Saved by Cake [Hardcover]

I'm a huge fan of Marian Keyes and was delighted and intrigued to hear about this book - so of course I bought it at the first opportunity. It is a beautiful book - beautifully laid out with gorgeous photographs, quirky fonts, delightful pastel colours.
I'm very much a novice baker so was curious as to what would be within my capability. The first page I opened was for Strawberry cupcakes - which we made and which lasted all of about an hour before they were gone.
We (my daughter and I) have also made the carrot cake cupcakes and they are also gorgeous and the recipes are easy to follow, fool proof and accompanied with lovely, funny asides. (La Keyes does not like walnuts... not at all..)
Aside from that, the introduction is a powerful and honest acount of depression - the kind of honesty, humour and turn of phrase we love so much from Marian both in her novels and her previous non-fictions works (Under the Duvet and Further Under the Duvet). The intro is hard reading in places - so perhaps be warned about that if you are feeling a little depressed yourself - but is a very important insight into this crippling condition.
I'm delighted to see Marian back - although my waistline might not agree.
Briliant, lovely, honest and moving.

I love this book. Asthetically the book's a winner, it is beautifully presented and unlike some other cake/baking books currently topping the charts, the recipes are accompanied by some fantastic photos (so you know what you're aiming for if you're a novice cake baker like me!).
I'm already a big fan of Marian Keyes. I've read some of her novels but what I've always loved about Marian, mainly from watching her on TV / listening to interviews with her, is her honesty, her incredible perceptiveness (about life and love!) and particularly, her wonderfully witty take on life. It's a bonus then that despite essentially being a book about baking cakes, Marian still manages to stamp her trademark 'style' on it which will keep you smiling throughout.
Having now tried some of the recipes out, albeit some of the simple cupcake recipes, I can happily confirm that they work (nothing 'B-List' about the chocolate cupcakes - they're stunning!). My other half has even attempted the rock cakes and they were lovely. I can't wait to get stuck into some of the others recipes - the Snickers cheesecake HAS to be attempted (and I won't be giving all away to blokes that's for sure!)
I hadn't realised that Marian suffers with depression. I do too and it's a curse. I've found myself getting stuck into her recipes when I've felt a bit rough and you know what? It works for me too.
But at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter whether you fight this little demon off on a regular basis or you don't suffer with depression at all, it's still a wonderful book and you'll turn out some gorgeous cakes.
Enjoy!

i hardly ever buy brand new cookbooks, but i made an exception today. marian keyes' 'saved by cake: 80 ways to bake yourself happy' was selling at half the recommended retail price.

i must confess that i'm not a fan of the genre of fiction she's known for, but i did want to read about how baking has helped her cope with severe depression and alcoholism. describing what it was like when she was at her very worst, she writes, 'i couldn't sleep; i couldn't breathe; i couldn't eat; i couldn't read.' she'd tried anti-depressants, cbt, and acupuncture - all to no avail. but then, she discovered baking.

the book is really geared toward beginners, and marian freely admits that she's a novice when it comes to baking, but there's something really refreshing about her honesty and willingness to get stuck in and have a go. you don't feel at all daunted as you flick through the first few recipes, as many of them are basic and familiar. another plus is that many of her ingredients lists are short, sometimes no more than 5 items, so there's no need to rush off to the supermarket in a frenzy, hunting for and hoping to find some extra special ingredient, unless you want to, of course. save that for the more creative recipes as you progress through the book.

for bakers who don't do 'run-of-the-mill', she has included some rather more advanced and adventurous flavour combinations: wasabi & white chocolate cupcakes with salted caramel icing, upside-down saffron, mint & pomegranate cheesecake, lavender & white chocolate cheesecake, rosewater & coconut cheesecake, and 'slightly sinister star anise cupcakes'.

personally, i applaud her creativity and 'can-do' approach. she explains how life became a case of 'bake or break: i can kill myself or i can make cupcakes.' wisely, she chose the cupcakes. and the more she baked, the more she found it was helping her to get through each day. as the book blurb says, little by little, the depression started to lift, along with her victoria sponge cakes.

its divided up into the following sections: classics, cupcakes, cheesecakes, liquid cakes, pastry, meringues & macaroons, biscuits & cookies, fruit & veg, and chocolate.

you'll also find recipes for 'consistently reliable cupcakes', fridge-set honeycomb cheesecake, and blokey snickers cheesecake loaf (looks amazing). there's even a recipe for little shoe and handbag biscuits, which is rather fitting, as she likes to bake in her louboutins - fabulous, daaaarling!

all in all, if the thought of baking disturbs you somewhat, but you want to have a go, let marian hold your hand through the process. she will have you breaking out in fits of giggles before you can say 'wobble wobble palette knife'. just send her away when you commence icing, as you'll need a steady hand for that.

so far i've made her buttermilk scones, green tea panna cotta and chocolate baklava - and all have gone down well with The Chief Tester (my husband), family and friends.