Baking Book Gift Guide

It is the day after Thanksgiving. 

Sometimes it's also known as Black Friday. In the states after Thanksgiving people start getting ready for Christmas. A lot of families will be putting up trees and other decorations this weekend, along with starting their Christmas shopping.

It makes a bit of sense really, if the stores know that people are going to be shopping over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend then why not entice them in more with some great savings? 

It suits both retailers and shoppers. One makes a lot of money while the other gets some great savings. I don't like the chaos and you will never find me going out on Black Friday, but I don't hate it either.

So, because a lot of people will be starting their shopping this weekend I though I would write up a quick "gift guide" based on baking and cook books that I own. Then at the end of the post I have included my book "wish list" for books I wold love to read!

I have chosen these books because I think they would make great gifts for bakers with particular tastes! Some are just because they are a good read! 

To me it's not just about the recipes, it's about what they have to say as well! I like a cookbook that I can read and get into too! 

 

Cake by Rachel Allen

This literally has every and any cake you’d ever want to make in it! A great book for cake lovers!

Cake Days and Home Sweet Home by Hummingbird Bakery

Cake Days is the book that really started my baking and blogging life. I can’t recommend it enough. It has amazing recipes perfect for every season. 
Home Sweet Home is just as good! Perfect for a new or experienced baker! 

Chocolat by Eric Lanlard

~ For the chocolate lover in your life! 

Crumb by Ruby Tandoh

It is one of the most informed baking books I have ever read. Perfect for a new baker! 

Fat Witch Brownies by Patricia Helding

I think this has some of the best bars and brownies I have ever come across! Perfect for brownie lovers!

Jamie Magazine

Not a book, but I love this monthly addition to my recipe collecting habit. I should probably get a subscription!

Kitchen by Nigella Lawson

 I find myself engrossed in this book whenever I read it. Perfect for any cookbook lover!

Leon: Family & Friends (book 4) by John Vincent & Kay Plunkett-Hogge

Great book for anyone who likes to cook for their friends and family! 

Naughtiest Vegan Cakes in Town! by Ms. Cupcake

Not just for Vegans, but a must this Christmas for the Vegan in your life!

Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Perfect gift for ice cream lovers! Make sure they have an ice cream maker!

Robicelli’s A Love Story with Cupcakes by Allison & Matt Robicelli
The funniest and most real cookbook I have ever read. For cupcakes biggest fan! 

Sprinklebakes by Heather Baird

 Need an artistic twist to your baking, then this is the book for you!

Sweet Treats for a Sugar Filled Life, Presented by Cakespy by Jessie Oleson-Moore

 This book is your guide to taking dessert above and beyond your wildest dreams!

The Vintage Sweets book, The Vintage Tea Party Book, The Vintage Tea Party Year by Angel Adoree

If you know someone who loves vintage, afternoon, tea, sweets, parties and more then this is the book for them! 

Warm Bread & Honey Cake by Gaitri Pagrach-Chandra

Great read and recipes in this book! Great for someone who loves to learn about food from all over the world. 

Now for the books I wouldn't mind appearing under my Christmas Tree this year!

Bake to Baking: 200 Timeless Recipes to Bake, Share, and Enjoy by Anna Olsen

My Paris Kitchen: Recipes & Stories by David Lebovitz

Sweet by Valerie Gordon

Paris Sweets by Dorie Greenspan

Baked Elements: The Importance of Being Baked in 10 Favorite Ingredients

& Baked Occasions by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Sugar Rush: Master Tips, Techniques, and Recipes for Sweet Baking by Johnny Iuzzini & Wes Martin

Huckleberry: Stories, Secrets, and Recipes from our Kitchen by Zoe Nathan

Marshmallow Madness!: Dozens of Puffalicious Recipes by Shauna Sever

What is your favorite baking and/or cookbook that you think would make a great gift? Any book that you think everyone you know should own? Just leave a comment below because I am always looking for new cookbooks!!

notes: To see my full list of baking books and a handful of my cookbooks check out the tab above! I really need to update it! All opinions and suggestions are my own I have in no way been compensated for this post by any of the publishers or authors. Please see my contact/policy page for further information. The black box on the top is intentionally a black box. 

Pumpkin Cake for pumpkin pie haters

When I was a child I hated Thanksgiving dinners, everything except the mash potatoes. Dry turkey with weird jelly sauce and cooked carrots, I abhorred cooked carrots! I could eat them raw, but never cooked.

Then there was the desserts pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and so on. I disliked those too. They were too weird and too nutty.

It’s amazing how our tastes change as we grow up. I can tolerate roasted carrots, if I have too. I have learned to enjoy homemade cranberry sauce, still do not like the caned or jarred stuff.

However I didn't have to wait until I was all “grown up” to fall in love with pumpkin pie. 

When I was about 10 we were at a family friend’s Thanksgiving feast and it was there that I was persuaded to try pumpkin pie again.

I am glad that I did because who knows how long it would have taken me to learn that I love pumpkin pie.

Now this post isn't for pumpkin pie, but for a delicious pumpkin cake for those at your Thanksgiving dinner who, like a younger me, hated pumpkin pie.

It has a nice spongy texture with a comforting spicy flavor. The whipped cream and caramel drizzle I added on top complemented nicely! 

Pumpkin Cake

425g pumpkin puree, canned or fresh

200g soft unsalted butter

300g light muscovado sugar

4 eggs

300g self-rising flour

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp salt

150g currants

Heat the oven to 180C and line a 8x11 inch (20x28cm) tin with grease proof paper, allow a bit of an over hang so you can get the cake out of the tin.

Cream the butter and sugar together until lighter in color and a bit fluffy. Add the pumpkin puree and beat until combined. It doesn't look pretty; add the eggs one at a time. It still doesn't look pretty all curdled like, but keep beating. Mix the flour and spices together and sift into the weird curdled mixture. Beat until just combined. Then fold in the currants. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour (60minutes) or until a skewer poked in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes before taking out of the tin and cutting into squares. Serve with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle! Tastes best when warm out of the oven!

You could add some cinnamon to the whipped cream or instead serve with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream or vanilla if you prefer or even caramel ice cream.... I am getting a bit carried away. I will stop now. Enjoy!

notes: recipe was adapted from Rachel Allen’s book Cake, if your pumpkin pie haters hate pumpkin pie because of the spices then chances are they will hate this cake too, but if it's because of the texture then it's a safe bet they'll love it! For homemade cranberry sauce check out my previous post here! 

Rhubarb & Custard Swiss Roll!!

This is my first attempt at a Swiss Roll and it was going smoothly until I transferred it to a plate and the guts spilled out the side…

No worries it’s completely edible! My rhubarb wasn't overly pink so I didn't have a nice swirly color of pink (rhubarb), custard, white (whipped cream) in the middle. It just doesn't make for a very attractive picture or dessert. I sometimes wonder if I am sometimes too laid back. I mean I don’t think I’d ever make it baking anywhere but in the comforts of my own home.

Not that I want to make it. A lot of my close family and friends say I should sell cakes etc… and as long as people were after non-perfect cakes that sometimes look like a five-year-old constructed it I’d be in business! It’s why I am so impressed by patisserie it always looks so perfect.

Yet, I don’t bake to be perfect. I do it for fun and if I were to start stressing about everything being perfect I don’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I do. Therefore I think I’ll keep it as a hobby for now. Maybe I’ll change my mind in a year or so when I start looking for work again!

Back to the Rhubarb and Custard Swiss Roll, the recipe comes from Rachel Allen’s Cake! and can be found on the Good Food Channel website here! Don't compare the pictures! ;0) Since it’s already available online I don’t feel the need to reproduce it here.

It’s a pretty easy recipe. Make the sponge that takes about 25 minutes including baking time. Then it’s just reducing the rhubarb and making the custard. Assembling, like I said, was going well with the rolling and all that until I transferred it to the serving plate.

Overall everyone enjoyed it! Highly recommend giving it a go!!

notes: Rachel Allen’s Cake! Amazon UK & my review; SwissRoll pan Lakeland’s; Good Food Channel & Rachel Allen's Cake Diaries recipes

Muscovado Madeira cake from Cake by Rachel Allen {book review}

Any chance I get to bake I take it. Baking just for me and for the family has gotten a bit…well… it’s hard to explain. There is only so much cake one family can eat! So, I've cut back a bit on my baking “just because” and baking more useful things like bread. So, having some mum friends around for coffee was a great excuse to use one of my new books I got over the holiday period!

Cake by Rachel Allen! I have watched Rachel since I moved to the UK on her various TV programs. I could never decide which one of her books to start with, not being able to buy all of them in one go, I didn't.

It wasn't until watching Cake Diaries on the Good Food Channel that I decided to start with the accompanying book. Cake is broken down into 9 chapters: Easy; Fast; Healthy; Classic; Teatime; Dessert; Children’s; Celebration; Festive. The Chapter titled ‘Easy’ is where I found the recipe for the Muscovado Madeira cake the one I made for my mom friends. With only 4 ingredients (butter, dark soft brown sugar, eggs, flour) this cake was easy to throw together. It was a hit as well, everyone said it was very nice and went great with coffee or tea!

Normally when reviewing a book I list all the recipes I really want to try, but this book is slightly different. It has so many different ideas for different occasions I wouldn't know where to start my list. However, I know that whenever a cake is needed, Cake will be one of the first places I look! It has so many great looking (sounding) cakes, 200 to be exact, that I will be completely spoiled for choice!! 

notes: last picture; 1. Angel Cake, I love Angel Cake and this is the first time I've seen it not made in a tube pan! A must try! 2. Madeleines, these are everywhere I look at the moment! Thinking I'll have to try them soon! 3. Rhubarb and Custard Swiss Roll one of the reasons I bought the book. Looks delicious! 

Cake by Rachel Allen: Amazon & The Book People

Rachel Allen’s website

A variation on this cake: Orange Madeira cake

Rachel Allen's Cake Diaries on Good Food Channel (recipes from book)