Cake Cookbooks: The BIGGEST List You’ve Ever Seen

All About Cake: A Milk Bar Cookbook (2018) by Christina Tosi (Amazon) (eBay)

It’s 288 pages of Christina Tosi’s greatest hits recipes in All About Cake: A Milk Bar Cookbook. Jump into this 8.82 x 1 x 10.3-inch cookbook devoted to cake.

Chapters include: TMI; Bundts, Pounds, and a Fluffy Little Cake from Heaven; Hot Cakes!; Sheet Cakes for the Masses; Cupcakes (if you must); Cake Truffles Make the World Go ‘Round; Get Fancy with Layer Cakes; Veganity.

Key Lime Pie Cake, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, or Mint Chocolate Chip Cake? Dulce de Leche Sheet Cake or Mint Chocolate Chip Molten Mug Cake? Choose U.S. cups or grams. Note that if you make Christina Tosi’s Pumpkin Pie Cake, the salt should be one teaspoon, not one Tablespoon.

American Cake: From Colonial Gingerbread to Classic Layer, the Stories and Recipes Behind More Than 125 of Our Best-Loved Cakes (2016) by Anne Byrn (Amazon) (eBay)

You know her as the Cake Mix Doctor (which has no home on Little Indiana Bakes), but Anne Byrn goes homemade this time. This cookbook is a step through time, beginning with gingerbread and pound cakes and advancing through the years and changes in modern tech and culture. It’s a 352-page, 8.3 x 1.1 x 10.2-inch cookbook. Photos accompany every recipe.

Chapters include: 1650 to 1799: Baking Cakes in Early America, Chapter 2: 1800 to 1869: New Cakes and New Directions, Chapter 3: 1870 to 1899: A Scientific Approach: Baking Powder and Fannie Farmers, Chapter 4: 1900 to 1916: Birth of the American Layer Cake, Chapter 5: 1917 to 1943: Baking the Good Times and The Bad Times, Chapter 6: 1946 to 1962: Tupperware, Bake-Offs, and a New Domesticity, Chapter 7: 1963 to 1979: American Cake Times are a-Changin’, Chapter 8: 1980 to 1999: Cakes Born in the USA, Chapter 9: 2000 to the Present: The Cakes of the New Millennium, Chapter 10: Frostings and Icings.

Baked Alaska, Robert Redford Cake, Sister Sadie’s Honey Cake, Lane Cake … all the historic cake names you know are here. Recipes may include a sidebar mentioning a bit of history or deeper info there or a bit about a well-known baker. It’s an interesting mix of cake recipes and U.S. history. If you enjoy reading cookbooks, you’ll adore American Cake.

Beautiful Bundts: 100 Recipes for Delicious Cakes and More (2017) by Julie Anne Hession (Amazon) (eBay)

If you’ve only used your Bundt pan for cake, you’re in for a treat. Look at the bonus section sharing other ways to use of your Bundt pan. Otherwise, enjoy 100 recipes with full-color images in this Bundt cake cookbook.

Chapters include: Part One: All About Bundts, Part Two: All About Recipes.

Cherry, Vanilla and Chocolate Chunk Swirl Bundt Cake, Chocolate Cherry Almond Gugelhupf, Lemon Blueberry Streusel Bundt, or Maple-Glazed Raspberry Swirl Bundt cake gives you a heap of options. It looks like a wonderful Bundt cake cookbook.

You’ll need a 10-, 12- and 15-cup Bundt pan if you want to make the Bundt recipes in this book (use a second cake pan or muffin tin for extra batter if you sub in a smaller Bundt pan).

Best Recipes: Cakes Cookbook (1992) by the Editors of Best Recipes (Amazon) (eBay)

The Best Recipes Cakes Cookbook appears to hold the same recipes as Cooking Class Cake Cookbook (1994) by Publications International, Ltd. The difference is in the formatting. Best Recipes uses a single page and a single image for each recipe. It also includes a blurb at the top from the recipe submitter. It’s a 96-page cookbook.

Chapters include: Class Notes, The Classics, The Chocolate Collection, Full-O-Fruit Cakes, Potpourri, Decadent Cheesecakes.

Since the recipes are the same in both books, I’ll list a few more particularly tasty-sounding recipes, such as the Lemon Dream Cheesecake, Champion Pumpkin Cake with Snow Frosting, and the Velvety Coconutan.

The Birthday Cake Book (2008) by Dede Wilson (Amazon) (eBay)

Almost 50 celebration cake recipes await in this mix-and-match cookbook. Much like Cake Magic (shared below), this 164-page, 8.5 x 1 x 8.25-inch book combines three cake components for a custom cake: cake flavor, fillings, and frostings.

Chapters include: Basic Cakes, Basic Frostings, Buttercreams, and Fillings, The Birthday Cakes.

Will you make The Office Birthday Cake the next time a coworker has a birthday or a Confetti ‘n’ Sprinkles Cake when you want to celebrate with cake? Maybe the Heart of Gold Chocolate Raspberry Cake, Liquored-Up Layer Cake with Vanilla Buttercream and Crystalized Flowers, or the Mocha Toffee Crunch Cake is more your style.

Birthday Cakes: Recipes and Memories from Celebrated Bakers (2004) by Kathryn Kleinman (Amazon) (eBay)

If you enjoy baking and reading, check out this 8.7 x 0.8 x 9.4-inch book. More than 50 full-color images feature the cakes and faces of chefs you know and love, including Alice Medrich, Marion Cunningham, and Julia Child.

Recipes include a few sentences, but the birthday-cake-centered essays are on separate pages. Images abound in the 144-page book.

Chapters include: No chapters. This book opens with a list of all the recipes and page numbers.

Find Laurie Colwin’s Gingerbread Cake with Chocolate Frosting recipe. We love her gingerbread cake. I serve the recipe from her More Home Cooking memoir for breakfast. Maida Heatter shares her Carrot Cake, the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated offer up Easiest Hot Fudge Pudding Cake, Flo Braker includes Baby Cakes, while Bradley Ogden provides Old-Fashioned Banana Spice Cake.

Bundt Cake Bliss: Delicious Desserts from Midwest Kitchens (2007) by Susanna Short (Amazon) (eBay)

It’s a 144-page, 7 x 0.4 x 9-inch compilation of Bundt cake recipes. Roughly half the recipes are homemade. You won’t find images, but there are illustrations scattered throughout.

Chapters include: Section One: Recipes: Chocolate Cakes, Coffee Cakes, Harvest Bundts, Springtime Bundts, Bundts off the Beaten Path, Section Two: Glazes, Frostings, and Sauces: Glazes, Frostings and Fillings, Sauces.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip Bundt, Apricot Almond Pound Cake, Great St. Louis Orange Ring Cake, Over-the-Rainbow Ice Cream Mold, and Green Chili Cornbread look good to me.

Bundt Classics (2003) by Dorothy Dalquist (Amazon) (eBay)

It’s a 96-pager, published by Nordicware with 150 classic and award-winning recipes collected from national bake-offs, state fairs, and recipe contestants. You won’t find images inside, but you will find a nice assortment of recipes.

Chapters include: Bundt History, Hints and Tips, Cakes and Desserts, Breads, Savory Recipes, Charts.

Will you slice into Pear Cake with Rum Sauce? Latte Pound Cake, Graham Cracker Cake, Coconut White Chocolate Cake, or Peanut Brittle Crunch Cake? Some recipes (not those I pulled) begin with a cake mix, but fortunately, there are plenty of homemade Bundt cake recipes.

The Bundt Collection: Over 131 Recipes for the Bundt Cake Enthusiast (2020) by Editor Brian Hoffman (Amazon) (eBay)

You’ll need a 6-cup Bundt pan, a 10-cup Bundt pan, and a 15-cup Bundt pan if you want to make all of the 70+ recipes in this 200-page, 8.75 x 0.75 x 10.25-inch book.

If you sub in a smaller Bundt, you’ll need to pour the excess into a second cake pan or cupcake tin to avoid overflow. Lovely images of Bundt cakes abound.

Chapters include: Unknown. Sorry, I tried.

If you love the Bake From Scratch magazine as I do, you’ll enjoy this Bundt-focused cookbook. Choose among Apple Pecan Spice Cake With Toffee Glaze, Red Velvet Bundt Cake, S’Mores Bundt, or the Hummingbird Bundt Cake.

There are several pages of historical info about the humble Bundt pan, so like many other cookbooks, you’ll dig deeper into the cookbook before the recipes begin.

The Cake Bible (1988) by Rose Levy Beranbaum (Amazon) (eBay)

I yelped when I saw The Cake Bible at one of my favorite places to go cookbook shopping, Mondragon Books in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. I hankered after this cookbook for so long — and there it was, used (my preferred format because I love finding when people write in their cookbooks).

The Cake Bible is a 592-page, 7 x 1.73 x 10-inch cookbook, including volume and weight in ounces and grams. The recipe layout is different from the norm based on the type of measuring style you use. If you already own The Baking Bible, also by Rose, then you’ll understand.

Chapters include: Part 1: Cakes: Simply Delicious Foolproof Cakes: Butter Cakes; Fruit, Vegetable, and Bread Cakes; Custard Cakes; Breakfast Cakes; Sponge-Type Cakes; Showcakes. Part 2: Complementary Adornments for All Cakes: Buttercream Frostings and Fillings; Cream Frostings and Fillings; Custard Cream Fillings and Sauces; Meringue Icings, Fillings, and Decorations; Candy and Nut Embellishments: Fruit Toppings and Purees; Special Effects and Decorative Techniques: Preparing the Cake, Covering the Cake, Hand-Molded and Cutout Decorations, Piped Shapes for Charlotte Russe, Special Meringue Piping Techniques, Chocolate, Piped Decorations: Ingredients, Equipment; Part 4: Special Section for Professionals and Passionate Amateurs: Understanding Cakes: Understanding Butter Cakes, Understanding Genoise and Sponge (Foam)-Type Cakes; Foolproof Formulas and Techniques for Making Large Wedding and Special Occasion Cakes: Butter Wedding Cakes; Genoise Wedding Cakes; Wedding Cheesecakes; Large-Scale Buttercream for Wedding Cakes; Frosting, Tiering, and Storing Wedding Cakes; Transporting and Serving Wedding Cakes.

If you don’t want to just bake cakes but want to learn a little something in the process, The Cake Bible does just that. Learn what happens when you swap an ingredient, for example. These recipes will work. Rose is precise.

Look at the Strawberry Maria, the Golden Almond Cake, and the White Velvet Sand Cake. Oh, and the All-Occasion Downy Yellow Butter Cake. Do note that this book is arranged a bit differently in terms of imaging too.

Find full-color cake images at the front of the book, with scant black-and-white illustrations of kitchen items and step-by-step techniques. But who needs them? This is a tried-and-true baking classic for a reason.

The Cake Book: Beautiful Sweet Treats for Every Craving (2021) by Rebecca Firth (Amazon) (eBay)

It’s an 8.05 x 0.7 x 9.3-inch cookbook, 192-page book. Olive oil, mayonnaise, or espresso are found in many of the recipes. Don’t let any of those ingredients throw you off (fyi, coffee flavoring amps up chocolate depth but doesn’t add the flavor of coffee).

Chapters include: Party Favorites: Cakes to Celebrate Life; Cakes to Eat with Champagne: Also Known as Breakfast and Brunch Cakes; Casual Cakes: Loaf Cakes, Tea Cakes, and Other Shenanigans; Single and Fabulous: Single Layer Cakes in All Their Glory; Mega Jazz Hands: Cakes with Flair; Big Beautiful Bundts; Baby Cakes: Mini Treats for Good Times; Holiday Cakes: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

Pick among Bubbie’s Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Whipped Cream, Mega Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate-Coconut Candy Bar Cake, or Chocolate Peanut Butter Graham Cake. Yes, this book has more than chocolate cakes, but I’m in a chocolate mood.

The Cake Collection: Over 100 Recipes for the Baking Enthusiast (Amazon) (eBay)

You can almost taste the image of the Hummingbird Cake on the cover of the 200-page, 9 x 0.75 x 10.5-inch cookbook. It’s a fave of the editor and could be a new favorite with you, too, if you own this glorious cookbook. It won’t be the first time I say that if you know and love the Bake from Scratch magazine, then you know these are some of the best baking cookbooks.

Chapters include: Cake and Frosting; Caked in Chocolate; Hello, Holiday; Around the World; Fresh and Fruity; Spice is Nice; Reimagined Classics.

Expect foofier recipes, beautiful images, and interesting flavors. Folks looking for only the most basic cake recipes, like Devil’s Food or Red Velvet, may be disappointed. But for those who live for the hours they spend in the kitchen, choose among Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Cake, Peanut Butter Chocolate Marble Cake, German Chocolate Cake, or Pecan Pie Cake (if you can).

If you like to play in the kitchen and don’t mind special ingredients, such as black cocoa or crème fraiche, then you will be OVER THE MOON about this one.

Cake by Courtney (2021) by Courtney Rich (Amazon) (eBay)

Instagrammer Courtney Rich amassed a large social media following with her handle, Cake by Courtney, where she shares all things cake. This 416-page cookbook builds on Courtney’s love of cake, featuring more than 75 of her family favorite cake recipes.

Chapters include: Cake Essentials, Cake Class, Happy Birthday to Me, Obsessed with Peanut Butter, My Four Favorite Seasons, Give Me All The Chocolate, On The Road Again, Holidays Are Life, Late Night Cravings, My Vintage Crush.

Courtney’s homemade cake recipes look lovely. From the Chai White Chocolate Raspberry Cake to the Lemon Blueberry Cake or the Chocolate Coconut Caramel Cake and Peanut Butter Graham Cake, it may be hard to choose which cake to bake first.

Fortunately, the difficulty key located with each recipe will help you. Choose from beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Some readers mention various errors, so read each recipe before you begin (but you do that anyway, right?). Happy baking!

Cake Keeper Cakes: 100 Simple Recipes for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes, Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes, and Other Good-to-the-Last-Crumb Treats (2009) by Lauren Chattman (Amazon) (eBay)

What happens when you bake and eat cake every day for almost a year? This 8 x 0.43 x 8-inch, 172-page snacking cake cookbook with 100 recipes. It’s perfect for finding a use for the domed cake holder you’ve been keeping in the linen closet or China cabinet. Some color images; heaps of recipes you’ll want to make.

Chapters include: Snacking Cakes, Round Cakes, Loaf Cakes, Bundt Cakes, Crumb Cakes and Other Cakes Baked in a Springform Pan, Angel Food and Chiffon Cakes.

I love having a cake sitting in my fancy cake keeper. It’s something I’ve often done, but this snack cakes cookbook helps take the guesswork out of finding a suitable homemade recipe.

Cinnamon Pudding Cake, Fresh Strawberry Cake with White Chocolate Chips, Cream of Coconut Cake with Chocolate Coconut Glaze, and Chocolate Raspberry Marble Pound Cake with Chocolate Raspberry Glaze are on my have-to list. I might just make the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pound Cake today. Who’s with me?

Cake Love: How to Bake Cakes from Scratch (2008) by Warren Brown (Amazon) (eBay)

If Warren Brown seems familiar, it’s because you may have seen him on Sugar Rush, a 2005-2007 Food Network show he hosted. Talk about delicious recipes for cake. You’ll discover more than 50 cake recipes from this former lawyer-turned-baker. It’s a 224-page, 9 x 1 x 10-inch book with detailed step-by-step techniques using full-color images.

Readers enjoy the way he offers alcohol-free substitutes for common baking ingredients. Warren makes everything look oh, so easy. Note that you will need extra fine sugar (you’ll see this listed as caster sugar in U.K. baking cookbooks) and potato starch (yes, that IS DIFFERENT from cornstarch!) to bake his cakes.

Chapters include: Pound Cakes, Butter Cakes, Foam Cakes, Frostings and Glazes, Fillings, Meringues, Cake Assembly.

Although Warren Brown has since closed the doors to his bakeries, he’s still baking. Discover his United Cakes of America cookbook below. In the meantime, bake cake like Clove-Anise Spice Pound Cake, Mr. Banana Legs, Tres Leches Butter Cake, or Coconut-Pineapple Crunchy Feet. This man knows cake.

Cake Magic: Mix and Match Your Way to 100 Amazing Combinations (2016) by Caroline Wright (Amazon) (eBay)

If you love images with every cake recipe, this 186-page, 7.85 x 0.85 x 8.5-inch cookbook is the item for you. The main content won’t begin until page 142. The majority of previous pages included images of a cake and then the various recipes for filling, syrup, and frosting you need to use to make the same thing. It’s brilliant.

Chapters include: Vanilla Cakes, Chocolate Cakes, Citrus Cakes, Brown Sugar Cakes, Fruit and Veggie Cakes, Nutty Cakes, Coconut Cakes, Mocha Cakes, Putting It All Together, The Recipes

Start with the Cake Magic! Cake Mix. Yes, it’s the scratch-made base to your homemade cake. Using this base, you can create any cake you want by flipping pages to the recipes you’ll need. Mulberry Street Cake is a combination of mocha cake, amaretto syrup, and Nutella frosting.

Irish Coffee Cake begins with a mocha base, adds syrup made with Bailey’s, and malted vanilla frosting. Coconut Cake with Strawberry Frosting, Spiced Almond Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, and Dinner Party Cake (almond butter cake with orange syrup and salted caramel frosting) make my list. Mmm, the Peanut Butter Cup Cake looks amazing too. How will I ever decide which cake to make first? What a fantastic book.

Cakes (1984) by Barbara Maher (Amazon) (eBay)

Made and printed in Great Britain, you won’t find images, but you will enjoy illustrations by Thao Soun. Comprehensive is a good word to describe this 384-page English cookbook. You’ll use grams and ounces here.

Chapters include: Basic Pastries; Fresh Creams, Cooked Creams, and Fillings; Boiling Sugar; Icings and Decorations; Perfumes, Aromatics, and Candied Fruits; Sponges and Biscuits; Choux Pastry; Meringues; Yeast Baking; Chocolate; Gateaux and Torten; Pound Cakes; Tea Breads and Coffee Cakes; Potato and Carrot Cakes; Tarts and Pies; Tarts and Pies with Fresh Fruit; Fresh Fruit Cakes; Dried Fruit Cakes; Wedding Cakes; Cheese Cakes; Nuts; the Spice Box; Friandises and Biscuits.

Some of the recipes include a lot of history. It’s a neat mix of a recipe book and reading material. If you want to make UK-baked goods, this would be a fun place to begin—as long as you can handle the lack of images. Chocolate Almond Slices, Chocolate Truffle Cake, and American Devil’s Food Cake (funny to see it written like that, isn’t it?) beg to be baked. I hardly know half of the cakes in this book—which is quite exciting.

Cakes: 1001 Classic Recipes from Around the World (2003) by Reader’s Digest (Amazon) (eBay)

It’s a heavy 360-page, 9.5 x 1.2 x 11.26-inch cookbook. Every page includes a full-color image, whether it is of a finished cake or an ingredient. This book will keep you busy.

Chapters include: Butter Cakes, Pound Cakes, Chocolate Cakes, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Cakes, Fried Fruit and Nut Cakes, Sponge Cakes and Rolls, Festive Cakes, Meringue Cakes and Dacquoises, Strudels, Charlottes, Cheesecakes, No-Bake Cakes, Tarts, Small Cakes and Muffins, Yeast Cakes, Special Cakes, Fillings and Frostings.

The Irish Cream Cake and Opera Cake command attention. I’m interested in the Chocolate Cake with Chantilly Cream, Orange Cream Sponge (it looks lovely), and the Pear and Hazelnut Gateau. Flip to the Festive Cakes chapter for cakes for birthdays, weddings, and April Fool’s Day. Yes, there is a recipe for an April Fool’s Day Fish Cake (and it is hilarious).

Cakes and Cake Decorating (1984) by Rosemary Wadey (Amazon) (eBay)

With over 180 recipes, you’ll find plenty of cake recipes to keep you busy in this 159-page cookbook.

Chapters include: Sponge and Sandwich Cakes, Little Cakes, Family Cakes, Scones and Tea Breads, Yeasted Fare, Biscuits and Cookies, Gateaux and Cheesecakes, Celebration Cakes, Icings and Fillings, Basic Pastries, The Art of Cake Decoration, Successful Cake-Making.

This cookbook uses both the metric/Imperial and American measurements. The Ginger Cream Sandwich Cake, Coffee Fudge Cake, Orange Layer Cake, and Sherried Spice Cake sound great to me. Enjoy the mix of photos and illustrations.

Cakes to Die For! (2010) by Bev Shaffer (Amazon) (eBay)

Flip through 175 cake recipes in this 288-page cookbook. There aren’t images with every recipe, but there are clear directions and recipes for cake you won’t even believe. This is the cake cookbook you’ve been waiting for. Look to the margins for “A Slice of Advice from Bev” for tips of all kinds. I cannot get enough of this cookbook.

Chapters include: A Slice of Advice: Tips to Help You Rise Above the Mix!, Layer Cakes, Cupcakes and Baby Cakes, Cheesecakes, Coffeecakes and “Flipped Over” Cakes, Fancy-Schmancy Cakes, One-Pan Wonders, Loaf Cakes and Snack Cakes, My Mixes Cakes Plus Frostings.

Dark Chocolate Mocha Cake with Raspberry Filling, Buttermilk Fudge Cake with a Chocolate “Gloss,” Peanut Butter Lover’s Cake with Creamy Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting, and Bev’s Banana Split Cake with Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce are in the front of this book.

A brief flip-through revealed Festive Gingerbread Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting (we love gingerbread so much) and Patriot’s Cake (Red, White, and Blue), a white cake with a blueberry filling and strawberry topping. If you love cake as I do, you need this cookbook.

Cakes Galore (2006) by Valerie Barrett (Amazon) (eBay)

It’s a 192-page, 7.75 x 0.75 x 8.75-inch cake extravaganza by a former food editor and recipe tester at Good Housekeeping magazine. It was also confusing to find my version. There are other versions, one of which is a British edition, so double-check before you commit. My book’s ISBN 13: 978-1-84601-122-1. Not every recipe has an image, but for those that do, they are full-color, full-page pictures.

Chapters include: Grandma’s Favorites, Afternoon Tea, Special Occasion Cakes, Cakes for Kids, Dessert Cakes, Healthy and Special Diet Cakes.

You can tell this was originally a U.K. cookbook — the term “traybake” is used once or twice. Dark Jamaican Ginger Cake, Praline Layer Cake, plus Lemon and Lime Love Cake spark my interest. Okay, throw Gooey Chocolate Cake into the mix too. You won’t want for a new cake recipe here.

Cake Simple: Recipes for Bundt-Style Cakes From Classic Dark Chocolate to Luscious Lemon-Basil (2011) by Christie Matheson (Amazon) (eBay)

This is an adorable book—perfectly fitting in with the retro appeal of the beloved Bundt. You may know Christie Matheson from one of her well-known cookbook collaborations, Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery and Cafe (she was a coauthor with Pastry Love author, James Beard award-winner, and pastry chef Joanne Chang).

The text may be tricky for some to see. It doesn’t use black ink. This cookbook uses cups and grams. Every recipe in the 132-page, 7.5 x 0.75 x 8.5-inch cookbook includes a great full-color image.

Chapters include: Better-than-Ever Bundt Cakes, Gooey, Swirly Bundt Decadence, Bundt Cakes for Food Snobs, Mini Bundts: Cuter than a Cupcake.

I want to bake the Yellow Cake with Chocolate Ganache (because my oldest loves yellow cake), the S’More! Cake (because my youngest would love it), and the Gingerbread with Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting Cake (because we all love gingerbread). Oh, and Tunnel of Fudge Redux because #chocolate.

Cooking Class Cake Cookbook (1994) by Publications International, Ltd. (Amazon) (eBay)

New bakers will enjoy the large image accompanying every recipe, plus a series of smaller images to show a technique in this 94-page cookbook. Although the images don’t have the sharpness of shots taken today, they are quite well done.

Chapters include: Class Notes, The Classics, The Chocolate Collection, Full-O-Fruit Cakes, Potpourri, Decadent Cheesecakes.

I wish Neighbor Donna were around. She would have enjoyed the Sweet Zucchini Spice Cake. She used to leave her zucchini bread on my dining room table. It was the only zucchini bread I ever liked. The Burnt Sugar Cake with Caramel Frosting is one fine confection. I’d enjoy trying the recipe for Boston Cream Pie or White Buttermilk Cake with Creamy Frosting.

Everyday Cake: 45 Simple Recipes for Layer, Bundt, Loaf, and Sheet Cakes (2022) by Polina Chesnakova (Amazon) (eBay)

It’s another cookbook featuring simple cakes that won’t take all day to bake. This 6.8 x 0.6 x 8-inch, 176-page cookbook is a little different because it’s organized by the type of pan used. I kind of like that idea. Note: It’s not the cookbook size you’re used to, so a recipe may spread over multiple pages if they include images.

Chapters include: Bundt and Tube, Round, Square and Rectangular, Loaf Pans.

Try the Frosted Apple-Cinnamon Oat Cake, the Earl Grey Tea Cake, or the Rhubarb Buttermilk Bundt Cake. I do love a good bundt cake (and rhubarb). Recipes may require special ingredients, such as rose water, spelt flour, and various dried flowers.

The Family Circle Cake and Cooky Cookbook (1953) by Family Circle, Inc. (Amazon) (eBay)

Black and white images illustrate techniques or highlight lovely cakes. There are some color images, too, in the 144-page cookbook (including the index, as always).

Chapters include: Successful Cakes and Cookies, Ingredients You Will Need, Equipment You Will Need for Baking, Baking at High Altitudes, How To Use Your Oven, Make the Most of Cake Mixes, Ways with Store-Bought Cake, Cakes to Cream: (Gold and White Cakes, Chocolate Cakes, Spice and Molasses Cakes, Nut and Fruit Cakes), One-Bowl Cakes, Chiffon Cakes, Angel Cake, Spongecake, How To Store Cakes and Cookies, Wrap It as a Gift, Seven Ways to Cut a Cake, How To Freeze Cakes and Cookies, Special Cakes for Special Holidays, Birthday Cakes, Wedding Cakes, How To Use Cake Decorating Set, It’s Easy to Decorate a Cake If You …, Uncooked Frostings, Cooked Frostings, Fillings, Toppings, Glazes, Small Cakes, Drop Cookies, Refrigerator Cookies, Bar Cookies, Rolled Cookies, Christmas Cookies, Molded and Shaped Cookies, Make Cookies from Packaged Mixes, Jiffy Party Cookies, Cooky Patterns, Does Your Cake Look Like This?.

Orange Coconut Cake, Chocolate Cream Cake, and New Orleans Sugar Cake sound appealing. Pine Valley Graham Cake, Butterscotch Cake, and Fluted Chocolate Cake make my bake list too.

Favorite Cakes: Showstopping Recipes for Every Occasion (2017) by Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen (Amazon) (eBay)

Bake through 40 recipes in the 112-page, 7.75 x 0.6 x 8.81-inch cookbook. Unlike most Williams-Sonoma cookbooks, this one does not include images with every recipe. However, it provides ideas for customizing your cakes and typical decorating tips and techniques.

Chapters include: Modern Classics, Specialty Cakes, Basic Recipes.

Angel Food Cake, Vanilla Ombre Cake with Buttercream Frosting, and Coconut and Lime Curd Layer Cake caught my eye. That ombre cake is stunning. The Coconut and Caramel Sheet Cake sounds amazing. It’s Williams-Sonoma so you know it’s good stuff.

Gateau: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes (2022) by Aleksandra Crapanzano (Amazon) (eBay)

Oh la la! Hands down the most adorable cookbook. Author Aleksandra Crapanzano has been a dessert column writer for the Wall Street Journal since Gourmet ended (*sob*) and is a James Beard–winning writer. You can trust this woman. No images but great stories and history.

Chapters include: The Simplest of Classics; Apple, Pear, Berry, Stone Fruit, and Citrus Cakes; Regional Classics; Nut Cakes and Tortes; Chocolate Cakes; Cakes to Layer; The Chic, Delicious, and Playful; Madeleines, Financiers, Visitandines; Holiday Cakes; Savory Cakes; To Soak To Sauce To Coat to Fill To Ice To Drizzle To Spoon.

I don’t know where to begin this time. Brush off your dusty French when you read the Table of Contents. I last set foot in Mme. Carey’s class in 1998. I kid. Bake Gateau Breton, Gateau Ispahan de Dorie et Pierre, Cake Chocolate Orange, and Gateau au Chocolate Marbre for fun. More than 100 recipes and sweet illustrations make it pretty to look at and delicious to use.

Grandbaby Cakes: Modern Recipes, Vintage Charm, Soulful Memories (2015) by Jocelyn Delk (Amazon) (eBay)

I’ve been a fan since I read an interview with Jocelyn Deck in the January and February 2021 edition of Bake from Scratch magazine (Amazon, eBay). I mean, she not only said she believes a cookbook should be used, her cookbook includes a place to pen your name under the title, “First generation to own this book.” I like that. Her book is meant to provide familiar favorites, “… fun and hip cake creations with exciting new flavors for you to explore.”

Jocelyn’s philosophy is much like mine — she enjoys baking with family for the sheer fun of it. I know I love nothing more than piling into my dollhouse kitchen. Images of cake and her family accompany many recipes. So, too, does large blocks of text. It’s a cookbook to read, bake from, and love to pieces.

Chapters include: Pound Cakes, Layer Cakes, Sheet Cakes, Baby Cakes, Celebration Cakes, Seasons and Holidays.

Teaspoons denote how difficult a recipe is. They range from GrandBaby Cakes (the least amount of time and effort, taking less than an hour), Mama Cakes (expect one to three hours for prep and baking), and Big Mama Cakes (advanced recipes that could take more than three steps or components and sometimes an overnight stage). Her “GrandBaby Notes,” or helpful tips, appear in italics to give you a helping hand.

I’m thrilled by the Dreamsicle Punch Bowl Cake, her Red Velvet Cake with Blackberry-Cream Cheese Whipped Topping, the decadent Mississippi Mud Cake (this would be a company showstopper), and Strawberry Coconut Cake. Strawberry Cake is my favorite, yet a good one is rare and hard to find. This looks like a winner, as do all the recipes in this must-have cake compendium.

The Great British Baking Show: The Big Book of Amazing Cakes (Amazon) (eBay)

It’s the first official “Americanized” GBBS cookbook and features Season 10 bakers. Skip to the final chapter for family favorite recipes from the Season 10 bakers. Note that this book uses cups and ounces.

I like that the recipes include a separate “what you will need” section in the sidebar, so you’ll know the cake pan for the original recipe and if you need parchment paper or a large baking dish half filled with boiling water, like if you made the Baked Cheesecake.

Chapters include: Classics, Chocolate, Bakers’ Favorites, Free-From.

Use the Scaling Quantities table located after each recipe to better determine alternate sizes and shapes. The blue table includes the recipe in a form to fit different types of pans. For example, the Victoria Sponge contains the ingredients amount for a 10-inch round deep pan, a 12-inch round deep pan, a 9 x 5 loaf pan, and a 9 x 13 baking pan plus the baking time.

Try the Ultimate Chocolate Cake, the Midsummer Night’s Dream Cake, or Great Grandma’s Christmas Fruitcake. Ready, Set, Bake!

Great Cakes: (1991) by Carole Walter (Amazon) (eBay)

You may recognize Carole Walter from my cookie book post. Remember that list of excellent cookie cookbooks? Yeah, this is her equally comprehensive cookbook of family favorite recipes for everything homemade cake.

This book offers many cakes that don’t take more than an hour to bake—and they don’t require fillings or frostings. Scant images in the middle of the book. Occasional illustrations portray a technique. But with Carole’s concise instructions in this 558-page, 7.75 x 2 x 10-inch book, you’ll be fine.

Chapters include: (there are additional occasional sub-subheadings, but this seemed confusing enough) Part One: Ingredients, Equipment, Procedures, and Techniques: Ingredients; Equipment; Procedures and Techniques. Part Two: Quick and Easy Cakes: Pound Cakes. Plain Butter Cakes; Cakes with Crunch; Cakes from the Garden; Sponge Cakes; Chiffon Cakes; Angel Food Cakes. Part Three: Special Occasion Cakes: Great American Party Cakes; Cheesecakes; European Tortes and Gateaux; Passover Sponge Cakes and Tortes. Part Four: Sweet Endings: Fillings, Frostings, Glazes, and Syrups: Fillings; Frostings; Glazes and Syrups; Sauces, Toppings, and Whipped Creams; The Finishing Touches.

Each chapter heading lists the names and page numbers of the cakes. I’d begin with Devil’s Food Cake with Shiny Fudge Frosting, Creole Pecan Cake, Burnished Sugar Layer Cake, and Cinnamon Chiffon Cake. They sound fab.

Add in Snow-Capped Chocolate Cream Cake, Italian Purple Plum Cake, and Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, and you’ve got the makings of one memorable event.

Great Cakes: Home-Baked Creations from the Country Living Kitchen (2005) by the Editors of Country Living Magazine (Amazon) (eBay)

It’s 128 pages of lovely cakes. Every recipe includes an image and nutritional information. Read the summary above the recipes for a brief bit of info. You’ll love the fantastic assortment of recipes here.

Chapters include: This book does not use chapters—it lists the names of all the cake recipes and the page number instead.

Berry-Dotted Angel Food cake, Carrot Pistachio Cake and Cupcakes, Toasted Coconut Coffee Cake, The Kitchen’s Chambord Layer Cake, Chocolate Peanut Cheesecake, and Café au Lait Chocolate Cake are but a few that snagged my attention. Oh—and a Spice Pound Cake and Banana-Caramel Cake (there’s a caramel filling and frosting that sounds and looks delish).

Jewish Holiday Cakes (1986) by Hanah Shaulov (Amazon) (eBay)

More than 70-holiday cake recipes fill this cookbook. They are traditional recipes, without substitutions or mixes, as the 164-page book reads. But you will browse through cake (and more) recipes for Jewish holidays. Images accompany every recipe.

Chapters include: Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Hanukah, Tu B’Shvat, Purim, Passover, Shavuot, Special Occasions.

Brandy and Almond Honey Cake, Walnut and Cream Cake, Apple and Raisin Cake, Rich Date Cake, Holiday Meringue Cake, Mocha Cream Cake (with matzoh-meal and potato flour), Gerbeaud Slices (Nut Layer Cake), and Whipped Cream Layer Cake will enhance any celebration.

The Latest Cake Secrets (1934) by General Foods (Amazon) (eBay)

Okay, so this 64-page cake-centered pamphlet isn’t exactly a cookbook — but the vintage fun of it all is so engaging. Read it for the advertising copy, the occasional full-color image, and the old-timey recipes.

Chapters include: Good Recipes, A Hostess Calendar, For Perfect Cakes, General Index, Cake Set Offer.

Try the Gold and Silver Cake (with almond and orange extract), the Sunshine Cake (because even the vintage photo looks amazing), or the Coconut Orange Roll. See? That’s just the first few pages of the recipe section.

Layered: Baking, Building, and Styling Spectacular Cakes (2016) by Tessa Huff (Amazon) (eBay)

Decorating techniques galore will jazz up your layer cakes. Add in the 150 recipes and you have options galore. It’s 288 pages of delicious recipes for cake, fillings, and frostings in a 7 x 1 x 10-inch book. I’m giddy over this one. It’s ridiculously amazing.

Chapters include: Reach for New Heights, A Well-Layered Pantry, Cake Making and Decorating 101, Sweet Staples, Classic Cakes, Chocolate Cakes, Casual Cakes, Whimsical Cakes, Adventurous Cakes, Holiday Cakes.

I imagine you’re wondering about the chapter on Adventurous Cakes. Those include Riesling Rhubarb Crisp Cake, Pumpkin Vanilla Chai Cake, and Butterscotch Bourbon Cake. Holiday Cakes offer Caramel Apple Cake, Bittersweet Chocolate Orange Spice Cake, and Lemony Carrot Cake.

Maida Heatter’s Cakes (2011) by Maida Heatter (Amazon) (eBay)

You may have read all about Maida Heatter on Little Indiana Bakes before. If not, please do. Then return and snatch up this 7 x 1 x 9-inch cookbook. Maida, a recipient of the James Beard Foundation Cookbook Hall of Fame Award, was the “Queen of Cakes,” Maida Heatter’s cake cookbook is one you won’t want to miss.

It’s a 354-page cookbook with at least a sentence above each recipe to give you a little something to read (some recipes have full paragraphs). No images. The ingredients are written in blue ink on the side of the recipe.

Chapters include: Plain Cakes; Chocolate Cakes; Layer Cakes; Fancy Cakes; Cheesecakes; Fruitcakes and Nut Cakes; Cakes with Fruits or Vegetables; Yeast Cakes; Sweet Breads; Muffins, Cupcakes, and Tassies; Gingerbreads; Ice Cream Sauces, Sauces, and More.

Under the chapter heading in the Table of Contents, all of the recipes and page numbers are listed. How do you choose one recipe from the Queen of Cakes? I’d like to try Kansas City Chocolate Dream, Maida’s famous Queen Mother’s Cake, the Oreo Cookie Cake, and the Mocha Chip Chiffon Cake.

The White Pepper and Ginger Lemon Cake is unique — I’m penciling that in too. Oh, and Hot Chocolate Mousse. She wrote, “It sounds like a mousse, looks like a cake, tastes like a souffle … “

Martha Stewart’s Cake Perfection: 100+ Recipes for the Sweet Classic, from Simple to Stunning: A Baking Book (2020) by the Editors of Martha Stewart Living (Amazon) (eBay)

It’s a glorious, photo-filled, 256-page, 7.68 x 0.91 x 9.42-inch cookbook. It’s Martha Stewart, for goodness’ sake. You likely know what to expect: precise directions, an assortment of cake recipes you know and some you don’t, and flawless photos. This book offers 125 recipes and all the images you’d want.

Chapters include: Show Cakes, Layer Cakes, Everyday Cakes, Sheet Cakes, Cupcakes, and Celebration Cakes, Golden Rules, Mix and Match Cakes and Icings.

I want to try the Double Orange Bundt Cake (my youngest loves a good Bundt cake), the S’mores Cake (because WOW), and the Mile High Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake for all that fudgy loveliness. Mmm … or maybe the Bourbon and Berry Brown Sugar Cake.

If that doesn’t sell you, then the following quote might, “Your cakes will be Instagram-perfect and will not last very long once that first slice is cut,” Martha Stewart said.

Martha Stewart’s Cakes: Our First-Ever Book of Bundts, Loaves, Layers, Coffee Cakes, and More (2013) by the Editors of Martha Stewart Living (Amazon) (eBay)

Seriously, the cake image on page 10 sold me. I want to eat that cake like now. It’s a hefty cookbook at 352 pages. You know Martha makes some of the best baking cookbooks. This is no different.

Chapters include: Loaves, Bundts and Tubes, Coffee Cakes, Single Layers, Cheesecakes, Icebox, Cakes with Fruit, Layer Cakes.

Rhubarb Tea Cakes (with a fluffy-looking whipped cream topping), Glazed Pecan-Raisin Cake (Martha makes raisins look appealing), Tangerine Cake, Chocolate Coconut Sheet Cake, Chocolate and Hazelnut Meringue, and Vanilla Sheet Cake with Malted Chocolate Frosting (OMG!) instantly snagged my attention. Cake images abound. Don’t hesitate: it’s Martha!

The Perfect Cake (2002) by Susan G. Purdy (Amazon) (eBay)

If you own A Piece of Cake (1989) by Susan, then you’ll have to decide if you need this copy too— it’s the revised and redesigned version. The 2002 edition offers over 500 recipes over 512 pages in a 6.97 x 1.07 x 9.13 inch-format. You won’t find any images, which is unfortunately, but you will read pages of detailed info on ingredients and technique.

Chapters include: Butter and/or Shortening Cakes; Cheesecakes; Sponge and Foam Cakes; Elegant and Special Cakes; Fillings, Frostings, Icings, and Glazes, Sauces, and Syrups; Decorating Cakes.

I read that I made Susan’s Chocolate Butter Milk Cake on January 29, 2022. Both my sons loved it. I need to bake more from Susan’s cookbook. I might bake the Crazy Mixed-Up Chocolate Cake that was completed so fast, it beat the ease of a cake mix (and took less than five minutes to make and get into the oven).

I’m still hunting for the perfect Coconut Layer Cake (and she has one) or perhaps I’d make the Peanut Cake, otherwise known as Goober Cake. I appreciate the layout of this book, but you will need something to hold the book open, given it’s size.

Perfect Cakes (2002) by Nick Malgieri (Amazon) (eBay)

You know what I love? Nick dedicated this cookbook to Maida Heatter. Isn’t that neat? Images are limited. Sidebars in yellow list the ingredients and pan you will need. With more than 200 recipes from this long-time baking teacher, you will learn plenty in the 353-page, 8 x 1.25 x 9.25-inch cake book.

Chapters include: Coffee Cakes; Pound Cakes and Butter Cakes; Cakes Made with Fresh or Dried Fruit; Cheesecakes; Sponge and Foam Cakes; Meringue Cakes; Nut Cakes; Chocolate Cakes; Layer Cakes; Rolled Cakes; Molded Cakes; Individual Cakes; Frostings, Fillings, and Glazes.

Try the Capriccio Alle Nocciole (Hazelnut Cake from Ticino), Blanc-Manger Aux Framboises (Almond Mousse Cake with Raspberries), or the Strawberry Streusel Cake. Oh! Or maybe I’d bake the Erdbeeroberstorte, or Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake, just so I have a reason to say it.

Rose’s Heavenly Cakes (2009) by Rose Levy Beranbaum (Amazon) (eBay)

You have Rose’s The Cake Bible and might wonder if you need another one. But this book ain’t that book. Yes, there are images for every cake recipe and step-by-step processes. Some recipes are updated from The Cake Bible.

However, Recipes still use a table layout for volume and weight in grams and ounces. Expect precision, attention to detail, and stunning cakes in the 512-page, 8 x 1.44 x 10-inch book.

Chapters include: Rose’s Rules of Cake Baking, Butter and Oil Cakes, Sponge Cakes, Mostly Flourless Cakes and Cheesecakes, Baby Cakes, Wedding Cakes.

Flip to the Table of Contents. Search for the Appendix. Rose includes three subheadings: Recipes Using Only Egg Yolks, Recipes Using Only Egg Whites, and Quick-and-Easy Recipes. It’s a nice touch and an appreciated call-out. Orange-Glow Chiffon Layer Cake, Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cake, Spice Cake with Peanut Butter Buttercream, and Sybil’s Pecan Torte with Coffee Cream stand out.

Sheet Cake: Easy One-Pan Recipes for Every Day and Every Occasion (2021) by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Amazon) (eBay)

Each of the 50 one-pan cake recipes in this book uses a 13 x 18 x 1-inch half-sheet pan composed of uncoated aluminum. It’s a 7.26 x 0.68 x 10.26-inch, 176-page cookbook. Some readers may find the small print, particularly the fractions, hard to see. Expect to use fruit syrups and other ingredients you may not typically keep on hand.

Chapters include: Classic Cakes; Stacked Cakes; Rolled Cakes; Frostings and Fillings; Soaks, Glazes, Sauces, Accompaniments.

Fluffernutter Cake or Strawberry Mousse Cake? Spice Cake with Walnut Buttercream or Cinnamon-Bun Swirl Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting? You have difficult decisions ahead. Lovely images abound.

Simple Cake: All You Need to Keep Your Friends and Family in Cake (2019) by Odette Williams (Amazon) (eBay)

If you enjoy reading a cookbook, you’ll love a look at the cake-related life of Odette Williams, an Australian-turned-American. It’s a 204-page, 8.3 x 0.9 x 9-inch cookbook of a different kind. Photos accompany many recipes but note that some recipes call for items such as grapeseed oil or organic whole-grain spelt flour, so it may more challenging for some bakers (like me) to get started without a trip to the store.

Chapters include: Cakes: The Only Cakes You’ll Ever Really Need, Cake Toppings: The Perfect Finish for Your Cake: Simple Ways to Top a Cake, and Cake-Worthy Moments: Celebrations with Cake: TLC Cakes, All Day, Everyday Cakes, Pattern Playground Cake, Growing Family and Friends Cake, Vacation Cakes, A Flavor Chart.

Lovely Lemon Yogurt Cake, Cinnamon Spice Cake, Very Vanilla Cake … I could only go on for a few more recipes. This cookbook features 10 cake recipes and an assortment of toppings, crumbles, and sauces to change it around.

For example, her simple recipes transform into Bribery Cake, Over the Moon Cake, and A Cake by Day and a Cake by Night. If you’re a fan of this unique approach (a small selection of staple cake recipes to rule them all), then take a look at Cake Magic by Caroline Wright too.

Small-Batch Snacking Cake Cookbook: 75 Quick-Prep Recipes to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth (2022) by Aimee Broussard (Amazon) (eBay)

Get your 8- or 9- round or square cake pans and 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pans ready (you can sub a 9 x 5 loaf pan, but you’ll have a thinner cake). This book is about small-batch cakes. It’s perfect for those days you want cake but only have a little time to devote to a big project. It’s a 156-page, 7.5 x 0.43 x 9.25-inch snacking cakes cookbook.

Chapters include: The Small-Batch Snacking Cake Kitchen, Cake for Breakfast, Fruit Forward, Make Mine Chocolate, Go Nuts, Special Diets, Toppings.

Do you want the Raspberry White Chocolate Loaf Cake, Honey Bun Cake, Chocolate Sin Cake, or Pecan Praline Cake? Okay, I like the idea of the Café au Lait Breakfast Cake, Maple Cream Cake, and Cranberry-Ginger Cake. Don’t expect many images, but do expect cakes with pantry-ready ingredients that will disappear before hitting the stale stage.

Snacking Cakes: Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings: A Baking Book (2020) by Yossy Arefi (Amazon) (eBay)

Single-layer cakes abound in the 192-page, 8.04 x 0.72 x 9.03-inch cookbook. This collection of single-layer recipes for cake includes one bowl cakes, with no stand mixer required.

Chapters include: All the Equipment You Really Need, Let’s Talk Ingredients, Fruit Cakes, Warm and Toasty Cakes, Chocolatey Cakes, Not Your Average Vanilla Cakes, Put Some Whipped Cream On It, A Sprinkle for Every Cake.

Orange-Blossom Apricot Cake, Strawberry-Almond Butter Cake, Chai Marsala Spice Cake, Buttery Brown Sugar Pear and Cranberry Cake deserve a place on my cake plate.

Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday Celebrations (2007) by Nancie McDermott (Amazon) (eBay)

Feast your eyes on 65 recipes meant to represent the South. This 8.75 x 0.75 x 8.13-inch, 168-page book includes a little summary above each recipe. You won’t find images with every recipe, but there are occasional full-color photos.

Chapters include: Baking 101; Pound Cakes; Antiques and Heirlooms; Coconut Cakes; Fruitcakes and Other Holiday Favorites; Layer Cakes, Plain and Fancy; Everyday Cakes from the Sea Islands to the Smokies; Chocolate Cakes, Southern Style; Frostings, Icings, and Fillings.

Marble Molasses Pound Cake, Gigi’s Fabulous Caramel Cake (how I love caramel), and Helen Hudson Whiting’s Celestial Chocolate Cake look out of this world.

The Southern Heritage Cakes Cookbook (1983) Edited by Southern Living Foods Editor Jean W. Liles (Amazon) (eBay)

I own this fascinating cookbook. It crosses between a cookbook and a light social studies or history book. There are images for the recipes, vintage advertisements, old portraits, and even places or things, such as the 1895 image of unloading coconuts (page 15). It’s a 143-page cookbook.

Chapters include: Great Layer Cakes, Bountiful Harvests, Grandmother’s Favorites, Afternoon Surprises, Celebration Cakes, Back to Basics, Finishing Touches.

The Minnehaha Cake, Chocolate Yeast Cake (yeast? In a cake?), and Jennie Benedict’s Rum Cake nabbed my attention on the first couple of pages. Sam Houston White Cake, First Mystery Cake (what’s the mystery? I must know!), and Delicious Banana Layer Cake make me want to bake all the things. I can’t wait to dig into it more.

Southern Living Cakes Cookbook (1975) by Lena E. Sturges (Amazon) (eBay)

At 80 pages, it isn’t the most comprehensive cake cookbook you’ve ever read (or baked from), but it is from Lena E. Sturges, the Foods Editors of Southern Living Magazine (so you know it’s good).

Chapters include: Section One for Perfect Cakes Every Time, Section Two: Cake Recipes, Section Three: Frosting and Filling Recipes.

You’ll find a variety of 1970s-style illustrations tucked here and there among the recipes. Will you make Dutch Apple Cake? Maybe you’ll decide on Queen Elizabeth Cake, Spice Cake with Meringue, or Red Earth Cake? I was tickled to see a recipe for Brownstone Front Cake! It’s a little different than the one I used, which I find interesting.

Southern Living Homemaker’s Cookbook: Cakes (1971) by Southern Living and Lena E. Sturges (Amazon) (eBay)

Lena E. Sturges penned the introduction of this cake-focused cookbook. She states that they didn’t just choose recipes from the test kitchen but baked them again and had a panel of neighbors, coworkers, and families who had to rate an “aah, good” to appear in this book. Editing ensured easy baking for modern kitchens in this 188-page book.

Chapters include: Section One: For Perfect Cakes Every Time, Section Two: Cake Recipes; Section Three: Frosting and Filling Recipes.

I’d try the Cocoa Angel Cake (my oldest loves Angel Food Cake, while my youngest and I enjoy chocolate), Banana Nut Spice Cake, Sweet Potato Cheesecake, Prize Chocolate Cake, or Scotch Cake. I haven’t even touched on the assortment of chocolate cake recipes in this book. It’s a solid cake cookbook.

United Cakes of America: Recipes Celebrating Every State (2010) by Warren Brown (Amazon) (eBay)

I love the way Warren introduces each state and recipe. You’ll like the image of a state, the location of the state capitol, and then a call-out to show something related. Take Maine, for example. There’s Augusta and a marked spot for a Lewiston, Maine bakery that sells 16″ wide whoopie pies. What an interesting 224-page, 9 x 1 x 10-inch book.

Chapters include: Baking Overview, The Northeast, The South, The Midwest, The West. Note: Warren uses potato starch in this cookbook (not to be confused with cornstarch) and superfine granulated sugar. Time for a trip to the store!

Recipes aren’t necessarily a cake that’s popular in a particular state, but don’t let that stop you. Alaska’s cake is Baked Alaska. St. Louis boasts Gooey Butter Cake (after a summer 2023 trip there, it is a Big Deal in that city), while Illinois has Devil’s Food Cake. Those sound like basic recipes, but there’s more to this book. It’s a great read, too.

Vintage Cakes: Timeless Recipes for Cupcakes, Flips, Rolls, Layer, Angel, Bundt, Chiffon, and Icebox Cakes for Today’s Sweet Tooth (2012) by Julie Richardson (Amazon) (eBay)

Not every recipe has an image in this 8.3 x 0.88 x 9.27-inch, 166-page baking book, but many do (and wow, they are wonderful).

Chapters include: Hasty Cakes; Everyday Cakes; Little Cakes and Light Cakes; Flips and Rolls; Layer Cakes; Party Cakes; Fillings, Frostings, and Icing.

Lovelight Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream, Cherry Chip Cake with Cherry Buttercream, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, or the Butterscotch Cream Roll-Up sound like the perfect dessert.

Williams Sonoma Cake (2003) by Williams Sonoma (Amazon) (eBay)

It’s a short and sweet cookbook featuring 35 recipes and pics with every recipe. This book is part of the Williams Sonoma Collection of 31 themed cookbooks, from Pasta to Chicken to Thanksgiving to Dessert. I have quite a few of these attractive, high-quality cookbooks.

This title is an 8.25 x 0.7 x 9-inch cookbook with 120 pages. Yes, it’s a nice number of pages for only 35 recipes, BUT there are decorating ideas plus tip boxes, techniques, and ingredient info.

Chapters include: The Classics, Simple Cakes, Elegant Cakes, Spring and Summer Cakes, Autumn and Winter Cakes, Decorated Cakes.

There are many winners here: Espresso Pound Cake, Chocolate-Almond Cake with Caramel Sauce or Hazelnut Cake with Chocolate Glaze. I have yet to bake a cake from my copy. Each time I flip through this fantastic cakes cookbook, I’m reminded again that I need to change that.

World Class Cakes: 250 Classic Recies from Boston Cream Pie to Madeleines and Macarons (2013) by Roger Pizey (Amazon) (eBay)

It’s 304 pages of cake from all over the world (including the index, as always). My 8.63 x 1.13 x 11-inch copy is beautiful. Although there are many recipes, each recipe includes a summer and an image.

Sometimes, you’ll happen upon a page that lists where to eat cake in Vienna or San Francisco, or a list of cake-serving cafes and bakeries in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. It’s a nice touch.

Chapters include: Sponges and Layer Cakes; Loaves and Pound Cakes; Fruit, Nut, and Seed Cakes; Sheet Cakes and Bars; Cheesecakes; Small Cakes; Leavened Cakes; Pastries; Tarts; Celebration Cakes.

I’m interested in trying Sandkaka, a Swedish cake, Paul A. Young’s Torta Gianduja, and the Chocolate Layer Cake typical of European cakes, according to the author. Scratch that. Willie Harcourt-Cooze’s Cloud Forest Chocolate Cake is calling my name. Find it on page 46-47 and see if you agree.

A World of Cake: 150 Recipes for Sweet Traditions from Cultures Near and Far (2010) By Krystina Castella (Amazon) (eBay)

Cake history and a cake timeline provide a unique opening different from your typical cookbook. Look for Funnel Cakes, Cherokee Wild Huckleberry Cake, Battenberg Cake, Dundee Cake, and Mit Lechig (Honey Cake) in the 343-page book.

The Barnes and Noble edition features five bonus recipes. They are: Lime Loaves, Ginger Cashew Cake, Quark Cheesecake, and Bizcochos Borracho (Drunken Sponge Cake).

Chapters include: Cake Walk, North America, Latin America, Western and Central Europe, The British Aisles, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, The Mediterranean, Africa, The Middle East, The Indian Subcontinent, The Far East, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand.

This book is heavy on history and cultural facts. You should know that going in. It isn’t a straight recipe book. Finnish Tippaleipä, Ugandan Peanut Butter Cheesecake, Apricot Stack Cake, and Banana Cake with Coconut-Pecan Filling let you travel the world without leaving your home.

Zoë Bakes Cakes: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Favorite Layers, Bundts, Loaves, and More by Zoë François (Amazon) (eBay)

Magnolia Network original series baker and pastry chef Zoë François offers over 85 recipes in the 8.8 x 1.1 x 9.8-inch, 272-page cookbook. You know what’s neat about Zoë Bakes Cakes (other than her vibrant personality)? The how-to (lots of images there) and the author photos in the book were taken by baker Sarah Kieffer. I thought that was fun.

Chapters include: Pound Cakes, Quick Breads, and Bundts; Fruit-Studded Cakes—Upside-down or Otherwise; Soaked Cakes; Cake Layers, Loaves, and Sheets; Light-as-Air Cakes; the Layered Cakes; Rolled and Fancy Cakes; Icings, Frostings, Buttercreams, and Ganaches; Fillings and Flourishes.

If you’re familiar with Zoe on Instagram, you know her Cake Academy tutorials. Zoë Bakes Cakes includes over 30 pages devoted to making a great cake you won’t see on her social network. Will you choose Grandma Ellen’s Rum Cake or Blueberry Muffin Cake? Marble Loaf Pound Cake or Devil’s Food Cake? These recipes don’t reinvent the wheel, but they are solid, delicious, and lovely.