The Cake Zine Gift Guide
From vintage cookbooks to pastry chef pantry essentials
Cake Zine friends,
It’s been a busy and sweet December. Our sixth issue, Daily Bread, is officially off to the printer, and we can’t wait to share it with you in the new year! As always, this newsletter is the best place to find out about preorders and more.
It was so special getting to say hello to so many readers at Pioneer Works’ Press Play book fair over the weekend. If you didn’t get a chance to stop by, we’re extending our in-person fair sale online through the end of the year: $20 copies of Candy Land, Tough Cookie, and Humble Pie. We’ve heard they make great gifts—just be sure to order ASAP and check the estimated delivery dates if you need to receive by 12/25, as our fulfillment team needs a few days to process.
If you’re still looking for other gift ideas, we’ve gathered some suggestions from some editors and bakers in the Cake Zine community. From covetable (but affordable) vintage cookbooks to pastry chef pantry essentials, these picks make wonderful gifts for the dessert lovers in your life—or a sweet treat for yourself.
Victorian Cakes by Caroline B. King. I recently bought a copy of this when I stumbled upon it browsing at Bonnie Slotnick, and I was immediately enchanted! Full of charming stories and recipes from the author's childhood in 1880s Chicago, chapters with titles like 'Poetry and Gingerbread' and 'Love and Beauty Blighted' filled with gorgeous cake-centric prose are sure to delight the pastry person in your life.
Zucca Amaro! I love giving amaro as a gift, quite possibly because I love to RECEIVE amaro as a gift. I find it sort of tricky to allow myself to build out a fun liquor cabinet with a deep bench that allows me to play around, so a gift like this herb-y bittersweet guy is perfect. Zucca does so many things well, like a spritz, a Negroni, a sour, and more. (I adore it poured right into a bottle of ice cold Miller High Life).
What's even more fun is to use it in fruit-forward baked goods or rich creamy custards. It feels a little witchy to macerate apples and cherries in this before shoving them into a pie. Bonus? It's a real looker with a jaunty label so that's especially festive! I should also say that I LOVE the earthy flavor of the Chinese rhubarb (related to but not the same as our sweet tart classic here in the states) and the overtones of cardamom. It’s really fun to pair with loads of different flavors.
These Crow Canyon splatter bowls—the size is so perfect and eating out of them is so fun! Working my way towards having a whole collection in the black splatter color way, I’m obsessed.
Olive oil and Za’atar from Canaan Palestine, a beautiful organization upholding and preserving the legacy of Palestinian farmers. You can find their products at Kalustyan's on Lexington and 28th Street or on their website.
If you don't have a salt pig, you need one. I also need one. I asked a ceramicist I was dating to make me one but we broke up before he could get around to it. For months I've just been using a salt shaker and praying. This one looks good. Somebody buy it for me for Christmas?
Currently, I am obsessed with these Catbird bow earrings. Bows are always in season, but honestly for me personally I am hyper obsessed with all things bows right now. Trending UP on the Paola Meter. They are lovely and lightweight and a wonderful statement piece.
I love Woon Uji Genmaicha! I’ve been starting my winter cold days with a Chazuke breakfast and this has been my go to tea to pour over rice seaweed with a little wasabi to start my day in a tender nourishing and warm way.
I have one of these composition notebooks from Choosing Keeping on my list. I especially love the unlined paper; there’s so much space for ideas. Anything I write or sketch out in mine magically ends up materializing.
I am obsessed with the spatulas from Earlywood. They are beautifully crafted from wood in minimalist but useful designs. They are great for savory and sweet work in the kitchen. Beautiful to display and to use. It's the modern answer to the timeless wooden spoon. The essential set is my absolute favorite!
This year I've noticed a greater-than-ever output of interesting self-published recipe-driven booklets, which allow us, the reader, a more intimate peek into an author's brain than a traditional big publisher might allow. These kind of culinary "chapbooks" feel way more idiosyncratic and voice-y, and I really love “Romantic Chicken," chef and farmer Marjory Sweet's latest — I'd gift this to someone alongside a limited edition TART Vinegar, "especially delicious when dribbled over a hot, crispy piece of chicken skin," as Marjory recommends.
Amanda Shapiro
First, this horrifying article finally spurred me to replace the last of my plastic cooking tools with silicone. I like the stuff from GIR, like this 3-piece ultimate tool set and this ladle, which is ideal for, say, scooping chili out of the crockpot without scratching that nonstick coating.
Second, these are my entire personality in candle form. Not sure what else there is to say, other than these strawberry birthday candles are adorable too.
An elegant tea pot to keep you warm through the winter.
My recommendation is Chef-Grade Algae Cooking Oil. The ocean is incredibly abundant and it's so exciting to see the effort put into finding solutions with what's readily available and right in front of us. Algae oil is a more nutritious and eco-friendly choice compared to traditional cooking oils. It requires less land and water to produce, and it has a smaller environmental footprint, making it a thoughtful gift for someone who values sustainability.
Citric acid is my secret weapon in pastry making. I whisk it into store-bought jams to add a tangy bite that cuts through the sweetness, and stir it into glazes and pastry creams for a bright, balanced flavor. Since it doesn't introduce extra moisture, it's a wonderful way to achieve sharpness without adding citrus juice. Its sharp, playful sourness reminds me of the Sour Patch Kids from my childhood and perhaps most importantly, it's extremely inexpensive.
I love giving condiments that make everyday cooking easier. My favorites from the year include Potluck’s ssamjang (perfect for salad dressings, sandwich spreads, and lettuce wraps), Matouk’s guava jam (mix it with yogurt for breakfast), and Lao Gan Ma (on noodles, tofu, everything…IKYK). When in doubt, go to your favorite grocery store or Shoppy Shop and make a cute lil gift set.
Adrienne Murr
Jane Cookshop in the East Village has the CUTEST in-store selection of cookware. I'm talking gingham oven mitts, black truffle EVOO, The Photographer's Cookbook, etc. You can also order their stuff online.
I'm obsessed with La Salumina's Stagionata Salami. It's some of the finest whole-animal salumi in the country, made from heritage pork raised on small Northeast farms in Hurleyville, NY (to be honest all their products are incredible). The silky texture and nutty finish of the Stagionata make it incredibly snackable. Trust me, grab two: one for your next cheese board and one to gift (you'll want backup). Perfect with a chilled Lambrusco. Available at Talbott & Arding in Hudson, or they ship nationwide. Also at the following retailers: Counter Cheese in South Carolina, Zelli Pasta (Arkansas), Eataly, Roscioli, The Curd Nerd.
I love these simple + impactful daisy cookie cutters from Ateco.
MOMA One-Handed Cake Server (Or Any Cake Server): After years of butchering cakes with sloppy slices from whatever cutting vessel was handy, a friend bought me this stainless steel, all-in-one cake server. It’s got a serrated edge for slicing and a handle that supports and lifts your cake onto plates for respectful plating (that honors all of your baking labor). I've also seen some stunning vintage cake servers in thrift shops that would be even cooler to gift.
Pink Salt Kitchen Nam Prik Pao: Pink Salt Kitchens is a Thai-American small-batch condiment brand founded by Palita Sriratana. Her signature Nam Prik Pao is a blend of dried chiles, shallots, garlic, dried shrimp, tamarind paste, sugar, and fish sauce, all slow-cooked into a rich, savory-sweet spread and it's by-far my most used (and adored) condiment. It can not be overstated how delicious it is on everything, including (especially?) generously spooned onto thumbprint cookies and cheesecake.
Handwritten Recipe Cards: I adored KC’s idea of gifting handwritten recipes to friends and family from her Substack, Penknife. There’s something so intimate about sharing recipes from a place of care—a true labor of love that exists outside the typical capitalist gifting frenzy (while avoiding gifting coupons for kisses). She offers a printable template on her Substack that includes spaces for ingredients and instructions, as well as information on the recipe’s history.
My holiday gift suggestion is to make a charitable donation to the One Love Community Fridge. This contribution will enable folks to install, stock, and maintain community fridges and pantries. With the donation, folks can provide fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, pre-packaged nutritious foods, and essential products needed throughout the year.
Noah Emrich
A bread knife for cake eaters!
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Read: Tables of Contents put together an end of year cookbook zine with recipes from Evan Hanczor and Tanya Bush that channel the signature TOC spirit, like leaky panna cotta breasts inspired by Leslie Jamison’s Splinters, and flaky sugar rotis from Celina Baljeet Basra’s Happy.
Explore: A new writer-run publication about eating founded by journalists Ali Francis, Anikah Shaokat, Anna Hezel, and Antara Sinha.
Shop:
has launched an online concept store, the Cake Shoppe, that encourages you to play with your food. We’re drooling over the Just Desserts charm necklace.Bake: Chocolate peppermint pavlova from Sarah Jampel is the perfect seasonal centerpiece.