Dorie's anytime cakes

This most recent in the delightful Greenspan's (Baking with Dorie, 2021) extensive recipe collection will be a fun addition for bakers who thrive on the smiles their culinary creations induce in friends and family. With the advice that "if you follow the rules, you're just about guaranteed to pull something good from the oven," Greenspan sets readers up for success. Tips on tricky elements like effectively using dried fruits and selecting the right kind of baking pans, and advanced techniques like making nut flours or expertly folding in ingredients preface the recipes, which are cleverly organized by cake shape. Colorful, whimsical, realistic illustrations of the finished products inspire, and extensive notes, tips, and suggestions for "playing around" will encourage repeat makes until the baker has crafted their perfect, signature variation. From a basic olive oil cake, to easy-to-share loaf cakes, to showier fare like Bundt cakes with glazes and adornments, this is a fun compilation that will find a wide audience.

Fans of Greenspan (Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple) already trust her to deliver toothsome treats that are both classic and creative, and her latest book will sate their appetite for even more sweet treats, with a focus on round cakes, loaf cakes, bundt cakes, cakes with corners, baby cakes, and salty cakes. Greenspan shares her early cake memories, offers a chapter on basic techniques and best practices, and delivers well-tested, straightforward, yet not simplistic recipes, along with a dollop of advice in each headnote. These cakes range from the unusual (Sasha's Grated Apple Cake, an experiment in textures that delivers an almost pie-like crumb) and extra (Pudding Puff Cake that eats like a massive éclair) to the nostalgic (Grammy's Easy Cake, with choose-your-own-adventure flavor options). These recipes will make their way into lunchboxes and after-school snack rotations, as well as more show-stopping events, all while reminding bakers of the magic of exploring textures and flavors. VERDICT Greenspan has written what is sure to be among the year's best baking books, which will have readers thinking about the rich ways in which cakes have been a source of inspiration to bake, eat, share, and repeat.--Emily Bowles