Hi, all:
I don’t usually review cookery books, but I was invited to check this book out, and coming from the National Trust, I had to share it. I think many of you will enjoy it, and it can be a great gift as well.
(Please, note that the book will be published on the 14th of March in the UK and Europe, although the dates might vary in other places, but it is available for preorder already at the time of publishing this post).
Book of Cakes (National Trust): 55 Irresistible cakes for all occasions by Linda Collister
· Supported by the National Trust, suppliers of fine cakes to the British public
· 40 essential classic and modern cake recipes plus expert tips and techniques
· Little bits of interesting and quirky cake history
Packed with practical advice for baking the perfect cake every time, this beautifully illustrated book of tried-and-tested recipes includes all the classics – Coffee and Walnut Cake, Spiced Carrot Cake, Double Chocolate Brownies – as well as some new and exciting recipes to inspire and impress: Fresh Apricot, Saffron and Honey Cake; Sea Salt Caramel Sponge; Blood Orange Poppyseed Cake. Featuring loaf cakes, sponge cakes, small cakes and fruit cakes – with a side serving of cake-related history to go – these easy-to-follow recipes will appeal to anyone who enjoys a delicious homemade cake.
About the author:
Linda is a food writer and author of many of the hugely successful Great British Bake Off series. She trained at London’s Cordon Bleu and La Varenne in Paris.
Her books have been translated into half a dozen languages, and achieve high sales on both sides of the Atlantic.
Linda’s latest book The National Trust’s Book of Cakes will be published next year.
My review:
I thank National Trust Books (Collins) and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book, which I freely chose to review.
I enjoyed visiting National Trust sites when I lived in the UK (and I recommend them to anybody visiting it), and there was always a shop selling books, souvenirs, and gifts of all kinds, where one always had to stop, and a tea shop to have a snack, a cup of tea, and a slice of cake. So, when I saw this, I could not resist visiting again, even if it was from within the pages of a cookery book.
This is not like any cookery book I’ve read before, although I am no expert, and it seems that the author is well-known, especially in the world of baking and baking books, and deservedly so if I am to judge by this text. I got an e-copy, but even this version has lovely illustrations (no photographs, but I didn’t miss them), and it manages to pack in not many pages 55 recipes of popular cakes, some with connections to well-known properties of the National Trust. (I know the description says 40 and the cover 55. There are 55, but I wonder if the 40 refer to cakes because the last section is dedicated to ‘small’ cakes (like brownies), so perhaps that is what they mean, although it is a bit confusing). The author writes beautifully and passionately about baking, and in her introduction she gives clear and detailed explanations about how cakes evolved throughout history with the different discoveries (the various sweeteners, the use of yeast at first and baking power later) and imports of foodstuffs, and I have learned many things I had no idea about.
The book also includes a section of ‘good things to know’ which offers general instructions as to what is necessary before starting to prepare one of the recipes and another titled ‘ways to make a cake’ (rubbed-in cake mixtures, melted mixtures, all-in-one mixtures, creamed mixtures, and whisked sponges) which offers a general description of each method, with some of the best-known examples of each kind. I never knew one could keep opened packs of nuts in the freezer, but I’ll keep it in mind from now on.
After those we get the recipes, which are divided up into loaf cakes (e.g.: malty tea loaf, elderflower yogurt cake [gluten free], or lemon drizzle cake), fruit cakes (like fresh cherry cake, peach Melba cake, blackberry, and apple crumble cake), sponge cakes (e.g.: spiced carrot cake, coffee, and walnut cake, chocolate pecan fudge cake [gluten free]), and small cakes (tiffin [gluten free], spicy rock cakes, Welsh cakes), a detailed index and a section of acknowledgements.
The recipes include tips and instructions as to how the butter should be, the temperature of the eggs, and how long the cake should be left before eating (as some gain in flavour if they are allowed to repose for a couple of days). It also follows the steps in the preparation one by one and advises when to turn the oven on as the preparation proceeds, so everything is ready at the right time. This will be especially useful to beginners, as it might be difficult to remember the order of the steps and not miss anything. Collister includes vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free options in some of the recipes, and when the recipe comes from a well-known National Trust House and/or has interesting connections (like Churchill’s Fruit Cake, for example) and it has a long tradition, she also shares the history behind it, and that adds to the interest of the book.
As I said, I’ve only had access to the e-book copy, but the hardback copy of this book would be a great gift to anybody interested in baking, cake recipes, and their history and evolution. And a great self-gift as well. There is an art to baking, and there is an art to writing about it, and Collister excels at both. Highly recommended to fans of the genre, no matter how experienced they are.
Thanks to NetGalley, to the publishers, and to the author for the delicious recipes, tips, and wonderful writing, thanks to all of you for your ongoing support, and remember to like, share, comment, click, and always keep smiling!
Just Olga 