‘The Plain Cake Appreciation Society’ by Tilly Pamment

52 weeks of cake - what more could I want?

The Plain Cake Appreciation Society has become my go-to book for all things cake over the last few months.

A birthday? No problem, I'll bake the Passionfruit Swiss Roll.

A family get together for Christmas? The date & ginger bundt cake will suit that crowd.

A friend popping around for cake and tea? Good, I have been wanting to try out the apricot, cardamom & chocolate cake!

Tilly Pamment has achieved something that has been long overdue for me. Cakes celebrating simplicity - timeless cakes that taste delicious, look beautiful and don't take multiple layers of buttercream and two days of your time.

Tried and true recipes that won't have you pulling your hair out in frustration. Beginning with foundations that have been around for decades, but adding a modern fresh twist that will impress guests with minimal effort. 

Each cake has a photo (which is very important to me) alongside beautifully laid out instructions. Tilly has not only provided a delicious recipe, each cake has a tea and bloom recommendation with it too! Making it the ultimate companion for your next high tea or afternoon tea. 

For me, The Plain Cake Appreciation Society sits alongside those classic cookbooks I admired as a child. The one mum would get out on a Sunday (Alison Holst's Cooking Class) with a cracked spine, and when you opened the book it went straight to that beloved tried and true recipe (American pancakes). Tilly has achieved that classic status with this book, creating special cakes that have accessible flavours.

I can see this book becoming the go-to book for those signature bakes friends and family know you for, and those are exactly the kind of cookbooks I'm after these days. I highly recommend this book.

[Editors note: follow us on Instagram to see a weekly update from Mrs Floss’ Test Kitchen, where Alice tests recipes from cookbooks available in store.]

The author with a Date & Ginger Bundt Cake from Tilly Pamment’s The Plain Cake Appreciation Society