Let Them Eat Cake

Let Them Eat Cake

Few things make a stronger impression than showing up to a gathering with a cake you baked yourself—especially if that cake has multiple layers, a sharp lemon curd filling, or hand-crafted marzipan mushrooms perched on top. While not everyone is wired for pastry life, those who thrive in it often share a certain obsessive, perfection-leaning joy in the process. As Briana Olson, editor of The Bite and Edible New Mexico, puts it, cake baking tends to reward the detail-oriented.

This week’s roundup highlights cake cookbooks that span generations and skill levels—some classics, some newer favorites. Whether you’re just learning to level a layer or already comfortable piping flowers, these books are united by one thing: they cater to bakers who enjoy slow, involved kitchen projects and have a serious sweet tooth.

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On Cake

I wouldn’t call myself a natural baker, nor do I have an especially strong sweet tooth—but I do love time-consuming projects, and I definitely have that slightly obsessive streak pastry seems to demand. Most of my baking as an adult has come from necessity: wanting to bring something distinctive to a holiday or potluck when I couldn’t rely on anyone else to do it. Think flourless chocolate cake, chile-infused pies, rosemary shortbread.

Many of the recipes I learned early on were developed near sea level. Anyone who’s tried baking in Albuquerque or Taos knows how dramatically altitude changes the game. Even renowned bakers have struggled to produce reliable cakes in New Mexico. After a few failed attempts, I eventually dusted off my apron and tried again. Below are notes on a handful of resources that helped me—and might help you too.

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Joy of Cooking

Joy of Cooking is the kind of analog reference that makes you wonder why you’d ever bother scrolling the internet. Instead of wading through conflicting advice online, you can flip straight to the index and find clear, dependable guidance on everything from freezing cake layers to storing frosted cakes.

What makes Joy so valuable is its modular approach. Cakes, fillings, and frostings are broken into clean, logical sections, with helpful pairing suggestions throughout. While there are complete cake recipes—Lady Baltimore, for instance—I’ve relied most heavily on the foundational components: gold cake, orange curd, and other building blocks.

It was through Joy that I learned just how different one yellow cake can be from another, and how much I prefer layers made with buttermilk. It also provided my first high-altitude baking tips. In my Albuquerque gas oven, my initial adjustments are usually simple: slightly less baking powder, a tablespoon or two more liquid, and a higher oven temperature for the first 10–15 minutes.

One thing Joy won’t offer is visual inspiration—it’s light on photos. What it excels at is straightforward instruction, classic techniques like the creaming method, and recipes written with home cooks firmly in mind.

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The Perfect Cake

Produced by America’s Test Kitchen, The Perfect Cake is as approachable as cake cookbooks get. It was gifted to me after a string of disappointing bakes—cakes that were too dry, too wet, or filled and frosted while still too warm to survive transport.

The introductory section is exceptionally beginner-friendly, walking readers through tools, ingredients, mixing methods, and decorating with clear explanations and helpful visuals. There’s even an encouraging guide to “making a masterpiece.”

While there’s an appendix of component recipes for those who want to design their own cakes, most of the book focuses on step-by-step instructions for specific cakes—from Smith Island cake to a surprisingly approachable chocolate-hazelnut dacquoise. Chapters are organized by type: sheet cakes, tall layer cakes, classic American cakes, cupcakes, and cake pops.

This is a true all-occasion cake book. Some of the individual elements—like beet-based sprinkles for chocolate-beet cupcakes—are clever enough to steal outright.

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Pie in the Sky

Susan Purdy set out to master high-altitude baking, and the result is Pie in the Sky, a trusted reference for many New Mexican bakers. Purdy addresses not just cakes, but cookies, muffins, quick breads, yeast breads, and even a few soufflés.

Her tone is friendly and practical, offering clear advice on equipment, ingredients, and baking strategies. Many of the cake recipes lean toward the simple and reliable—pound cake, apple cake, Jewish honey cake—with a strong emphasis on buttermilk, which performs especially well at elevation.

What truly sets this book apart is its precision. Each recipe is presented in a grid format with measurements, oven temperatures, and baking times adjusted for multiple altitude ranges. Whether you’re baking at 5,000 or 7,000 feet, you can follow these recipes exactly as written.

From chiffon cakes to Bundt classics, this is the book you reach for when you want consistent results without trial and error.

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The Cake Bible

If serious baking appeals to your inner fusspot, The Cake Bible belongs on your shelf. Author Rose Levy Beranbaum approaches cake with meticulous precision, and the book’s heft reflects that commitment.

This is the cookbook for bakers who want wedding-worthy results and aren’t afraid of detail. An entire section is devoted to decorative techniques, including chocolate snowflakes, marzipan mushrooms, and piped flowers.

Beranbaum favors fine textures—fine flour, fine sugar, and an exceptionally delicate crumb. Some ingredients and methods, such as her preference for bleached flour or the reverse creaming method, may require adjustment, especially for high-altitude bakers. Her recipes aren’t altitude-adapted, so some tinkering is inevitable.

Still, the rewards are substantial. From pistachio-rose cake to chocolate Pavarotti and Serbian reform torta, this book offers both technical mastery and bold inspiration for bakers who love precision and aren’t overwhelmed by choice.