Recipe: Blackberry & coconut squares

This lovely crumbly bake won the under-11s category of our 20th birthday cake competition

Ingredients

• 250g self-raising flour
• 25g oats
• 280g soft brown sugar
• 200g cold butter , cut into pieces
• 75g desiccated coconut
• 2 medium eggs , beaten
• 350g frozen or fresh blackberries

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip the flour, oats and sugar into a large bowl. Rub the butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips until only small pea-size pieces remain. Stir through the coconut, then fill a teacup with the mixture and set this aside.
2. Stir the eggs into the bowl of mixture, then spread over the bottom of a lined baking tin (31 x 17cm), or a 21cm square tin. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon, then scatter over the blackberries. Scatter over the reserved teacup mixture and bake for 1 hr-1 hr 15 mins until golden and cooked through (if you poke a skewer in, it should come out with moist crumbs but no wet mixture). Leave to cool, then remove from the tin and cut into squares. Serve with some extra berries, if you like. Great for teatime or to pop into a lunchbox.

347 kcalories, protein 4g, carbohydrate 43g, fat 19 g, saturated fat 12g, fibre 3g, sugar 26g, salt 0.5 g

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Recipe: Carrot cake

The classic, homely carrot cake receives a stylish makeover with this straightforward recipe

Ingredients

• 300g plain flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200g soft brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 250ml oil
• 1 orange , zested
• 1 lemon , zested
• 200g carrots , finely grated
• 150g walnuts , chopped
• 227g tin pineapple pieces, well drained and chopped (optional)

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 125g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 50g icing sugar
• 250g cream cheese

1. Heat the oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Line a 20cm, 10cm deep cake tin. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together and stir in the sugar. Beat the eggs with the oil and citrus zests. Stir in the carrots and fold everything into the flour mixture. Fold in the walnuts and pineapple if using. Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool.
2. For the frosting, beat the butter and icing sugar together until soft and then beat in the cream cheese. Chill the mixture until it's thick but spreadable. Spread a thick layer on top of the cake, making sure the side of the icing is flat and continues upwards from the side of the cake.

628 kcalories, protein 7.6g, carbohydrate 43g, fat 48.5 g, saturated fat 15.5g, fibre 1.6g, salt 0.53 g

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Recipe: Almond raisin cake with sherry

Forget the tea and cake here and serve this with a glass of sherry. For the best result make this the day before so the flavours can infuse

Ingredients

• 250g raisins
• 200ml medium or sweet sherry (try using Amontillado or Pedro Ximénez)
• 150ml thick natural yogurt
• 150ml vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 140g plain flour
• 100g ground almonds
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 100g light muscovado sugar
• icing sugar , to serve

1. Tip the raisins into a bowl, pour over the sherry, then leave for at least 30 mins to soften. Meanwhile, heat oven to 180C/ fan 160C/gas 4. Lightly grease a deep 20cm round cake tin, then line the bottom with a circle of greaseproof paper.
2. Mix together the yogurt, oil and eggs. Put the remaining dry ingredients into a large bowl, pour in the yogurt mixture, then stir together until smooth. Scoop half the raisins out of the sherry, then stir into the batter. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with a spoon. Cook in the oven for 50-55 mins until the top springs back when pressed lightly and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
3. Take a skewer and prick all over the cake. Pour over 5 tbsp of the soaking sherry and let it soak in. You can make up to this point 3 days in advance and store in an airtight container. Serve warm or leave to cool, then dust with icing sugar. Warm the rest of the soaked raisins and sherry, then serve alongside the cake with some vanilla ice cream.

501 kcalories, protein 9g, carbohydrate 52g, fat 27 g, saturated fat 4g, fibre 2g, sugar 38g, salt 0.57 g

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Recipe: vanilla cake

A moist cake drenched with vanilla syrup. Use as the basis for a range of fabulous celebration cakes

Ingredients

• 250g pack unsalted butter , softened, plus extra for greasing
• 250g golden caster sugar
• seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 5 large eggs , cracked into a jug
• 85g plain flour
• 100g full-fat Greek yogurt (I used Total)
• 250g self-raising flour
• 3 tbsp semi-skimmed milk

FOR THE SYRUP

• 50g golden caster sugar
• seeds ½ vanilla pod or ½ tsp vanilla paste

1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a round, deep 20cm tin, then line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper.
2. Using electric beaters or a tabletop mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and ¼ tsp salt together until pale and fluffy, then pour in the eggs, one at a time, giving the mix a really good beating before adding the next. Add 1 tbsp of the plain flour if the mix starts to look slimy rather than fluffy. Beat in the yogurt.
3. Mix the flours; then, using a large metal spoon, fold them into the batter, followed by the milk. Spoon the mix into the tin and bake for 1 hr 20 mins or until well risen and golden - a skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.
4. Meanwhile, make the syrup by gently heating 50ml water with the sugar and vanilla in a pan until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Once the cake is out of the oven, leave to cool for 30 mins in the tin, then use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake, going right to the bottom. Pour the syrup over, letting it completely soak in after each addition. Leave to cool completely, then either wrap the cake well or fill and ice it. If you wrap it with baking parchment and cling film, the unfilled cake will keep well for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.
5. For ideas on how to decorate the cake and to try out some variations on this basic cake mixture, have a look at the 'Goes well with' recipes for Simple elegance wedding cake, Birthday bug cake and Summer celebration cake.

399 kcalories, protein 6g, carbohydrate 48g, fat 21 g, saturated fat 12g, fibre 1g, sugar 27g, salt 0.31 g

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Recipe: Banana cake with pecan crumble crunch

A wedge of this alongside a cup of tea makes for a perfect Sunday afternoon

Ingredients

• 250g golden caster sugar
• 250g self-raising flour
• 140g pecans , roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 eggs , plus 2 egg whites
• 3 large ripe bananas , or 4 small, mashed
• 150ml sunflower oil
• 100ml milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder

1. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4, and line the base and sides of a deep 20cm (8 inch) loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. For the crumble topping stir together 2 tbsp each of the sugar, flour and chopped pecans, then add the butter, cut into a few pieces, and rub together until you have sticky crumbs. Set aside.
2. Break up the whole eggs with a fork, then mix with the mashed banana, oil and milk until all the wet ingredients are well combined. In a separate, large bowl tip in the remaining sugar, flour and pecans, and briefly stir with the cinnamon and baking powder. Whisk the egg whites until just stiff. To combine, tip the oily banana mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and quickly stir in until you have a smooth, lump-free mix. Finally using a large metal spoon or spatula gently fold in the egg whites, then carefully pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Scatter over the crumble topping and bake for 1 hr, until a skewer stuck in to the middle comes out clean. Check the cake with 15 mins to go, if the surface is browning too quickly cover with another piece of baking parchment.
3. Once the cake is ready leave it in its tin for 5 minutes, then finish cooling on a wire rack.

591 kcalories, protein 8g, carbohydrate 69g, fat 33 g, saturated fat 5g, fibre 2g, sugar 44g, salt 0.62 g

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Recipe: Orange & white chocolate sponge

A stunning cake that will fast become a failsafe option for any event

gredients

• 175g butter , softened, plus extra for greasing
• 175g golden caster sugar
• finely grated zest 4 orange and juice of 1
• 4 egg , separated
• 100g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 100g ground almonds

FOR THE ICING

• 200g white chocolate
• 200ml crème fraîche
• 100g white chocolate , to decorate

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter two 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment. Tip the sugar into a mixing bowl and add the softened butter and orange zest. Beat for 1 min or so until pale and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolks. Sift the flour and baking powder over the cake mixture and fold in lightly. Finally, fold in the almonds and orange juice. Whisk the egg whites until they just hold their shape. Fold one-third of the egg white into the cake mix, using the whisk. Repeat with another third, then the final third. Take care not to over-mix or you will lose the lightness of the egg whites.
2. Divide the cake mix between the prepared tins and bake for 30-35 mins. Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack, peel off the lining paper and leave to cool.
3. To make the icing, melt the chocolate over a pan of barely simmering water or in the microwave on High for 1½ mins, stirring every 30 secs, then leave to cool. Whip the crème fraîche until thick, then fold in the white chocolate. Set one cake on a serving plate or cake stand. Spoon half the icing onto the cake and top with the other cake. Spread with the rest of the icing, then allow to set in the fridge for at least 1 hr.
4. If you want to make the decorative curls, melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water or in a microwave and spread thinly over a baking tray. Leave the tray in the fridge for the chocolate to harden a bit, then use a fish slice or angled knife blade to scrape chocolate curls. Pile the curls in the middle of the cake and serve cut into slices.

567 kcalories, protein 9g, carbohydrate 45g, fat 40 g, saturated fat 21g, fibre 1g, sugar 37g, salt 0.7 g

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Recipe: Cappuccino cake

If you've offered to bake a treat for a stall or your local coffee morning then this cake stall classic is just the thing

Ingredients

• 250g pack butter , softened
• 250g light soft brown sugar plus 2-3 tbsp
• 300g self-raising flour
• 4 eggs , beaten
• 50g walnuts , toasted and finely chopped (a food processor is easiest), optional
• 200ml very strong coffee (made fresh or with instant), cooled

FOR THE FROSTING

• 500g tub mascarpone
• 2 tbsp light soft brown sugar
• cocoa powder or drinking chocolate to decorate

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter 2 x 20cm sandwich tins and line the bottoms with greaseproof paper. Beat butter and sugar together with electric beaters until pale and creamy. Add the fl our and eggs in one go and keep beating until evenly mixed. Fold in the walnuts (if using) and half of the coffee. Spoon the mix into the prepared tins and bake for 25-30 mins or until golden and well risen.
2. Leave the cakes in their tins for 5 mins before turning onto a wire rack. Sweeten the remaining coffee with the extra sugar and sprinkle 4 tbsp over the sponges. Leave to cool completely.
3. While the cakes cool, make the frosting. Tip the mascarpone into a large bowl and beat in the sugar and remaining coffee until smooth and creamy. Use about half of the frosting to sandwich the sponges together then, using a palette or cutlery knife, spread the rest of the frosting over the top of the cake. Decorate with a dusting of cocoa powder or drinking chocolate. If you're making this cake to eat at home, it will keep covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.

559 kcalories, protein 5g, carbohydrate 48g, fat 39 g, saturated fat 23g, fibre 1g, sugar 29g, salt 0.72 g

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Recipe: Gluten-free lemon drizzle cake

With a special surprise ingredient, this gluten free cake stays beautifully moist. To everyone’s amazement it's mash potato!

Ingredients

• 200g butter , softened
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 175g ground almonds (to make it nut free see below)
• 250g mashed potatoes
• zest 3 lemons
• 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder (Supercook does one)

FOR THE DRIZZLE

• 4 tbsp granulated sugar
• juice 1 lemon

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line a deep, 20cm round cake tin. Beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, then gradually add the egg, beating after each addition. Fold in the almonds, cold mashed potato, lemon zest and baking powder.
2. Tip into the tin, level the top, then bake for 40-45 mins or until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack after 10 mins cooling. Mix the granulated sugar and the lemon juice together, then spoon over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let the cake cool completely before slicing.

514 kcalories, protein 9g, carbohydrate 41g, fat 36 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 2g, sugar 35g, salt 0.88 g

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Recipe: Ultimate chocolate cake

Indulge yourself with Angela Nilsen's heavenly moist and fudgy chocolate cake - perfect for celebrations - birthdays, weddings, christenings - any excuse!

Ingredients

• 200g good quality dark chocolate , about 60% cocoa solids
• 200g butter , cut in pieces
• 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
• 85g self-raising flour
• 85g plain flour
• 1⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200g light muscovado sugar
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 25g cocoa powder
• 3 medium eggs
• 75ml buttermilk (5 tbsp)
• grated chocolate or curls, to decorate

FOR THE GANACHE

• 200g good-quality dark chocolate , as above
• 284ml carton double cream (pouring type)
• 2 tbsp golden caster sugar

1. Butter a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep) and line the base. Preheat the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/ gas 3. Break the chocolate in pieces into a medium, heavy-based pan. Tip in the butter, then mix the coffee granules into 125ml/4fl oz cold water and pour into the pan. Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat. Or melt in the microwave on Medium for about 5 minutes, stirring half way through.
2. While the chocolate is melting, mix the two flours, bicarbonate of soda, sugars and cocoa in a big bowl, mixing with your hands to get rid of any lumps. Beat the eggs in a bowl and stir in the buttermilk.
3. Now pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, quite runny consistency. Pour this into the tin and bake for 1 hour 25- 1 hour 30 minutes - if you push a skewer in the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit). Leave to cool in the tin (don't worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. When the cake is cold, cut it horizontally into three. Make the ganache: chop the chocolate into small pieces and tip into a bowl. Pour the cream into a pan, add the sugar, and heat until it is about to boil. Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
5. Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smoothing to cover with a palette knife. Decorate with grated chocolate or a pile of chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.

541 kcalories, protein 6g, carbohydrate 55g, fat 35 g, saturated fat 20g, fibre 2g, sugar 40g, salt 0.51 g

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Recipe: Lemon & poppyseed cupcakes

These zesty cupcakes look so gorgeous you won't want to eat them, but once you start you won't be able to stop

Ingredients

• 225g self-raising flour
• 175g golden caster sugar
• zest 2 lemons
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds , toasted
• 3 eggs
• 100g natural yogurt
• 175g butter , melted and cooled a little

FOR THE ICING

• 225g butter , softened
• 400g icing sugar , sifted
• juice 1 lemon
• few drops yellow food colouring
• icing flowers or yellow sprinkles, to decorate

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake or muffin cases. Mix the flour, sugar, lemon zest and poppy seeds together in a large mixing bowl. Beat the eggs into the yogurt, then tip this into the dry ingredients with the melted butter. Mix together with a wooden spoon or whisk until lump-free, then divide between the cases. Bake for 20-22 mins until a skewer poked in comes out clean - the cakes will be quite pale on top still. Cool for 5 mins in the tin, then carefully lift onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
2. To ice, beat the softened butter until really soft in a large bowl, then gradually beat in the icing sugar and lemon juice. Stir in enough food colouring for a pale lemon colour, then spoon the icing into a piping bag with a large star nozzle.
3. Ice one cake at a time, holding the piping bag almost upright with the nozzle about 1cm from the surface of the cake. Pipe one spiral of icing around the edge, then pause to break the flow before moving the nozzle towards the centre slightly and piping a second, smaller spiral that continues until there are no gaps in the centre. Slightly 'dot' the nozzle into the icing as you stop squeezing to finish neatly. Repeat to cover all the cakes, then top with sugar decorations or scatter with sprinkles.

529 kcalories, protein 4g, carbohydrate 66g, fat 30 g, saturated fat 18g, fibre 1g, sugar 51g, salt 0.75 g

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Recipe: Light & fluffy chocolate mocha cake

Have your cake and eat it, with this beautifully decadent low-fat chocolate cake

• softened butter , for greasing
• 3 large eggs
• 85g caster sugar
• 70g plain flour
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• ½ tsp baking powder

FOR THE ICING AND FILLING

• 25g dark chocolate , chopped (don't use 75% chocolate, or the icing will be bitter)
• 1 tbsp strong black coffee
• 100g light soft cheese
• 100g 0% Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp icing sugar

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly butter and line the bases of 2 x 18cm sandwich tins with baking paper. Whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 mins with a tabletop mixer or 10 mins using an electric hand whisk. The mixture will have increased greatly in volume and be thick enough to leave a trail on the surface when the whisk blades are lifted.
2. Sift the flour, cornflour, cocoa and baking powder over the surface and fold in gently using a large metal spoon. Divide between the tins, gently spreading the mixture to the edges, then bake for 15-20 mins until the cakes are well risen, have begun to shrink away from the sides of the tins and spring back when gently pressed. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 mins, then turn out onto a rack.
3. To decorate, microwave the chocolate and coffee together on Medium for 20-30 secs until the chocolate has melted. Gently stir until smooth, then cool slightly. Beat the soft cheese with the yogurt and icing sugar until smooth, then spoon half the mixture into a small bowl stir in the melted chocolate and set aside. Place one cake on a serving plate and spread with the yogurt mixture. Cover with the other cake, then spread the chocolate yogurt mixture over the top.
4. To finish, microwave the 15g chocolate on Medium for about 20 secs until melted. Stir gently until smooth, then drizzle all over the cake.

Nutrition Per Serving

180 kcalories, protein 5g, carbohydrate 27g, fat 7 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 1g, sugar 18g, salt 0.33 g

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Recipe: Chocolate & vanilla cupcakes

There's no need to keep your canapés savoury. Treat your guests to these dainty little cakes

Ingredients

• 100g butter , at room temperature
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 100g self-raising flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• a few drops vanilla essence
• 200g white chocolate , melted
• 200g dark chocolate , melted
• silver balls , to decorate

1. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cream the butter and sugar together, then beat in the eggs and flour. Divide the mix into 2 and add the cocoa to one half and the vanilla to the other. Add a drop of milk to the chocolate mix if it is too stiff.
2. Spoon into mini muffin tins lined with paper cases, making some chocolate and some vanilla. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool.
3. Dip the vanilla cakes in dark chocolate and the chocolate ones in white chocolate. Decorate with buttons or sprinkles.

Per serving

160 kcalories, protein 2.1g, carbohydrate 18.6g, fat 9.1 g, saturated fat 5.3g, fibre 0.4g, salt 0.15 g

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