In 1998 I sat next to Rose Levy Beranbaum on a panel of bakers at a Barnes & Noble for a “Celebrity Cook Book Club.” I was freshly out of culinary school and working as a pastry chef at a fine dining restaurant. I was neither a “celebrity” nor a cookbook author, so how I ended up on that panel was a complete mystery. I just wanted to meet my baking hero in person. I was so nervous I could barely speak, felt like a world class imposter and must have blacked out because I recall NOTHING! I do remember Rose being kind and welcoming.
I baked my way through Rose Levy Beranbaum’s original Cake Bible in an attempt to fill the gaps left in my instruction at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Rose’s recipes are an education! The way she structures her books is so unique and the recipes ironclad—there is nothing left to chance. I can say with complete confidence that they ALL work flawlessly. Every pastry kitchen has a copy of The Cake Bible. I had two copies when I was running a pastry kitchen. I left one behind as a gift to my staff when I had my boys and decided to leave the restaurant world. It was the right thing to do, but I regret not taking that treasure home, which was filled with all my notes and splattered with so many years of baking memories.
Since that first encounter I have had the great fortune of seeing Rose at events and getting to meet her husband, Woody. They met over their love of baking cakes and have gone on to build a partnership and eventually create this 35th Anniversary edition of The Cake Bible together. In my view, the original book was perfection but now it is even better! I am so thrilled to consider them friends and mentors.
Be sure to enter for your chance to win a copy below!
GIVEAWAY
[GIVEAWAY CLOSED] Winners (Tiffanie & Vickie!) have been notified and accepted their prizes!
Rose and Woody have generously shared the Whipped Cream Cake recipe from the book, and are giving away TWO copies of The Cake Bible. GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Simply leave a comment below by Sunday, June 15, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. and you’ll be entered to win! We’ll randomly select winners early next week and notify them via email. US addresses only.
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 225 g (2 1/4 cups sifted into the cup and leveled off) bleached cake flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 348 g (1 1/2 cups / 355ml) cold heavy cream
- 225 g (1 cup plus 2 Tbsp.) sugar preferably superfine sugar
Instructions
PREHEAT THE OVEN + PREPARE THE PAN
- Twenty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Set the oven at 375℉/190℃.
- Coat the tube pan with baking spray and flour.
MIX THE DRY INGREDIENTS
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and then sift the mixture onto a piece of parchment to make it easier to incorporate.
MIX THE LIQUID INGREDIENTS
- In a 1 cup/237 ml glass measure with a spout, lightly whisk the measured egg yolks and egg whites. Add the vanilla and whisk until lightly combined.
MAKE THE BATTER
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, whip the cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised.
- Starting on medium-low speed, gradually beat in the egg mixture and continue beating for 2 minutes. The mixture will thicken into mayonnaise consistency (if high-butterfat cream is used, it will be less thick). Gradually beat in the sugar; it should take about 30 seconds to incorporate it.
- Remove the bowl from the stand. Add half the flour mixture to the cream mixture and with a flat wire whisk, or the whisk from the stand mixer, stir and fold it in until most of the flour disappears. Add the rest of the flour mixture and continue folding and mixing until all traces of flour have disappeared. Finish with a silicone spatula, reaching to the bottom of the bowl.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Run a metal spatula or dull knife blade through the batter, to prevent large air bubbles, avoiding the bottom of the pan, and smooth the surface with a small offset spatula. The pan will be half full.
BAKE THE CAKE
- Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted between the center tube and sides of the pan comes out completely clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The cake should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven.
COOL AND UNMOLD THE CAKE
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack that has been lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cool completely.
Notes
Airtight: room temperature, 3 days; refrigerated, 1 week; frozen, 3 months POINTERS FOR SUCCESS The bowl and beaters for whipping the cream should not be chilled because the eggs will not emulsify as readily if the whipped cream is too cold. For the smoothest top crust, to eliminate bubbles from the airy batter, start filling the pan by spreading a little of the batter into the grooves of the pan and pressing it in with a silicone spatula. Then add the remaining batter. UNDERSTANDING
Compared to a basic layer cake, this cake has about 18 to 25 percent more butterfat, depending on the fat content of the cream, and almost the same amount of water content. It also has one extra egg, balanced by less baking powder. A lower amount of vanilla is needed because of the floral quality of the cream. COMPLEMENTARY ADORNMENTS
A light dusting of powdered sugar or whipped cream and berries
When I was younger, I loved making more complicated recipes, but now I prefer simple recipes that don’t sacrifice on taste. Thank you both for sharing this recipe. I can’t wait to make it.
This looks amazing! Need to use my cream up so will be trying this soon! Thanks for the chance to win the Cake Bible book!
Can’t wait to try this revipe
I started baking cakes when I was about 12 years old, mostly for my father, who was a certified cake-fiend. I confess, I always loved cake too. I wish I had had the Cake Bible when I was young, but would really love it now. Appreciate the lovely recipes from both Zoe and Rose.
So happy to learn that Rose will be sharing her many years of thoughtfully observed cake baking in this revised and expanded edition of The Cake Bible.
Looks amazing! Will be making this for my husband’s birthday next week!
Thanks for sharing!
I’m making this today, looks heavenly!
Whipped cream and cake! I am in. Oh, and a chance at winning the book this came from?! So exciting! Thank you for sharing the recipe! It is appreciated!
Looking forward to making this gorgeous cake, entering AND winning a copy of the Cake Bible!
I am going to make the cake this weekend – looks absolutely delicious. Thank you
This looks scrumptious! Can’t wait to try it!
I just happen to have some cream I need to use. Now I know what I’m going to make.
This recipe is very similar to one that was my mother’s favorite. I’m definitely going to bake and compare them. Thank you.
I sure hope I win the book. I’ll make every cake in it!
What an intriguing recipe! I am excited to bake this for my family. Thanks
Eager to bake this cake!
This is going on the to-do list immediately. It looks delicious!
Love, love, love the Cake Bible!!
Looks delicious- must try!
Thank you. Will make it this weekend!
I love whipped cream!! So I’m anxious to make this cake!! Also…. I just now took Zoe Bakes Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies out of the oven! They are indeed perfect!!! …… and my grandsons are enroute as I type!!
Thank you for the chance to win the new cookbook! Michigan strawberries are in season, so I am looking forward to topping this cake with them! Five stars for excellent instructions
Looks wonderful! The Grands are coming from California and I will be making this. Thank you!
If Zoe likes someone else’s cake, it’s got to be something great!
I’m new to ‘The Cake bible’, but have always loved baking cakes. Recently discovered Zoe, and having fun with her Bakes Cakes cookbook
This looks pretty fabulous!!!
I think this would be a perfect Father’s Day recipe served with beautiful fresh fruit and lots of whipped cream!