Extraordinary Cakes: Recipes for Bold and Sophisticated Desserts by Karen Krasne, Tina Wright
How to make cakes that are as delicious to eat as they are beautiful to behold. Karen Krasne, the Queen of Cakes according to Gourmet magazine, brings a fresh and contemporary sensibility to special-occasion cakes. Instead of the conventional fondant and gum paste, she relies on natural frostings based on chocolate, cream, or butter (which are also easier to make). What makes these cakes showstoppers is their unexpected flavor combinations-take, for example, the Blood Orange Ricotta Torte, the Chocolate Tiramisu, or the Yuzu Tea Cake. These desserts take full advantage of layering-contrasting textures in each bite-as seen in the New York, New York (chocolate ganache, devil's food cake, chocolate chantilly, and caramelized apples) or the Beau Soleil (mascarpone mousse, peaches, pralines, and honey-soaked pound cake). Krasne favors vibrant touches like fresh fruit and real flowers, which add flair without being fussy. The recipes include tips from her twenty years as a pastry chef, and a step-by-step introduction covers basic techniques. Extraordinary Cakes shows how to create amazing cakes that satisfy sophisticated palates-but are still achievable for the home baker. Some of the luscious cakes included are Toasted Macadamia Caramel Cheesecake, Shangrila (Guava Mousse, White Chocolate Mousse, Fresh Strawberries, Pound Cake), Vallarta (Key Lime Cream, Whipped Cream, Tequla-Infused Genoise), Marco Polo (Vanilla Mousse, Blackberry Gelee, Tea-Infused Cake), Chocolate Nirvana (Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Cream, Chocolate Cake), King Kamehameha (Coffee Mousse, Chocolate, Mocha Pralines, Chocolate Cake), Beau Soleil (Marscapone Mousse, Peaches, Caramelized Pralines, Honey, Pound Cake), Blood Orange Ricotta Torte, Carnaval (White Chocolate Banana Truffle, Chocolate Mousse, Rum), Caribe (Banana, Mango, Passion Fruit, Chocolate Cake), Tortamisu (Marscapone Cream, Espresso-and-Rum-Soaked Cake). Editorial Reviews Review I hope that you were not planning on starting a diet tomorrow. After reading this book your thoughts will be focused on the cakes. Even if creating an extraordinary cake is not in your future the recipes are too good not to try. ~Chocolate & Croissant Modern flavors meet classic techniques in these beautiful, delicious desserts. --Barbara Fairchild, author of Bon Appetit Desserts One bite would hook any patisserie lover. The desserts are beautiful too ... sublime. --Los Angeles Magazine Extraordinary is too mild a name for this collection of spectacular cakes. I've been a fan of Karen Krasne's for years and I'm particularly overjoyed to see her powerfully delicious and tastefully decorated creations in print. The only problem I can see with this book is deciding which cake to prepare first. Extraordinary Cakes is destined to become a classic. --Nick Malgieri, author of Bake! and The Modern Baker On Saturday nights, the line outside Extraordinary Desserts can extend onto the sidewalk. But once you've tasted Karen Krasne's creations, you'll forget about the wait. --The New York Times Extraordinary Cakes offers up easy-to-follow recipes for deliciously creative cakes, allowing avid bakers to replicate Karen's trademark desserts at home. --Jacques Torres, Dean of Pastry Arts, French Culinary Institute Talented chef-owner Karen Krasne serves 'incredible,' 'divine,' 'world-class,' baked goods and desserts that are 'gorgeous to behold.' --Zagat Survey About the Author Karen Krasne is the owner and executive chef of Extraordinary Desserts, San Diego's number one destination restaurant for desserts for the last twenty years. Her cakes have graced the cover of Bon Appetit, and Forbes recognized her as one of the country's ten best pastry chefs. She has been featured in The New York Times, Gourmet, Sunset, and The Los Angeles Times, among other publications. Tina Wright is a professional pastry chef and coauthor of two books. A graduate of the Institute for Culinary Education, she helped write the pastry curriculum for the French Culinary Institute in New York.
Publication Details
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Binding: Hardcover
Published by: Rizzoli: , 2011
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ISBN: 9780847858088 | 0847858081
176 pages.
Book Condition: Very Good
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