blast-o-rama.

You know, I really sort of expected to write that I hated this book.

Let me give a bit of history here.  While the talented decorating crew and baking staff at Charm City Cakes has been building a name for themselves nationally, here in Baltimore, there’s been a slowly boiling backlash towards them.

First, it was cute, that a local bakery was getting the spotlight.  Then, the show grew into a part of the Food Network lineup, mixing the face of Duff with such near comical human beings as the bleach haired Guy Fieri and butter devote Paula Dean.  Add the fact that a simple bakery in the middle of Baltimore’s Remmington neighborhood has become somewhat of a tourist magnet, it didn’t take long before Charm City’s citizen’s got a little sick of the so-called Ace of Cakes.

So it was with massive trepidation I cracked the cover of Ace of Cakes: Inside the World of Charm City Cakes.  What on Earth had they done to earn a BOOK? What interesting stories would be found within it’s pages? Would this feel like another ghostwritten fluff piece like the biographies of other so called “celebrities” that stuff the shelves (and ultimately bargain bins) of your local Barnes & Nobles?

I’m very shocked, and surprised to say that…it’s actually a hell of a great book.

As someone who quickly grew tired of the Ace of Cakes show proper, I realize that I wasn’t quite the target audience, but the book actually won me over.

Presented more as a catch-all scrapbook, the book contains Duff’s life story up through building the Charm City Cakes empire, written in a very relaxed, informal style.  Never once does he seem to have an air of self importance, if anything, he seems as confused as I was that they had a book about them.  This can be said for the rest of the staff as well, as each member of a bakery has a 3-4 page bio section, where they describe in depth their journey to the bakery and their favorite projects, giving you a closer glimpse of the team behind the cakes.  For avid fans of the show, the book has a roundtable discussion with the Food Network executives who greenlit the show, discussing the process from concept to execution of what could be the network’s least-expected hit.  Furthermore, the back of the book has a complete episode guide for the show so far.

What really grabbed me, however, was the stellar design of the book. With full color interiors, including hundreds of personal photos, both impressive and embarrassing, you walk away from the book with an amazing grasp on the really laid back and talented people behind the world-renown Charm City Cakes.  One of the highlights of the book has to be the fold-out section with photos of seven years worth of finished cake designs.

At a cover price of $35, the book is more than a little pricey; but online booksellers such as Amazon.com have it as low as $19 as of this writing.  I’d say it would make a great holiday gift for a fan of the show or of their amazing cake designs.

Despite my reservations, I have to say I ended up completely impressed. Provided you can get it at a decent discount, Ace of Cakes: Inside the World of Charm City Cakes by Duff & Willie Goldman gets a whole hearted recommendation.