Dorie’s Anytime Cakes is a real treat of a cookbook. I have been a fan of Dorie Greenspan for a long time and am a big fan of her recipes. This book is fun and a bit whimsical. While the book begins with a good intro and a baking intro like many books do, the particular techniques in this book are unique and helpful. As an experienced baker, I don’t often come across new techniques, but I learned quite a few from this book. The recipes are varied with some more familiar and some more unique. The recipes are easy to follow with tips, tricks, and variations throughout. There are also plenty of beautiful photos of the bakes. This is a very successful book that will be well-used in my kitchen. I would definitely recommend this book.

This cookbook was my intro to the multi-James-Beard award winning author. In this book, her focus was on simple, hand mixed cakes that could be made anytime (think: having a friend over for coffee).

I love how Dorie's voice comes through in her recipes and the approachable, down-to-earth way she explains cooking technique (e.g. jokingly noting "DO NOT MIX!" even though you will be really tempted to). She doesn't just describe a recipe, she helps you learn tips that can make you a better baker beyond her cookbook, which I appreciate.

The drawbacks for me were the art/photography (stylized images that almost looked like drawings; they didn't get me as excited to taste recipes as traditional photos do) and...not enough of the recipes pulled me in. This is personal preference as someone with a huge sweet tooth, and this particular cookbook is focused on more casual "anytime" cakes which tended to be plain, more like European cakes you would have with tea/coffee (not too sweet, sometimes with fruit in them, etc.). If you find typical American cakes too sweet, this cookbook may be perfect for you; the ingredients feel high quality, simple and elegant.

Thanks to William Morrow for an ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

Greenspan's ode to cakes may well have a cake for everyone and for every mood. If you like chocolate, there's a cake for you. If fruit is your thing, she has several options for you to try. The directions are clear and she offers many tips and tricks, as well as a multitude of different frostings and glazes and the photography makes everything look absolutely delicious. My mouth watered as I read this book. The chocolate options were among my favorites, but even the simpler cakes looked like something I would enjoy making and eating.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a digital review copy of this informative book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The first time that I came across Dorie Greenspan's baking books was decades ago when I picked up Baking with Julia, the book that accompanied the TV series hosted by Julia Child. Only upon looking at the title page did I realize that Julia was not the author. In the many years since, I have acquired quite the collection of the author's baking books from collaborations with Pierre Herme (the great pâtissier, not the designer of the Berkin bag) to the multitude of cookie, cake, and general baking books she has solo-authored. Her books are often my go-to when I want to whip up a quick sweet snack or make an impressive dessert to share with friends and this collection of Anytime Cakes looks just perfect to expand my repertoire. One of the first things that I noticed was that this book was beautifully illustrated. Rather than photos of the end product, the drawings add a nice change to the look of the book without sacrificing the detail that the photos usually provide.
The book, as most cookbooks, is divided to sections. The first is a basic introduction, covering ingredients, equipment, practices and techniques. Then several chapters follow separating on shape or mold, rounds, loaves, bundts, squares, and baby cakes. There is even a chapter on savories under the header of "salty cakes". And finally, a selection of toppings, fillings, and frostings to compliment the cakes. Each recipe has a nice clear format, the usual blurb, ingredient list, and step-by-step instruction listing, along with serving and storage information. Most recipes are also followed by a "playing around" section that shows variations and enhancements for the base recipe. This seems like a great group of recipes that are relatively easy to produce and don't require a special occasion to enjoy. I can't wait to try a number of these cakes in my own kitchen.
I received access to this ebook thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, William Morrow - Harvest) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.