GREAT READS

Cake Love: How to Bake Cakes from Scratch

Warren Brown

CakeLove is both cookbook and restaurant.  Owner and author Warren Brown is a DC lawyer who gave up legal cases for legendary cakes.  His cook book has cake recipes you won't find anywhere else.  Whip up a Pumpkin Clove Pound Cake, a Rum Runner, or a Mr. Banana Legs.  The recipes look a bit daunting but once you get started, there isn't anything too difficult to master.   Some of the ingredients will be harder to find, but not impossible.  The book offers resources where specialty items can be purchased online, and you can always cheat with more common alternatives (I think Warren will forgive us if we get our cardamom from a jar in the spice isle instead of grinding our own pods).  The book also often calls for spirits, which can be a big commitment of cost and a long partnership with the rest of the bottle if you don't regularly use what the recipe calls for.  There are instructions for alcohol free versions if you don't want to invest.  Be sure you have a little time for an extra workout after you bake, because these cakes call for real butter, and heavy creams which make a heavenly difference in the taste.  Despite being rich, these cakes are not overly sweet.  This is a refreshing shift from your standard cake recipe and one of Warren's claims to fame.  While a bit more intense than a Betty Crocker cookbook, the unique experience of making and more importantly, eating a "Cakelove" cake is worth a little extra investment and challenge.  So be sure to check it out and share a little "Cakelove" with your friends and family. This book is worth a peek even for the kitchen-challenged.  The pictures and cake descriptions are enough to make flipping through the book an adventure by itself. Let your eyes eat up the tempting images as your imagination bakes every quirky cake.  Just want a taste?  Visit www.cakelove.com for CakeLove store locations. You can even order a cake to be delivered if you want to leave the work to Warren. Don't let the culinary adventure stop there!  The library is a great place to try before you buy.  We have cook books for every diet: heart-friendly, gluten free, organic, sugar free, chocolate filled, fat free, quick-to-make, vegetarian, regional cuisines, vegan, traditional favorites and budget friendly. 

Recommended by Megan Willan