Chocolate, orange and caramel Yule log

A rich, chocolatey Yule log.

Mocha meringue mushrooms

Small edible meringue mushroom decorations, with a hint of coffee and chocolate.

Upside-down pear, almond & honey cake

A light almond sponge with lightly caramelised honeyed pears. Utterly delicious!

Apple & cinnamon upside-down cake

This is a real return to comfort food classics and is always a treat to tuck into.

Tiramisu cake

A delicious cake that sashays into gateau territory.

Cranachan roulade

A light-as-air Swiss Roll sponge, filled with Cranachan and smothered with a little of the whisky and honey cream, this roulade is a delicious centrepiece for any occasion.

Mini blackberry sponge cakes

These seasonal cakes are so delicious and really make use of blackberries, both in the buttercream, the fondant icing and to decorate.

Coffee & walnut Swiss Roll

Ah, the many joys of a Swiss Roll: one of those classic cakes that is just perfect sliced (thickly!) and served with a cup of tea or a mug of coffee.

Passionfruit and lime drizzle bars

This is an adaptation of my earlier passionfruit and lime drizzle loaf this lily has been gilded somewhat with the addition of a luscious Mascarpone topping and a splash of rum in the drizzle.

Strawberry and orange mini Bakewell tarts

One egg (yes, just one egg) goes a long way: it actually makes 10 of these Bakewell Tarts to be precise!

Rum baba stollen bites

A simple, kind of “throw it all together” bake, this is basically stollen crossed with rum babas and is a popular sweet treat in this house. It is not just for making and eating at Christmas either; I often make it for Easter and at various other times of the year.

Baumkuchen (“tree cake”)

Multiple layers of thin grilled (yes, grilled!) sponge, orange and Amaretto liqueur and a chocolate glaze, finished off with pistachios: a wonderful cake that is superb when eaten with a cup of really good coffee.

Dairy-free chocolate orange mousse cake

There are times when a spot of indulgence is needed, and this cake – which pushes itself into dessert territory – is just that! It serves at least 12 people but it can be scaled down.

My ultimate coffee and walnut drip cake

A coffee and walnut cake is a classic for a reason: the flavours work so well together, it is always a crowd-pleaser (even in socially-distanced “crowds”!) and it tastes great.

My “secret ingredient” mocha cupcakes!

A rich cake, with a batter that is made up in seconds. Oh, and a secret ingredient……

Orange and raspberry roulade

This orange and raspberry roulade, filled with vanilla cream and smothered in a orange-flavoured milk ganache, is an indulgent dessert that should hit the spot for any occasion.

Lemon, pistachio & rose cakes

Rose, lemon and pistachio work so well together and my poshing-up of the classic fondant fancies – real, unashamed retro food – gives what I think is a delightful sweet treat.

Blackcurrant, lime & vanilla Angel Cake slices

With the return of Great British Bake Off, it is the Technical round that interests and excites me the most. This is my tangy take on Episode 1’s Angel Cake slices.

Apple & blackberry cake (gluten-free)

A very seasonal and light sponge cake, celebrating the delighful pairing of apples and blackberries. A tangy blackberry buttercream and fresh blackberries finish off the cake.

Red velvet cake

With its light sponge, its generous hint of vanilla and chocolate and its tangy cream cheese and white chocolate vanilla icing, this red velvet cake – with very little food colouring –  is seriously good for any occasion.

Dairy-free sticky toffee ginger puddings

To hear Mary Berry saying this dessert is “to die for” is still one of the best moments in my life! This is my dairy-free adaptation of the sticky toffee ginger pudding I made in the final of Britain’s Best Home Cook.

Rhubarb, ginger and white chocolate muffins

These very simple muffins give an incredible taste explosion in your mouth: gingery heat, tangy rhubarb and the sweet creamyness of white chocolate. And they are so quick and easy to make.

Date & walnut tea loaf

A tea loaf is a true classic and my fool-proof version, packed with dates and walnuts, is sublime sliced thickly and spread with salted butter.

sourdough Black Forest brownies!

Sourdough brownies might sound bizarre but these are a great way to use up sourdough starter that might otherwise get discarded, with the starter adding a subtle tang to the brownies. Certainly everyone who has tasted these has gone back for at least another brownie!

Panettone

This is my take on the classic panettone: a rich, buttery but oh-so-fluffy sweet bread, adapted from a recipe by Andrea Tortora.

Tiramisu roulade

This is my roulade take on the classic Tiramisu (one of my favourite desserts) and it has proved very popular whenever I have made it for dinner parties.

Chocolate and raspberry roulade

A dessert classic with my own twist, this indulgent roulade is a sure-fire hit when served.

The best carrot cake!

I am not a fan of those carrot cakes that are overly laden with spices, resulting in a cake that tastes almost medicinal. This carrot cake is gently spiced, has a very moist sponge and the most luscious melt-in-the-mouth icing that is slightly sweet with a hint of sharpness.

Sticky ginger & lime cake, and my YouTube debut!

This is an incredibly simple (dare I say “fool-proof”?) ginger cake with a mixture that is made up in seconds: it is very moist, with a nice gingery kick from both ground ginger and stem ginger. A simple lime drizzle finishes off this cake beautifully.

How to rescue a curdled buttercream/frosting (with video)

If, like me, you like adding extras to your buttercreams to get great flavour – for example: alcohol, fruit purées and the like – you often need to add a lot to allow your buttercream to pack a real flavour punch….and, of course, the buttercream is then prone to curdling into a horrid mess!

Harry Potter Spell Book birthday cake

This is my Harry Potter-themed cake for the daughter of one of my colleagues. Chocolate sponge and salted caramel buttercream, with various fondant Potterisms I made…..

Cascading Maltesers cake & chocolate wraps!

Maltesers have always been one of my favourite sweets: honeycomb and chocolate – a perfect match, and I often make chocolate cakes using Maltesers. This particular cake was made for my 6th formers at school.  

Rhubarb and ginger crumble cake

I always make many batches of this cake around this time of year when my rhubarb is prolific. It is a very easy cake, taking moments to “throw together” before getting baked, and it will have you coming back for another slice!

Lemon and elderflower cake

A simple cake: tangy, refreshing and with the level of indulgence needed to satisfy any cake craving!

Guinness and chocolate cake

This is a suitably rich cake with the deep, but not over-powering, flavour of Guinness and the refreshing topping of white chocolate, tangy crème fraîche and cream. Easy to make, it is a cake that demands more than one slice…..or maybe that is just me being greedy!!

Lime & ginger Battenberg cake

Having not made a Battenberg cake in a long time, I felt it time to re-visit this very firm favourite of mine. This time I went for the wonderful flavours of lime and ginger: two ingredients that go so well together.

Mocha walnut loaf cake

My rich chocolate loaf cake with a kick of coffee and the crunch of fabulous walnuts: a combination that makes what I think is a perfect tea-time treat!

Lemon and poppy seed cake

This is a cake that revels in its simplicity (you just mix the sponge ingredients together and bake!) and it tastes wonderful. A very easy crowd-pleaser, it is perfect for so many occasions.

Salted mocha Opera cake

Multiple layers of liqueur-kissed almond sponge cake, salted mocha buttercream and chocolate ganache: very much a cake for when a special treat is needed. And with elements that can all be made in advance, this becomes a matter of gentle assembly rather than frantically using a whole day or so in the kitchen!

Chocolate orange mini rolls

I couldn’t resist making the Technical Challenge from the first episode on this new series of Bake Off. And this recipe really does give a rich, moist and oh-so-wicked sweet treat.

Spiced orange & rum cake with mirror glaze

This cake is a cross between a blonde Sachertorte(!) and a Victoria Sandwich: you get the richness of the Sachertorte with the almonds and ganache, and the lightness of the Victoria Sandwich with the key flavours of ginger, orange and rum.

Blackberry and apple friands

Mini almond sponge cakes, with the rich flavour of browned butter and the wonderful bedfellows brought by the blackberry and the apple, these friands are a seriously delicious treat. There is something even more special using blackberries picked from the hedgerows and apples straight from the tree!

Neapolitan gateau

This is a cake version of my partner’s favourite ice cream from childhood: a Neapolitan (or Harlequin), an ice cream block with layers of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream.

Orange and pistachio madeleines

Sweet, buttery and melt-in-the-mouth, madeleines are a treat for any occasion. I have gone for madeleines that are flavoured with ground pistachios and orange zest.

Salted caramel pistachio brittle

This very easy pistachio caramel is not only a great sweet to eat as it is, it so versatile for adorning all manner of cakes and sweet desserts: you just snap off pieces, put them in place and away you go.

“Death by chocolate” drip cake

Moist chocolate sponge, white chocolate & vanilla buttercream and dark chocolate with salted caramel ganache combine to give a somewhat naughty chocolate cake: but then a chocolate cake that is not naughty is rarely worth having!

Blackcurrant and mint fondant fancies

Blackcurrant and mint make a truly wonderful combination, and used together here you get what I think are particularly vibrant and refreshing treats.

Chocolate and orange surprise cake!

Ok, the surprise might not be up there with the denoument of a great murder mystery story, but this cake always evokes “oohs” and “ahhs” when cut into.  Granted, you might not have fallen off your chair with this reveal, but I can live with that!

Pina colada fondant fancies

These miniature cakes are my homage to the classic pina colada – my favourite cocktail. Seriously, I never tire of this cocktail!

Orange and passionfruit fondant fancies

A shop-bought fondant fancy is very much a guilty pleasure of mine, but they are fun to make. And of course when making them you can go for whatever flavour you want, going for flavours that are not sold in the shops!