Cake Style
Annie Dam

Search Press
10 October 2011 /ISBN-13: 9781844487806
How-To Books/Sugarcraft
Amazon US - UK

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde

Learn how to decorate cakes in this attractive and useful book. Taking you from basic recipes to the glorious finished item, if you work through these, you will never lack for sugar crafting know-how.

One thing I particularly like about this book is its originality and very contemporary look. There are flowers and bows, but not to excess; instead there is the quirky, the chic and the classy, which is sure to appeal to a wide range of different people. The author originates from Saigon, so there are no Christmas or Easter cakes in here, but you can find projects for weddings, baby showers, and birthdays, although most of the cakes will do for practically anything. Instructions take you from the flat icing through to the decorating with some small photographs to aid with the stages, although this is not a book for the total beginner. At the beginning there are a few pages dedicated to what you need to obtain, as well as how to level, split and fill cakes, work with sugarpaste, and other basics. There are recipes for three cakes (basic sponge, chocolate sponge and carrot cake) as well as for buttercream and royal icing, but mostly this is a book of projects. Luxuriate in some great ideas such as a cake covered with polka dots, a New York skyline, gift box, Mardi Gras mask, baroque and mosaics as well as my own favorite, the Japanese inspired bamboo cake topped with a teapot. Intermediate icers will find much to please them, while beginners would be advised to try something with more stages and illustrations first.