I have updated the book stores and have now added five new “category pages” Gingerbread, Seasonal, Baking, Kids Cakes and Tea Time.

The sections “Gingerbread” and “Seasonal” contains books on how to bake, decorate and build gingerbread houses and making beautiful gingerbread cookies, Christmas cakes and sweet treats.

The “Baking” section has a varity of books with scrumptious cakes, muffins, cookies and treats to make. If you like to go in the kitchen with your kids then look at the books in the “Kids Cakes” sub-section. There you will find recipes on cakes to make with the kids and ideas on how to make the next birthday cake.

If you like romantic tea parties then the section “Tea Time” will be the place for you to visit. There you will find many beautiful books with recipes on how to make petit fours, cupcakes and lots of other delicious treats to serve at your tea party.

I hope that you will find the new sections interesting. Check out the book stores here: UK and US

Happy Caking

Louise

This is the latest addition to my cupcake book collection and I must say it is one of the best. The author, Jennifer Graham, is the founder and owner of The Crabapple Cupcake Bakery in Melbourne, Australia.

The layout of this book is beautiful with lots of photos that will tickle your taste buds to immediately go out into your kitchen and try some of the delicious cupcake recipes that you will find in this book. It has great contents where Jennifer Graham gives you nice tips on ingredients, how to decorate and what kind of tools that are important when baking cakes and cupcakes.

There are 32 different cupcake recipes in the book and 5 lovely cakes to make as well. After the cake section you will find the tasty section with the delicious frostings and fillings. The book finish off with pages of suppliers through out Australia.

I have now tried the vanilla and the chocolate cupcakes from the book. The vanilla was really nice and moist but I found the chocolate very loose and crumbly. It was much better the next day. I wanted to try the buttercream frosting but that was just too sweet for my taste. I think with small adjustments this frosting could be very good. Even though the frosting was a bit sweet for my taste I am still keen to try out more of the recipes in this book

You can buy the book here:
The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook UK
The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook US

Happy Caking

Louise

The seventh book from Lindy Smith is called Cakes to inspire and desire. It is an exciting, colorful and dramatic book for the more trained cake decorator. As the cake designs are a bit more difficult to make. But that should not stop the beginner, in cake decorating, to buy the book, because you can easilly take out the more simple ideas and still make a beautiful cake. This is also the book where she reveals on how she make her Wonky Cakes.

The book have more reading parts, to understand the way to construct the cakes. So it is important that you take your time to read, so that you fully understand how to do it. But Lindy has always a “shortcut” in her sleve on how to make the design more simple. It is listed with 36 unique designs in round - square and creative cakes. She also shows how to make her beautiful cake jewllery and her charming mini cakes to match the cakes.

I love in particular the luxurious orchid wedding and the eastern ornament cake designs and of course the charming wonky cakes. You can read about the Wonky cake class I took with Lindy here.

Happy Caking

Louise

I have been updating my cake book stores. I have re-arrange it so that the authors with many book titles now has theire own section. So I hope it will be easier to find you’re way around in the book stores.

I know that many in the US are waiting patiently for Romantic Cakes by Peggy Porchen. Until now the only message from her site is that the US and German edition will be avalible this autumn. So let’s hope it won’t be long as you have lots of great stuff to look forward too with that book.

Lindy Smith’s seventh book Cakes to inspire & desire, was said to be released in the US last month?. So if you are so lucky to have it, I would love to know. The hardback version however is published in the UK here in August in a limited availability. This is the one I am waiting for as I could not wait until november where the soft back is published in the UK.

Then there is a new exciting book on the way by Mich Turner. It is called Party Cakes: Exquisite Treats for Celebrating Special Occasions.
It is to be released in UK, US and Canada this October.

So hopefully you can all look forward to a lot of exciting cake reading during this fall

Happy Caking

Louise

Elisa Strauss the woman behind New York city’s famous bakery Confetti cakes have written The Confetti Cakes cookbook. It takes you on a spetacular journey through some of the bakerys most famous cake designs and delicious recipes.

You will be guided through: Equipment and techniques, Basic recipes, Cookies, Cupcakes, Mini cakes and Cakes. All illustrated with beautiful photos and some very detailed drawings on the “how to’s”. In this book you will find great inspiration for all kinds of creations and occasions.

Another great thing about this book is that you will find some fantastic cake ideas for both genders. For the guys cakes like: The Pool ball cupcakes, Baseball hat cake or the Wine bottle cake is obvious possibilities. For the girls, Elisa shows you how to make the most adorable Teacup mini cakes, beautiful Crystal cupcakes and finish off by showing how to make her famous Shoebox cake with a stylish sugar stiletto.

I have really been inspired when reading the book. Confetti Cakes is busy on a new book due in fall 2008. It is called: Confetti Cakes For Kids and I think it will be worth waiting for.

Buy the book here:

Confetti Cakes UK
Confetti Cakes US

Happy Caking

Louise

I have now created a new cake book store for users in the US. Hope you will enjoy my favourite reading.

Happy Caking

Louise

The Cake Craft & Decoration magazine is published monthly. It has many projects on wedding cakes, novelty cakes and floral crafting. What I like about this magazine is that each of the projects has a level so you can make cakes and decorations after your skills. They have guest of the month and it also shows you what kind of equipment you will need and there is many photos step by step of the projects. You will also find information on the annual ICHF Cake Decoration Show in the UK. They also cover the ICES show in the USA.

If you want to read more about this magazine or subscribe Click here

Happy Caking

Louise

This is a wedding cake magazine from Squires Group and it is published every third month. It is full of inspiring pictures of amazing wedding cakes. You will find classic and simpel wedding cakes, mini cakes, cupcakes and divine chocolate wedding cakes with fresh fruites. You will also find readers projects on wedding cakes and much more. I love the way the cakes are shown in colors like: pink, white, golden, blue and red themed weddings. All the wedding cake pictures are sent in by talentet cake makers from all over the world.

If you want to read more about this magazine or subscribe Click here

Happy Caking

Louise

This is a magazine from Squires Group. It is published every third month. I like the fact that you can read and learn about different cake crafting projects like sugar flowers, figure modelling and celebration cakes by many well known Sugar crafters like Alan Dunn, Maisie Parrish and Tombi Peck to name a few. Squires Group have an annual exhibition on cake decoration, sugar craft and chocolate in the UK and they have there 5 day international school.

If you want to read more about this magazine or subscribe Click here

Happy Caking

Louise