The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Oh gosh. The Cake Bible was everything everyone said it was. When it arrived, I think I spent the rest of the afternoon perusing its fabulous pages. From pictures to instructions, it is a true baker's gem. While I can't eat cake (low-carb), I bought the book because I love to bake for others. What makes The Cake Bible so amazing are the diet-related sections: "Recipes Using all Egg Yolks"; "Recipes Using all Egg Whites"; "Recipes with No Cholesterol and Low Saturated Fat"; "Recipes with Low Cholesterol and Saturated Fat"; and even a section for me, "Cakes for Passover (without flour!). The final section may be the most helpful for our busy lives today: "Quick-To-Mix Cakes that are Great Without Frosting or Adornment". And there's not just a punky few recipes in that section either. There are (if I counted correctly), 31 options! For my edition, I chose a clean, used copy that did not have a dust cover, as I really desired the unmarked pages. But the pristine white hardback with gold spine lettering is charming.

My inspiration and guidance and escape in these COVID-19 times. Super detailed writing, but saving me from making many mistakes at the same time. Bought all of Rose Levy Beranbaum’s books and continue to dwell in sweet pies, cakes and cookies, at least by reading her recipes very carefully, keeping me engulfed in comfort food and hopefully sane!

The pound cake recipe alone is worth the price of the book.

If you are the kind of person who loves boxed cakes with Crisco icing that's so sweet it burns your teeth, don't bother with this book. If on the other hand you actually possess working taste buds, you will find that this cookbook offers the finest selection of cake recipes in existence. Although there are some very elaborate recipes in this book, the heart and soul of it is in the basic cakes and icings. Ms. Levy has gone back and actually taken the trouble to figure out what makes cake work and has therefore been able to improve on recipes and methods. Most of the recipes in this book exchange sweetness for flavor. Therefore the chocolate cake has a deep, intense chocolate-y taste that requires a complimentary icing (or at least a glass of milk). That's the way cake is supposed to be (before they added all the preservatives and moisturizers). If anyone disliked the buttercream icing they either didn't make it right or they are out of their mind. I personally don't care for icings made with egg yolks (too rich) but the icing made with beaten egg whites is pretty much the best thing you could ever frost a cake with and (as stated in the book) flavors magnificently. Ms. Levy's raspberry sauce is better and more intense than most of the sauces I've had in the best restaurants and the same holds true for most of the other fillings.If anyone doubts that this book is a treasure I offer the simple fact of wedding cakes. To wit, how many times have you seen people actually eat and enjoy a wedding cake? Usually most of it is left over to be thrown out (appropriately). When I have made wedding cakes using this book there has never been a crumb left and people talk about it for years afterward.Baking is tricky, it's not like cooking where you can make adjustments to fix things. I'm quite surprised when a baking recipe works right off the bat, I expect to blow it the first time out. This book is not about following a few simple steps and cranking out a good cake. This cake is for people who love to bake, love cake and want to become a better baker and learn how to make the types of cakes that suit their palate. Properly used this book can give you the tools to create your own style of cakes that will in time become identified with you by everyone who experiences them.The Cake Bible is one of the foundational cookbooks in my collection and by far the most often used. I agree that the binding could be better but who needs photos of plain chocolate cake? Books with pictures are for coffee tables, this book is for the kitchen. I would recommend it to anyone with a passion for baking.

I feel like this book has some nice vintage recipes, (yes, I’m aware this came out in the late 80s) but the cakes are dry and I’m following the recipe exactly as it directs. I feel like there are so many modern techniques that blow these recipes out of the water, recipes that don’t produce dry cakes. I’d say skip this and get something up to date.

I bought my first one to explore wedding cakes, tried dozens of recipes much to the delight of my colleagues, bought this for my daughter because she eventually wanted mine and it is tattered! The recipe for crepes suzettes is a tosser, (do yourself a favor and find a simple French recipe online) other than that, try them all. Give yourself plenty of time though and read through each recipe first.

Finally I can bake really good cakes! It is definitely for geeks, with pan and recipe conversion factors and charts of ingredients. I can't believe I weighed milk but it does make it easier to do 85% of the amount for a bigger pan.

I have two other books by Ms Beranbaum, which have been very rewarding, and I was very pleased to find a copy of this out-of-print work. I have found it extremely helpful, being the worst sort of amateur baker.

Wonderful book, great condition for used arrived promptly. This gives a whole new approach to cake making. First cake I made, with trepidation was fabulous.

Excellent condition. Very pleased with it