[.ca] The Whimsical Bakehouse: Fun-to-Make Cakes That Taste as ... (ISBN 0609608967)

LOVE IT!:
I purchased this book because I enjoy baking birthday cakes for my children, but, I'm a novice cake baker/decorator and am in need of some guidance. The simple instructions and wonderful pictures are an asset and the recipes alone are worth the price of the book. Some decorating techniques are currently beyond my capabilities but they are inspiring and with each cake I'm improving my decorating skills. I was truly pleased by ALL the recipes I have tried. Each was as good, if not superior to the 'better' bakeshops in my city. I have made the house buttercream, cookies and cream filling, pinwheel cake, and vanilla cupcakes. Plus, by following their instructions, I made my first 3-tiered cake that didn't tilt to one side!

EXCELLENT:
I bought this book because I was looking for fresh ideas on decorating cakes. I was absolutely amazed by the beautiful chocolate run-out designs shown here, (though the colors of the cakes themselves are a bit bright and tacky for my taste). I was a bit disappointed that the basic confectioners chocolate and candy colors are not available in my country but was more than compensated for that by the sumptuous recipes this book includes! I have tried several already and they are fabulous. This is absolutely the most original cake-decorating book I've ever seen. Go ahead and order!!

Unbelievably Tasty!:
The cake and frosting recipes are delicious! You really can make a fun, decorative cake that catches attention -- but tastes fantastic too! I've done a lot of decorating that I was proud of the look, but almost embarrassed for people to eat. Not with this book! Even if you don't want/need to create a decorative cake, buy this book just for the recipes! That being said, I only gave the book 4 stars because it is certainly not intended for the beginner. And I don't just mean the beginner decorator, but even the beginner baker. While the recipes are easier than they first appear, they do still require a pretty well-equipped kitchen. For instance, I was very glad to have a stand mixer when making Kaye's butter cream recipe which requires 15+ minutes of mixing! Also, it seems that most of the decorating involves making things with melted chocolate wafers and adding it to the cake, rather than what I consider "traditional" cake decorating like borders, flowers, etc. But still worth it!

Good ideas but somewhat disappointing:
I bought this book because I was looking for an alternative to inedible-tasting fondant. The cakes are certainly whimsical. A couple are tacky but the majority look marvelous. The first recipe I tried, Julie's Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cheesecake, was disappointing. It sounds delicious but was far too dense- not in a rich, decadent way but in a terribly heavy, can't even eat it way. I'm also not crazy about the organization of the material. The cake recipes, filling recipes and design ideas are all over the place. I'm still hopeful though that my next attempt will fare better.

A must have for Cake Bakers:
This book is filled with beautiful workd of art. Each and every cake has its own individual charm. All the recipes that I have made have been a huge hit.