Everyday Cake

A humble slice, square, or wedge of homemade cake never fails to delight and here you'll find forty-five simple recipes to make any day feel a bit special.

Using ingredients that are readily available, these cakes are unfussy yet sweetly indulgent. Recipes are arranged using pans most of us already have in our kitchens: round, square, loaf, rectangle, sheet, and bundt. Flavors include warm spices, herbs and flowers, and sweet essences, plus chocolate, fruit, nuts, and seeds.

An appealingly wide range of cakes will tickle every fancy:

• The Yellow Birthday Cake with Whipped Malt Chocolate Buttercream is perfect for a birthday celebration of any age

• The Lemon-Lavender Yogurt Cake is quick to make and satisfying with cup of tea

• The Strawberries-and-Cream Cake is the ideal way to end a summer supper.

 There's something for every mood and craving in Everyday Cakes.
"The cakes included here are designed for 'day-to-day moments that warrant a spark of joy.' And how joyful they are! Chesnakova has compiled a selection of cakes bursting with colors, from familiar treats to inventive combinations, with flavors spanning common fruits to rich spices and in a range of complexity and time consumption."
—Booklist

". . . creative new classics divvied up by the type of cake pan that serves them best."
—Seattle Times

"Innovative. . . New bakers will find comfortable possibilities here, such as the Russian Napoleon Cake that uses a packaged, rather than homemade, puff pastry. Bakers with developed skills will also find new flavors to try. Top picks include the delicious birthday cake with malt powder in the batter and frosting, and the salted butterscotch fudge sheet cake, which is too yummy for words."
—Library JournalPolina Chesnakova is a Seattle-based food writer, recipe developer, and cooking class instructor whose work has been featured in Culture, The Washington Post, Saveur, The Kitchn, and Seattle magazine. She is also the author of Hot Cheese: Over 50 Gooey, Oozy, Melty Recipes (Chronicle Books). In addition, she serves as the culinary director at Book Larder, Seattle’s only cookbook shop.INTRODUCTION

Whether right after a meal, while winding down in the evening, or when we gather with friends and loved ones, my family always pours tea—and what is that hot, steaming cup without something sweet to accompany it? This was how I was introduced at an early age to the pleasure of a simple dessert, often cake. Drawn in not so much by the sugar, but by a deep satisfaction that stems from “that ideal match of the right dish and the right moment,” as the restaurateur and cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi said.
 
That idea is what Everyday Cake is all about—cakes in all shapes and forms for every mood and occasion. Maybe a long day at work necessitates a treat, an unexpected guest stops in, or you’re looking to celebrate, but without too much fuss. In other words, day-to-day moments that warrant a spark of joy.
 
In these pages, you’ll find cakes that are neither overly complicated nor too sweet but are reliably delicious. Some, like the Lemon-Lavender Yogurt Cake (page 143), are a one-bowl magic trick, while others call for layers (never more than two!) and frosting, like the Yellow Birthday Cake with Whipped Malt Chocolate Buttercream (page 91). There are a handful, such as the Salted Butterscotch Fudge Sheet Cake (page 127), that feed a crowd, but many more will be easily tackled by a party of two. And if your style, like mine, skews classic with a twist, then you’ll especially love the Golden-Milk Tres Leches Cake (page 111) and the Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Five-Spice Streusel (page 26).
 
The chapters are organized by the forms the cakes are baked in—Bundt and tube; round; square and rectangular; and loaf pans—because I find each shape carries its own vibe and associations. (A Chocolate Sour Cream Cake on page 145 keeps it casual, while a Sugared Jelly Donut Bundt Cake on page 35 begs to be served at brunch.) My recipes are clear and detailed, meant to empower—not overwhelm—the reader. Throughout the book, tidbits of pastry know-how will address any questions you might have in the process and leave you smarter in the kitchen too.
 
My hope is that whether you’re a novice or seasoned baker, or somewhere in between, this cookbook will entice you and bring delight no matter the reason. So next time your day calls for a sweet treat, let Everyday Cake be the answer.