Today: Food52 photographer, James Ransom, shares his favorite shots from the Food52 Baking Cookbook (available for pre-order now!).
![](https://images.food52.com/VdP-Qn6XXPNPwjMiytxh2weNWHA=/f5d82a25-b34b-4bc8-a90c-bea7534aa40c--cJ-vmbWfhWmeKSQII2hhJKzKxi9iHo14VOIxl-Ulg-aG71IwpirYvFYypKbuO0QtmCerMy8R7Nb4jW-kJ89U-s1100-c)
Chosing my favorite shots from Food52's Baking Cookbook is like deciding between cake and cookies: It's an impossible job, but someone has to do it.
More: Meet the cookbook's brownie cover girl.
The book's sixty, back-pocket recipes mean no occasion's needed for breaking out the butter and sugar. I ate every single one of these recipes and would do so again—any day of the week. This doesn't mean they're not worthy of a celebration, though. Heck, let's do so right now. Here are my 5 favorite photographs:
![](https://images.food52.com/J6Pox9XJFfWFLquXVGD7J3i_lFk=/fit-in/800x0/061dee46-9f84-4ddd-9e1e-e0c7ae725a65--Z-BiVwmDIG7If3VSv6m4U2feKoyPjvO1rBOd9u1dci0-NbFn-MJomHrZnqGEL6BZz5xfeMh9J5ja9yivtU7fjfw.jpeg)
Olive Oil Ricotta Cake with Plums
![](https://images.food52.com/vZkilut7g6V-AcyPRm-CPHqK1DM=/fit-in/800x0/5df43100-ec39-4519-9bac-33f24d86d110--yaUdqlKZqgn4XPw0QCE9u8RZjMp8Lk3oZUIcf9iMjQk.jpeg)
Brown Butter Cupcake Brownies
![](https://images.food52.com/rIC1ZYCkMSaOlSY2lec1CQv7YCg=/fit-in/800x0/74d36317-58fb-47a4-bd4c-961a0585e3f1--VS14ouBUQZnI5wVLRAXciuq4AvTMZR0c46xyrB_IEF8.jpeg)
Blueberry Cream Torte
![](https://images.food52.com/qf61WpUn9kl0FK9G0zLVYPYzgmY=/fit-in/800x0/8ec50631-13e5-4a4c-90ec-7675d9a6b715--V22nUIHtYtfTf-BlWEjsrOQGlWyn5AVAdEAFD4SpSXU-ePfD45Y0W_r3Jwjee4bQIRKJAPmZR_ZewWvXzezn6Gk.jpeg)
Honey Pecan Cake
![](https://images.food52.com/oSDJZp5mo5BRkcd87DAtsyDKY0g=/fit-in/800x0/6f8d5578-a8cc-4e80-857c-449a75c4df9a--D79uIP1EmsZsUmrhDqnCKGaqsYLgHosJ7eExEE_ml3k-OEmv_HAqf0OSGUpncXkjxE9cCg2_n-q6JwbglUXiN70-1.jpeg)
Six-Ingredient Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
Photos by James Ransom
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