Happiness Is Baking: Cakes, Pies, Tarts, Muffins, Brownies, Cookies: Favorite Desserts from the Queen of Cake - Hardcover

Maida Heatter (1916-2019), dubbed "the Queen of Cake" by Saveur, was the author of several classic books on dessert and baking. Her most recent book, Happiness Is Baking, was published when she was 102 years old. Heatter is the recipient of three James Beard Foundation awards, and was inducted into the organization's Hall of Fame.

"While personable and funny, Heatter is relentless in her quest for perfection. These are recipes to read closely, and not just for her delightful borscht belt humor... How lucky that a new generation will get to know the sweet genius of Maida Heatter. These days, we could all use a dazzling grandmother to tell us that everything is going to be all right--or, at the very least, our skinny peanut wafers will."―Christine Muhlke, New York Times

"Happiness is Baking is for the sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters of the bakers who first fell in love with Heatter four decades ago. All of her famous cakes and cookies are here."―Boston Globe

"An outstanding and approachable collection of classics for bakers of all ages and skill levels... One of the season's standout baking volumes."―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Decades of experience have gone into the making of this delightful collection of cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, and bars. Heatter writes recipes with a precision that will embolden new bakers to create successful desserts, while offering up explanations that will teach seasoned bakers something new... An excellent collection for novice bakers as well as those who enjoy learning how to bake with precision (and why it matters)."―Library Journal

"Cause for celebration. It's high time to introduce the queen of cake, as Saveur magazine dubbed her, to a new generation of bakers... Heatter's instructions are meticulous and fool-proof, down to how to line a pan with aluminum foil. But it's her enthusiastic, texture-specific descriptions of the results you can expect if you follow her recipes to a T that inspired a whole generation of bakers to pull out their measuring cups."
―Christian Science Monitor

"For the baker of any age... If you're of a certain age and spent any time around flour, sugar, and eggs, you would know about Maida Heatter and her recipes. Saveur magazine called her "The Queen of Cake," and indeed she is, along with queen of brownies, cookies, muffins, and more... Happiness is Baking is a collection of her favorites that will be welcomed by those who have spent far less time in the kitchen than she has."―Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"If you love classic American baked goods, then this is your grand prize. Maida's voice is evident on every page and is always a delight."―Kitchen Arts & Letters

"Perfect for a baking newbie... [Maida's] recipes are exceedingly thorough and always reliable."―Portland Press-Herald