I have a B&N giftcard to burn and I would like some opinions on your favorite cake book. I am not interested in a decorating book (yet) I am looking for a book that you all go to for tips, baking techniques, classic recipes, history of recipes etc. I enjoy reading about where the recipes came from, how the science of the ingredients play with each other. Is there such thing a one big awesome book containing all of that?
I have many cookbooks that I use one or two recipes from but I would love to maybe drop a couple from my overflowing drawer!
Thanks

Baking Illustrated--okay it is not a cake book but it does have a substantive cake section that includes many of the basic recipes. It includes lengthy discussions of how they came to their recipes noting how particular changes influenced the final product. Even if you do not like the recipes, it is gives you an insight into how things react in that particular batter.

I find most cake books to be recipe-centric. I have the Cake Bible as well and while it has sections that explain the role of particular ingredients in a cake batter, it is more descriptive than analytic. For instance it tells you what the reverse creaming method is rather that how using the reverse creaming method in a particular recipe impacted a particular recipe.

well I didnt even know there was an actual Cake Bible! I will have to check that out for sure, thank you!

If you are interested in the science of ingredients then you will diffinetly want Warren Brown's, CakeLove.

The Cake Bible is a good book.

I disagree on the CakeLove book. While it is a good book for recipes, there are other ones that are better for cake baking science. Bakewise by Shirley Corriher is the first one that comes to mind.

For recipes I like anything by Flo Braker. She breaks it down nicely for the home baker.

My cake bible is literally The Cake Bible. I use it for everything. She has a chart in there that accurately tells you how much icing you'll need, one that tells you how to multiply any recipe for any size pan....I LOVE that book.

I am on my phone so forgive any typos. I am surrounded by books! I have the bake wise and Baking! By James Peterson plus a few others. I also have the Cake Bible and now know the author. I understand she is a well known and trusted baker but a few weeks ago I was researching red velvet recipes and came across her website. In the forum a person asked her for a red velvet recipe and she replied "it's just a white or yellow cake with a bottle of red food coloring dumped into it" granted it was written a few years ago and she did retract it about two yrs after it was written it still turned me off, kwim?
BakeWise is looking pretty promising but I have a few more to look through. Thanks for the replies so far and keep them coming!

I really like the cake bible myself, it has tips and charts as mentioned earlier. If I had to buy books again, that one definately top my list again, HTH

The Cake Bilble and Rose's Heavenly Cakes.

I am ready to order the Cake Bible, but there is more than one out there. Can someone tell me which one(author)? Is it the one by Rose Levy Beranbaum?
Thanks

yes it is the one by Rose Levy

I have the Cake Bible and I do love the science behind it. BUT I don't really care for the cake recipes, though I think it has excellent buttercream and filling recipes. I think all her cakes need syrups. Which is not a bad thing, I just don't want to have to use one everytime. I also got her Heavenly Books book, which I think has much better cake recipes, but it's more dessert oriented. I think her red velvet is nice, but I like a little denser cake, especially for a red velvet. I guess that doesn't help you much does it, but yeah, in general The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum.