'Absolutely enchanting' Nigella Lawson | 'Delightful' Nigel Slater

Whether it's for ourselves, to show love for a child, friend or partner, or to celebrate a rite of passage, there is no denying the incredible effect that cakes can have. Love is a Pink Cake is a perfect gift for the baker in your life this Christmas.

Claire Ptak started baking as a child, taught by her mum and grandma, and has now been running her own food business, Violet Cakes, for nearly two decades.

This book is a collection of her formative baking stories and tips and current favourite recipes - what she is baking throughout the day, for any occasion. From Brown Sugar Victoria Sponge, Chocolate Violet Babka Buns, Tahini Halva Brownies, and English Angel Cakes that are perfect for a birthday party to Ras el Hanout Snickerdoodles, Coconut Pudding Cake and Black Tea and Poppy Seed Muffins, you'll find bakes that are perfect for making every day delicious and memorable. You'll even find the recipe for Prince Harry and Megan Markle's famous Lemon and Elderflower Wedding Cake.

These 85 recipes - from cakes to cookies and puddings to savoury bakes - are a reminder that baking is, in its own way, a love story too.

'Marvellous... a ravishing trove of recipes and baker's lore' Jeremy Lee | 'My favourite baker ... A Violet recipe always works perfectly' Anna Jones | 'Generous, intuitive, beautiful' Laila Gohar

About the Author
A California native, in 2005 Claire Ptak moved to London, where she opened the Violet Bakery in 2010. In 2018, she was commissioned to make the wedding cake for Prince Harry and Megan Markle's wedding cake. Before moving to London, Claire worked as a pastry chef for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse. Claire is also a food writer and stylist who has worked with Ottolenghi and Jamie Oliver, the latter of whom called her 'his favourite cake-maker in the whole world'. Her work has appeared in a wide array of publications including Vogue, the Gentlewoman and the New York Times. She has published four cookbooks before Love is a Pink Cake: The Home-Made Sweet Shop, Leon: Happy Baking, The Whoopie Pie Book and The Violet Bakery Cookbook.

Reviews
This is an absolutely enchanting book ... I could eat any of these recipes at any time of the day or night ... every page delights * Nigella Lawson, author of 'Cook, Eat, Repeat' *
This ravishing trove of recipes and baker's lore is a testament to years of practice and endeavour ... a marvellous achievement * Jeremy Lee, author of 'Cooking' *
Claire is my favourite baker. I know so many of these recipes will become favourites baked again and again. A Violet recipe always works perfectly. * Anna Jones, author of 'One: Pot, Pan, Planet' *
Claire's desserts are more than just a conclusion to a great meal; they're bites of special memories for me... Her cakes have been at the center of some of our most cherished family moments. * Megan Markle, Duchess of Sussex *
Amazing recipes and heartfelt stories * Christopher Kane, Creative Director and Founder of Christopher Kane *
I want to read, cook and devour the gorgeous food of brilliant Claire * Ruth Rogers, author of the 'River Cafe Cookbook' *
There is a collection of sweet recipes for spring from Claire Ptak's delightful new book Love is Pink Cake, including a brown sugar sponge cake, vegan chocolate chip cookies, and treacle tart. Claire has also given us a very delicious recipe for a dessert of muscat wine and raspberries, which I have already bookmarked for my own Easter lunch. * Nigel Slater, Observer Food Monthly *
Claire's recipes are generous, intuitive, and beautiful. This is a celebration of life, and the bounty of the earth. You will feel as though an old friend is taking you by the hand and teaching you how to make the perfect fluffy blueberry muffin. Pull up a chair. Claire is the friend everybody needs in their life. * Laila Gohar *
Claire Ptak is the coolest girl I know. She makes baking sexy ... in a wolrd of saccharine this is the antidote * Fiona Leahy *
In her new cookbook Love is a Pink Cake, Claire Ptak elevates baking to an art form... Beyond the recipes proper, though, it's the transferable wisdom that makes Love Is A Pink Cake invaluable. You will learn how to grow geraniums on your windowsill and bake with their leaves; discover that soaking poppy seeds in black tea brings out their flavour; and come to realise that it's worth deseeding Fragola grapes for their deep purple colour and incredible sweetness. And you will find that even the classics - yellow sheet cake with chocolate frosting, treacle tart with whipped cream - can be improved upon by following Ptak's advice. * Hailey Maitland, British Vogue *
Claire Ptak's brilliant new cookbook mixes the best of her acclaimed British bakery with her roots in Northern California ... Her command of flavours and textures and the outright beauty of her creations has made her one of London's best-loved bakers, sought after by Hackney residents and royalty alike. * Killian Fox, Observer Food Monthly *
A treasure trove of baking * Appetite Magazine *
BOOK OF THE MONTH ... Owner of East London's Violet Bakery, ex-Chez Panisse pastry chef and baker of cakes for royals, Claire Ptak has credentials that are as impressive as this beautiful book. It's divided to reflect the two sides of her life, with recipes such as black tea poppy seed muffins from her California birthplace, and apricot, chamocile and honey scones from her English home. The book is full of recipes that celebrate the seasons, and Claire introduces you to her favourite growers. There are plenty of tips to build confidence and improve technique too. * Mark Diacono, Delicious Magazine *



Book Information
ISBN 9781529110319
Author Claire Ptak
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint Square Peg
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 913g
Dimensions(mm) 253mm * 175mm * 29mm