Cake Confidence

This cookbook has become my one of my favorites! Yes, she uses boxed cake mix. No, using boxed cake mix does NOT make anyone any less of a baker (anyone who says otherwise needs to get off their high horse because doing things differently than you doesn’t discredit someone else in any creative outlet such as baking). I am an experienced baker who has sold several cakes from “made from scratch” wonderfully delicious recipes, and I can tell you that not a single person who has had a cake made from one of these doctored cake mix recipes has ever said a single negative thing. In fact, most of the recipes have been touted as “the best cake I’ve ever had!” I’m confident that telling them it includes a boxed mix after does not alter the taste. Anyway, if you’re looking for some fun cake flavors and incredibly delicious buttercream recipes, this is the cookbook for you! Some of the frosting recipes are hard not to simply eat with a spoon. Also, for the most part, the decorating instructions are so easy to follow and produce aesthetically beautiful cakes! Plus, the author has a great website with even more cakes recipes and a few other treats and a very active Instagram account, where she is a joy to follow.

I would have paid double. I absolutely love this recipe book. When it came, I spent hours pouring over the amazing pictures, tips, and flavor combos. I dream about the recipes (literally) and every one I have tried has been amazing. The recipes are inventive, easy, and better tasting than anything you’ll find anywhere. I’ve taken Wilton cake decorating classes, classes from professionals, and I’ve been decorating cakes for ten years. Only now do I feel like my cakes are truly impressive. NOTHING gets results like the tips, step by step examples, and award-worthy recipes from this book. The only regret you’ll have is for the cakes you made prior to her methods (don’t ignore the howto for decorating in this book - your cakes will be at a whole new level, magazine-worthy and more delicious than any “from scratch” recipe I have ever tried (I have tried hundreds).

Mandy has taken flavor to a whole new stratosphere! Her book has so many new flavor combos and beautiful pictures to inspire your decorating. I have been using her recipes for a while now (from her blog) and they always turn out PERFECT, from the flavor & texture to the the perfect flat cake rounds that don’t need to be leveled, and everyone that has eaten my cakes (Mandy’s recipes) has said it is THE BEST cake they have ever tasted! Her recipes definitely gave me confidence to start my own Instagram page of cakes. I love that I have a book of her creations! *Note, for those who don’t already know Mandy or follow her blog or IG, she uses doctored cake mixes, which means she uses a box cake for her dry ingredients and adds in above and beyond what is listed on the box’s directions. It is simple and so easy, my kids make perfect cakes too! If you aren’t happy with using box cake mixes, you can still use her flavoring techniques to get those Bold flavors, not only in cake but her American Buttercream too! So delicious! Don’t knock it till you try it! You will not be disappointed!! (My picture is her white cake recipe with vanilla buttercream)

I just had to write a review on this book. I almost never leave reviews I am embarrassed to say. However, this book and the author, deserve to be reviewed. I was so excited to purchase this book after happening upon the author's website through Pinterest. Mandy appears to be so genuine and so talented and her cakes look absolutely amazing. I initially bought the book for the decorating techniques to learn, however, I am not apposed to trying out the recipes just because they use a box cake mix. When I read some of the reviewes I just had to laugh! How rediculous that people would bash and shame this sweet lady just because she uses cake mix! How utterly immature, petty and mean some people can be. I can laugh though because it is not me who is being ripped apart. I am sure Mandy doesn't laugh and it must be hard for her to read these reviews. It saddens me that these jerks are out there, faceless, nameless and judging someone that obviously has put her heart and soul into her book and brand, which is amazing in my opinion. I am a very experienced baker and am starting a baking biz, side hustle. Very excited to be using this beautiful resource to polish my cakes to look even a little like Mandy's is what I am hoping and Yes, I will be trying out her recipes as well! Mandy, honey.....don't let these trolls and idiots get you down. You go girl! And I recommend you laugh all the way to the bank at how rediculous some people are out there! You deserve every penny you make from sharing your passion!! And thank you for doing that! You have given me hope and inspiration as I pursue my dreams and passion as well. Take care and thank you for a beautiful resource...you are very talented and I wish you all the best! <3

I love to cook from scratch, but I also love reliable results. I make a delicious orange-pumpkin cake from Regan Daley’s amazing cookbook, but I can never seem to avoid a soggy center. I want to make the dessert that makes people say WOW from taste to presentation. I’m not sure what led me to this book, but I bought it and it was delivered yesterday. I picked a recipe somewhat at random, made a quick grocery run, made a quick run to the craft store and knocked out a perfect, delicious cake easily in a busy day today. Love these recipes, love the detailed techniques and tips. There are glitches in the book that wouldn’t be there with a good publisher. Some captions of technique miss a step and the ingredients are listed out of order, which is not usual. Unused amounts are not accounted for, either. I ended up tossing some stuff I’d measured out, no biggie. This is a great book for someone who wants those cake compliments. I have zero problem that box mixes are used. There aren’t sinister ingredients in the boxes, there are just timesavers that form the basis of tasty recipes. The recipes make good use of the box contents, using buttermilk, for instance, which is a clever hack to get not only a heat rise but also an acid rise from the leavening in the box. If these recipes were just, “add sprinkles to box mix,” they’d just be hacks. Instead, these are original and thoughtful recipes for very, very good cakes that use a convenience base. The from-scratch buttercream frosting was delicious. My first effort was a total win, both in taste and presentation. I already know that he next time I make this cake, I’m going to put lime curd between the layers. Can’t wait to have the occasion to make another compliment-worthy cake.

I've made cakes in the past and it has always felt like a hassle. Partly because I didn't have the proper tools that would make it easier, but also because it was so time consuming making cakes from scratch and if I made them from a box you could just tell it was from a box and maybe I just wasn't as excited about it as I am now and I was just winging the decorating part. In early January though I started trying to plan for my son's birthday party that would be in early February and I was browsing cake books on Amazon because I was considering making his cake this year (I looked around at several bakeries and people that could make cakes but had a hard time getting responses, and I just felt like I could do it). Well, I came across this book and when looking through the preview I just loved Mandy's style of cakes! I looked at other reviewers photos and they also looked amazing and it got me excited that I might also be able to make cakes that look amazing. I looked up her site and then started following her on Instagram and I just loved all the info she shared there and it got me thinking, maybe I want to start making cakes more often for family things and just because since she makes it look so easy and fun. So, I bought the book! When it arrived I just browsed through it several times and I thought, I want to make my first cake as practice (before my son's B-Day cake) for my anniversary that was coming up on January 26th. So, I chose the White Chocolate Raspberry Cake (picture added) from the book since my husband loves raspberry stuff and it turned out looking pretty great and it also tasted great too! One thing to note, and which I personally appreciate, is that all the cake recipes start with a cake mix but there are several other ingredients added that make it taste way better than a plain cake mix. I love this fact because I know my cakes will be consistent every time and it's less of a hassle. They also bake flat too if you follow her tips which eliminates the step of having to level cakes (pictured inside the Raspberry cake)! Score! Anyways, back to the cake, my husband kept going on and on about how good the cake was! I had a fun time making it too which has never happened for me when making cakes. I got the main tools she suggests too and I think that helped. Next, it was time for my son's B-Day cake (Star Wars cake pictured). I used her Dark Chocolate Cake recipe along with her Black Buttercream recipe in the book and then did the stars and logo, etc from other tips online. Everyone loved it and we didn't have a ton of discolored mouths everywhere! My brother was iffy on the black buttercream but after having a slice he said the buttercream was the best part but that it was all really good! I will say though I was hoping for a little more instructional/decorating pictures in the book (it has step by step pictures for decorating the cover photo cake but just descriptions for assembly on the other cakes which do have different styles slightly). But overall that's not a big deal because she has tons of videos on her IG page and lots of Q&A's on there as well. Speaking of, I have sent a few questions in and she has replied and been very helpful. There is a lot of variety as far as cake and buttercream recipes go and I can't wait to make more. I am thinking of making the Biscoff Cake this weekend possibly. I will add more photos if Amazon lets me as I make them. If you're a beginner like me and want easy cake recipes and lots of variety of flavors and you like this style of decorating cakes I think you should definitely get this book and check out her IG and website for more recipes and tips. 2/18/2020: Adding photo of the Fruity Pebbles cake. :D This one is cute but none of us cared too much for it. 6/11/2020: Adding photos of the Cookies and Cream cake (this one was amazing and the best one I think so far, my husband thinks the White Chocolate Raspberry one is still the best but this one is my favorite so far) and a Dark Chocolate Cake (I used the Dark Chocolate Cake from one recipe and a plain Dark Chocolate Buttercream from another recipe in the book, you can definitely mix and match cakes and buttercreams!)

I think this book is wonderful. The recipes are unique and so fun to make. I read that people have issues with the fact that the recipes use premixed cake mix. I think people forget that for homemade from scratch everything recipes, we would have to pay from scratch prices. There is no way a baker would make a book full of from scratch different recipes and give them away for 15$. Since joining the baking world there are MANY popular bakers who alter cake mixes to give the homemade taste. The recipes in this book ARE NOT JUST BOX MIX. Do they include them yes. Also if you read the book there is a page for conversion measurements, she includes equipment essentials and tips and tricks. I have really enjoyed the book. Plus the cakes AND cupcakes turn out BEAUTIFUL. Also on the top of the recipes it is stated what size pans to use. In the beginning of the book she also states she uses box mix and why.

All the recipes in the book call for Duncan Hines box cake mix and some additional ingredients. You can do cakes and cupcakes with different flavor variations that you would get, so you can go above and beyond the simple vanilla and chocolate combo. Although the cakes start with a box mix they usually call for at least 3 other ingredients such as sour cream, buttermilk and flavor extracts, so these are not boring cakes at all. I tried the Carrot Cake cupcakes with the almond buttercream and it was really good, specially the almond buttercream. There are also tips on how to decorate the cakes and make them look like what she did, the photos of all the cakes are stunning and depending on your skill level totally doable. Book's destiny: Great resource for moms of three kids that want results

The recipes in the book are not only easy to follow and beautifully laid out. It's nicely broken down, step by step and has great tips to get the cakes looking as professional as they can! Can't wait to try some of these!

The copy I received was not the original copy

Yes, she uses box cakes in her recipe but she doctors them so much they are NOTHING like boxed cake. They are so yummy, come out even and flat on their own, and are original and full of flavour that will have people wow'ed!! She is so great and has really helped me become better at cakes and decorating and gives me loads of ideas for cakes!! Highly recommend!!

Love everything in this book

Excelente producto que se adaptó a mis necesidades y fue justo lo que buscaba