Everyday Cake: 45 Simple Recipes for Layer, Bundt, Loaf, and Sheet Cakes

by Polina Chesnakova

Overview

A humble slice, square, or wedge of homemade cake never fails to delight and here you'll find forty-five simple recipes to make any day feel a bit special.

Using ingredients that are readily available, these cakes are unfussy yet sweetly indulgent. Recipes are arranged using pans most of us already have in our kitchens: round, square, loaf, rectangle, sheet, and bundt. Flavors include warm spices, herbs and flowers, and sweet essences, plus chocolate, fruit, nuts, and seeds.

An appealingly wide range of cakes will tickle every fancy:

• The Yellow Birthday Cake with Whipped Malt Chocolate Buttercream is perfect for a birthday celebration of any age

• The Lemon-Lavender Yogurt Cake is quick to make and satisfying with cup of tea

• The Strawberries-and-Cream Cake is the ideal way to end a summer supper.

 There's something for every mood and craving in Everyday Cakes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781632172983
Publisher:	Sasquatch Books
Publication date:	08/16/2022
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	525,975
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Polina Chesnakova is a Seattle-based food writer, recipe developer, and cooking class instructor whose work has been featured in Culture, The Washington Post, Saveur, The Kitchn, and Seattle magazine. She is also the author of Hot Cheese: Over 50 Gooey, Oozy, Melty Recipes (Chronicle Books). In addition, she serves as the culinary director at Book Larder, Seattle’s only cookbook shop.

Read an Excerpt

INTRODUCTION

Whether right after a meal, while winding down in the evening, or when we gather with friends and loved ones, my family always pours tea—and what is that hot, steaming cup without something sweet to accompany it? This was how I was introduced at an early age to the pleasure of a simple dessert, often cake. Drawn in not so much by the sugar, but by a deep satisfaction that stems from “that ideal match of the right dish and the right moment,” as the restaurateur and cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi said.
 
That idea is what Everyday Cake is all about—cakes in all shapes and forms for every mood and occasion. Maybe a long day at work necessitates a treat, an unexpected guest stops in, or you’re looking to celebrate, but without too much fuss. In other words, day-to-day moments that warrant a spark of joy.
 
In these pages, you’ll find cakes that are neither overly complicated nor too sweet but are reliably delicious. Some, like the Lemon-Lavender Yogurt Cake (page 143), are a one-bowl magic trick, while others call for layers (never more than two!) and frosting, like the Yellow Birthday Cake with Whipped Malt Chocolate Buttercream (page 91). There are a handful, such as the Salted Butterscotch Fudge Sheet Cake (page 127), that feed a crowd, but many more will be easily tackled by a party of two. And if your style, like mine, skews classic with a twist, then you’ll especially love the Golden-Milk Tres Leches Cake (page 111) and the Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Five-Spice Streusel (page 26).
 
The chapters are organized by the forms the cakes are baked in—Bundt and tube; round; square and rectangular; and loaf pans—because I find each shape carries its own vibe and associations. (A Chocolate Sour Cream Cake on page 145 keeps it casual, while a Sugared Jelly Donut Bundt Cake on page 35 begs to be served at brunch.) My recipes are clear and detailed, meant to empower—not overwhelm—the reader. Throughout the book, tidbits of pastry know-how will address any questions you might have in the process and leave you smarter in the kitchen too.
 
My hope is that whether you’re a novice or seasoned baker, or somewhere in between, this cookbook will entice you and bring delight no matter the reason. So next time your day calls for a sweet treat, let Everyday Cake be the answer.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Let's Get Started 5

Bundt and Tube Cakes 18

Rhubarb Buttermilk Bundt Cake 22

Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Five-Spice Streusel 26

Mama's Rum Raisin Bundt Cake 28

Double-Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake 33

Sugared Jelly Donut Bundt Cake 35

Grapefruit Poppy Seed Cake with Hibiscus Glaze 39

Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Icing 41

Raspberry-Rose Angel Food Cake 45

Pear-Walnut Cake with Spelt and Cardamom 52

Round Cakes 54

Barely Baked Dulce de Leche Cheesecake 57

Olive Oil Cake 59

Rhubarb-Cardamom Upside-Down Cake 60

Apple Sharlotka 64

Whole-Citrus Almond Cake 66

Apricot Cornmeal Skillet Cake 68

Turkish Coffee Crumb Cake 71

Flourless Chocolate Crunch Cake with Port Cherries 73

Strawberries-and-Cream Cake 79

Coconut-Lime Cream Cake with Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting 84

Carrot Cake with Browned Butter-Cream Cheese Frosting 88

Yellow Birthday Cake with Whipped Malt Chocolate Buttercream 91

Square and Rectangular Cakes 96

Banana Cake, Two Ways 98

Browned Butter Hazelnut Cake with Sugared Plums 100

"Grated" Jam Cake 103

Frosted Apple-Cinnamon Oat Cake 105

French Custard Cake 109

Golden-Milk Tres Leches Cake 111

Summer Berry Buckle with Crunchy Sugar 114

Santina's Tiramisu 119

Confetti Cake with Strawberry Frosting 121

Fudgy Devil's Food Sheet Cake 124

Salted Butterscotch Fudge Sheet Cake 127

Russian Napoleon Cake 129

Loaf Cakes 132

Cannoli Ricotta Cake with Candied Pistachios 135

Marbled Matcha Pound Cake with Berry Compote 138

Lemon-Lavender Yogurt Cake 143

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake 145

Earl Grey Tea Cake 148

Honeyed Fig and Anise Semolina Cake 150

Parsnip and Cranberry Maple Cake 152

Roasted Pumpkin Spice Cake with Tahini Glaze 155

Sticky Date and Ginger Cake with Coconut-Rum Sauce 157

Brandied Persimmon Tea Cake 160

Acknowledgments 162

Index 165

Editorial Reviews

"The cakes included here are designed for 'day-to-day moments that warrant a spark of joy.' And how joyful they are! Chesnakova has compiled a selection of cakes bursting with colors, from familiar treats to inventive combinations, with flavors spanning common fruits to rich spices and in a range of complexity and time consumption."
—Booklist

". . . creative new classics divvied up by the type of cake pan that serves them best."
—Seattle Times

"Innovative. . . New bakers will find comfortable possibilities here, such as the Russian Napoleon Cake that uses a packaged, rather than homemade, puff pastry. Bakers with developed skills will also find new flavors to try. Top picks include the delicious birthday cake with malt powder in the batter and frosting, and the salted butterscotch fudge sheet cake, which is too yummy for words."
—Library Journal

From the Publisher

09/01/2022

This work by the author of Hot Cheese: Over 50 Gooey, Oozy, Melty Recipes finds its own niche among a wealth of cake compilations by famous bakers, regional specialists, and elaborate decorators. The chapters are arranged by the shape of the cake pan instead of the more typical arrangement by flavor or occasion. This innovative choice is successful and informative. The introductory material that describes general ingredients and instructions is straightforward, providing essential help to beginners, and it even offers a few new tips to the experienced. The recipes themselves are easy to follow and include side notes with additional friendly advice. New bakers will find comfortable possibilities here, such as the Russian Napoleon Cake that uses a packaged, rather than homemade, puff pastry. Bakers with developed skills will also find new flavors to try. Top picks include the delicious birthday cake with malt powder in the batter and frosting, and the salted butterscotch fudge sheet cake, which is too yummy for words. The photos that accompany the recipes are homey but tempting. VERDICT Library patrons will love this cookbook for its "just right" size and content.—Danise Hoover

Library Journal