My Kitchen Table: 100 Cakes and Bakes: 10

This is the first recipe book I have ever bought, and the only one think I will ever need (for sweet treats anyway). So far, I have tried the chocolate and vanilla marble cake, Devonshire Scones and Fast Flapjacks. The Marble cake is a BIG cake with lots of eating in it but absolutely delicious. I imagine it would freeze well. The Devonshire scones were a complete success. I had my mum sample them and she thought it was the best recipe for scones she had ever tasted. That is saying a lot as she is Head of Department Home Economics at a local High School and has been in this job for almost 40 years !! The Strawberry Wimbledon Cake is beautiful, fresh and light. Very impressive for a summer dinner party or picnic. The only recipe that was a bit of a disaster was the Fast Flapjacks. Way too much sugar and syrup, and too little oats. They turned out more like toffee with the result I broke a tooth !! The soft back and spine on the book means it is inclined to close over when being used. One little tip ... attach a trousers/skirt hanger to the book to hold it open. Hang this on an upper cupboard handle for ease of reading. Works a treat. I love this book, the price and the fact that it is from Mary Berry. Her recipes have only failed me once and it is definitely worthy of 5 stars.

Lovely little book all round really, pictures for every recipe, nothing too challenging if you are pressed for time, but by the same token there are a few that will need a good deal of time and faffing around such as the raspberry meringue roulade and a couple of others that we all know and love to eat. I've already picked out loads of things to make, some look really fancy and difficult in the picture but when you read them through you realise how simple they are to make, they only LOOK like hard work. As with all MB's books, there's the odd repeat from another of her books but I can live with that. I have a copy of her very first printed book by Hamlyn (The black covered one) and I noted that many of the recipes she wrote then have been updated in her more recent books such as Bakewell Tart. It seems she has replaced the original frangipan filling with sponge and some scattered sliced almonds, that's fine if you are in a hurry but the old frangipan recipe is soooo more-ish, I think I might stick to that even if it does take longer to make and bake. There's really nothing in this book to complain about, the recipes are great and you don't have to be an award winning baker to make them. Best of all for me, she's introduced me to a whole new list of recipes and ingredient combinations my other books don't have. Very happy to recommend this lovely little book.

Love this book intended to bake everything in it, but I've not been well, so my husband decided to try his hand , all I can say is everything he has made is absolutely perfect . I want my kitchen back . I have done the black forest cake warning its irresistible, moreish, light as a feather, so tasty . This is a MUST have book for any baker , so easy to follow recipes so if you are new to baking or thinking of having a go this is the book for you

I am a fan of Mary Berry & find her recipes always work well for me. This is a good variety of cake recipes, well-illustrated, with very clear instructions. I thought the book was quite small, 18.5cm x 13cm, for the price, but it is still a good addition to my bookshelf.

Wife swears by this, and have bought a copy for daughter

I am so fulfilled by this purchase. It brought me so many good baking recipes that all of my family friends and colleagues enjoy.

Just made possibly the best ever ever chocolate fudge cake from Mary Berry's recipe! I've tried a couple of recipes since this book arrived last week, not dissimilar to family ones, and they have come out as corkers! They clearly have been well tried and tested, and the little testers in my house are very keen to try some more. The instructions are very clear and simple and I like the general layout. Another reviewer criticised the book for not being A4, but frankly I have enough clutter and lack of space when cooking cakes with two small helpers to not want a bigger book! The photographs are good, however, and I've bigger books with smaller illustrations. If you are looking for a simple place to start, I don't think you could do much better than with this book. And even if you've got a few years of baking under your belt, I think these recipes won't disappoint. I'm planning on some more baking very soon, thank you Mary.

A good variety of simple items to make.