The Swans Down Cake Manual

One of the Washington Post’s Best Cookbooks of the Year: “Just reading it puts me in a very happy place.” —Nigella Lawson Designed with fetching retro patterns and illustrations alongside luscious photography, this cookbook features blue-ribbon recipes inspired by baking pamphlets from the 1920s to the 1960s, rendered with irresistible charm for modern tastes. Here are more than fifty cookies, pies, cakes, bars, and more, plus informative headnotes detailing the origins of each recipe and how they were tweaked into deliciousness. For home bakers and collectors of vintage cookbooks or kitchenware, this little collection is a gem. “A sweet blend of cheeky nostalgia and modern-day baking innovation. Expect to find revamps of classic standards like silky Bavarian Pie with a Mexican Hot Chocolate twist, rich Devil’s Food Cake with espresso undertones, and a glossy chocolate- and ginger-glazed update of Molasses Doughnuts.” —Bake From Scratch Magazine “Ms. Sheehan has elevated vintage baking and cooking to a fancier standard.” —GeekMom