The Stories and Recipes Behind More Than 125 of Our Best-Loved Cakes

This book is beautiful to look at and the content is amazing. It's one of those books without a dust jacket (the beautiful images are printed directly onto the cover, back and front), and it is gorgeous and high-quality. I gave it to a good friend for Xmas and bought a copy for myself as well, and I am so happy I did. The history is very interesting, and there are plenty of recipes -- many of which I have never encountered before.

I haven't baked any of the cakes from it yet (it's not even New Years), but after I do, I'll update this review. I can't decide where to start!

American Cake is a wonderful book - filled with beautiful photographs, delicious cake recipes and many interesting historical details. I am enjoying revisiting American history through the 'cake lens' - just the bit of sweetness we all might benefit from right now! I was happy to see some family favorites included such as the NYT plum torte, the SP carrot cake and the Moosewood coffee cake, but I am also intrigued by the many cakes I now need to try. This book is a winner - it is both a good read and a good resource...and would be a great gift to any baking enthusiast!

This is not just a cookbook but fascinating exploration of the history of cake in America. The historical content is paired with a varied and delicious selection of recipes. At over 300 pages there is much to read, enjoy and bake. It's already found a special place in my book collection.

It has been both entertaining and interesting to both read and experience these recipes. I have just begun to try the cakes. I look forward to more opportunities to bake and relive our baking history.

I absolutely love this Book, and trust Anne's recipes. Became acquainted with Anne and her recipes back in the early 2000's with Cake Mix Doctor Recipes, and Dinner Doctor Recipes and her approach to easy preparation and presentation of meals for family and/or company entertainment. When manufacturers shrank the portions in cake mixes, I reached out to her and asked how to adjust her recipes to accommodate the smaller amount of cake mix, and she shared the answer, but her desire to rework the recipes of the most popular cakes led to an update of those recipes, and then this new Cookbook came out with the fun narrative content about a whole new genre of historical desserts.

This beautifully written book about the history of cakes provides so much more than recipes - it lifts the spirits of anyone who spends time in the kitchen by giving us our own, documented source of pride. After all, we've known since grade school who invented the light bulb and who flew the first air planes. Now, there is Sarah Rorer, a dietitian, who was the first to stir chocolate into cake batter, and Lucile Plowden Harvey who sent fruitcakes to servicemen in 13 foreign countries during WWII. Cakes are an American tradition that have touched every part of our lives. This book reminds us of not only how to make them and where they are from, but how much they bring us together with joy, nostalgia and real history. The illustrations are beautiful and the recipes ...well, historical. Cooks, bakers and cake lovers everywhere can take pride in reading and celebrating Anne Byrn's 'American Cake.'

I requested this book for Christmas after hearing Anne on the podcast "What You Missed in History". I knew that I would enjoy this one...and it did not disappoint! I thoroughly enjoy history, and it is fascinating to read about the history of cakes in America. My children have all decided they will pick their birthday cakes from this cookbook. We've only made the Smith Island Cake so far, but it was fantastic. I agree with another post, this would be a great gift to give to others as well.

This book is such a treasure trove of history and cake! It is so much more than just a recipe book. Anne's writing style is so warm and welcoming that I've sat for hours just pouring over the stories, just as I would with an epic novel. I love cake and I adore this book! Thank you, Anne, for putting so much work into this!

Perfect hostess or wedding gift - there is a good mix of history, storytelling, and actual recipes. I am not a great baker, but the instructions were really clear and I have successfully made two cakes from this book so far, although some of them will likely be forever beyond my skill level. This is a great cookbook for people who like to read history, and a good history book for people interested in food culture.