Four Essential Cake Making Books

There’s something about cake that makes the world a happier place. I love to bake them and I’m always looking for new cookbooks to foster my love of baking. But I have found there are four cookbooks in my home library that I go back to again and again when it’s time to bake a cake that isn’t my own recipe. And, in my opinion, these are the four cake making books you need right now.

I’ll explain why below.

Favorite Cakes

Favorite Cakes from Williams Sonoma is a lovely, simple cookbook and it’s especially great for beginners. This recipe collection makes a great mainstay in your home library because it has several popular cakes as well as basic recipes for cakes and frostings that you can mix and match as you like. It’s not a complicated book so it’s very user friendly.

Williams Sonoma has included nice visuals of how to frost a layer cake so you’ll be assembly cakes like a pro. There are two main sections for the cake recipes: Modern Classics and Specialty Cakes. You’ll find everything from Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting to a Blood Orange Chiffon Cake. The book contains a good mix of classic cakes as well as fancy ones. You’ll also find options for cupcakes and cheese cake.

And while it’s technically a thinner cookbook, it’s jam-packed with useful information and delicious recipes. Some of my favorite cakes from the book include the Tres Leche Cake and, believe it or not, the White Cake in the Basic Recipes section. I use the White Cake recipe quite often as a base for lots of other creations and concoctions. You can add colors or flavors and even champagne to the cake then choose practically any filling or frosting you desire to jazz it up and make it your own.

This book has long been in my home library and is definitely a mainstay I often refer back to. You can purchase a hardcover or Kindle edition from Amazon here.

Icing on the Cake

Icing on the Cake is the first book I found by Tessa Huff but it’s actually her second cookbook. (Don’t worry, I talk about her first one next.) Huff has a cult following on social media and I am definitely a fan of hers. I LOVE the way she lays out her recipes. They are logical, practical and timed out well. Huff does use some advanced baking techniques in her books but I do feel she offers lots of great tips, tricks and illustrations throughout the pages. I feel she’s definitely helped me level up my cake game and any serious baker who spends time on her recipes will most likely feel the same.

Icing on the Cake has several main sections like Elegant Cakes and Confections, Kids’ Cakes and Party Treats, and Celebration Cakes and Seasonal Sweets. The book includes many recipes for a variety of cakes as well as for cupcakes, pies, and that holiest of holy confections … the macaron. Huff also shares two ways to make macarons: French and Italian. When I teach macaron making classes to friends, we use those two recipes because 1) they work and 2) it’s a great way to compare and contrast the two methods.

I have made several of the recipes from this book over the years but still haven’t managed to tackle them all. But I look forward to the day I do because they truly do all sound delicious. Some of my favorite recipes from this cookbook are her Orange Salted Honey Cake (it’s a real showstopper that lasts incredible), the Chocolate S’mores Tart (this is a HUGE hit every time I make it and I now make it annually for my S’mores and ‘tinis soiree), and the Chocolate Stout Cake with Irish Cream. I have many more favorite cakes and confections I like to bake from Icing on the Cake so it is truly one of my favorite books and a must-have in my opinion.

Like Williams Sonoma’s Favorite Cakes, Huff also includes some basic, essential recipes for frostings and sauces. She also has a tried and true Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe that is an absolute go-to. The results are a silky-satin texture and not overly sweet frosting that is to die for.

And I will tell you, if I had to get rid of all my other cake making cookbooks and only keep one, this would be it. You can purchase Icing on the Cake from Amazon here in hardcover or for Kindle. And you can learn more about Tessa Huff here.

Layered

After Discovering Tessa Huff’s Icing on the Cake, I looked to see if she had more cookbooks. Hurray! She does. And it’s Layered. This was actually her first collection of published recipes. Like Icing on the Cake, it is divided into groupings of recipes. In this book, sections include Casual Cakes, Whimsical Cakes, Adventurous Cakes, and more. And just like her other book, there are lot’s of tips, tricks and illustrations and stable recipes.

Some of my favorite recipes from Layered include Huff’s Sweet Tea Cake (Southerners, pay attention, you WANT this recipe), Butterscotch Bourbon Cake (this tends to be pretty popular with guys), and the Golden Champagne Celebration Cake. And while you won’t find her macaron recipes in here, you will find a bonus recipe for a show stopping Three-Tier Wedding Cake. You know, in case you’re super ambitious.

What I love about both Huff’s books is she tells you what icing tip she’s using for her different cake decorating techniques. She also gives you Small, Medium, and Large batch versions of her Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe (in both books) which is incredibly handy. (Not that I ever complain about having leftover Swiss Meringue but it is nice to be able to make the right amount for what you need.)

You can purchase Layered in a hardcover or Kindle version here. I also highly recommend checking out Huff’s blog, Style Sweet.

The Perfect Cake

Think of The Perfect Cake from America’s Test Kitchen as your own little encyclopedia of cake. A technical manual of cake, if you will. The first 30 pages are filled with core techniques and information regarding essential tools as well as ingredient essentials. And at the end of the book is an appendix of essential cake components along with conversions and equivalents.

America’s Test Kitchen is well-known for carefully and thoroughly testing recipes, ingredients and kitchen tools. So plenty of research went into the creation of this cake making book. Sections include Sky-High Cakes, Great American Cakes, and Classic Layer Cakes. The Perfect Cake contains recipes for a wide range of cakes — everything from cake pops and mug cakes to cheesecakes and ice cream cakes. So I would say this book is pretty inclusive in terms of pretty much any kind of cake you can think of. The book also contains vegan and gluten-free recipes.

There are the classics like Red Velvet and Devil’s Food Layer Cakes within the pages of The Perfect Cake. And there are more unique recipes like Chocolate-Beet Cupcakes and Hot Cocoa Cake. My personal favorites from this cookbook include the Icebox Margarita Cheesecake, Tiramisu Ice Cream Cake and Chiffon Cake. The Chiffon Cake is incredibly light and fluffy and what I refer to as a “snackin’ cake” because it’s really easy to keep going back for another slice. Or a huge chunk. I won’t judge.

If you can think of a cake, the recipe is probably in this book. I have the hardcover version but it does also come in a spiral-bound which can be real handy in the kitchen for the avid baker. It’s also available for Kindle and all versions of the Perfect Cake are available via my Amazon Affiliate link here.

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In Conclusion

These are the cake making cookbooks I’ve kept on hand for years,. Have I missed any must-haves? What are your favorite baking books of all time? Let me know in the comments!

Do you love baking cakes as much as I do? Check out the Food section of my blog for my latest recipes. You may also enjoy my Almond Joy Martini Torte recipe which you can find here. It’s decadent and delicious!

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