**AN OBSERVER FOOD BOOK OF 2023** **A NEW YORK TIMES BEST COOKBOOK OF 2023**'Absolutely enchanting' Nigella Lawson | 'Delightful' Nigel SlaterWhether it's for ourselves, to show love for a child, friend or partner, or to celebrate a rite of passage, there is no denying the incredible effect that cakes can have. Claire Ptak started baking as a child, taught by her mum and grandma, and has now been running her own food business, Violet Cakes, for nearly two decades.This book is a collection of her formative baking stories and tips and current favourite recipes - what she is baking throughout the day, for any occasion. From Brown Sugar Victoria Sponge, Chocolate Violet Babka Buns, Tahini Halva Brownies, and English Angel Cakes that are perfect for a birthday party to Ras el Hanout Snickerdoodles, Coconut Pudding Cake and Black Tea and Poppy Seed Muffins, you'll find bakes that are perfect for making every day delicious and memorable. You'll even find the recipe for Prince Harry and Megan Markle's famous Lemon and Elderflower Wedding Cake.These 85 recipes - from cakes to cookies and puddings to savoury bakes - are a reminder that baking is, in its own way, a love story too.'Marvellous... a ravishing trove of recipes and baker's lore' Jeremy Lee | 'My favourite baker ... A Violet recipe always works perfectly' Anna Jones | 'Generous, intuitive, beautiful' Laila Gohar