“Qu’ils mangent de la brioche” is falsely attributed to the queen during the French Revolution, Marie-Antoinette. The phrase has been widely used in popular culture for more than 200 years with disparaging, ignorant and indulgent connotations. Like cake, reading is sometimes viewed as extravagant, but do not let that stop you from reading about cake from the book list below. Maybe even go a little crazy and eat a piece of cake, too.

 

The Case of the Missing Carrot Cake by Robin Newman features mice Wilcox and Griswold, who are Missing Food Investigators. They help Miss Rabbit solve the mystery of her missing carrot cake. This humorous children’s chapter book contains plot twists. It is the first book in the Wilcox and Griswold Mystery series.

 

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel was originally written as a screenplay but reworked into a novel and published in 1989 in Spanish. The best seller was translated to English in 1991. It tells a passionate story about family, love, longing and loss, with recipes thoroughly mixed in. The magical realism genre has more than a pinch of hyperbole, as does Tita, the main character.

 

Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra is a contemporary young adult novel about coming of age. Rubi has a life plan, but it all goes awry when months before graduation, her college application is waitlisted. Rubi has big decisions to make and some of them involve cake.

 

Baker’s Magic by Diane Zahler is the story of Bee, an orphan girl who steals bread and instead of punishment apprentices with the baker. Her magical power draws Bee into new situations and interacts with a cast of characters like pirates, an evil magician and princesses. Ultimately, it is an epic tale about finding family while saving the kingdom.

 

The Perfect Cake: Your Ultimate Guide to Classic, Modern, and Whimsical Cakes by America’s Test Kitchen is a recipe and reference book full of photographs and helpful how-to tips. With hundreds of recipes, this book has a cake for any occasion.

 

Rude Cakes by Rowboat Watkins delights while teaching manners. This children’s picture book is full of humor and conversation starters for kids of all ages. Cakes are rude but cyclopes show by example that kindness and good manners are a choice anyone can make.

 

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. Young Rose’s magic is tasting emotions and her mother’s lemon cake is just the beginning. This adult fiction novel tells Rose’s story as she grows and learns to navigate her curse that all the food she eats bestows secret knowledge.

 

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert “is a charming love story of misunderstandings, mistaken identity, and the power of food to bring people together,” states the story description. Restaurateur Lou and food critic Al meet and begin to fall in love without ever discussing work, even as Al’s review threatens to destroy Lou’s restaurant.

 

How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue. Growing up together without thought of the vast gulf of class difference that separates them, Annie and Julia are the best of friends until they are torn apart by betrayal. By chance their paths recross as adults, and they must learn to work together against sabotage and their past pain for their startup cupcakery to thrive.

 

Wedding Cake Crumble by Jenn McKinlay is book 10 of 16 in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. Melanie has double duty as she prepares to be maid of honor and best man in the wedding of her business partner and friend, Angie. But Mel’s hands are full of wedding plans, cupcakes and a murder investigation when a famous author is found dead and their cupcakery is catering cupcakes for a famous author’s book signing event.

Have suggestions for books? Email editor@castlepinesconnection.com

By Celeste McNeil; courtesy photos