Book excerpt: “Jill gives you the fundamentals of cake bakery that can turn you from a novice to a master . . . An amazingly concise, imaginative, and fun guide.” —Culinary Oracle What better way to celebrate life’s big and small achievements than with cake? This love letter to a classic indulgence offers sixty divinely decadent recipes home bakers will want to make right away. Organized by flavor profile (banana, coconut, chocolate, caramel, spice, fruit) and level of difficulty, each chapter in this cookbook from baking master Jill O’Connor presents a wide range of sweet choices, from easy weeknight sheet cakes to showstoppers layered with frosting and ganache. With photos that will make readers want to reach out and swipe their fingers through the frosting, Cake, I Love You offers foolproof cake-making advice for beginning bakers and master mixers alike. “This bright, delight-filled book is a whimsical valentine to the pleasures of baking, and also a smart, practical, and detailed workbook on how to create exquisite, spectacularly tasty confections for all the occasions that anchor and enrich our days.” —Nancie’s Table “Whether you like to bake cakes that are no-nonsense or like to spend hours decorating them to the hilt, you’re sure to find a cake in here to please.” —Food Gal “Jill provides helpful tips and techniques throughout the book that will make the cake-making experience even better . . . a no-butter-spared tribute to this classic indulgence.” —Books, Cooks, Looks