diff --git a/asv_bench/benchmarks/io/excel.py b/asv_bench/benchmarks/io/excel.py
index 5bd4d832f3dde..3cc443f6cfbed 100644
--- a/asv_bench/benchmarks/io/excel.py
+++ b/asv_bench/benchmarks/io/excel.py
@@ -42,9 +42,8 @@ def setup(self, engine):
     def time_write_excel(self, engine):
         bio = BytesIO()
         bio.seek(0)
-        writer = ExcelWriter(bio, engine=engine)
-        self.df.to_excel(writer, sheet_name="Sheet1")
-        writer.save()
+        with ExcelWriter(bio, engine=engine) as writer:
+            self.df.to_excel(writer, sheet_name="Sheet1")
 
 
 class WriteExcelStyled:
@@ -57,13 +56,12 @@ def setup(self, engine):
     def time_write_excel_style(self, engine):
         bio = BytesIO()
         bio.seek(0)
-        writer = ExcelWriter(bio, engine=engine)
-        df_style = self.df.style
-        df_style.applymap(lambda x: "border: red 1px solid;")
-        df_style.applymap(lambda x: "color: blue")
-        df_style.applymap(lambda x: "border-color: green black", subset=["float1"])
-        df_style.to_excel(writer, sheet_name="Sheet1")
-        writer.save()
+        with ExcelWriter(bio, engine=engine) as writer:
+            df_style = self.df.style
+            df_style.applymap(lambda x: "border: red 1px solid;")
+            df_style.applymap(lambda x: "color: blue")
+            df_style.applymap(lambda x: "border-color: green black", subset=["float1"])
+            df_style.to_excel(writer, sheet_name="Sheet1")
 
 
 class ReadExcel:
diff --git a/doc/source/whatsnew/v2.0.0.rst b/doc/source/whatsnew/v2.0.0.rst
index d6e0bb2ae0830..94febf054f626 100644
--- a/doc/source/whatsnew/v2.0.0.rst
+++ b/doc/source/whatsnew/v2.0.0.rst
@@ -640,6 +640,8 @@ Removal of prior version deprecations/changes
 - Changed default of ``numeric_only`` to ``False`` in :class:`.Resampler` methods (:issue:`47177`)
 - Using the method :meth:`DataFrameGroupBy.transform` with a callable that returns DataFrames will align to the input's index (:issue:`47244`)
 - When providing a list of columns of length one to :meth:`DataFrame.groupby`, the keys that are returned by iterating over the resulting :class:`DataFrameGroupBy` object will now be tuples of length one (:issue:`47761`)
+- Removed deprecated methods :meth:`ExcelWriter.write_cells`, :meth:`ExcelWriter.save`, :meth:`ExcelWriter.cur_sheet`, :meth:`ExcelWriter.handles`, :meth:`ExcelWriter.path` (:issue:`45795`)
+- The :class:`ExcelWriter` attribute ``book`` can no longer be set; it is still available to be accessed and mutated (:issue:`48943`)
 -
 
 .. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/pandas/io/excel/_base.py b/pandas/io/excel/_base.py
index 6362e892f0012..6f706a4554855 100644
--- a/pandas/io/excel/_base.py
+++ b/pandas/io/excel/_base.py
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
     cast,
     overload,
 )
-import warnings
 import zipfile
 
 from pandas._config import config
@@ -44,7 +43,6 @@
     Appender,
     doc,
 )
-from pandas.util._exceptions import find_stack_level
 
 from pandas.core.dtypes.common import (
     is_bool,
@@ -1136,40 +1134,6 @@ def book(self):
         This attribute can be used to access engine-specific features.
         """
 
-    @book.setter
-    @abc.abstractmethod
-    def book(self, other) -> None:
-        """
-        Set book instance. Class type will depend on the engine used.
-        """
-
-    def write_cells(
-        self,
-        cells,
-        sheet_name: str | None = None,
-        startrow: int = 0,
-        startcol: int = 0,
-        freeze_panes: tuple[int, int] | None = None,
-    ) -> None:
-        """
-        Write given formatted cells into Excel an excel sheet
-
-        .. deprecated:: 1.5.0
-
-        Parameters
-        ----------
-        cells : generator
-            cell of formatted data to save to Excel sheet
-        sheet_name : str, default None
-            Name of Excel sheet, if None, then use self.cur_sheet
-        startrow : upper left cell row to dump data frame
-        startcol : upper left cell column to dump data frame
-        freeze_panes: int tuple of length 2
-            contains the bottom-most row and right-most column to freeze
-        """
-        self._deprecate("write_cells")
-        return self._write_cells(cells, sheet_name, startrow, startcol, freeze_panes)
-
     @abc.abstractmethod
     def _write_cells(
         self,
@@ -1194,15 +1158,6 @@ def _write_cells(
             contains the bottom-most row and right-most column to freeze
         """
 
-    def save(self) -> None:
-        """
-        Save workbook to disk.
-
-        .. deprecated:: 1.5.0
-        """
-        self._deprecate("save")
-        return self._save()
-
     @abc.abstractmethod
     def _save(self) -> None:
         """
@@ -1232,7 +1187,7 @@ def __init__(
         # the excel backend first read the existing file and then write any data to it
         mode = mode.replace("a", "r+")
 
-        # cast ExcelWriter to avoid adding 'if self.handles is not None'
+        # cast ExcelWriter to avoid adding 'if self._handles is not None'
         self._handles = IOHandles(
             cast(IO[bytes], path), compression={"compression": None}
         )
@@ -1264,29 +1219,6 @@ def __init__(
             if_sheet_exists = "error"
         self._if_sheet_exists = if_sheet_exists
 
-    def _deprecate(self, attr: str) -> None:
-        """
-        Deprecate attribute or method for ExcelWriter.
-        """
-        warnings.warn(
-            f"{attr} is not part of the public API, usage can give unexpected "
-            "results and will be removed in a future version",
-            FutureWarning,
-            stacklevel=find_stack_level(),
-        )
-
-    def _deprecate_set_book(self) -> None:
-        """
-        Deprecate setting the book attribute - GH#48780.
-        """
-        warnings.warn(
-            "Setting the `book` attribute is not part of the public API, "
-            "usage can give unexpected or corrupted results and will be "
-            "removed in a future version",
-            FutureWarning,
-            stacklevel=find_stack_level(),
-        )
-
     @property
     def date_format(self) -> str:
         """
@@ -1308,36 +1240,6 @@ def if_sheet_exists(self) -> str:
         """
         return self._if_sheet_exists
 
-    @property
-    def cur_sheet(self):
-        """
-        Current sheet for writing.
-
-        .. deprecated:: 1.5.0
-        """
-        self._deprecate("cur_sheet")
-        return self._cur_sheet
-
-    @property
-    def handles(self) -> IOHandles[bytes]:
-        """
-        Handles to Excel sheets.
-
-        .. deprecated:: 1.5.0
-        """
-        self._deprecate("handles")
-        return self._handles
-
-    @property
-    def path(self):
-        """
-        Path to Excel file.
-
-        .. deprecated:: 1.5.0
-        """
-        self._deprecate("path")
-        return self._path
-
     def __fspath__(self) -> str:
         return getattr(self._handles.handle, "name", "")
 
diff --git a/pandas/io/excel/_odswriter.py b/pandas/io/excel/_odswriter.py
index 7c90178226408..5ea3d8d3e43f4 100644
--- a/pandas/io/excel/_odswriter.py
+++ b/pandas/io/excel/_odswriter.py
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@
 )
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from odf.opendocument import OpenDocumentSpreadsheet
-
     from pandas.io.formats.excel import ExcelCell
 
 
@@ -72,14 +70,6 @@ def book(self):
         """
         return self._book
 
-    @book.setter
-    def book(self, other: OpenDocumentSpreadsheet) -> None:
-        """
-        Set book instance. Class type will depend on the engine used.
-        """
-        self._deprecate_set_book()
-        self._book = other
-
     @property
     def sheets(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
         """Mapping of sheet names to sheet objects."""
diff --git a/pandas/io/excel/_openpyxl.py b/pandas/io/excel/_openpyxl.py
index 85f1e7fda8daa..10bb1dc548313 100644
--- a/pandas/io/excel/_openpyxl.py
+++ b/pandas/io/excel/_openpyxl.py
@@ -88,14 +88,6 @@ def book(self) -> Workbook:
         """
         return self._book
 
-    @book.setter
-    def book(self, other: Workbook) -> None:
-        """
-        Set book instance. Class type will depend on the engine used.
-        """
-        self._deprecate_set_book()
-        self._book = other
-
     @property
     def sheets(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
         """Mapping of sheet names to sheet objects."""
diff --git a/pandas/io/excel/_xlsxwriter.py b/pandas/io/excel/_xlsxwriter.py
index dd583c41a90d0..1800d3d87f7c0 100644
--- a/pandas/io/excel/_xlsxwriter.py
+++ b/pandas/io/excel/_xlsxwriter.py
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from typing import (
-    TYPE_CHECKING,
-    Any,
-)
+from typing import Any
 
 from pandas._libs import json
 from pandas._typing import (
@@ -18,9 +15,6 @@
     validate_freeze_panes,
 )
 
-if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from xlsxwriter import Workbook
-
 
 class _XlsxStyler:
     # Map from openpyxl-oriented styles to flatter xlsxwriter representation
@@ -224,14 +218,6 @@ def book(self):
         """
         return self._book
 
-    @book.setter
-    def book(self, other: Workbook) -> None:
-        """
-        Set book instance. Class type will depend on the engine used.
-        """
-        self._deprecate_set_book()
-        self._book = other
-
     @property
     def sheets(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
         result = self.book.sheetnames
diff --git a/pandas/tests/io/excel/test_writers.py b/pandas/tests/io/excel/test_writers.py
index 161587a11fe9e..fa0d54f5ea2dd 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/io/excel/test_writers.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/io/excel/test_writers.py
@@ -1233,42 +1233,6 @@ def test_to_excel_empty_frame(self, engine, ext):
             expected = DataFrame()
             tm.assert_frame_equal(result, expected)
 
-    @pytest.mark.parametrize("attr", ["cur_sheet", "handles", "path"])
-    def test_deprecated_attr(self, engine, ext, attr):
-        # GH#45572
-        with tm.ensure_clean(ext) as path:
-            with ExcelWriter(path) as writer:
-                msg = f"{attr} is not part of the public API"
-                with tm.assert_produces_warning(FutureWarning, match=msg):
-                    getattr(writer, attr)
-                # Some engines raise if nothing is written
-                DataFrame().to_excel(writer)
-
-    @pytest.mark.filterwarnings("ignore:Calling close():UserWarning:xlsxwriter")
-    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-        "attr, args", [("save", ()), ("write_cells", ([], "test"))]
-    )
-    def test_deprecated_method(self, engine, ext, attr, args):
-        # GH#45572
-        with tm.ensure_clean(ext) as path:
-            with ExcelWriter(path) as writer:
-                msg = f"{attr} is not part of the public API"
-                # Some engines raise if nothing is written
-                DataFrame().to_excel(writer)
-                with tm.assert_produces_warning(FutureWarning, match=msg):
-                    getattr(writer, attr)(*args)
-
-    def test_deprecated_book_setter(self, engine, ext):
-        # GH#48780
-        with tm.ensure_clean(ext) as path:
-            with ExcelWriter(path) as writer:
-                msg = "Setting the `book` attribute is not part of the public API"
-                # Some engines raise if nothing is written
-                DataFrame().to_excel(writer)
-                book = writer.book
-                with tm.assert_produces_warning(FutureWarning, match=msg):
-                    writer.book = book
-
 
 class TestExcelWriterEngineTests:
     @pytest.mark.parametrize(