Everyday Bakes to Showstopper Cakes

I have a teenager who loves to bake and I read this book with him in mind. I was so pleased, as there are all kinds of really doable cake designs in here. We cook gluten free (his brother is allergic to gluten) and there are no GF recipes in the book, but that's not a big deal since she mainly uses standard cake recipes (provided) and then adjusts them slightly for flavors or effects. We can easily use our go-to GF cake recipe and then stir in cocoa powder with half the batter for the marble cake, for instance, or use that as a base and add the unique flavors in her ginger cake, etc. The frostings are for the most part quite simple because they use just a few standard, real ingredients (such as heavy cream, egg whites, powdered sugar and chocolate). My son is currently off dairy too, but again it's something I can work around since I'm familiar with food substitutions and the stars of this book are the designs and the flavor combinations and not the specific recipes.

This was a really fun read for me. I love the use of British flavors like elderflower cordial and the creative designs. There are lots of wedding and celebration cakes, plus quite a few cupcakes. I skipped over the fondant designs for the most part since we don't tend to do those. The end is cookies and such and I wasn't really interested in those either. You will need some equipment for some of this stuff. I liked the cakes with the heart filling until I realized you didn't create the shape yourself but had to buy cake pans specially made for it, for example. That's to be expected with most fancy baking books, though. All in all, I really enjoyed it. It was like Pinterest in the old days, where you just scrolled through and found beautiful, tasty and brilliant inspirations. :)

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

This cookbook is spectacular! The photographery is a wonderland of delicious desserts. The talent to create desserts that look like this is just incredible. Sadly I'm no cake decorating expert so the instructions are not in-depth enough to even remotely recreate the wonders in the book. However, the recipes are yummy mine just look ordinary and like a toddler decorated it. But I've totally upped my delicious game so it is still a win.

I'm slightly lowering the review because the title makes it seem you will learn to create a showstopper. If you have decorating experience that may be true but otherwise at leasr6you get the recipes and as I said the pictures are glorious. I recieved this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book toread in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This is certainly a showstopping cake book full of beautiful and mouthwatering cakes and recipies. The only negative thing about this book is that there are pictures of the finished cakes but step by step pictures would of been amazing to show how to do the icing, toppings, decor etc.
The book has beautiful photographs and so many delicious looking and sounding cakes, you really must get the if your a fan of cakes!

Everyday Bakes to Showstopper Cakes looks like a really good baking book unfortunately the book was written for a non-US audience as the recipes use metric measurements. mixed with measurement you could use for weighing out ingredients. Here's a sample of what I mean:

Iced Gingerbread Biscuits

425 grams (15 oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
140 g (4 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, softened
165 g (5 1/2 oz) muscovado sugar
1 large egg yolk
165 g (5 1/2 oz) treacle
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp milk
For the royal icing
3 large egg whites (about 125 g/4 oz)
500-600 g (1 lb 1 oz-1 lb 5 oz) icing sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice

As you can see the recipe is written for a non-US audience as the measurements and ingredients are not something typically found in US recipes.

The recipe photos are gorgeous and the foodstuffs depicted look really yummy.

Recommend with caveats given.

Review written after downloading a temporary PDF book from NetGalley.

A perfect title for a perfect showstopper cake book! I loved this book and found recipe, after recipe doable!! While you might need a scale to help with metric measurements, it is the most accurate way to bake and I didn't mind at all that it has metric measurements! This is the perfect book for those that love cake! Easy 5 stars!!

Everyday Bakes to Showstopper Cakes is a terrific cookbook. It gives even the novice baker and opportunity to practice and do well. Then the newcomer to baking can advance with some of the more complicated recipes. I like the variety of flavors, especially some of the exotic ones that I have not used at all or seldom. These recipes give me a chance to expand my horizons. Experienced bakers can also benefit from this cookbook because of the variety of recipes.

A delightful looking bakes and cakes book from Mich Turner, who is the Little Venice Cake Company cake designer - I've bought her products before as a birthday cake for one of my daughters, and it was delicious, so it lovely to see how to try and make some myself.

This book is split into four main sections (no of cakes):
Cupcakes (19)
Loaf cakes, traybakes & Meringues (14)
Layer Cakes (15)
Celebration Cakes (21)

Whilst there are plenty of bakes to choose from a number of them use the base recipe from the previous recipe and change the topping. Some of the recipes use a cake of your choice, but I guess its possible not all types would be suitable - I'd rather have some suggestions as to the type that is best used with fondant sugar paste and royal icing.

The measurements come in both metric and imperial, each recipe has a colour photograph and plenty of steps to follow. The book also contain a templates for the gingerbread house.

These cakes a certainly decadent and some look quite easy to do, some are more intermediate and others are for the more experienced baker. I certainly would make the Chocolate Marbled Easter Eggs this year - they look scrummy.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

Everyday Bakes to Showstopper Cakes
Author: Mich Turner
Photographer: Lisa Linder

What a gorgeous book this is! The photographs drew me in and then seeing that simple recipes were taken from being decorated simply to quite elaborate with complicated steps made this a book I would love to sit and read then get up and bake from.

The recipes provide both imperial and metric measurements making this book easy to follow. There are tips to make success more likely along with step by step instructions on how to make the cake, icing(s) and decorations. Whether you are a beginner or more skilled there are ideas for everyone interested in tackling cake baking.

Cakes for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, baby showers and more are included. Frostings are not limited to buttercream or fondant and the ways to take a recipe and use it for cupcakes or more complicated layer or shaped cakes are also included. Use of candies, flowers, fruit and so many more items to decorate with made this a joy to read and get new ideas from.

A chocolate chip cupcake can become quite elegant with peanut butter frosting, peanut brittle and a few other additions. A cake with a heart inside? Haven’t tried that before. A simple layer cake then frosted with caramel inside? Hmmm… Flavors of fruit, vanilla, chocolate, gingerbread and more are included along with meringue-based deserts like pavlova.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I buy it to bake from? I would

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

The author of this title is truly a master baker.  A biographical note that I saw indicated that she has made cakes for Queen Elizabeth and a number of celebrities. 

The book contains recipes for cupcakes including Raising the Baa, Lemon Meringue Cupcakes, Gin and Tonic Cupcakes, Chocolate Chip Cupcakes and more.  There are also recipes for loaf cakes, tray-bakes and meringues; included are Raspberry and White Chocolate Meringue Towers, Classic Chocolate Eclairs a Warming Ginger Loaf Cake and a Salted Caramel and Popcorn Layer Cake, among others.  The book also include Layer Cakes; Lemon and Elder-flower Layer Cake or Strawberry Shortcake Floral Stacks anyone?  Ow about Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.  The Book ends with a number of Celebration Cakes including Hand-decorated Ester Biscuits, Halloween Mini Rolls, a Chocolate Biscuit Wreath cake and many more. 

The photographs made me so hungry.  They are gorgeous.  The book has basic recipes and then ways to enhance them to make a showstopper.  Either way, if you like to bake, take a look at this one.

One note:  unfortunately for U.S. bakers the oven temps and measurements are British style and will need to be converted.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Everyday Bakes to Showstopper Cakes is a progressive guide and recipe book for bakers for creating simple to elaborate cakes and baked desserts. Due out 10th March 2020 from Quarto on their Frances Lincoln imprint it's 224 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The book has a nice and logical layout. The introductory recipes are easy enough for beginner bakers and the following chapters build on the earlier concepts and finishes. The book is arranged roughly thematically with cupcakes followed by loaves, tray-bakes, and meringues, on to cakes and then celebratory and really fancy cakes.

Recipe ingredients are listed in a bullet sidebar with both metric and American standard *weights* given. These recipes use weights for most of the flours to give a more consistent result. Info and tips about the ingredients or the recipes themselves are given in sidebars below the preparation information. Yields are stated in the header info. Nutritional information and special diet concerns/allergens (nuts, celery, wheat, etc) are not given.

These are yummy and (mostly) made from easily sourced ingredients.

Each of the recipes includes an introductory description, ingredients listed in a bullet point sidebar, step by step instructions. All of the recipes are accompanied by photographs. The photos provided are high quality, clear, and easy to follow. There are a number of really beautifully presented desserts here including some appealing and impressive holiday bakes.

The recipe ingredients themselves are easily sourced and will be available at most well stocked grocery stores. There are a very few ingredients which might be a little more difficult to source, but definitely nothing that is 'way out there'.

Four and a half stars.

This book is beautiful! It has gorgeous photos and excellent recipes that will appeal to many tastes. The title encompasses what this cookbook offers: tray bakes and cookies to more fancy cakes. Be aware that quite a few of the recipes are slight variations of a recipe already in the cookbook.

This is a lovely and well made book that's filled with desserts you will want to try!

As someone who reads a lot of cookbooks, and watches a LOT of Food Network baking challenges I was very excited to get this book and it did not disappoint! There were so many spectacular recipes and cake designs, many of which seem very doable and I just loved all the beautiful photography.

I think my baking journey is really just wishful thinking that I'll develop the patience, creativity, and artistry that would land me on the Great British Baking Show, but I've accepted my reality that I'm more of a Nailed It contestant. It might just be stubbornness that keeps me trying. Or borderline insanity? Either way, Everyday Bakes to Showstopper Cakes caught my attention and interest for sure. I think the recipes/flavors are more in line with my 'wishes' -- ginger cakes with lime buttercream and pineapple sunflowers, rhubarb and custard mini pavlovas, go the whole hog -- has easy to follow (numbered!) instructions, beautiful photos, and top tips. Best of all, it's a book that isn't as intimidating as some I've read and used. My 7 year old niece has the baking bug (but more decorating than baking) and I'm so excited to try some of these recipes with her (esp pigs and sheep cupcakes, raising the baa). The only sad news is that aside from my niece, everyone I know is on a diet. So maybe they'll be enticed my mini pigs and sheep? Everyday Bakes is a great resource that has re-inspired me.

I absolutely loved this book. I've baked and decorated cakes for years. This book has very easy steps to follow and a beginner would do well with it. Highly recommend.

This book is an amazing tool to have if you are a baker! This book is filled with beautiful cakes. The recipes were easy to follow and achievable.

Chapters are separated into Cupcakes, Loaf Cakes/ Traybakes/Meringues, Layer Cakes, and Celebration Cakes. Absolutely gorgeous full color photos of each recipe in all variations. Recipes are done as both an "everyday bake" and then at least one if not multiple options of a "showstopper cake" - building upon the original recipe to add additional flavors, more complex decorations, or some other enhancement. Some of the everyday bakes are already quite special and beautiful to begin with. The recipes all sound delicious, and there are decorating styles from the simple to cute kids ideas to absolutely gorgeous cakes that would be suitable for a fancy party or even a wedding. Just the photos in the book provide nice inspiration. The book is from London, so many recipe measurements are in grams and ounces.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

White Lion Publishing and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Everyday Bakes to Showstopper Cakes. I was under no obligation to review this cookbook and my opinion is freely given.

Simply put, the desserts in this cookbook are awe-inspiring, indulgent, and delectable. I love baking, but Everyday Bakes to Showstopper Cakes turns the craft into an art form. Even the everyday bakes, designed to be simpler and not so ornate, are outstanding. As the baking terms are written in the British manner, some ingredients may not be instantly recognizable to those from elsewhere. The internet provides all of the answers, however, so this is not an issue. The author does a good job of listing the ingredient conversions, so whether you use Metric or English, the information is already listed.

The cookbook is divided into logical sections, which I have listed below with some of my favorite recipes.

Cupcakes: Lemon Meringue Cupcakes (accompanied by the showstopper Lemon Meringue Layer cake); Black Forest Cherry Cupcakes

Loaf Cakes, Traybakes, and Meringues: Raspberry and White Chocolate Traybake; Classic Chocolate Eclairs; Showstopper Coffee Layer Cake

Layer Cakes: Vanilla Layer Cake with Fresh Strawberries; The Althorp Chocolate and Salted Caramel Layer Cake; Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Celebration Cakes: Chocolate Fudge Heart Cake; Venetian Easter Eggs

There are great tips and hints scattered throughout and the plentiful photographs will inspire bakers of all skill levels. The base recipes for cakes are outstanding, so even if the decorations seem out of your league, the cakes themselves are excellent. For all of the reasons listed above, I would highly recommend Everyday Bakes to Showstopper Cakes to other readers.

This is a perfect baking cookbook for many easy to make showstopping cakes and biscuits. I gained a bunch of ideas and tips from this book and many bookmarked recipes to make. Mich Turner has many other teaching the art of cake decorating, and I have read most of them too, but love this one the most.

This book is great. Owning a bakery I read alot of baking books and to be honest alot of them are more or less the same. This one has some great recipes and the decorating ideas feel very fresh and modern. I love this book and will use it alot.

I recieved an advance copy of this book in return for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

There's plenty of fun and inspirational recipes in this book. Some of them are easier than others and in some cases it's for the better to have some skills in terms of cake decorating. Nevertheless, there is a few recipes I'd love to try, such as Chocolate and Salted Caramel Cake and Ruffle truffle pinata cake.

This is a really great book full of the cutest ideas and recipes that are very good. I spent the last few days trying to recreate some of the things in this book with my Granddaughter, we didn’t get the perfection that is in the book but we had fun

This is a beautiful selection of recipes with something to suit each occasion.
There an 'everyday bake' version, usually cupcakes or traybakes which are easy enough to do and not too time-consuming, and a 'showstopper' version which would be an amazing centrepiece at a celebration, not to mention delicious too.
The recipes start with the basics so even novice bakers will feel confident to start tackling the everyday bakes
Beautiful colour photographs show how every bake should (might!) look and help you to understand what to do, and clear instructions help you to gain confidence in the kitchen.
I've been a huge fan of The Great British Bake Off since it started, and even though this book is not affiliated with the show, it has layered cakes galore that would impress even Mary Berry.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Such a fabulous book, There are some stunning bakes in here and makes me feel that I could actually gives these a try.

Some of my fave recipes in this book include

Black Forest Roulade
Chocolate and Salted Caramel Cake
Ruffle truffle pinata cake
and probably my most favourite is the
Secret Heart Strawberry and Orange heart cake

Can't wait to have a go at some of these recipes!

I really loved this cookbook! I love to bake so I was really excited to dive in and learn how to become a better baker.

The author takes you step by step through each level of expertise, from beginner to master and explains everything so very well. The directions and pictures are wonderful and it makes learning new skills that much easier. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their baking skills.

I really like the concept of taking a cake and doing it both simply and fussily. It allows the flavor combinations chosen in this cookbook (some simple & classic, some original & inspired) to really shine, and it means that you can choose the flavor you want & then find the showstopping version, rather than having to alter a simple recipe and fuss around with things the way other cookbooks make you do. The instructions are clear and the photos are lovely; overall, a very nice cookbook.

When I first saw the cover of this book, I knew I had to check it out. I enjoy baking, and love how creative cakes and cupcakes can be. However, I wasn’t prepared for the absolute beauty in this book. Page after page of delightful treats, all with color photos! I could spend a day lost in its pages.

EVERYDAY BAKES TO SHOWSTOPPER CAKES lives up to its name. I don’t think I have ever seen so many beautiful and yummy sounding sweets within one volume. You’ll find recipes for Marble Ring Cake with Double Chocolate Drip, Lemon Meringue Cupcakes, Strawberry and Orange Cupcakes, Warming Ginger Loaf Cake, Salted Caramel Popcorn Layer Cake, Lemon and Elderflower Layer Cake, Red Velvet Cake with White Chocolate Fudge Heart Cake with Sugar Roses, Mothering Sunday Mango and Passion Fruit Cake, and so many more, you’ll get cavities just reading it!

Rather you love baking, decorating, eating delicious treats, or you simply enjoy looking through and or collecting beautiful books, EVERYDAY BAKES TO SHOWSTOPPER CAKES is one you’ll want to add to your collection.

Mich Turner (MBE) is the best cake designer in the business, in my opinion. She makes the most wonderful cakes, true showstoppers. In this book she allows us into her secrets of making something simple recipes into a beautiful cakes that will impress everyone.
The book is full of recipes stating from cupcakes, loaf/traybakes/meringues, layer cakes and celebration cakes; each chapters building on the previous one until the fabulous celebration cakes end the adventure.
Easy to follow instructions, easy recipes and fabulous photographs. All in all a fabulous book.

Oh how my heart loves this book! The photography alone brings visions of British baking shows and dessert competitions dancing in my head. I love that the everyday bakes are paired with a showstopper. Sometimes I found I quite preferred the everyday bake to the showstopper. I have many new recipes that I can't wait to try! There were several bakes I had never heard of before which I attribute to being from America and reading a book by a baker from the UK. The templates section will certainly come in handy. I could have used a few more templates, honestly, but that's nothing to hold against this fantastic book.

This is a great all around baking book, covering simply decorated cakes, fancy cakes for special occasions, cookies, cupcakes, loaves and more. Some are really pretty, others are just really cute (mummy cookies!) and some are very simple requiring minimal extra work and perfect for an after dinner dessert.

I love Mich Turner and have another of her books here. Everything is so easy to follow and the pictures are so helpful and beautiful!

I am a fan of cookbooks and this one is spectacular, I look forward to making some recipes, especially lemon and meringue cupcakes, I have always looked for a perfect recipe and this convention me a lot, the photographs are clear and craving, that is what gives you more p to a cookbook in particular desserts.