Ravneet Gill - Sugar, I Love You: Knockout Recipes to Celebrate the Sweeter Things in Life

When I eat something beautifully sweet, I feel like time stops.

I fantasize about sweet things. When I eat something beautifully sweet, I feel like time stops. An expert on weight-loss diets once said that all you need to say to yourself for success is: Ive had enough chocolate cake for a lifetime, so the memories will keep me going. But why live in a memory when you can have that piece of chocolate cake now? Especially when it might be the remarkably light, airy, intensely chocolatey cake of your dreams. Warmed for 20 seconds in the microwave with a tiny sprinkle of sea salt and served with cold pouring cream. You see, when I start thinking of my sweet memories, the sides of my cheeks start to water and all I want to do is satisfy that craving.

To me, airports are Loacker hazelnut wafers. They mean holiday and, when on holiday, I can plough through an XL pack in moments, without a care in the world. The smooth red packaging encasing its neatly packed precise near Jenga-like wafers satisfies something deep within me and cements my association between comfort, Loacker wafers and being abroad on adventures.

My first book, The Pastry Chefs Guide, did its thing all right. It unexpectedly took off, with so many of you jumping on board with it, embracing that straight-to-the-point teacher vibe that I wanted. I felt like I couldnt dish out a full-colour recipe book such as this until I had broken down the fundamentals of pastry for you. The reality is that making sweet things isnt that hard and shouldnt be portrayed as such. As ever, and with everything, you should be in the now; lean into the sugar and have fun. It took me a while to realize that and, when I did, I baked better.

We say that we make mistakes, but mistakes or even failures shouldnt be feared in life or in baking. Instead, we should learn to view them as blessings. I ran one of the worst nights of my life a few years back, a speed-dating event for food lovers that went down the pan, along with my soul. Nevertheless, it taught me to value those experiences and to dive into failure across all aspects of my life. Failure and mistakes are how we learn and grow. Without them, we would constantly be floating along at average. So, after every mishap, look up at the sky and shout THANK YOU for your chance to learn. And do learn, because if you do, next time you will improve.

Now, I know what youre thinking: this is going to be about a bold, unashamed love of sugar... but it isnt. Or rather, it isnt only that. Its a celebration of the joy sweetness brings to our lives when its married with other ingredients in perfect combinations. We all love to indulge in sweet things, but moderation is what makes me love sugar. Only when sugar is truly understood and used to balance pastry and desserts does it really shine. Youll find many recipes in this book that dont actually contain much sugar at all, and thats what makes it such a versatile and precious ingredient. Knowing when and how to use sugar is, in many ways, the essence of pastry and dessert-making.

So here we are, book number two, Sugar, I Love You. Because I really do. This book is all about just that: LOVE, displayed through absolutely brilliant recipes. I urge you to take the principles and base recipes in these pages and tweak and adjust them to fit your palate, always tasting as you go.

I find any excuse to eat cake, no special occasion is required.

Black forest gateau has to be one of my all-time favourite cakes: the light chocolate sponge, those canned cherries and fresh cream; chocolate ganache, too, if youre lucky. As a kid, I would beg my mum to buy me slices of it from our local cake shop. While the very definition of glamour back then was a traybake birthday cake from Tesco, a level up was Colin the Caterpillar, and at the top of the tree a fresh cream cake from the bakery.

I remember baking really bad cakes as a teenager, creating a massive Jaffa Cake (what was that obsession with giant food? Or was it just me?), layer cakes for birthdays and cupcakes topped with the worst basic b*tch buttercream. Im really sorry if you were one of those people who had to pretend to like any of these early attempts at baking. I truly thought I was in my element and even showed up to a job interview with a photo album of the cupcakes I had made. Yes, I really did that, a real photo album with real photos that I had to get printed off at Boots. I didnt get the job for obvious reasons.

I didnt know back then that I would become a successful pastry chef, or that Id eventually have the mental capacity to reflect and realize that I was really bad at it while growing up. Ive just always adored sweet things. Cake means different things to different people. It can remind you of pivotal moments in your life, such as the cake you ate when you got dumped for the first time or that Victoria sponge from your sixteenth birthday. But I find any excuse to eat cake, no special occasion is required. I am happiest when eating it alone, on the sofa, with a fork, so please do remember to give me some cutlery and some space after you hand me a slice.

Now, unfortunately, in life you may meet others who dont reciprocate your love of cake. These people are not right for you. I once dated a man who didnt like sugar, which should have been the clearest sign that it wasnt going to work, but I ignored my gut instinct and went with it. Down the line, I was sitting at the table, eagerly anticipating an after dinner slice of cake. I lifted it up with my hands, gazing at it with love, excited to put it in my mouth. Suddenly I felt a hand on my wrist, pulling the cake away. I turned my head to see the sugar-hater shaking his. He then mouthed, It will go straight to your hips. Shock, horror and a big fat fingers up, Im out.

And you know what? This isnt that unusual. My friends former partner denied her a doughnut once after shed already enjoyed an apple crumble (I knew it wouldnt work out from that moment). READ THE SIGNS, HONEY. Since making my mistake, Ive learned. I now officially designate it compulsory that anyone who gets the luxury of dating me must love food, and vitally love that I love food (especially cake), too.

I also learned never to take a photo album of the cupcakes you made as a teenager to a job interview. It doesnt make a good impression.

I want to start with this cake specifically. A cake that I was making in a rush, while trying to dance to Afrobeats and talking to a mate. While I was cleaning up, I noticed half my weighed flour still in a bowl on the worktop. I hadn't added it! Immediately I thought: damn, I'm going to have to make the whole thing again from scratch. However, when I took the cake out of the oven and ate a piece, I realized how my wrong was now right! The texture of this cake is so excellent that it has become my go-to layer sponge recipe when I want something moist, airy and light.