Notes about Recipes in this book

• Milk chocolate chip-hazelnut cake

  • Jane on February 28, 2021

    How could any cake with chocolate, coffee and Nutella not be good? This cake was light with good depth of flavor and a nice crunch from the hazelnuts on top. Definitely a repeat.

• Mostly apples cake

  • Jane on February 15, 2021

    I liked this a lot. I made it with dark muscovado sugar so there were nice toffee undertones. Dorie Greenspan's Custardy apple squares are more of a 'Mostly apples' cake than this but this was more cake-like. I served it with the Crème fraîche whip which made it more of a dessert than a snacking cake.

  • Lepa on December 10, 2020

    This won't replace my favorite apple cake (Dorie Greenspan's Marie Helene cake) but it is easy and tasty.

  • anya_sf on March 20, 2021

    Simple, delicious cake that is tender, moist, and fluffy, sweet enough for dessert, but not too sweet for breakfast. I couldn't taste the optional whiskey and espresso powder, but imagine they added background notes; the overall spice blend was very nice.

• Raspberry white chocolate cake

  • Jane on February 28, 2021

    This was a lovely moist cake. It lasted well too, being still very edible after 6 days. My only negative is that it looked really pretty going into the oven but almost all the raspberries, white choc chips and chopped pecans sunk into the cake leaving a rather dull look. But the flavor made up for it.

• Cocoa yogurt cake

  • vickster on January 21, 2021

    Fulfills need for a quick chocolate cake. Moist, delicious and chocolatey!

  • kari500 on February 15, 2021

    Like mzgourmand, I didn't love this cake either. I made it with the coffee glaze. I normally love the coffee/chocolate combination, but this didn't work for me. Maybe I don't love a glaze on a cake? Either bare or frosting? I don't think this is the issue, but maybe. It was better on day two, the cake a bit more moist, more chocolatey. I honestly found it slightly depressing on the first day, which I don't think I've ever said about a chocolate cake before. I thought maybe I'd done something wrong, so I'm interested seeing this previous negative review.

  • mzgourmand on November 17, 2020

    We did not love this cake and normally at least two of us are serious chocolate fans. The flavors were too intense, and the combo of coocoa and chocolate chips in the cake and then cocoa powder in the glaze - it just felt like too much. It took my teenage son with a serious sweet tooth five days to work his way through a fairly small cake, even though that was the dessert offering for this week, to give one a sense of the rather unenthusiastic reception this cake got. To be fair, it may have been the intensity of the cocoa that I used, which was the cocoa rouge, red dutch-processed cocoa powder. And it may be that I simply prefer baking chocolate to cocoa-based recipes. I made my long-time favorite "Katherine Hepburn" brownies recently using cocoa instead of baking chocolate and didn't enjoy the brownies nearly as much. It's very subjuctive but I wouldn't make this again.

  • leilx on August 18, 2021

    This is a super-chocolate-y cake, very dark and rich. I don't think I would use black cocoa here, and maybe semi-sweet chips. It was super moist for me--almost more so than I prefer. I made it as a bundt. It turned out nice and was very easy to make.

  • AndieEats on July 05, 2021

    Baked as cupcakes for an outdoor get together, took about 15-16 minutes to cook through. Easy to throw together with pantry supplies, and was delightfully moist even after a night in the fridge. Subbed organic cacao powder (from Costco), and used the vanilla bean glaze option in the notes.

• Almond butter banana cake

  • vickster on February 03, 2021

    I made with peanut butter instead of almond butter. It was a delicious, moist easy cake.

  • wcassity on April 25, 2021

    Delicious. Quick, moist, perfect sweetness. Added no glaze. Used coconut almond butter but didn’t pick up any coconut taste.

  • Zosia on June 15, 2021

    Very nice flavour. Texture was a little gummy while still warm but improved once it cooled completely. perhaps a little less banana is needed?

  • Lepa on May 11, 2021

    This was a nice version of banana bread. It turned out pretty well but I have had issues with several recipes in this book because the dry ingredients are all dumped directly into the wet instead of mixing the dry ingredients first. I whisked the baking powder in before adding the flour but still ended up with pockets of baking powder or soda in the cake, which was off-putting. From now on, I'll mix my dry ingredients before adding them to wet even if it will dirty another bowl.

  • Gneissspice on January 16, 2021

    Easy to make one bowl—especially when you have bananas that need using up. Take her advice and add liquid for glaze a little at a time. We (my little helpers) added too much and the glaze was too thin to stay on the cake.

  • Jviney on February 02, 2021

    Loved the richness the almond butter brought to this cake. I haven’t yet tried it at room temp...couldn’t wait for it to cool! Third easy winner from this cookbook.

  • jaceygrusnick on March 24, 2021

    Super moist, delicious cake. As the book title implies, it's great for snacking and not too sweet. Will definitely make again.

• Grapefruit white chocolate cake

  • kari500 on October 26, 2021

    I've been wanting to make this for months, but I'm trying not to bake as much so as to not always have cakes, etc. in the kitchen. But it finally got to me. We have a person who doesn't like white chocolate, and a person who doesn't like citrus desserts in the house, and both of them liked this cake a lot. I love both things, and adored this cake. Love the texture. Cooked for about 37 minutes and it was perfect.

  • darcie_b on February 05, 2021

    An excellent one-bowl cake for those who like a tiny amount of pucker to go along with their sweet. A half recipe works perfectly in a 6 inch cake pan.

  • hirsheys on February 28, 2021

    I agree that this is a lovely cake, and it actually tastes like grapefruit (which isn't always the case with grapefruit cakes in my experience). I added a bit too much juice to my glaze in an attempt to make it pourable, so ignore the "pourable" thing. Really, it just needs to be spreadable, otherwise it will run off the sides.

  • Lepa on April 11, 2021

    We liked this cake. It has wonderful and unusual flavors. It reminds me of a recipe in Ruby Tandoh's Crumb (which I might like slightly better) that has orange and white chocolate so if you like this one, be sure to check that one out!

  • Kristjudy on February 17, 2021

    This is a lovely cake. The combination of bitter from the grapefruit and the sweet from the white chocolate chips is a perfect balance. I used double the amount of called for zest and used a pink grapefruit which gave the glaze a lovely pink hue.

  • et12 on November 24, 2021

    This was an excellent cake! The sponge is on the dense side of things but the flavour is unbelievable. You really get a lovely taste of grapefruit where the slight bitterness is balanced by the sweetness and fat of the cake. Really easy to eat multiple pieces in one sitting.

  • Running_with_Wools on July 30, 2021

    I made this to bring to a friends' house for a cook-out, and we all really liked it. I'm a grapefruit-lover, but I've never really used it in a cake before. It was just unusual enough to be delicious and noteworthy. Not too sweet, and I subbed in gluten-free flour and got a nice texture.

  • MEmilyGrey on May 24, 2021

    Good cake, not overwhelming. Not sure if the white chocolate was even necessary, but it was good. Grapefruit flavor was balanced; glaze was necessary to get the full effect.

• Powdered donut cake

  • kari500 on January 22, 2022

    Snowy day with no school, my daughter asked me to bake something. I’m trying to take a break from eating sweets, so I went with this because I don’t care for powdered donuts. Threw it together in about 10-15 minutes. Forgot the parchment paper but that wasn’t a problem, it released easily. I showed my daughter the suggested toppings, and she went for the maple coffee glaze, which is excellent. I had a small piece. This cake really does taste like powdered donuts (it’s the nutmeg, and for me it’s too much, but I figured that going in). I love this book.

  • hirsheys on August 29, 2021

    I made a half recipe of this today and it is lovely. I didn't cover the whole cake with powdered sugar, but rather, I'm just sifting a little over each piece. I'm not sure that it immediately makes me think of a donut (it's a little too fluffy and un-dense for that - donuts are usually a bit closer in texture, I think?) but it tastes right. I was worried about the amount of nutmeg (because I am sensitive to the flavor), but I think it could use even a little more. (It may get stronger tomorrow, though.) This cake was SO easy to make, easy to halve the recipe (baked it in a loaf pan), and so tasty. All of the recipes from this book I've made so far have been the same.

  • Zosia on February 12, 2021

    Excellent cake. Tasted just like a powdered donut but with much better texture. My batter wasn't completely smooth before baking, nor were the batters of the other 2 cakes I baked from this book, but, as with the other cakes, the lumps baked out and the resulting crumb was even.

  • lou_weez on March 07, 2021

    Yum!! Nice flavour, not as donut-y as I thought it would be, but enjoyed by all.

• Orange-poppy seed cake with raspberry glaze

  • caitmcg on July 08, 2021

    I didn’t have the same problems with this recipe. My batter wasn’t super thin, and although this cake wasn’t very tall, it was very moist and tasted great with a lot of orange flavor. I measured by weight.

  • inflytur on April 28, 2021

    Something is seriously wrong with this recipe, as written. The batter turned out as thin as pancake batter while the instructions say it should be thick enough to require leveling before baking. The cake looked beautiful immediately after coming out of the oven but collapsed into a sodden lump before it finished cooling. Thinking it must be my fault, I made it a second time with the same results. I am a careful baker who weighs and measure precisely. This is the second cake I’ve made in this book that failed the same way. I honestly don’t think the recipes were tested as written.

• Espresso chocolate chip cake

  • caitmcg on July 08, 2021

    I thought this had great coffee flavor. I used bittersweet chocolate chips, and put two thirds in the batter and one third on top, instead of half and half. I did try the added almond paste suggested as a variation, but it was lost against the stronger flavors.

  • abrownb1 on January 10, 2021

    This was great but I felt like the espresso flavor wasn't really there. I'll try it again with fresh espresso powder and see if that makes a difference. Otherwise, it was a nice moist choc chip cake. Made it in a loaf pan using mini chips with the original proportions of choc in batter/on top because I didn't read the notes well but it ended up being perfect. Only needed 45 mins in my oven so keep an eye on it.

  • Zosia on February 04, 2021

    Nice little cake with great texture and delicious coffee-chocolate flavour. I baked mine in a 9" square pan - larger than suggested - and it took 40 minutes.

  • Lepa on August 08, 2021

    This was good- but not as great as other recipes I have tried from this book. The espresso flavor didn't really come through for me. Thirty-five minutes was enough for my cak. It had a brown color (from the coffee) so it didn't look like the picture at all.

  • bwhip on November 16, 2020

    Wonderful recipe for a great snacking cake. I found the ratio of espresso flavor and chocolate chips to be just right. This one's a keeper.

  • anya_sf on March 11, 2021

    Surprisingly light and fluffy with just the right sweetness. The coffee was there but not too strong. I used a mixture of milk and bittersweet chocolate chips. Didn't have quite enough ricotta so supplemented with Greek yogurt.

  • pattyatbryce on January 17, 2022

    Quick and easy to make. We enjoyed it quite a bit, but like others, did not really taste the espresso.

  • MEmilyGrey on May 23, 2021

    I didn't care for this one as much as some of the others in this book. A little too sweet, maybe?

• Buckwheat banana cake

  • Emily Hope on March 09, 2021

    This was a delicious variant on banana bread/cake--as Zosia mentions, not a ton of buckwheat flour, and the flavor from it wasn't super apparent when we ate it warm from the oven, but on the following days it came through. I used freshly ground buckwheat from my flour mill. Next time may up the amount of buckwheat just a bit. Good on the second and third days toasted in the toaster oven, with a bit of salted Kerrygold.

  • abrownb1 on August 10, 2021

    More of a banana bread than cake. I added a little maple extract and am glad I did because it made it a little more interesting.

  • Zosia on February 10, 2021

    There wasn't a large amount of buckwheat flour in this tasty banana cake but there was enough to make it just a little different from others.

  • Victoria_from_London on August 27, 2021

    Really good, easy, nutty-tasty, modest number of ingredients. Uses about 1.5 quite large (UK) bananas. I mistakenly only used 1 egg and it worked fine (gluten free Dove's farm flour)

  • anya_sf on August 25, 2021

    I baked this in an 8.5"x4.5" loaf pan; it wasn't that tall so I'm glad I used the smaller pan. The buckwheat added noticeable color and texture, but the flavor was more subtle, as others have noted. The cake (or bread) was moist and not overly sweet. We liked it, though not as much as our favorite banana bread.

  • MEmilyGrey on May 22, 2021

    Mixed reaction on this one. I love it. It could be the only banana bread I ever eat, and I'd be happy. My husband & son are less enthusiastic. Tried the Tahini Glaze, and would prefer a classic peanut butter instead, but realistically this doesn't need any toppings at all. It's fine as written.

• Black- and blueberry ricotta cake

  • Emily Hope on March 10, 2021

    Another winner. Made as written, though I added lemon zest (per the variation) and used frozen berries (a combo of huckleberries, blueberries, and blackberries), which resulted in a slightly grey/blue tint to the batter, as well as a longer cooking time. However, the end result was moist and delicious. My only complaint is that it might be a tiny bit too oily--though this contributed to its staying moist on the following day. Next time I make it will try swapping out some of the white flour (I'm thinking of a combo of almond flour and spelt, or white whole wheat), and use olive oil as described in the variation. May also try to knock down the sugar a bit (though it was not too sweet at all).

  • Lepa on April 21, 2021

    I like ricotta cakes but this one exceeded my expectations. I added a teaspoon of lemon zest but did not make icing (for a breakfast cake, this was perfect). The flavor and texture were wonderful. This is one of my favorite cakes from a collection that is full of gems.

  • bwhip on November 23, 2020

    This cake was wonderful. Fluffy, tender, with great flavor. I used (only) blueberries, as that's what we had, and also added the zest of a large lemon. Quick and easy, and quite delicious.

  • Running_with_Wools on July 30, 2021

    I had all the ingredients in my fridge so I decided to bake this. It was really delicious, super moist, and rather substantial in texture due to the ricotta. Good with coffee.

  • MEmilyGrey on May 22, 2021

    I've baked this a few times now, with variations. When using frozen berries, I drop half the batter into the cake pan, sprinkle two/thirds of the berries on, then dollop the rest of the batter on top and smooth it over the berries. Last, I sprinkle the remaining frozen berries on top and gently press into the batter. This avoids the unfortunate discoloration of the cake crumb that occurs when you mix frozen berries into the batter. Very good. Very moist.

• Simple sesame cake

  • Astrid5555 on November 19, 2020

    Delicious and so quick to make. A sesame lover’s (me!) dream cake.

  • Victoria_from_London on April 17, 2021

    Unusual, nutty & delicious & quick. I'm using Shauna Ahern's all-purpose gluten-free flour recipe (millet, glutinous rice, potato starch) with a (standard?) loaf pan and it's taking 1h05 in a preheated oven.

  • Lepa on July 12, 2021

    Wow, we loved this simple cake. My husband said it was like halvah in cake form. I loved the slightly bitter aftertaste of the seeds. I made it in a 8x8 pan and didn't have the dry crumb another poster complained about. There are so many gems in this book but this cake is a standout.

  • et12 on July 11, 2021

    This was good and easy to make. The crust formed on top and bottom reminded me of sesame snaps. I made this in a loaf pan and thought the crumb a bit dry, can see why the book recommended serving with whipped cream.

• Chocolate passionfruit cake

  • Astrid5555 on September 28, 2021

    Incredibly delicious fluffy light cake, the chocolate cake complements the passionfruit perfectly. Big hit with the kids and their friends!

• Browned butter donut cake

  • abrownb1 on July 23, 2021

    Very easy cake to make and lovely with the maple coffee glaze. I also tried a bit with powdered sugar but preferred the glaze (prefer real donuts the same way). The glaze soaks in after the first day but is still good. Not the most exciting cake in the book but I'm sure would be a crowd pleaser, especially with kids.

• Swirled jam cake

  • abrownb1 on July 23, 2021

    I love making jam so this was a no brainer to test out. A half recipe baked perfectly in a 6 in round pan. Swirled in some homemade blueberry maple jam and made the blueberry variation. Great texture - moist but sturdy which is perfect for a snack cake. So much flavor for such a simple recipe. Next time I may add some sort of crumb topping to make a coffee cake.

  • hirsheys on January 31, 2021

    I used a chunky tart cherry jam for this - I was using one from my pantry and couldn't tell if it was chunky or smooth before opening... It's lovely - only lightly sweet (almost like a muffin) and the perfect teatime cake. (Though I should note that I didn't dust powdered sugar over the top, so my version was missing a bit of the sweetness that's called for in the recipe.) I found this super easy and worth making again, though if using a chunky jam again, I'd use more than 1/3 c (the chunks don't distribute well). I'm going to try to freeze pieces of this for later.

  • Zosia on May 16, 2021

    Nice moist vanilla cake. I used forest berry fruit spread and it didn't sink. This will get made again.

  • Victoria_from_London on August 27, 2021

    This was really great. Lovely way to use homemade jam. I used quality blackcurrant jam (not smooth as indicated). Probably because whole fruit the jam did rather sink but wasn't a problem and added texture.

  • Jviney on January 25, 2021

    This was a delicious cake, quick and easy to make, and perfect, PERFECT, for a cold winter day with a storm coming. I made strawberry jam last summer and used a heaping 1/3 cup, would probably add even more next time. My jam sunk down to the bottom of the cake, unlike the picture in the book, but we enjoyed every bite. The vanilla bean paste gave a lovely complementary note. Will be repeated for sure.

  • Vinsmom on March 19, 2021

    I saw an article that mentioned this cake and I made it before I'd even bought the book! I used raspberry jam and we loved it. It was easy and really tasty. I agree with Jviney, my jam sank to the bottom of the cake as well.

• Buttery brown sugar pear and cranberry cake

  • wcassity on May 24, 2021

    Delicious. Easy, perfect level of moisture and sweetness. Used hazelnuts and almonds. Completely eaten very quickly.

  • Zosia on February 22, 2021

    Excellent cake. I love the combination of pears and cranberries in pies and tarts and it worked just as well in this delicious cake. This is the first cake I've made from this book that required a longer bake time (extra 7 minutes); perhaps my pear was on the juicy side.

  • Lepa on November 16, 2020

    This cake was exceptionally good. The cranberries were so delicious here! I've made several cakes from this book and this cake was by far our favorite.

  • anya_sf on January 16, 2022

    Moist, fluffy, delicious cake. I used sliced almonds instead of hazelnuts.

  • breakthroughc on January 10, 2021

    This one is a keeper. Super moist and the browned butter really makes it sing. It didn't last long, will definitely make again.

• Oatmeal chocolate chip cake

  • aberne on December 07, 2020

    Spongey and chewy, but in a pleasant snacky way. The oatmeal makes it quite toothsome. May try it next time with less or a bit of oat flour.

  • inflytur on April 28, 2021

    This is the second disappointing recipe I’ve made from this book. I’m beginning to wonder if the recipes were tested. In each case, the batter ended up being much thinner than what is described in the instructions. I weighed and measured the ingredients exactly. Another revewer mentioned multiple oat based ingredients but the recipe is indexed correctly in EYB.

  • leilx on August 18, 2021

    If you make this with the half cup milk, it turns out really delicious. I am not sure you can cut the liquid down more as I wonder if the oats would hydrate.

• Rhubarb crumb cake with sumac crumb

  • michalow on April 19, 2021

    This is a nice, not-too-sweet cake with good texture and a subtle, unexpected flavor from the sumac. I used Burlap & Barrel sumac, which is extra fresh and potent, so I used only half of what was called for. The full two teaspoons definitely would have been too much for my taste. Although I am a rhubarb lover, I think this cake is better with blackberries (or a mix of the two).

  • inflytur on May 15, 2021

    A winner. Sumac complements the rhubarb perfectly. If the crumble is your favorite part of crumb cake, double that part.

  • Skamper on July 05, 2021

    We both liked this. Made a half recipe in a 6" round and it worked well. The rhubarb is quite subtle. Loved the brown sugar cake.

• Vanilla buttermilk cake with fluffy vanilla frosting

  • michalow on April 09, 2021

    This is a simple, comforting cake. It is easy to throw together and comes out light and tender. The cake on its own is gently sweet. I did not care for the buttercream frosting -- it's very sweet, as buttercream always is, and the lemon juice confused my taste buds.

  • hirsheys on February 20, 2021

    This came out nice and tender - an excellent version of a homemade yellow cake, though a bit on the sweet side for my taste. The cake didn’t get a ton of rise, but still is nicely fluffy, especially given that it is so easy to make (no mixer!) The frosting (I made the vanilla version) is perfectly fine, though it reminded me yet again that I don’t love buttercream. I’m happy to now have this one in my repertoire (and to own this book!) Edited to add: Better the second day. Sweetness decreased and butter flavor diminished.

  • bwhip on February 06, 2021

    Loved this cake. Made it with the fluffy chocolate frosting from this cookbook. Great combination. Easy prep, and the flavor and texture were just right. This will likely be our go-to recipe for this type of cake.

  • leilx on January 22, 2021

    Made this cake and used the fluffy chocolate frosting from same book. Super easy and went together in minutes. However I thought it was kinda dull. Maybe because I don’t like boxed mix cakes and this one was supposed to be like it? I’m sure it could be jazzed up a bit.

• Berry cream cheese cake

  • jenmacgregor18 on October 23, 2021

    This is like a large berry muffin. i cut my cream cheese in much smaller bits, but it was still too much. With the other moisture from the berries, it made the texture almost mushy...or like it was undercooked batter. I would eliminate it altogether. I love cream cheese, but didn't think it added to much in flavor anyhow.

  • leilx on August 18, 2021

    Delicious! The cream cheese added an interesting note. Very simple to make.

  • halfasleep on April 11, 2021

    This cake is basically a big berry muffin (not a bad thing at all), and super easy to make. The flavour is good, though if you are looking for a sweeter cake I wouldn't recommend it. Also, the cream cheese I actually wasn't sure about, the 'hits' of salt were a bit much, but I think my chunks were a little too big. I am a big fan of sweet and savoury so it would probably be just right if I make them a little smaller.

• Minty chocolate malt cake

  • hirsheys on September 13, 2021

    This came out fluffy and the chocolate cake was nice, but I did not like the mint extract I used (tasted too toothpaste-y) and I didn't end up finishing the cake.

  • rstone128 on March 13, 2021

    If you like Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies this is the cake for you. Took SweetLittleBytes' advice and only added water until it was spreadable and thought it worked great that way. Loved this cake.

  • Kinhawaii on January 09, 2022

    I agree with everyone. Next time I will try it with peppermint. Good cake! Easy & quick.

  • Jviney on January 30, 2021

    Loved loved this cake. Moist, deep chocolate flavor, cooling mint frosting. Based on the other review here, I added just 2 Tbsp of boiling water to the frosting and it was fudgy and perfect right away. Two out of two wins from this cookbook.

  • SweetLittleBytes on January 21, 2021

    This cake is even better the next day. I used peppermint flavor, and next time would add a little more to the cake batter. Be prepared for the glaze to dribble down - I'd put the cake in a pan, rimmed baking sheet, anything with sides that will fit the cake. Also watch the amount of water that you add to the glaze; too thin and it runs off the cake without really frosting it.

• Spiced chocolate pumpkin cake

  • rosyannposy on November 28, 2020

    This was delicious. Ran out of chocolate chips so used chopped Mexican chocolate from Rancho Gordo that I had in cupboard. So good! Even pumpkin hating husband liked it.

  • Devons on January 04, 2021

    Delicious. Baked in 9 inch round cake pan. Did not require full baking time — 35 minutes was sufficient in my oven. Top did crack, making me wonder if the baking temperature is too high for a larger round cake pan. Matter, taste not impacted and it is really delicious. Added a little extra cayenne for omph:-)

  • bwhip on November 16, 2020

    My wife and I really loved this one, especially for the fall. Just the right amount of pumpkin flavor in the cake. Only thing I'll change next time I make it is to double the amount of glaze.

  • robinswood on February 13, 2021

    thought it was overbaked because it cracked across the top in spite of removing from oven early, but was plenty moist inside. I would increase the pepper next time. did not glaze it so no comment on that.

• Cocoa glaze

  • stockholm28 on January 01, 2022

    I made this glaze to top the red velvet cake. It was simple to make and tasted great.

• Red velvet cake with cream cheese glaze

  • stockholm28 on January 01, 2022

    This was a very nice cake. I used the cocoa glaze with this as I was making it for kids who are picky eaters and I wasn’t sure that they would eat cream cheese frosting. I wrapped leftover slizes and froze. It was delicious out of the freezer … only needed to sit about 15 minutes to thaw.

  • robinswood on March 12, 2021

    good moist cake. My daughter has had trouble getting the cream cheese to be smoothly mixed in glaze - not sure why as she made it in the wee hours...

• Coconut lime cake

  • stockholm28 on January 25, 2022

    I really enjoyed this cake. I added a 1/4 tsp of lime oil to the batter to bump up the lime flavor slightly. I wish that she gave the measurement for the coconut oil by weight as I melted some coconut oil in the microwave and had to keep adding a little more to get to the half cup mark. I was a bit impatient toasting the coconut for the top and thus only some of my coconut chips were browned. While this won’t replace my favorite coconut cake (Ina Garten’s coconut cupcakes), this was very nice for a simple cake.

  • rstone128 on January 18, 2021

    Made this for my wife"s birthday. She loved it.

  • pistachiopeas on January 16, 2022

    Everyone loved this! Very moist on first day. Tasted even better the next day. Next time I'll make it a day ahead.

  • Victoria_from_London on August 27, 2021

    Quite expensive and very rich. Possibly underbaked but was a very damp cake. I couldn't much taste the lime, but T could. Maybe try again.

  • Lepa on January 15, 2021

    This is a rich and lovely cake with moist layers of coconut flavor. Like other cakes in this book, it's not too sweet.

  • et12 on October 07, 2021

    Really liked the cake, it had a moist crumb and a good coconut flavour. I only had 50ml of coconut oil left in the house, so replaced the rest with sunflower oil and it worked fine. I agree with other comments that there was very little lime flavour in this.

  • Running_with_Wools on July 30, 2021

    I've made a dozen of the cakes from the cookbook and this is my favorite, so far. I was sceptical that the coconut milk, oil and unsweetened flakes would deliver enough flavor, but in my opinion, the natural flavor of coconut really came through. You only use lime zest in the cake and glaze, but it is just enough to complement the coconut and not overwhelm it.

  • aisy on May 20, 2021

    This recipe did not work for me for some reason. My icing was very runny--nothing like the photo, and my cake was thick and stodgy, not light and fluffy like the photo. It still tasted good and I'd be willing to try it again for a dairy-free cake.

• Chai masala spice cake

  • stockholm28 on August 21, 2021

    I had leftover buttermilk, so primarily chose this cake to use it up. This cake is a variation of the ”All the Spices Cake”, but it has the flavors of chai (ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper). I did not make the vanilla bean glaze, opting to serve it with a dollop of squirt whipped cream and peaches on the side. It really did remind me of chai. It was a nice cake, but not one that I loved enough to copy down the recipe.

• Carrot, raisin, and walnut cake

  • julesamomof2 on March 29, 2021

    I made the 9 inch round version of this cake and topped it with a cream cheese frosting because that is the way we like our carrot cake. Unfortunately, it turned out a tad dry. I liked the idea of using some whole wheat flour but I wonder if that is why. I will try other cakes in the book because I love how easy they seem and the variations make the recipes so flexible.

  • ChelseaP on May 21, 2021

    Simple and easy to make. We really liked it. Served it as is with a dusting of icing sugar.

• Browned butter, pecan, and white chocolate cake

  • Zosia on February 28, 2021

    Great caramel-pecan flavour with some extra sweetness from the white chocolate. It was a little sweeter than other cakes from this book, but not overly so.

• Raspberry cornmeal cake

  • Zosia on May 12, 2021

    This is a variation of the corn and honey cake that I'm glad I chose as the raspberries added much needed flavour to the corn cake base. Very rich with a coarse crumb.

• Blackberry honey cake

  • Zosia on July 12, 2021

    The cake was fluffy and tender and only lightly spiced; the blackberries were a good foil for its sweetness. My cake needed an extra 10 minutes to bake, not surprising with all of that fruit (and the author does warn that this version of the spiced honey cake may take longer).

• Salty caramel peanut butter cake

  • Zosia on March 28, 2021

    The cake was good, if a little light on peanut butter flavour, but I wasn't fond of the frosting which didn't taste much like caramel and had that gritty texture I don't much care for. However, the salty-sweet icing was a very good complement to the cake and family really enjoyed it.

  • Jviney on November 21, 2021

    As with all the cakes I've baked from this book, the cake was quick to assemble and I loved that. I overbaked it at 35 minutes. The frosting did not, to me, look like the fluffy frosting in the picture and it was gritty as Zosia says... I would try it again, watching the bake time more closely, and maybe with a different frosting.

  • jimandtammyfaye on July 06, 2021

    Delightful and quick cake. I pulled it out of the oven at 30 minutes, which was plenty of time for it to bake fully. The penuche frosting was especially good when chilled in the fridge. Don't skimp when sprinkling flaky salt on top. Next time, I will add some bittersweet chocolate chips to the batter.

• Cookie butter cake

  • Zosia on January 25, 2022

    Delicious...soft crumb and subtle spice flavour. The bittersweet maple espresso glaze complemented it well.

• Zesty ricotta cake

  • Zosia on March 23, 2021

    This is a variation of the black- and blueberry ricotta cake that includes lemon zest and is finished with a lemon glaze. The cake was light and tender and delicious. It didn't need the lemon glaze but it was an easy way to use up the bald lemon and dress up the cake at the same time.

• Whole wheat chocolate and zucchini cake

  • Zosia on April 16, 2021

    Another good cake from this book. Though the texture wasn't oily, the recipe calls for a lot of oil for the size of cake so I don't think this will get repeated. I used half whole wheat flour but I think you could replace all of the flour with whole wheat and it will still work.

• Buttered walnut cake with maple coffee glaze

  • Victoria_from_London on August 27, 2021

    It worked, even gluten free. Need more practice browning butter. Not sure it felt worth it but was very good.

• Whole-grain strawberry cake

  • Lepa on July 15, 2021

    This cake was good but not great- definitely not as good as the other cakes I've made from this excellent book. I make the Smitten Kitchen strawberry cake regularly and am afraid that spoiled me for all other strawberry cakes. . .

  • anya_sf on April 10, 2021

    I used 2% Greek yogurt and spelt flour for the whole grain. I squeezed a couple extra strawberries on top and would even add a few more next time since the bites with berries were the best. We ate this the day after baking and it was moist and delicious, nice as dessert, snack, or breakfast.

  • savitha.moorthy on April 18, 2021

    I made this cake exactly as written, but the batter was not thick (as predicted in the recipe) and the berries sank to the bottom. It was a good flavor - we liked it for breakfast - and I'm game to try again but I do wonder what happened. Were my eggs too large? Was my yoghurt too runny?

• Spiced pineapple upside-down cake

  • Lepa on November 16, 2020

    This was interesting but not my favorite pineapple upside-down cake. Also, the pineapple moved around and didn't create a solid layer on top of the cake.

• All the spices cake with vanilla bean glaze

  • Lepa on October 06, 2021

    I made this with the suggested glaze. It was good last night, after I baked it, but even better this morning. It was just right at thirty minutes.

  • Skamper on October 16, 2021

    Just what I was craving as fall sticks a toe in here in so cal. Baked for about 35 minutes. I used a thin layer of cream cheese frosting instead of the glaze.

• Mocha walnut-cardamom cake

  • Lepa on May 18, 2021

    This is really tasty. I forgot to fold the chocolate chips into the batter so I threw some on top of the half baked cake and it ended up fine. It's really good with the cocoa icing but with the chocolate chips next time I will probably skip it.

• Spiced honey cake

  • Lepa on November 16, 2020

    I couldn't wait to bake something from this book and choose this because it was one of the only cakes that only use two eggs. I don't usually love honey cake but really enjoyed this one. It was easy, delicious and not too sweet so we had it for breakfast.

  • meginyeg on March 30, 2021

    Loved this. I used a stronger flavoured honey had it came out with almost caramel undertones. Cake itself was light and fluffy. Will definitely make again.

• Cranberry cream cheese cake

  • Lepa on November 16, 2020

    We loved this cake. It wasn't too sweet and had nice pockets of cream cheese in it. We liked it best the first day but it was fine the next morning, too.

• Morning glory cake

  • meginyeg on March 25, 2021

    First recipe I made from the book. Its absolutely delicious and comes together so quickly.

  • ginger2212 on October 23, 2021

    This was delicious!! I called it "Beach Cake" for the kids because a) we were at the beach and b) the coconut and flax seeds make it look like a sandy beach. So fun! This was the first cake I made from the book and it hit the spot.

• Peanut butter chocolate cake

  • meginyeg on June 13, 2021

    Another tasty cake. Didn't make the glaze but thought it was rich, moist and flavorful without it.

  • Jviney on March 15, 2021

    The author says in the recipe notes that if you really want to gild the lily, you can add 1/2 cup of peanut butter chips to the batter right before it goes in to the oven. I was really glad I did this, as it's a really thick chocolate cake, with not a lot of icing for all that cake. It's a good recipe, to be sure, but I would highly recommend adding the PB chips for some extra interest.

  • robinswood on March 12, 2021

    this is a tasty cake and I am not a huge peanut butter fan. But my teen daughter has made it three times over the past 6 weeks or so - she loves it.

• Sticky whiskey date cake

  • Kristjudy on February 17, 2021

    A very nice cake. The spices compliment the sweetness of the dates and the whiskey in cake and sauce is delightful.

• Almondy plum cake

  • inflytur on August 29, 2021

    The browned butter adds a richness to the cake. Best to eat this the day it’s made. The plums make it soggy over time.

  • Twysbeek on July 15, 2021

    This was delicious! So easy to make. I was hesitant about a whole tsp of almond extract but it was delicious. I used Cherriums (cherry/plum hybrid) that I had around the house.

• Chocolate-almond olive oil cake with raspberries

  • bwhip on November 12, 2021

    Delicious, interesting cake. Nicely dark and not-too-sweet, with a nice texture and flavor combination. Like all of the cakes in this great cookbook, very easy to throw together quickly, with very pleasing results.

• Peanut butter banana cake

  • anya_sf on March 11, 2021

    I used Skippy natural peanut butter (not truly natural) and white whole wheat flour. Baked in a 9"x5" loaf pan, it took the full amount of time to bake and even then I wasn't certain it was done in the center (it was). The loaf was squat, dense, and almost too moist - just this side of gummy. It was surprisingly sweet as well. Maybe due to the peanut butter I used? Still, it tasted pretty good, and I might try this again with some changes: more flour (would stick with white whole wheat), yogurt instead of milk, a little ground flaxseed, 8.5"x4.5" loaf pan, lower temp/longer time, and also true natural pb if I had it.

  • Dannausc on August 18, 2021

    It was easy to make and turned out fine. However, it was just okay/not great. I don’t think I’d make it again.

• Citrusy almond cornmeal cake (gluten-free)

  • fultre on January 01, 2021

    Deliciously addictive cake! The almond flour and cornmeal provide a lovely texture to contrast with the crunchy almond topping, and the lemon/orange glaze puts it over the top in the best way. Highly recommend!

  • et12 on September 13, 2021

    Couldn’t believe this was gluten free! The cake had a nice texture and was moist and flavourful. The surface of mine wasn’t as photogenic as the one in the book, but I really enjoyed the crunch of the sugar and almond layer on top.

• Nectarine and cornmeal upside-down cake

  • leilx on August 18, 2021

    Loved this!

  • Ceribells on October 05, 2021

    Yep, it's cornbread with nectarines on top. It's perfectly tasty, if that's what you're looking for. But for somebody who lives in a part of the U.S. where cornbread is common, it's not as special as some of the other recipes in the book. N.B., my caramel topping didn't set up quite as well as I might have hoped (a lot of unincorporated butter). I added it to the bottom of the pan anyway and the cake came out fine. Most cakes in the book get soft after a few days in the fridge, this one is getting a teeny bit dry but is still going strong.

• Lemony olive oil cake

  • leilx on August 18, 2021

    I thought this cake came out heavy--to do with the oil, I imagine. Still good. Would try again.

  • KatelynScarlett on March 21, 2021

    Do not skip the glaze -- it's what really makes this cake a lemony delight.

• Fluffy chocolate frosting

  • leilx on January 22, 2021

    Super quick and easy. Makes a generous amount for an 8” cake. I thought it was kinda sweet—more milk chocolate maybe—and next time would try doubling the cocoa and reducing the sugar.

• Lemony currant and rosemary cake

  • hibeez on January 26, 2022

    This was delicious! I think soaking the currants in juice or rum would plump them up a bit and add another dimension. As a side note, I bake these cakes in 2 6" round pans, and freeze one for later. Perfect for 2 people, and the cake doesn't get old sitting around.

• Corn cake with honey

  • et12 on April 24, 2021

    My stand mixer didn’t do a good job at incorporating the honey, half of which remained at the bottom of the bowl, but maybe that was a good thing because the cake turned out excellent and not too sweet.

  • MEmilyGrey on May 23, 2021

    I liked it. Probably better with berries. Moist & breakfasty.

• Cherry coconut almond cake

  • Skamper on April 17, 2021

    Made a half recipe in a 6" round and it baked very unevenly. Tasted good though, so I'd try again, maybe using a bit more cherries than called for.

• Blueberry cornmeal cake

  • purrviciouz on August 12, 2021

    The texture is definitely more cake and less like cornbread. I used the lemon icing and blueberries, next time I"ll skip the icing. Delicious.

• Chocolate and zucchini cake

  • AndieEats on July 17, 2021

    About 1.5 small/medium zucchinis are enough. Be sure you enjoy cardamom if you follow recipe measurements - it was quite forward and not enjoyed by all.

• Pumpkin olive oil cake with maple olive oil glaze

  • Jviney on September 19, 2021

    We live in the self-proclaimed pumpkin capital of the world, and after winning several cans of pumpkin at this year’s Pumpkin Festival, this recipe seemed just right. I could also taste the olive oil but I think that came from the glaze. Moist, warm, toasty, a really delicious cake and simple to whip up while watching a football game. I mean, how much more autumn can it get?

  • robinswood on March 12, 2021

    Loved this. Very moist and the glaze really works well with it. I used Kirkland Organic EVOO. You could taste the oil but I liked it.

• Chocolate peanut butter cake

  • MEmilyGrey on May 23, 2021

    Very disappointed the first time - tasted a little woody - but I think it can be salvaged. Second time, I added some melted baking chocolate. Improved the flavor, but came out dry. Next time I'll add more dairy to compensate.