There are those who bake big, beautiful cakes, with lots of layers and exorbitant amounts of buttercream frosting covered in fondant and glamorous decorations. I admire those people. I read their cookbooks. But I don’t make those cakes. I am busy and impatient, and I have no idea who all would eat those giant cakes.

However, I do love cake.

So when I saw Simple Cake, I thought, “This is perfect for me!” It has just a few recipes with lots of variations and topping ideas for small, charming, easy, non-fussy cakes. And the ones I tried are so delicious! I made the Back to School Cake, which is the Chocolately Chocolate Cake made in a 13”x9“ cake pan and sprinkled with powdered sugar. It is so moist and, well, chocolatey! This may be my new go-to recipe for chocolate cake.

Then I tried the Lovely Lemon Yogurt Cake with the Citrus Glaze in a 9” pan, aka A Cake for the Working Week. I added the optional poppy seeds because lemon and poppy seed is one of my all-time favorite flavor combinations. It’s super moist too, and it was truly simple to put together.

Simple Cake by Odette Williams is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a cookbook with simple cake recipes that will keep you and your family and friends very happy. Even though there are really only 10 basic cake recipes, the options and toppings mean those 10 cakes can be combined into a multitude of delicious desserts for every day and special occasions. This cookbook is perfect for beginners or for experienced bakers, like me, who struggle to find the time to make my own cake.

I love Simple Cake! I highly recommend it, and I can’t wait to try more of these recipes (Very Vanilla Cake, I’m looking at you!).

Thank you, Ten Speed Press, for the free book. I am so excited to be a part of your Ambassador Program for this book!