Boutique Baking by Peggy Porschen: Book Review

This archive post may reference an old giveaway since closed.

A book review of Boutique Baking by Peggy Porschen – this is part of a series of Peggy-related posts including cake decorating classes I attended with Peggy and a visit to her iconic pink café.

Updated 2026 · A giveaway to win the book is now removed – comments below may still refer to it. 

Book Review of Boutique Baking by Peggy Porschen

Peggy Porschen’s new book Boutique Baking is a departure from her previous titles; rather than high-end sugarcraft creations and celebrity style wedding cakes, the cakes in her new title are based on those sold in her café. The Peggy Porschen Parlour, flower-bedecked and Instagram-famous is illustrated on the front cover.

The bakes are as exquisite as ever; Peggy is a baker who sets trends rather than follow them. There is plenty inside Boutique Baking for the less experienced baker to enjoy making without feeling intimidated.

There are tricks to vary things you may be baking already; Peggy’s tribute to the cake pop is served in an ice cream cone rather than on a stick, her macarons are cleverly feathered with food colouring streaked inside the piping tip. Cupcakes are obviously a huge seller in her parlour, my personal favourites here are the chic banoffee cupcakes with matching dark brown cases and blossoms and the Cosmo cupcakes based on the cocktail made with Cointreau.

Show-stopper chapter has to be “luscious layer cakes” – Peggy presents a series of three layered cakes in an elegant 6 inch size. The piping on the Glorious Victoria Cake is effortlessly simple – I saw her demonstrate icing this cake at the Squires Sugarcraft Show where the room was packed full 45 minutes before the start time, such is her popularity amongst baking fans.

My standout cakes in the book are the raspberry and rose dome cake – I predict we’ll be seeing a lot more cakes this shape soon, the white chocolate passion cake decorated with birthday candles and triple berry cheesecakes. The whole thing is topped off with recipes for drinks from the parlour such as pink lemonade (it has to be pink if it’s at Peggy’s) and hot white chocolate with vanilla. With the recent hot weather I am especially desperate to try her summer berry ice tea.

Some recipes in the book use Peggy’s own jam range as ingredients, although you could substitute with others. If you’re near London, she sells it in the café.

I baked the White Chocolate Passionfruit Cake from Boutique Bakes last week and needless to say I could do with some more Peggy Porschen Cake Decorating Classes as my buttercream was nowhere near as slickly applied as hers! But I am looking forward to practicing some more!

The Boutique Baking Book Launch at Peggy Porschen Parlour

I was delighted to be invited to Peggy’s book launch at her parlour café in Belgravia, here are a few pictures from the evening.

The Parlour café is pretty tiny and was packed with press and photographers attending. Somehow we all crammed in – they might have taken some tables out to make space.

I was glad in the buzz, to have the company of my baking blogger friend, Andrea from Made With Pink.

As you’d expect, plenty of cupcakes were being handed out!

We were each given a little boxed cupcake decorated with the Boutique Baking book cover printed on edible icing. Almost too cute to eat – although my husband had no such qualms later!

It was one of those gorgeous late spring evenings when it stays light until late. Andrea and I had a good natter and it was lovely to go back to the Parlour after doing the cake decorating classes with Peggy in the previous year.

Other Peggy Porschen Books I’ve Featured

I have written about two other Peggy Porschen books to compare:

• Cake Chic – with video review!
• Peggy’s Favourite Cakes and Cookies

Thanks to Quadrille for review copy.