Notes about Recipes in this book

• 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.

• 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.

  • Zosia on November 29, 2021

    Another great cake. It wasn't too sweet with more of a bitter-sweet chocolate flavour than milk chocolate.

  • Jviney on July 08, 2022

    I made this as a loaf cake. It was moist and rich and delicious and also the hazelnuts all sunk to the bottom. Next time I’ll serve it with ice cream but really it has a lovely delicate flavor on its own too. As with so many of the recipes in this book, it was a one bowl cake that could be made in just a few minutes.

• 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.

  • eliza on September 06, 2022

    Very good simple cake. I used crab apples (from my friend’s tree, actually a cross between a crab and a regular apple), skin on, and it took about 10-12 of them to make the 2 cups. The spicing is excellent. I will try the maple coffee glaze as suggested to top the cake(update: did this glaze very sweet, complemented the cake) About 340 fan for 35 min worked well in my oven.

  • 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.

  • ChelseaP on July 08, 2022

    Gone in a day it was that good!

  • ldyndiuk on October 30, 2022

    This wasn’t really “mostly apples” as described - there’s a good bit of cake between the apples. The flavors weren’t as strong as I had hoped, but we’re having no problem eating the whole thing in 24 hours.

• Almond butter banana cake

  • Cheri on June 12, 2022

    Agree with Zosia, a bit gummy. Better a couple of days later. Overall almond butter nice foil for sweetness. Would repeat. Hubby loved it.

  • 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.

• 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.

  • LouiseQuasiChef on December 24, 2022

    I love this cake. I have made it several times for various parties/picnics and people swoon over it as if I worked hard (hardly!). I like it with the vanilla bean glaze variation, scattering some chocolate chips on top to show as a preview of chocolate underneath. A keeper. It may overtake my long-time easy fave chocolate cake of Gourmet/Epicurious Everyday Cocoa Cake which also wows people and offers solid chocolate satisfaction disproportionately to amount of baking effort. <3

  • et12 on March 26, 2022

    I really liked this cake. Very moist and chocolaty, easy to put together.

  • rochkay on June 24, 2022

    One of my favorite cakes to bake. So easy to put together with a few pantry ingredients you probably already have on hand. I've eaten the cake both with and without the glaze, and it's delicious either way! (I've used black cocoa and milk chocolate chips).

  • 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.

  • ldyndiuk on January 22, 2023

    Love this cake! I considered making the glaze, but then I started eating the cake before I got that far. It’s so dark and rich and was very easy to make with ingredients I had on hand. I’ll definitely make this one again.

• Black- and blueberry ricotta cake

  • mindyb on June 14, 2022

    So good. I also added some lemon zest. Used mix of fresh blueberries and blackberries. Forgot to save some for top. No icing.

  • kari500 on May 24, 2022

    Wow, this is a good cake. I'm not normally in love with blueberry cakes, but this is so light and fluffy and delicious that I adore it. I used frozen blueberries (and thanks to Emily Hope for her advice on how to put them in without discoloring) and added the zest of one lemon. Also used a bit more sugar on top. The whole family is crazy about this one, and I'll definitely make it again.

  • 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).

  • wcassity on September 04, 2022

    Delicious - perfect balance of sweet, moist, fruity. Made as per the recipe.

  • 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.

  • averythingcooks on November 05, 2022

    I cut this half to make a 6" inch cake and other than continuing to fine tune baking times when I do this (this one took at least 35 minutes - frozen berries??), this was very easy to put together. Based on Dolcetto23's comment, I used my hand mixer when mixing in the ricotta. I also used all blueberries this time and I had intended to add lemon zest but then somehow forgot. This is a tender, moist cake that is lovely with a cup of coffee or tea and I will make it again.

  • Dolcetto23 on September 13, 2022

    Easy recipe - although I think I should have used an electric mixer as it was hard on the wrists to whip with all the ricotta in the mix, and I gave up trying to create a smooth emulsion as instructed! I also swapped out all of the sugar for stevia, as my husband is diabetic (using a bit less than half the amount, as per usual), and I used brown self raising flour, as that's all I had. And the end result was delicious! I will definitely make this again.

  • 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.

  • vickid59 on January 02, 2023

    Made this for Christmas brunch - easy & delicious! Used chopped cranberries and added orange zest.

  • Kag2020 on December 28, 2022

    Absolutely delicious. Used some frozen blueberries and TJ cherry berry mix in an 8 inch round pan for 52 minutes. Overdid the sugar on top a bit and wouldn’t change a thing next time.

  • 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.

  • LindaMM1 on January 09, 2023

    Made this with a mix of fresh cranberries, blueberries and blackberries . Used part white and part whole wheat flour (1/3) and cut down the sugar. Excellent ! Will definitely make again. Also used light olive oil.

  • 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.

  • kellilee on July 25, 2022

    This was my first recipe to bake from Snacking Cakes and it was delicious. Eating a slice right now with my morning coffee. Followed the recipe exactly with fresh blueberries and blackberries. Love the size, the low sugar, the moistness from the oil and ricotta cheese. I have leftover ricotta cheese and will make another of Yossy's cakes next weekend.

• Buckwheat banana cake

  • IvyManning on February 28, 2022

    Didn't like this. Made it with the buckwheat variation and it was dry (I weighed the ingredients for precision) with a dense crumb and not a lot of flavor. It doesn't have cinnamon or any other interesting flavors so it was very blah and not sweet, either. Won't make it again.

  • 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.

• Buttery brown sugar pear and cranberry cake

  • kari500 on March 26, 2022

    This was lovely and tender. That said, I like things sweeter. But that’s a me issue, not the recipe.

  • 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.

• 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.

  • ChelseaP on July 08, 2022

    Love love love. Grapefruit and white chocolate together were amazing and it wasn't too sweet.

  • 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.

  • ldyndiuk on January 08, 2023

    Delicious! I love grapefruit so I’ve been looking forward to citrus season for this one. I think the white chocolate adds a real richness, and the cake is very moist. I’ll definitely make it again.

• Espresso chocolate chip cake

  • kari500 on February 24, 2022

    I can’t get over how light and tender this cake is. I love it. I screwed up and put all the (dark) chocolate chips in the batter, but it doesn’t seem to have caused a problem. I can taste the coffee. Big fan of this cake, and the book.

  • 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.

  • et12 on May 08, 2022

    We loved this cake! It was moist, light and had a great chocolate flavour that was enhanced by the espresso but not overpowered by it. Really liked the sugar coating on the surface as well.

  • Skamper on May 01, 2022

    Really delicious and surprisingly light cake. I used half milk chocolate and half 100% cacao chips. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, this cake got even better after a couple of days. (King Arthur flour just posted a story about "aging" cakes for a few days before slicing to deepen the flavor and said cakes made with oil are the best candidates for this.)

  • 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?

• 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.

  • et12 on August 11, 2022

    Loved it! Really did taste like powdered donuts. Nice, moist texture. I just used powdered sugar as the topping. So easy to throw together.

• 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.

  • darcie_b on January 31, 2022

    The icing makes this cake. I had no issues with the batter being too thin; as another person said it's not a tall cake, but it is moist and delicious. I also 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.

  • anya_sf on March 21, 2022

    Using Greek yogurt, the batter was plenty thick. The cake's texture was very nice, but the cake was not sweet enough, even with the glaze. I'd increase the sugar by 50%, which should help bring out the orange flavor. The glaze would be improved with a bit of citrus juice, which is just suggested as optional in case the glaze is too thick.

• Malted vanilla cake

  • Emily Hope on November 28, 2022

    This cake has a high effort-to-reward ratio -- my 9 year old made it with minimal supervision and it turned out tender (the oil helps with that) and delicious. We also subbed in malt powder for 1/4 of the sugar in the frosting, and I'd do that again. Love that all of the cakes in this book use melted butter as it makes it that much easier to do on the spur of the moment.

• Citrusy almond cornmeal cake (gluten-free)

  • TrishaCP on October 03, 2022

    This cake is delicious. I only had a 9X9 pan, so it was done baking at around 30 minutes, and needed a touch more syrup than what I had on hand, but otherwise adapted well to the size change. I'm happy to have this recipe in my back pocket for the upcoming holidays.

  • purpleshiny on September 17, 2022

    This cake is fantastic - makes me wish there were more gluten-free recipes in the book as this is the best gluten-free cake I've ever made. I needed to make this dairy-free as well, so subbed a combo of plant butter (Melt brand) and olive oil for the butter. The olive oil adds a really nice additional flavor note, so will make with all olive oil next time (even though I'm usually Team Dairy). The sugar syrup is what puts this over the top and should not be skipped.

  • fultre on April 23, 2022

    Also good as an all lemon cake. Subbed two lemons for zesting in the cake batter; in syrup, 1 lemon for zesting and all 4 Tbsp lemon juice. Nice lemon-forward flavor.

  • 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.

• 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!

• 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.

  • meginyeg on July 11, 2022

    My daughter made rhubarb jam and it went perfectly in this cake. We alm loved this and will definitely make it again.

  • averythingcooks on November 20, 2022

    I cut it in 1/2 for a 6" cake & used a seedless strawberry jam. It looked perfect going into the oven but when I checked mid-bake, the jam seemed to have all migrated to the middle and the middle then took forever to bake relative the outside. When I cut into it, the jam had mostly disappeared...you could taste strawberry but no swirls were to be seen. Did I take the instruction "...don't be afraid to get in there and really swirl it around" too seriously? We still liked it - moist & flavourful and the part that went to my father-in-law got raves. I will try this one again.

  • anya_sf on February 09, 2022

    I used half whole wheat flour to make it slightly more healthy (thinking of it as a breakfast cake) and fairly smooth, homemade blueberry-rhubarb jam, which did not sink at all. The cake was moist and delicious. Next time I might try using yogurt instead of sour cream and would be more generous with the jam.

  • et12 on April 10, 2022

    This was a very delicious cake. Like some others, my jam sunk to the bottom which was too bad as it meant the cake didn’t look as nice as some of those uploaded. I used a mostly smooth strawberry jam with small bits in it. I will try more of a jelly next time. Still an excellent cake and so quick to put together!

  • ChelseaP on July 07, 2022

    Beautifully moist and not too sweet cake. I did the plum and cardamom variation.

  • rochkay on June 24, 2022

    Such a delicious vanilla cake. My jam didn't sink into the bottom and looked similar as the picture in the book. It's a great way to use up jam, and it's not too sweet.

  • AndieEats on July 16, 2022

    Made this with raspberry, and skipped (forgot) the sugar on top which was fine! Served with the recommended vanilla bean whip. Easy and quick to throw together before some lunch guests. Would use a even little more jam next time, and keep a closer eye on the cook time in my oven. At the low end of 35 minutes, it was already done and browned, possibly a touch over baked.

  • 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.

  • Kag2020 on October 02, 2022

    Yummy. Made with a rich apple butter and this was absolute perfection. Used 3/4 of the sour cream and subbed whole milk for the balance. The cake has a lovely crumb, was quick to put together and would be perfect for tea or as part of a brunch menu.

  • halfasleep on April 12, 2022

    Very nice cake for the amount of effort I put in (not much at all). Though like the other cake in this book I could have had it a tad sweeter. I would definitely remake this with a little more sugar and also be a little more generous with the jam- it makes the cake prettier too!

• 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.

• Maple coffee glaze

  • eliza on September 08, 2022

    Made this to put on the mostly apples cake. Very sweet, which complemented the cake well.

• Rhubarb crumb cake with sumac crumb

  • eliza on June 07, 2022

    My first bake from the book and it was ok. I like the smitten kitchen rhubarb loaf, the Diana Henry cake, and others a bit better so I will continue to make those. The crumble was surprisingly dry, sadly, may be user error since I made it in the food processor. My friends seemed to like it though. Edit: this froze well and reheated beautifully; liked it more the second time around.

  • 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).

  • pistachiopeas on June 03, 2022

    I was weirdly out of sumac so subbed in lemon zest. Best rhubarb cake I've made.

  • 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.

• 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.

• 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.

  • AndieEats on July 31, 2022

    Made with blueberries (frozen) and blackberries (fresh). Topped with a little lemon zest, and served with the fresh (strawberry) whip. It was well received at the housewarming.

  • 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.

• Coconut lemon cake

  • darcie_b on April 04, 2022

    This cake is more coconutty than lemony, with a dense crumb reminiscent of a pound cake.

• 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.

  • anya_sf on February 25, 2022

    The texture and chocolate flavor of the cake and icing were excellent, especially for such an easy cake to make. The mint was a little strong, but I imagine that's due to the brand of extract I used, which smelled a lot like toothpaste. Next time I will try it with a different flavor, maybe mocha.

  • 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.

  • ellwell on October 11, 2022

    This was a good cake with a really nice texture. Mine cracked on top also, but it was still great. Fully cooked by 45 minutes. I didn't detect much flavor from the pumpkin, it tasted mostly of chocolate. The glaze was a nice complement. I would make it again.

• Gingery sweet potato cake

  • purpleshiny on October 24, 2022

    Skipped the pear (didn't have anything on hand that would do) - upped the sugar to 1/2 cup (from 1/3) and added a bit more grated sweet potato to compensate. Still was nice and moist. The large amounts of crystallized ginger is what really takes this cake over the top - I disagree that it's "optional".

• 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.

• 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.

  • coryelizabeth on June 01, 2022

    This was wonderful. I loved the delicate, tender crumb as well as the subtle flavors. It tasted like what I WANT every coconut donut to be (and rarely is). A real keeper.

  • anya_sf on May 28, 2022

    The coconut and lime flavors were both noticeable and went well together (although my son did not agree). I used leftover coconut cream instead of coconut milk and the cake was quite rich. Butter (melted) worked fine instead of coconut oil.

  • 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.

  • Jviney on May 06, 2022

    I made this as a last-minute dessert for Cinco de Mayo, loved the head note about making the cake when you wish you were somewhere tropical. I like the idea of adding lime oil and may try that next time but the coconut with a hint of lime was really lovely. Nice, fluffy cake.

  • 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Strawberry-glazed passionfruit cake

  • Zosia on November 29, 2021

    Fabulous cake. I used passion fruit puree in place of milk in the glaze to amp up the fruit flavour.

• 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.

  • Skamper on March 19, 2022

    This was delicious. My only change was using a half teaspoon of King Arthur's speculaas spice instead of cinnamon. I topped it with a simple vanilla milk icing. Next time I will try the maple.

• 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).

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Orange blossom-apricot almond cake

  • Zosia on July 16, 2022

    Made with nectarines and served with roasted nectarines (Kitchen Diaries). Firm but moist texture. Flavour was nice but almond overwhelmed the orange blossom even though I used 1/2 the amount called for.

• 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. . .

  • MakeMyHay on April 23, 2022

    Nice, homey, every day cake (not special occasion). I used 2% Greek yogurt. My batter was fairly thick and the sliced berries did not sink. I used about 50% more berries than the recipe calls for, virtually covering the top. I was worried that might make the cake too wet but it wasn’t a problem. It was moist but not soggy.

  • 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.

• Lemony olive oil cake

  • Lepa on February 06, 2022

    It's Meyer lemon season in California and this is a great way to use them up. Because this is made with olive oil it is a great last-minute cake. ( I don't have to leave butter out). The flavor was lovely, especially with the sharp icing.

  • leilx on August 18, 2021

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

  • ChelseaP on July 08, 2022

    Gorgeous olive oil cake.

  • breakthroughc on March 13, 2022

    We really liked this cake. I used really good olive oil and the taste came through. I also used whole milk yougurt instead of the buttermilk. It was moist, but not heavy. Things tend to take longer to bake than the recipe in my oven and this cake was done at the minimum time.

  • KatelynScarlett on March 21, 2021

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

  • alecreid on January 22, 2023

    I’ve made this a number of times, with various citrus and it’s always a hit. I agree, don’t skip the glaze. I prefer swapping the buttermilk out for yogurt - not as liquid a cake. Have been experimenting with making this keto friendly (almond flour and monk fruit). Not quite there yet, but will keep slugging away, since it’s still tastes delicious

  • millvalleypaleo on August 03, 2022

    I agree with comment about it being too oily. Was wondering if other's cakes were extremely dense, too? I made it in a bundt pan so not sure if that's why? Basically inedible.

• 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.

• 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.

  • averythingcooks on August 31, 2022

    I cut this in 1/2 to try out my mini bundt pans and the results were good (other than me trying to figure "the fill" and bake time for this pan). The cake has a lovely flavour although I do agree on the slightly spongy texture - I thought maybe that was the fault of the pan change. I made the glaze a little thicker so it would hold better on the tops of the little cakes but still drizzle down the sides. I'm going to make this cake again for sure including the apple version.

  • et12 on December 04, 2022

    The kitchen smelled absolutely amazing while this cake was baking. Tasted good but I didn’t much care for the texture.

  • 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.

  • dc151 on September 13, 2022

    While I'm very much not a baker, this came out lovely despite not looking very pretty once I was done with it. Moist, great flavors. There was no way to test how it tasted the next day, because there were no leftovers.

  • Kag2020 on August 18, 2022

    I thought the flavor of this cake was good but the texture was a bit spongy, particularly the first day. It seemed to firm up on day two so I may make this a day ahead in the future. I didn’t have buttermilk but used the author’s suggested substitute of two parts full fat yogurt and one part milk. Don’t know if that was the culprit. Also the glaze separated a bit after a few hours but that could’ve been my fault, either too much milk or the heat in my house.

• Morning glory cake

  • Lepa on December 14, 2022

    This is a great breakfast cake. It's not too sweet and packed with delicious fruit and nuts.

  • 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.

• 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.

  • elysedc on December 31, 2022

    a winner! ran out of eggs, used the same weight equivalent of egg whites (had a container) and worked out without a problem. I used an orange flower blossom honey, and since the author recommends an orange flower blossom whip as a pairing, I decided to replace the vanilla extract with an equal amount of orange flower blossom extract. Tastes incredible - will be my go to honey cake! Very moist!

• Super sesame cake

  • Lepa on January 11, 2023

    This is one of my favorite cakes. It has a rich taste and plush texture. Perfect for breakfast or with a cup of coffee!

• 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.

• Fudgy chocolate cake with fluffy chocolate frosting

  • coryelizabeth on May 05, 2022

    Has it been a long day, and does someone in your home need you to do something nice for them (yourself included)? Make this cake. I whipped this up on impulse while dinner was in the oven, and it is supremely satisfying. 60 ml of espresso gave the cake a decidedly mocha flavor, but (a) that's not a bad thing and (b) that flavor seemed to fade after a day or two.

  • Kag2020 on October 20, 2022

    Excellent flavor. I used a combination of sour cream and full fat yogurt and included the chocolate chips.

  • ellwell on November 18, 2022

    Hubby was out of town so I made myself a nice dinner of lentils (which he despises) and then decided I deserved a cake! I am so happy I chose this one- it was very moist and flavorful and the icing was excellent. I made myself give half of it to the kids next door to save me from myself :)

• 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.

  • ChelseaP on July 07, 2022

    Wonderful! Every cake I've made from this cookbook has been one bowl and whisk, so easy, come together quickly, and tasted incredible.

  • 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.

• Sparkling gingerbread

  • averythingcooks on December 15, 2022

    I cut this in 1/2 for a 6" cake and absolutely love the warm ginger flavours + the little crunch on top (I used demerara sugar). My only issue is that the last couple of 6" efforts seemed to take forever to bake in the middle resulting in drier than I'd like outer edges (my issue - not the recipe).

  • et12 on December 14, 2022

    This is a delicious ginger cake. House smelled amazing, the cake was not too dense but plenty moist with strong ginger flavour and good crust.

  • Kag2020 on December 13, 2022

    Made half the recipe using a six-inch pan. Done in 32 minutes. Delicious and the three different forms of ginger were perfect, not overpowering. Perhaps a small grind of pepper added the next time.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Pumpkin olive oil cake with maple olive oil glaze

  • hibeez on January 26, 2022

    I found it tasted better on day 3 as the olive oil mellowed a bit. It also tasted quite nice after being frozen. I used my own garden-grown pie pumpkins, baked and then pureed. I make two 6" cakes from these recipes and freeze one, so that a) we don't have too much cake at one time and b) there's a cake in the freezer for emergencies.

  • 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.

  • breakthroughc on January 06, 2023

    We loved this cake. Moist, flavorful and dairy free. I was a little heavy handed on the pepper which gave it a lovely spicy note. Don’t skip the glaze. The olive oil flavor really comes through in the glaze. Using the right olive oil is key, good but not overpowering. I did toasted pumpkin seeds and the sprinkle of salt on top. Baked 27 minutes in a 9 inch round pan.

• 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.

• Chocolatey date cake

  • valbe on February 05, 2022

    The chocolate chips sunk to the bottom so next time I'll add the batter to the pan and then sprinkle the chocolate on top with the hope that while the cake bakes the chocolate will be evenly distributed through the cake. The caramel sauce turned out more like a butterscotch sauce, Because the brown sugar and water is already quite dark at the start I didn't boil it long enough. With white sugar it's easier to tell when the sugar starts to turn to a caramel color.

• 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.

  • Running_with_Wools on August 18, 2022

    I made this using medium grind cornmeal and gluten free flour and loved it. I added blueberries and Malden salt on top. It was delicate with a lovely texture. The honey flavor came through delicately and was enhanced by the salt and bursts of blueberries.

  • MEmilyGrey on May 23, 2021

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

• Vanilla bean glaze

  • et12 on March 26, 2022

    Well worth using the vanilla bean paste. A strong vanilla flavour that contrasts well with chocolate. I used it on the cocoa-yogurt cake from this book.

• 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.

• Plum cardamom cake

  • ChelseaP on July 08, 2022

    Gorgeous version of the swirled jam cake.

• 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

  • rochkay on June 24, 2022

    This cake is delicious! It's always a favorite when I make it for an event. The poppy seeds are listed as optional, but I include them every time. They add just the slightest bit of crunch. Together with the flavor from cardamom and chocolate it's a win for me!

  • 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.

• Vanilla bean whip

  • AndieEats on July 16, 2022

    Ratios were good - not too sweet!

• Strawberry and Aperol citrus olive oil cake

  • Jviney on June 07, 2022

    I loved this pairing of citrus cake with the Aperol-strawberry frosting. Too lazy to get out the blender, my strawberries were a bit chunky in the frosting but I think that made it prettier. I used the zest of two lemons and one orange in the cake and I don’t think it equaled two Tbsp - I would add more next time to the amount called for to amp up the flavor. All around, a great cake.

• Mostly peach cake

  • Jviney on August 05, 2022

    I’m not sure about this one. I enjoyed eating the cake but the head note to the Mostly Apples cake, of which this is a riff, says there isn’t much batter holding it together and I would have loved a much higher ratio of peach to cake. Still, it’s tasty and moist and sadly, I’ll probably eat it all!

• Vegan chocolate coconut cake

  • breakthroughc on July 11, 2022

    This was a nice vegan cake. The texture was a little crumbly, but it had a rich chocolate flavor. I did not use the coconut extract, but did use the espresso powder. Didn't taste of coffee, but helped with giving it a depth of flavor. The vegan friend I made if for rated it as the second best vegan dessert I have made.

• 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.

  • ellwell on November 10, 2022

    It was dry for me also. It was overdone at 45 minutes so check it early. Next time I would cook for 40 minutes and maybe add some chocolate to intensify the flavor. I made the peanut butter glaze which did not make enough to balance the dryness of the cake. It needs a 1 1/2 x recipe. Of course, it did not keep us from walking by and cutting more “slivers” off each time we passed through the kitchen.

• Grapefruit gingerbread

  • kellilee on January 20, 2023

    This gingerbread is for ginger lovers. It mellows with age but that first slice on that first day will burn. For some folks, that burn will be welcome and expected but for others it may come as a shock. But really it should not if you pay attention to the amount of ginger added: fresh grated ginger, minced crystallized ginger and ground ginger. The grapefruit glaze is welcome and possibly necessary to balance out all that heat. Not my favorite Snacking Cake from Yossy Arefi's book but fortunately there are many others I love so no worries.

• My best carrot cake

  • ellwell on December 18, 2022

    This was a delightful little cake that was just perfect for just three of us at my husband's birthday dinner. I didn't add the dates since I didn't have any. I flirted with the idea of adding some figs, but decided to just go with the pecans. I love the idea of these smaller cakes. We can have a couple servings and then toss the rest without much guilt!

• Chocolate-orange beet cake

  • millvalleypaleo on August 06, 2022

    Moist, dense chocolate cake. No taste of beets. Good for 1-2 days. Would like to add photo but don't see how.