Product Description

Collette Peters applies her cake-decorating skills to the art of the birthday cake. Here are cakes for every month of the year, and for every sort of birthday celebration, with instructions of every aspect of the decoration process.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16019 in Books
• Published on: 2000-04-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 182 pages

From Booklist
A cake is de rigeur for any American birthday celebration worthy of the name. Continuing her series of volumes pictorializing her sumptuous cakes, Peters brings her decorative skills to cakes designed specifically for birthday observances. And anyone receiving a cake like one of Peters' creations should be particularly grateful. Peters' skill with milled fondant overshadows that of most other professional bakers. She can carve fondant into tight, sharp geometries, or she can swirl it, fold it, and wave it into silken ruffles and curves that belie its solidity. Line drawings assist the cook in recreating these elegant pastries, but only professionals and those with some formal training in handling fondants and cake-decorating tools and techniques will readily pick up on Peters' barebones instructions. Recipes, too, reflect a professional's approach, measuring by weight rather than volume. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Bette Midler
"Colette is the most gifted cake maker I have ever encountered. She has great skill, great wit, great imagination..."

About the Author
Colette made the cake for the wedding of Chantal Miller and Prince Pavlos of Greece and she has decorated both the White House and Tiffany's Fifth Avenue windows at Christmas. Her work has also been displayed at the American Craft Museum. She lives and works in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Fondant, sugar paste and more sugar paste
The other reviews are correct; this book is not for the beginner. Nor is it for people who prefer to do piping decorating as every cake featured uses fondant and sugar paste. Although you could possibly take some ideas from it and it is fun looking at all these amazing cakes, some of them are so far out there (like a chess set or leather doctor's bag) you better be a really skilled home baker with a lot of time or a pro. I will say that the book is so nicely done (hardback, color, design and layout) that it almost feels like a nice coffee table book.

Inspiration from the Best in Cakes
Colette Peters is a master of cake design and artistry. She shows us that baking can transcend the limits of the kitchen, and delve into the canvas and paints of the artist. It is no surprise to discover that Miss Peters is a trained artist. It is also not a surprise to discover that her work graces the tables of Bette Midler, the White House, and Tiffany's at Christmastime.

This brightly-colored book is arranged topically: Signs of the Zodiac (12 designs), Flowers of the Month (4 designs), Birthstones (3 designs), and Assorted Party Cakes (14 designs). There are also two chapters devoted to Basic Recipes and Basic Instructions. Miss Peters has thoughtfully included a list of Sources for equipment and supplies at the back of the book.

Each design includes: Number of Servings, List of Ingredients, paragraph-form instructions on how to assemble and decorate the cake, a full-color photograph, and patterns (most patterns require enlargements).

While the instructions are specific, and basic instructions at the back of the book are extensive, I would not consider this a book for the beginning cake decorator. More advanced and intermediate cake decorators will enjoy creating their own cakes based on these ideas. This is a wonderful gift for the aspiring cake decorator.

Absolutely gorgeous
These cakes are beautiful,but will never be decorated by me.I do not have 40 hours to devote to the decoration of one cake.I am also put off by cakes covered entirely in sugarpaste,I want icing,on cakes that I can eat.