OP: Pretty Cakes

Harper and Row, New York, 1986. Hardcover. Near Fine. First printing.

Cakes, almost by definition, imply festivity. No judgments here if this is not the case for your household, but cakes, with all the effort put into making and decorating them, not to mention their multiportion size, are meant to be shown off and shared with others.

In their book Pretty Cakes (1986), food writer and editor Mary Goodbody and pastry instructor Jane Stacey illuminate the ways of prepping and planning elaborate baking projects, from piping and other decorative techniques to assembly and storage. By presenting the reader first with the recipe components (yellow cake, pound cake, dacquoise, buttercream, ganache, fondant, glaze, etc.), and then the ways in which they might be combined, they set the stage for individual experimentation and innovation. 

Of course, there are fully fleshed out concepts (strawberry trifle, black currant and poppyseed genoise, brandied Christmas fruitcake, and more), but the clear strength here is in establishing the skills to run off on one’s own. A refreshing crash course for anyone developing their cake-making expertise.

Our copy is a Near Fine first printing with minimal wear.