Easiest-Ever Battenberg

This classic chequerboard cake wrapped in marzipan is easier to achieve than you think

• Cooking Time Prep 45 mins
  Cook 30 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Cuts into 8 slices

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  649

• Protein

  8g

• Carbs

  84g

• Fat

  32g

• Saturates

  13g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  72g

• Salt

  0.7g

Ingredients

• For the cake
• 175g really soft butter
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 50g ground almonds
• 140g self-raising flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp almond extract
• pink food colouring (we used 1 tube Dr Oetker gel food colouring in Hot pink)
• To decorate
• 100g apricot jam
• icing sugar, for dusting
• 500g pack white marzipan

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Using a double layer of foil, make a barrier down the center of a 20cm square tin (or use a Battenberg tin), then line each compartment with 2 pieces of baking parchment. Put all the cake ingredients except the food colouring in a large mixing bowl and blend with an electric hand whisk until smooth. Tip half the cake mixture into one side of the tin. Quickly mix the food colouring into the remaining cake mixture. When you have a smooth and vivid pink colour, scrape this mixture into the other side of the tin, then spread both mixtures to the edges of their sections. Bake for 25-30 mins until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 15 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
2. Place the cakes on a chopping board and trim the sides of each one to give you a straight edge. Cut each one in half lengthways to give you 2 pink and 2 plain rectangular sponges, using a ruler if you want to be really exact. If the sponges are a little taller than they are wide, trim some sponge from the tops as well-this will ensure you have a perfect square when you come to assemble the cake.
3. Heat the apricot jam in a small pan or the microwave, then sieve it. Lightly dust a work surface with a little icing sugar, then roll out a quarter of the marzipan to a rectangle roughly 20 x 10cm. Brush the surface with the warm apricot jam, then place 1 plain sponge and 1 pink sponge side by side on top, brushing the middle of the cakes with a little jam to stick them together. Brush the top of the cakes with more jam, then place the remaining sponges on top, with more jam in between, in a chequerboard pattern.
4. Roll out the remaining marzipan to a rectangle roughly 20 x 25cm. Brush any remaining jam over the outside of the assembled cake. Using a rolling pin to help, lift the marzipan over the cake. Smooth it over the top and sides, and press gently into the corners so it wraps the cake tightly. Trim any excess marzipan about 1cm from the sides of the cake, and trim a thin slice off either end to neaten. To finish, crimp the marzipan around the base by pinching with your finger and thumb.

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Chocolate Raspberry & Rose Battenberg Gateau

Traditional Battenberg is given a bakeover with this chocolate, rose and raspberry chequerboard cake

• Cooking Time Prep 1 hr, 20 mins
  Cook 1 hr, 10 mins
• Skill Level For the keen cook
• Servings Cuts into 16 slices

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  697

• Protein

  10g

• Carbs

  61g

• Fat

  46g

• Saturates

  25g

• Fibre

  3g

• Sugar

  42g

• Salt

  0.9g

Ingredients

• For the chocolate sponges
• 225g very soft salted butter, plus a little extra for greasing
• 225g golden caster sugar
• 175g self-raising flour
• 85g ground almonds
• 50g cocoa powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 140g natural yogurt
• For the raspberry-rose sponges
• 25g freeze-dried raspberries, plus extra for decorating (optional)
• 200g self-raising flour
• 225g very soft butter, plus a little extra for greasing
• 225g golden caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 85g ground almonds
• 1½ tbsp rose water
• 100g natural yogurt
• artificial pink food colouring
• To assemble and ice
• jar of raspberry jam
• 200g bar of dark chocolate
• 200ml pot double cream
• 25g butter

Directions

1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line the base of 2 x 18cm round sandwich tins.
2. Start with the chocolate sponges. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat with an electric whisk until the mixture comes together smoothly. Working quickly, weigh the batter, then spread exactly half in each tin. Bake for 30 mins-when you poke a skewer into the middle, it should come out clean. Cool in the tins for 15 mins, then carefully turn out onto wire racks to finish cooling while you make the raspberry-rose sponges.
3. Clean the tins, then grease and line as above. Whizz the freeze-dried raspberries and flour together until no lumps of raspberry remain. Tip into a mixing bowl, add the butter, sugar, eggs, almonds, rose water and yogurt, and beat together as above. When smooth, beat in a little pink food colouring bit by bit until you get a nice colour-it will fade a bit during baking. Weigh, divide between the tins and bake and cool as above.
4. Once cool, gently cover and chill the sponges for 30 mins-this will make cutting them easier and neater.
5. Unwrap the sponges and, if they have domed in the centre, trim to flatten. Cut a 12cm-diameter circle out of the centre of each sponge using a biscuit cutter or paper template. Then cut a 6cm-diameter circle from the centre of your 12cm sponge. From each sponge, you should end up with a 6cm circle, a 12cm ring and an 18cm ring. Swap the middle rings of the chocolate sponges with the middle rings from the raspberry-rose sponges, and fit the cut pieces back together. Handle the sponges very gently to avoid cracking the edges too much.
6. Heat the jam to melt, then sieve to remove the seeds. Generously brush some over one of the sponges and top with an alternating sponge. Repeat to stack up all the layers. Sit the cake on a serving plate or cake stand.
7. Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl with the cream and butter. Set over a pan of barely simmering water so the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water, and very gently melt together. Cool until slightly thickened and more spreadable, then spread all over the cake to finish. Don't return to the fridge-this cake keeps for two days at room temperature-and tastes better the day after assembling.

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Custard Kisses

Try a homemade version of these old-school favourites for a comforting afternoon tea

• Cooking Time Prep 30 mins
  Cook 8 mins - 10 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 15-25

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  220

• Protein

  1g

• Carbs

  20g

• Fat

  16g

• Saturates

  10g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  18g

• Salt

  0.24g

Ingredients

• 175g softened butter
• 50g golden caster sugar
• 50g icing sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• For the custard filling
• 100g softened butter
• 140g icing sugar, sifted, plus a little extra
• 2 tbsp custard powder
• few drops yellow food colouring, if you have any

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix the butter, sugars, egg yolks and vanilla with a wooden spoon until creamy, then mix in the flour in 2 batches. Roll out thinly on a floured surface, then use a standard 30cm ruler as a template to cut the dough into small, even squares. Do this by starting with the ruler flush with one side and cutting along the length of it. Repeat across the width of the dough, then do the same from the top down. Transfer to baking sheets and bake for 8-10 mins until golden.
2. While the biscuits cool, mix the butter, icing sugar, custard powder and food colouring, if you have any. Pipe or spread a little icing onto a biscuit, then sandwich with 1 or 2 more biscuits. Repeat until all the biscuits are used, then dust with a little more icing sugar.

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Butterscotch Cookies

Hidden rice puffs give reader Pamela Johnson's butterscotch chocolate chip biscuits a good crunch

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 20 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 10

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  188

• Protein

  2g

• Carbs

  27g

• Fat

  8g

• Saturates

  5g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  13g

• Salt

  0.2g

Ingredients

• 100g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the baking sheet
• 100g light soft brown sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 175g self-raising flour
• 25g puffed rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies
• dark chocolate chips, for decoration

Directions

1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and golden syrup until smooth.
2. Sift in the flour and mix together, then fold through the puffed rice cereal. Roll into walnut-sized balls and place, well spaced, on a lightly buttered baking sheet. Decorate each ball with a few chocolate chips.
3. Bake for 15-20 mins until golden. Leave on the baking sheet for 1 min before removing to a wire rack to cool.

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Red Velvet Cake

A beautiful chocolate sponge with buttercream icing - perfect for a romantic evening

• Cooking Time Cook 30 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Serves 12

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  656

• Protein

  5g

• Carbs

  75g

• Fat

  37g

• Saturates

  23g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  61g

• Salt

  0.8g

Ingredients

• few sweets to decorate, we used jelly hearts from a sweet shop (optional)
• For the sponges
• 250g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 200g dark chocolate, broken into chunks
• 500g plain flour
• 500g golden caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 200g natural yogurt
• 400g cooked beetroot in natural juices (not vinegar)
• 4 tbsp or 2 x 28ml bottle red food colouring (optional- a natural liquid colouring will not work; we used Scarlett Langdale)
• For the frosting
• 200g full-fat soft cheese, at room temperature
• 250g butter, softened
• 400g icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Make the first batch of sponges by greasing and lining 2 x 20cm round tins. Gently melt half the butter and chocolate together in a saucepan. Mix half the flour, sugar, cocoa, bicarb and ¼ tsp salt in a large mixing bowl. Whizz one egg and half the yogurt and beetroot in a food processor or blender until fairly smooth. Put the kettle on.
2. Tip the beetroot mix into the dry ingredients along with the melted chocolate mixture and 150ml boiling water, then stir to combine. Stir in half the food colouring, if using, and divide the mixture between the tins. Bake for 25 mins until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean. Leave the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to make 2 more sponges or if you're lucky enough to have 4 x 20cm sandwich tins you can bake in a big batch all at once.
4. To make the frosting, briefly beat together the soft cheese and butter, then beat in the icing sugar and vanilla. Use a little to sandwich the cooled cakes together, then swirl the rest all over the sandwiched cakes and decorate with sweets, if you like. Sit the cake somewhere cool (not the fridge) to set a little before serving.

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Love Bug Biscuits

These cute cookies decorated with fondant icing in a heart-shaped ladybird pattern would make a lovely romantic gift

• Cooking Time Prep 30 mins
  Cook 12 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 20

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  166

• Protein

  1g

• Carbs

  29g

• Fat

  5g

• Saturates

  3g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  22g

• Salt

  0.1g

Ingredients

• 175g plain flour
• 100g chilled butter, cubed
• 85g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg yolk
• To decorate
• 500g ready-to-roll fondant icing
• red food colouring
• 100g icing sugar
• black food colouring
• edible pearly ball decorations
• You will also need
• 8cm heart-shaped cutter
• 6cm heart-shaped cutter

Directions

1. Put the flour, butter, sugar, vanilla and egg yolk in a food processor. Dribble in 1 tbsp water and blitz until the mixture comes together to form a dough. Tip onto a work surface and knead briefly to bring together, then wrap in cling film and chill for 20 mins.
2. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roll out the dough to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use your 8cm heart cutter to stamp out heart shapes-you'll have to re-roll the trimmings to make 20 biscuits. Put the hearts on 2 baking trays and bake for 12 mins, swapping the trays over halfway through, until pale golden and crisp. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
3. Dye your lump of icing with red food colouring and wrap in cling film until ready to roll. Mix the icing sugar with enough water to make a thick icing. Dye the icing with the black food colouring. Pour the icing into a piping bag with a small plain nozzle attached (or use a small sandwich bag and snip off the corner). Roll out the red icing to 3mm thick and use your 6cm cutter to stamp out hearts. Stick onto the biscuits with a little of the black icing.
4. Use the black icing to give your love bug a head at the pointy end, draw a line down the centre to give it wings, then add spots. Stick 2 pearly balls onto each love bug's head, then leave to set on a wire rack. You can pack your love bugs into boxes or cellophane bags to give as gifts for Valentine's Day.

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Passion Fruit SoufflAcs With Passion Fruit Sauce

Use ready-made custard in these tropical desserts, for all the 'wow' factor but less of the effort

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 15 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  226

• Protein

  7g

• Carbs

  29g

• Fat

  8g

• Saturates

  3g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  27g

• Salt

  0.3g

Ingredients

• knob of butter, plus extra for greasing
• 75g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 4 medium egg whites
• 6 ripe passion fruits, halved
• 150ml ready-made custard

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put a baking tray on the top shelf to heat up. Grease 4 x 150ml ramekins with butter and dust the insides with caster sugar to coat.
2. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until stiff. Add 1 tbsp of the sugar and whisk for 30 secs more until thick and glossy. In a separate bowl, scoop the pulp from 1 passion fruit into the custard, then fold in the whisked egg white. Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins and put on the hot baking tray. Bake for 15 mins until risen and golden on top.
3. While the soufflés are cooking, make the sauce. Scoop the remaining passion fruit pulp into a saucepan, add the remaining sugar and simmer gently for 5 mins. Finally add a knob of butter and stir until melted. Pass through a sieve and serve in a jug with the hot soufflés as soon as they come out of the oven. Let your guests break a hole in the centre of their soufflé, then pour in the sauce.

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Doughnut Muffins

These individual sugar-dipped cupcakes are baked not fried but taste just as delicious and are best straight from the oven

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  Cook 18 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 12

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  229

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  29g

• Fat

  11g

• Saturates

  6g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  18g

• Salt

  0.4g

Ingredients

• 140g golden caster sugar, plus 200g extra for dusting
• 200g plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 100ml natural yogurt
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 140g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
• 12 tsp seedless raspberry jam

Directions

1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Lightly grease a 12-hole muffin tin (or use a silicone one). Put 140g sugar, flour and bicarb in a bowl and mix to combine. In a jug, whisk together the yogurt, eggs and vanilla. Tip the jug contents and melted butter into the dry ingredients and quickly fold with a metal spoon to combine.
2. Divide two-thirds of the mixture between the muffin holes. Carefully add 1 tsp jam into the centre of each, then cover with the remaining mixture. Bake for 16-18 mins until risen, golden and springy to touch.
3. Leave the muffins to cool for 5 mins before lifting out of the tin and rolling in the extra sugar.

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Mini Eclairs

Afternoon tea goes glam with these Paris patisserie-style choux pastry fingers with berry liqueur cream filling

• Cooking Time Prep 45 mins
  Cook 1 hr
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Makes about 30

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  182

• Protein

  2g

• Carbs

  25g

• Fat

  8g

• Saturates

  4g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  20g

• Salt

  0.1g

Ingredients

• For the buns
• 150ml milk
• 100g butter, diced
• 200g plain flour, sieved
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• For the filling
• 200ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla paste, or 1 vanilla pod, split down the middle
• 2 large egg yolks
• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 200ml double cream
• To decorate
• 2 tbsp berry liqueur, such as cassis, framboise or sloe gin (optional)
• 500g pack fondant icing sugar, sifted
• food colouring (use pinks and purples if you flavour with a berry liqueur)
• sprinkles and edible cake decoration (we used Smarties and Mini Smarties)

Directions

1. To make the buns, heat the milk, butter and 150ml water very gently in a medium-sized saucepan until all the butter has melted. Get the flour and some salt ready, then increase the heat and bring the liquid to the boil. As soon as it is boiling, remove from the heat and beat in the flour and a pinch of salt with a wooden spoon. Keep beating until the mixture is smooth and comes away from the sides of the pan. Cool for 5 mins.
2. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, to a smooth, shiny dough. Spoon into a piping bag with a 1.5-2cm plain nozzle and set aside until ready to bake.
3. To make the filling, bring the milk just to the boil in a saucepan with the vanilla paste or split pod. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and flours in a mixing bowl. Pour on the hot milk while continuously whisking the egg mixture. Discard the pod (if using) and return the mix to a wiped-out saucepan. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring, until the mix is thicker than a custard-it will get lumpy, but just carry on stirring and beat out the lumps. Transfer to another mixing bowl and lay cling film directly on the surface. Leave to cool, then chill.
4. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Line a couple of baking sheets with baking parchment. Pipe on 8-10cm long lengths of the dough, about 2cm wide-leaving space to expand between each one. Put in the oven for 5 mins, then reduce heat to 200C/200C fan/gas 6 and bake for 10 mins more until golden, puffed and crisp. Using a skewer, poke 3 small holes along the base of each bun. Put back on the baking sheets, base up, and return to the oven for a further 8-10 mins until slightly crisper. Cool. Can be frozen for up to a month, or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days-just crisp up in a hot oven again when ready to fill.
5. Add the cream to the thick custard filling and beat with an electric whisk until it holds its own shape again. Put into a piping bag with a tiny nozzle, then pipe some filling into the bottom of the buns using the skewer holes you made before (see Secrets of success, below). When it squirts back out, that bit is probably full.
6. Stir the liqueur, if using, into the icing sugar, plus just enough water to make a pretty thick icing. Divide among as many bowls as you want colours, and colour each batch as you like. (Depending on your colouring, you may need to add a drop more water to icings so that they are thick but runny.)
7. Dip the top of each eclair in icing to cover, or use a teaspoon to spread a little on-use less at first and wait for it to spread and settle. Add sprinkles and decorations, then gently sit on wire racks to set. Eclairs are best eaten on the day they are filled and decorated, before they go soggy.

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Hidden Heart Cake

Slice into this delicious loaf cake and reveal the secret heart design running through the middle - a really romantic bake!

• Cooking Time Prep 50 mins
  Cook 2 hrs, 20 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Cuts into 8-10 slices

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  858

• Protein

  13g

• Carbs

  65g

• Fat

  60g

• Saturates

  31g

• Fibre

  4g

• Sugar

  42g

• Salt

  0.6g

Ingredients

• For the cake
• 2 x 175g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 x 175g golden caster sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 2 x 140g self-raising flour, sifted
• 2 x ½ tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 x 85g ground almond
• 2 x 100ml milk
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 28ml bottle red food colourings or ½ tsp red food colouring gel
• For the icing
• 100ml double cream
• 200g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 50g unsalted butter
• pink sprinkles (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a 900g loaf tin and line with a long strip of baking parchment. Cream 175g butter and 175g sugar until light and fluffy. Beat 3 of the eggs and pour in, a little at a time, mixing after each addition. Sift together 140g flour, 1?2 tsp baking powder and the cocoa, then fold into the butter mixture along with the almonds. Combine 100ml milk, 11?2 tsp vanilla and all the food colouring and add to the batter, then mix until evenly coloured.
2. Pour into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 1 hr 10 mins until a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 mins in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack. When cool, cut the cake into 4cm slices. Using a 5cm cutter, stamp out the hearts (save any remaining cake for another treat).
3. Repeat step 1 to make a second cake mixture-you won't have cocoa or food colour in this batch. Pour 3?4 of the mixture into the prepared loaf tin. Push the bottoms of the hearts into the batter in a tightly packed row. Spoon over the remaining cake mixture, covering as much of the hearts as possible. bake for 1 hr or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 mins in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. For the icing, gently heat all the ingredients over a low heat until combined. Leave to cool, then chill until needed. Spread over the cooled cake and decorate with the sprinkles, if using. Will keep for 3 days stored in a cake tin.

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Moreish Mocha Profiteroles

A classic profiterole recipe with an added kick for coffee lovers - pile up a batch as modern wedding cake!

• Cooking Time Prep 45 mins
  Cook 30 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Serves 6

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  807

• Protein

  11g

• Carbs

  73g

• Fat

  54g

• Saturates

  31g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  51g

• Salt

  0.63g

Ingredients

• 100g plain flour
• 85g unsalted butter
• 3 eggs, beaten
• For the filling
• 4 tbsp Bird's custard powder
• 6 tbsp golden caster sugar
• 600ml milk
• 2 tbsp coffee essence (dissolve 2 tbsp instant coffee granules in 2 tbsp hot water - we used Nescafé Partners' Blend)
• 284ml double cream
• 100g icing sugar
• For the sauce
• 100g dark chocolate, in pieces
• 50g butter
• 50ml coffee
• 1-2 tbsp coffee liqueur such as Kahlúa

Directions

1. Sift the flour into a bowl and stir in a pinch of salt. Put butter and 200ml cold water into a pan, bring to a rolling boil, then take off the heat. Tip in the flour and salt and stir to form a smooth paste. Now beat the mixture until it starts to come away from the sides of the pan, then tip onto a plate and leave to cool.
2. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Return paste to the pan, then gradually beat in the eggs, mixing well. Spoon walnut-sized balls onto a baking sheet, then bake for 20-25 mins until golden. Remove from oven, poke the underneath with a teaspoon, turn upside-down, then bake for 5 mins to dry out. Cool on a wire rack before filling.
3. For the filling, mix the custard powder and sugar with a splash of milk until you have a smooth paste. Heat the remaining milk, then stir into the paste. Pour the mixture into a pan and bring to the boil, stirring. Cook for 5 mins until you have a thick custard. Stir in coffee, then leave to cool. Softly whip the cream, sift in the icing sugar and mix, then fold into the custard. Pipe the cream into each choux bun.
4. For the sauce, melt chocolate and butter with the coffee in a bowl in the microwave on Medium for 1-2 mins. Pour in the liqueur, mix well, then pour over the filled buns.

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Romantic Rose Cupcakes

These decorative cupcakes make the perfect centrepiece for a wedding or christening, or a lovely gift

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 20 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 12 deep cupcakes

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  525

• Protein

  6g

• Carbs

  57g

• Fat

  32g

• Saturates

  16g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  47g

• Salt

  0.36g

Ingredients

• 150ml pot natural yogurt
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 140g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 100g ground almonds
• 175g unsalted butter, melted
• For the white chocolate frosting
• 100g white chocolate
• 140g unsalted butter
• 140g icing sugar

Directions

1. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases and heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. In a jug, mix the yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract. Put the dry ingredients, plus a pinch of salt, into a large bowl and make a well in the middle.
2. Add the yogurty mix and melted butter, and quickly fold in with a spatula or metal spoon-don't overwork it. Spoon into the cases (they will be quite full) and bake for 18-20 mins or until golden, risen and springy to the touch. Cool for a few mins, then lift the cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely. Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze as soon as possible.
3. White chocolate frosting: Melt the chocolate in the microwave on High for 1½ mins, stirring halfway. Leave to cool. Beat the butter and icing sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Beat in the chocolate. Cover and chill for up to one month.
4. Up to 48 hrs before serving (or the day before if it's really hot), bring the frosting back to room temperature, then spread over the cakes. Put the ribbon around the cakes now if you like, tying or glueing in place. Keep cool, out of direct sunlight.

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Creating Your Wedding Cake

Jane Hornby's wedding cake is our simplest ever. And each tier is flavoured differently, so there's something for everyone...

• Cooking Time Several hours depending on ability
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 104

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  -

• Protein

  -

• Carbs

  -

• Fat

  -

• Saturates

  -

• Fibre

  -

• Sugar

  -

• Salt

  -

Ingredients

• The cakes
• 1 x top tier, see 'Goes well with'
• 1 x middle tier, see 'Goes well with'
• 1 x bottom tier, see 'Goes well with'
• For the marzipan
• half a 454g jar apricot jam, you'll use the rest later
• 500g pack natural marzipan
• For the buttercream
• 500g unsalted butter, softened
• 1kg icing sugar, sifted
• jar good-quality lemon curd
• 142ml carton double cream
• 200g bar plain chocolate (70% cocoa), broken into pieces
• For the icing
• FRUIT CAKE - 500g/1lb2oz white ready-to-roll icing, cream food colouring paste
• LEMON CAKE - 1kg/2lb4oz white ready-to-roll icing, dusty pink food-colouring paste
• CHOCOLATE CAKE - 1.7kg/3lb 10oz white ready-to-roll icing, ivory food-colouring paste
• FOR THE BOARD - 800g/1lb12oz white ready-to-roll icing, ivory food-colouring paste
• For stacking the cakes
• 200g icing sugar
• 1 egg white
• dowelling rods
• Special equipment you will need
• 15cm, 23cm and 30cm deep-round cake tin
• plenty greaseproof paper
• thick 35cm diameter silver cake drum (base)
• thin 15cm, 23cm and 30cm diameter silver cake board
• long serrated knife
• palette knife
• cream, ivory and pink food colouring pastes
• long roll ing pin
• 6 standard plastic dowelling rods
• strong kitchen scissors
• 1m ivory ribbon, 15mm wide
• medium artist's paintbrush
• cooling rack
• string for measuring
• 20cm, 25cm, 33cm cake boxes with lids (if transporting the cake)

Directions

1. COVER THE FRUIT CAKE WITH THE MARZIPAN: How to do it: Boil the apricot jam with 2 tbsp water and sieve into a bowl. Brush the 15cm cake board with a little of the apricot jam. Cut off the rounded top of the cake and turn upside-down onto the board. Measure across the top and sides of the cake with string, cut to length and set the string aside. Brush the cake all over with a thin layer of apricot jam.
2. Dust the work surface with icing sugar and roll the marzipan into a circle big enough to cover the cake top and sides, using the cut string as a guide. Lift over the cake and smooth with your hands. Trim the marzipan to the base of the cake (so you can't see the board) and leave to dry for one day if time. If not, the cake can be iced straight away.
3. FILL & COVER THE CHOCOLATE & LEMON CAKES WITH BUTTERCREAM: Adding good-quality lemon curd or silky chocolate ganache transforms simplebuttercream into an indulgent filling.
4. How you do it: First make the buttercream. Beat the butter until creamy, then gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar. Weigh 600g/1lb 5oz of the mix and stir 5 tbsp of the lemon curd into it.
5. In a small pan, bring the cream just to the boil, then pour over the chocolate. Leave to stand for 2 mins, then stir until smooth. Once cool but still liquid, fold into the remaining basic buttercream.
6. Once each cake is completely cool, level off the top using a long serrated knife. Spread a little of the corresponding buttercream over the matching thin cake board. Turn cake upside down onto the board and brush all over with a thin layer of the sieved apricot jam-this helps to prevent stray crumbs getting into the buttercream.
7. Cut into three layers horizontally-don't worry if you cut the layers unevenly as it won't affect the finished cake. If it's a hot day or warm in your kitchen, refrigerate the cakes for a while-it will firm them up and make cutting and lifting much easier. Lift off each layer as you cut it, and set it aside so that when you re-stack the layers they are in the right order.
8. If you've made the buttercream in advance and it has hardened slightly, warm in the microwave on Defrost for 10 secs and beat well. Using a palette knife, spread approx 1/4 of the buttercream over the first layer of the cake. For the lemon cake, swirl another tbsp or so of lemon curd over the icing. Stack the remaining layers this way, spreading all of the remaining icing over the top and sides of the cake, smoothing it down to meet the cardboard cake base. Smooth all over with your palette knife and set aside. The cakes are now ready for covering with ready-to-roll icing. Filled with buttercream and iced, the cakes will keep for up to 3 days.
9. COVER ALL THE CAKES WITH READY-TO-ROLL ICING: The next stage is to subtly colour the different tiers with the ivory, dusky pink and cream colouring pastes.
10. How to do it: For the marzipanned fruit cake only, first lightly brush with cooled, boiled water to help the icing stick. For all the cakes, dust the work surface with icing sugar and knead the icing until pliable. Add a few specks of the food colouring with a toothpick or the end of a skewer-be very sparing as a little goes a long way. Work the colour in until you have an evenly coloured, smooth paste. Add more and knead again if you want the colour to be more intense.
11. Lightly dust the work surface again and roll the icing into a circle large enough to cover the sides and top of the cake, with a little excess. Use string to measure as before. Lift the icing over the cake, using your rolling pin to help you.
12. Smooth the icing around the cake with your hands, then trim off the excess with a sharp knife. Leave overnight to dry. Once iced, keep for 3 days.
13. Once you've iced the cakes, cover the 35cm base. Lightly brush with cooled, boiled water and cover with ivory-coloured icing. Trim and leave overnight to dry.
14. STACK THE CAKES: Dowels give stability and strength to tiered cakes. By measuring and cutting the dowels to the same length, you're providing an even platform for the next cake to sit on, even if your cake is a bit wonky. For this cake, the tiers are stacked like steps, just off centre.
15. How you do it: In a large bowl, gradually beat icing sugar into the egg white until thick and smooth. Cover with cling film until ready to use.
16. Starting with the chocolate cake, insert three dowelling rods in a triangle, slightly offset to one side and no wider than the base of the lemon cake that's going to sit on top. With a permanent pen, lightly mark where the top of the icing comes to on the dowel.
17. Carefully pull out the dowels and line up on the work surface. Using a ruler, re-mark each rod to the highest point. Score the dowels with scissors around the new marks and snap the plastic cleanly.
18. Re-insert the rods in their original holes, rounded end down. Cut the thin ivory ribbon to fit around the thick base board, securing at the back with glue or double-sided tape. To stack the cakes, spoon a little royal icing over each of the dowel holes. Carefully lift the chocolate cake onto the covered board, then stack cakes on top of one another, positioning each cake and gently lowering one side of it onto the base or cake below. Slide your palette knife under it at this point and gently lower the cake down. Slide the knife out at the last minute. (If you're moving the cake to the venue, put the cakes into their boxes and take the icing with you.)
19. THE TIME PLAN: UP TO A MONTH AHEAD: 1. Make the fruit cake and cover with marzipan. 2. Make the chocolate and lemon cakes if freezing-they will freeze for up to 1 month (although they are best made fresh if you can).
20. UP TO 4 DAYS AHEAD: 1. Make the chocolate and lemon cakes if making fresh-keep well rapped in baking parchment and cling film in a cool place. 2. Make the chocolate and lemon buttercream and keep in the fridge. 3. Make the chocolate and lemon cakes if making fresh-keep well wrapped in baking parchment and cling film in a cool place. 4. Make the chocolate and lemon buttercream and keep in the fridge.
21. UP TO 3 DAYS AHEAD: 1. Fill and cover the chocolate and lemon cakes with buttercream and cover all of the cakes and the board with icing. 2. Insert the dowelling rods.
22. UP TO 2 DAYS AHEAD: 1. Frost the rose petals.
23. ON THE DAY: 1. Stack the cakes and decorate with petals once the cakes are in place.

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Polish Apple Cake Szarlotka

This traditional spiced cake is served with a cinnamon whipped cream and a dusting of icing sugar

• Cooking Time Prep 35 mins
  Cook 1 hr
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 12

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  398

• Protein

  5g

• Carbs

  60g

• Fat

  16g

• Saturates

  9g

• Fibre

  3g

• Sugar

  33g

• Salt

  0.1g

Ingredients

• For the filling
• half a lemon
• 6 large Bramley or cooking apples
• 4 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• For the dough
• 450g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 200g unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus extra for greasing
• 225g golden caster sugar
• 3 egg yolks, plus 1 whole egg, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp natural yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon zest (from the half a lemon, above)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• To serve
• icing sugar, for dusting
• 300ml pot whipping cream
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line a 20 x 29cm baking tray with baking parchment.
2. For the filling, zest the lemon half and leave aside for the dough. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples, then squeeze over the juice of the lemon to stop the fruit turning brown. Put the apples in a large pan and add the sugar, 200ml water and cinnamon. Cook for 5 mins, then remove from the heat and leave to cool in the liquid (you'll need this later).
3. To make the dough, put the flour and baking powder in a food processor or into a large bowl and pulse or stir to combine. Add the butter and mix again until the mixture is sandy. Add the sugar, egg yolks and egg, yogurt, lemon zest and vanilla extract and mix into a dough. Tip it out onto a floured surface. Bring it together with your hands and roll it into a ball.
4. Split the dough in half, wrap one half in cling film and freeze for 1 hr. Roll out the other dough half so that it is big enough to fill the bottom of the lined tray. With the palm of your hand, push the dough about halfway up the sides of the tray until the whole base is covered. Prick the dough with a fork and bake in the oven for about 15 mins until it is golden and lightly springy to the touch.
5. Spoon over the apple filling, with about half the cooking liquid, then set aside.
6. Remove the dough from the freezer and coarsely grate, as you would a block of cheese. Sprinkle the grated dough over the apples and bake for 40-45 mins until it is golden and the topping has cooked through. Leave to cool completely, dust with icing sugar, then cut into squares. Whip the cream until thick, stir in the cinnamon and serve alongside the cake.

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Raspberry & Apple Crumble Squares

A brilliant combination of two great puddings - sponge and crumble - try reader Bridie Bannon's fruity traybake

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 50 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Cuts into 16

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  230

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  37g

• Fat

  9g

• Saturates

  5g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  21g

• Salt

  0.35g

Ingredients

• 1 Bramley apple, peeled and diced
• 100g butter, softened
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 280g self-raising flour
• 125ml milk
• 200g raspberries
• For the crumble topping
• 50g butter, diced
• 85g self-raising flour
• 100g golden caster sugar
• zest 1 lemon

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 20 x 30cm cake tin with baking parchment. Put the apple in a small pan with 2 tbsp water. Cook for a few mins or until the apple starts to soften.
2. Meanwhile, make the crumble topping. Rub the butter into the flour, sugar and lemon zest until it resembles big breadcrumbs, then set aside.
3. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy, then gradually add the egg. Tip in the flour and milk, and continue to beat until everything is combined. Incorporate the apples then spoon the mixture into the tin, smooth the surface, then dot with the raspberries. Sprinkle over the crumble topping and bake for 45 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean, and the topping is golden.

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Apricot Shortbread

Give homemade biscuits a fruity spin by sandwiching a layer of apricots in between two layers of buttery tray-baked shortbread

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 30 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Cuts into 16 squares

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  260

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  32g

• Fat

  13g

• Saturates

  8g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  14g

• Salt

  0.3g

Ingredients

• 200g dried apricots, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp apricot conserve
• 250g pack butter, chopped
• 100g golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g plain flour
• 140g ground rice

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease and line a 20cm square shallow cake tin with baking parchment. Put the apricots and conserve in a small pan with 4 tbsp water, simmer over a medium heat until thick, then mash the apricots a little with a fork and set aside to cool.
2. Tip the butter, sugar and vanilla into a large bowl, and beat with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the flour and ground rice, using a wooden spoon and then your hands to bring the mixture together as a dough. Divide into 2 pieces.
3. Use your fingers to spread 1 piece of shortbread dough over the bottom of the tin. Spread the apricots over the top, leaving a small border around the edge. Roll out the remaining dough to a 20cm square and place on top of the apricot filling. Use your finger to make an indent all around the edges of the shortbread, then prick the top all over with a fork. Bake for 25-30 mins until the edges are just starting to turn golden. Leave to cool in the tin, then sprinkle with caster sugar and cut into 16 squares.

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Bramley & Blackberry Tray Cake

A kind of right-way-up upside down cake - a perfect teatime treat. You can make it in a roasting tin, too

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  Cook 1 hr, 10 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 8

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  587

• Protein

  7g

• Carbs

  64g

• Fat

  35g

• Saturates

  21g

• Fibre

  3g

• Sugar

  42g

• Salt

  1.01g

Ingredients

• 175g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 4 Bramley apples, (approx 800g/1lb 12oz)
• squeeze lemon juice
• 284ml carton whipping cream
• 225g golden caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling
• 3 eggs
• 300g blackberries

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Grease a roasting tin (30x20cm) with butter, dust with a little flour, then set aside. Peel, core and slice the apples into rings, then toss in a little lemon juice to stop them going brown.
2. Tip the cream and butter into a saucepan, bring up to the boil, then set aside. Whisk the sugar with the eggs until they thicken and turn pale, about 3 mins. Whisk the buttery cream into the eggs, then fold in the flour until completely smooth.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and arrange the apple slices over the top. Scatter over the blackberries, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Bake for 50 mins-1 hr until golden and beginning to pull away from the sides of the tin. Leave to cool in the tin and serve cut into squares.

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Gooseberry & Almond Streusel Squares

A rustic, crumbly traybake to enjoy with a cuppa, or with custard for pudding

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 1 hr
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Cut into 8 squares

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  589

• Protein

  8g

• Carbs

  56g

• Fat

  38g

• Saturates

  17g

• Fibre

  4g

• Sugar

  32g

• Salt

  0.78g

Ingredients

• 250g chilled butter, chopped
• 250g self-raising flour
• 125g ground almonds
• 125g light muscovado sugar
• 350g gooseberries, fresh or frozen
• 85g caster sugar, plus extra
• 50g flaked almonds

Directions

1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Line a 27 x 18cm baking tin with baking parchment.
2. Rub the butter into the flour, almonds and sugar to make crumbs, then firmly press two-thirds onto the base and sides of the tin. Toss the gooseberries with the caster sugar, then scatter over the top.
3. Mix the flaked almonds into the remaining crumbs, then scatter over the gooseberries. Bake for 50 mins-1 hr until golden and the fruit is bubbling a little around the edges. Dredge with caster sugar, then cool in the tin. Cut into about 8 squares and enjoy with a cup of tea or serve as a pudding with custard or cream.

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Apricot Crumb Squares

Apricot crumb squares for high days and holidays

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins - 25 mins
  Cook 45 mins - 50 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 16

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  332

• Protein

  4g

• Carbs

  42g

• Fat

  18g

• Saturates

  11g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  22g

• Salt

  0.52g

Ingredients

• For the topping
• 175g plain flour
• 140g light muscovado sugar
• 140g butter, softened
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• For the cake
• 175g butter, softened
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 175g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• 8 fresh apricots, quartered (or canned in natural juice)
• icing sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to fan 160C/ conventional 180C/gas 4 and butter a shallow 22cm square cake tin. Put all the topping ingredients in a food processor with 1?2 tsp salt and blend to make a sticky crumble.
2. Using an electric hand whisk or wooden spoon, blend the cake ingredients, except milk and apricots, gradually adding enough milk to make a creamy mixture that drops from the spoon. Spread in the tin and scatter with apricots. Top with the crumble and press down.
3. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in tin, cut into 16 squares and dust with icing sugar. (Keeps up to 5 days in a plastic container in the fridge.)

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Blueberry Lemon Cake With Coconut Crumble Topping

This sticky, crumbly bake is irresistible - it's a pudding straight from the tin

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 45 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 16

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  446

• Protein

  5g

• Carbs

  50g

• Fat

  27g

• Saturates

  17g

• Fibre

  43g

• Sugar

  34g

• Salt

  0.55g

Ingredients

• 300g butter, softened
• 425g caster sugar
• zest 1 lemon
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 250g self-raising flour
• 300g blueberries
• 200g desiccated coconut
• 200g lemon curd

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160/gas 4 and grease and line a 20 x 30 cm cake tin with baking parchment. Beat together 250g of the butter with 250g sugar and the lemon zest until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, break up 4 eggs with a fork, then gradually beat into the butter and sugar mixture, adding a spoonful of flour if it begins to curdle. When the eggs are incorporated, fold in the flour and a third of the blueberries, then spoon into the tin. Flatten the surface with a spatula, sprinkle over another third of the blueberries, and bake for 20 mins until the surface is set.
2. To make the topping, melt the rest of the butter, then stir in the coconut and remaining sugar and eggs until combined. Warm the lemon curd gently for a few mins in a small pan until it is runny and pourable.
3. After the initial baking, scatter the remaining blueberries over the top of the cake, drizzle over the lemon curd, and crumble over the coconut mixture. Bake for a further 20-25 mins until the coconut is golden. Leave the cake in the tin to cool. Cut into 16 squares and store in a tin, interlined with greaseproof paper.

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