The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to Lydia Houghton, winner chosen via Random.org. Thanks to all who entered!
My friend Amanda wrote a book!
You may know Amanda from the blog I Am Baker and as the most creative cake decorator extraordinaire. For years now, she’s been drawing us in on her blog with unique cake decorating techniques and enticing recipes. Well, now, she has a book and it’s going to knock your socks off! Seriously, just look at the amazing Candle Cake below… have you ever seen a more beautiful cake?
Amanda’s new book, Surprise-Inside Cakes: Amazing Cakes for Every Occasion…with a little something extra inside <– you can buy it there <–, was officially released today, and it is so beautiful. Each colorful page is full of unique surprise inside cakes, including detailed instructions and beautiful photos to guide even the most novice of bakers through the process of creating a surprise-inside cake. Being the lover of stories that I am, I especially like how Amanda has added a little personal story to each cake, giving us all a glimpse into her life.
I think Meg really wants me to make Amanda’s Paw Print Cake, don’t you? Amanda’s instructions are so well detailed, I think even someone not creative like me can do it!
I’d like to give one lucky Dine & Dish reader the chance to win a copy of Surprise-Inside Cakes by Amanda Rettke. To enter to win, simply leave a comment on this post telling me who you would want to make a surprise-inside cake for, and why! All comments must be received by midnight on Tuesday, March 18th 2014. Winner will be chosen via Random.org and notified through a valid email address.
Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I love to make surprise cakes for my kids.
I’d like to bake a surprise cake for my daughter who is expecting her first baby this summer!
For my dad – his 75th birthday is March 25. Thanks for a chance to win.
I would like to bake a surprise inside cake for my grandchildren! I’d love to see their eyes widen in joy.
Definitely for my kids!
This is a wonderful cake book. Cakes look yummy, too. Great ideas!
I would like to make one for my girl scout troop. I would love to see their faces when we cut into the cake. They have worked hard and starve a wonderful cake.
I would make one for my hubby’s birthday next month! He would be so surprised 😉
I would love to surprise my husband and not tell him until after he cuts into it 🙂
I’d love to make the bunny one for my family for Easter! Simply adorable!
i would love to make one for my niece and nephew! they would think it’s so cool.
I would love this my granddaughter has a 16 birthday in April….. would love to make a special cake…thanks for sharing
I want to make one for my boyfriend who has passed his interview ^___^ I am sure that he will be happy
I would like to make one for my friends little girl for her first birthday in 2 months.
I would bake a Cake for my mom’s 40th birthday! I always make her a cake every year and she would LOVE a surprise cake ♥
I would love to make a surprise-inside cake for my daughter. She constantly surprises me with how amazing she is, I would love to delight her with a “surprise” cake!
I’d love to make a surprise cake my soon to be 10 yr. old son. He’s such a sweet, fun kid and he would get such a kick out of it. It’s makes me smile just thinking about what his reaction would be!:-) He’s always cracking me up!:-)
I would love to make a surprise inside cake for a good friend who has been going through some rough times!!
That book looks fun and amazing!
Fantastic! My husband and my son celebrate their birthday ob the same day and I’d love to surprise them with a special surprise inside cake.
I’d make a surprise cake for my son, because I love him! 🙂
I’d love to make one for my Mom. It’d be a belated birthday gift, but considering she used to seriously cake decorate, she’d be all about this book!
My kids. They would think it’s the coolest thing.
I’d love to make a surprise inside cake for a gender reveal party someday.
Ooo I’ve always wanted to make one of those surprise heart cakes! I’ve got quite a few lovely friends and family who’d be deserving.
i would love to make a surprise cake for my sister and our cats!
Love the surprise heart cake.
I would love to make a surprise cake for my daughter. She loves to bake with me and she would think it was cool to find a surprise in a cake, she is 5 . I love that she loves to bake already! 🙂
I’d make a butter cake with a hidden German Chocolate surprise inside! Those are my husband’s favorite cakes.
Without a doubt I would love to see the surprise in my grandaughter’s face if I made one for her 4th birthday! The smile fills me with joy.
I want to make the Paw Print Cake for my pals, Anne and George, to celebrate the rescue adoption of their new lab. Thanks for the opportunity!
My sister! She makes the coolest cakes for my niece so it would be great to surprise her.
I would love to make a surprise inside cake for my granddaughter Kayla’s 18th birthday in June.
i would love to make one for mother’s day/my mom’s birthday!
I’d like to make one for my mom!
II would love to make a surprise cake for my hubby. Thanks for the chance to win.
My kids..and for me too to see if I can actually do it!! 🙂
I want to make a surprise inside cake because I would score major mommy points with these cute cakes! 🙂
I would love to make a surprise cake for my kids. One each for sure. Cause I would love to see the surprise on their faces.
I’d make one for the crew here at our office – we think this is the neatest book!
I would like to make a cake for my daughter Ellie because I didn’t get to make her one on her birthday.
I would make the rainbow heart to celebrate my grand child’s birthday. She is having a rainbow and unicorn theme.
It’s my parents anniversary soon and I want to make them a special cake as it’s their diamond so very special
I would love to make a surprise cake for my husband. He is a person that is very hard to surprise. At christmas he will feel his gifts & tell u what is inside the package & he is usually right. Ugh!
I would like a cake for myself! Sounds wrong, I know. But, I do so much for my family and this favor of making a homemade cake never happens. I love making great cakes/cookies for my family, but sometimes I think go how nice it would be to have one for me that isn’t store bought. I love your cakes, so beautiful! Def want your book!
The book looks beautiful! I’d make one for anyone who asked, because they look like fun! Hah
I would love to make one of your surprise cake for my son who means the world to me and for my parents who will be celebrating 40years together.
My daughter is going to be 11 on Good Friday. I want her day to special with one of the cakes in this amaxing book. Consider me please.
I would love to make my daughter since her birthday is coming up.
I would make a cake for one of my 5 children’s birthdays. They would be tickled to find the surprise inside.
I would like to make a cake for my kids they would love it
These blow my mind! I’m so impressed.
my best friends birthday ! =)
I would love to make a surprise inside cake for my best friend’s baby shower
I would want to make Surprise-Inside Cakes for my boys. My oldest will be four this month and my youngest will be three next month. They would LOVE one!!
I love to make one of these cakes for my boys because they love surprises!!
I would bake a cake for my daughter, even though she is grown I would love to show her how far her momma has come in her baking skills.
To announce the gender of our unborn child to our family and friends!
For any or all of my 3 kids, they would love it!
My 3YO Son. He Loves To Help Me Bake And A.surprise Cake Would Be So Much Fun To Do With Him!
My amazing parents. They deserve something amazing!
Would love this awesome cookbook! I enjoy baking and would love to bake something from this cookbook. Thanks
For my amazing fiance’s birthday !
My birthday is soon.
I would make my son a cool cake for his 6th Birthday 😉
I would make it for my daughter. She would get such a kick out of it.
Hmm…I would make my parents a cake! Why? Just ’cause they deserve it.
I would love to make a surprise inside cake for my niece! 😀
For my wife’s birthday next month….
My oldest turns 21 on April 29. I think he deserves a beautiful cake because he works so hard at school. He’ll graduate from the University in a year with a major in history and a minor in creative writing and a 3.8 gpa, so proud!
I would like to make the paw print cake! So adorable!!
I’d bake one of these cakes for my husband!
I’d make a surprise cake for my friends back home!
I want to make it for my friend who just had a baby!
Oooh! For my parents they both turn 60 this year.
I want to make a surprise inside cake for my mom. My father past away last month and she needs a little lift. Thanks for the giveaway. Good luck everyone.
Í want it for making my own cake.. I deserve it.. I am fighting with a breast cancer and I’ll win. I love to make cakes for all my friends, and now, with all that is happening to me, baking and decorate cakes helped me to forget the pain and the sickness… I want to bake a cake like this for me. The surprise inside this cake is like the force that I find inside me: a surprise. I never ever imagine that I would be able to fight so hard and keep going.
Thank you
My little family. They would think its so cool!
For my hubby. He is such a hard worker !!! Love him lots:-D
My husband is turning 49 soon. He deserves a cake!
I would love to make a surprise cake for my son. He’s my best taste tester and deserves his own cake once in a while.
No birthday in our family is complete without an awesome cake. My little boys definitely need a cake made from this cookbook!
I would give the book to my cake-baking daughter for her birthday.
I would love to make a cake for my daughter for all her support!
I would make cakes for everyone! And make super special cakes for customers at my cake shop!
I lovr that book! I would bake a surprise cake to little daughter for her first birthday comming up next months. Maybe there is one with a teddybear or a butterfly?
I would love to make a surprise-inside cake for my wife to celebrate her awesome achievements in the military
I would love to make a surprise cake for my 3 grandsons.
It would be awesome to watch their expressions when
cutting the cake and seeing the inside. I think they would
enjoy it tremendously. Thanks for the chance to win.
I would bake one for my 9 yr old daughter who LOVES surprises! 🙂
I would make one with my sis and my twin brother for our mother. She will be having one last birthday with us as we found out a couple of months ago that she is dying of incurable cancer. She doesn’t eat much, but she has been able to eat cake.
I have a very special anniversary coming up. I’d love to make a cake for that.
I would like to ‘SURPRISE’ my husband and son with one of these cakes – WHY? Just because I LOVE them!!!
I would like to make one for my daughter, her birthday is in May and then in September I would make one for my son.
I would make a Surprise Cake For My Mum For Mothers Day Because She Helps Me Each & Every Day & I Would Love To Say Thank You By Baking A Surprise Cake
I would make one for my mum, because it would be a huge surprise because I never bake, and really want to !!
I wold make a surprise cake for my mum for Mothers Day xx
I would make a lovely cake for my mum for Mother’s Day!
For my mum 🙂 we saw some surprise-inside cakes on tv and she got rather excited haha!
For my little sisters birthday, as the pinata cake my mum and i attempted to make last year didn’t quite go to plan 🙂
I would make one for my daughters birthday because she loves surprises.
for my daughter, as she would get a shock
My sister-in-law’s 50th is coming in May. I certainly will need time to perfect my skill making a surprise cake, but would love to bake her one!!
I would make lots of surprise-inside cakes because i love that! But the next family birthday is mine and i have no problem with making my own birthday cake!!!
I would make one for my beautiful Grandmother. We are visiting her next month to celebrate her 88th birthday.
I would love to make one of these cakes for my family or coworkers next birthdays. I love the paw print cake.
I love all of her recipes. I plan on making her gender reveal cake. I’d use it to make surprises for my fiancé while he’s gone on his 24 hour shifts.
I’d love to make one for my kids, because what’s better than being able to surprise their cute little faces?
I would make a surprise cake for my husband because its his birthday today and those cakes are awesome! 🙂
I would make one for my husband b/c he loves cakes!
I would make a surprise cake for my niece. She is a budding chef / cake maker and would be so so thrilled! She loves cakes and loves trying new things from me.
I have a bunch of friends coming to visit and stay with me in a few weeks and I’d love to make a special cake to welcome them!
I’d love to make one with a moon inside for my partner as he loves looking at the moon!
I would make a surprise-inside cake for my children because I love them and I like to give them surprises!
I would make one for my family as they would love something full of surprises
Would love to send on to my mum, shes a tough woman and deserves a treat x
I would love to make a surprise cake for my best friend’s birthday next month. I’ve always wanted to try making one 🙂 she would love it!
So beautiful and inspiring! I would love to make a cake for my grandma. She is such a wonderful woman and has taught me so much, so this would be a special way to thank her.
I would love to make a surprise cake for my friend Liz who is turning 50 in May!!! She is a very caring and generous woman and I just want to give something back to her for all that she’s done for me!!
My husbands 40th birthday
I want to make a paw print cake! Woof!
Paw print cake! Woof! Gotta have this book!
I would love to make one for my boyfriend he is a cake fiend and it is nearly his birthday
Oh, and I would make the paw print cake for my 60th bday!! Because Little Trojan says it looks woofalicious and fun!!
I would love to make one for my mum who is a huge cake lover! She thinks i can’t bake but i can and i will 😉
Ooh, that cake is gorgeous! I’d love to make an inside surprise cake for my hubby seeing as we have an infant and didn’t get to go out for our anniversary.
I’d love to make one for my sister’s 40th birthday! She’d be ecstatic. She loves cake.
I would love 2 make a surprise inside cake for my son, who enjoys the little things i do for him.. just to see his facial expression would be priceless with a surprise inside cake..
I’d make one for my daughter’s 14th birthday next month
I would bake one for my husbands 60th birthday.
i’d love to make this for my uncle’s 75th birthday because I think he’d be totally blown away by my efforts.
I would make the ‘Surprise Inside’ cake for my daughter-in-law! She broke her leg 2 weeks ago very badly, and now is back in the hospital with pneumonia and blood clots in her lung. She needs a nice surprise to make her feel better!
Id love to make one for my 4 yr old daughter. She would be thrilled to see the surprise inside!! amandas cakes look amazing! been a follower of hers for a long time!
I’d love to make a surprise cake for my mom and dad, they are coming to visit from Scotland and I have not seen them in a year.
I’d make one for my family as I’m hosting Easter this year!
I would make one for my daughter’s godson, whose allergies make baked goods hard to do, but he would love a special one just for him!
I would LOOOOOOVE to own the Surprise-Inside Cakes cookbook!!! I would make an Easter cake for my family to take to our annual family reunion/egg hunt. 🙂
I would love to make one for my baking mad daughter as she would be thrilled to see the surprise!
My son! I’m SO excited to try to make his first birthday cake!
id make one for my mummy
I would love to make one for my 5 and 6 year olds. They are master cake eaters.
I would make a surprise inside cake for my 4 year olds birthday! He would love a cake with something on the outside and a little something on the inside too 🙂
It’s my mum’s 65th birthday in April, so I’d love to make her a surprise-inside cake – the one with the paw print looks brilliant!
It’s my Mom’s birthday party on Sunday – she’d love it!
for my grandson – he never ceases to surprise me
I would love to make a cake from the book for my daughter’s 11 th birthday in September. Would love to see her face seeing the surprise inside !
Surprise! Surprise! My daughter loves surprises, and it’s her birthday next week! A homemade cake ablaze with candles would be surprise enough let alone a fantastic Surprise-Inside Cake!
Would love to make my little boy and my dad one! There birthdat is on yhe same day!
I’d like to hide a surprise in my Dad’s birthday cake.
My son for his 9th birthday.
My friend Heidi…just because!
I just noticed the paw print cake. I can’t wait to try this one!!!!
I live over here in Columbia, home of the Tiger Paw Print…. wouldn’t that just be so fun to take to the Athletic Director’s Office? Do you think I could get a special parking place for the football games? ha ha ha
For my honey, of course!
I would love to make a Surprise Inside cake for my Husband because no matter how hard I try, I cannot surprise him! This would be the way I could finally give him a surprise!
This is a lovely giveaway…thank you for the opportunity!
I would like to try to bake one for my wife, she is always baking and cooking for me.
My dad is a cake lover!! And he loves when I bake up a cake for him 🙂 he is the best father to me and best grandfather to my sons. I love him so much! And would love to surprise him with one of your beautiful cakes 🙂 thanks for the chance to win!!
I’d make a cake for my family. They’d love it! (I’d probably try them all!)
My four kids. Because they are my heart.
I would make a cake for my good friend because no one ever has.
My mother in law makes beautiful cakes, and for Christmas time when we are visiting her, I would love to make her one as a surprise!
I’d make one for my kids – just to see their happy faces when they cut into it!
I would bake this cake for my friend Shelley Donathan who is battling an illness. I so want to cheer her heart and see her smile again. to see her husband sigh a moment of no pain. your cakes each hide a mini miracle.. I would like her to have at least one miracle. Thank you
I would bake one of these cakes for my amazing husband. He works so hard for our little family and a lovely little cakey surprise would be lovely for him to come home to. Our two boys wouldn’t mind a slice or two either!
I saw this book on The Pioneer Woman. Amazing! All the cakes are beautiful and anyone would be thrilled to receive one for any occasion.
My good girlfriends –we always try to connect for a dessert night once a month to try new recipes, but it’s been a few months and some of the girls have gone through a tough time. A surprise cake would be fun!
I would love to make the bunny cake inside this book for my daughter nicole just to brighten her day,sometimes we all need a pick me up
for my husband because he would be so impressed!
I would love to win for my sweet son and daughter who love baking with me!
mmalavec(at)med(dot)umich(dot)edu
my best friend is a groomer and would love the paw print cake for her birthday!
I’d love to give this to my friends Keri. I’ve had a really tough year with awful crisis after crisis. She has always been there for me, with smiles, sympathy & chocolate. And now she’s going through a tough time herself. I’d love to give something back to an amazing friend who could do with something nice happening to her.
my wonderful mum 🙂
I’d love to make one for my mum for mother’s day, she has always been the baker but I’d love to bake one for her this time!
I would love to win this cookbook! My mother has dementia, and little “finds” like,, in this book, just make her day! Thanks!
wow this is awesome! I would make one for my daughter! She loves suprises
Mother’s Day would be an awesome place to start – these are soooo cool!!!
Hi, i’m from Vietnam.
If i have a chance to own this cookbook, I will learn and make a surprise-inside cake for my mom.
Because my mom loves cakes, love sweet things.
My Mum and Dad for their Ruby Wedding Anniversary in July x
i would make a heart cake for my bf’s birthday 🙂
I’d love to make a surprise cake for my neice, or even to surprise my coworkers as they all love my baking creations. 🙂
I would like to make a perfect cake for my family because when i was younger than my age now ,, my cake doesnt taste good because of my learnings are a bit.. 🙂
I would like to make a cake for my soon to be 5 year old niece for her birthday- she would love the rainbow inside the cake
I would love to make one for my kids. They would just love it!
I have made the “flag” cake and my family was so impressed that I would like to make another “surprise” cake for my
husband’s birthday in May.
Thank you forbeing so creative!
I would make a cake for my mum and dad they will be in town visiting from Scotland in a few weeks and I would love to bake them a surprise welcome cake
I would bake it for all the girls at the office to have with our afternoon cuppa.
I would love to surprise my grandchildren : )
would love a surprise inside cake for the arrival of my new Grandaughter .amazing book:)
I would love to try and make my wife a surprise cake, she became a 1st time mom last year and she is doing an amazing job with our daughter.
I would love to make a surprise-inside cake for my husband. It would have to have a big heart in the middle to show him how much he is loved. <3
My sister for finishing her law degree! 🙂
My granddaughter for her birthday
I would love to make a rainbow cake for my toddler
For my kids! 🙂
id love to make one for my sons birthday
For my mum, she would be very surprised 🙂
EEEEKKKKKK, I really would love to own this one.
my mum…she lost a lot of weight an it trying to gain weight. cake is her one love. 🙂
For my daughter. She’s currently being overwhelmed by an OU degree course on top of a very demanding job and needs cheering up.
I would love to surprise my daughters
I would love to surprise my husband, John, with one of these super cakes!
I’d love to make a surprise cake for my husband – he has a big birthday coming up next month and it would be so special to make him a surprise inside cake 🙂
My Mum of course, she so deserves it!
I’d make one for my mum – she deserves a nice treat 🙂
I’d make one for my Mom as part of her mother’s day gifts 🙂
I’d make one for my nephew, who is eight. He loves talking about cakes and how to decorate them and is full of ideas so I know he would love one like this!
I would love to make one for my mum
I would like a cake for my two friends who have been working really hard starting up their own business.
I would LOVE to make a surprise-inside cake for my boyfriend! It’s our 3 year anniversary on the 19th! 🙂
I would make one for my sons birthday just to see his face
i would just make one, they look fab
I would love to make one for my friend as she bakes cakes for a living and so she would love the surprise in this one!
My children would love a surprise inside cake and its nearly my youngest daughters birthday so could be perfect timing
I would like to make a surprise-inside cake for my birthday. This is a fun cookbook; I’ve always wondered how these cakes were made.
I would love to make a surprise cake for my brothers 18th birthday
My husband with a nice ship cake
I would love to make one for my other half as a surprise 🙂
For my mother. she cooked for me all through growing up and now i like to surprise back
For my sister because she always is doing for other people
I would make a surprise inside cake for Mother’s Day to give to my mum as I know she would love one 🙂
I would make the surprise heart one for my daughter and husband as they do so much for me and I never give them anything in return.
Would love to make a special cake for my fiance as we have been together for 7 years in April and now have 2 beautiful kids.
Love them – One for my mum
for my wife – she has made lots of cakes for lots of people – it would be good if she were on the recieving end sometime
My daughter – she would absolutely love it!
Wow! I love the idea of a cake with a surprise inside. I would make one for my sixteen year old, Jamie, because he has been working so hard for his GCSEs and I want him to know how proud I am.
For my son – he loves to bake and he loves sweets. He would be so surprised when he cut it open.
for my lovely girlfriend!!
My hubby and daughter because they are the lives of my life