Spread this cut & keep butter cake with a simple glace icing and sprinkle it with hundreds and thousands before the icing sets. It will be a big hit with the kids. Try substituting the caster sugar with brown sugar for a light caramel flavour.

These pretty little morsels combine the flavours of strawberry and coconut for a wonderful teatime treat that can be devoured in two bites.

Buttery orange cake combines the zingy acid of oranges with the creamy sweetness of cake. Feeling adventurous? Try a tangelo cake.

You need a 200g packet of Skittles for Zappo. Oval cake pans can be bought from cake decorating suppliers, or make a cake in a baking dish and cut the oval shape from it – easy and cheaper. Remember to remove the toothpicks out of the reach of children. Note

Serve these rum-spiked chocolate cake pops at your next cocktail party and watch as they quickly disappear.

This festive fruit cake is easily made well in advance, which saves you valuable time when entertaining. Make your next celebration easy to prepare for and save time in the kitchen that you could be spending with friends and family.

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.

Put the kettle on and enjoy a slice of this fluffy banana and pineapple cake with orange icing.

This warm and sticky cake is best served with lashings of double cream or ice-cream. Or both!

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.

Pears and ginger is a match made in heaven, and it's even better with oatmeal. Put them all together and you get this dense, moist and very satisfying pear oatmeal cake.

Make this rich, dark chocolatey cake once and it's guaranteed to become a favourite.

Perfect with a dollop of cream and a coffee, this orange and passionfruit cake is fruity, sweet and deliciously dense.

Nutty brownies are the best brownies, and these pecan and chocolate brownies are right at the top of the pile. Pecans mild flavour and soft texture makes them ideal for baking.

Crunchy golden coconut, pecans and brown sugar make a divine topping for this luscious pineapple cake. It's lovely served still warm with a drizzle of cream.

Lighter than custard, lemon chiffon cream adds a citrus kick to this fruity mango trifle. Revel in some old-fashioned indulgence with layers of jelly, fruit, sponge fingers and cream.

That feeling when you realise you haven't made a Christmas cake and then discover our fabulous last-minute recipe.

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.

Savour a slice of this moist rhubarb and coconut cake with a cup of tea or coffee and a big dollop of whipped cream to complement the sweetness.

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.

You'll only need one slice of this dense, dark and rich chocolate mud cake to be utterly hooked, but you'll definitely want more. Just to be sure.

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.

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.

This mile-high frosted layer cake, stuffed with raspberries and passionfruit, makes a real statement and a stunning centrepiece for any celebration.

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

Fluffy cake with a bright and creamy icing - what better way to start the weekend!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Recipe best made on day of serving. Note

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

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

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

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. […]

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.

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 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

You need one small overripe banana (130g) for the amount of mashed banana used in this recipe. Whoopie pies are best eaten the day they are made. Note

This cake is best eaten on the day it is made. It is important not to over beat this cake mixture, or the sour cream will slip to the base of the pan. Note

This cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, in the fridge for 1 week, or in the freezer for 2 months. Note

This cake does not actually contain the sweet wine called Madeira. Its name is derived from the fact that it used to be served with a small glass of Madeira for afternoon or high­ tea in Victorian England. Note

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 […]

Remember to remove the skewers from the drawbridge before cutting the cake. Note

Peppermint essence is an extract of distilled peppermint leaves Note

Stollen is delicious toasted lightly under a griller (broiler); serve it buttered. Bread flour is a strong flour, meaning that it has a relatively high gluten (protein) content; this causes the bread to rise, giving it shape and structure. It is available from most supermarkets. Note

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

Tender madeleine biscuits flavoured with vanilla and gentle dipped in a sweet rosewater glaze.

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 […]

The shimmer on the cake and the crystals on the stand capture the light, giving this stunning cake an eye-catching sparkle. The cake stand needs to have a flat base so it can be supported by the skewers in the middle tier. If the base of the stand is not flat, cut a piece of […]