There's nothing more authentically Australian than serving up a classic pavlova, laden with cream and fruit, at the end of a summer's day barbecue.

Make your child's birthday special with this amazing butter cake covered in yellow buttercream and blue stars.

Rich, sweet and earthy, this hazelnut butterscotch self-saucing pudding is an excellent way to warm up this winter.

A torte is traditionally a layered cake with buttercream type frosting. Of course they can always be adapted to the size, flavours and styles you prefer.

If you can’t find rocky road confectionery, use a tub of chocolate rocky road ice-cream instead. Note

This recipe is simple and oh so sweet, but the best part? It uses less refined sugar, and instead opts for the delicious natural sweeteners of dates and honey. Bonus!

Coconut frosting Put a tropical twist on Christmas with these pretty little cakes. Note

Like a deconstructed summer pudding, these summer berry stacks make a fresh and delightful dessert.

For an easy, delicious dessert, make these cardamom-spiced apples stuffed with berries and drizzled with a berry yoghurt sauce.

Refresh yourself and cleanse your palate with this zesty lemon sorbet.

Fresh and colourful tropical salad with lime and ginger syrup from Australian Women's Weekly.

These mini lemon meringue tartlets are everything you'd want in a tasty, sweet morsel. Crispy pastry, sweet yet tart creamy centre and gently toasted meringue on top.

It is fine to use just 1 x 300ml carton (tub) of thickened cream. When spreading the cream mixture over the sponge, don’t go too close to the edges, the cream will spread a little when you add the next layers. To make dark chocolate ganache; bring cream to the boil in medium saucepan; remove […]

Variations nutritional count per serving 4.4g total fat (2.8g saturated fat); 957kJ (229 cal); 38.9g carbohydrate; 4.4g protein; 1.1g fibre You need an apple weighing about 275g (9 ounces) for this recipe. We used a granny smith apple. Note

Sweetly astringent cranberry juice is gorgeous paired with simply poached sweet, ripe pears.

Deliciously tart and light as air, this easy souffle makes a fabulous pudding for a dinner party.

These syrup-soaked milk balls are similar to sponge cake in texture. Popular in India and Pakistan, gulab jaman are usually served in syrup spiced with cinnamon, star anise and cardamom, and flavoured with rosewater.

These little orange and white chocolate petit fours are bite-sized serves of bliss, perfect after dinner treats with strong coffee.

Breadcrumbs are good to always have on hand, and it’s a simple procedure to make your own. Place bread slices right on a shelf in a preheated hot oven and cook them until they are dry and crisp. Remove from oven, cool, crush them, with a food processor, blender or even a rolling pin. Store […]

Keeping time: 3 days. Note

You cannot beat one of these classic Italian cookies served alongside a cup of coffee.

Topped with lemon curd, whipped cream and blueberries, this almond meringue cake is a show-stopper.

If pastry is too dry, add 2 teaspoons of water with egg yolk. Note

These crunchy Italian biscuits are irresistible with a cup of strong espresso.

This subtly spiced cheesecake is very festive in its flavours. Perfect to cosy up with in the cooler months.

Make the most of the cooler weather with this decadent, creamy apple cheesecake.

Do not be intimidated by the soufflé! Think of it as a flavoured base into which beaten egg whites are folded. The heat of the oven expands the air in the egg white and contracts when cooled. So serve it immediately, hot from the oven.

Drizzled with orange syrup and topped with Greek yoghurt and fresh grapes, this cake is both delicious and stunning.

This is a traditional cake from north-eastern France; you find similar cakes in Germany, Austria and eastern Europe (the names vary slightly: Kugelhopf, Gugelhupf ). You will need an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook for this recipe as the dough is too soft to knead by hand.

You’ll have one leftover cube of cake – practise your piping on this if you like. Note

Delicious tarts of walnut and honey with espresso cream from Australian Women's Weekly.

Pecans can be used in place of the walnuts, if you prefer. Be careful when measuring the bicarb ­any extra, and you will taste its distinct, bitter flavour in the pudding. Note

Serve these delightful tea loaves warm with spiced honey cream and hot cups of tea.

It's no wonder few can resist when presented with a smooth, creamy bowl of chocolate mousse; a sprinkling of tart raspberries will cut through the sweetness beautifully.

Equipment: 32cm (13-inch) square wooden cake board 18cm (7-inch) square wooden cake board large plaque plunger cutter smoothing tools 5cm x 8.5cm (2-inch x 3½-inch) diamond patchwork cutter 4 wooden skewers paper piping bag (page 221) fine pearl-headed pin tweezers white florist’s tape Decorations 1.8kg (3½ pounds) ready-made white icing cornflour (cornstarch) 1 quantity royal […]

The contrast between creamy honey ice-cream and juicy, sweet fruit is stunning in this lovely summer dessert.

It is fine to use just one 300ml carton of cream for this recipe Individual puddings will take about 30 minutes to cook. Note

The cooking time for the pears will vary slightly depending on their ripeness. Note

If tapioca pearls are unavailable, make the golf balls from fondant by rolling into small balls. Note

We used organic orange blossoms, but you can use any small flower you like. The bold purple of organic violas looks striking against the pale orange panna cotta.

These crispy, sophisticated pastry treats are delicious with hot espresso.

Everyone loves a jam tart, especially with a little dollop of whipped cream on top. For something slightly different, try filling some of the cases with marmalade rather than jam.

These traffic light yoghurt pops are a deliciously fruity alternative to regular ice-blocks. They make a brilliant after school treat for the kids on a hot day.

deep 20cm (8-inch) square cake pan 25cm (10-inch) square prepared cake board small piping bag fitted with small plain tube You might need to buy two 100g (3-ounce) packets Mallow Bakes. Use sharp scissors to cut Mallow Bakes in half. This cake can be made a day ahead Note

This summer dessert is simple and absolutely delicious, especially with a dollop of mascarpone on top.

A timeless dessert, this super sweet sticky date pudding is served with an oozy toffee sauce to create ultimate dessert perfection.

Use up leftover hot cross buns to make this speedy, delicious dessert.

Beautiful and delicate flower cakes to impress your dinner guests.

Velvety, decadent and perfect in every way.

This fun and pretty cake is extremely easy to make and tastes absolutely divine. The kid's will love the look and taste of their doughnut stack birthday cake.

strike a patriotic note with one of these berry imaginative creations for the cake (the quantities given for cake, cream and berries are enough to make one flag.) Note

Recipe is best made just before serving. Use the jam of your choice in this pudding. Note

You will have about 1 cup of the cake mixture left over. Note

It is no wonder this delicious pudding has many adaptations in different cultures and cuisines. However you experience it, this dish is creamy, sweet, spicy and simply moreish!

This decadent chocolate fudge will satisfy even the sweetest tooth.

This dessert is absolutely stunning with a beautiful rustic flare, layered eggnog pavlova could quickly become a family Christmas tradition.

These rich and zesty cupcakes, topped with cream and lemon curd, make a great afternoon tea treat.

The unique and aromatic flavour of makrut lime leaves is more well known in Asian style curries, but used here in these sweet lime syrup cakes, it is really quite amazing.

Colour the icing on these cupcakes to match your favourite footy team.

The addition of the cream cheese gives this luscious cake an especially moist, rich quality.

The mint and ginger syrup take this delicious tropical fruit salad to new heights. Use brown sugar if palm sugar is hard to find. You'll need about three passion fruit for this recipe.

Frozen cranberries can be replaced with other tart or tangy fresh or frozen fruits, such as cherries, raspberries or even pomegranate seeds, for an equally festive look. Note

More than just a drink, this luscious hot chocolate spiked with liqueur and topped with Maltesers is a dessert in its own right.

These beautiful cupcakes are delightful for special occasions. The food colour and berry type can also be changed to suit a different colour palate if preferred.

You need overripe, almost black, bananas for this recipe because they give the best flavour. If your bananas are not ripe enough, put them in a paper bag in a cool place (not the refrigerator) for a day or two. Note

It is fine to use two 300ml cartons (or one 600ml) of cream for this recipe. You can use Cointreau or any other orange-flavoured liqueur. Candied clementines are available from specialty food stores and delicatessens. Note

Cut this rich chocolate velvet cake with chocolate glaze into little finger sized sliced for an elegant afternoon tea plate.

Vienna almonds are whole almonds coated in toffee; they make a beautiful topping for this cake.

Soft, succulent and saucy, these individual self-saucing pear and caramel puddings are a fabulous winter dessert.

Lightly perfumed with rose water, sprinkling long strips of lime zest over this baked coconut custard tart makes it even more aromatic.

These divine little bite-sized chocolate hazelnut cakes are the perfect size for such a rich, indulgent recipe.

These light and fluffy cookies are so lifelike they look as though they have fallen straight off the tree. They are exceptionally lovely served with a bowl of vanilla-bean ice-cream. If the dough doesn’t spread to fill inside the cutters, use a skewer to push the dough into the points of the cutters. The leaves […]

A candy thermometer, available from kitchenware stores, is essential for this recipe. Place thermometer in large saucepan of simmering water while syrup is heating. This will stop thermometer cracking when placed in hot syrup. Once syrup is at correct temperature, return thermometer to pan of water; remove from heat. When cool, rinse and dry. Turron […]

These brownies are very fudgy; refrigerate for several hours to make cutting them easier.

You can use either astringent or non-astringent persimmons in this recipe. If you use the astringent variety, it is best to scrape away the flesh from the skin when eating. Use a zester to make the lime rind strips. If you don’t have one, finely grate the rind instead. There are two types of persimmons […]