'Bake Off' Star Ruby Bhogal's Debut Cookbook Offers "Deliciousness For Every Single Person" (Exclusive)

Baker, blogger, and The Great British Bake Off Season 9 contestant Ruby Bhogal charmed the world as a Bake Off finalist in 2018, thanks to her cheeky personality, clear knack for baking, and infamous vegan cake-tastrophe.

Incredibly, Bhogal had only been baking for a year when she entered that famous white tent in the U.K.

"At that point, I wasn't even confident in my own ability," she exclusively tells Green Matters via phone, adding that she rejected cookbook offers directly after Bake Off.

Bhogal's since perfected her craft, posting scrumptious recipes on The Last Bite Substack and Instagram, the latter of which has seen her amass over 551,000 followers, many of whom live a vegan lifestyle.

Naturally, Bhogal's debut cookbook, One Bake, Two Ways: Fifty bakes with an all-plant option every time — available for purchase on July 30, 2024 — includes 50 recipes, all of which are presented with two versions: traditional and plant-based.

"There was something so humbling about having to present that pile of mush to Paul [Hollywood]," Bhogal tells us of her notorious fallen cake. "Thankfully, it tasted phenomenal. That for me is what the book is all about. It's about ensuring that every single bake ... is delicious."

In an exclusive interview with Green Matters, Ruby Bhogal discussed her inclusive 2024 cookbook, her journey from overworked "chic fashionista architect woman" to star baker, and her favorite plant-based confections in the book.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

GREEN MATTERS: Can you tell us about your unexpected pivot from project manager to star baker?

RUBY BHOGAL: I did both my undergrad and my master's in architecture. I went through the whole slog, and landed myself at a fantastic job in Liverpool. When I was nearing my 30s, I had a daunting thought: "Is this really what I want to be doing with my life?"

I came back from traveling around Thailand and Indonesia with my cousin and I just remember opening my laptop and sending an email to my boss: "I quit."

I went to my mom's house in London and said, "Don't worry, I quit my job. But I'm just gonna stay at yours for a few weeks and I'll be out of your hair." It turns out, it wasn't that easy getting a job. I was unemployed for the best part of the year. I was like, "I'm literally 29 years old, and I don't have a job. I'm living at my parents' house. I don't have any money coming in. I've got bills to pay. This is not where I thought my life was going to go."

I was going through this typical daily rigmarole: Applying for jobs, watching trashy TV, and going for walks. Finding a Paul Hollywood cookbook lurking in my parents' house gave me purpose. I had never baked before that. I come from an Indian background, so food is a big part of our culture, but not necessarily sweets.

I'm so passionate about what I do now because it truly was a light for me in a dark time. It was therapy for me.

GM: What inspired you to explore plant-based baking and what has it taught you about sustainability?

RB: My partner, James Stewart, is a big part as to why I've been so environmentally conscious recently. But I also think my appreciation for food has been instilled in me from a very young age, and we grew up predominantly eating vegetables.

There's now such a varied diet within our family makeup. My dad no longer eats meat, my mum and brother and sister eat meat, my other sister flips between being vegan and vegetarian. Because being a feeder is part of my culture, if I couldn't cater to someone because I didn't know how to make a plant-based cake, that would make me really sad.

And understanding our impact on the world as well via consumption — I stopped eating beef and red meat about 12 years ago. Small changes matter. I'm thinking about my lasting impact and legacy.

I also just think the book is a nice stepping stone to introduce people to plant-based foods. It doesn't have to be a case of, "Oh, I want to bake something plant-based today." It could be a case of, "Oh, I don't have eggs. For now, I'm gonna switch to a plant-based version." I've worked so hard to make sure the recipes aren't heavily processed and that everything you require should be staples in your cupboard or easily accessible.

Every time I put recipes out on social media, someone would say, "How can I make this plant-based?" I would then offer up a plant-based version of said recipe. The more I started to do that, the more I was like, "Wait, actually, is this not a good idea for a book?"

GM: What are your favorite recipes in One Bake, Two Ways?

RB: A lot of the times, regarding the recipes in the book, it's the plant-based recipes that are actually my favorite.

Tomorrow I'm actually making my Self-Saucing Sticky Toffee Pudding Sheet Cake with Stem Ginger and Chocolate. I prefer the plant-based version to the dairy version. It is honestly so filthy, but it's so good!

Another one of my recipes that I really like is a PB&J Millefeuille Cake. We're taking the principle of a millefeuille but using phyllo, which is coated in sugar and coconut. Stacked between those are peanut butter crème pâtissière and a white chocolate cream. It's really easy to put together and looks so impressive. Again, I actually prefer the plant-based version!