The Cake Bible and the New Cake Book

Jan 15, 2006 | From the kitchen of Rose

SHARON QUESTION
Hello,

I am thinking about purchasing The Cake Bible. When is the new book coming out and what will be different? Should I wait for the new one or should I purchase both of them?

I'm a novice to pastry making. Will there be a new pastry book also or am I safe to purchase The Pastry Bible?

Thank you for a very informative site.

ROSE REPLY

i would highly recommend getting the cake bible and here's why: last year i did a revision but the only things i felt needed changing were the chocolate recommendations and the equipment and ingredient distributors. chocolate is now expressed in % of cocoa mass rather than manufacturer and some of the chocolates i recommended no longer exist! the recipes, however, have become classics as the book has survived for close to 18 years now and still going strong. i found there was nothing i wanted to change with the exception of the burnt almond milk chocolate ganache as the chocolate bar used to make it is no longer being manufactured so i replaced it with another delicious milk chocolate ganache (lesson learned not to have a product-dependent recipe!)

the cake bible is filled with explanations about how cake baking works which is ideal for beginning and advanced bakers who want to know more and have more control over what they are doing.

the new cake book will be entirely different with emphasis on the visual (some aspect of every cake will be pictured) and contain all the new ideas that have come about over the past two decades since the cake bible.

re the pie pastry bible, if i ever do another on the subject it will be many years from now! but do check out the new pie crust that's on the blog. it's a variation of the cream cheese pie crust but uses heavy cream instead of water and is more tender and more delicious.

Rose Levy Beranbaum
08/30/2006 11:14 AM

sounds like my kind of bread! but no rush.
and thanks for telling me about the msn forum--i'm sure that recipe will sell TONS of books!!!

dee
08/29/2006 10:19 PM

Hi Rose, time for beddy-byes, but I'll copy the recipe for you as soon as possible.
It has two six hour rises , and only then is it ready for a final rise . Very good bread !
I made your blueberry pie using the fresh/ cooked mixture, and it's fabulous !
I belong to an English MSN Forum, a spin off from Delia online; where I posted a photo of my beauty, I had to give them the recipe, but I gave you a big plug and touted All your books !
It's a private site, so the recipe didn't get splattered all over the internet, but you can't keep a good recipe down, can you ? :-)
Dee

Rose Levy Beranbaum
08/28/2006 09:40 PM

thanks dee-would love the recipe for maltese bread--never encountered it before.
was it the fresh blueberry pie where you fold uncooked blueberries into the cooked? actually i love both versions.

dee
08/27/2006 07:33 PM

Oh, I understand that, Rose; it's just that we were already paying $40.00 per year for the recipes..that was fair, I think.
But now it's the same recipes, plus the monthly additions that cost so much.
There's no direct contact with Marci, though she will graciously answer email querries. I just miss browsing the site, it was like being with an old friend...But I'll always be grateful for her superb recipe for " French Country Bread", which i make every week.
( Would you be interested in having a recipe for Maltese bread? I was just able to get a copy from the author in London, Helen Caruans Galizia and her sister Anne wrote the book, called "The Food & Cookery of Malta". Good recipe from a lovely lady.)
I should tell you also that I've made your blueberry pie six times this summer,and it was voted best blueberry pie of all times. Now the recipe is on it's way to conquer Britain, where I have some friends !
I've also learned to make great pie crust with your help. Thanks for that !
Regards,
Dee

Rose Levy Beranbaum
08/27/2006 04:07 PM

dee, i appreciate your comments. i didn't realize how the fee for marci's site worked but if people aren't going to be willing to pay for short term use of a recipe she will no doubt have to change her policy.

i should explain that answering people's bakingi questions can be a full time job! i don't fault marci for charging for this. i feel fortunate that gold medal flour hosts my site and helps to defray some of the expense so that i can provide what i consider to be important baking information without charging.

Dee
08/27/2006 02:00 PM

Just a comment on one of the sites that you like, Rose.
I belonged and paid $80.00 during the last two years to have access to the "BetterBaking" recipe file, and now the site's format has changed . Now I'm expected to pay $1.99 per recipe for the same library of recipes that I already paid for previously ? I don't think so..imagine how much money I'd pay just to browse !Let's say you've looked at 5 recipes for challah, perhaps, before settling on the final one..so it cost $10.00 for that recipe ?
On top of which, that recipe is only accessible to you for 24 hours !
I like Marci, I have her "Better Baking Cookbook" , she 's a great writer;but I don't think this was a good move on her part; who can afford such a site?
I'll just put my money into cookbooks that I'll have forever, like yours.
I've got every single one, Rose; and your babana cheese cake is still the best there is .
Just a thought, for what it's worth....
Regards,
Dee

Rose Levy Beranbaum
08/25/2006 03:10 PM

jean, they will not be available until around october at which point i'll know which chains and also which website! thanks for your interest--really appreciated--for my new "baby"!

Rose Levy Beranbaum
08/25/2006 03:07 PM

helen, there is a little quarter-size red "button" on the upper right of the cover that says revised equipment and ingredients

Jean
08/25/2006 12:33 PM

Where can we purchase your cupcake kits?

Helen
06/16/2006 07:01 PM

Re: Revised edition of "The Cake Bible"
Your responses indicate that you have revised "The Cake Bible" and how to distinguish it (34th printing, etc.). I have been looking for it at Amazon, B&N, eCooking.com and none have it on record. Where can I find it?
Thank you.

Rose Levy Beranbaum
06/05/2006 11:13 AM

i'd try a small layer using hershey's to see if you like it and follow the suggestions of using part baking soda when using non-dutch processed cocoa.

REBECCA
06/05/2006 10:28 AM

I MADE THE CHOCOLATE WEDDING CAKE FOR 150 PEOPLE WITH THE HERSHEY'S DUTCH CHOCOLATE AND IT TURNED OUT GREAT. I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO DO THE SAME CAKE BUT THEY WOULD LIKE A LIGHTER CHOCOLATE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF I COULD REPLACE THE DUTCH CHOCOLATE WITH THE REGULAR HERSHEY'S COCOA.
THANKS, REBECCA

REBECCA
06/05/2006 10:27 AM

Rose Levy Beranbaum
06/04/2006 09:26 PM

1 oz. of butter = 2 tablespoons so 5.25 ounces = 10.5 tablespoons. i bet you're using an unbleached flour or perhaps one from another country.

reiko
06/04/2006 08:25 PM

I have made the Golden Butter Cream Cake twice. Both times it seemed fine when it came out of the oven, but "fell" and got gooey and heavy within hours. I noticed the measurements call for 10.5 TB or 5.25 oz of butter, which is inconsistent. I was using the TB amount. Which is the right one? Thanks

Merideth Carleton
05/31/2006 06:49 PM

Have you seen this before? It's a number guessing game: http://www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/mentalmaths/guessthenumber.html. I guessed 25267, and it got it right! Pretty neat.

Felicity
05/05/2006 03:19 PM

Do we have an ETA for the new cake book? (I'm embarrassing myself how excited I am about this).

All the best,
Felicity

Rose Levy Beranbaum
04/08/2006 10:16 PM

petit fours are usually sponge cake such as génoise but any cake is acceptable. if you use génoise i would use the génoise riche bc it has extra butter and won't require much syrup to stay moist.

again, poured fondant is classic but ganache is delicious!

michelle
04/06/2006 11:39 PM

dear rose , i purchased your cake bible,but I'm still unclear on which recipe to use to make petit fours with sponge cake. do you recomend a ganache or a hot pour fondant frosting?

Rose Levy Beranbaum
03/08/2006 07:14 PM

it was revised last december and has a round reddish label with white writing on the upper right hand side of the cover that reads: revised ingredients and equipment sections. it's the 34th printing (printing numbers are on what would be page 4)

REBECCA
03/08/2006 03:55 PM

I WANT TO PURCHASE THE "THE CAKE BIBLE" THAT HAS BEEN REVISED, WHAT IS THE DATE IT WAS REVISED.

Rose Levy Beranbaum
01/27/2006 11:19 PM

the recipe on the cover of the cake bible is for "la porcelaine." it is covered with chocolate fondant and hand modelled chocolate roses.

Samantha
01/26/2006 07:41 AM

Hi there. I just got a copy of the cake bible and am wondering on which page will i find the recipe for the cake pictured on the cover. Thanks for your help.