Anne Byrn is such a safe and interesting pair of hands. I was already a fan having cooked many of the recipes from her previous book, American Cake, and was intrigued by the premise of A New Take on Cake: how to turn a cake mix into a cake masterpiece. I was aware of Byrn's previous book in this genre: The Cake Mix Doctor, and was intrigued to see how she has developed the concept to reflect modern baking tastes; many of the recipes in this new book are made with olive oil instead of butter and use ingredients such as tahini, matcha, brown butter, limoncello and blood oranges. There are vegan and gluten-free cakes too.

I am not a baking snob: some of my favourite cakes have been made with Duncan Hines's mixes, the strawberry and the coconut being particular favourites. They are satisfying in their own right. I was thrilled to see Byrn's recipe for a Deep South Strawberry Cake, which I set about baking. It turned out perfectly. I have also made her Lavender and Vanilla Blueberry Baby Cake which tasted wonderfully contemporary and complex.

This cookbook is a very unique one, but in that way, I think it could be the perfect cookbook for the right person.

I know in baking, it’s almost a cardinal sin to use box mix when the product of a homemade cake is so much better, but that is why I appreciate this book so much. It recognizes the use of boxed cake mixes, but works to correct its faults by adding a few ingredients and steps to take it to the next level. For that reason, I think this is the perfect book for the busy baker who just needs a cake and needs it quick. There are a wide variety of recipes and icing recipes and they all contribute to your ability to make an easy and quick cake that tastes far better than your average box mix.

That said, my one con with this book is that it is hard to know exactly how much her recipes improve the box mixes without first trying them. I’m trusting that her premise is true and her cakes are better, but pictures unfortunately cannot account for the quality of the flavour in this case, so it is definitely something you need to take on faith more than anything else. That said, it is still a good book that has a lot of potential and is perfect for people in a rush or people just looking for a bit more ease in their baking.

Special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for an online copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An astounding book full of delicious recipes that are going to make me drool as I bake them. Highly recommend.

I got this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A great cookbook, full of mouthwatering recipes. Easy to follow and full of different ideas and tasty cake recipes

This is an outstanding cookbook! Anne proves you can bake delicious and beautiful cakes starting with a cake mix. There are so many delicious recipes, and the pictures look edible!

5 stars, Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Five Stars!
My mom had a well-loved copy of Anne Byrn's The Cake Mix Doctor which she passed down to me when I began baking as a teenager. Since then, I've honed my skills, and can usually whip up a pretty good cake. But let's be honest, it's not always the easiest thing to do, and it can be pretty time consuming to start from scratch. (Because sometimes you just need a cake and need it fast, if you know what I mean!) I was happy to see that she has written a follow up to her bestselling book, updating flavors, ingredients, and techniques.

A New Take On Cake is just an absolute pleasure to read. Anne is a warm writer and understanding teacher. Nothing is over-complicated. The book is filled with absolutely gorgeous photography, letting the beauty of the baked goods shine for themselves. Anne's "Cook's Notes" are so helpful, as is the opening chapter with information on everything from choosing the right pans and tools, to making your cake work for you and your taste. Plus, the cake recipes are just delicious!

No matter what your skill level, A New Take On Cake is a great addition to your bookshelf.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the electronic review copy of this great book. The wonderful, easy recipes and the mouthwatering pictures create a great guide into the world of cakes. This is a great gift and/or recommendation for anyone who loves to bake.

I salivated reading this book, it has recipes that look delicious. Good thing you don't get fat just looking at the pictures!

Thank you NetGalley and Clarkson Potter for allowing me to review A New Take On Cake by Anne Byrn. I have several of Anne Byrn’s books and like her style. But, the size of cake mixes and tastes have changed, so Anne Byrn has updated the recipes and come up with some new exciting flavors along with gluten-free and vegan options. There are 175 cake mix recipes for Bundts, Layers, Slabs, Loaves, Cookies, and more. I will be very busy baking!

A New Take on Cake is a great addition to the Anne Byrn line of cookbooks, designed around elevating the cake mix to new levels. The cookbook has colorful layouts, with easy to follow recipe instructions. There are great introductory pages that include strategies, tools, equipment, decoration ideas for the finished baked goods, and frosting techniques. The cookbook is divided into sections, which I have listed below with some of the standouts.

Layer Up: Buttermilk Devil's Food Cake; Vegan Seltzer Cake; Favorite German Chocolate Cake

Baby Cakes: Baked Alaska Baby Cake; Flowerpot Cakes

Bundts, Pounds, and Loaves: Hershey's Bar Pound Cake; Neopolitan Swirl Pound Cake; Maple Nut Coffee Cake; Chocolate Chip Tahini Loaf

Skillets and Springforms: Pineapple Upside Down Cake; Caramelized Bananas Foster Skillet Cake; Vegan Chocolate Tangerine Cake

Snack Cakes and Slabs: Lazy Daisy Cake; Roasted Sweet Potato Snack Cake; Black-and-Blueberry Buckle

Cupcakes, Muffins, and More: Gluten-Free Chocolate Macaroon Cupcakes; Key Lime Pie Cupcakes; Microwave Mug Sprinkle Cakes

Cookies, Bars, and Bites: Cookie Pops; Cashew Thumbprints; Brown Butter Blondies; Petit Fours

Frostings, Fillings, and Glazes: Vanilla and Vegan Vanilla Buttercream; Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting; Quick Caramel Frosting

The Cake Pantry: must haves for success

Overall, I enjoyed reading this cookbook. There are many recipes that I look forward to trying in the future and I would recommend to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher, Clarkson Potter. The decision to read and review this cookbook was entirely my own.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

A new take on Cake is a fun and simple way of making delicious cakes, both traditional and modern, using packet cake mixes to help save money and time. The book has lots of tips and ideas on expanding on the cake mix to make some fabulous cakes. Each recipe is set out in simple, step-by-step instruction, and at the beginning of the book, there is a small photo of each cake you can refer back to. There's some great information on the vast type of equipment to use and for making the icing and butter creams, too. I've got my eye on a few recipes I'm going to try out myself that sound and look delicious.

I'm an avid baker who bakes everything from scratch, however, this book has been really fun to bake from. There are many recipes to try and honestly I still have trouble choosing which one to bake next!

Anne Byrn explains well why and how she uses cake mixes to create these treats and almost all recipes come with a beautiful picture or two. What I also love about this book is that it has a broad variations from layer cakes to bundt cakes, cupcakes, sheet cakes, snack cakes, donuts, cookies and etc. There are certainly a lot of things bakers can choose to play with and what a joy that is! Her recipes are easy to follow, straightforward, reliable, and if you have baked a thing or two, you can definitely play with the recipes. There are gluten-free and vegan recipes as well which is a plus.

Would I go for these recipes over from-scratch ones all the time? Probably not. But there are times when I crunch for time and would love to bake something for family or friends, I'd definitely grab this book. There are gift-worthy recipes in this book and I'm so glad I have found this book to have in my arsenal!

I don't usually read recipie books, but I quite enjoyed this. The beginning was filled with little tips from how to grease the pan to how to prep the oven. He author was also considerate about those who are vegan, gluten free, and have a limitation of sugar in their diet. One drawback that I found is that a lot of recipes use cake mixes, and although the reason was explained in the book, I find that it is inconvenient for people to purchase varieties of mixes. E basic layout of the book was simple and easy to understand. The strategic pictures of cakes and the colors were quite eyecatching. I also found the cook's notes and the small personal reference to each recipe a brilliant addition to this book. Can't wait to try out some of these cakes!

Book: A New Take on Cake: 175 Beautiful, Doable Cake Mix Recipes for Bundts, Layers, Slabs, Loaves, Cookies, and More! A Baking Book
Author: Anne Byrn
Publication Info: 16 Nov 2021, Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, Clarkson Potter
Genres: Cooking/Baking, Hobby/Skills, Leisure, Nonfiction

I received an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NG.

I am approaching this book as someone who really loves to cook and bake, but I would rank myself as a beginner. I really like to get new ideas, tips, and knowledge for baking skills. There’s something about a cookbook that helps me even more than just watching television or videos. When I saw this book on NG, I was drawn to the premise & the promise of having over 100 different recipes for different types, as well as the “doable” factor – meaning that hopefully they would fit my skill set appropriately. Perhaps even have a range of skill levels to practice.

The cover is minimalistic in a way, but still exactly what I would envision hoping to make. It’s doable, realistic, and yet still impressive & delicious looking!

Upon opening the e-book, I was greeted by a very cute cake pop. Immediately, I knew this was going to be a good fit. I really like idea of having the little pictures of the cakes at the table of contents. It was eye catching and really sold the cookbook’s contents at first glance. So, for example, if I was in a store or library and flipped to see that, I’d be getting a quick overview and would have probably thought it was worth getting.

The layout & photography is very beautiful, modern, and eye catching. I think it’s very important to have a lot of visuals in cookbooks to give an idea of what you’re creating. Especially in my experience, I really need that sort of “end product” photo when I’m attempting to practice. A lot of the recipes included are traditional and well-known, which I liked; there are also a lot of new-to-me recipes and reimagined classics.

The book itself is packed with content. Over 300 pages of recipes (175). It starts with a detailed intro that includes guidance on things like dealing with the steps of baking (mixing, frosting, decorating, etc). It then moves into different types of cakes: layers, bundts/pounds, loaves, skillets & springforms, snack cakes & slabs, cookies & bars, frostings/fillings & glazes, and the cake pantry.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed this baking cookbook and would highly suggest it to anyone with an interest in baking, but mostly those who are beginners or just love pretty cookbooks.

How to fill your time during the pandemic ? Write a delicious cookbook about cakes in every shape and style with a cake mix as your canvas. Byrn offers recommendations on the best pans to use, guides us on good preparation and provides easy recipes with great photos and some suggestions along the way to create incredible cakes. Bundt cakes, baby cakes even cookies from cake mixes. There is something here from the novice to the more experienced baker and I am getting ready to try my skills on some new creations !!! A delicious book! Thanks #NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for providing me with #ANewTakeOnCake.

I was super-stoked to have this Wish granted!! I am a long-time fan of this author and have (and still use), all of her previous cookbooks. Her Almond Cream Cheese Poundcake from her first cake-mix book is still a family favorite today! That one is also a repeat in this book, as it this is an update, but there a lot of newbies also, along with a lot of great new ideas. But enough about previous entries. This was a much-welcomed addition/update of the Cake-Mix Doctor series, and I just bought the paperback to add to my collection. If already a fan, you will find many new favorites along with bars, cookies and even cheesecake! The Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Chocolate Ganache is to DIE for!! I look forward to trying many more and can HIGHLY recommend this book and author!!

Many thanks to #NetGalley, Ann Byrn and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for this much appreciated ARC.

I really enjoyed the original Cake Mix Doctor cookbook so I was excited to receive a copy of this new version. I really liked the variety and all of the new flavors. Lots of photos. Highly recommend!

So much CAKE! If you've ever wanted to bake a cake that wasn't just something plain and out of a box, then this book is the resource for you.

Only problem is you won't make it through the whole book without wanting cake.

I liked this cookbook much more than I expected, even though I can't quite shake the feeling that using boxed cake mixes is somehow "cheating." That said, I really thought the extensions were clever, the photography was utterly gorgeous, and the remixed recipes were things I'd really want to make. So if you want to save a few steps, this is recommended.

Once again Anne Byrn does it with her new book; "A New Take On Cake"). Updated to the new cake mix sizes, I love her take on Cake!! Plenty of recipes to choose from and lots of pictures. It can't be any easier than this, and doctored cake mixes make the BEST cakes, especially for those short on time! Bravo! 5 stars from me! I'll use this book constantly!