My mom made my wedding cake — a lovely off-white, multi-tier affair with delicate, pale yellow flowers and piping. My mom also made the cake for my oldest daughter's first birthday celebration. It featured a fabulous and festive clown that still stands out in my mind more than 30 years later.

Sensational Buttercream Decorating

Such fantastic cakes were made possible by a handful of cake decorating classes my mother took years before and outstanding cake decorating books (the one featuring my daughter's birthday cake still stands on my cookbook shelf).

SENSATIONAL BUTTERCREAM DECORATING by Carey Madden leads me to believe I just might be able to do the same for my daughters and grandchildren one day — make them fabulous and festive cakes. Not so much for weddings (I'm not that confident of my novice cake decorating skills) but the directions and photos in Madden's book offer birthday cakes and special cakes of all sorts that I think even a novice such as I could beautifully emulate.

SENSATIONAL BUTTERCREAM DECORATING (which I received free for review) features 50 cakes of various sizes and flavors, highlighted with more than 600 step-by-step photos that will get your mouth watering and your creative juices flowing. By following the chapters, I can't imagine one could go wrong, considering Madden — famous for her work at Two Little Red Hens Bakery in New York City and whose delights have been enjoyed by Madonna, Anthony Bourdain and others — begins her book outlining the true basics necessary for successful decorating with buttercream and carries cake decorators through to templates and resources.

The contents of the colorful cookbook:

Chapter 1: Tools and Supplies — Cardboard rounds and parchment paper and spatulas... Oh, my!
Chapter 2: Cake and Icing Recipes — I must admit, I doubt I'd need buttercream frosting on "Mama Suzanne's Carrot Cake" to devour it, it sounds that good!
Chapter 3: Decorating Fundamentals — So.Much.Here. Leveling the cake, filling the cake, frosting the cake, and, of course, decorating the cake. Plus more tips, techniques, correction ideas (because even the pros screw up now and then.)
Chapter 4: Step-by-Step Decorating Techniques — Icing and border techniques, plus dots, lines, flowers and other designs)
Chapter 5: 50 Fabulous Projects — From Art Deco to Zebra Stripes and everything imaginable in between.
Chapter 6: The Final Touches — Preparing, storing and transporting the masterpieces.

I'm impressed by the array of artistic designs that can be made using delicious buttercream frosting versus fondant and other less tasty icings. Madden even includes vegan and gluten-free recipes.

With the right tools, some patience and SENSATIONAL BUTTERCREAM DECORATING by Carey Madden, beautiful buttercream creations can be created by most any cake decorator wannabe. Even me. Without help from my mom. (Maybe.)

Sensational Buttercream Decorating by Carey Madden (suggested price of $29.95) published in May and is available where cookbooks are sold. For more information, visit the publisher's website: www.robertrose.ca.

Disclosure: I received this book free for review; opinions and anecdotes are my own.