Anyone who loves food, knows that the joy of food goes far beyond the first and last bites. It’s about sharing an experience with the people you love most, and living life deliciously. Imagine if you could take that joy, that first-bite-feeling, bottle and take it home with you to enjoy whenever you needed a little warmth or sunshine. If you’ve ever met Reece Hignell, AKA Cakeboi, you know that people can also have that effect.
So why a cookbook? It turns out it’s a little more than trying to appease the flood of DM requests, and in some cases bribes, for his, and his Nan’s famous recipes. Reece explained, “For me, it’s really about creating some sort of legacy – something tangible to hold on to. Because one day – in two, five or ten years’ time – Cakeboi will close and I really wanted to produce something that cemented the legacy of the shop I’ve built and what I’ve been able to create.”
Cakeboi is home cooking. It’s Australian classics. It’s a sponge that’s light and airy and tastes unforgettable. It’s nostalgic. When I first opened Cakeboi, I had to adjust all of Nan’s and my home recipes to commercial ones. Now with the book, we’ve had to reverse that process.”
Cakeboi is home cooking.
It’s Australian classics.
It’s a sponge that’s light and airy and tastes unforgettable. It’s nostalgic.
‘Cakeboi: A Collection of Classic Bakes’, like Reece’s career and delicious creations, is built on a foundation of home cooking. “We’ve tried, tested, re-written, and re-worked every recipe to make sure they work,” remarked Reece. This means that now you will be able to bake and accomplish everything in Reece’s book, (it goes without saying a little bit of practice and basic know-how will be required). Not only will you enjoy making all of the recipes, most importantly you’ll be excited to share them with the people you love.
Something that Swell fans should recognise in Reece’s book is the incredible food art scattered through the pages with still life designs by Luisa Brimble and Zoë Lonergan. “That’s actually my favourite part of the composition and design process,” said Reece. “Sitting down and writing was tough, but I loved seeing how things came together visually and all of the little details in each shot. My cookbook has a really retro feel, just like the recipes.”
The heart of Reece’s recipe book goes far beyond the delicious creations scattered across the pages. When I asked Reece how he wanted people to feel after they’d made one of his recipes he responded, “Nostalgic”- and there’s something kind of magic about that.
In a world where things seem to be moving faster and faster, baking is one of the few slow pastimes we have left. There’s no quick fix, no snap-fingers solution, and no instant result. It’s a slow, conscious practice that takes thought, time, and effort. But the finished product makes it all worthwhile. Anyone who’s been to Cakeboi knows that.
In a world where things seem to be moving faster and faster, baking is one of the few slow pastimes we have left.
As an exclusive sneak peek into Reece’s debut cookbook, we’ve published his famous Monte Carlo recipe for you to try at home. ‘Cakeboi: A Collection of Classic Bakes’ is now available to purchase here.
Photography: Luisa Brimble • Styling: Zoë Lonergan
