so keep an eye out for that possibility if you make this.

• Grammy cake

  • lkgrover on February 24, 2023

    Good chocolate bundt cake; does not require an electric mixer. Everything can be easily mixed with a hand whisk, which is rare for large cakes. I served dusted with powdered sugar; did not make ganache.

• Texas sheet cake

  • TrishaCP on July 07, 2014

    Overall, this was an easy crowd-pleaser best made for large groups. My husband made this for a BBQ- the kids gobbled it up, but preferred the section he had left unadorned with hazelnuts. The cake was really moist, and all things considered not "too" sweet. (The frosting didn't set quite as much as Texas sheet cakes from my past- probably because of the sugar content, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, just not what I was expecting.) The chocolate flavor was not very deep, so it might be worth playing around with adding coffee if you want something with a richer chocolate taste.

  • TrishaCP on August 19, 2014

    Note, the author's website indicates the following about cooking times. (We didn't have problems cooking around the specified time though.) Page 22- that delicious moist Texas Sheet Cake recipe tells you to bake the cake for 32-35 minutes…Don’t do it! 22-25 minutes should do the trick.

  • anya_sf on March 02, 2019

    I'd never had this cake before so I didn't know what to expect. It was easy to make and everyone liked it, but the chocolate flavor is fairly light (I believe that's how this cake is supposed to be), so I liked it, but didn't love it.

  • helskitchenvt on July 13, 2021

    Great for large crowds - I think of it as the homemade version of the old Little Debbie Frosted Brownies and add mini-M&Ms on top.

  • jimandtammyfaye on January 08, 2023

    Because you frost the cake while it is still warm, this makes for an easy cake. Fudge frosting set up nicely and made the cake even more delicious the next day. Roasted pecans on top were good, but try using m&ms instead of nuts next time to make it more appealing to kids. Used a 9x13" pan and cake was fully baked at 25 minutes. Might try shaving a minute or two off baking time.

• Lazy daisy oatmeal cake

  • mamacrumbcake on March 21, 2019

    All in all, it’s a good cake but not irresistible. I would only serve it to people who really loved coconut because there is a lot of coconut in the topping and I’m not sure it marries well with the cake. Some tips: cover your mixer with plastic wrap as this batter will splatter; the icing is not pourable (I used an ice cream scoop to distribute); the topping could use a sprinkling of salt.

• Blueberry cornmeal skillet cake

  • anya_sf on March 29, 2019

    I used half blueberries, half raspberries (both frozen) and tried to make it healthier since we were having it for breakfast. I used white whole wheat flour, decreased the honey to 4 oz, and used 2% Greek yogurt mixed with a little buttermilk. I also added some orange zest. The cake mixed together quickly. With my changes, the texture was quite hearty, with a crunch from the cornmeal, and mildly sweet - an enjoyable breakfast.

• Honey bee cake

  • tarae1204 on January 30, 2022

    This a sweet, crunchy, cozy kind of cake perfect for honey lovers. I can’t wait to make it again.

• Lemon and almond streamliner cake

  • anya_sf on March 02, 2019

    This cake is the reason I bought this book. It's not difficult to make, super moist, and keeps well in the fridge.

  • hillsboroks on June 22, 2020

    Luscious and lemony best describe this cake. The lemon custard is mouth-puckering lemony and wonderfully creamy. The almond cake is dense because of all the almond paste but it is the perfect backdrop for the lemon custard. I used a technique I saw in another cake recipe that used almond paste and put the almond paste, sugar and butter in the food processor first to get it really creamed together well. Then I put it into the stand mixer bowl and continued with the recipe. I have had issues with almond paste lumps in batter in the past and this method is easy and guarantees no lumps.

  • tarae1204 on January 30, 2022

    Luscious and unforgettable, the moist almond cake and tangy/creamy curd produce a very appetizing and delicious cake. And it keeps very well!

  • julesamomof2 on June 20, 2022

    This did not turn out well for me at all. Dense, heavy cake. I'm going to blame myself and give it another try, because I do very much love the lemon/almond combo. Try as I might, I was likely too heavy handed with the mixing.

• Not-for-children gingerbread bundt cake

  • adrienneyoung on May 10, 2020

    A keeper. Double the brandy in the glaze, though.

  • anya_sf on November 08, 2024

    Moist, delicious cake - ginger wasn't as prominent as some recipes, but the overall spice was there and I really liked the cocoa notes. Icing was good, but whipped cream would have been good too. I made 1/2 recipe in a 6-cup bundt which took 50 min to bake. Unfortunately the top stuck to the pan and crumbled when I tried to remove it, so I had to eat it...(and it was delicious still warm from the oven). Next time I will flour the pan as well.

• Kentucky bourbon cake

  • nadiam1000 on April 26, 2013

    Made this yesterday in a standard tube pan and it turned out beautifully. I did make a couple of changes. To the cake I added 1 T each vanilla bean paste and honey bourbon and 1/4 cup honey bourbon and 1 tsp vanilla to the glaze(increased the glaze to use 1 stick butter and 1 cup sugar) Delicious and moist. Even better the next day when the crumb firmed up and set. Great on it's own or served w/berries(peaches would be good, too) and whipped cream.

  • LVautier on January 17, 2014

    I made this cake from a recipe on the internet. I used Four Roses Small Batch bourbon and lurpak salted butter, I used a more complex bundt form and I also used an injector for glaze, as a result the cake came out in pieces. I noted that there wasn't any vanilla in the recipe, but the batter tasted lovely and I left it out. I did add a bit more bourbon to the glaze. I will refrain from doing this when I make it again ( today). Sometimes you find ingredient combinations which are more than the sum of its parts, this is one of them. On the first night what struck my husband and I was how the flavor of the butter was the star supported by the bourbon and salt. The flavor of the bourbon tends to intensify over time, and by the second night it was the dominant flavor ( although still delicious). This isn't a difficult recipe but the flavor is extraordinary. Highly recommended.

  • TrishaCP on December 26, 2016

    This cake is wonderfully moist with a delicious crumb. I used Buffalo Trace bourbon for the cake and a maple bourbon for the glaze. I also used a standard non-stick bundt pan and that worked fine but you do need to grease it really well. I had a bit of extra melted chocolate from another recipe so used that to decorate the top a bit. I found that the glaze tended to pool on the bottom of the cake-it didn't make it overly soggy but just created nice boozy bites at the bottom. It tasted more "bourbony" to me the first night that I served it though- probably because I had just baked it. The glaze heats the bourbon so it was much lighter than the bourbon recipes I am more accustomed to, which do not heat the bourbon.

  • Lepa on March 06, 2019

    This cake tastes like butter, bourbon and sugar. What's not to like? I took it to my book club and everyone swooned. The cake came together easily. It took an extra five minutes to bake. I had a hard time getting it out of the bundt and was convinced I'd have to steam it out and suddenly it popped out, perfect. I think the syrup makes the cake stick more than other bundts so beware. I will absolutely make this cake again. It's really special.

  • stef on December 23, 2019

    I've tried making this cake for 2 Christmases now and failed to get it out in one piece. However, the pieces were delicious. This time it came out in one piece. I sprayed my pan at the last minute, and used weight measurements.

• Lemon queen cakes with meringue frosting

  • anya_sf on March 23, 2019

    Half the recipe served 3 perfectly. I had trouble whipping the meringue - not sure why. After *a lot* of whipping, it was finally stiff enough to spread, but never held peaks. My husband loves meringue and thought this dessert was amazing. I am less of a meringue fan and would have been happy with just the pudding cake on its own, but I still thought the meringue tasted pretty good on top and made the dessert a bit fancier.

• Mississippi mud cupcakes with marshmallow frosting

  • anya_sf on March 02, 2019

    I just made the cupcakes and topped them with the fudge frosting instead of marshmallow. I used mini chocolate chips and omitted the pecans. The cupcakes were moist and chocolatey - more so with the frosting. We loved them and they were really easy to make (no mixer needed).

• Tropicups

  • hillsboroks on May 15, 2019

    These little gems are a coconut pineapple lovers dream. They are moist and flavorful and taste even better the next day. I didn't have two muffin tins that would fit into my oven together so I used one regular muffin tin and a Bundt brownie pan. The brownie pan made mini bundt cakes that baked perfectly in 20 minutes. I left the regular muffin pan in for an extra 5 minutes and they were perfect. My friends and I actually liked the smaller mini bundts best. I think you could also make these in mini muffin pans and just shorten the baking time. These were a big hit with my guests. Next time I will toast the coconut first while prepping my other ingredients to avoid opening the oven so much to check on the coconut while the cakes are also in the oven.

• Nectarine oat upside-down cake

  • lkgrover on October 04, 2021

    Terrific & beautiful cake. The topping has the perfect amount of caramel mixed in with the nectarines. I was pleasantly surprised with how easily it came out of my baking pan too (since I forgot the parchment paper step, although I did butter & flour the pan).

• Butterscotch cream roll-up

  • SugarTreeBaking on September 08, 2019

    I’ve had this cake bookmarked for a while and was happy when my husband selected it for his birthday cake. The chiffon layers were perfect but the butterscotch filling/frosting was a disaster. I scrapped it and made a fluffy almond buttercream to complete the cake. Crisis averted. The rolling technique was easy to follow and makes a beautiful presentation.

• Chocolate apricot upside-down cake

  • anya_sf on March 10, 2019

    I made the cranberry variation. This cake mixed easily by hand. The texture was fairly dense, moist, and somewhat crumbly. The flavor was good, but unusual due to the large amount of cardamom. Next time I'd reduce it, or use a different spice, or simply omit it to let the chocolate flavor shine. A tablespoon of fruit liqueur would probably be a nice addition.

  • TrishaCP on June 24, 2019

    I love cardamom, but hated it here. It was overpowering and jarring with the chocolate and the apricots. Maybe cinnamon as a better choice? I didn’t find the cake to be dense and crumbly, mine was light and airy. Would have been a great cake without the cardamom.

• White chocolate rhubarb downside-up cake

  • anya_sf on March 26, 2019

    I used pre-sliced rhubarb I had in the freezer, so I couldn't make long, thin strips, which would have looked prettier. Some slices were kind of green - bright red also would have looked nicer. The cake rose very high during baking, nearly overflowing the 9"x2" pan, but then sank a lot while cooling. I baked the cake the night before serving and stored it in the fridge and the texture was fairly dense, but no one minded. The tart rhubarb was great with the caramel. The white chocolate was subtle, but noticeable. Everyone enjoyed it.

• Italian cream cake

  • leilx on April 15, 2019

    Delicious and moist. Maybe could have used a bit more flavor? I wonder if coconut milk instead of buttermilk would work, or if that would throw off the leavening. Or partial coconut milk. Frosting was intense and delicious.

• Blitz torte

  • TrishaCP on August 19, 2014

    From the author's website: Page 114 of the Blitz Torte recipe tells you to add cream of tartar, though it is not listed in the ingredients…and shouldn’t be! Don’t feel the need to add any- it’s just perfect without!

• Old Vermont burnt sugar cake with maple cream cheese frosting

  • helskitchenvt on July 13, 2021

    One of my all time favorite cakes. So delicious.

• Raspberry buttercream

  • nicole309 on August 29, 2012

    This is the BEST buttercream frosting ever! I am not a frosting lover and I could have eaten it with a spoon. If you have had difficulties with swiss meringue buttercream in the past like I have try this recipe.

• Fudge frosting

  • anya_sf on March 02, 2019

    Super easy to make and delicious. My new favorite chocolate frosting. You just need to plan a little bit ahead so the frosting has time to cool, but once it cools, it spreads like a dream.

• Food52

  Master baker and author Julie Richardson hunted through cookbooks and recipe cards for "the most inventive, surprising, and just plain delicious cakes she could find....

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• Epicurious

  Its pages encapuslate the practical with a touch of nostalgia, resulting in a cookbook that's very appealing to the modern baker with its focus on flavor and quality ingredients.

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• Baking Bites

  ...each one has been carefully tested and updated to make sure that it is up to today’s standards while still giving you that nostalgic feeling and flavor when you dig in to a slice.

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