Snacking Cakes: Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings by Yossi Arefi (October 2020) has quickly become one of my go-to baking books when I am craving something easy and home baked. It rarely has time to linger on my bookshelf before I’m reaching for it again to try another recipe.
This book is the creation of Yossi Arefi, an amazing food photographer, food stylist and baker from Brooklyn. Arefi started her award-winning blog, Apt 2B Baking Co. in 2010 and has moved on to publish two cookbooks, Snacking Cakes and Sweeter off the Vine.
The recipes in Snacking Cakes are, for the most part, one-bowl wonders that can be whipped up and in your oven in a matter of moments. You will most likely have many of the ingredients called for already in your cupboard, just waiting to be turned into a quick treat any time the muse strikes. For me, this is unabashedly often!
Named one of the best baking cookbooks of the year by Bon Appétit , The New York Times Book Review , Epicurious, and Town & Country, this book is one you won’t want to miss!
The Recipes
The recipes in the book are divided into four sections: fruit cakes, warm + toasty cakes, chocolatey cakes, and not your average vanilla cakes. I have made several of the recipes since I picked up my copy of the book and I’ve shared some of my favourites below.
Every recipe came together very quickly and I generally had most of the ingredients on hand. If there was something that I didn’t have readily, I was able to pick it up without any fuss at my local grocers.
These cakes are made using similar techniques. You’ll mostly be using a bowl, whisk, and a wooden spoon to make your treats, so no special equipment is required. Arefi even gives you baking times for various baking pans for each recipe, so you can choose which one suits you best. It really can’t get any easier than this!
Browned Butter, Pecan, and White Chocolate Cake (pp. 132 – 134)
While I don’t want to play favourites, this recipe just might take first place. I have made this recipe at least a dozen times and there are no signs of us tiring of it any time soon.
The cake pairs browned butter and light brown sugar with toasted pecans and white chocolate. You really don’t want to miss the browned butter step, as it gives this cake a seriously warm and nutty flavour.
You can mix everything in one bowl with just a whisk in a few minutes. I always bake this cake in a loaf pan as I love how the domed top becomes crispy.
I’ve also adapted the recipe somewhat in that in addition to pecans, I also like to throw in other nuts I might have on hand, such as walnuts and sliced almonds. Sometimes I’ll add a handful of toasted coconut. All this to say, it’s a very versatile cake that you can easily adapt to your own tastes.
Check out my adapted version of this amazing cake here.
Coconut Lime Cake (pp. 46 – 47)
This cake gets a triple boost of coconut flavour by using coconut milk, coconut oil, and toasted coconut. The crumb is incredibly moist and it stays that way for days after making it. It’s a simple and sweet cake with a zing of lime.
The lime glaze on top of the cake is not to be skipped. While you could forgo the glaze, I would suggest you try it before making up your mind. It really brightens up the entire cake without being too sweet or overpowering.
I made this cake in an 8” square baking pan and I cut it into petite squares to serve.
Buttered Walnut Cake with Maple Coffee Glaze (pp. 90 – 92)
Another recipe that starts with browned butter, this cake is just the pick-me-up you need with your next coffee.
After you’ve browned the butter (and toasted the walnuts in it…how decadent!), all you have to do is add the remaining ingredients to your bowl and give everything a stir. These cakes practically make themselves!
This cake uses instant espresso powder to get that rich coffee flavour, but you could probably get away with just using any strong instant coffee, although I haven’t tried it.
The recipe also calls for cardamom which pairs amazingly well with the coffee flavour. The cardamom gives a warm spiciness to the cake, reminiscent of so many of the Persian sweets we adore.
The cake was very moist and kept in an airtight container for a couple of days. I would suggest that this cake is best eaten on the day you make it.
The glaze has a great coffee flavour and is just the right amount to give you a thin coating on the cake.
I made this cake in an 8” round cake tin and served it in small wedges.
Milk Chocolate Chip-Hazelnut Cake (pp. 154 – 156)
If you tell me to put Nutella into my cake batter, I’m going to do it, no questions asked! This cake has a deeply rich chocolate flavour, thanks in part to the Nutella and cocoa powder and also to the splash of hot coffee which always works so well to bring out chocolate’s true flavour.
The batter was a bit on the thin side, which worried me going into the oven. My baking tin did overflow slightly at one point, so I placed a cookie sheet under the tin to catch any batter that was trying to escape. I’m not sure if this was baker error, or something to do with the recipe.
When I pulled the cake from the oven, it had a nicely domed top. After 15 minutes of cooling, the middle of the cake had sunken quite deeply, although it appeared to be baked throughout. At first, I was disappointed that the middle had sunk so significantly, but when I tasted the cake, I thought it was superb! I accepted its sunken middle as just the way of the cake and loved it just as much as all of my other cakes.
I made this cake in a loaf tin and sliced it into thick slices for serving.
Summary
If you’re looking to add a book about baking to your bookshelf, Snacking Cakes, is a must-have for your collection. Novice to seasoned bakers alike will enjoy trying out these delicious fuss-free recipes.
| Book Title | Snacking Cakes: Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings: A Baking Book |
| Author | Yossy Arefi |
| Publisher | Clarkson Potter |
| Publishing Date | October 27, 2020 |
| Format(s) | Hardcover, Kindle |
| Pages | 192 |
| Number of Recipes | 50 cake recipes |
| Photos of Every Recipe? | Yes |
| Who is This Book For? | Everyone (Beginners to Experts) |
A Baker’s Bookshelf gives this book a hit rating.
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