Maida Heatter (1916-2019), dubbed 'the Queen of Cake' by Saveur, was the author of several classic books on dessert and baking. Her most recent book, Happiness is Baking, was published when she was 102 years old. Heatter is the recipient of three James Beard Foundation awards, and was inducted into the organization's Hall of Fame.
"""A phenomenon.""--Washington Post ""Doyenne of desserts, queen of cookies, sultana of sweets... People love to bake Maida Heatter recipes... producing luscious creations that almost invariably bring grown men and women to their knees.""--New York Times ""Everything I know about baking I learned from Maida Heatter... it's as if she's standing beside you in the kitchen, encouraging you as you go along.""--Martha Stewart Living ""Maida Heatter is the fairy godmother of anything sweet, spicy, crunchy, chewy, or fluffy that you could possibly imagine baking.""--Wolfgang Puck ""Whenever someone tells me they want to start baking, I tell them to turn to Maida Heatter.""--Dorie Greenspan ""Her recipes (and Maida herself) are known for their precision; each step is integral, each ingredient intentional... you need to read her cookbooks, and bake from them."" --Food52 ""I feel as if I am standing alongside her... I often find myself laughing out loud as I read her anecdotes about her successes and her failures ... What beginners can expect from Maida's book is an extremely high success rate.""--Nancy Silverton ""The Queen of Cake... Maida's goal is a perfect dessert every time--and she wants those who follow her recipes to achieve the same end.""--Saveur ""There are no secrets. Maida Heatter is in your kitchen corner. The conversation is easy to follow, and you pick it up whenever you crack open one of her books... Most important, Heatter has recipes for everyone."" --Chicago Tribune"