He Said/She Said: The Whimsical Bakehouse

The Whimsical Bakehouse: Fun-to-Make Cakes That Taste as Good as They Look!
Written by Kaye Hansen and Liv Hansen

ISBN-13: 9780609608968
ISBN-10: 0609608967
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Hardcover: 160 pages

H: We have tried some of their cake recipes by now. I think all of them turned out very well and tasty.
S: I agree, they turn out exactly like the cookbook says, so there are no surprises. The recipes are very well written and easy to follow. Like all good cookbooks, this one has a section for introducing the basics. There are tips, charts, and step-by-step photos.
H: Most of the photos for the cake recipes showcase a decorated cake. We would have liked to seen how the cake looks like before it was covered in frosting.
S: I really like the variety of recipes that cookbook comes with, and the cookbook teaches some decorating as well.
H: Although some of their decorating style is not ours, they have some great ideas. For example, we did learn about the Advance Chocolate Method. Their work using this method is very impressive.
S: The example they show in the book is an image of a sunflower (pages 94-95). Imagine all the patience that went into piping all the tiny details!
H: This cookbook is a great reference and lives up to each taste test.


Little Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse: Cupcakes, Small Cakes, Muffins, and other Mini Treats
Written by Kaye Hansen and Liv Hansen

ISBN-13: 9780307382825
ISBN-10: 0307382826
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Hardcover: 176 pages

S: Since I got this book as a birthday gift, we decided to write a small review for it as well.
H: There are a few overlaps with the first book, but this is expected. They still have a great collection of new recipes in this book.
S: Especially since the overlaps are "basics" like their famous buttercream, icings, and glazes.
H: The Chocolate Method is explained again and they reference the first book here.
S: The other repeated recipe are their standard and classic chocolate, vanilla, and simple variation cakes.
H: As the subtitle states, this cookbook features more than cakes. The front section starts with lots of muffin recipes that would enhance any breakfast!
S: There are recipes for other small treats such as cream puffs, meringues, and eggnog cream.
H: The decorations again are mostly buttercream and their Chocolate Method.
S: Yes, the candles on the cookbook's cover are edible! Their Chocolate Method is scaled down in this book to fit the smaller-sized treats. There are very cute ideas for little cakes! My favourite decorating section in this cookbook would be Flower Power. They teach you how to pipe out buttercream into roses, hydrangeas, gerbera daisies, poppies, sunflowers, and dahlias onto your cupcake.


Please visit Kaye and Liv's website for more information: Whimsical Bakehouse or their blog: The Whimsical Bakehouse.