Layered: Baking, Building, and Styling Spectacular Cakes

by Tessa Huff

It’s time to venture beyond vanilla and chocolate and take your baking skills up a notch. We’re talking layers—two, three, four, or more!

Create sky-high, bakery-quality treats at home with Tessa Huff’s 150 innovative recipes, which combine new and exciting flavors of cake, fillings, and frostings—everything from pink peppercorn cherry to bourbon butterscotch, and pumpkin vanilla chai to riesling rhubarb and raspberry chocolate stout. Including contemporary baking methods and industry tips and tricks, Layered covers every decorating technique you’ll ever need with simple instructions and gorgeous step-by-step photos that speak to bakers of every skill level—and to anyone who wants to transform dessert into layer upon layer of edible art.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Food and Drink, Foodie, Reference

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 19, 2016

Reviews

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous - absolutely gorgeous.

Every few weeks my boss gets a cake to celebrate the birthdays in a given month. She's very loyal to one particular bakery - she loves them. My coworkers apparently love them. I sigh every month, because while these cakes are always pretty (in an uninspired kind of way), they're always Gobi dry and the frosting is always toothachingly sweet - actually, it tastes a bit like the stuff that comes in cans. I want to anonymously send them a copy of this book. They need it.

It is well-written; the anecdotes included are entertaining; the clear recipes range from the familiar (red velvet, Boston creme) to the exotic (chocolate matcha, Earl Grey buttecream, blueberry pancake cake, lavender olive oil ...pink peppercorn cherry!) And there's one (the Candy Bar Cake) that looks like a beautiful chocolate Dalek. The layout of each recipe is different from the usual, in three columns rather than paragraphs. I like that. Directions are explicit, and the book is rich in beautiful photography which makes me want to stock up on flour, milk, eggs, sugar, and pastry bags.

There are instructions on how to make your own sprinkles. How cool is that.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review, and then received a better galley from the publisher which allowed me to write a more informed review - thank you!

ETA 9/19 - wow, what a difference three years make. Now we don't get any cakes for any birthdays, unless it's one of management - and then it's a crap sheet cake from the grocery store. Even for the company president. I weep for the lack of giving-a-damn...

[Bee☕ · Rating 5 out of 5]

When this book came out in print, I had to go and buy it.

Aptly titled "Layered", this is the end all to end all cake cookbooks! I prefer to cook more than bake but this collection is not just for seasoned bakers.

One of the things that I look for in a cookbook is the quality of the pictures. Next, I need an easy layout especially pictoral courage for newbies like me. Layered goes into helpful details for quality of ingredients and included author's tips along the way.

This book has everything you want in a cake baking book. My absolute favorite was the black forest cake and the red velvet cake...but Im still working my way through it.

For anyone who is a baking aficionado or baking newbie, I highly recommend this gorgeous book.

Many thanks to Net Galley for my review e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Eustacia Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the fact that I don't have an oven in my current apartment, I still requested this book. Because the cover is so pretty, and I always tell myself that one day, I'll learn how to bake.

And when I do, I have a feeling that this is going to be one of the first books I buy (note to self).

Layered is a gorgeous book that teaches you how to bake and put together layered cakes. It starts with an explanation of the basics, and I have a feeling that this is what I'll be staring at the most if I ever bake a layered cake. After that, it's recipe after recipe, organised into categories. I can't possibly list all the cakes, but the categories are:

- Classic Cakes
- Chocolate Cakes
- Casual Cakes
- Whimsical Cakes
- Adventurous Cakes
- Holiday Cakes

With a total of 60 cakes, including a bonus three-tiered wedding cake (this assumes I didn't count wrongly). There are tons of cakes I'd love to try and make, and not all of them come from the Chocolate Cakes section (though I admit, I want to make most of the cakes in that section).

Each recipe is given its own introduction and there are hints on how to put it together. And of course, plenty of beautiful pictures to make you drool.

I haven't tested any of these, so I can't say if the recipes are any good, or if they're easy to follow (things always look easy to follow, but putting them into practice is different). I do, however, really want my own copy of the book.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile

[Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite the selection of cakes for any number of occasions! I enjoyed the step by step directions at the beginning of the book that would help bakers find their way around cake decorating and such. The color pictures were an added delight. The recipes were well written and easy to follow for a person with some experience in baking. I would not recommend it for a first time baker. The sponge cakes that I tried set up well and were moist. The frostings rich and delicious.
The recipes that I tried came out just like their pictures and were well received by family and friends. A safety note for novices may be helpful, for example, when working with hot sugar the cook should use caution. It would be wonderful if the title of the cake and the picture were together on all pages, some were separated with the title on one page and the cake picture on another.

[dessertcomes1st · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely one for the intermediate to advanced bakers, since the author is a professional baker with her own bakery. This is a book overflowing with creative cake ideas: classic to whimsical to adventurous. The cakes are doable, though you’d just have to set aside half a day to a full day with some of them. Bonus section at back of book are ideas to make your own cake given suggestions from the book.

[Bookisshhh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lift every fork and sing to “Layered” by Tessa Huff who instructively tantalizes and teaches amateurs and aficionados how to construct classic, whimsical, holiday and adventurous cakes. Warning: you WILL gain 20 pounds after reading through this!

Strengths in this book are many. The photography is all about the cake and keynote ingredients. Whiteware dishes and cake stands, bright lighting, simple linens and a smattering of flowers, honey, spices and nuts when they are so-called upon. Specific processes and changes to look for are sequenced in clear, thumbnail images which give the novice baker confidence that they are not paddling against the current. “Layered” begins with sections explaining and generalizing common and recurring ingredients, room temperatures, type of butter, egg sizes, her preferences for chocolate, flour and colorants. The instructions are vertically organized in columns so each process component appears side by side. There are always tips and troubleshooting located on the same page. Huff emphasizes the use of room temperature and pre-preparation so that the experience as a whole is always flowing. Her tips are incredibly helpful, I learned more about frosting and finishing a cake from her than I did my second generation bakery grandpa!

The book is organized by type of cake. Section one is Classic Cakes. The recipes featured include pastimes like Neapolitan Cake, Red Velvet Cake, Boston Cream Pie Cake, Black Forest Cake and Brooklyn Blackout Cake. Some interesting history regarding certain recipes is tucked in Huff’s introductory paragraphs which is entirely interesting and I wish she shared more information of this type. Section two is titled, Chocolate Cakes and the variation on chocolate is mind-blowing. Some of my favorites include, Chocolate Porter Cake which has actual beer, espresso and whiskey glaze, cream cheese frosting and peanut brittle. Another interesting one is called the Ultimate Candy Bar Cake which is a mocha spice cake with coffee butter cream and your choice of candy bar filling. Section three, Whimsical Cakes, include varieties of fruit, spice, S’mores and banana splits. Section four’s, Adventure Cakes, are described as boozy, savory, loaded with ingredients like, yuzu, pink peppercorns, chai, red wine, lavender and olive oil. These cakes less formal in appearance–not suffocating in frosting–are for discerning palates, though not over the top as the ingredient panel may suggest. Following adventure comes section five hosting Casual Cakes where honey, apples, peaches, sour cream, pineapple, raspberries and other amazing ingredients tumble onto the counter. Check out the Hummingbird Cake–a lovely Southern tradition featuring pineapple, cream cheese frosting, maple candied pecans and a banana-pineapple spice cake. Delicious! Wrapping up with Holiday Cakes, here the photography really steps up and you will adore the essence of red in pomegranates. Her Strawberry Rose Valentine Cake is one to dream over–sour cream chocolate cake with strawberry-rose buttercream.

Happy and inspired am I to have read, “Layered” and excited am I to purchase it in hardcover later this month. The experience Huff organizes is not one to be created via internet searches or Pinterest. Her concept oozes with philosophy, joy and a worldly approach. Give it a read!

[Deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book taught me how to make a layered cake. It starts with a very clear description on how to build up our cake and how to decorate it, in a way that makes it immediately easy for you to experient. Two of the three cakes I made out of here were absolute winners (i.e. red velvet and peanut butter lover's chocolate bombe). And there are so many I can't wait to try (e.g. raspberry stout cake, butterschotch bourbon cake, mango coconut cream cake, pecan pear crunch cake, there are just so many more!!!)

[Aleece · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes me wish that I bake. Everything is laid out in step by step instructions and everything just looks so delicious. There is everything from the basics to the extremes in looks and in flavors. I wish this book was 3D and all I needed was a fork. If I ever do attempt to bake (still working on cooking at this point) this would be my go to book in a heartbeat.

I received this advanced copy from Abrams through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first saw this cook book at my sister's house this summer, and -- as weird as it is to say this -- I couldn't put it down until I had read through the entire thing! and I don't mean just looking through the pictures (which are beautiful) and skimming the recipes. I really enjoy the author's writing style and found her blurbs to be interesting and entertaining.

[Lili · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley.

I am a competent cook, but an incompetent baker. The exactitude and fussiness of baking has always overwhelmed me. However, my surprising success with a fairly basic gluten free chocolate layer cake at a recent dinner party has emboldened me to delve more deeply into the world of cakes. Layered seemed like just the book to guide me on that journey.

Almost immediately, the book endeared itself to me with its sentiment that, although there is some science necessary for baking the perfect cake, the baker should be able to play with flavors and experiment with textures. It is exactly that sense of fun and freedom that draws me into the kitchen in the first place.

The book began with the basics: a pantry, a tool kit, basic baking and pastry techniques, and recipes for the “staples.” Ingredients and tools were listed alphabetically. The descriptions of the ingredients were very thorough and well balanced, advocating splurges when necessary and economies when possible. I was thrilled to see an exact time frame for bringing butter to room temperature – thirty to sixty minutes depending on the temperature of the kitchen. Likewise, the descriptions of the items in the tool kit were thorough enough to serve as a buyers’ guide. I was a little dismayed that none of the cakes in the book were baked with nine-inch cake pans, because that is the size that I have. (I’m such a novice baker that I didn’t know they were nonstandard when I bought them.) The instructions in the baking and pastry techniques section were very clearly written, and included not only the how but also the why, which I really appreciate. These techniques covered the gamut from creaming butter and sugar to cutting and storing the cake. There was a lengthy series of separate instructions on how to properly frost a cake, which included preparing the cake, filling the cake, applying the crumb coat and finishing the cake smooth. Additional instructions were provided for a striped finish, swirl finish, rustic finish, and a variety of piping bag finishes. I was a little overwhelmed reading about the piping bag finishes, because I’ve only handled a piping bag once in my life (and that was a pre-filled one under close supervision in a Sur La Table French pastry class). Fortunately, right after the section on properly frosting a cake came a section on piping techniques, which essentially demystified everything from the different types of piping bag types to how to achieve different effects with each tip. Final touches, such as garnishes, decorations and presentation, were also discussed. The section on the basics wound up with the recipes for the “staples.” Ingredient measurements and cooking temperatures were given in English units as well as metric units. I found it a little odd that the egg whites were measured in fractional cups rather than number of eggs, but that just goes to show how fussy and precise bakers can be. The recipe steps were clearly written and easy to follow. The Tips and Troubleshooting box following the recipes seemed to cover the widest possible variety of problems.

The real fun began once the basics had been covered, as there were entire sections devoted to classic cakes, chocolate cakes, casual cakes, whimsical cakes, adventurous cakes, and holiday cakes. Each individual cake recipe took up three to four pages within the section, usually with at least one full page devoted to photographs or artwork. Each individual cake recipe clearly indicated how many layers of what size cake, and how many servings are yielded. After a brief introduction, each individual cake recipe listed the ingredients for each of the components of the cake. Like the recipes for the “staples,” the ingredient measurements (and cooking temperatures) for each component of each cake recipe were given in English units as well as metric units. Egg yolks and egg whites were actually measured by number rather than by fluid volume (except for the egg whites in one or two frosting recipes like the maple brown sugar buttercream). Some of the ingredients were a little obscure, like brown rice syrup, hazelnut praline paste, and rose extract. Following the ingredient lists were the recipe steps for each component, which were organized under bolded subheadings to make it easy to follow along. Like the recipes for the “staples,” the recipe steps were clearly written, easy to follow, and well sequenced. For the cakes, frostings and fillings, the recipes steps were as standardized as possible. That is, for example, when there was a sifting step for a cake component, it read the same as the sifting step for every other cake component. This made it very easy to get into a groove reading the recipes. There was a wide variety of techniques employed to flavor the cakes, frostings and fillings, including infusion. Some cakes used soaking syrups to enhance their flavors. The only downside to the recipes was that most definitely required an electric stand mixer, rather than a hand mixer (something that was foreshadowed in the tool kit section). “Assemble the Cake” was added in as its own bold subheading, because sometimes there were one or more components that needed to be prepared after assembly. After the main recipe were a variety of different call out boxes. The “Decorate It” call out box provided suggestions on how to decorate the cake. The “Baker’s Notes” call out box provided tips and troubleshooting, as well as storage times. The “Got Leftovers?” call out box recommended how to use any leftover components from the overall cake recipe, like pouring leftover chocolate glaze over ice cream for a sundae or sprinkling leftover oat crumble over yogurt. The “Shortcut” call out box highlighted substitutions that can be made, like store bought lemon curd and honey roasted peanuts for homemade.

The bonus three-tier wedding cake chapter explored using supports to turn stable layer cakes into a tiered cake. The project was essentially stacking a six-inch two-layer cake on top of an eight-inch two-layer cake on top of a ten-inch two-layer cake. In addition to the clear recipe and assembly steps, there were easy to follow instructions on how to insert dowels into the eight-inch and ten-inch layer cakes for stability and advice on how much additional buttercream frosting was required to completely cover such a large cake.

Of course, the geek in me appreciated the Mix and Match chart at the end of the book that provided another fourteen combinations of cake, filling, and frosting. The intent was to inspire confidence in the reader to experiment with his or her own combinations of the basic building blocks provided throughout the book. The Index was well organized and easy to use, which makes actually mixing and matching a real possibility.

The sheer variety of cake recipes, frosting recipes, filling recipes and other recipes in Layered was stunning. This book definitely lived up to – and surpassed – the promise of the publisher’s blurb in its scope. There must be at least a dozen different recipes for variations of the humble chocolate cake. But I think my favorite part of the book was all the little extra special touches that the author added to the cakes. I knew homemade marshmallows were within the realm of possibility, but who would have thought that it was even possible to make homemade sprinkles? Never mind do it with four ingredients in two steps! And instructions on how to build a spun sugar bird’s nest? Nothing short of awesome.

However, this book had two minor flaws. First, the recipes are not easily scaleable into different shapes and sizes. With one or two exceptions, there is no guidance whatsoever provided if you wanted to turn a four-layer six-inch cake into a two-layer eight-inch cake. And you can forget about making cupcakes! Second, Layered is not for those with dietary restrictions. Only the Chocolate Coconut Cake could be made vegan – the cake itself was eggless, but the frosting recipe required vegan butter and vegan cream cheese to be substituted for the regular varieties called for in the ingredient list. The Apricot Carrot Cake, which could be made exclusively with spelt flour instead of white all-purpose flour, was the only gluten free cake.

The digital galley that I received lacked photographs and other artwork so I cannot comment on them. There was a generous amount of space devoted to photographs and other artwork, which made this book a very quick read. It was actually pretty easy to get an overall feel for the book without the photographs and the artwork because the recipes stood on their own, relying on their descriptions rather than on references to photographs or artwork.

I have yet to prepare any of the recipes from Layered, but, after reading the book from cover to cover, I am confident that I could successfully attempt (almost) any recipe within its pages – once I acquire the correct size cake pans! I’ve been asked to bring an “appetizer cake” to my goddaughter’s third birthday party mid-month, so I definitely have an occasion to test out at least a basic cake recipe, if not compose the complete cake/filling/frosting objet d’art. If I prepare one of the recipes, I will update my review.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!! The cover is beautiful, so one would assume that the book is going to be fabulous right? It has the look of a childrens board book, first of all. Second of all the set up inside is very odd. I have to admit that there is a fair amount of pictures in this book which I love, however, all of the instructions on the inside are in these skinny little columns. Like I said which strikes me as odd. I was sorely let down. I am so glad that I did not buy this.

[Challis]

Wow, what a wealth of cake baking and building knowledge. There are so many detailed tips and instructions in here that I think even the most beginner of bakers would be able to tackle these. The author has constructed the recipes in a very convenient way of having each element to the cake separated both in the ingredients list and the instructions list. Even the most daunting seeming cakes in here feel less scary to approach when broken down in that way.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good recipes and instructions

Clear excellent information laid out in a user-friendly format. Decorating is covered in the beginning, then the recipes. Good range; from the classic chocolate frosted yellow birthday cake to rainbow to lavender olive oil to butterscotch bourbon to how to make a wedding cake, it's all covered. I foresee this book getting a lot of use.

[Brittany Busboom-Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this cook book for cakes! So many different ideas for flavors. The author really does a great job of explaining how to make these beautiful cakes. I am definitely inspired to make my own cakes and can only hope they will look half as beautiful as the cakes featured in this book.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to bake cakes, this is the recipe book for you. There are so many delicious recipes and all cakes have 1 or more pictures. I’m so glad I purchased a copy to add to my (very small) collection.

[Chanel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my FAVORITE cake book to date. From the beautiful pictures to the delicious recipes that work EVERY TIME, I can't say enough good things about this book.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cake cookbook with in-depth and time-consuming recipes, but the end product is beautiful and delicious! We've made two of these cakes so far.

[Leilani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative, great for beginner baker like me.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent cakes. I'm not an experienced baker, but have successfully made several of these cakes. Very clear directions. Love her flavor combinations.

[Jamie Greenwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving the recipes, hating the layout

[Cynthia Corral · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no possible way to give this book anything but five stars, even though I know if I tried any of these ideas my cake would end up as the banner pic for one of those "Pinterest Fail" sites.

This book gets five stars just for the photos. Gorgeous and spare, there are photos of each completed cake (all impeccably decorated) and also of one slice to show the beautiful layers inside.

It gets five stars for the gorgeously decorated cakes.

It gets five stars for all the cake recipes and individual frosting and filling recipes (often several different ones for each cake).

It gets five stars for all the prep information included. There's the requisite "stocking the layered cake kitchen", tools needed, terms used, and helpful hints.

Five stars for making my mouth water.

Five stars for including many recipes using alcohol (a sure-fire way to get five stars from me).

Five stars for the section on Holiday Cakes, all of which I want on my kitchen counter NOW, all gorgeously decorated, all wanting to be in my belly ASAP.

The only way I would mark this book down is in how little attention it gives to the difficulty of actually making a several-layered cake. If you have tons of baking experience, you're good to go. If you just want to drool over the pictures, get this book now. But if you want to start making layered cakes (several layers, not just two), I am giving you some free advice here: start practicing on your own before you decide to dive into any of these from the book. I give you this advice purely from my own experience of ONCE trying to layer a cake. I made a cake with six layers and frosted it the night before my daughter's fourth birthday party. It was going to be her "Princess Cake".
There is not much that will destroy a newly-four year old girl more completely than to wake up and find her beautiful Princess Cake toppled and crumbled and destroyed by gravity overnight. It didn't lean over and fall, it developed cracks in the middle and just came apart from the inside out. That birthday required an emergency visit to the grocery bakery to pick up a new, non-princess cake.

There are a few warnings about this crumbling that layered cakes tend to do, but not much that solidly says "HEY. Be careful because your cake may destroy itself!" or "HEY. Pay attention to this helpful hint that will save all of your very very hard work and high expectations!" So I'm giving you that part now: READ ALL THE DIRECTIONS. READ all the notes and hints and help!

But once you do that and once you make at least one practice layered cake, then go stock up on sugar, flour and eggs and start your baking! And then bring over all your samples to my house. I'll buy the book for the photos, but my layered cake making days died with the Princess Cake twenty years ago.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. My honest review: This book is amazing and gorgeous and you should get it.

[Sherry Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Layered-Cookbook Review
Image result for layered cookbook teresa huff
Oh my goodness! Turn the oven on! Are you seein' what I'm seein'.
How about a peek at the authors blog . . .
Citrus Bundt Cake with cream cheese glaze and toasted coconut.
Source
Click on the source for a direct link with the recipe!
How to make a two-toned ruffle cake.
This one is on the blog too with a tutorial.
Here is the very talented author . . .
Headshot0829-726x940.jpg
Here's what the author says about the book . . .
The book, Layered: Baking, Building, and Styling Spectacular Cakes, is all about - you guessed it, CAKES! Layer cakes, to be exact. I've packed 288 pages full of my all-time favorite recipes, tips and tricks from my years making cakes, and some crafty tutorials so you can make bakery-style cakes at home! From the classics like Red Velvet and Boston Cream Pie to more whimsical and adventurous flavors like Strawberry Confetti, Mango Coconut Cream, and Red Wine Blackberry, there is a recipe for every occasion. I've added some helpful step-by-step photos as well as a stylish, full-page image (or two) for EACH cake.

I don't know where I've been but this talented young lady has been published in magazines since 2008. Here's the link to the press page with all the articles.

And another author said . . .
“Layered is a book that will have a permanent spot in my kitchen. From the stunning imagery to the decadent recipes, Tessa has created a must-have book for all bakers and cake lovers! She’s an amazing stylist and her recipes are flawless!”





— Courtney Whitmore, author of Frostings & Pizzazzerie.com

There is some bad news though . . .
The book doesn't come out till April 19th.
Oh man, go and turn off the oven for now.
But the good news is its available for pre-order at Amazon
Abrams, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, Books-A-Million and
Indigo

So I'm thinking the perfect Mothers Day gift. I know my mother would love this cookbook. And my daughter even though she rarely cooks or bakes she's like me she dreams of finding the time.

The fine print....I was offered this book through NetGalley for my honest review. Unfortunately I was not able to open the document on my phone or my Kindle.

This post is also linked at the following linky parties. (Click on each one for a direct link)
The Art Of Homemaking, Create with Joy, The Simple Woman's Day Book, Happy Homemaker,
Share Your Cup.,The Book Nook at Create with Joy

[Andrea (mrsaubergine) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's clear Tessa Huff is a food stylist and photographer as well as a pastry chef and blogger, because the photographs in this book are glorious. Not only do we get to see the sky-high creations with all their pretty icing and decorations, but there are also separate photos of each cake sliced up, giving us a glorious view of the magnificently layered interiors. If it were possible to gain weight by just looking at cakes, I would have gained at least five kilos reading his book!

Huff begins by outlining the basics: ingredients, tools, basic methods and tips for optimum results. Written for a North American audience, some of the brand names and shops referenced were not familiar to me, but I appreciated the thoroughness with which the author covered these topics. She even gives instructions on how to make homemade sprinkles.

Then came the cakes. Oh my! The flavour combinations were incredible, including fruits, teas, alcohol, and spices alongside the perennial favourites of chocolate, coffee, lemon, and vanilla. I'm definitely going to be trying her Lemon Supreme Cake, Rainbow Sprinkle Cake, Banoffee Tiramisu Cake, and Red Wine Blackberry Cake. Yum!

Making layered cakes is no easy feat - and I'm sure my efforts would look nowhere near as good as Huff's - but the photographs alone make this book a worthy addition to your kitchen bookshelf. The author's personal story and historical explanations for recipes are fun to read, and I guess my only qualm would be that very few of these recipes would be suitable for people with food allergies. They certainly weren't any good for my diet!

***Disclaimer: This e-ARC was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to them. ***

[Jillyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

From cover to cover, this is an elegant guide to all things cake.

The first section is much needed for people like me, whose cakes never seem to turn out quite like was intended. There's a list of utilized ingredients, tools of the trade (and how to use them), as well as a guide on how to decorate.

And then there's, of course, the cakes! The recipes are arranged by types of cake. Sections include "Classic Cakes", "Casual Cakes", and "Whimsical Cakes". This is a little muddled for me. I'd prefer more of a sorting by ingredients type of organization. Classic and casual are sort of subjective. But, that's nitpicking and I know it.

The recipes have numbered steps, which is helpful. But I'm going to be honest- I think this is an intimidating book to a beginner baker. Its recipes are pretty complicated, and many of the cakes have a lot of components.

The biggest plus of this collection of cake recipes is the photography, which is gorgeous. I also really appreciate, as a visual cook, that there are photos of each and every cake. That's what I look for most in a cookbook, and this book didn't disappoint.


Some of the cakes that I'm most eager to shove in my cake hole include Lavender Olive Oil Cake, Sweet Tea Cake, and Blueberry Pancake Cake.

This book would be great on a baker's shelf, and with such beautiful photography would make a great gift. If this is your first time ever baking a cake, be cautious of this one.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reviewed this book for NetGalley.

Yum! This is a baking cookbook devoted to layer cakes, all beautiful and delicious. Some everyday cakes, some sophisticated special occasion cakes. All delectable and well within the grasp of the dedicated amateur baker.

Ms. Huff has written a lovely and exuberant book. I enjoyed reading her backstory, which is just as interesting as her cakes. She brings lots of experience, skill and creativity to this book, and is so kind and generous to share her hard-earned knowledge with us. Thank you.

The basic instructions for baking layer cakes are clear, complete and well illustrated. The lists of tools and ingredients is meticulous and explained in clear, understandable language. This is an excellent book for learning cake baking techniques.

Then there are the recipes. All of them noteworthy and quite delicious. And Ms. Huff has helpful baking notes and gives some information about the history of the recipe (Red Velvet cake, for example) which is educational. The food photography is superb - you will want to make (or at least eat) all of these cakes.

A really good read!

[Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the opinions are my own.*

OH. MY. GOSH. Just look at that cover. Seriously, it's so beautiful. I want this book just so I can have that gorgeousness gracing my bookshelf.

I love all things related to baking and I am constantly looking for new tips and recipes. I love to bake but don't always get to do so, yet that doesn't stop me from collecting new books. I love it even more when a book includes pictures because a) who doesn't love looking at pictures of beautiful food and b) it gives me ideas on how to decorate and also what I should be expecting of the recipe. This book is full of gorgeous pictures that just make me want to stare at all them all day.

The book includes different techniques and tips which are always helpful to have. It shows pictures and gives instructions on ways of decorating cakes. The book includes a couple of sections for different kinds of cakes, like casual, chocolate and holiday party cakes. I haven't tried my hand at any yet, but I am looking forward to trying one out very soon; it's going to be so hard to choose which one to start with!

[Camila · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This book was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review – all opinions are my own.*
An amazingly beautiful, colourful, unique, useful and drool-worthy baking book. I love that the recipes are so original (like offering a recipe with matcha). I find the tips, techniques and troubleshooting wonderful as often baking books only include recipes and if they don't turn out alright then it's hard to correct! She also explains all the terms she uses and makes it easy to follow along. I don't know if an eight layers cake is feasible - but I think a 2 to 4 layers cake is great and her recipes and tips are very welcomed.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so inspired and excited by this book, and can't wait to try out some of the recipes. I haven't, but they sound unique and delicious, and I read this book from cover to cover to prepare myself for trying them.

The author does a great job of describing making layered cakes and covers everything from tools you'll need to how to actually stack cakes to piping techniques. I do think it's suitable for beginners or experts, because you can customize the techniques and complexity. The only thing I felt was missing was anything on altitude, but I know this varies, and it seems like the author doesn't live at altitude and may not be an expert.

I'm excited to try these out!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fabulous! I have been baking my way through this book with my sister and each recipe is absolute perfection. Its rare that I can find a cookbook that has such a high success rate for each recipe. The Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe is a highlight!

This is a cookbook I keep turning too and find myself just baking because I want to try all the recipes!
This is a must have in your library! I am actually thinking of buying myself a second copy for back up! This is a book to pass down!

[Stephany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most people don't read cookbooks, but this one is absolutely beautiful - filled with gorgeous photography, well thought out instructions for each recipe as well as an overview of how to get started baking. The introduction to each recipe was a delightful read and a great addition to the book. I've baked some of Tessa's recipes that I sourced via her blog - they were beyond delicious (though, I must admit, my final products were not nearly as pretty!) I can't wait to try the recipes in Layered that caught my eye. Kudos, Tessa..... WELL DONE!