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You are here: Home / Shopping / Cox Cookies and Cake by Eric Lanlard and Patrick Cox

Cox Cookies and Cake by Eric Lanlard and Patrick Cox

July 17, 2011 by Sarah Trivuncic 28 Comments

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Cox Cookies and Cake

Cox Cookies & Cake is the book based on the Soho cupcake bakery created by UK based French patissier Eric Lanlard and fashion designer Patrick Cox. If you fancy a touch of the Raymond Revue bar in your kitchen, this is the cookbook for you.

The 75 recipes are predominantly cupcakes with two chapters on cookies, bars and biscuits. Reading is like stepping through a narrow alley off Brewer Street, it’s dark with neon graphics. Glitter balls and leather feature as props.

The soft cover gives the impression of shiny PVC, the graphics are reminiscent of Soft Cell’s Non Stop Erotic Cabaret album. Endpapers show pictures from seedy venues and their shop – it’s up to the reader to discern which is which.

This isn’t a book that takes itself seriously. Presumably it’s the first cookery book ever to feature the word “semen” in lights (page 36, it’s actually a cropped photo of sign saying “basement”). I fear to google the phrase “cock rings” but suspect that the adornment on top of “crown cupcakes” looks like one.

Like Marc Almond’s eyeliner and bangles invading a Top of the Pops episode otherwise filled with Shakin’ Stevens and Buck’s Fizz, Cox Cookies and Cake is an antidote to any notion that baking books need be saccharine.

The styling chapter gets surprisingly involved with sugarcraft; “cheeky” cupcakes present an opportunity to paint a thong on edible paste bottoms; chocolate gets moulded into skulls.

Two cupcakes on the front cover are not featured inside; Andy Warhol Marilyns and bicep curling arms. Presumably the former are printed with edible ink. Having seen a similar technique on Bakerella, I was hoping to see how to make them. The latter look very similar to “man cakes” but this should be spelled out.

Cox Cookies and Cake Lust list:

Cola cupcakes indented with perkily erect cola bottle sweets, luscious cherry topped Black Forest cupcakes; gluten free Provencal orange cupcakes are oozing with appeal. “Summer Flowers” cupcakes are arty and the Nanaimo bars are positively seductive.

Sex bombed out:

The hedgehog cupcakes forsake cuteness for cartoonish headlamp staring fear. They look really weird. Likewise, bunnies devoid of any Playboy reference, splattered eyeballs and holly seem out of place and shoe horned in to tick boxes of Easter, Hallowe’en and Christmas. The cookies lack the glamour attempted elsewhere. Titty cupcakes look like something out of Benny Hill.

Cox Cookies and Cake Verdict:

Definitely different, but some of the kid focused and healthy options don’t sit comfortably with the concept. There are a number of recipes I’d like to try although the presentation of the book is distractingly similar to a Smash Hits Year Book circa 1982. Still, if I ever require a cupcake decorated with someone’s bum I’ll know where to look.

Cox Cookies and Cake book cover

 

 

 

Cox Cookies & Cakes by Eric Lanlard & Patrick Cox is published by Mitchell Beazley, priced 16.99 and available from July 11th 2011. With thanks to Octopus Books for the review copy.

 

This site content is free. When you purchase via referral links on our posts, including those to Amazon, we earn affiliate commission, at no extra cost to yourself. Thanks for reading and please share posts you find useful!
Filed Under: Shopping Tagged With: books

About Sarah Trivuncic

Sarah Trivuncic has published recipes, restaurant and travel reviews on Maison Cupcake since 2009. She lives in Walthamstow, East London with her husband and teenager.
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Comments

  1. Heavenly Housewife says

    July 17, 2011 at 8:30 am

    Sound like a fun book to give as a gift! I’ve seen it, its not really my thing, but I think it would appeal to a lot of people.
    *kisses* HH

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      July 18, 2011 at 10:32 am

      Actually, you’ve nailed it. It’s meant to be fun and not taken too seriously. As something to flick through on the coffee table it’s quite entertaining.

      Reply
  2. Ren Behan says

    July 17, 2011 at 9:49 am

    Oh Sarah, what a great review. I received a copy of this and wasn’t quite sure what to make of it or what to say about it! A few of the pages did make me gasp! Well spotted on the Marilyn front. I think you are probably right about some of the recipes being added to ‘tick boxes’ and obviously, it’s not a book I’d happily leave out on the table to cook along to with my young children, but it does have a market and a fasionable and sexy appeal. There are some novel recipes which I would like to try. There’s nothing worse than a book entirely on cakes if the recipes don’t work, as was the case for one book I received for review.

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      July 18, 2011 at 10:31 am

      The whole “Easter/Hallowe’en/Christmas” thing is bizarre. It’s like if Madonna had stuck an advent calendar in the middle of her “Sex” book.

      Reply
  3. Gourmet Chicks says

    July 17, 2011 at 6:54 pm

    I want to go to this store – it looks very fun. But not so sure about the book….

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      July 18, 2011 at 10:28 am

      I will definitely visit next time I’m in the area. I just can’t bring myself to eat a cupcake with a fondant tit on it.

      Reply
  4. Anne Murphy says

    July 17, 2011 at 7:32 pm

    I’m afraid I really didn’t like this book – found the food photography awful and the whole concept just badly put together – the cakes did nothing for me at all. And I agree re the hedgehog ones – if you made those for kids I think you’d give them nightmares! Perhaps I’d have liked it more if the cakes in the shop actually tasted good,but knowing how awful the stuff they sell is I can’t imagine the recipes are amazing either. Although having said that, I have a copy of their nanaimo bar recipe as I want to make it for a Canadian friend so hoping it works.
    To make the Marilyn cakes you need an edible printer/inks. Or you can send your image to people online and they’ll send you sheets to use.

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      July 18, 2011 at 10:27 am

      The hedgehogs were the scariest thing I’d seen since the blank faced monkeys in “Dress Your Cupcake”. Kids do like scary stuff though….

      I thought the graphics and photography were technically very good in portraying the interior of a sex shop. Much as I am icked out about branding food as something inherently cheap and dirty, I can see too that it’s not meant to be taken seriously.

      I’ve tried to review this book without bringing in a rant about sexual politics and the porn industry as I prefer not to sully my blog with such a topic!

      Reply
  5. Dominic says

    July 17, 2011 at 7:39 pm

    Great review. I’ve always had a mixed feeling about the shop as Ive always felt it looked not only seedy but dirty and not in a good way but an un clean way, which is not what you want from a cake shop! It always smacked slightly of bandwagoning with a gay twist which is never a good look. I guess as long as the cakes taste good and sell well it doesn’t really matter how they package them.

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      July 18, 2011 at 10:18 am

      Yeah I agree, the seedy dirty concept does not sit well with food in my opinion. Plus I see far more grime than glamour. Re quality of cake, I haven’t been but I know I Heart Cupcakes definitely has.

      Reply
  6. Kitchen Butterfly says

    July 17, 2011 at 7:50 pm

    I love your honest reviews Sarah……If I ever need bum-shaped cupcakes – I’ll be sure to ask you! LOL and stay well.

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      July 18, 2011 at 10:16 am

      Noooo I seriously have better things to do than make bum cupcakes. Unless they’re for you 😉

      Reply
  7. Rachel Lucas says

    July 17, 2011 at 7:51 pm

    Really good review Sarah. I’ve been to CC&C many times and bought their (excruciatingly expensive – be warned!) cupcakes as gifts. But aside from the hilarity factor and the ‘wow’ (which, admittedly, is considerable) the actual cakes are not that great in my opinion. Overly sweet & quite ordinary beneath the glitz. Many, many other better cupcakes for sale out there. Thanks for the review though…think I’ll skip the book but will still buy for presents I have no doubt! x Rachel

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      July 18, 2011 at 10:16 am

      Thanks. You’re certainly not the first person I’ve heard saying the cakes are not as good as they should be. I imagine a batch made by Eric would be great but the ones in the shop less so. I trust my I Heart Cupcakes blogging pal’s opinion dearly here and she wasn’t impressed at all.

      Reply
  8. anne says

    July 17, 2011 at 11:02 pm

    Oh dear, not sure I want to admit to it but spent an evening many moons back in the Raymond Revue bar…took a long while getting the smell of whipped cream and more out of my coat!!

    The book sounds fun at least..kinda goes with the ‘crude-ites’ cutters I was given a while back…!

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      July 18, 2011 at 10:14 am

      I’m scared to ask more but I probably will next time I see you.

      Reply
  9. Lauren says

    July 18, 2011 at 12:22 am

    Oh my! Being in Kansas, I’ve never heard of the shop. It does at least sound interesting. You’ve succeeded in reminding me that I need to go download some Soft Cell.

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      July 18, 2011 at 10:13 am

      Ha ha, don’t get me reminiscing on my Soft Cell obsession of former years! My stuff was all on vinyl (yes I am that old) so I should probably download a few choice tracks myself.

      Reply
  10. faithy says

    July 18, 2011 at 7:25 am

    Great review Sarah! I was looking to see if i should order it. I was surprised to see Patrick Cox’s name on the book which makes me wondered if he is still the designer who’s shoes i was wearing years back..and if i really wanted the book or the fact that i missed my shoes that i had fond memories of.

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      July 18, 2011 at 10:12 am

      Thanks! To be honest, I do wonder how much Mr Cox has anything to do with the running of the bakery, I imagine he’s a business partner with a convenient name to brand it with.

      Reply
  11. Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours says

    July 18, 2011 at 10:25 am

    I met Patrick and Eric at a launch party, and they do a very very good double act together and were both very entertaiing.

    The book looks and sounds – shall I say interesting? Sounds like it is attempting to be butch, glittery and camp all at the same time. Not my thing.

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      July 18, 2011 at 10:35 am

      Yes I imagine they are. I’d say it’s 75% glittery and camp, 15% go go dancer and 10% butch.

      Reply
  12. thelittleloaf says

    July 18, 2011 at 1:57 pm

    Sounds hilarious! I imagine this is just as much a coffee table book as something you’d actually cook from, especially as buying all that glitter and making all those bums and bits is probably more effort and money than it’s worth! LOVE the shop itself though – so much fun 🙂

    Reply
  13. Sally - My Custard Pie says

    July 18, 2011 at 10:17 pm

    Glad to see you bouncing back Sarah – and what a book review to bounce back with!

    Reply
  14. Cupcakes & Coffee says

    July 30, 2011 at 11:50 pm

    I’ve just received this book & I love it! However, I have just tried making the cola cakes & they are rather bland. Unfortunately I couldn’t get the traditional coke & had to use a very well known brand but all the same, I would have expected them to be a little sweeter.. Has anyone else tried them?

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      July 31, 2011 at 5:57 pm

      I haven’t… although I can highly recommend Nigella’s coca cola cake which I featured on this site in cupcake form back in February 2011!

      Reply
  15. Dolly Mixture says

    August 1, 2011 at 3:27 pm

    I absolutely love this cupcake book! Although a bit quirky, the designs are original and certainly make this book stand out from all the others on the shelves! It’s a step away from the country kitchen theme we so frequently associate cupcakes with.

    I have also tried the cola cupcakes, and was really surprised to find no sugar featured within the recipe, so would have to agree that they are rather bland. However I’ve also tried the low fat berry cupcakes which were surprisingly fantastic and the Mexican cupcakes certainly pack a punch!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Eric Lanlard recipe: Fig, lardon and dolcelatte tartMaison Cupcake | How to bake your way through life says:
    October 23, 2012 at 4:40 pm

    […] sharp contrast to his last book, the black PVC bound “Cox Cookies and Cake“, Tart It Up sees Eric in ethereal, pared down almost Delia How to Cook mode with this […]

    Reply

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