Snacking Cakes

September 1, 2020

Apt. 2B Baking Co. blogger Arefi follows up her debut, Sweeter off the Vine, with another homage to laid-back, seasonal baking. Arefi's collection of "snacking cakes" are single-layer cakes, baked in an eight-inch square pan, that have simple toppings (or none at all), and can be prepped in one bowl without the use of an electric mixer. The beauty in Arefi's unassuming recipes lies in their flexibility: she offers options for bakers to personalize their creations, from suggestions for alternate fruits, nuts, and flours to adapting the recipe to be made in a bundt, round, loaf, or cupcake pan. Flavor combinations are mostly traditional, with plenty of classic options for sweet tooths, including oatmeal chocolate chip cake and powdered donut cake, and bolder flavors with unconventional toppings, such as beet and orange glaze for a chocolate cake, and grapefruit glaze for a traditional gingerbread cake. VERDICT With 50 streamlined cake recipes, this little gem of a cookbook will quickly become a prized resource in many kitchens.--Kelsy Peterson, Forest Hill Coll., Melbourne, Australia

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