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.
Product Details
ISBN-13: 9780008556075
Media Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Mudlark
Publication Date: 02-27-2024
Pages: 320
About the Author
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.