The Essential Cake Boss (A Condensed Edition of Baking with the Cake Boss): Bake Like The Boss--Recipes & Techniques You Absolutely Have to Know

by Buddy Valastro

Here are the essentials from Buddy Valastro’s instant classic, the New York Times bestselling Baking with the Cake Boss, in a condensed, more affordable paperback package with a dynamic, new design. Here are extensive explanations and step-by-step photos that show how you can bake—and decorate—just like the Boss!Everyone who works at Carlo’s Bake Shop gets an on-the-job education on how to bake like a pro. Now you can get that training in The Essential Cake Boss, a collection of Buddy’s recipes and techniques that are the building blocks of his show-stopping desserts. You’ll learn to work with baking and decorating equipment, bake perfectly moist cupcakes and cakes, and work magical effects with frosting and fondant. With Buddy’s inspiring enthusiasm and stories from the bake shop told in his inimitable voice, The Essential Cake Boss provides you with the tools for making his most popular, signature creations. A unique chart lets you mix and match cake flavors, frosting, and liqueur syrup to create your own personal trademark cakes. Plenty of gorgeous, step-by-step instructional photos let you follow Buddy as he shows how to create his artistic flourishes and decorations. An incomparable dessert education, The Essential Cake Boss will become a beloved reference for aspiring and skilled bakers alike.



Bursting with delicious, tried-and-true recipes, how-to boxes and sidebars, and numerous tricks of the trade, The Essential Cake Boss is a rare treat—a fun, accessible guide to baking, all in a gloriously designed, fully illustrated package worthy of the Cake Boss’s unique artistic vision.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

Reviews

[Lauren Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I've designed this book to track the same path I took at Carlo's, the one that any young baker still takes there today" (4)

I learned a lot throughout this book and I thought it had great tips. In thought the selections made a lot of sense and made it easier to follow. I thought at times I wanted more explanations.

This book was a quick read; as I read it in a day!

I would recommend this to anyone into baking.

[Pâmela Vasconcelos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interessante. #Terminado.

[Pamela D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through the GoodReads First Reads program.

I enjoy watching cooking shows on television. In fact, I have watched several episodes of the Cake Boss, because I love to watch how cakes are put together. It is amazing what people can do with a bit of flour and some eggs. When I read this book, the word that kept popping into my mind was "comforting." Buddy Valastro takes a quiet approach with his readers and eases them into the idea of being a baker. He explains that baking is a skill that can be learned with lots of practice. He encourages his reads to start with cookies and then eventually graduating to cakes. As I read the book, I noticed that I started saying to myself that I can do this!

Although this book is a condensed version of Valastro's large book, The Essential Cake Boss feels complete and is surprisingly detailed. Valastro goes into great detail explaining what equipment a baker needs and why. In addition, he gives some great advice on baking in general. Something that made me quite happy is that there are a lot of pictures showing you what things are supposed to look like. The large numbers of pictures keep the number of written instructions limited, so none of the recipes look too intimidating.

This book contains five cookie recipes, eight cake recipes (and additional recipes that build on these eight foundational cakes), and 10 frosting and fillings recipes. Additionally, Valastro shows the reader how to several different types of cake toppers (predominately flowers).

My skill set does not include cooking; however, this book gives me the courage to make some cookies and maybe attempt a cake for the upcoming holiday season.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

im so excited to learn i just won this, 8/30/2013
thanks goodreads
i watch his show every time its on!!! cant wait to get the book and learn to improve my baking which i love to do!

im so glad i got this book. havent gotten very far but know its a keeper. lots of nice tips - so far i learned about a microplane zester, i have been baking for 50 years and used the box grater. that sounds like a good alternative and im going to try to find one in this area to buy.

i know i will get lots of use of this book, already have things tabbed to go back to. good for just starting as well as experienced bakers. can always learn something new!

i dont have a stand mixer so i hope i can try some of the other recipes.

this book had lots of nice tips, i got the microplane zester and love it. i never heard of it before so im really glad i won this book

good for beginners as well as experienced bakers

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up for the recipes; I'm always on the hunt for a good cake recipe. I've never actually seen this TV show since I don't pay for any TV channels.

I've already make wedding cakes with fondant. I'm not sure a beginner would be able to fully grasp these cake decorating instructions from the book alone. But it's a good reminder, at least, and the cookie instructions are really good.

I'll just add my own quick advice for fondant:
1. Use a big skirt when covering cakes to prevent wrinkles.
2. Avoid sharp corners in cakes. So for squares, round out the corners a big, and sand dummies down so the edges are rounded.

[Susan Allegrini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love this book!!!!!! I even read some chapters over again. If you are a baker or just want to learn about baking this is a must have. His shows on tv are great and you do learn how to do things but this book makes you understand more and give you ideas and tips on a lot more stuff!!!

[Cate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful read! I am an avid fan of Cake Boss and just recently changed jobs and work in a bakery. I got this from the library..but after reading it I have decided it's one I may need to own!!!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love the cake boss i picked out a couple of cookies to try i love how he gives you the thing to make and then he gives you tips and pointers on how to make it better and what works

[Alexana]

I really enjoyed this book. It didn't feel like it was a regular recipe book. It felt like a story!

[bettie Ladd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting could ingredients be put in metric alternative

The ingredients should be in metric or ounces as England does not sell far and buyer in fingers or weight in cups

[Jenn Morris-duffey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome