This book is designed and written to help ambitious home cooks take the next steps in cake making. At its simplest patisserie is about building blocks. Building blocks of texture, flavour, and decoration. The components are often easily created, but when assembled into a finished cake they give the illusion of overall complexity. With an understanding of the key techniques behind each component, delicious and elegant delights are achievable at home. This book provides you with those tried and tested component recipes and examples of cakes that highlight them. Common patisserie problems and how to avoid them are also covered. Further detail on key kitchen equipment and organization will help cooks approach patisserie with a firm foundation for baking sensational treats. Patisserie requires additional skills beyond those necessary for usual home baking. A trusted recipe is the essential starting point, but beyond that planning, kitchen organization, and meticulous technique are vital. This book demonstrates many of these techniques and approaches. However, the joy and challenge of good patisserie is the development of your intuitive cookery skills. Tiny decisions about textures, temperatures, tastes, and appearance are the indefinable differences between good and exceptional cakes. As much as the recipes and guidance in this book are here to guide they should be used as a launch pad for your own journey. The ingredients you use, equipment, kitchen temperature, and humidity will vary and necessitate minor changes to the recipes and methods. Keep notes and trust your instincts.