Dessert

A truly simple dessert that looks stunning and always feels like a treat, summer berry sundaes can be put together in no time at all.

Rich and chocolate-y cake, all rolled up.

This elegant berry nougat cheesecake is dreamy, creamy and irresistible. Just the ticket for a fancy afternoon tea.

Steeping the fruit in Grand Marnier make this Christmas cake extra delectable. If you're storing before decorating, you can poke a few holes in the top and splash a little liqueur over the cake then wrap, and repeat.

Studded with whole, poached pears, this vanilla pear and almond cake makes a spectacular centrepiece for any table. Serve while still warm with double or clotted cream for a delicious end to a meal.

Creamy, delicious and perfect for summer-time desserts.

Light, fluffy and moist, this divine mandarin, polenta and macadamia cake is packed full of flavour and is beautiful served sliced as morning or afternoon tea.

This lime and poppy seed syrup cake is topped with fragrant lime zest. Before you grate the lime, make sure it is at room temperature and roll it, pressing down hard with your hand, on the kitchen bench to bring out the oil in the peel.

The perfect treat for those of us who prefer zesty flavours to overpoweringly sweet ones. With delicate meringue cases and a lemon cream cheese cake these delights are sure to impress.

Cut yourself a big slice of this light and fluffy almond, honey and sweet spiced cake to enjoy as morning or afternoon tea with a cup of your favourite brew.

It's the toffee sauce that makes these little sticky date puddings super delicious, and extra indulgent, rich with the dark flavours of caramelised sugar.

This is a beautiful cake, the combination of tart quince, sweet blackberries, delicate sponge and crumble is unusual and exquisite. Quince and blackberry crumble cake is the perfect tea-time indulgence.

Piled high with fluffy frosting, cloud cakes are as light and dreamy as their name suggests. Add a dash of colour by sprinkling them with coloured sugar.

Soaked in orange syrup, this flourless orange polenta cake is delicious with a dollop of whipped cream or yoghurt. If you want to kick it up a gear, stir one tablespoon of brandy into the syrup just before you pour it on the cake.

Putting a tropical twist on the traditional Italian tiramisu, the combination of sweet mango and zesty passionfruit will keep your loved ones coming back for more.

Sweet, dense and oozing with sticky golden syrup, this gorgeous steamed pudding is perfect served warm with a dollop of cream or ice-cream for an indulgent weekend treat.

This is a super easy and scrummy dessert, plus you can whip up a batch of pear galettes on a whim. Best served with a dollop of top notch double or clotted cream.

Orange and poppy seeds is a classic combination for friands, you can liven it up by using mandarin instead.

A true American classic, pumpkin pie is traditionally served at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sweet and spiced with cloves, cinnamon, ginger and all-spice, this pie is at it's best served with a dollop of cream or a scoop of ice-cream.

Passionfruit is an often underrated fruit but you won't be forgetting its sweet flavours anytime soon with this creamy buttermilk cake and syrupy passionfruit icing.

Fresh, fruity and sweet, this gorgeous passionfruit panna cotta and mango dessert is perfect for entertaining guests or an indulgent weekend treat.

The raspberry and almond cake can be made a day ahead, then split and fill the cake with mascarpone cream on the day of serving.

Rich, crunchy, dense and caramelly, this upside-down chocolate caramel nut cake is a slice of pure indulgence. Perfect with coffee as a special afternoon tea, or served up to celebrate a birthday.

Crisp and flaky French pastries, palmiers are so-named because they are folded and shaped to resemble the leafy arc formed by palm tree branches. Honey, pistachio and rosewater add a touch of the Middle East to these quintessentially French pastries.

Smooth, sweet and glossy, here is a recipe for royal icing that you can use on your cakes, cupcakes and desserts.

Put the kettle on and enjoy a sweet, golden passionfruit butter biscuit with your cup of coffee as a relaxing morning tea.

There are few more satisfying dessert experiences than plunging your spoon into a chocolate fondant cake and watching the molten centre run out.

The perfect balance of sweet and tart, this delicious candied orange peel recipe can be included in desserts, cakes and savoury dishes like tagines.

Enjoy this sweet, tangy and deeply citrusy blood orange jelly straight out of the pot as a light summer dessert.

Chocolate cake, while simple, can be the most satisfying desserts. And with a smothering of this rich fudge frosting you'll taste the decadence with every bite.

Basic cup cakes make a great project when you're looking to bake with the kids on a wet afternoon.

Sweet, rich and fudgey, these chocolate and macadamia squares are beautiful enjoyed with a mug of coffee for an indulgent afternoon tea or dessert.

This famous Viennese cake was originally made in 1832 by the grandfather of Eduard Sacher, founder of the Hotel Sacher, for the court of the Empire's Prince Metternich. The secret recipe was handed down to Eduard, who is responsible for popularising it on the hotel's menu.

Made from a combination of ricotta cheese and whipped cream studded with chocolate and candied peel and topped with chocolate curls, this Sicilian cheesecake recipe is a delight.

These traditional Parisian delicacies are named after a palm tree because, when baked, they resemble palm fronds. Palmiers were probably invented as a way to make use of puff pastry scraps; quick and easy, they're great for afternoon tea.

The thing about rock cakes is that they should look like little rocks, not taste or bite like one. Our simple rock cake recipe makes for little golden nuggets with a scone-like interior studded with sultanas.

You can dip just about any fruit that takes your fancy into chocolate fondue, bananas would be a good addition, as would marshmallows.

Rich, fudgey and utterly decadent, the combination of chocolate and coffee flavours makes this mocha fudge irresistible. Serve with a shot of liqueur for a sophisticated dessert.

These fragrant sugar and spice shortbreads, infused with all the fragrances of the festive season, make fabulous end of year and edible Christmas gifts. Package in a pretty tin or box, and finish with a fancy label and pretty ribbon.

This very rich cake is perfect for the grand finale to a dinner party, and should be made ahead and served cold. The cake is almost like a huge truffle in texture; note that no flour is used.

Packed with even more flavour than a lemon tart, this baked passionfruit tart is perfect for a mid-afternoon pick me up.

Recipe best made on day of serving. Note

An enduring classic, these little French-style strawberry tarts are given a boozy lift with the addition of Grand Marnier.

You don't need to skip dessert on busy weeknights with this quick and easy self-saucing pudding. And there's no compromising on taste either!

This fresh grape jelly is so good you'll be tempted to eat it straight from the jar. For a slightly tarter flavour, you can add 1/3 cup of lemon juice to the pan when you boil up the grapes.

Chocolate, lemon and thyme truffles

Pineapple cream slice

Equipment: deep 22cm (9-inch) round cake pan deep 15cm (6-inch) round cake pan 30cm (12-inch) round wooden cake board 15cm (6-inch) round wooden cake board medium offset metal spatula 3 wooden skewers. Note

Prepare for your kids' party to takeoff with this aeroplane runway cake! From The Australian Women's Weekly's iconic 'Children's Birthday Cake Book' cookbook, it's perfect for a six-year-old's birthday.

Bring a bit of Italy into your home with this gorgeous take on a traditional cake.

You will need to grate about 2 large carrots for this recipe. Note

Equipment: two 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) mini muffin tins two 8cm x 26cm (3¼-inch x 10½-inch) bar cake pans 30cm x 47cm (12-inch x 18¾-inch) rectangular prepared cake board piping bag fitted with 2mm (⅛-inch) plain nozzle Leave one bar cake whole, cut the other into two pieces, as shown. Note

Mignardises date back to 18th century France, when pastry chefs baked small treats at the end of the day in the low residual heat of their ovens. The name comes from an old French word meaning cute', pretty’ `graceful’. They are served at the end of the meal to extend the pleasure of the evening. […]

Loaf can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Note

You will need 4 ripe mangoes for this recipe. Note

A twist on a French classic, l'oeufs à la neige, our soft meringues are topped with blackberry fool.

This delightful gnome cake by the Australian Women's Weekly is easier than it looks! All you need is some packet mix, a variety of sweets, some food colouring, and a little creativity! Have fun!

White icing is also known as fondant (it’s the traditional icing used on wedding cakes). It is available in packets from the supermarket and cake decorating shops. Keep the icing that’s not being handled, wrapped tightly in plastic. If logs don’t stick together during rolling, brush sides of logs with a little water. The tent […]

To make orange madeleines, add 1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind when beating the egg mixture. Omit the water and replace with 1 tablespoon orange juice. Note

Blood oranges are in season for all too short a time in winter. They have red-streaked, salmony-coloured flesh with a sweet, non-acidic pulp and juice with a slight berry taste; even the skin is not as bitter as other citrus. Note

Be sure to remove skewers before cutting and serving cake. This cake is not difficult ­it is, however, time consuming. Note

Use ground hazelnuts instead of almonds, if preferred. Cover with foil if cake starts getting too dark. Note

If using butter cream instead of vanilla frosting, you will need half a quantity of butter cream. We used a selection of small jelly beans, rainbow choc chips and M&M’s for the treasure. You will need 3 x 4-pack (460g) double chocolate chip muffins for this cake. Note

It’s important that the base of the bowl containing the lemon curd does not touch the simmering water. Plain un-iced sweet biscuits produce the perfect texture for a cheesecake crust, having an almost nut-like crunch. Note

You’ll find it best to make the citrus mixture in a large frying pan rather than a saucepan, so that the citrus slices fit in a single layer. This cake doesn’t actually contain marmalade as an ingredient, but its artful use of citrus rind strikes a similar visual chord. It is slightly painstaking to make […]

We used purple jubes, small jelly beans, Smarties and fizzers, but you can use any lollies you like. Note

We used 2 bananas for this recipe. Keeping time: 2 days. Note

It is fine to use just one 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. You can make the pastry using a food processor. Process flour, ground macadamias, sugar, salt and butter until coarse breadcrumbs, with motor running, add water. Process until dough comes together. As the pastry is very short, it’s important to refrigerate it […]

If using butter cream instead of the vanilla frosting, you will need one quantity of butter cream. Note

Cake can be made up to three months ahead. Note

Try this cake with other fillings such as apple or pear. The cake is best made on the day of serving. Note

equipment two deep 15cm (6-inch) round cake pans 20cm (8-inch) round prepared cake board (page 110) or cake stand 2 piping bags fitted with small plain tube and small fluted tube Mud cake can be made two days ahead; store in an airtight container. Assemble and decorate up to six hours ahead of the party. […]

Rosewater pistachio crêpes

It is important to slice pears as thinly as possible; if the slices are too thick, the cake will sink in the centre. Note

Remember this rockin' cake from The Australian Women's Weekly's famous 'Children's Birthday Cake Book' cookbook? It's sure to be a favourite among the kids, even after all these years.

It is fine to use just 1 x 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. Note

If the chocolate topping is too firm to cut, stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. This is very easy to make but impressive. It can also be served as a dessert with vanilla ice-cream. Note

50cm-square prepared cake board. Most children love lamingtons. We’ve used a lot of them to make this spectacular pyramid ­ just watch it be devoured. Don’t forget a desert-sand coloured background. For an Egyptian-themed party have the guests come in fancy dress. Note

The crumbles can be made in individual dishes and frozen, before baking, for up to 2 months. Note

You need four passionfruit to get the required amount of pulp. Note

Spicy date pudding with butterscotch sauce

This slice can keep for 3 days. Note

EQUIPMENT Deep 22cm (9-inch) square cake pan 35cm (14-inch) square cake board DECORATIONS 500g ready-made white icing pure icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting 2 black licorice straps chess pieces Chess has long been considered the sport of kings and aristocrats. If you have a grand master in the making, this is the cake that will […]

equipment two deep 18cm-round cake pans 20cm-round covered cake board (page 110) decorations 24 ALLEN’S Strawberries & Cream 6 caramel ALLEN’S Milk Bottle Mania 12 ALLEN’S JAFFAS pink edible glitter dust 1.6 metres ribbon, approximately paper scrapbooking flowers Note