These are probably questions you have asked yourself: What to Bake & How to Bake It (Phaidon 2014), and they make for a snappy title from Jane Hornby.

Like her other titles, What to Cook and How to Cook It and Fresh and Easy, this is a step-by-step book for intelligent home cooks, with clear photographs by Liz and Max Haarala Hamilton. Think American bakery for cookies, cakes, afternoon tea and fancy dinner party dessert.

If your kids (or their teacher) are clamoring for cake, cupcakes, or cookies – this is the book to use yourself – or let those kids try their hand. Jane Hornby is a good teacher and chances are your kids will turn out edible and very likely yummy treats.