Birthday

1 x deep 9cm (3¾-inch) square cake pan 1 x deep 15cm (6-inch) square cake pan 1 x deep 23cm (9¼-inch) square cake pan 30cm (12-inch) square prepared cake board or cake stand cake. Make butter cake mixes in batches as they will not all fit together in a large bowl, use three packets first, […]

Covered in an assortment of lollies, this gorgeous yellow dragon cake is sure to be a winner with the kids.

With layers of almond sponge, raspberry mousse and cream, this spectacular cake is delectable and perfect for a celebration.

Boris the clown is a fun and delicious cake for children's birthday parties.

Brought to you by the classic Australian Women's Weekly birthday cake cookbook.

To keep the glossy finish to the frosting, the cake needs to be frosted up to an hour before the party. The frosting soon dries out to resemble cooked meringue. Note

There's nothing abstemious about this gluten-free chocolate cake recipe, especially not with the luscious chocolate frosting all over it.

Did you know? White chocolate is not considered real chocolate because, while it has cocoa butter,it does not have chocolate liquor, which comes from the finely ground nib (centre) of the cocoa bean.

It's not that hard being green... there's a pond, plenty of water, lily pads and a rainbow connection... Why, there's lots of fun to be had!

Fruity and fabulous, this cheesecake is perfect for picnics, parties or just dessert.

This cake is perfect for a first birthday party. It's quite simple to make, so you're not spending lots of time on a creation that probably won't be given its due attention by the birthday child.

This little extra-terrestrial is so likable that even a horde of hungry alien task force officers may have trouble cutting into it.

You can use any colour you like to tint the dough, choose a matching lolly, or coloured sugar, to coat the pinwheel edges. Note

Combine chocolate cake, chocolate custard and chocolate ganache and you've got this fabulous chocolate on chocolate torte, with cherries on top.

Celebrate your child turning four with this awesome birthday cake for car lovers.

Try this cheats version of a Croquembouche

A classic teacake, the kind you hope to find on the cake stall at a school fete or church bazaar. Raspberry swirl cake is simple to make, looks impressive and tastes wonderful.

With a crunchy biscuit base, ice-cream filling with sliced banana, toffeed pecans and a drizzle of caramel sauce, this decadent tart will satisfy the sweetest tooth.

These colourful vanilla cupcakes will be very popular with the kids.

Be sure to remove toothpicks from cake before cutting and serving. Raspberry straps, cut into strips, can be used instead of red licorice rope. Sandwich the two cakes together with a little blue butter cream. Spread the cake with coloured butter creams. Insert candy cane into centre of red icing ball to make drumstick. Note

Pop this one on the party table for an eye-catching cake. From The Australian Women's Weekly's famous 'Children's Birthday Cake Book' cookbook, it's sure to be a hit with younger children.

The birthday child and friends will be thrilled with these individual tortoise cakes covered in chocolate freckles.

None of are too grown-up for an ice-cream sundae. Especially ones that look as good as these.

This spectacular cake is topped with sweetened crème fraîche and candied beetroot chips.

Spoil the carrot cake lover with these scrumptious cupcakes topped with maple cream cheese icing.

Like a cocktail in a cake, this pineapple malibu cream cake makes a fabulous centrepiece for a special celebration. You can use well crushed fresh pineapple if you like.

We used a blackboard as a serving plate for this fun spaceship cake. Get the party goers to create their own universe using chalk.

Spiced honey muffins with chocolate chunks are topped with whipped cream and toffee bar shards in this decadent recipe.

To keep the glossy finish to the frosting, the cake needs to be frosted up to an hour before the party. The frosting soon dries out to resemble cooked meringue. Note

In China, dragons traditionally symbolise good luck, which, along with this dragon, is a pretty nice gift to give as a birthday present.

If you're in the mood for something deeply indulgent, you can't go past this moist flourless chocolate and hazelnut cake. As a bonus, it is gluten-free, wheat-free and yeast-free.

Featherlight sponge cake layered with luscious raspberry cream makes for a stunning and delicious treat.

Buttery cake topped with a tangy and freckled icing - it's a fairy tale cake come to life.

Adorned with marshmallows and smarties, this colourful bouquet of cupcakes is sure to be a hit.

This spectacular layered chocolate cake with candied oranges is the perfect way to mark a special occasion.

The kids will adore these little white chocolate cups with strawberries and fruche. For a more adult version, leave out the fruche and dip the strawberries in white chocolate before arranging them in the cups.

The three types of nuts used here are tossed with the spice mixture then toasted, a process that infuses the cake with their combined flavours. The secret to a successful teacake lies in the beating of the sugar, egg and butter ­ the mixture must be very light in colour and full of air.

Delight both children and adults with these top-quality homemade sausage rolls and pizza spirals.

When the kids get home from school starving, it's a good time to slip something healthy on their plate. We've got four recipes here, muffins, smoothie, fruit dip and quesadillas, that are perfect.

A clear lunch-box winner, packed with fruit and fibre, these banana, craisin and macadamia muffins are utterly delicious.

These bite-sized Portuguese custard tarts are sweet, eggy and utterly moreish. Best served with really good coffee, they make a delicious afternoon tea-time treat.

Assuming you find yourself with left-over doughnuts to hand, a big assumption granted, there's no better way to eat them than grilled with maple syrup.

Now an established classic in the honour roll of great cookie recipes, these white chocolate and macadamia cookies are crisp on the edges and deliciously chewy inside. The perfect mid-afternoon indulgence.

Treacle is sweeter than molasses, but not as sweet as golden syrup, and it has a slightly bitter taste. If you don't have any treacle you can make these little gingerbread loaves with golden syrup but may want to remove one tablespoon of sugar from the recipe.

With tender, juicy slices of roast beef and scrumptious bearnaise sauce, this is another French concoction that looks and tastes like a masterpiece.

This delicious, layered nutty chocolate and coffee ice-cream cake is topped with a layer of tender pistachios and toffee coated almonds. An altogether grown-up take on the classic ice-cream cake.

Burnt butter adds a gourmet edge to this delicious apple cake. Perfect for an afternoon tea-party, or just because you fancy something special on the weekend.

Like a pared back version of Eton mess, with strawberries alone rather than a mix of berries, this strawberry meringue cream also has a shot of liqueur to spice things up.

This recipe can be made a week ahead. Note

The caramel frosting has a cheeky burnt sugar edge that serves as the perfect pairing for this indulgent mud cake. It's an excellent teatime cake, and the perfect post-dinner dessert.

Deliciously creamy and packed full of the goodness of yellow split peas, this tasty dip is perfect enjoyed with veggie sticks or cracker as a afternoon snack or starter.

Packed with spicy vegetables, juicy chicken and seasoning, whip up this salad in fifteen minutes.

A traditional baba tin is the best option for this zesty lime syrup cake, but you can use an ordinary ring or loaf tin.

Light, crumbly kisses are utterly divine sandwiched together with Vienna cream. These classic little biscuits are make a scrumptious afternoon treat. The hardest thing is trying not to eat them all at once.

You can decorate these party patty cakes just like we have, or you can use your favourite lollies to make up your own designs. For a fun, if messy, party game place all the bits and pieces out on a long table, and let the kids decorate their own cupcake.

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

Mini pizzas are meal the kids can get involved in cooking too. Whether it be cutting the toppings or helping sprinkle the cheese, this is a good recipe to get the whole family actively involved.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This is a cold, fruity and deliciously moreish party punch that, funnily enough, packs a bit of a punch. We used a traminer riesling for this recipe, but you can use any medium-dry white.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 […]

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

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

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

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

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 […]

This king of the jungle cake will be a hit with young explorers at a jungle-themed safari. If the weather is wet or humid, chop the Violet Crumble bars and position them on the cake just before the party, as the damp air will make them sticky. You’ll have about 1 cup of cake mixture […]

You can use ready-made air-popped popcorn instead of making your own; you will need about 8 cups. While this looks cute enough for a baby’s first birthday, it’s best not to use the popcorn ­instead, pipe some of the frosting over the sheep to make its woolly coat. Note

Treat your little princess to the sweetest birthday cake around this year.

Use small piping bags with or without small plain tubes, or use strong plastic bags ­ snip a tiny corner from the bag for easy piping. Prepared cake boards are available from cake decorating and craft stores. You will need one 20cm (8-inch) round board for this cake. The cake can be baked two days […]