What's a cake? If you're living in the United States, a cake is a sweet, often layered dessert treat, usually frosted and served at a celebration such as a birthday, a wedding, or an anniversary. In France, patisseries offer edible works of art, combining architectural skill with a facility in combining sugar and flour. China is home to the mooncake, England gives us "puddings" (which are often cakes!), Australia perfected the Pavlova meringue cake in honor of the Russian prima ballerina, and bite-sized fruit fritters are popular in West Africa.Author Krystina Castella became intrigued by the cultural history of cake when she hosted a bake sale with the international students she teaches and each student brought a cake from his or her family's heritage. This collection of international cakes was the beginning of A World of Cake, an adventurous exploration of global cake culture. The fascinating culinary journey includes all kinds of fun-to-read facts, such as "A Field Guide to Cakes," "A World Tour of Cake Holidays," and "Family Trees" for each kind of cake. Clear instructions, illustrations, and hundreds of color photos accompany the recipes. Who knew that edification could be this much fun? Or this delicious? Including doughnuts, fritters, dumplings, milk treats, candy, and frosting, A World of Cake is more than a cookbook, more than an anthropology lesson, and way more fun than a textbook. Where else could readers find an entire section devoted to cakes named after famous people? Castella embraces the spirit of celebration with this big, must-have book for anyone who loves making, eating, or just enjoying any version of a sweet treat.