3.6.12

Recipe Book Review: Bake and Decorate by Fiona Cairns

Baking has never been more popular. And if you thought cake decorating was costly and difficult, then this book will change your mind forever. Fiona Cairns is bursting with new ideas for making delicious, beautiful cakes and biscuits easy, even for the novice cook, and for much less money than you thought. Choose from more than 30 delicious recipes for large cakes, small cakes and biscuits in the first part- BAKE- and over 50 fabulous decoration schemes formed from them in the second- decorate.
Dazzle and indulge your friends with modern, magnificent treats, that taste divine, using very simple decorating secrets to create impressive cakes that possess great warmth and charm. Here, finally, is the baking book where every recipe is a keeper and each stunning creation made easy to achieve. 

Fiona Cairns has become even more well known recently after creating William and Kate's wedding cake. Bake and Decorate is her book from 2010 and I think it is simply stunning.
I love Fiona Cairn's approach to baking; in her introduction she says: 'Baking and eating cakes and biscuits is all about home, comfort, pleasure and luxury.' I couldn't agree more, sometimes you want something simple and comforting and other times you want to bake something a little more decadent, this book covers all areas.
At the beginning of the book there are two pages of baking and decorating tips. These are extremely useful and range from advice about colouring sugar paste, hiding flaws and disaster management. Fiona Cairns is reassuring throughout the book and offers ways of making each project as simple as possible.
There are some gorgeous recipes in this book; a few of my favourites are the battenburg cake which was a lot easier than I ever thought it would be and one of my childhood favourites. The surprise fridge cake is so tasty and always a crowd pleaser and the classic shortbread is perfect each time.
Each recipe is accompanied by a picture of either the finished product or the recipe in progress. The recipes themselves are clear, precise and easy to follow. The decorating part of the book is split into three sections; big cakes, small cakes and biscuits. Fiona refers you back to the recipe in the bake section and then details the decorating process. Some of the decorating ideas are very precise but many of them can be easily adapted to suit different occasions.
I love baking but I definitely lack confidence when it comes to decorating. This book has really helped as it is so accessible and the results are achievable without a huge amount of practice. Bake and Decorate will be sitting on my shelf for many years to come; I have been very pleased with what I have made so far but I am really looking forward to trying more of Fiona Cairn's ideas.


Dot Scribbles Rating 4/5

5 comments:

Tanya Norton said...

I love baking too but sometimes my decorating goes haywire and it is nice to know there is a good book that offers disaster management as well. VHB has some crazy decorating talent doesn't she? You are so lucky to have access to that too! Happy Jubilee lovely lady! xox

jessicabookworm said...

I am really trying to get back into baking as I did it a lot before I went to university. Like you though I am always rather dubious about trying to decorate cakes...it tends to be my downfall hehe. This book sounds perfect will have to make a note of it.

verity said...

This is absolutely my favourite cake book of all time. Such pretty pictures and the recipes are damn good too. I've not actually bothered doing much of the decorating ideas, although I did the mini fairy cakes, but I've made a lot of the cakes. Have you got her follow up book yet?

Dot said...

Tanya- Thanks lovely! I am very lucky indeed and am slowly learning myself!

Jessicabookworm- It is ever such a good book!

Verity- It's so good isn't it! I haven't got the follow on book, is it good?

Unknown said...

This is absolutely a good book for learning cake recipe, Nice Blog.
We are also provide Female Friendly Recipe Books at the affordable cost.

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