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The New Way to Cake: Simple Recipes with Exceptional Flavor
Put Flavor First with 60 Easy, Stylish Cakes
Unlock a whole new world of flavor with Benjamina Ebuehi’s signature cakes. Inspired by her journey to The Great British Bake Off and beyond, Benjamina’s groundbreaking recipes put flavor at the forefront by letting the star ingredients—toasted nuts, fragrant spices, bold herbs and ripe fruit—do all the work. Creations like Plum & Black Pepper Cake, Masala-Chai Carrot Cake and Caramelized Plantain Upside-Down Cake are as impressive as they are simple. Beautiful, minimal finishing touches make a big impact, highlighting the exciting ingredients within.
These irresistible treats will amaze your friends and family as easily as they will spice up your week. Full of beautiful, of-the-moment cakes with unforgettable flavors, The New Way to Cake brings out the best baker in everyone.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2019
82 people are currently reading
2331 people want to read
About the author
Benjamina Ebuehi
3 books23 followersBorn and raised in South London, Benjamina has always had a sweet tooth and a fascination for all things baking related. She appeared on the seventh series of The Great British Bake Off in 2016 and finished as a quarter finalist, being praised for her approachable and creative recipes with unique flavour profiles. After taking part in the show, Benjamina entered the food world full time and now works as a food stylist, writer and content creator.
She has written 3 cookbooks, The New Way to Cake, A Good day to Bake and I’ll Bring Dessert. Benjamina is a regular columnist at Guardian Feast where she shares new recipes twice a month. Her writing and food styling work has been featured in publications including BBC Good Food, Waitrose Magazine and Ocado Life and she has created online content for a variety of brands such as Baileys, Amazon, Neutrogena and KerryGold.
Benjamina is an ambassador for Luminary Bakery, a social enterprise bakery seeking to empower women who have had a social and economic disadvantage.
She has written 3 cookbooks, The New Way to Cake, A Good day to Bake and I’ll Bring Dessert. Benjamina is a regular columnist at Guardian Feast where she shares new recipes twice a month. Her writing and food styling work has been featured in publications including BBC Good Food, Waitrose Magazine and Ocado Life and she has created online content for a variety of brands such as Baileys, Amazon, Neutrogena and KerryGold.
Benjamina is an ambassador for Luminary Bakery, a social enterprise bakery seeking to empower women who have had a social and economic disadvantage.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
September 5, 2021
Published late in 2019, The New Way to Cake arrived in my kitchen during the pandemic. In talking to another mate, I received a ringer of a recommendation for a cake cookbook. This friend -- not a baker -- raved about Ebuehi's book and since I found I was using my time at home during the lockdown to bake, I didn't think it could hurt if I invested in this cookbook. And, over the past year I've come to realize that this cookbook is exactly as it's advertised on the cover: "Simple recipes with exceptional flavor." Ebuehi, a quarter finalist in the 2016 cycle of The Great British Bake Off, grew as a baker during her run on the show and with her book, The New Way to Cake, she developed recipes by looking at combinations of flavours, ingredients, and textures. As I bake from The New Way to Cake, I see that the recipes are simple to bake but are in no way simplistic. Most of what I've baked has been as an afternoon treat for when my daughter arrives home from school. While being exceptionally flavourful, these bakes feel steadfast and comforting. Each bite is scrumptious, and one is never left feeling like something is missing.
Thinking about tasteless cakes, I am reminded of my friend's favourite saying -- "Is the juice worth the squeeze?" And, in many cases, cakes aren't worth "the squeeze" (the effort to make). Beautiful, but tasteless, the effort of baking a cake is overshadowed by lackluster results. What I've come to realize with the almost half-dozen cakes I've baked from Ebuehi's book, her cake recipes are totally worth the squeeze. No need for a kitchen full of baking equipment, I found that each recipe could be mixed up in a single bowl using an electric hand mixer. Along with the recipes, the minimally styled photographs throughout the book show each cake in their own state of natural beauty.
The 60 cake recipes are organized into 6 chapters: Nuts & Caramel, Spices, Chocolate, Citrus, Floral, and Fruit. And, when I first read through the book, I couldn't decide what to bake first because it all sounded so delicious! There are also cakes for every mood and occasion: after school, breakfast, birthdays -- even a wedding cake -- Ebuehi has created beautiful cake recipes for all the moments from quiet occasions to the notable ones.
The Nutmeg Custard Cake Doughnuts was the first recipe I tried. Saturday mornings are my favourite time to bake up something delicious and it was a late-winter Saturday morning in March that I pulled out my doughnut pan. What is better than enjoying a weekend morning with a coffee and a doughnut? Custard powder and nutmeg in the batter, followed by a gorgeous glaze made with custard powder, these doughnuts -- unsurprisingly -- were extremely delicious! The cake doughnuts had a soft crumb and I appreciated that these were baked, rather than fried. For my daughter I added some colourful sprinkles too. They were so good that I boxed up some and dropped them off on my neighbour's doorstep -- a great bake should be shared!
From there I chose a few of the loaf cakes to bake as afterschool treats for my daughter. The Cinnamon Loaf w/ Espresso Butter is incredible! Ebuehi's recipe doesn't just rely on adding the cinnamon powder to the batter but, instead, cinnamon sticks and vanilla extract are put into warmed milk and left to steep for a quarter-hour. This simple technique of steeping ingredients in milk increases the end flavour of the cake 10-fold and, a slice of this flavourful cake is complimented with a generous slather of a lightly honeyed espresso butter. The Date & Rooibos Loaf is equally as delicious. I love the idea of using tea (or tisanes) in baking and the date/rooibos pairing is particularly tasty here. Both ingredients have an earthy sweetness, and we took Ebuehi's advice of lightly toasting slices then serving with a generous swipe of salted butter. The last loaf recipe I tried was one that I enjoyed as a child -- the lemon-poppy seed cake. But here, Ebuehi has taken a familiar cake and developed the flavour even further. She combines orange, grapefruit, and lemon, along with sour cream to create a wonderfully bright zing. The sweet-tart flavour of this tender-crumbed cake is another loaf that was great to have on the counter, ready for my daughter to get home from school.
When I came across Ebuehi's recipe for Hawaij Coffee Cake, I wanted to give a store-bought version that I picked up a try. While Ebuehi gives instructions on how to make your own Hawaij spice mix, I opted to use the version I had in my pantry. Not to be confused with the American version a coffee cake, the batter for this coffee-flavoured sponge cake included a good tablespoon of the Hawaij which creates such a lovely warm flavour when paired with the espresso powder. This light cake is then topped with a luscious mix of mascarpone, espresso powder, coffee-flavoured liqueur, and heavy cream. I took the extra step of adding cacao nibs, as Ebuehi suggests, along with a light sprinkling of Kafe Hawaij powder over the topping. The cake is rich and spicy, and the topping is tangy, cool, and creamy.
As Ebuehi says in the introduction to The New Way to Cake, "You can't go wrong with cake" and I would further this sentiment by telling you that you certainly couldn't go wrong if you had this book in your cookbook library. Over the past year since I bought this wonderful cookbook on the recommendation of my friend, I've found many delicious cake recipes to bake and, it's a book I continue to reach for when I just want to have a little cake to enjoy with an afternoon tea or coffee (or glass of milk in my daughter's case).
Please note that this is an excerpt of a long review posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.wordpress.com
Thinking about tasteless cakes, I am reminded of my friend's favourite saying -- "Is the juice worth the squeeze?" And, in many cases, cakes aren't worth "the squeeze" (the effort to make). Beautiful, but tasteless, the effort of baking a cake is overshadowed by lackluster results. What I've come to realize with the almost half-dozen cakes I've baked from Ebuehi's book, her cake recipes are totally worth the squeeze. No need for a kitchen full of baking equipment, I found that each recipe could be mixed up in a single bowl using an electric hand mixer. Along with the recipes, the minimally styled photographs throughout the book show each cake in their own state of natural beauty.
The 60 cake recipes are organized into 6 chapters: Nuts & Caramel, Spices, Chocolate, Citrus, Floral, and Fruit. And, when I first read through the book, I couldn't decide what to bake first because it all sounded so delicious! There are also cakes for every mood and occasion: after school, breakfast, birthdays -- even a wedding cake -- Ebuehi has created beautiful cake recipes for all the moments from quiet occasions to the notable ones.
The Nutmeg Custard Cake Doughnuts was the first recipe I tried. Saturday mornings are my favourite time to bake up something delicious and it was a late-winter Saturday morning in March that I pulled out my doughnut pan. What is better than enjoying a weekend morning with a coffee and a doughnut? Custard powder and nutmeg in the batter, followed by a gorgeous glaze made with custard powder, these doughnuts -- unsurprisingly -- were extremely delicious! The cake doughnuts had a soft crumb and I appreciated that these were baked, rather than fried. For my daughter I added some colourful sprinkles too. They were so good that I boxed up some and dropped them off on my neighbour's doorstep -- a great bake should be shared!
From there I chose a few of the loaf cakes to bake as afterschool treats for my daughter. The Cinnamon Loaf w/ Espresso Butter is incredible! Ebuehi's recipe doesn't just rely on adding the cinnamon powder to the batter but, instead, cinnamon sticks and vanilla extract are put into warmed milk and left to steep for a quarter-hour. This simple technique of steeping ingredients in milk increases the end flavour of the cake 10-fold and, a slice of this flavourful cake is complimented with a generous slather of a lightly honeyed espresso butter. The Date & Rooibos Loaf is equally as delicious. I love the idea of using tea (or tisanes) in baking and the date/rooibos pairing is particularly tasty here. Both ingredients have an earthy sweetness, and we took Ebuehi's advice of lightly toasting slices then serving with a generous swipe of salted butter. The last loaf recipe I tried was one that I enjoyed as a child -- the lemon-poppy seed cake. But here, Ebuehi has taken a familiar cake and developed the flavour even further. She combines orange, grapefruit, and lemon, along with sour cream to create a wonderfully bright zing. The sweet-tart flavour of this tender-crumbed cake is another loaf that was great to have on the counter, ready for my daughter to get home from school.
When I came across Ebuehi's recipe for Hawaij Coffee Cake, I wanted to give a store-bought version that I picked up a try. While Ebuehi gives instructions on how to make your own Hawaij spice mix, I opted to use the version I had in my pantry. Not to be confused with the American version a coffee cake, the batter for this coffee-flavoured sponge cake included a good tablespoon of the Hawaij which creates such a lovely warm flavour when paired with the espresso powder. This light cake is then topped with a luscious mix of mascarpone, espresso powder, coffee-flavoured liqueur, and heavy cream. I took the extra step of adding cacao nibs, as Ebuehi suggests, along with a light sprinkling of Kafe Hawaij powder over the topping. The cake is rich and spicy, and the topping is tangy, cool, and creamy.
As Ebuehi says in the introduction to The New Way to Cake, "You can't go wrong with cake" and I would further this sentiment by telling you that you certainly couldn't go wrong if you had this book in your cookbook library. Over the past year since I bought this wonderful cookbook on the recommendation of my friend, I've found many delicious cake recipes to bake and, it's a book I continue to reach for when I just want to have a little cake to enjoy with an afternoon tea or coffee (or glass of milk in my daughter's case).
Please note that this is an excerpt of a long review posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.wordpress.com
January 5, 2020
Before getting my copy of the book, I had no idea who Ebuehi was. So, in case you are in that same camp, she's a London-based food stylist who was a quarter-finalist on the seventh season of The Great British Bake Off ; she writes the blog Carrot & Crumb and is active on Instagram and on Twitter. What had me really excited was the subtitle - 'simple recipes with exceptional flavor'!
While I enjoyed several cakes from last year's selection, those recipes were anything but simple. Sadly, several of those recipes were flawed to the point of me throwing them in the garbage and starting all over again. I have tried all three recipes that were picked for January from The New Way to Cake: Simple Recipes with Exceptional Flavor. Every single one was easy to make and incredibly tasty.
I made one of the cakes when my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and niece came for a quick visit. I hadn't planned a dessert, then realized that I had all of the ingredients necessary to make it. It was one bowl and one pan; and it was on the cooling rack in less than forty-five minutes from start to finish. A couple of things to note: it satisfied a sweet craving without being overly sweet; it had an incredible texture. Those two things alone makes the cake a winner in my mind. I can't wait to bake more recipes from this book.
While I enjoyed several cakes from last year's selection, those recipes were anything but simple. Sadly, several of those recipes were flawed to the point of me throwing them in the garbage and starting all over again. I have tried all three recipes that were picked for January from The New Way to Cake: Simple Recipes with Exceptional Flavor. Every single one was easy to make and incredibly tasty.
I made one of the cakes when my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and niece came for a quick visit. I hadn't planned a dessert, then realized that I had all of the ingredients necessary to make it. It was one bowl and one pan; and it was on the cooling rack in less than forty-five minutes from start to finish. A couple of things to note: it satisfied a sweet craving without being overly sweet; it had an incredible texture. Those two things alone makes the cake a winner in my mind. I can't wait to bake more recipes from this book.
March 16, 2022
Very worthwhile cookbook for both useful baking tips and interesting flavor ideas
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November 21, 2020- some really interesting flavor combinations, all seeming fairly achievable
- appreciate that it is not an enormous tome!
- has both volume & weight measurements; useful when you own a scale
- maybe could've used *slightly* more localization for the US version - I made the Pistachio, Cardamom, & Lemon Drizzle Cake which specified a 2lb (900g) loaf tin. Whatever the heck that is. The internet gave me wildly varying results with many saying a UK 2lb loaf pan is 8 x 4 x 3 inches.. which is what is usually sold as a 1lb pan in the US? I tossed it in what I had and it was fine, but it seemed like a needless bit of confusion. At least all the recipes in this book specify all purpose flour - another US version of a UK cookbook I have (cough Ottolenghi Sweet) just find/replaced "self raising flour" with "self rising flour" and mentions only in the back of the book that you can make your own with flour + baking powder, completely ignoring that in the US, commercial "self rising flour" also includes salt! The recipe I saw this in btw calls for self rising flour AND AP flour so really, just. Why.
- appreciate that it is not an enormous tome!
- has both volume & weight measurements; useful when you own a scale
- maybe could've used *slightly* more localization for the US version - I made the Pistachio, Cardamom, & Lemon Drizzle Cake which specified a 2lb (900g) loaf tin. Whatever the heck that is. The internet gave me wildly varying results with many saying a UK 2lb loaf pan is 8 x 4 x 3 inches.. which is what is usually sold as a 1lb pan in the US? I tossed it in what I had and it was fine, but it seemed like a needless bit of confusion. At least all the recipes in this book specify all purpose flour - another US version of a UK cookbook I have (cough Ottolenghi Sweet) just find/replaced "self raising flour" with "self rising flour" and mentions only in the back of the book that you can make your own with flour + baking powder, completely ignoring that in the US, commercial "self rising flour" also includes salt! The recipe I saw this in btw calls for self rising flour AND AP flour so really, just. Why.
December 13, 2022
This is a really delightful cake book!
The book is helpful in explaining why measuring in grams is most accurate but including the recipes in both grams and cups. This book includes recipes for cakes, glazes, and fillings with ingredients that are fairly easy to find. The instructions are helpful and easy to follow.
Overall a great find!
The book is helpful in explaining why measuring in grams is most accurate but including the recipes in both grams and cups. This book includes recipes for cakes, glazes, and fillings with ingredients that are fairly easy to find. The instructions are helpful and easy to follow.
Overall a great find!
January 4, 2023
Some of the flavor combos in this book were stellar! Its so clear how much work went into bringing forward something that was unique without needing to lean on pretty photos or other gimmicky type baking trends. (Although the photos are very pretty). We didn’t have any recipes fail on us and got to try some things we’ve never had before (like lamingtons!). Further, it felt like Benjamina always picked the simplest path she could for the best result on these bakes. The chamomile cake and chocolate tahini were standouts for us, but we’re looking forward to trying others as well.
February 15, 2020
My favorite cake book. Exceptional book design, simplicity of direction, and flavors combinations so refined/exciting.
December 29, 2020
Really great baking book. The recipes are really different and many use spices more associated with savory cooking. The design of the book is great, with a short backstory, easy to follow instructions and a photo for every recipe.
While this may be weekday baking for the author, most of these would be weekend cakes for me. There is a broad span of difficulty here, though none of the recipes are too daunting with a little patience. I liked that there are many quick breads and a few bundts and bars here, as well as traditional cake. The peanut butter and banana bread was not a hit in my house, but the chocolate and citrus chapters are amazing.
If you like to bake, this book contains some really unique and delightful flavor combinations. These recipes are sure to impress and this book is a must-have for anyone who regularly bakes.
While this may be weekday baking for the author, most of these would be weekend cakes for me. There is a broad span of difficulty here, though none of the recipes are too daunting with a little patience. I liked that there are many quick breads and a few bundts and bars here, as well as traditional cake. The peanut butter and banana bread was not a hit in my house, but the chocolate and citrus chapters are amazing.
If you like to bake, this book contains some really unique and delightful flavor combinations. These recipes are sure to impress and this book is a must-have for anyone who regularly bakes.
December 30, 2022
I cannot recommend this book enough. This changed my whole attitude towards baking - I’ve never owned a book that has as many cake recipes that I want to try / that I have tried as this one. If you buy one book on baking, it should be this one, hands down. The cakes in this book are packed with interesting flavours and they come out so soft and delicious that it will ruin you for buying / eating cake in shops. I especially love that it has measurements in grams and ounces. Buy this book for yourself and for all your friends/family!
July 11, 2020
Loved this Cake Cookbook
I love it for the different layers of flavors that you don’t expect to find in American cakes. Cardamom, spelt, and other unusual ingredients.
The cake sizes aren’t overly large and I loved that about the recipes. You can make an 8x8 square pan or an 8 inch round and not have to wonder who can finish it off. Our pound cakes and sheet cakes are huge and are for a crowd. I like that these are smaller sized creations.
I love it for the different layers of flavors that you don’t expect to find in American cakes. Cardamom, spelt, and other unusual ingredients.
The cake sizes aren’t overly large and I loved that about the recipes. You can make an 8x8 square pan or an 8 inch round and not have to wonder who can finish it off. Our pound cakes and sheet cakes are huge and are for a crowd. I like that these are smaller sized creations.
January 1, 2021
I got this for Christmas and the recipes look amazing! I can't wait to make something from here.
Some quibbles I have are not recipe-related but cookbook-related:
(1) No easy way to tell that a recipe is gluten-free or vegan (as in, no marking symbol) other than reading the ingredients or seeing that Benjamina wrote in the introductory paragraph of the recipe.
(2) The font and spacing isn't great on the ol' peepers.
I will hopefully remember to update this once I've made a cake from here.
Some quibbles I have are not recipe-related but cookbook-related:
(1) No easy way to tell that a recipe is gluten-free or vegan (as in, no marking symbol) other than reading the ingredients or seeing that Benjamina wrote in the introductory paragraph of the recipe.
(2) The font and spacing isn't great on the ol' peepers.
I will hopefully remember to update this once I've made a cake from here.
February 2, 2021
The two I recipes I tried so far were easy to follow and and I would make again. The hawaij one was especially delicious, though my american tastebuds crave a much sweeter topping.
Her introduction urges us to use a scale to measure ingredients, but American cups, tablespoons, etc. are provided.
Her introduction urges us to use a scale to measure ingredients, but American cups, tablespoons, etc. are provided.
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May 14, 2023What a delightful cookbook! Great descriptions, beautiful photography. It's not what one would call an ideal book to cook from, however - small-ish font and paragraph-style instructions make this a case of "copy into evernote, enbiggen, and split up instructions" to execute. Things I'm most excited to make are the tahini caramel, hawaij coffee cake, and hot chocolate and halva pudding.
July 14, 2020
I’ve made 5 cakes from this wonderful cookbook. I love her combinations of fruit, nuts and spices. Looking forward to making so much more through the seasons! Benjamina was one of my favorites on GBBO. I’m so happy to enjoy her baking at home.
July 31, 2021
Got me out of my baking rut! Interesting flavours and combinations, but nothing too intricate or technically difficult. Have tried a few recipes so far and all have been excellent. Highly recommend for cake lovers!
August 28, 2022
loved this collection of cakes - with some simple but original flavor combinations that makes me so eager to start baking. also most of the recipes are relatively simple in ingredients and techniques.
May 23, 2020
Great book. I’ve made four or five recipes no no where near all of them but they turned out great. Very well laid out, beautiful photographs and recipes easy to follow.
July 1, 2020
This cookbook is beautifully photographed and designed. The recipes are just left of center and I can't wait to try them!
July 26, 2020
Simply beautiful and a stunning collection of cakes !!! And so down to earth British !! Most are new to american palate !! That's the wonder of this book !
August 8, 2020
A new staple in my baking library. Ebuehi’s assured & creative way with flavor & texture are the stars here, yielding a book full of enticing cakes, exactly as promised by the title.
October 10, 2020
so freaking well done and executed. I plan on buying for my kitchen.
December 10, 2020
Contestant on British Baking Show
January 19, 2021
Gorgeous book. A must for any ardent baker.
The first recipes I'm going to try are:
p. 78: Flourless Chocolate Chili Cake
p. 138: Peach & Rosemary Pavlova
p. 113: The Wedding cake
The first recipes I'm going to try are:
p. 78: Flourless Chocolate Chili Cake
p. 138: Peach & Rosemary Pavlova
p. 113: The Wedding cake
February 23, 2021
60 cake recipes with flavor twists.
August 25, 2021
I really enjoyed Benjamina on GBBO, and her cookbook is equally delightful.
May 15, 2022
every recipe has such fun and interesting flavors I can’t wait to try these eeeeeep
Read
November 26, 2023I LOVE this book. Simple but totally unique recipes. I'm vegan but have this on my shelf just for the inspiration and beautiful photos.
August 30, 2024
All of her recipes just work ! She is so creative with different tea flavours and they are not complicated recipes !
March 16, 2021
So great, I bought it
November 18, 2020
There are so many good recipes in this book. The flavors are really good, often with a unique or unexpected twist. Although many of the cakes have multiple components and steps, the actual making and baking process for the cakes is fairly simple. I have so many recipes marked to make from this cookbook!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews