Cake

A Slice of British Life

Andrew Baker

$36.99

Hardback

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English

Mudlark
14 February 2024

Cookery, food & drink; National & regional cuisine; Cakes, baking, icing & sugarcraft

‘A delightful odyssey through the history, nostalgia, fascination and British love of cake. Quirky, charming, and fun.’ PRUE LEITH

The British take cakes seriously. We hold strong opinions about how to bake a brownie with the perfect squidge, the correct proportions of icing to sponge, and whether it’s jam or cream first on our scones. Now – thanks to the success of a certain TV baking show – our flirtation with flour, fruit and frosting has become a full-blown love affair.

But how did the humble cake evolve from a simple combination of starch and fat to the show-stopping bakes of today, taking pride of place at every meaningful life celebration? Travelling the country from Dundee to the Isle of Wight, writer Andrew Baker (by name, not occupation) serves up the story of our national obsession with cake, one slice at a time.

On this greediest of quests, Andrew seeks to discover the ‘True Slice’ of each iconic cake. This enviable task sees him eat sponge sandwiched with jam and cream at Queen Victoria’s holiday home Osborne House, discover the illustrious yet scandal-filled history of the Battenberg’s saccharine squares and learn how a caterpillar enrobed in chocolate became a party-starting birthday centerpiece.

From King Alfred’s oatcakes to The River Café’s revered Chocolate Nemesis, this is the crumb-spattered, buttercream-smeared story of the cakes that have claimed a place on British tables – and in our hearts.

By: Andrew Baker
Imprint: Mudlark
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 222mm, Width: 141mm, Spine: 30mm
Weight: 430g
ISBN: 9780008556075
ISBN 10: 0008556075
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 14 February 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Despite his surname, Andrew Baker is a dedicated and discerning consumer of cake rather than an expert creator. As a writer and editor he has been on the staff of Vogue, The Observer and the Independent, and is currently Publishing Editor of the Telegraph. This is his second book about British food, following his 2019 portrait of the national chocolate scene, From Bean to Bar.

Reviews for Cake: A Slice of British Life

‘A delightful odyssey through the history, nostalgia, fascination and British love of cake. Quirky, charming, and fun.’ PRUE LEITH ‘As fun as cake itself – and equally hard to put down.’ FELICITY CLOAKE ‘A book that offers insight with laughter and history with a tummy rumble. Nothing short of delicious.’ JOHN WHAITE ‘An entertaining, Bill Bryson-esque romp that’s easy to devour.’ The Grocer ‘How can you not love a book where a chapter on birthday cake spans homemade baking and Jane Asher’s fondant-iced cake empire before ending in a paean to Colin the Caterpillar via Goethe and a partygoing white skunk?’ NICOLA MILLER, Tales from Topographic Kitchens on Substack