Dessert

Fill the house with nostalgic aromas of childhood apple pie with this warm and comforting tart.

We used pink lady apples, but any type will be fine. If you prefer, crème fraîche, mascarpone or whipped cream can be flavoured and used instead of the yogurt. Note

Put the kettle on and enjoy a generous slice of this dense, buttery almond cake.

We used malibu, a rum-based coconut liquer for this recipe. Note

For a change, try filling the egg halves with Easter novelties or lollies before joining halves together. For a special touch, use coloured writing gel or fudge to decorate eggs with flowers of anything that takes your fancy. Find them in the baking aisle of your supermarket. Note

These crispy Japanese-inspired bananas are delicious served piping hot with cold green tea ice-cream.

The mille-feuille, or vanilla slice, or custard slice, is known as the Napoleon. It is a French pastry whose exact origin, despite its noble name, is unknown. It's also quite delicious.

Rich and very chocolatey, the ground pistachios give this stylish tart a dense, moist texture.

What a stylish wedding or engagement cake this contemporary tower of golden macarons would make! There is some time and effort involved but it's oh so worth it for this grand and elegant creation.

Gluten-free cakes are too often dry and disappointing, the mashed banana and jam helps make this gluten-free chocolate cake a rich, dense triumph.

EQUIPMENT 35cm (14-inch) round cake board 8cm (3¾-inch) round cutter 3 long bamboo skewers We only used the white marshmallows from the packets of marshmallows; serve the pink marshmallows at the party. You can make the castle pink and white if you like; in this case you will only need 4 packets of marshmallows. Use […]

Classic pavlova is usually topped with mixed berries and passionfruit pulp. We've opted for a mix of berries here, but if you prefer you can use kiwifruit, thinly sliced pineapple, pawpaw and passionfruit pulp.

Black sesame ice-cream makes this dish, its nutty sweetness lifts the pancakes to another level.

It's sure to impress.

Apricot lovers will adore this crisp, creamy cheesecake.

Zuccotto is a semi-frozen Italian dessert with a rich flavour and fabulous layers of texture. Often made with brandy or liqueur it also packs a little bit of a punch.

Tart passionfruit give these rich crème caramels a fruity lift.

Celebrate any occasion with these stunning blueberry cupcakes.

You will need about four large overripe bananas for the amount of mashed banana required. Note

Delicious banana fritters are gorgeous served warm with coconut ice-cream. If you want to be even more indulgent, add a drizzle of warm caramel sauce.

You will need about 2 limes for this recipe. Note

Kids love to go camping. If you have a large enough grassed area at home, turn the area into a camping ground for the party. It's an easy, inexpensive party theme.

Only remove the legs of the doll if she’s too tall for the cake. Just push the doll, with legs, gently through the cake until the doll’s body is in the right position. Dolly Varden cake pans can be bought or hired from cake decorating suppliers. Note

Upside down cake is a classic afternoon tea snack, but can also be presented as an impressive dessert.

The combination of tender baked apples, tart raspberries and a wonderfully crumbly quinoa and almond topping makes this healthy fruit dish perfect for dessert, brunch or a sweet snack.

For a delicious afternoon tea, serve thick slices of this moist pecan cake with whipped cream.

Warm chocolate pudding cakes with a molten chocolate core served with mascarpone coffee ice-cream make an elegant yet indulgent dessert.

You can use any type of fruit-flavoured yoghurt you like or plain yoghurt. Note

It is fine to use two 300ml (or one 600ml) cartons of cream for this recipe, so as not to waste the remaining 20ml. Note

Buy drinking straws in three colours if you can, and match them to their corresponding cake pops. Note

Be sure to remove toothpicks from cake before cutting and serving. Note

If you have a coffee machine, use it to make three espresso coffees, rather than using instant coffee; you need ⅓ cup coffee. Note

Sponge drops are topped with orange jelly and coated in melted chocolate to make these spectacular jaffa jelly cakes.

The smooth flavour of mocha in a freshly baked, moist cake is irresistible. This cake will keep for up to 2 days, but we're sure it won't last that long!

equipment 12-hole (½-cup/125ml) friand pan 5 strong wooden toothpicks 35cm x 40cm prepared cake board (see basic know-how number 2, pages 160-161) medium gum-leaf cutter You’ll have about 1 cup of the cake mixture left over, enough to make another four balloons. The balloons are not difficult to make, but getting the sides of the […]

These sweet little bites are a hint of zesty and a touch of creamy; a crowd pleaser and a joy to make.

The pan is measured at the top, not the base. It’s important to not grease the tube pan, the cake mixture needs to cling to the pan as it rises during the baking process. Tube pans are large smooth-sided ring pans with small “feet” to support the inverted pan while the cake cools. If the […]

Undecorated truffle pops can be kept refrigerated for up to one week in an airtight container. If making ahead, melt a little extra chocolate to attach toffee. Truffle pops must be served within 2 hours of being decorated with toffee. Once decorated with toffee shards, the truffle pops cannot be refrigerated. Note

This English dessert is often called Eton Mess, taking its name from Eton College, one of Britain's most famous public schools, where it was traditionally served. The `mess' part is because it was all mixed together in one big bowl.

This creamy frozen dessert is rich in flavour, and most definitely a crowd pleasing dish.

Celebrate winter citrus with these stunning, refreshing Bavarian creams. You'll need about 8 limes for this recipe.

Like a Bounty candy bar in cheesecake form, this recipe combines the delicious duo of coconut and chocolate with a sensational result.

equipment 30cm x 45cm prepared cake board, strong wooden toothpick decorations 27 Maltesers, approximately 2 green snakes, halved lengthways 5 mint leaves 3 yellow ready-made icing flowers 3 foil-wrapped chocolate ladybirds If Easter eggs aren’t available, you can use Kinder Surprise eggs. We’ve made quite a long wall out of bought lamingtons; you could have […]

Impress your dinner guests with these elegant cherry and chocolate soufflés.

Spiced with ginger, these dark chocolate truffles make a delectable after dinner treat with a cup of coffee or a digestif.

The contrast between wafer-thin brandy snaps, sweet rhubarb and cool yoghurt is delightful in this sophisticated dessert.

To freeze; wrap cake in two layers of plastic wrap. Seal, label and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight at room temperature. This cake will also keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week. Note

The beauty of this pavlova roll is that you can experiment will all sorts of fruit to fill the centre. We've used banana, kiwi and passionfruit here, but any soft fruit will do. The result is still amazing.

The winning combination of rich chocolate and nutty hazelnuts work perfectly together in these sweet and fluffy meringue cupcakes. Perfect for an indulgent dessert or mid-morning treat.

Sweet, juicy peaches are beautiful served atop this golden, crumbly almond tart. Sprinkle with some icing sugar for a quick and tasty baked dessert.

This pretty marbled chocolate thins are easier to make than you'd expect, marbling the chocolate can be almost therapeutic once you get the hang of it. Avoid rapid cooling and don't put the sheets in the fridge to set, you want the chocolate to be set firm but not brittle when you're ready to use the cutters.

EQUIPMENT 25cm (10-inch) round cake board You can make your own meringues for this cake and colour them any colour you like. This works well as a Christmas cake using green and white meringues. You can use butter cream instead of vanilla frosting if you like. Note

Make this delicious Italian specialty your new Christmas staple.

Inspired by the classic nursery rhyme, this gorgeous yellow moon cake - straight from The Australian Women's Weekly's famous 'Children's Birthday Cake Book' cookbook - is sure to thrill your child on their birthday.

This buttery shortcake is filled with apricot jam and topped with crunchy blanched almonds.

The cake is best made on the day of serving. Note

As a variation to this fresh and icy treat, you could make pineapple and mint sorbet; substitute 1 small peeled and coarsely chopped pineapple for the rockmelon and 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped mint leaves for the basil.

Serve these delicate turnovers dusted with sifted icing sugar for a delicious mid-afternoon treat or, for a yummy dessert, serve with ice-cream.

These gorgeous poached pears are slow-cooked in a sugary sweet syrup and served drizzled with a fragrant coffee sauce and crisp hazelnut wafers.

EQUIPMENT 5 x 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) mini muffin pans 12-hole (⅓ -cup/80ml) standard muffin pan 2.25-litre (9-cup) pudding steamer 60 mini muffin paper cases (28 yellow, 32 dark brown) 35cm (14-inch) square cake board Make the mini muffins in batches; the cake mixture will be fine to stand at room temperature. Make the toffee wings up […]

You can use 300ml carton of cream. Note

We used glacé peaches and pineapple in this delicious, moist cake recipe. Glacé pears, apricots, cherries and figs could also be used.

If you don’t have purple food colouring, use a few drops each of red and blue food colouring until the desired shade of purple is achieved. Note

This sweet, creamy no bake cheesecake is delectable and simply moorish. This recipe will need to be started the day before to give adequate setting time.

These gorgeous tarts are perfect for special occasions; elegant afternoon tea's, high tea, dessert - anything with a touch of decadence.

Make the batter for these muffins the night before you want to bake and serve them. Note

A good basic, light cake that is perfect as a base for kids' birthday cakes. It is also nice plain or with cream and berries.

These little berries are not only scrumptious on crêpes, but they also have a number of health benefits, including being full of antioxidants and antibacterial properties. Note

This recipe is best made on the day of serving. Note

Perfect for an afternoon tea party, or just an afternoon treat, these little coffee cakes are light and delectable.

20cm (8-inch) round cardboard cake board10cm (4-inch) round cardboard cake board30cm (12-inch) round cake board10cm (4-inch) round cutter Use regular hundreds andthousands for a brighter,less pastel, cake. Note

With the added texture of walnuts and sesame seeds, this delectable pear and ginger strudel makes a most satisfying dessert.

Make a cake in shape of a football jersey, ­decorate it with the colours of your child’s favourite team to make him the hero of the day. Note