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The Cake Bible

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ich sollte kürzlich für eine feier kuchen und eine festtorte für 100 personen backen. ich verfüge zwar über einen recht guten rezeptfundus, aber auf der suche nach neuen ideen stieß ich auf die "cake bible". beim durchblättern war ich schon so angetan, dass ich alle kuchen (bis auf einen) aus diesem buch nahm.

und was soll ich sagen, es war ein durchschlagender erfolg. erstens sind die arbeitsanweisungen die ausführlichsten und präzisesten, die ich jemals in einem koch- respektive backbuch gesehen habe (allerdings sollte man sich auch genau daran halten, kein schritt ist überflüssig). zweitens ist das ergebnis einfach fantastisch, das haben mir die gäste auf der feier bestätigt. namen wie "chocolate oblivion truffle torte" lassen einem ja schon beim lesen das wasser im mund zusammenlaufen, und genau dieses rezept ist auch der oberbringer - ich habe daraus meine festtorte zusammengebaut, und alle sind in die knie gesunken... ;-)

auch wenn ich ziemlich viel backerfahrung habe, meine ich behaupten zu können, dass auch blutige anfänger mit dem buch klarkommen, eben weil die beschreibungen so detailliert sind. man muss ja vielleicht nicht gleich mit einer hochzeitstorte anfangen ;-)

das einzige problem für uns europäer ist, dass die maße der amerikanischen standardbackformen von den hiesigen erheblich abweichen. ich werde mir also einen satz aus den usa mitbringen lassen.

fazit: best backbuch ever!

...which is where I live now. Unfortunately, almost ALL the cake recipes in the book call for cake flour (save for maybe 3 or 4 that use all-purpose or bread flour, and some that use none at all). Quite a disappoinment for those who have absolutely no access to this entire book's most vital ingredient. I think I would've given it at least one more star if it were not for this fact.

Most people will try to be helpful and tell you that cake flour can be substituted easily by sifting together a mixture of flour and cornstarch - this might be ok for creamed batter cakes like yellow or pound cake (personally, a slightly obsessive perfectionist like myself can still feel the difference. Cake flour makes for a finer, more tender, and lighter crumb. Cake made with the AP flour+cornstarch substitute TASTES the same, it's just not nearly as light or fluffy). For foam cakes like chiffon, sponge, or angel food cake, cake flour is simply IRREPLACEABLE. I really don't want to go into detail about soft winter wheat vs. hard spring wheat right now, and I'm not saying that you won't be able to turn out a cake in the end - you will, and it will taste good - but you will miss out on the lovely texture that Ms. Levy-Beranbaum is talking about in the description that comes before each recipe. I had the chance to try making the Orange Glow Chiffon during a vacation abroad (in a country where cake flour is readily available) and the difference was huge. The cake was amazing and I brought back as much cake flour as I could stuff into what was left of my meager economy-class baggage allowance during the latter part of my trip.

Another reason for my 3-star rating is the lack of pictures. It doesn't hurt to be able to see what your baked cake should look like when it comes out of the oven. The lack of pictures also slightly handicaps the decorating section which tries to demonstrate techniques with rather poorly drawn illustrations that fail to convey the visual representations of some of the more intricate instructions in the book.

As far as the ease of use, I would not recommend this book to beginners whose past experiences of cake making consist of a box of mix and a tub of frosting. Some know-how and a thorough attention to detail are required. If you think you've got that (and easy access to cake flour), this book is definitely worth your while.

i made hundreds of wedding cakes for a living. i slaved on thousands of cheesecakes, millions of layer cakes, and boatloads of brownies. If only i had been able to escape to the island of sanity and reason that is Rose Levy Berenbaum! I have had this book since the very day it was first published, and voraciously read every word, as if it were a novel, before baking a single cupcake. The extensive use of scientific knowledge and experimentation is a stroke of genius, since anyone who has done any baking to speak of knows quite well that it is science, not an art. Thank you to Rose for making the building of a wedding cake so darn simple. Thank you also for using weights AND measures in your recipes. Weight is so much more exact (don't forget, it's a SCIENCE!)Her innovative straw technique has saved my posterior many, many times. Her buttercream recipes are flawless. this is a real baker's book. This book may confuse the run of the mill idiot, but I just ordered my second copy. I need to have it everywhere I go!

This is a superb book in all respects. For a long time I'd held off buying this book, thinking, how many cakes do I make in a year -- maybe two? But I am so glad I got this. You can read it and learn a lot about baking. Maida Heatter in the Intro says this is a book in which she wanted to make every recipe, and I have a feeling that is just what I will do myself. Hurrah, I'm a fan!

... it isn't for everyone.

The recipes are excellent and she's tested every variable known to (wo)man (down to different brands of chocolate). However, if you're just a casual home baker who doesn't appreciate or isn't interested in this kind of perfectionism, you'll hate the book and Ms Berenbaum's approach. This is a book for the serious baker.

It's for this reason that I'm leaving off a star. For me, it's perfect. However, the title might lead people to think it's suitable for anyone, and it isn't. While you don't have to be a professional, you do need a basic understanding of baking techniques and a desire to make perfect cakes.

This book is too sensitive and too cautious in everything. It's kind of a good book for a professional baker, but not for a home baker. I know baking is science and accuracy matters all the time. but NOT this much. Give me a break.

This book was recommended by the instructor of a cake baking class I took at a local culinary academy. If the instructor, a professional baker for more than 35 years, could learn from this book, I figured I could too. And I have learned from the exacting directions, thorough explanations, and personal anecdotes provided with each recipe. She provides instructions to make basic cakes in any size from 6" layers to 18" layers by multiplying a base recipe to produce any size cake you need. I've never seen this in any other cookbook, and is by itself worth the price of the book. I have had perfect results from the butter cake recipes (even chocolate cakes which I had never had much success with before), and the method of mixing is so much easier than the standard way that most cookbooks describe. Weights are provided for all recipes, adding convenience and much easier clean-up. Since I bought this book, I haven't even looked at any of the other cake books I have. There just isn't any need for them.

I am a culinary student concentrating on baking/pastries and this is one of the best books on the subject I have found, for both beginners and experienced bakers alike. I highly recommend it.

I received this book as a gift and was so excited - because I'm what Beranbaum calls a 'passionate amateur.' As I read through different recipes, I was sure they would all be excellent because of the painstaking way she describes how to bake them. The section on showcase cakes is especially good; it's so impressive when you see what's possible through the illustrations. I made the Christmas Log and it looked perfect because she gives such thorough instructions.

BUT... As many of these reviews have said, quite a few of the recipes seem to be too "gourmet" for most people - including myself. Many seem to be acquired tastes - even that Christmas Log I was so proud of tasted rather bitter to me and most of my guests. I do think, however, if you're confident in your baking skills, you can mix and match different recipes or substitute some ingredients for others in order to get the same aesthetic effect, but with a more "generally appealing" taste.

The book has great instructions for decorating and is really easy (though time-consuming) to follow. Also, I've heard famous things about THE CHEESECAKE and look forward to trying that. On the whole, it really just depends on what you like. I have made these cakes for different events and while they look great, they just don't always deliver.

I bake every week and I've had this book on my shelf for years. Somehow I was intimidated by her way of mixing a cake. I thought it would be difficult. One day I decided to take the plunge --boy was I wrong! The procedure she describes is, in fact, easier than the standard methods and the results were great. Among others, I've made the streusel coffee cake, the orange chiffon cake and the lemon poppy seed pound cake. The directions are clear and intelligently written. I also love her stories. The one about her brother's wedding made me laugh out loud. Try it.