It's what's inside that counts! Surprise your friends and family with these stunningly inventive cakes, including easy-to-follow instructions that even a beginner can master.

For Amanda Rettke, founder of iambaker.net, every cake is a gift to be shared, a special treat that should be lovingly prepared and intriguingly designed--from the inside out. Whether it's a striking all-white cake with a secret rainbow heart baked inside, a birthday cake complete with a surprise balloon in the middle, or the gorgeous rose cake that took the blogging world by storm, Amanda's creations are downright revolutionary--and tons of fun! In Surprise-Inside Cakes, she gives us fresh new ways to enjoy life's greatest occasions, with themes and cakes including:

Celebrating Family--Stripe Birthday Cake, Paw Print Cake, Rainbow Cake
Celebrating You--Leopard Cake, Herringbone Cake, Cowboy Boot Cake
Celebrating Love--Kiss Cake, Ring Cake, Sunset Cake
Celebrating Holidays--Jack-o'-lantern Cake, Rudolph Cake, Holiday Candle Cake
Celebrating Life--Football Cake, Cherry Cake, Smiley Face Cake

Featuring a few classic favorite cakes from her blog and more than forty brand-new cakes--along with her easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step photo tutorials--Surprise-Inside Cakes shows you how to replicate these incredible designs in your own kitchen.

To make these dazzling cakes, you can start with one of Amanda's delicious, foolproof recipes for cakes and frostings, or use a boxed cake mix or favorite family recipe. With tips on how to bake a level cake, tricks using household items such as rulers, biscuit cutters, and cookie cutters to carve and shape cakes, and Amanda's simple yet stunning frosting and decorating ideas, you'll not only be re-creating these amazing cakes for occasions large and small, you'll soon be using her techniques to create your own surprises!

And your friends and family will be thrilled and delighted when a beautiful cake opens to reveal a special gift inside.

Books by Amanda Rettke