12 Books You Need to Make Amazing Cakes

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Want to be an incredible baker and cake decorator?? Here are 12 books you NEED to make AMAZING CAKES! This list of books will definitely help you get closer and closer to your cake and baking goals!

When everything is online these days, it’s rare to have recipe books. You can just “Google” or “YouTube” it, right? WRONG! Sorry, that was aggressive…While I’ve learned a lot online myself, there are still other great resources and cake-decorating books that will help you learn the “old-fashioned way”.

A lot of the content creators that I’ve learned from online have also published books! Who would have thought?!?! So I’ve compiled a list of books from my greatest influencers – some I have personally, others are on my never-ending shopping list. I just KNOW these books will be filled with amazing recipes and tips for baking and decorating cakes.

Why not learn some amazing tips from the pros?? You can’t go wrong! I know I said 12 books, but there may or may not be a couple of extras in there 😉

If you’re new to decorating cakes, here’s a list of cake decorating tools you need to get started!

1. Bake with Anna Olson

Anna Olson is one of the OGs of baking! She has so many amazing recipes and they’re so easy to follow! My grandmother loves Anna Olson and I may or may not have borrowed her Anna Olson recipe books from time to time when I first started my pastry chef journey 🙂

2. Tasty Dessert: All the Sweet You Can Eat (An Official Tasty Cookbook)

Do you know those quick and easy “Tasty” videos that you see online everywhere? Well, they have books too! Even better, they have one dedicated to desserts! While this may not help you in the cake decorating front, they have tons of easy-to-follow recipes that are great for home bakers.

3. Favorite Cakes: Showstopping Recipes for Every Occasion

by Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen

Have you ever stepped into a Williams Sonoma?? They have an abundance of cute and stylish tools for your kitchen, it’s so hard to leave empty-handed – you’re bound to find something you like! They have several recipe books too, including a few of their own.

One of my favourites is “Favorite Cakes: Showstopping Recipes for Every Occasion by Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen”. This book is filled with a huge variety of cake recipes (and decorating ideas too!). It’s bound to inspire you to experiment with flavours. Also, don’t you just love that pretty ombre rosette cake on the book cover?!

4. Professional Baking

Almost a decade ago (can’t believe it’s been that long!), I was in a 1-year program for baking at George Brown College here in Toronto. During that time, we used Professional Baking as our main text. I swear, it’s like the baking and cake bible!

With a wide range of baked goods, this book not only has recipes but also provides detailed steps and theoretical explanations for baking. Great for anyone who wants to learn more about baking theory! Plus, the details help you develop your skills and techniques.

5. The Sprinkles Baking Book:

100 Secret Recipes from Candace’s Kitchen

We all know “Sprinkles” Cupcakes, right? While I never had the pleasure of tasting these infamous cupcakes *tear*, Candace Nelson shares 100 yummy dessert recipes in her book!

There are a few celebrity guest recipes in there too 🙂 From her Sprinkles Cupcakes success to seeing her on several Food Network shows, this book is definitely on my shopping list! It has “secret recipes” in the name, so it must be good right?? I personally can’t wait to try her delicious recipes!

6. Sally’s Baking Addiction: Irresistible Cookies,

Cupcakes, and Desserts for Your Sweet-Tooth Fix (Volume 1)

I’ve definitely made good use of Sally’s Baking Addiction! It’s another blog that usually comes up in my quest for delicious cake recipes, and her recipes are always so easy! Can you tell I have a sweet tooth? So of course this book helps satisfy my sweet-tooth cravings!

7. Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering

Fixer Upper right?!?!?! Chip and Joanna are goals! I love anything and everything they’re a part of 🙂 Magnolia Table is full of sweet and savoury recipes, from breakfast to dessert. There’s something for everyone at any time of the day. Plus, with a 5-star rating on Amazon with almost 25,000 reviews at the time I’m posting this, you won’t regret it!

8. How to Cake It: A Cakebook

If you don’t know already, Yolanda Gampp is a cake-decorating guru! She has over 4 million subscribers on YouTube, and her videos always come up when I’m searching for a cake tutorial. That must mean something, right?! One day I’ll be joining her at the top!

In the meantime, I’ll continue to learn from her 🙂 I’m always looking for ways to improve my skills and make the perfect cake. I used one of her YouTube videos to help me make my first “Tiffany & Co” box cake pictured earlier in this post. . Her book, “How to Cake It: A Cakebook”, is filled with amazing recipes and tips for bakers of all ages.

Bonus! She released a new book in May 2022!

Layer Up!: The Ultimate Glow Up Guide for Cakes from How to Cake It

9. Cake Confidence

I first discovered Mandy Merriman as @bakingwithblondie on Instagram. Her gorgeous, bright, and colourful cakes got me to follow fast! Her Instagram page is filled with amazing cakes! Then I discovered she’s a fellow blogger with a large assortment of recipes.

From cakes to cookies, bars to doughnuts, there’s just so much to learn! She’s all about building your confidence, after all. I love her recipes and encouraging demeanour. No wonder she’s a bestseller!

10. Jenna Rae Cakes and Sweet Treats:

Over 100 Recipes for the Modern Baker

Another Instagram discovery! This twin sister pastry chef duo also caught my eye with pretty cakes on Instagram, and I’m a sucker for clean, bright, inspiring cake-filled Instagram pages! I’m in the Toronto area, and they’re in Winnipeg, Manitoba – so I never had a chance to try their goodies, but their book has a wide selection of sweet treats that will elevate your baking skills! You’ll definitely end up making something beautiful for the gram.

11. Caketopia: Your Guide to Decorating Buttercream Cakes with Flair

Okay, one more Instagram star! Noticing a trend here? There’s so much to see on Instagram, how can you not be inspired by the gorgeous cakes that fill your feed?! Side note: I was recently tagged in a cupcake post that was inspired by one of my creations! It’s so simple, but to know that one of my designs was used as inspo is so exciting to me!

Anyway, @sheri_wilson_ on Instagram has a page filled with cute, bright, colourful cakes and other treats. She also shares a lot of reels showing her decorating cakes, she makes it look so easy! There’s so much inspiration on there, she’s definitely goals! Now she has her own book that will teach you to recreate her designs, so why not learn from one of the best?!

12. The Magnolia Bakery Handbook:

A Complete Guide for the Home Baker

Recipes from the famous Magnolia Bakery in NYC, they’re famous for a reason! Not only does this book have their signature recipes, there are a ton of tips and techniques to help you succeed! And if you’re nowhere near a Magnolia Bakery, you can bring the bakery to you!

13. Preppy Kitchen: Recipes for Seasonal Dishes and Simple Pleasures

(A Cookbook)

Here’s a bonus! I guess this list is a baker’s dozen! Now, this book doesn’t come out until October 2022 so you have to wait a bit – unless you’re from the future, then lucky you! I’ve expressed in other posts my love for Preppy Kitchen and all of John’s recipes.

So when I heard there was a recipe book coming, I was so excited! Every recipe I’ve tried has been a success, and to top it off – delicious! So this is definitely on my list when it comes out, and I highly suggest you add it to yours 🙂

If you missed it earlier in this post, check out our list of cake decorating tools below to help you get started if you’re just starting out!

The Best Cake-Decorating Tools for Beginners

I hope these suggestions help you narrow down your list! There are just so many books to choose from, so it can be hard to decide. But I’ve learned so much from every. single. one of these authors and bakers.

My pastry chef life started with cupcakes, and with the help of cake books and YouTube, I’ve progressed to making birthday cakes, baptism cakes, graduation cakes, wedding cakes, and so much more! There’s always room to grow and with these books, you have a lot of great recipes and information to soak up!

Happy reading and baking!

xo

Mich