Cakes, Chocolate, Bears OH MY!

All Cakes Considered by Melissa Gray

This is a perfect book for those who are starting out in cake making. Gray starts the reader out with the basics including how to read and interpret recipes. The recipes get more in depth and complicated as the book progresses. I borrowed the Brown Sugar Pound Cake for National Bundt Day early this week and the cake was a hit! The recipe I am trying to find an excuse to make is the Heaven and Hell cake. It's angel food cake and devil's chocolate cake layered together with a peanut mousse. I also have to admit while looking through the book it was this recipe that made up my mind when deciding to add it to my collection!!* I picked this up for a bargain at Home Sense, my new favorite store!

Adventures with Chocolate by Paul A. Young

When I went on my first Bakery Tour of London we walked by one of Paul A. Young's shops in Soho. I saw this book in the window and was tempted to go in, but didn't.** I thoroughly regret that now after reading this book. The book almost literally takes you on an adventure. It describes where chocolate comes from and how that determines how chocolate tastes. Not to put anyone off, but if you were to take a class in chocolate this would be your textbook. It is very informative with lots of recipes to drool over. I will be trying my hand at some of these soon!! I also picked this up at Home Sense (for a bargain) after recognizing it from the shop window in Soho. I'm glad I did!

Paddington's Cookery Book

This I ordered for my mini bakers, from The Book People. It's a very cute little book! Lots of recipes sweet and savory! Lots of Marmalade recipes not just sandwiches!! This book would make any Paddington fan happy!! My daughter already has a few recipes book marked! She's my picky eater so maybe she'll actually eat something she's picked out and helped make!

The Birthday Cake Book by Fiona Cairns

As my collection is growing I have become more selective on which books I buy. I always want ones that come from bakeries (not sure why?) and fellow bloggers who have had the opportunity to publish a book. Anything else goes through a process. A few steps of the process: repeated recipes vs new ones, cost, and design^ and I read reviews. I look around the Internet and don't just rely on amazon or other book sites. Anyhow, my point^^ is I wasn't completely sold on this book, but it kept popping up in different places. It was after having a look at it in a store and then finding it at a great price (The Book People again!) that I caved. I'm in the middle of it and it's great! Like All Cakes Considered, it starts with easier projects progressing too more complicated ones. I'm about half way through and am thinking I bought it at the right time! I have 3 birthdays in December to bake for. I'll be using this for sure!! Fiona Cairns is now famous for designing the cake for Will and Kate's wedding! To be honest that was also a selling point. I didn't share this with many but I was totally into the wedding. I watched most of it and was very enthralled with it all! Can't wait to share anything I make from this book with all of you!

The Shelf.

Feeding my addiction is getting a little expensive, but these four books were all bought at low prices! That’s what I’m telling myself! I have 2-3 must-have books for Christmas. My New Year's Resolution (yes I know it's a bit early) will be to bake one or two things from every book before I'm allowed to buy a new bakery book or that I'm not allowed to buy any bakery books until May (my birthday). I'll figure something out! The problem is new books are being published all the time! So many books so little time!

I hope you've enjoyed reading more about the books I've been collecting! If you have any favorite bakery books you think I need to look at then please leave a comment! I love recommendations!!


*I'm sure I could have found a recipe online, but I'll use anything as an excuse to buy a book!!
**Will definitly stop in next time I'm in London!!
^I have openly admitted before that I judge books by covers. I'm a sucker for a great cover and page desgin!
^^I'll get there eventually!

Note: These are my thoughts and opinions. I am not being paid to review books. These were all purchased by me!
Resource: Home Sense, Quinn's Baking Diary (heaven & hell cake), Book People , Paul A. Young, Fiona Cairns, Royal Wedding Cake