Zoë Bakes Cakes: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Favorite Layers, Bundts, Loaves, and More [A Baking Book]

I waited a long time for this with lots of Hoopla. Love Zoe, of course, but am sadly disappointed. Recipes often are not complete, leaving out some important details—like vanilla, salt, etc. The photography very underwhelming too. I know this book is getting rave reviews, but I guess I’m just more critical. I offer my editing services for the next edition…hah! Would purchase again and will use I’m sure, but too many errors to give to my kids to learn from.

I have been a “Zoe-follower” for so long and I have watched her IG live sessions on Saturdays. But when she announced her CAKE book(she has several others dedicated to bread with another author),I was counting my days till this point. THIS BOOK IS A GEM !This book opens with the quick guide/jump-to section so the reader can skip her bio(spans across next 5 pages) and plan the sweet adventure! I love the ingredients section as she starts with critical and most of the time confusing ingredients for the homecook(chocolate varieties,dairy varieties and even egg varieties). However I wonder if I can buy 12 vanilla beans to make homemade vanilla extract. This section is followed by equipment necessary for cake baking and decorating.Next is where you master the cakes with the section of “Cake academy”. And it spans across 32 pages!!! This contains various techniques a baker should be known for to make a great cake. And she didn’t share these tips in her Instagram as detailed as in the book ! I love the instructional photos as well. Seems so easy to follow even to an inexperienced baker( I consider myself as an intermediate skilled baker).Then it's time we start to say oohs and ahhs over and over again !!! First wave of cake recipes are pound cakes,quick breads and bundts. As a strong opinionated ambassador of baking with fruits(I saw this in her IG videos and posts),Zoe has reserved a whole chapter for baking with fruits(printed as fruit studded cakes-upside down or otherwise). And she encourages baking with in season fruits starting with a blueberry muffin cake. And who's gonna stop me from trying a Cinco leches cake y’all ? Yes I said CINCO ! Oh I'm so excited !Layer cakes,loaves and classic sheet pan cakes are the next chapter and I will have more respect for sheet cakes like never before from Zoe’s recipes.This section also features the book cover’s image;the hot chocolate cake ! And her famous pavlova with prickly peaks is in here too !Last but not the least, the recipe set for “fancy cakes” comes ! Yes she said that ! It's all fancy when we want to impress that special person and the special occasion. Next birthday….Next anniversary or next special feel good ordinary day..Here lies some bespoke cakes !Final two chapters are dedicated to icing.frostings,ganaches,fillings and flourishes(that’s what special about Zoe:her carrot peel candy,cool whimsical chocolate bark and candied hazelnuts).You can own as many cake books.. And you can follow as many baking blogs or instagram accounts.. Or bake your forever favorite passed down heirloom recipes … BUT nothing is going to be as charming and serene like Zoe’s. She has this hard to miss captivative vibe surrounding us and the dormant baker in each of us is just begging to come out and bake ! And from what I saw… She has done the entire photography from her home(yes I said that seeing her IG lives). I don’t know its because of the COVID-19.But I felt welcome,included and feels like she is my friend who I can think and be happy about the bakes I do is from her. We all need this kinda warm baking book in our lives ! I'm so impatient to bake from this book !I’ve received a free copy from Ten Speed in exchange for a free and unbiased review.Thank you.

Nothing outstanding on this book, I was so excited thinking it would contain amazing flavor combinations or great tips for baking. It is a normal cake book, typical recipes devil's food cake, chocolate cake, white cake. The writing is small, does have pictures of cakes. I like the book, good Bakes but I bought suqar and that is an exciting book! I was looking for something different to what I already own. I do recommend it, good book.

When this book came out I had to have it. I have all of Zoe’s bread books and there is not nothing I haven’t made that wasn’t awesome, thought out, tested to be perfect. This cake book is beautiful, pictures for every cake, very clear and short instructions! No hard to get ingredients, just plan good good cake making with a flare. Also a lot of Zoe’s baking common sense, I learn something from her from every bake, and it is the kind of knowledge that never leaves you. It was hard to decide what to make first, so I made sure I had stocked all the ingredients for three of my top picks, because of course I could not choose just one The Blue berry muffin cake, so easy, and smells heavenly. I didn’t make the crumble topping because it was one of those walk in the door from work and 15 minutes to the oven cakes we will use for breakfast or a snack, but next time definitely. The other two next on my list are the Black Forest Cake and the Grandma Ellen’s Rum cake. I will end up making every cake in the book because they are all fabulous and easy! Even a “Drive Through Sue” could make most of these cakes. Thank you Zoe for all your Pastry Chef Goodness! I am one of your biggest fans. :).

I have been baking for 48 years. My cookbook collection is huge with most of them being baking books.. This is my favorite cake book ever! It is beautifully written and photographed. Her instructions are superlative plus there are wonderful flavor combinations! Sitting around reading it makes me so happy and I know the cakes will be the best !

Amazing and easy recipes! I started following Zoe on Instagram and was not really familiar with her recipes, her book looked so pretty that I bought it. Once I got I couldn't believe all the recipes it has! I started cooking and her Red Velvet is delicious! Really all her recipes!!! It is easy to read and explains everything really well. 100% recommended!

I have Zoe’s Bread in 5 minutes and have been making bread for a few years. This new book is on CAKE! Who doesn’t love cake? First was the marble pound loaf cake. Delectable! Then plum cake , only I used peaches! Delicious! Then blueberry muffin cake.....my gosh I must have gained 5 pounds in 2 weeks! Buy this book, you won’t be sorry!

Print is too small...returning

Love this book so much, american and european measurements which is great and all of the recipes we’ve baked so far are amazing and easy to follow.

Amazing book! Love it

Descubrí a Zoë en Instagram. Tienes recetas fantásticas, como el pastel de la foto, con ciruela y una mezcla de harina todo uso, integral y de almendra. Las instrucciones son claras y los ingredientes usualmente se pueden encontrar en México. Lo recomiendo mucho.

Love the book. Zoe has some great recipes in it.

I'm a Baker and an avid one, this book is one of my favorites now. Love the recipes!!