Tatyana Nesteruk - The European Cake Cookbook: Discover a New World of Decadence from the Celebrated Traditions of European Baking

One of my earliest childhood memories is of the kitchensitting on our small counter, watching my mother make Russian spritz cookies with an old-fashioned hand cookie press. Those little cookies would melt in my mouth; Im sure I ate at least a dozen before she was done baking another batch! Mmm, the aroma of something sweet in the oven has stuck with me since. I imagine those cookies were as nostalgic for her as they are for me today. My family immigrated from Eastern Europe in 1989 and baking was my moms way of remembering her home in a new place.

My Ukrainian mother and grandmother instilled in me a love for baking and cooking at a very young age. My childhood was filled with Russian pryaniki (crescent cookies), poppy seed rolls, piroshki, borscht and chocolate butterliterally, just butter and chocolate eaten straight up! I loved baking so much that my mother had to place the oven on child lock when she went to run errands so I wouldnt be tempted to bake while she was gone. But cake had stolen my heart from the beginning and I loved baking and decorating cakes more than anything else, especially for special occasions. I cant say those first cakes were pretty, but I never gave up!

Several years ago, with help and encouragement from my husband, I started my own food blog and YouTube channel, Tatyanas Everyday Food. Even with the ups and downs along the way, my culinary endeavor has been my lifes most rewarding experience. Baking cakes all day in my kitchen is a dream; well, except for the dishes! I love to create my own recipes, sometimes even make them up as Im baking. My Eastern European upbringing has certainly influenced my recipes. I love to incorporate elements from my culture and combine them with recipes and techniques from other incredible culinary cultures such as French and Italian.

With this book, I want to take you, dear reader, on a journey through Europebring back old-world classics, reinterpret them and create new ones. Every country and region of Europe has an incredibly rich assortment of cake recipes, and every countrys cake recipes could fill volumes! In this book, Im sharing some of my favorites and the ones that have captured the hearts, and palates, of so many people. When traveling through Europe, youre bound to find these cakes in cafs, bistros and restaurants. Well start with my home region of Eastern Europe and Ukraine, then travel through France, Italy, Austria, Great Britain, Germany and Norway, to name a few. Some of these cakes, such as the .

What makes European cakes different from their American counterparts, you ask? Flavor, technique, texture and preparation! Youll find that these cakes are typically less sweet than American ones, but still full of amazing flavors. Some are dense and rich with chocolate; others, light and airy like a souffl. Many have fruit fillings such as raspberry, strawberry, citrus and even apple. The cheesecakes are made with ricotta and mascarpone cheese, yielding a fluffy cake. Creamy and velvety smooth buttercreams are made with eggs and sugar syrup. Some cakes are made with techniques that may be unfamiliar, while others you will recognize. With this cookbook, youll discover a new world of showstopping and tantalizing cakes that simply cannot go untasted!

Whether for a special occasion or for a simple treat, I hope you find these European cake recipes enticing, appetizing and breathtakingly delicious!

As we would say in Ukraine, priyatnogo appetita!