'A delightful odyssey through the history, nostalgia, fascination and British love of cake. Quirky, charming, and fun.' PRUE LEITH The British take cakes seriously. We hold strong opinions about how to bake a brownie with the perfect squidge, the correct proportions of icing to sponge, and whether it's jam or cream first on our scones. Now - thanks to the success of a certain TV baking show - our flirtation with flour, fruit and frosting has become a full-blown love affair. But how did the humble cake evolve from a simple combination of starch and fat to the show-stopping bakes of today, taking pride of place at every meaningful life celebration? Travelling the country from Dundee to the Isle of Wight, writer Andrew Baker (by name, not occupation) serves up the story of our national obsession with cake, one slice at a time. On this greediest of quests, Andrew seeks to discover the 'True Slice' of each iconic cake. This enviable task sees him eat sponge sandwiched with jam and cream at Queen Victoria's holiday home Osborne House, discover the illustrious yet scandal-filled history of the Battenberg's saccharine squares and learn how a caterpillar enrobed in chocolate became a party-starting birthday centerpiece.
From King Alfred's oatcakes to The River Café's revered Chocolate Nemesis, this is the crumb-spattered, buttercream-smeared story of the cakes that have claimed a place on British tables - and in our hearts. Gold title * Cake is with us at all of life's defining moments: birthdays, weddings, Christmases and festivals of all kinds. It is a source of comfort and joy, a sweet, rich reminder of all that is good. This book will evoke all those positive emotions, to appeal to all those who love to bake, love to buy, and love to eat. cake. * Across Britain, particular cakes represent the heritage and resources of the communities that created them, reminding travellers of home and residents why they stay.This book will explore twelve of them across twelve chapters. These are cakes that intersect with our lives at important moments, and that represent their areas, specific aspects of British baking, and individuals who have shaped thehistory of cake in our land.
Slices of our lives, and slices of British life. * Featured cakes include the Honey Cake, Victoria Sandwich, Lardy Cake, Battenberg Cake, Dundee Cake, Eccles Cake, Jamaican Ginger Cake, Christmas Cake, and Wedding Cake. * Each chapter will see Andrew go on a quest for an authentic "True Slice" of an individual cake, to be consumed in a place that is relevant to that cake's story. He will explore the origins and history of the cake, explaining how the recipe evolved to represent a particular date or place, the ingredients and method and how these have changed over time, and the ways in which the cake has been enjoyed down the years, visiting places that are important to the story. *Cake will feature beautiful and tasteful specially commissioned illustrations of cakes, a scattering of fascinating cake trivia, and one classic or authoritative recipe for each chapter's cake. * This is a sumptuous example of the food memoir genre, published to tie in with The Great British Bake Off in 2023. Competition: A Cheesemonger's History of the British Isles;One More Croissant for the Road;Scoff;A Half Baked Idea;Culinary Pleasures;Around Britain by Cake;From Bean to Bar;Cake. Ned Palmer;Felicity Cloake;Pen Vogler;Olivia Potts;Nicole Humble;Caroline Taggart;Alysa Levene.