Baking Recipe Book Recommendations by Karenna

 Thanksgiving (if you celebrate) and the holidays are coming up- and with it, baking. Whether you want to get a book for yourself or someone else, or if you just want new recipes to try out in the upcoming months, I've put together a 3 reviews of my top recommendations for baking recipe books. 

Mary Berry's Baking Bible

Mary Berry is a famous British baker, probably most known for her judging on the popular baking show The Great British Bake Off. Personally, I have a huge sweet tooth, and have always loved to bake- with my grandma, relatives or just by myself. The Great British Bake Off was the first baking show I watched, and Mary's detailed desserts always looked so pretty and tasty. Her book includes seemingly everything from different kinds of cakes, to cookies, breads- although that was always more Paul's scene-, to pies, souffles, cheesecakes and much, much more. It covers easy to make desserts and more challenging ones, allowing you to pick one that is at your skill level and personal preference. All in all, this is a great book for bakers, and I can't wait to continue using her recipes.

The Sprinkles Baking Book by Candace Nelson

Candace Nelson is another baking show judge, but a significantly less famous one. She was on the show Sugar Rush, and owns a bakery chain called Sprinkles Cupcakes. Her book, like her bakery chain, focuses mostly on cupcakes, but you can use the cake and frosting recipes for Bundt cakes, tiered cakes, sheet cakes, etc.. I've made a couple recipes from this book, but my favorite was her chai latte cupcakes. They were delicious, and if you didn't want to spend the time making the chai cake from scratch, you could use a spice cake box mix and the chai latte frosting, which is the real winner. This is a great book for most things cake, and you could really get creative with all of the flavors of cakes and frostings. If you are more of a cake person, I would for sure recommend this book.

Marbled, Swirled, and Layered by Irvin Lin

Marbled, Swirled and Layered is probably my personal favorite out of the recipe books on this post, and for good reason. It has tons of recipes for all types of desserts, and all of them are delicious. Don't like a combo in the recipe? Nearly every recipe has one or two alternate flavor combos for you to choose. Marbled, Swirled, and Layered's recipe for chocolate cake and marshmallow filling also won me the prize in last year's Sprabitat baking contest. The secret? Lots of waiting for egg whites to whip, and a healthy amount chocolate dissolved into extra strong, extra dark coffee that really added that special touch to the cake. This book is great for people who have already had some experience baking, as some of the recipes can take lots of time and preparation. However, if you are willing to take the time to bake and explore these recipes you'll get lots of great results!