Originally published as A Piece of Cake, this baking classic is now back in print, thoroughly revised, and beautifully redesigned. Author of The Perfect Pie and renowned baking authority Susan Purdy has spent a lifetime mastering the art of baking perfect cakes–those mysterious delicacies that are not too dry, not too dense, and never stuck to the pan. Revealing her secrets for the complete range of easy to elegant recipes, The Perfect Cake gives every home baker an extra helping of confidence. With Purdy at your side sharing her precise troubleshooting tips and clever shortcuts, layer cakes, sheet cakes, sponge cakes, angel-food and chiffon cakes, tortes, and jelly rolls become wonderfully feasible. Helping readers skillfully create everything from a simple pound cake to Old-Fashioned Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, Black-and-White Cheesecake, or Hazelnut Torte, The Perfect Cake features easy decorating pointers that are sure to impress on special occasions. Providing a selection of more than 150 exceptional recipes, this is the book that will keep even the novice from ever resorting to mediocre mixes again. Purdy's A Piece of Cake, originally published in 1989, has been long out of print, making this revised, reorganized, and retitled edition very welcome. This is really one of the standards on the topic, filled with delicious recipes from classics like Lord Baltimore Cake to family favorites such as Pineapple Upside-Down Cake to mouthwatering treats like Marvelous Mud Cake. Purdy is a perfectionist, and her recipes are reliable and filled with useful tips and suggestions. An essential purchase for any baking collection. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. "The definitive guide to cake making." –Jean Anderson, author of The New Doubleday Cookbook "Large, international, and highly accessible...terrific baking book." –Paula Wolfert, author of Mediterranean Cooking "An astonishing cookbook." – New York Times Originally published as A Piece of Cake, this baking classic is now back in print, thoroughly revised, and beautifully redesigned. Author of The Perfect Pie and renowned baking authority Susan Purdy has spent a lifetime mastering the art of baking perfect cakes those mysterious delicacies that are not too dry, not too dense, and never stuck to the pan. Revealing her secrets for the complete range of easy to elegant recipes, The Perfect Cake gives every home baker an extra helping of confidence. With Purdy at your side sharing her precise troubleshooting tips and clever shortcuts, layer cakes, sheet cakes, sponge cakes, angel-food and chiffon cakes, tortes, and jelly rolls become wonderfully feasible. Helping readers skillfully create everything from a simple pound cake to Old-Fashioned Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, Black-and-White Cheesecake, or Hazelnut Torte, The Perfect Cake features easy decorating pointers that are sure to impress on special occasions. Providing a selection of more than 150 exceptional recipes, this is the book that will keep even the novice from ever resorting to mediocre mixes again. "The definitive guide to cake making." –Jean Anderson, author of The New Doubleday Cookbook "Large, international, and highly accessible...terrific baking book." –Paula Wolfert, author of Mediterranean Cooking "An astonishing cookbook." – New York Times SUSAN G. PURDY 's other baking books include Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too , The Family Baker , and The Perfect Pie . Purdy teaches baking across the country and in France, and writes for numerous national magazines. She lives in Litchfield County, Connecticut. Baking Equipment In this age of ubiquitous food processors and electronic gadgets, it is important to remember that not too long ago arm power was the home bakers' primary tool. Cake batters were beaten with wooden spoons in wooden or earthenware bowls and egg whites were whipped with a fork or a bundle of twigs. The wooden spoon blended ingredients perfectly well (and still does); the fork- or twig-whipped whites foamed well, given enough time and effort. However, if you really want to "feel" the transformation of raw ingredients into a cake batter, you can do so only by beating them by hand. For today's home baker, it is usually more practical to beat batters and egg whites with an electric mixer to save time, and use a spoon or rubber spatula for folding. While hands are still a basic tool, there are certain pieces of equipment that are essential to today's baker. These are described in this chapter. Be aware that baking is a creative art, and part of that creativity may involve improvisation with equipment. Feel free to substitute what you find in your cupboard before you run out to buy something new. Put a saucepan into a frying pan to make a double boiler. Use a wine bottle for a rolling pin. Consult the Pan Volume and Serving Table (see Index) to substitute baking pan sizes based on cake batter quantities given in the recipes. No