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
Thank you for sharing! I will definitely try it out.
It looks gorgeous!!!
Yum!! This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it!
I will be making this for Father’s Day, I’m sure it will be perfect just like all of Rose’s recipes I love how detailed the explanations are so I can just follow along and know that the results will be sublime.
Rose’s The Bread Bible is my all time favorite. I’m excited to now try her Cake Bible. Thanks for the recipe.
My favorite of all time!!! Thank you for the new edition of your fabulous book. My bible!!!
Roses Cake Bible has been my “Cake Bible”
I have never been disappointed in any recipe.
Thank you, Rose and thank you, Zoe
I will be making the whipped cream cake for my husband for Father’s Day!
If you don’t have superfine sugar, should the regular sugar be ground in a food processor to get the finer texture? Is that an important part of the cake to have the superfine sugar? The recipe looks simple enough for a beginner to make!
Going to bake this cake asap! Stunning and how can you go wrong with cream!!
I have made this cake several times. Everyone that tastes it raves about it. It’s an amazing cake and so easy to make. Thank you Rose for sharing your recipes and baking knowledge. Thank you to Zoe for sharing your knowledge as well. I love both of your cake books. ❤️
A recipe endorsed by Zoe and Rose? Yes, please! Can’t wait to try it—and thank you for sharing it!
Gorgeous. All your cakes are fabulous
Love the first book! I can’t wait to read and bake through the next one.
A cake made with whipped cream instead of butter. What could be more delicious?? I’m in!
I will make this cake soon….. Maybe today! If I weren’t drinking coffee with one eye open I’d bake it right this second! Thanks Rose for years of inspiration and Zoe, thank you for your inspired baking brilliance and the opportunity to win a copy of Rose’s book!
I’ll be making this beautiful cake, this weekend! The Cake Bible is a work of art! Everyone who loves to bake should have a copy.
Thank you Zoe for always providing us with wonderful and inspiring recipes. I look forward to your posts!
Making this to bring down to the Lake House! Guests will love ❤️ it! I also have the older version of Rose’s book. I am getting the newer version, too! Thank you, Zoe!
Can’t wait to try out this recipe and crossing my fingers I win The Cake Bible!
Yum! Cake! Great recipe! Great cookbook!
Your cake looks delicious and so beautiful too. I would love to win a copy of your book to add to my collection. I have so much to learn about baking cakes and your book sounds like a great place to start.
This cake looks scrumptious! So thrilled to see Ruth has a new version of The Cake Bible.
I going to bake that cake today, yummmmm
This looks like a wonderful recipe! Excited to bake it! I’ve often noticed The Cake Bible in the kitchens of friends & family that are incredible bakers…now I know their secret!
The cake looks amazing. I can’t wait to make it.
Can’t wait to make this cake. This recipe surely would have won me a coveted prize during all my years baking in 4-H. Thanks for sharing it.
Thank you for this opportunity! I’m frankly a pie and cookie baker, and so far have been intimidated by cakes. They often come out dry for me. Your book looms large and I’d love to improve and understand the process. Thank you.
Sounds like perfection. Can’t wait to make it!