Maggie Austin Cake: Artistry and Technique

Very good book well explained

I love Maggie's work, she's incredibly talented, but I can't give this book a great rating, only because you have to be on your game to actually be able to re-create a lot of these cakes. She gives an overview, but no real details and you are left on your own to figure things out. I love the deep-washed cakes, but there's not enough info as to how to achieve the techniques. For example, I'm in love with the, "Petite Pink Blossoms" and "Vintage Enameled Floral Applique`" but...you get some written instructions and a few pictures, maybe a close up, but that's it. No color specifics are given, no pictures on a lot of cakes other than the one magazine-type picture. Some may have additional pictures or close ups, but for the majority, you get vaguely written instructions without corresponding instructional pics. I'm very disappointed.The flower creation section is a bit more detailed and I found it very good, but I have a lot of experience so it made sense. For beginners, I'm not sure how helpful this book would be.Maggie does give details as to what equipment/molds she used. Unfortunately, most of the equipment is very expensive to purchase. She does re-use the expensive mats in a few cakes, so that's a little more cost-effective.The book itself is absolutely beautiful with a golden binding and gorgeous pics. If you're looking for an amazing coffee table book, you have it, but if you're looking for details about how most of these cakes were created, you won't find it.You'd have to take one of her crazy-expensive classroom-type classes to really learn how to do achieve these effects. I bought the book because I certainly can't afford her classes, airfare, hotel, car rental, meals, etc. to attend and I wish she had something like a video section online that you could enter a code to see after you purchase the book to actually see how some of these techniques are done.I wish I could give it a better rating but it's not detailed enough.

I adore this book so, so much. It's beautiful and inspiring. I bought it because I went to the same pastry school as Maggie and I find her work refreshing. I knocked a star off because the instructions are lacking -- very little actual instruction on how to create each individual cake, instead it essentially tells you to, "Go back to X cake and modify those instruction." For an experienced cake decorator this will work fine, but beginners should be aware that they might struggle with creating the cakes as they're pictured. Beginners might check out her Craftsy classes to get an idea of how she works, which would make working with this book easier.

This is the only one of my many baking and decorating books that I've read cover to cover - in 2 days. It's a thing of beauty. And practicality. I will be referring to it time and again. If you want your baking artistry to reflect natural beauty, this is the book for you. She teaches in detail how to achieve the styles she is well known for. You will need to know how to get your cakes ready for decorations. No wasted time here on how to bake, tort, crumb coat and fondant drape your cakes. Also, if you only work in buttercream, this book is not for you. She does share some recipes, but that is not this book's focus. If you're a serious decorator, it belongs in your arsenal.

Maggie Austin Cake represents whimsy, fantasy and pure sophistication. Looking through her portfolio is akin to walking around in the most beautiful museum. This book brings to life all new cake and cookie designs from a woman who is as graceful as she is talented. Her generosity in sharing with her 'Magginites', her ethos of 'embrace the imperfections' as well as the beautiful, non-judgmental, humble tone of her writing is what makes this book so accessible to each and every person! Before Maggie Austin's online class I had never even seen a gumpaste flower! I then built a whole new career- frommedicine to cake designer-after learning to craft a single blossom. Then I got the opportunity to meet her and I have to honestly say, she and her sister Jess excelled all expectations! They are kind and gentle and the most humble people you can ever meet; people who seem truly generous with their time and talent.This book will stay with me forever and I hope that each person who purchases it (I've purchased both formats) will treat it the same as I...like a veritable work of art; a book for the ages filled with (as Maggie writes) a new 'visual vocabulary'. A masterpiece. Thank you Maggie, you have truly changed my life in more ways than you can ever imagine, or know.