Dessert

EQUIPMENT 30cm (12-inch) round wooden cake board 20cm (8-inch) round wooden cake board 15cm (6-inch) round wooden cake board 6 wooden cake skewers small offset metal spatula 2 x quantities fluffy frosting Fresh organic flowers white florist’s tape Make the frosting after you have stacked and secured the cakes. You need to work quickly once […]

This is a simply luscious cake, with its layers of sponge, mango and coconut mascarpone.

Drambuie is a whisky-based liqueur infused with honey, spices and herbs. Soaking the fruit in the liqueur adds depth and richness to these divine cakes.

For a delicious morning tea, serve these fluffy banana choc-chip cakes warm with butter.

Panettone trifle

Sweet, soft and rich, this caramel meringue pie is the perfect comfort food dessert.

Fun, colourful and utterly delicious, this cute jellyfish birthday cake is perfect for an under-the-sea style kids party or animal lovers.

Give nana's plain bread and butter pudding a European flavour with this Italian version. Panettone is a yeasted cake that is the speciality of Milan and is traditionally served at Christmas. It is however available most of the year round.

Most cheesecakes benefit from being made a day ahead; the flavours develop and the texture becomes firm.

The cave is made up of three cakes, so while it may look fiddly and complicated, it isn’t. The kids’ll think you used magic to make it. Cooked cakes can be frozen for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature for about six hours. Cake can be iced and decorated one day ahead (except […]

Serve up these delightful glazed doughnuts at your next kids' party. They are easier to make than you might think.

This tart is simply delicious warm with cream or ice-cream, and perfect with tea or coffee.

Make quick banana splits by cutting half a banana into wheels over the top of each sundae. Note

These bite sized baked goodies are somewhere between a biscuit and a cake. They make a perfect treat for high teas or simply a sweet after dinner snack.

Draped in melted chocolate and frozen, this incredible mixed fruit ice-cream pudding is perfect for a summer Christmas.

To make these caramelised bananas even more delicious, you can soften the ice-cream slightly, layer it in cups with the fruit and top with crushed nuts to make a parfait.

You will need 4 large overripe bananas (920g) for this recipe. Note

Two is never terrible when it comes to this delightful birthday cake by the Australian Women's Weekly. Buttercream hides a multitude of sins, so don't worry about any little mistakes!

equipment deep 26cm x 36cm baking dish 30cm x 46cm covered cake board (page 110) decorations 3 red ALLEN’S SNAKES ALIVE 1 each orange, yellow and green ALLEN’S SNAKES ALIVE 2cm silver disco ball silver edible glitter 52 ALLEN’S MARELLA Jubes 1.3 metres silver sequined ribbon Edible glitter is available from specialist cake decorating shops. […]

Tangelos are a cross between a tangerine and grapefruit. They look like an especially richly coloured, smallish orange with a slight neck at the stem end, and taste like a sweet orange.

Greet the day with this delicious dish of fresh, ripe stone fruit dressed with a berry yoghurt swirl.

This delicious cake is topped with confectionery carrots, cauliflowers and tomatoes.

The combination of both white and dark chocolate mud cake and ganache make these decadent mini-cakes a truly wonderful indulgence. Or you could go large with our white chocolate and raspberry mud cake.

Double digits at last! This ten cake by Australian Women's Weekly is colour galore. When cutting the jubes dip the knife in hot water, then dry before cutting to avoid sticking.

26cm x 35cm (10½-inch x 14-inch) baking dish; 30cm x 40cm (12-inch x 16-inch) rectangular cake board; small paper piping bag; wooden skewer. This cute cake is a bit fiddly to make, but it looks so good and you’ll get plenty of wow’s that it’s well worth the effort. Note

'Tis the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature is stirring ... because you haven't made the pudding yet! Don't despair, help is at hand with this delicious dessert.

CAKE PANS AND COOKING TIMES 20cm baba pan 40 minutes 20cm ring pan 40 minutes 14cm x 21cm loaf pan 1 hour 2 x 8cm x 26cm bar pans 35 minutes deep 20cm round cake pan 50 minutes 24 patty pans 15 minutes Note

With lots of chocolate and ice-cream, you won't put a foot wrong with this fun kids' cake! From The Australian Women's Weekly's 'Children's Birthday Cake Book' cookbook, it's sure to bring back fond memories.

Enjoy your favourite pudding in spectacular cake form.

Poaching whole pears in champagne allows the flavour of the wine to seep into the flesh of the fruit, so use the best quality champagne that you can afford.

A tub of vanilla ice-cream is transformed into this heavenly treat within minutes.

Store tiramisu cups upright in the refrigerator until ready to serve. They are best made on the day of serving. Note

Served with warm custard, these chocolate and cherry puddings would add the perfect finishing touch to a dinner party.

We like to use an underproof rum, but, if you like, use the stronger overproof variety. Note

Butter cream frosting Beat butter in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat in sifted icing sugar and milk, in two batches. Divide mixture among four small bowls. Add chopped chocolate to one and sifted cocoa to another. Using colouring, tint one pink and leave one plain. Note

Chocolate and caramel are a match made in afternoon treat heaven.

For a sweet and satisfying treat, try a slice of this moist cherry and orange loaf, delicious served with a dollop of yoghurt or cream.

Split cake horizontally a third of the way from the top. Scoop deep holes out of cake using small spoon or melon baller. Pour white chocolate custard immediately into holes of cake. Note

Pudding can be prepared several hours ahead. Stand, covered, in the refrigerator. Bake as required. Note

Let your imagination run wild and create your own sweet menagerie with these clever little animal cupcakes by the Australian Women's Weekly. Be prepared for squeals of delight!

This decadent cake is packed full of the goodness of cherries, raisins and sultanas, then coated in a rich, dark chocolate frosting to create this divine dessert that's worthy of any celebration.

Honey and cardamom panna cotta with oranges, cream recipe, brought to you by Australian Women's Weekly

We used Grand Marnier in this recipe but you could use any citrus-flavoured liqueur you like. Serve warm with lashings of cream, custard or hard sauce.

Best served in small squares, these dark chocolate, fig and muscat brownies are rich, fruity and spiked with heady muscat.

This marshmallow-textured pavlova is cooked directly on the platter it's served on, which eliminates the risk of breaking the fragile meringue when transferring it. Simply make sure the platter is plain, sturdy and ovenproof.

The apples can be cooked ahead of time and left in the pan, covered, in the fridge. The tarte tatin can be finished and transported in the pan if you’re picnicking – simply reheat on the barbecue or fire before turning out and serving warm.

Delight both the kids and adults with this decadent dessert. The hot fudge sauce is so easy, delicious and versatile you'll never be tempted to buy the supermarket version again.

This fruity, crunchy-topped dessert is one of the easiest you'll ever make.

Gingerbread cases can be made 3 days ahead; store in an airtight container. Assemble tarts on the day of serving. Top with caramel shards just before serving, as they will slowly melt, especially in humid weather. Note

This recipe is gluten-free, wheat-free, yeast-free and dairy-free. Use a hot dry knife to cut the cake. storage Note

With a cloud-like, marshmallowy centre, this pavlova is the stuff dreams are made of. Serve with lashings of whipped cream, and fresh berries.

Ground almonds replace the flour in this recipe, making it rich and luscious. As a bonus it is an ideal dessert for dinner guests who have a gluten intolerence.

This divine homemade frozen dessert combines crunchy chocolate-coated honeycomb, sweet honey nougat and fragrant espresso to create an irresistible treat for your loved ones.

For a delightful summer dessert, try these stacks of boozy cream, juicy strawberries and crisp brandy snaps drizzled with passionfruit.

This dense, moist almond carrot cake has a delicious lemon cream cheese frosting. If you prefer, you can use orange juice and zest in place of lemon in both the cake and frosting.

It's time to jazz up the classic fruit cake to be enjoyed at any time for any season or occasion.

This steamed fruit pudding is gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free.

An updated version of the Armenian nutmeg cake, this cake uses different spices and is more like a slice having a cake-like topping. Any nuts, such as almonds, pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts, can be substituted for the pistachios. Butter should be chopped while still refrigerator-cold. Using a medium- to large-sized food processor or large blender […]

Brioche makes the very best bread pudding, this fruit mince brioche pudding has a rich spiced custard topping that's spiked with a generous shot of brandy.

Creamy and delicious, baked rice pudding is a classic dessert. Bring a shot of new flavour to an old favourite with this poached quince and almond topping.

Add the peppermint essence to suit your taste. Start with what we have recommended and add more until you achieve a nice balance between the chocolate and the mint. Note

These divine fig galettes make a beautiful dessert with a mug of hot coffee. The combination of buttery pastry and juicy fruit is a match made in heaven.

This beautiful jelly is perfect for layering in a trifle or served simply with scones or toast for breakfast.

Wonderfully moist from the sweet orange syrup, thos beautiful cake is lovely enjoyed warm or cool with a mug of your favourite cuppa.

The fruit needs to stand overnight before starting the recipe. You can swap the dark rum with brandy or sweet sherry, if you like. This cake is overflowing with cherries and currants rather than the typical variety of mixed fruit. Note

Spoil the kids with these amazing dessert pizzas topped with strawberries, banana and caramel sauce. Perfect for a sleepover party!

This cake is a good one for budding pilots, flight attendants or for those who just want to travel the world.

For added pizzaz, you can layer the cashew cream in glasses and top with the fruit for a more formal dessert. Try roasting other stonefruit such as plums and apricots.

Served warm with a slather of butter, this golden loaf is perfect for the cooler months of the year.

Quick and fun toffee chocolate spoons from Australian Women's Weekly.

This golden slice makes a delicious, homely dessert served with ice-cream.

A few key ingredients and just 10 minutes preparation and you and your guests can be enjoying these mixed berries with mascarpone; easy, simple, yet oh so good. Use your favourite mixture of berries for this recipe.

Make this exciting and fun cake for your child's birthday party.

A match made in culinary heaven.