Musings by Knitwits Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson

Published: August 7th

Publisher: Ten Speed Press

Pages: 176

Copy: From publisher and Netgalley

Summary: Goodreads

A charming collection of updated recipes for both classic and forgotten cakes, from a timeless yellow birthday cake with chocolate buttercream frosting, to the Christmas standard, Bûche de Noël, written by a master baker and coauthor of Rustic Fruit Desserts.

Cakes are central to the way we celebrate, whether that celebration is a birthday, a wedding, or just a warm summer evening. With recipes for no-bake, roll, layer, and upside-down cakes from both the recent and more distant past, Vintage Cakes is a confectionary stroll down memory lane. Some of the delicious favorites to be rediscovered include: a frosted fairy cake (a hit at children’s birthday parties), the picnic-ready lemon icebox cake with white chocolate cream, and a boozy eggnog bundt cake with brandy butter glaze. With Richardson’s modern look at beloved baked goods, these 65 nostalgic and fool-proof recipes rekindle our love affair with cakes.

I was one of those lucky kids blessed with a mother, aunt and grandmother who baked - all the time.  And they all baked different things, which made it even sweeter (pardon the pun).  I remember standing watching all of them at one time or another, and thinking' one day I'll do that'.  Now I do, only very occasionally.  It seems that these days we have grown away from spending time in the kitchen and making things from 'scratch'.  Perhaps Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson will nudge you back into trying cake making again.

Vintage cakes is choc' full of gooey sweet goodness that is just crying out to be baked.  Arranged into chapters by type of cake, there is sure to be something that appeals to everyone.  Try Hasty Cakes - Rhubarb Pudding Cake anyone?; Everday Cakes - how does Not For Children Gingerbread Bundt Cake sound? (it's the brandy that's the key here); Little Cakes and Light Cakes - Boston Cream Pielets for dessert sounds good; Flips and Rolls; Layer Cakes; Party Cakes - Double Dip Caramel Cake sounds like heaven - and then there's a chapter just on Fillings, Frostings and Icings - 19 of them if I counted correctly. Oh my mouth is watering just looking at these pages.

Each individual recipe is explained clearly and although some are a little long, all of them sound wonderful.  I did wish there were a few more pictures of these wonderful cakes, but then I reminded myself that my grandmother et al didn't have coloured pictures to look at when they baked, just a recipe.  They tried it once and if everyone liked it, it got made again.  Vintage Cakes just cries out to be tried once, twice, over and over again.  Have a look for it and see if you can resist it. I tried the Lemon and Almond Streamliner Cake and - though I say it myself - mmmmmmmm good! Now which one will I try next?