Rodale

Cake decorating has always been popular, and with the success of TV shows such as Cake Boss and Ace of Cakes, its appeal is stronger than ever. Bakers and crafters looking to create standout desserts for every occasion will find a treasure trove of ideas and inspiration, along with delicious recipes and complete step-by-step instructions in Bake & Decorate. People who think cake decorating requires advanced baking skills and expensive equipment will be surprised how easy it is to create the beautiful and clever cakes, cupcakes and cookies presented in Bake & Decorate. Whether for a child’s birthday party, an elegant afternoon tea or a holiday buffet, these recipes and decorating schemes are surprisingly doable, even for novice bakers. Fiona Cairns, a pastry chef well-known in the UK for her cakes shares her secrets and “easy cheats” for creating these stunning desserts. All too often beautiful cakes look better than they taste. These cakes not only look amazing, they taste delicious.

Choose from more than 30 recipes for cakes, cupcakes and cookies in the first part of the book—Bake—and over 50 decorating schemes in the second part of the book—Decorate. Top an orange and pistachio flavored cake with fresh flowers and you have the perfect dessert for a summer celebration. Celebrate Easter with a chocolate truffle cake adorned with sugar eggs and fresh spring greenery. Delight the birthday girl or boy with adorable ice cream cone cakes that look just like the real thing! The author also provides an additional 25 simple ideas to help you to create a fabulous cake with a minimum of fuss, cost or effort.

Fiona Cairns trained as a pastry chef at the Michelin-starred Hambleton Hall and then began baking at home and supplying local businesses. Her company now bakes 220,000 cakes a year for clients such as Harrods, The Conran Shop, The Ritz Hotel, just to name a few. She has made cakes for Bono, Pink Floyd and supplies Sir Paul McCartney with a Christmas cake every year. Despite her success, she has never lost her passion for home baking and still makes cakes at home for family and friends.