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Revising a ‘bible’ – heresy or heavenly?
A few days ago, Rose Levy Beranbaum's *The Cake Bible*, celebrating its 35th anniversary, landed on my doorstep. My old, well-thumbed original edition has always been a go-to for baking inspiration, so I was thrilled to get my hands on this updated version. Yet, I confess I was a bit anxious too—sequels can sometimes fall short of expectations, and I worried that updating such a beloved classic might risk losing its magic.
Opening the first few pages of the original *The Cake Bible* gives you a sense of its revolutionary impact when it first came out. The acknowledgments read like a who’s who of culinary royalty. It was edited by Maria D. Guarnaschelli, and Maida Heatter penned the foreword. Rose thanks Shirley Corriher, James Beard, and Julia Child for their early influence, while also giving shout-outs to Mimi Sheraton and Bert Greene. This book clearly comes with an impressive heritage.
What made *The Cake Bible* groundbreaking was its inclusion of ingredient weights alongside volume measurements—a rarity outside professional kitchens at the time. As Rose mentions in her foreword, she not only popularized weighing ingredients but also helped push chocolate companies to label cocoa percentages and inspired the creation of the Thermapen. Given all that, how does this new edition measure up?
Compared to the original, this revised edition feels even more substantial—not exactly surprising since the first was no lightweight. While the original had grayscale pages with a glossy color insert for finished cakes, the new version adds splashes of color to headings and callout boxes, along with a bigger photo section. The layout has shifted slightly; the original featured two columns per page—one narrow for notes and a wider column for instructions and tables (a design idea from Rose's late husband, Elliott), which listed both metric and US customary weights. The updated edition uses a single-column format. The tables now have thin, orange-red borders that look elegant but aren’t as easy to read as the original stark black lines. Still, it’s a minor issue overall. The new book remains as clear and approachable as its iconic predecessor but feels more refined.
Rose revisited many of her classic recipes after working on them for over three decades, and the updates feel spot-on. For example, in the Classic Chocolate Chiffon, she enhances the chocolate flavor with "synergistic" walnut oil and lightens the texture with extra egg whites. Alongside the recipe tweaks, the headnotes and "understanding" sections have been refreshed. Some recipes now include variations, like how to adapt them for cupcakes. These recipes are marked in the index with an asterisk.
Talking about the index, I rarely use one because, well, you know. But Rose includes several handy lists, and my favorite is the one categorizing recipes by eggs used. At a glance, you can see which ones require only whites or yolks, making it easier to use up leftovers. Of course, you can do this with the EYB index, but it’s a thoughtful touch that highlights the comprehensiveness of this book. Rose thinks of everything.
There are other practical lists too: standard pan volumes, pan size substitutions, and emergency substitutes. A section on ingredients and equipment rounds things out, and the book starts with a cake primer to ensure even beginners succeed. Decorative techniques are still illustrated with line drawings, though back then there were no YouTube or TikTok tutorials. While this section might have held more significance in the first edition, it’s still useful today.
If you’re planning a big celebration cake, *The Cake Bible* remains unmatched. Rose shares tips, tricks, and recipes for tiered cakes to serve 150 guests, along with a unique "Rose Factor Chart" for scaling genoise or butter cakes. This kind of expertise isn’t found in most home baking books—it’s practically a textbook, but Rose keeps it engaging with her warm tone and plenty of guidance for nervous novices. I relied on *The Cake Bible* to help create my brother’s wedding cake. Many guests said it was the best they’d ever tasted, and I credit my success to love, butter, and Rose’s gentle instructions.
The biggest change between editions is the addition of dozens of new recipes. There’s a Mango Bango Cheesecake, a Triple Lemon Velvet Bundt Cake, Fran’s Vegan Chocolate Torte, and much more, alongside the classics that made this book a bestseller, like the Chocolate Oblivion Truffle Torte and the Cordon Rose Banana Cake. Another notable addition is co-author Woody Wolston. Woody began collaborating with Rose on *Rose’s Heavenly Cakes* in 2004, exchanging ideas between New York and Minnesota before moving east in 2013 to work more closely together. They married in 2021, and Woody played a key role in developing this updated edition.
All of this boils down to one thing: this book is far from sacrilegious. On the contrary, it’s essential for anyone who bakes cakes—even occasionally. The 684 pages pack an incredible amount of knowledge, and the attention to detail is impeccable. As Rose explains in her foreword, when she wrote the first edition, she was so committed to avoiding errors that she dictated the manuscript into a tape recorder and cross-checked it against the typed version. Who could argue with that level of dedication?
Jenny mentioned in her weekly recap that events are planned to celebrate this book, and you can find details on our calendar. Also, don’t miss out on the current promotion with a discount on Amazon!
I’ll end by saying this: whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting out, this updated *The Cake Bible* is indispensable.