This beautiful, high-ceilinged tearoom has exquisite furnishings, mirrored walls and fabulous fluffy cakes.

La Tavira Romana in the main square, Praça da República, offers fabulous cakes, 40 varieties of ice cream served in glass swan dishes and excellent people-watching.

Sweet-toothed Perugia abounds in pasticceria, and this is the most famous, with its chocolate sculptures in the window, frescoed interior and fabulous cakes.

She used to make things that are now quite commonplace but which at the time seemed really exotic - fabulous cakes like kugelhopf and filled croissants which were wheeled in on a trolley for tea.

There's also the pick of shop-bought puds, three alternative Christmas menus and fabulous cakes and desserts.

Everybody could walk to an Ebinger's and what could be wrong with fabulous cake?

G Map Almaty's best and trendiest coffee house, with a relaxed atmosphere, fabulous cakes and pastries, a range of good coffees, teas and juices, and free wi-fi internet.

Most of the book involves recipes that trick friends into thinking you've made a fabulous cake from scratch.