As a first-time author, I really had no idea what to expect this week. For those of you who might have missed the news, “Layered” was officially released on Tuesday! For the most part, it’s been a typical week – going to the park with Everett, changing diapers, trying to get my wild dog to behave in public, tackling the piles of laundry, etc. On the other hand, I’ve received so much love and support that I don’t even know what to do with myself in between the madness that is life with a toddler. THANK YOU ALL soooo much!
Riesling Rhubarb Crisp Cake Slices from "Layered."
With so many other amazing cookbooks getting released each week and competing for shelf space with mega cookbook celebrities like Chrissy Teigen and Gwyneth, I tried not to get my hopes up – not that I have any idea what even constitutes “good” book sales. But, while it only lasted 48 hours, “Layered” had a little “#1 Best Seller” tag next to its title on Amazon. I could not be more thrilled!! Even though I was quickly bumped to #2 by a cake book that is just about the complete opposite of “Layered,” I am so amazed by all the love my little dream book has garnered so far.
Besides hitting “refresh” on my Amazon page and waiting for Oprah or Martha to call (they haven’t yet – fingers crossed!), I’ve particularly enjoyed seeing the most beautiful cakes create by some of my favorite cake makes and online pals. I kindly asked a selection of bloggers to recreate a recipe from my book to share with their readers in honor of the release. An Online Book Launch Party, so to speak.
London Fog Cake by Michelle of Hummingbird High
Everyday this week I’ve been completely blown away by their STUNNING creations!!! Each one is gorgeous and I am so blessed to have such an incredible online support system. Seriously – bloggers are the best!! Not only did they all donate their time making a cake and writing a post (these aren’t quick recipes either), they volunteered their creativity. What I love most is that each cake is so different, and even though they followed the same recipes, I can see the personality and style of each maker in their cakes. How cool is that!?!?!?
Chocolate Fudge Cake from Sarah of The Sugar Hit.
Adrianna’s Birthday Cake and its #sprinklefade is everything! So thrilled to officially e-meet you, Adrianna! Now I can stalk photos of Amelia (her adorable corgi) without feeling like a total stranger.
Alana’s Vanilla Cake with Earl Grey Crumbles and Buttercream takes the best of several different recipes and combines them into one amazing creation with the most perfect petal buttercream finish. And the GIF! A must see!
Aimee’s dark ‘n moody Floral Zucchini Cake. She is one of the sweetest dessert bloggers around and her photos of this cake are stunning!
Amy’s Lemon Zucchini Cake is beyond gorgeous. Topped with an array of beautiful flowers, this was Amy’s first post she photographed herself! I couldn’t be more proud of the results. (please don’t hate me for disclosing this – you truly are amazing)
Betty’s Zucchini Cake with Lemon Buttercream sounds so fresh and vibrant. I am dying to try the lemon buttercream! Betty will tell you that she is a beginner cake maker, but I’m calling her bluff. This cake is gorgeous!! The work of a pro =)
Billy's cross between The Birthday Cake and the Banoffee Tiramsiu. The perfect cake mash-up! Also, click here to see his AMAZING flamingo variation. Seriously, go check it out.
Cynthia’s Mini London Fog Cakes + Cupcakes literally made my jaw drop all the way to the floor. There’s something so inviting about her photography, and these pics make me want to grab a seat at her dining table a shovel cupcakes straight into my mouth – in the most graceful way, of course. And I love how she made cupcakes, too!
Heather’s Sprinkle-Covered Birthday Cake – my SprinkleBakes dreams have officially come true! I’m a long-time fan of Heather’s work, and I am so honoured to have her as part of the Online Release Party!
Izy's mash-up including my Lemony Zucchini Cake with fan fave Earl Grey Buttercream. The citrus undertones sounds soooo tasty! Once again, Izy proves she is a culinary wizard!
Jocelyn's beautiful Resiling Rhubarb Cake! Better freeze some rhubarb so you can make this stunning cake all year round. Jocelyn is kind of a super-star and I am beyond grateful for her support.
Laura’s London Fog Cake has the most perfect caramel drip I’ve ever seen. Can you see my face salivating in the reflection? Laura has been so unbelievable kind, and I can’t wait until her book comes out later this year.
Lily's Lemon Zucchini Cake with a healthy twist using HONEY! Lily, you are such a sweetheart. Thank you!
Lyndsay’s Drippy Birthday Cake is so stinkin’ cute! It has the perfect amount of Coco Cake flair with its pink ganache drips and gold accents. I can’t thank Lyndsay enough for her tender soul, amazing friendship (even though she is way cooler than me), and for sharing her undeniable talent with the world.
Marce’s London Fog Cake. Her cakes are so amazing that I even activated my Snapchat account just to see her behind the scenes. No joke. And neither is this cake. It’s beautiful!
Michelle’s Chocolate and Earl Grey London Fog Cake is absolutely heavenly. I love her airy, dreamy photos! And I (not so) secretly want to be as cool and talented as Michelle. Everything that comes out of that tiny SF apartment kitchen of hers is pure perfection!
Nik's stunning Birthday Cake shot in his award-winning photography style. Sooooo pretty! Swirly fudge had never looked so good.
Sarah’s Double-Chocolate Fudge Cake is lick-your-screen drool-worthy! Her frosting is epic! Like, I want to dig right in and never look back. Sooooo good!
Sarah’s Chocolate Tiramisu Cake is elegant, romantic, and down-right delicious. I love Sarah’s ethereal style, and this cake is no exception. She combined a couple different recipes from the book and the result is this masterpiece.
Thalia’s French Opera Cake is 6-layers of breath-taking beauty. Thalia has one of the kindest, most beautiful souls – no wonder her work is magical!
I cannot thank you all enough. I was a bit hesitant to reach out to many of you at first (some who I have never even met before!) because I know how busy everyone is, but the results are phenomenal! Plus, I even made some new friends in the process! Thank you all for supporting me (and each other). What an amazing community we’ve got here!
Jennifer Price
Wow those all look so good! I love big celebration cakes! Previewing the recipes it looks like they're all in 6- or 8-inch pans and I own three 9-inch pans. Can those be substituted or will I need to buy new pans to have success with your book recipes? Thanks!
Tessa Huff
Hi Jennifer! Yes, most are baked in 6 and 8 inch cake pans. For those that call for two or three 8-inch pans, you can certainly use your 9-inch ones. Depending on the recipe, you might find that two 9-inch pans works best. Of course, bake time may vary. For some of the smaller cakes, you can always try increasing the batter and multiply by 1.5. I have not tested the recipes this way, so do so with caution. As a general rule, just don't fill your pans more than about 2/3 to 3/4 full to prevent the batter from spilling over. You can always make a few cupcakes if you have extra batter to go with =) Hope this helps! Happy Baking!!
Lyndsay Sung
Awwww oh my goodness sweet friend what a WEEK! and what an incredible collection of cakes - all a tribute to your freaking talent. Your cakes continue to inspire so many people!! Lotsa love! XO
Tessa Huff
Ahhhh yes, what a week. It was soooo great to see your face the other day, too! Such a great community of bloggers other there, right?!?! Thank you friend!!!
thefolia
Congratulations! Your cakes are gorgeous! You have an incredible talent...to eat such a beautiful thing...I need a lot more patience in my kitchen. Happy creating and feasting!
Tessa Huff
Thank you so much for the sweet message!! I don't have a lot of patience, trust me. But there is something therapeutic about icing cakes when it all comes together =) Thanks again!!