When we first picked up this book by lawyer turned cake baker extraordinaire, Warren Brown, the title read like a cookbook for dummies. But once we opened its beautifully designed pages, it had us hook line and sinker. Like any good book should, this one had us camped out on the couch reading it page by page and cover to cover.
The book is packed with recipes, along with tips, tricks and a few science lessons behind his methods. It takes a straight forward and less intimidating approach to making the three types of basic cakes: pound, butter and foam with chapters on frostings, glazes, fillings and assembly...
Warren Brown had a quick life on Food Network, but just because he didn't make it there, doesn't mean his Cake Love bakeries aren't doing booming business. He has 7 bakeries in DC, Maryland and Virginia and there's no sign of their success stopping any time soon, and for good reason. Warren brings a bit of his bakeries into your home with the recipes in his new book, sharing the same name as his bakeries, Cake Love.
It became quickly obvious that the cakes in this book were all created with love and great attention to detail. The depths of flavor that each one contain are hands down some of the best we've ever had (and we're really, really into cake). Baking a splendid cake can sometimes be intimidating and you're always left wondering when trying a new recipe if it will be moist enough, if it will release from the pan alright, how it will hold up once frosted, but Warren Brown takes the anxiety out of baking as he breaks down his process into grouped ingredients and steps.
Insisting that all ingredients be laid out ahead of time, he combines dry ingredients together, liquid ingredients together and flavorings together. This process not only simplifies the steps but forces you to be exact every time you bake. No longer are you sorting through a long list of ingredients, you merely focus on one category at a time. He also makes notes of liquor-free substitutions to go along with each cake (which aren't as easy as just leaving something out).
Although, if we were forced to sing only one praise for this book, it would be for the small quirky methods in how his ingredients are combined and chosen. He speaks with passion and science in his back pocket to help the reader learn why his methods to baking will provide exceptional results every time if followed. From insisting that using AP flour is the best way to go as long as it's weighed to using regular unsalted butter (nothing snooty as there's no real change to the taste of the cake) and using Extra Fine Baking Sugar to provide extra lift in the creaming stages of the process.
After reading it cover to cover, we made a list for every ingredient in the book and headed to the store. We haven't stopped baking since and have developed a ridiculous passion for his Citron Bundt Cake with supremes of lemon, grapefruit and orange added to the batter. You're sure to love it as much as we have, as will your neighbors and friends, because we promise once you start baking the recipes this book holds, there won't be any stopping until you've conquered them all!
Where To Find It:
• Cake Love: for $18.15 at Amazon.
• Cake Love: for $22 at Barnes and Noble.
Related: Weekend Cooking: Bake a Cake!
(Image: Amazon.com)
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Honestly, I don't get the love for Cake Love. Having tried and been disappointed by his cakes several times, I'd never use his cookbook.
I'm a huge fan of the straight foward wet/dry/flavoring method of baking a cake.
http://gabrielaskitchen.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/postres-pastel-de-leche-de-coco/
I took a basic chiffon cake recipe, simplified the mixing and complicated the flavors. I was very happy with the results! I'll have to check this book out!
I totally agree with Shawn. I've been to Cakelove several times and I'm usually disappointed. The frosting is fine, the cake has a weird texture and is flavorless (even if you let it warm to room temperature which they always say you need to but doesn't make any difference when I eat it). They're certainly not worth a $3 cupcake, especially compared to some of the other new cupcake places in DC.
I love CakeLove in DC!!!! I go every time i'm there!
yum yum yum! i just got the "babycakes" vegan baking book and now i want this one to!
i reluctantly agree with shawn and kestrel. i love the spirit of cake love, but the cakes are a little disappointing. i love butter as much as the next person but i feel like i am eating a stick of it whenever i have a CL cupcake. :(
I've only tried a couple of things at CakeLove which I did like, but I was a little disappointed with the cookbook. I literally did not make anything for months out of this since it requires so many special ingredients (potato starch, several liquors, etc). I did really enjoy reading the upfront part of the cookbook and the stories about cakes, but I've only made 1 recipe out of here because of all the things it requires.
tipperella - I didn't have many of the ingredients either. I hit up the liquor store for mini bottles which have worked fabulously for my cake baking needs and potato starch has made all the difference in the world and I'll always keep it on hand now!
I'd like to warn anyone interested in purchasing this book that his cakes are TERRIBLE!!! I live in the DC area and have tried cupcakes, cakes and pies from CakeLove several times and they are dry, clumpy messes - I was really surprised at all the hype surrounding his stores/show/cookbook. Oh and worst frosting ever!!
Cake Love stores smell wonderful when you walk by them, but the cakes themselves are really dense, dry, and flavorless. Many bakers are doing fabulous things with cupcakes these days, so going to Cake Love is especially disappointing.
Love his recipe for LCD pound cake! It's like crack, I tell you.
for whatever reason, cakelove seems to be love or hate it. a lot of people in the dc area have been and been very disappointed for whatever reason (heard complaints about the frosting). i like it, though. the few times i've been the cake is not too dry, frosting not too sweet. heck, i normally don't even like frosting and i'm okay with the frosting here!
I agree with gretchenalexis - it's totally love or hate. I'm on the love side and have to work really hard to stay out of that place, because it's not cheap in price or calories. But, I can tell you if my birthday cake has to come from somewhere, that's it.
Just made my first cake from this book. LCD pound cake and it is perfect. Honestly, I think people who don't care for his cake don't know much about cakes from scratch. His cakes aren't super sweet like Magnolia and they don't taste like a cake mix. They are... cakes from scratch. Give it a try!
I've made a few Warren Brown cakes and I loved his pumpkin-clove cake with eggnog buttercream.I also made is LCD cake and that was good too.Tried his yellow cake 2 times and it did come out to buttery and not light and fluffy but I did love his Italian meringue butter cream frosting.Some of his cakes do seem to weird to try.I just got his new book "united cakes of america" and they look really good and not as many scazy things inside these cakes.Can't wait to try.