Sylvia Weinstock makes cakes that astonish the palate, dazzle the eye, and reward the spirit. Her spellbinding cakes have graced the tables - and grabbed the attention - at society weddings, celebrity birthday parties, and inaugural balls. Whether it's a tower of white roses whose thousands of blossoms have all been painstakingly hand-crafted or an entirely faithful - and entirely edible - facsimile of a treasured heirloom tea set, every Weinstock cake is a work of art.

"Never say never" is Weinstock's response when clients dare her to achieve the impossible: an array of miniature cakes shaped and decorated like Fabergé eggs; cakes that look like cars, cravats, and circus clowns; or a menagerie of fantastic creatures (bunnies, bugs, tigers, terriers, and even an armadillo), all concocted from butter, flour, and sugar.

In Sylvia Weinstock's Sensational Cakes, America's most famous cake designer gives you an insider's tour of her world: the fabulous fêtes where her cakes set the scene and the artisanal workshop where she and her assistants bake and embellish the confectionary masterpieces that have made her signature - including her trademark eyeglass logo - so sought after. Best of all, she reveals some of her secrets: recipes for cakes, frostings, and fillings that will make your own guests stand up and applaud.