One Tin Bakes: Sweet and simple traybakes, pies, bars and buns

by Edd Kimber

ONE TIN, 70 BAKESBBC Good Food Best Food Books of 2020The Guardian Best Food Books of 2020 New York Times Best Cookbooks of 2020 Washington Post Top Cookbooks for 2020'A brilliant idea for a book' and a 'must-have' Nigella Lawson'Edd Kimber's One Tin Bakes is a dazzler of a baking book, using one simple tin to make utterly enviable cakes, gorgeous pies, flavour-loaded buns and bars that'll have you swooping in for seconds. Edd's photography and easy style captures in each recipe a beautiful immediacy and freshness that made me linger on every page without exception.' Dan LepardWhether you want cookies or cakes, pastries or desserts, something fruity, chocolatey, spiced or nutty, baking just got a whole lot easier.From Praline Meringue Cake to Matcha Roll Cake, Peanut Butter Brookies to Tahini Babka Buns, all you need is just one standard 9 x 13in baking tin. Varied and versatile, requiring minimal skill and little equipment, Edd Kimber's delicious treats range from simple bakes to slice and serve to impressive but achievable showstoppers. From the author of One Tin Bakes and Small Batch Bakes, Edd Kimber shows you how versatile one tin bakes can be. 'A terrifically clever idea - one tin, seventy From fabulous cakes, cookies and bars to perfect pies and tarts. The recipes are accessible and gorgeous - Edd really knows how to entice - but more importantly, he gives clear instructions for successful bakes. A must-have in your kitchen!' Helen Goh 'This book is a peek inside the mind of one of my favorite bakers, where creativity with butter and sugar is paired with solid technique and downright fun. Edd shares a true world of possibilities - all within a 9x13 tin. This book is an absolute must-have for every home baker.' Joy Wilson 'I've been a fan of Edd's since he won the bake off, not only because of his recipes but because of his character. There are no gimmicks and his passion and energy are contagious. Most of all, he makes me want to bake his recipes. This book is accessible yet elegantly photographed and you always feel like he is speaking directly to you, which is special. Of course, being American, I love a sheet cake and the generosity in these recipes makes me want to go to a picnic or a potluck.' Claire Ptak 'Baking requires skill and perfection and Edd's got it' Mary Berry 'Edd Kimber brings baking back into British homes' Vogue

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, Culinary, Reference

176 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2020

About the author

Edd Kimber is a baker, food writer and TV personality and is the author of three cookbooks - The Boy Who Bakes (2011), Say It With Cake (2012) and Patisserie Made Simple (Oct 2014).

Edd grew up in a house where baking was a regular occurrence, his first memory was standing on a stool in the kitchen helping his mum to make mince pies. After studying politics at university Edd realised the corporate world wasn’t for him and after entering and winning the first series of The Great British Bake Off (BBC Two) he has jumped at the chance of following his passion for baking.

Edd writes for several magazines and newspapers including regular features in BBC Good Food, Delicious and Waitrose Kitchen. Edd has also made regular appearances on TV including on Sunday Brunch and as resident baker on The Alan Titchmarsh Show (ITV 2014) as well as on his own Christmas special ‘John and Edd's Christmas Bakes’ (Food Network 2013).

Theboywhobakes.co.uk has been named as one of the best UK blogs by Woman and Home Magazine and as one of the best baking blogs by Channel4.com.

Reviews

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edd Kimber won the first season of the Great British Bake Off in 2010.
I made the Chocolate and cardamom carrot cake with brown butter cream cheese frosting Page 36.
Carrot, orange zest and orange juice with sultanas and spices combined to make this a good cake. The frosting was a bit too sweet but goes well with the cake.

[Hirondelle (not getting notifications) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tray cooking is kind of trendy right now, plenty of cookbooks with the concept of using a one pot tray, even when sometimes it does not make much sense. Maybe it is to make it seem EASIER for readers, or maybe to reassure readers they do not need to buy (or store) more new stuff (in fact a lot of cookbooks seem geared towards urban readers with small small kitchens and easily accessible ingredients from all over the world).

This book is all about baking cakes and sweets in a 23*33 cm baking tray, sometimes not unmolding but served in the tin (personal opinion: never ever do that to a non stick surface pan, it will scratch and it does not deserve that) or with complex paper lifting and un-molding. So, that being said, I think a lot of these recipes would actually work better in other pans (if you own them, and I do. Oh, I do..) like a pie pan or a cake tin with a springform for example. Old might be best. The recipes might need some scaling though, because if my math is right a 23*33 cm tray would fit a 30 cm diameter round tin (which is quite big) so some scaling down might be necessary. (OTOH not sure I have a plate which would easily fit a 23*33 cake..

So after a too long paragraph where I had to ramble about stupid (IMHO) non-sensical trends the recipes seem quite fantastic, both tasty, doable and with that right balance of original but still not weird! I like his style also, personal, self-deprecating a bit, and also practical avoiding the extremes of robotic and too personal.

I am giving it 4 stars right now, because I can only give a cookbook 5 stars after I have actually really cooked from it, but I think it will not take long before I try a few of these recipes.

The pastéis de nata thing is an aberration though, which I am trying to erase from my mind, but it is very common for foreigners to tell other foreigners one can cook something like pastéis de nata at home (it is not possible). Custard tarts or pies are perfectly nice things to cook at home, stop calling them pastéis de nata which they are not. (Also: I do not agree about where the best pastéis de nata are).

[Yvonne Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these recipes. You can't go wrong.

[Yuriko Li · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, very easy to follow and most importantly using simple ingredients that you can find in a store.

[Shipshapeeatworthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I often wonder why I bake. To me, baking always seems like an extra -- but, in recent years I've begun to recognize the comfort and kindness found in baking. It's the feelings of comfort when baking a familiar recipe that scents the house in such a lovely way, and it's the kindness offered when you share the goodies you've made. And, when you use a book full of simple recipes full of sweet familiarity, it feels good. There is something very beguiling about Edd Kimber's latest book One Tin Bakes. It's not about equipment or technique but about baking things that make us feel good.

I appreciate the fact that Edd Kimber has created a book dedicated to distilling baking into its most homey and essential parts -- it's not about baking fantastical things, instead, his book urges the home baker to bake for enjoyment. He's distilled the equipment needed down to one pan: a 9x13" rectangle. From here he offers 5 chapters full of recipes which only use this pan! There are recipes for cakes, cookies, bars, pastries, pies, tarts, buns, and bread. Bake or no-bake. And the base ingredients he uses are ones that most home bakers will have in their fridge/pantry -- flour, butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cocoa, and yeast. In this respect, Kimber's careful consideration of the needs of home bakers is evident.

One of my favourite recipes in the book is the Mixed Berry Dutch Baby. Having only made them with the use of a skillet I am pleased to know that a larger version is easily made in a 9x13" baking pan. Kimber's Dutch Baby is delightfully bright dotted with juicy, delicious berries and, I found that with a dusting of powdered sugar it made for a lovely weekend breakfast. My daughter enjoyed hers with a bit of maple syrup and was thrilled with the warm jammy berries baked into the pancake.

Another recipe we enjoyed as a breakfast treat was the Slab Scones. We enjoyed our scones with macerated strawberries and thick vanilla yogurt from the local farmers market (Kimber councils against buying clotted cream if you're living outside the UK as this version is a bit disappointing in the flavour department). Such an easy and clever way to make scones without the fuss of rolling and cutting. Since only my small family was enjoying the scones, I ended up freezing the extra. In this respect the use of the 9x13" can create extra -- instead of halving the recipes, I chose to either give away or freeze any extra (this book would also be useful when baking for larger gatherings).
When I think of cakes baked in a 9x13" pan I immediately picture a moist and well-frosted slab cake, which is exactly what Kimber offers with his Classic Birthday Cake. This vanilla sheet cake, with chocolate fudge frosting and enough sprinkles to choke a horse, was the perfect surprise cake for my daughter's recent birthday. This Classic Birthday Cake is the epitome of what a celebration cake should be and, while the layered versions are also quite nice on a birthday day, it's this type of cake that sticks in my memory as the ones I enjoyed as a child. Since I usually make two cakes for my daughter's birthday, I was able to share this one with my daughter's friend and her family.

One Tin Bakes speaks to the nostalgia of baking -- many recipes remind me of the treats that I enjoyed as a kid. While I adore the Rice Krispy treats of my childhood, Kimber offers a version with more flavour and texture by using brown butter and by adding pretzels, peanuts, cacao nibs, and chopped chocolate. Since I didn't have any Rice Krispies in my pantry, I opted to used puffed rice -- a different texture than the crisped version although nonetheless delicious! In his recipe notes he also encourages the home baker to use their imaginations in coming up with their own combinations.

Alongside the nostalgia-inducing recipes there are an equal number that have more modern roots. Take the Espresso Cacao Nib Morning Buns inspired by Kimber's dining experiences in San Francisco at Tartine Bakery and Dandelion Chocolate. In my haste to make a batch of brioche dough (it needs to chill overnight), I missed the instruction to use 25 grams less butter for the morning bun recipe. Since there was no way to fix my mistake, I carried on with the recipe. I also chose to form the buns into circles rather than squares. The resulting buns were delicious -- maybe not quite as the recipe intended but despite my error they still turned out. While warm, just out of the oven, the buns are rolled in a fine mixture of sugar, cacao nibs, and espresso powder which pairs nicely with the light coffee flavour imparted by the coffee compound butter used in making the brioche dough.

Part of the appeal of One Tin Bakes is that bakers of any skill level can use and enjoy it -- I also feel like this would be an excellent cookbook for kids to enjoy too (considering this is not an equipment-dependent cookbook). There is also something to be said for the versatility of using only one pan type (especially since this is one that many bakers will already own). With approachable, delicious recipes, One Tin Bakes is a cookbook I'm glad to have in my library.

Please note that an excerpt of this review is posted on www.shipshapeeatworthy.wordpress.com

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Manda Group for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Alena · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been a while since a baking book came at me from all sides, so I just had to give it a try. I love the concept, as one thing that does drive me mad is the variety of tins used in one book. I hardly ever care and use what I have but it still riles me up.

Bookmarked a bunch with a few definite contenders.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ for the concept….

Although I am still deciding what to make after buying this as a KDD a while ago. Can you recommend anything, since I’ve got the familiar problem of everything sounding good, so not being able to make a quick decision!

Bought the James Martin tin from Harts of Stur Dorset for half the price of the recommended tin in the book. Found the supplier online and cannot recommend them enough for speediness of delivery and recyclable packaging. In fact the packaging is magical!

https://www.hartsofstur.com/james-mar...

19-09-21

[Sungyena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did have to order the 13x9, not nonstick, everyday/everyone already has one, metal tin that I didn’t have already to start baking from this book. But I do enjoy the concept of truly gorgeous, delicious, stunning sheet cakes. Some standouts: olive oil cherry snacking cake, milk choc caramel sheet cake, passion fruit lime tres leches, pumpkin pie w an oreo crust and a coconut milk whipped cream, key lime pie w a speculoos crust, nutella drizzled in tiramisu layers (!!). V enjoyable. However, some some of the photos are micro shots of texture as opposed to the finished product, so it’s unclear what the baked item should come out looking like. And it doesn’t help when I have no background info on the dish that may be well known to some but not to me.

[Niki · Rating 2 out of 5]

A beautiful book that had mainly recipes that required more effort or special ingredients than I would put into what I was hoping would be a straightforward bake. However, I did take note of the malted chocolate tiffin for cooler weather times.

[MAYA QUARTZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never been much of a baker. The thought of precise measurements and the mess of bowls and cups has always kept me firmly in the “enjoying the results” camp rather than the “making” one. But recently, I’ve been trying to learn more about baking to encourage my son, who has been showing interest in it. That’s how I stumbled across One Tin Bakes by Edd Kimber at the library.

These recipes feel both accessible and exciting. There is great variety... cakes and brownies and buns and no-bake treats. All approachable while still generally offering unique twists that make them stand out. As someone who doesn’t naturally gravitate toward baking, I found myself genuinely excited to try some of these recipes.

The book itself is stunning; the photography is crisp and vibrant. The format is thoughtfully laid out, with clear instructions. Kimber’s tone is engaging and warm, and his little anecdotes and tips throughout the book are fun and not annoying or distracting.
Although I’ve never watched The Great British Bake Off, discovering that Kimber was the show’s first winner has made me consider putting it onto my to-watch list.

In short, this was a great read and one of the first dessert themed cookbooks that I really enjoyed and took my time with. I am going to purchase a copy so I can continue to utilize it with my son.

[LauSo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Perusing through it and looking for recipes to try was such a pleasure. I liked the little anecdotes, history facts, suggestions and explanations he wrote at the start of each recipe.

His explanations are easy to understand and to the point, and he dwells on why an ingredient or technique would work better for a recipe and what could be an alternative to it that wouldn't compromise the flavours too much.

There is also diferent measuring methods listened so I'm glad I don't have to translate them to the one I use and accidentaly alter the recipe if I put more or I less of one ingredient.

There is a recipe inspired on my country's alfajores, which made me so happy since alfajores is one of the most important sweets here. And he also included chocotorta! Here we mostly call it "torta impossible" since we use that term (choco torta) for a dessert done with chocolate cookies you soak on warm coffee spiked with an alcoholic drink such as rum, and the filling between the cookie layers is dulce de leche mixed with cream cheese ( like mascarpone)

[Brainerd Library]

This book is for those of us who do not have every Bundt pan ever designed. The premise is that each dessert, whether it is cake, pie, a tart or bar cookies can be baked in just one 9 x 13 pan. Some recipes are expected, like Classic Birthday Cake, while others are more inventive, such as Bourbon Banana Bread Pudding, Pistachio Creme Brulee with Honey Roasted Apricots or Apple Fritter Monkey Bread. The ingredients are what you typically have on hand or are easy to find at your local store. The cookbook covers cakes, pies, tarts, cookies, breads and no bake goodies. Most recipes fit on one page with a corresponding enticing photo opposite. This is a satisfying book for those who enjoy baking and trying new sweets

- Jenny

[Nancy Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of mostly cakes and bars. The author is Edd Kimber from British baking show. Whilst I don’t know how many I’ll try, I certainly feel more British reading the recipes! This book does have conversion of British terms to American ie caster sugar is superfine granulated sugar. I’ve earmarked a few tasty delights to try my hand mainly due to the hints provided to create success. ( I’m not a great baker). Edd kimber my figure will be blaming you!

[Laura Hagopian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although the photos were gorgeous and the ideas in this books were awesome, the recipes themselves had multiple mistakes - resulting in wasted ingredients and time. I wanted to love this book, but it just didn’t deliver.

[Voirrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having spent much of the past couple of weeks baking lots of traybakes, amongst other things, I have not quite brought myself to make any of these just yet - but I spent a very happy evening reading this and it's sister volume.

[Honest Mabel · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was okay

There wasn’t anything that made it wow. These were okay recipes.. will I make any? I don’t know. Maybe. But it’s not a book I will reach for. I am happy I got it on sale

[Ginny Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just waiting for my tin to be delivered, looking forward to some baking from the recipes in here :)

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book every recipe I've tried has been outstanding.

[AlexandraB95 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bland tasteless results.Some of the recipes have wrong ingredients.

[Isabella May · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Edd Kimber book and it won't be the last! His recipes are SO unique and mouthwatering. I love the fact that all of these can be made in the one tin. Absolutely awesome. A great lockdown treat :-)

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Winner of the first British Bake-Off. Yummy-looking recipes, not too difficult, calorie-indulgent.

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous!

[Margaret Gerberding · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of easy desserts that bake in a sheet pan or tin. Love the variety of recipes!

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures and delicious sounding delights.

[Katey Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I’m flipping through a cookbook and leap out of my seat and dash to the kitchen to try one of it’s recipes, you know it’s a good one. Almond Dump Berry Cake anyone?

[Mrs. Dunwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely

Amazing recipes that are creative but not so strange that they don’t have that down home level of comfort we often crave.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neat ideas, would be good if you had a very specific craving!

[Aasinathena · Rating 5 out of 5]

No complicated ingredients just delivering deliciousness in each page with only a PAN!

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous pictures and some lovely looking recipes.

[Monika · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* Interesting, few nice recipes to play with.