Cakes from the Heart

It's finally here.

Book Two.

Yey!

In a way, I am thankful for how things had happened.  If I hadn't known that someone out there was claiming to have developed a recipe that they had actually copied from here, I wouldn't have pushed myself into finishing this book. It's been a long time coming.

It's a lot of hard work.  I don't think I've slept for more than 4 hours a night for the last two weeks.  And that's just the writing, editing, lay-outing and proofreading part. The work that went to create the cakes is another story. Some people do not realize that, I guess.  Especially when what they like doing is simply 'copying and pasting' stuff into their own Facebook pages or websites.  Sad.

But that's water under the bridge.  My hope is that whoever wants to have a copy of this book, wants it for the right reason.  And the only reason.  To bake!

So here it is. A bit of a preview for you... (click to view on full screen)

I titled this book, Cakes from the Heart, because all of the cakes within, are cakes I made for my family and friends.  Majority of the pictured cakes here are my actual first attempts at making them! Although I thought much about what I could offer in this blog, my foremost goal was always to create something special and new for my loved ones.   After all, they are the ones who get to eat and enjoy them!

You are familiar with some of these cakes.  There are 34 in total, 12 of which have never been featured here. It is a great mix of cakes, if I may say so myself!  You will definitely have a blast baking them for every occasion there is!

The new cakes on the block are: the taisan, chocolate roll, Malacanang roll (do you know this one?), creme brulee, white forest (the cover), ube (different version), cookie butter, chocolate mousse (most requested!), chocolate pistachio, rocky road, chocolate peanut butter, and chocolate salted caramel pretzel.  The yema icing for the yema cake is not the same as was posted here before.  The new one is more true to the Spanish yema cream of eggyolks and sugar syrup. Easier to make too. I also have a slightly different way/recipe of making marshmallow frosting.  I've never been consistently happy with the one I was using before but I had an epiphany one day, and lo and behold, a marshmallow frosting that is super stiff and stable, finally.

I dedicated this book to my auntie who passed away very recently. I went home to Manila to say my goodbyes because I was quite close to her. I have a lot of her handwritten recipes (including the ensaymada). She wrote them in a little notebook so we (her family) can learn to make them ourselves. I have shared her lemon squares, food for the gods, lengua de gato, arrowroot cookies and sansrival recipes here as well. I will never be able to thank her enough for inspiring me to bake.

For a very long time, I have really been unmotivated. And knowing that a lot of people are just disrespecting my work by copying and distributing them, posting them on baking group websites, even making PDFs out of them, did not help. 😭 But today I am feeling really good about what I have accomplished. I am much prouder of the cakes in this book than I am with the first because with the first book, my concentration was to just make copycat cakes (since that was what the readers really wanted). Lately though, I have been trying to think more outside the box and doing my own thing.

I am looking forward to making more cakes and more books!  One day, I will hopefully muster enough courage to actually go to a real publisher. Maybe someday I will even get to see my book at National Bookstore. 😏Someday.

To anyone interested in having a copy, the eBook is now available in my Etsy shop. Be the first to own it! Your support will be greatly appreciated.

PS.  I have also made a listing for the two eBooks together at a discounted price.

One more thing - I am not listing this book yet on Blurb (to be printed as a physical book).  The prices are just outrageous, even for a softcover.  I won't even order a copy for myself yet.  I will wait for when they have big discounts.