The Essential Baking Cookbook (Essential series) Paperback – 1 Mar 2005

I bought this book because my son recommended it. He is working his way through all the delicious cake recipes. The recipes are straightforward and the instructions easy to follow. We've found several that are free of flour and that are simply too delicious to describe. Flourless Chocolate Cake (p.82)is food to die for. The Ginger Cake (p.55) is one of my favourites but don't just buy the book and enjoy looking at the pictures - try them yourself. I particularly like the helpful advice for troubleshooting anything that hasn't quite worked out right. I don't think I'm going to need it though, this cookbook just inspires confidence!

For around the £3 mark for a used book, you really can't go wrong. Especially as the book I received was in very good condition and arrived quickly. The book is filled with endless delicious recipes and the photos will have you drooling within seconds, it's quite old fashioned compared to recipe books that are out nowadays but that is what I love about it. There are plenty of useful tips and tricks to help you along the way and instructions are clear and easy to follow.

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I bought this book in a Waitrose store while on holiday as a "treat"! It's fantastic and I've made nearly everything in it. The banana loaf is to die for and my husband asks me to make one at least once a month. The recipes are easy to follow and the "what went wrong" bit is fantastic. The quiches are scrummy and same to be said for the scones. I know it's a bit pricey but it is well worth the money for the amount of recipes in it and the information it gives. I bought one for a friend and she bought one for her mum as she wouldn't part with hers!! You see so many "baking" books and some of them have fancy schmancy recipes in it that look way beyond anyones capability this book is nothing like that. No matter what you cooking capability you will be able to do nearly all the recipes in this book.So to finish off JUST BUY THIS BOOK!!!

I cannot recommend this baking cookbook highly enough. It is packed full of different cakes, biscuits and desserts. The book rates how easy the recipes are to make and so you are well prepared if a recipe is going to be difficult. The photos are great and the helpful hints on each page are really useful. I can only say the proof is in the pudding and I am a novice baker and the three things I have made so far have all turned out really well.

I've marked this book down on the grounds of being too big with too many pictures. Otherwise, it's 5 stars all the way. Having only baked Christmas cakes beforehand, I thought I needed a few pointers before embarking on the real thing. Either I'm a culinary natural or this is one hell of a book! So far no failures, and my efforts even bear a slight resemblence to the pictures! Like maths, cooking is about convincing yourself you can do it. This book is a wonderful confidence builder. It's very practical, offers a great selection of recipes from game pies to flour-free chocolate heaven, is beautifully presented, and tells you how to avoid going wrong. What more do you need - buy it!

This book is absolutely wonderful. The recipes are easy to follow and taste divine. The 'What went wrong' sections are really useful - if only to show you that your cake has come out just as it should be! The pies are wonderful too. The glossary of terms, equipment list, recipes and little asides all add up to a book every kitchen needs.

This is one of the best baking books I have and I use it everytime I want to bake. It has such a wide range of receipes but the best part by far are the trouble shooting sections. For main items like, scones, muffins etc they actually show you pictures of when things go wrong so you can work out what went wrong and how to correct it. So they show you a picture of a "perfect Muffin" verses one that has been overbaked/overmixed/underbaked/mixture to wet etc. It's fantastic just buy it you won't be sorry