Chosen by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to make the cake for their royal wedding, Violet is a bijou cake shop and café in Hackney, east London. The baking is done with simple ingredients including wholegrain flours, less refined sugars and the natural sweetness and muted colours of seasonal fruits. Everything is made in an open kitchen for people to see. Famed for its exquisite baked goods, Violet has become a destination.

Owner Claire Ptak uses her Californian sensibility to devise recipes that are both nourishing and indulgent. With real thought about taste and using the purest ingredients, she has created the most flavoursome iterations of classic cakes, as well as new treats for modern palates. Over 100 recipes include nourishing breakfasts, midday snacks,
teatime treats, puddings to share, pantry preserves, and stylish celebration cakes. For example:

Morning – Buckwheat Granola or Cinnamon Buns
Midday – Squash, Brown Butter and Sage Quiche or Mozzarella, Rosemary and New Potato Tarts
Teatime – Butterscotch Blondie or Ginger Molasses Cake
Desserts – Cherry Cobbler or Fig Leaf Ice-cream
Party Party – Loganberry-vanilla Birthday Cake or Coconut-cream Trifle Cake

This book is about making baking worth it: simple to cook and satisfying to eat.