Sylvia Weinstock's Sensational Cakes

Many spectacular cakes. Many gum paste flowers in this book.

I made the chocolate cake with mousse filling. A very expensive cake to make ($50~) Quite a job to get all the ingrediants since I've never been much of a baker. Directions were fairly direct. I will say that the mousse took 2 hours alone to make. Cake took a little over 2 (including baking). Buttercream took 3 hrs. Had to use a neighbor's Kitchen Aid mixed as my hand mixer would not do the mixing plus it was a lot of filling to manage. Cake turned out great. I froze the remainder of the filling. I then thawed it out for the cupcake class I took. I had to call Sylvia's office as it wasn't blending and they were so nice and explained that I could warm it up in a microwave and then mix it up - worked perfect then. I'm going to do the white cake tomorrow with raspberry filling for my mom's 88th birthday party on Saturday - 12" pan - 4 layers..should be awesome.Thanks Sylvia - you are in inspiration!SR - Saratoga, CA

I pre-ordered this book and couldn't wait for it to come. The book is beautiful as it can possibly be. The beautiful cakes in there are awe-inspiring and gives those of us just starting in the business something to strive for. Ms. Weinstock does give good suggestions about how to handle a cake tasting and planning, having the forum of the reception in mind in design of the cake, and shares her recipes with us.However, if you're looking for instructions on how to do gumpaste flowers, how to place flowers on forms in between layers, or how to assemble a cake, look elsewhere. But if you have a good repetoire of cake decorating books or sugar decorating books, that info will probably be in there. If you're looking for a book of cakes that can inspire you and recipes that are yummy (made chocolate fudge cake, lady baltimore cake, the bc and bc fillings for a practice cake)-you'll love it!

I'm one of Sylvia Weinstock's biggest fans. I just love her. So, of course I love this book. I don't mind that it is more of a picture book. The photography is so immaculate, that I really don't need much instruction. If you have a reasonable amount of cake decorating experience, you can tell how each flower is made just by looking closely at the excellent photography. This book brings me and my customers so much inspiration. ( See the photo for that first cake I made inspired by this book.) My brides love to ooh and ahh at this book, which sets the tone for a nice consultation.

wow, Sylvia!!She definitely has her own cake decorating style! I have seen alot of gumpaste flowers but not like this!! The way she uses flowers and buttercream cakes is nothing short of amazing!! You will definitely see cakes like you've NEVER seen them before:(and believe me, I have seen ALOT of cakes!) This book is very inspirational but has almost no instructions. However, I knew that when I bought it. You will not find pictures of cakes like this on the internet. They really are breathtaking!! Reading this book is like spending an afternoon with Sylvia! I would only dream of such things!!

I knew her book was a showcase of sorts of the cakes and sugarflowers. I am using it as a means to sell my brides the art of sugar flower and possibilities of using them on their cakes. Also for me a source of inspiration. I have not tried any of the recipes but hope to soon. Im very pleased with my purchase because it fulfilled it's purpose.

This book is great; it has great pictures and great recipes. This is the second book I've purchased by Sylvia W. The first book has more decorating ideas and how to steps. The new book has updated recipes from the first book. I've use the butter cake recipe since I've purchased the first book 2 years ago, it really is the only cake recipe you'll ever need (as stated in the book). I recommend this book, it has more ideas for sugar flowers, etc. not quite as many how to steps.ThanksJ. Pratt

Fancy...Fancy Cakes, even her miniatures and cupcakes are beautifully extravagant. The real treat is her recipes help you recreate her cakes for yourself & you don't have to be on her level to pull off a tasty cake with icing. She even helps you with tips and advice! Beautiful Color Photos round the book off nicely.

This is a coffeee table books featuring some of the most amazing cakes by Sylvia Weinstock- a New York cake maker, accompanied by her thoughts about some of her work and what goes into the choices made for the final designs. What I loved about this book is that I have never felt inspired to make sugarpast flowers- the sort from the British Sugarcraft Guils always look too old fashioned to me, although botanically correct and beautiful they have never appealed. This book is not an instruction manual so I e mailed Sylvias studio who informed me thet make all their own cutters. However I have found a US based company, Sunflower Sugar Art, who produce moulds and cutters for something similar- their is a UK importer and I have since spent at least another £100 following the purchase of the book on cutters!!!! For me this book is the most inspiring I have had the pleasure of looking at for a very long time!! Even if you dont enjoy sugar craft it is still the most beautiful catalogue of cakes!!

Not a book with step by steps, recipes or instructions, but a beautiful book to hold and cherish, to dip into and lose yourself in the sensational cakes photographed in the most sensational wedding venue surroundings. Anyone who loves a wedding, whose has an interest in flowers or cake or both will love to look at this over and over again for its opulance and extravagance. A book with the wow factor on every page.

This is not a typical cake decorating book but more a collection of cakes produced by the author's company in New York. Some of the cakes are stunning by the sheer size of them and number of hand made flowers. Inside this book there are no instructions for either making flowers, models or the cakes themselves.I would have liked to know more of the content of the book as it was not what I was expecting and it did not fulfil my need for buying it. However, it is a beautifully made book and would be a nice "coffee table book" for people to pick up and browse through.

I couldnt wait to get my hands on this beautiful book. When it arrived, I was'nt disappointed. It is everything you dream of making! The attention to detail on Sylvia's cakes is astounding to say the least! Every page is an explosion of colour,providing the reader with an insight into another world of cake decorating. I can't wait to try out some of the ideas presented in the book,and am eager to make and bake some of the varied recipes provided. They look and sound scrumptious. Most impressive is the total use of sugar flowers on each cake and the attention to detail that the artists accomplish. Well worth every penny. Cant wait for her next book, by which time I should have had some more practice!!

Fine for me as I have a lot of experience of sugar work etc but otherwise is more of a coffee table book for brides than a useful tool.