My cookbook collection has long maxed out the space I have on my bookshelves, so I’m pretty picky about which new books I add to my collection. The book has to be unique and, because I am someone who tests and edits recipes for a living to make sure they’re foolproof, it has to be written by someone who I know meticulously tests (and retests!) their recipes. The most recent book that earned a place on my shelf is also The Kitchn’s Cookbook Club’s latest pick: Dorie’s Anytime Cakes. This is baking wizard Dorie Greenspan’s 15th (!) book, and her love for baking is so adorably infectious that she always makes me want to jump up to make a sweet treat, stat.
I asked Dorie what an anytime cake was, and she said that they’re “the kinds of cakes that would be in the kitchen, on the counter — there to just slice and nibble as you’re walking in and out of the kitchen, anytime.” Dorie’s Anytime Cakes is packed with a wide range of cakes that are organized in a really fun way: by shape! Think: Bundt, loaf, round, cupcake, and more. “I didn’t want to have the cakes grouped by shape, by form, by pan. I wanted something whimsical. But nothing made sense — they didn’t hold together as chapters. The most practical was, and I think the most useful for the baker, is by shape,” shared Dorie.
Instead of photographs, the book has illustrations of many of the cakes by Nancy Pappas that are incredibly life-like. Dorie explained, “The shape, the form, the graphic-ness, was really important to me, and I wanted that to be what you saw in the book. I wanted a bold image of each cake where you wouldn’t be distracted by cups or saucers. I just wanted it to be the cake.”
I firmly believe that cookbooks are meant to be used and end up dog-eared, and this one is no different. I bookmarked the cakes that drew me in — both sweet and savory ones — and started baking. My oven’s been working overtime recently, but none of my family and friends have complained one bit when they’ve gotten tastes of Cocoa-Swirled Pumpkin Bundt, Furikake and Seaweed Muffins, and Olive Oil and Orange Grab-and-Go Cake. The orange cake (with Campari!) in particular was spectacular — not-too-sweet and whisked together by hand in just a few minutes.
Eight Kitchn editors joined me in baking from the book; they each picked out a recipe that most appealed to them. Every single one was a rave — this is a book that has recipes we trust and know will turn out deliciously well. This book is also peppered with nuggets of Dorie wisdom; her writing style is very conversational, and she reassures you every step of the way with how something should look, taste, or feel. “I love a cookbook that improves my cooking (or baking) in addition to offering a slew of great recipes,” says Food Editor, Andrea.
Here are our honest reviews of the cakes we baked from Dorie’s Anytime Cakes. This book has recipes that can be tackled even by a novice baker, so we hope you grab a copy of the book and start baking too!
Banana Cappuccino Cake
This was such a fun recipe to make! The cake has a lot of good stuff going on, from the ample amount of espresso powder to the addition of coconut oil and toasted coconut. The batter was so fragrant that I couldn’t help myself from stopping to sniff it as I was stirring.
The frosting is listed as optional, but it wasn’t really an option once I saw that the base was cream cheese. Whipped with more espresso powder, ground cinnamon, and powdered sugar, it swooped like a dream. The finished cake delivered great texture and big flavor; it’s basically banana bread for grown-ups. It’s honestly great for breakfast, dessert, or as a snack — I kept sneaking slivers of it. —Kristina, Deputy Food Editor
Get the recipe: Banana Cappuccino Cake
Pierre Hermé’s Lemon Cake, The One with Olive Oil
Loaded with raspberries and lemon zest, this tender cake gets its flavor and texture from olive oil AND butter. It’s a winning combination, and I definitely recommend you make the optional meringue topping. It adds a bit of crunch, and the touch of fluff it brings works really well with the tang of the raspberries. This cake stays moist for days — great when you need a little afternoon pick-me up treat! —Christine, Senior Recipe Editor
Fauxcaccia Squares
This recipe is so unique. It’s like a perfect cross between focaccia and cake. It’s tender and cake-y, while also having nice savory notes of pepper, oregano, tomato, onion, and mozzarella (which gets deliciously melty in the cake when baked). And while I love making bread, this is a much quicker way to make a bread-like goodie without any of the stress that can come with using yeast, as there isn’t any in here!
This recipe only took me about 15 minutes to put together (before baking for about 20), and the steps were easy to follow. I could definitely see myself making these again — especially as a stress-free appetizer for a party. Who needs rolls when you can have pizza-adjacent Fauxcaccia Squares! —Micki, Shopping Writer
BFF Brownie Cake
This cake is DELICIOUS — and a looker, too! It has a super-buttery, divine, melt-in-your-mouth texture that virtually falls apart when you pick up a piece. It’s a perfect hybrid between a brownie and a cake — it’s got that rich, indulgent, borderline gooey texture, yet is less fudgy and chewy than your typical brownie. The tiny bit of flour in the recipe gives it more of that stability and light, airy texture. The rich, deep chocolate flavor would pair well with most anything, including freshly whipped cream and berries, ice cream, or a cup of coffee. It’s a fantastic example of “simple but executed well.” I found the recipe pretty easy to follow.
The only slight tweaks I made were I used the chocolate that I had on hand — which was a mix of various dark chocolate bars — although I don’t think that would have changed the flavor too much, if anything maybe it made it a tad richer and more bitter (which I personally love). The 9×9-inch round baking pan that I had wasn’t super tall, so I ended up baking some of the excess batter in ramekins, as I didn’t want it to overflow. Overall, I would totally make it again; it would be great for a dinner party (or anytime like Dorie suggests). —Alex, Assistant Editor
Caramel Nut Chocolate Upside-Down Cake
This is basically a pecan pie brownie, and my whole family loved it! Before tasting it, my husband was skeptical that it’d be too rich — but he easily polished two squares in one sitting. And my 3-year-old even requested it for her birthday. The cake is super-moist and fudgy (there’s not much flour in the batter!) and the chocolate flavor is very prominent, thanks to the melted chocolate and espresso powder. Caramel typically scares me, but making the nut topping on the stovetop was really easy. —Lauren, Executive Editor
Get the recipe: Caramel Nut Chocolate Upside-Down Cake
Rum Raisin Visiting Cake
While paging through Dorie’s book, this recipe stopped me because she describes it as being a real keeper — “one I’d be making for a long time to come: it’s now 25 years and counting.” I’m a sucker for a recipe so good you want to make it over and over, and I was especially intrigued by a “visiting cake.” I love the idea of having a back-pocket recipe to turn to if you need a simple dessert or a treat to serve with coffee. This will likely be that for me.
The texture of the cake has a delicious chew and very buttery flavor (there are 12 tablespoons for just 1 1/2 cups of flour!). It’s moist from chopped apple. The real star are the rum raisins, which are studded throughout and give the cake an unexpected, totally delicious complexity. Admittedly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from them, but they definitely delivered. This is the perfect easy cake to throw together when someone’s heading over. I will be! —Lindsay, Editor-in-Chief
Miso Cheddar Scone Cake
Miso, maple, and cheddar is perhaps one of my all-time favorite flavor combinations, so these scones were right up my alley. These definitely aren’t the most delicate or precise-looking scones you’ll ever see, but they make up for it with a fun, pull-apart texture. I’d definitely make this again when I have people over for brunch. —Rachel, Culinary Producer
Coffee-Crunch Coffee Cake
This is a coffee cake for coffee-lovers. Rather than the typical vanilla cake layer topped with cinnamon crumbs, this cake is flavored with actual coffee and is bisected by a crunchy layer of chocolate bits and nuts that give it an irresistible texture. The crumb topping also gets an upgrade with the addition of cocoa. It all adds up to a cake with more depth of flavor than any crumb cake I’ve made before. —Andrea, Food Editor
Get the recipe: Coffee-Crunch Coffee Cake
PB and Chocolate Squares
I’m a huge fan of everything peanut butter and chocolate, and these PB and chocolate squares are seriously delicious! The cake has a tender crumb, with dots of semi-sweet chocolate chips throughout. The cinnamon and nutmeg give the cake cozy fall vibes. I also loved the easy topping of melted chocolate and honey-roasted peanuts, which provided a nice crunch. The cake is absolutely perfect on its own, but I also tried it with a scoop of coffee ice cream on top. It’s totally optional, but it brings the dessert to another level. —Jan, Associate Recipe Producer
More Reasons Our Editors Love This Cookbook
I love that while the recipes feel special and delicious, they have a distinct lack of fussiness! I feel like I could whip anything in here up, and I’m not the biggest baker. —Rachel
I’m actually not the biggest birthday cake person. Frosting + multiple layers aren’t my favorite. But I am into no-fuss, everyday desserts like the ones in this book. Plus, I trust Dorie for anything baking, of course. —Lauren
The illustrations are so unique! It’s a fun twist on standard photography, plus I loved how realistic they looked. —Kristina
I love the whole concept of this cookbook. Even as someone who bakes a lot, I find cakes somewhat intimidating. This book showed me how approachable cakes can be. I was immediately excited by the Salty Cakes chapter. You mean cakes can be … savory? That was a revelation, and so fun to play with in my own kitchen. —Micki
There are plenty of recipes in here that don’t require a mixer for those who don’t have one or would rather not pull a heavy appliance out. —Christine