About this item
London's East End meets Northern California in 75 indulgent bakes from the author of The Violet Bakery Cookbook.Renowned for the wedding cake she created for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Claire Ptak knows there's nothing like a cake when it comes to expressions and celebrations of love. A Chez Panisse alum, Ptak is a Northern California native who now runs the wildly successful Violet Bakery in London. Reflecting on her upbringing and love of in-season produce, she shares 75 sweet and savory creations, including Huckleberry Basil Sugar Scones, Peaches and Cream Angel Food Cake, and a strawberry-coconut meringue cake. Her bakes are homey yet elevated, made with the best possible ingredients, so as to extract the best possible flavors. Included are gluten-free, refined sugar-free and vegan bakes, as well as the sought-after recipe for the Duke and Duchess's lemon elderflower cake.
About the Author
I am Claire Ptak, an American pastry chef living in London. I founded and run the Violet Bakery in East London and I am also a food stylist, prop stylist, and columnist for the Guardian newspaper. I have written 4 cookbooks and am constantly coming up with new ideas and recipes for my column and for my bakery. I also have a podcast called Violet Sessions where my friend the broadcaster Danielle Radojcin and I interview women who are doing enviable jobs about how they got there and what makes them tick. We also find out what their favourite cake is in the process. Formerly of Chez Panisse restaurant in California, I moved to London in 2005 and founded Violet Cakes as a market stall featuring delicious, American-style cakes and treats made with seasonal, natural, and organic ingredients. Then in 2010, I opened Violet, my acclaimed bakery and café in Hackney. Violet has been featured in British Vogue, American Vogue, Timeout, the New York Times, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, Savour and the Wall Street Journal. Fashion Blogger Susie Bubble visited Violet on Monki TV and Jamie Oliver calls me his "favourite cake maker in the whole world".
