A truly fantastic collection of recipes from delicate individual treats to hearty loaf and fruit cakes. The instructions are clear and thorough enough to reassure any novice baker but with a wide enough variety to tempt an experienced one. The interesting additional facts about the history of the recipes and the places that inspired them make this a worthy addition to the National Trust cookbook collection. There is definitely a parkin in my weekend plans!

There are plenty of delicious recipes included in this. Some time old classics, some nourish and less popular but equally sounding delightful and also some of the more obscure. The recipes are short, detailed and easy to follow. The one thing I would have liked - real pictures! The drawings are lovely but it doesn't help me get a good visualisation of how these cakes will turn out.

Cake. I love cake, Baking it, eating it and sharing it. This is my kind of book. This is a book for any cake or baking lover, from beginners to the experienced. It has some great advice, hints and tips as well as some wonderful and classic cake recipes.

This is a book that would take pride of place on any bakers bookshelf and I can guarantee the recipes will be tried and tested in my household over the coming weeks, months and years. All I can say now is YUM!

Thank you NetGalley and Collins Reference, National Trust Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I always love getting a slice of cake from National Trust gardens so that makes me even more excited to test out these recipes.

Book of Cakes by Linda Collister is a wonderful collection of tasty and timeless recipes.

I really loved this cookbook. It pooled together several different categories of cakes/loaves that will appeal to a mass audience. Multiple levels of bakers will be able to find something that can work for them.

I also really liked the historical context that was given with each category and a snippet with each individual entry. Not overwhelming us, the background information helps the reader appreciate the traditions, history, and evolutionary changes that have taken place.

I especially liked the category of fruit cakes…plenty to try!

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Collins Reference, National Trust Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 3/14/24.

A fantastic book of cake recipes. Full of inspiration and a great selection of gluten free recipes.
A must for the cake makers and national trust enthusiasts.
Highlighting the history of cakes and utilising ingredients at various national trust properties.

It can hardly be said that what the world needs is another book of cakes and yet this one manages to be both beautiful and interesting. The illustrations are lovely - it's nice to have watercolours of them so you have an idea of the look rather than the usual photos - and the layout is very pretty. What I liked most, though, was the range of recipes. There are the more common cakes but also some more unusual recipes that you wouldn't expect to find and I also enjoyed the balance of very sweet cakes with the plainer teatime types, or the different size and types of cakes. The National Trust tea rooms are a perfect advert for good baking so it's good to see a range to make at home too. Lovely!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

#BookofCakes #NetGalley

I love to bake. I used to do it every day practically. I baked for birthday parties, for weddings, for funerals, and mainly just for the hell of it. It's the way I manage my emotions. Which makes it even sadder that my current physical disability has limited my ability in the kitchen. But that hasn't stopped me buying recipe books and reading recipe books, and this one definitely caught my eye.

Linda has added an historical element to the different sections of this book, about the origins of baking and the history of that particular cake. I've read a lot of cookbooks and baked a lot of things, and so I already have a certain amount of knowledge and understanding, but Linda's added a lot more detail that I wasn't aware of, which was nice.

Linda has offered the basic recipe, and also gluten free and vegan options, which is definitely an important aspect in cookbooks now.

I have made several of the cakes mentioned in this book, but obviously the recipes she has provided are new to me, so it was interesting to compare those with what I know. On a personal note, it was nice to see a recipe for a Bara Brith in it. Fruit cake has gone down in popularity, and as a general rule, I am not a fan of fruit cake, but I do love making and eating a Bara Brith, but not many people have heard of it so for me, it was a nice little inclusion.

I reviewed a digital copy which meant the formatting wasn't exactly what the final copy will be like and so I can't comment on that, but it showed some of the illustrations which I really liked. I love an illustration and I feel more books need them - especially adult or non-fiction books.

I wasn't 100% when I read this which meant I wasn't able to test the recipes prior to this review, but I've saved them to try another day, and I'm looking forward to seeing how they bake.

There's not much more I can say in a review about a cookbook really, as there isn't a plot or characters to talk of. But I will say it's a lovely little book with some exciting recipes, interesting facts, classics and modern classics, and wouldn't look out of place on any baker's bookshelf.

What a beautiful book Book of Cakes is by Linda Collister

I absolutely adore everything about it from the overall design of the book to the pictures and layout of the recipes. These national trust books are a guilty pleasure.

"Book of Cakes" by Linda Collister is a delightful exploration of traditional baking that captures the essence of preserving and respecting culinary heritage. The book's rich array of traditional recipes offers a delightful journey into lesser-known bakes, showcasing the importance of continuing these time-honored traditions. The introductory section provides valuable insights and innovative ideas, while the simplified tips ingeniously ease the baking process, making it accessible even for beginners. The straightforward recipes with modest ingredient requirements not only simplify the baking experience but also prove to be budget-friendly. Overall, this book is a brilliant read that effortlessly combines tradition, innovation, and practicality. Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this wonderful read.

A great book about making cakes suitable for absolutely beginners, with lots of tips and clear instructions.
Lovely recipes and the history behind them.
I’m sure I will be making these frequently for my family.
Thank you to NetGalley and and Collins Reference National Trust Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a lovely cake book! I loved the hints and tips at the beginning, even as a seasoned baker myself I found a tip that I'm going to use. I enjoyed the bits of history before the bakes and the additional information. I do prefer a photograph of the bakes, just so I know what they're meant to look like but the drawings are beautifully done. Looking forward to trying the recipes out.

Book of Cakes by Linda Collister

Love , love , love it when the national trust brings out any of its cookbooks and they are always the oǹes I pull off my shelf to refer to when I get the urge to bake.
Reading through this one I know this book will also get plenty of use.
Cake , what's not to like !