Ice Cream cake book cover

I agree about C and that it isn't a cake but a sandwich. However if your book is about "Ice Cream Desserts" then you have no problem . For an Ice Cream Cake though . . . maybe something more like this?

I\m stuck on 'but none of these are ice cream cakes.' I mean the marshmallow-topped may be but I don't think it's identifiable as that just from the pic.

I would not do B.

If I look at a blown-up version, it looks like a baked sponge cake-type, not short, crust and something resembling chocolate souffle (definitely baked by the edge), with torched marshmallows on top. I'm assuming it's actually some type of shortcutty Alaska deal, based on that you're saying it's ice cream, but I'm looking for ice cream and can't see it.

If I glanced at it on a table, I'd think what I'd assume a decent proportion of Americans would: it's a version of yams with marshmallows on top.

If these are your only options, and you're doing 'desserts' I'd go A, because see above B, D looks like a ubiquitous, branded thing everyone has had a bajillion times that's deeply uninspiring, C looks just like 'and you can also slap mint chip in!' and the cookies look very unappealing (they look like Entemann's or something).

A at least has some variety, in colour, in two types of ice cream and in a slightly different, better-looking cookie.

However, I'd look for a better pic, though I guess it depends on your market. Honestly, ice cream sandwiches would not make me even pick up a cookbook to look inside because I'd think it's not one with actual recipes in it, just basic stuff and assembly instructions, you know? If I want an ice cream dessert book, I want something really interesting made with ice cream, interesting ice cream recipes themselves, etc. But your audience may be the more assembling type, so in that case, A?

TBH, when I see a picture of a dish prepared with marshmallows, I grimace and turn the page quickly...

+ 1 for not using B. To me, it looks like a s'mores pudding of some sort, and not like an ice cream dessert.

Personally (and again, you know your audience and I'm just one flake here so salt to taste -- I've always loved to cook and am picky about cookbooks; I don't collect lots. I want something with stuff I don't already have/know how to make (I don't need a cookbook to make basic ice creams and cookies and stick them together, you know?), stuff that's interesting, little different, but not ridiculous (every recipe takes two days of prep and requires specific rosewater sourced from outer Mongolia -- sometimes that's fun but mostly I want a middle ground between 'duh' and 'devote literally five hours to a single cake today before frosting it').)

Anyway, A doesn't look ice cream at a glance. I get it is but just looking could be mousse, chilled creme pat with fruit, six other things.

Everything else just looks like Alaskas, save J which looks like some kind of floating island/Alaska hybrid. B and I do nothing for me, it's just 'look, an Alaska, and I looks really retro with the tablecloth and neither are done well -- they look like the meringue was applied with a freaking fork by a child. The other two aren't holding together well, which would turn me off.

Hence, if these are the options, J -- I'd at least look to see what it is, because it does look like some kind of hybrid, it's pretty, interesting looking, could be ice cream... I like that it's a cleaner photo too, personally, just the white background and plate.

It turns out I have many opinions on this topic.

Honestly none of those photos except maybe E makes my mouth water. There's something about the "burnt" top (which I know tastes delicious) that turns me off. The problem is E just looks like a normal cake, not an ice cream cake.

I'd keep looking. The cover needs to really make people go, "ooh! I want to eat that!"

(that being said I might be alone on this one, so obviously make sure you get opinions from a bunch of people)

I'm extremely picky about desserts--I'm not a sweets fan, so it has to be something special to get me to bother picking up a fork. None of these are doing it for me...but while I love cookbooks and good food, I'm probably not your target audience so yeah, grain of salt.

Nothing in the first set looks like an ice cream cake, and one looks like a hot dessert. In the next set, E is the closest. Bombs and Baked Alaskas don't suggest uniqueness. Do you have a recipe that makes something that looks like that dessert? People will automatically look for a recipe for the image. It doesn't have to be "the" recipe as long as it looks like it. Just something to keep in mind.

Sabrina - where are you based? Your best bet will be to hire a commercial photographer to capture an image of the cake you want to make.

If you absolutely MUST do it yourself, I can give you some tips, but you'll get the best results hiring someone who knows what they're doing.

I do agree with the others that ideally you want something on the cover that one learns how to make in the book itself. That being said, a non-dessert cover could be a clever solution. But if you really want a cake, I do think that option L is quite wonderful. It's beautiful to look at, looks "cold" and "frosty". And the title could very easily be placed at the top.

Baking with ice cream??

Sabrina Hartford said:

Here is my final cover

Originally I was just going to put the text in the empty space of photo, as so:

Cover 0:



However, this book is part of a series. I want all the other books to follow the same style and sometimes it can be hard to get photos that have empty spaces for text, so I tried some different layouts:

Cover 1:


Cover 2:


Cover 3:


I know the subtitle and author name are small, but they will be on the Amazon page in large text.

Click to expand...

I like the cake centered. I don't have an opinion on the lettering because I can't see the series together and I prefer the layout and lettering in 'O'.

As for baking with ice cream, I think that's brilliant because it catches one's attention.

I agree, I way prefer O. If you use the same font for each of the books you really don't need to brand the series with a bar across the bottom or anything.

Also . . . is there any possible way to make the title look like the words are made by running a finger through the cold frost? Like this? https://goo.gl/images/8UQMZe 'Cause that would be, pardon the pun, SO cool.