Snacks

This loaf freezes well – either whole or in slices. Note

MAKES 1 cake Note

To preserve uncoated labne, prepare up to the end of Step 2. Place in a sterilised jar with sprigs of herbs, sliced garlic and chilli. Pour enough oil over to cover. Seal and store in fridge for up to 1 week. Note

This fruit loaf freezes well in individual portions, making it great for lunches. Note

Buttermilk is lower in fat than milk, but you can also use skim milk. Note

This mixture also makes a single cake in a 20cm springform pan. You’ll need to increase cooking time to 40-45 minutes. Makes 24 Note

Makes 24 Note

MAKES 10 Don’t have a piping bag? No worries. Note

For a variation, swap the lemon zest and juice with equal parts lime or orange zest and juice. You could also swap the coconut in the base with finely crashed macadamia nuts. Note

To ensure even browning, swap tray positions halfway through cooking. Note

Loaf is cooked when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Note

MAKES 8 To make in a muffin tray; divide mixture among 12 recesses lined with paper cases and bake for 25-30 minutes. You can decorate cake with whole blanched almonds or before baking, if liked Try serving with custard. Note

For a boy’s cake, tint buttercream green and colour stars orange, blue and white. Note

For a touch of spice, add 1 teaspoon mixed spice with the sifted flours. Note

MAKES 16 SLICES If preferred, use milk or dark chocolate. Note

MAKES 12 Note

Use floured fingertips to press the dough over the base of the slice pan. This prevents sticking. MAKES 16 Note

Almonds and mandarins in a freshly baked cake make this a must for every afternoon tea. Serve with a sweet sherry for perfect delight.

Enjoy a coconutty treat with a plate of these caramel macaroon slices. The caramel and coconut topping is so crispy on the top but deliciously gooey in the middle!

Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Note

Don’t overheat ganache or it will curdle. Ganache will keep, stored in fridge, for up to 4 days. Note

Not suitable to freeze or microwave. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small amount of the mixture into a glass of cold water. If it can be gathered up and rolled into a hard ball, it’s ready. Note

Prepare glaze while cake is cooling. Makes enough for 1 loaf. Note

When icing donuts, work quickly. If icing begins to firm, reheat until glossy. You could sprinkle donuts with 100s and 1000s instead of dipping into chocolate sprinkles. Don’t overheat the milk; it will kill the yeast. Note

These pakoras with coriander raita are incredibly versatile. Serve them with pre-dinner drinks at your next dinner party, or as an after school snack filled with flavour and goodness.

Store bought biscuits these days are pretty good in terms of quality, but nothing says 'I love you' like a homemade biscuit. These passionfruit cream versions just melt in the mouth.

Do you need something spectacular for your Christmas table? Look no further than this celebration Christmas cake. Sophisticated and elegant on the outside, it has the perfect balance of fruit and liqueur on the inside.

Bathed in a sprinkling of icing sugar, these Greek style hazelnut crescent biscuits are a delightfully moreish snack to have with your mid-morning coffee or tea. They also make a thoughtful gift.

These delicious mint slice biscuits are an absolute treat. They're perfect with your morning or afternoon cuppa, and make a thoughtful gift for any occasion.

The heavenly combination of peanut butter and chocolate is well documented and this cake is every bit as delicious as you'd expect it to be. Topped with peanut and chocolate ganache, the result is, well, the icing on the cake.

These deluxe valentine cupcakes look and taste amazing. Filled with the sweetness of chocolate cake and the tartness of fresh raspberries, your loved one will be surprised and delighted this Valentine's day.

The time and effort of proving and kneading your own dough brings with it a certain sense of achievement. The first bite of this tasty date fig and walnut loaf can only add to the contentment that comes with a job well done.

Put these lovely little gift cakes on pieces of thick cardboard, measuring about 9cm-square, covered with special foil or glossy paper or wrapped with brightly coloured ribbons. They can be made a month ahead.

Stollen is a traditional German cake-like bread eaten at Christmastime, when it is called Winterbrot (winter bread). Packed with candied and dried fruit, we think it should be enjoyed all year 'round.

This quick and easy apricot crumble slice makes a great afternoon snack, and is perfect for packing in lunch boxes. For something slightly fancier, serve warm with a spoonful of sour cream.

Smothered in fresh passionfruit and dripping with syrup, this passionfruit and lemon drizzle cake is rich, sweet and tart. Serve warm with double cream on the side.

Pashmak is available from specialty food shops. Note

It is fine to use just 1 x 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. This recipe also makes 6 texas muffins (¾-cup/180ml); bake about 40 minutes. Note

It’s important to measure the closed springform pan, the measurement appearing on the base of the springform pan sometimes refers to the measurement of the pan when it is open. Note

This delightful spiced ginger and orange biscotti gives a lovely Christmassy twist to this favourite Italian biscuit. Make a batch to share with family and friends or wrap them in cellophane and ribbons for a gift to your host.

Originating in Scotland, shortbread has become very popular in many parts of the globe and is now eaten all year. Enjoy the crumbly, golden biscuit with a mug of your favourite brew.

Package jumbled pieces of these delectable Christmas biscuits in a bag or box with a note to tell the recipient they need to solve the puzzle before they can eat it!

A sponge cooks best when the top of each pan is in the centre of the oven. If pans are on different shelves, swap them around half way through baking so sponges cook evenly. Note

Fresh corn can be used instead of canned corn; you will need two cobs. Sour cream or yoghurt can be used instead of the creme fraiche. Fritters can be made the day before; top them with creme fraiche etc, an hour or so before serving. Note

You will need about four large overripe bananas for the amount of mashed banana required. Note

You will need about 6 passionfruit for the amount of pulp in this recipe. The cakes are best made on the day of serving. Assemble pies close to serving. Note

The pan is measured at the top, not the base. It’s important to not grease the tube pan, the cake mixture needs to cling to the pan as it rises during the baking process. Tube pans are large smooth-sided ring pans with small “feet” to support the inverted pan while the cake cools. If the […]

equipment 30cm x 45cm prepared cake board, strong wooden toothpick decorations 27 Maltesers, approximately 2 green snakes, halved lengthways 5 mint leaves 3 yellow ready-made icing flowers 3 foil-wrapped chocolate ladybirds If Easter eggs aren’t available, you can use Kinder Surprise eggs. We’ve made quite a long wall out of bought lamingtons; you could have […]

You can use just one 300ml carton of cream for this recipe.. Blowtorches are available from kitchenware and hardware stores. These tarts are best eaten on the day they are made. If the weather is humid, caramelise the toffee about 30 minutes before serving. Note

these delicate biscuits can be coloured to suit your theme; they look lovely in one colour, or layered using different colours, however, it is quicker and easier to ice the biscuits in the same colour. equipment 6.5cm (2½-inch) round cutter 5cm (2-inch) round cutter 3.5cm (1¼-inch) round cutter 6 paper piping bags (page 221) tweezers […]

EQUIPMENT 5 x 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) mini muffin pans 12-hole (⅓ -cup/80ml) standard muffin pan 2.25-litre (9-cup) pudding steamer 60 mini muffin paper cases (28 yellow, 32 dark brown) 35cm (14-inch) square cake board Make the mini muffins in batches; the cake mixture will be fine to stand at room temperature. Make the toffee wings up […]

If you don’t have purple food colouring, use a few drops each of red and blue food colouring until the desired shade of purple is achieved. Note

This fruit cake is suitable for many allergy diets, as it does not contain wheaten flour, eggs, milk or butter; the only sugar is in the fruit.

This spiced, slightly boozy fruit mince bread is just the ticket if you're looking for some raisin bread or toast with a bit of oomph. Serve it fresh or toasted with lashings of butter.

You will need to grate about 3 carrots for this recipe. Use the grating blade of the processor if desired. Note

Two is never terrible when it comes to this delightful birthday cake by the Australian Women's Weekly. Buttercream hides a multitude of sins, so don't worry about any little mistakes!

This gluten-free Christmas fruit cake is every bit as moist and tasty as its wheat based counterpart. We used Farex baby rice cereal, but use whichever brand you prefer. Make it up to two weeks ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

You can also make the pastry using a food processor. Process flour and butter until crumbly, with motor operating, add the water and process until ingredients just come together. Or you can use ready-made shortcrust pastry. Edible gold leaf is available at specialty food shops. Use tweezers (not your fingers, as it will stick) to […]

The cave is made up of three cakes, so while it may look fiddly and complicated, it isn’t. The kids’ll think you used magic to make it. Cooked cakes can be frozen for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature for about six hours. Cake can be iced and decorated one day ahead (except […]

If you don’t have a kitchen blowtorch, sprinkle the sifted icing sugar over the top of the tarts before baking, then bake as per step 4. You need 3 x 12-hole (2-tablespoon/40ml) deep flat-based patty pans. Note

The fruit needs to stand overnight before starting the recipe. You can swap the dark rum with brandy or sweet sherry, if you like. This cake is overflowing with cherries and currants rather than the typical variety of mixed fruit. Note

We used blue sugared almonds, available from confectionery and speciality nut shops, but you can use any colour you like. Note

An updated version of the Armenian nutmeg cake, this cake uses different spices and is more like a slice having a cake-like topping. Any nuts, such as almonds, pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts, can be substituted for the pistachios. Butter should be chopped while still refrigerator-cold. Using a medium- to large-sized food processor or large blender […]

Brownies are best made close to serving time. Sauce can be made a day ahead. Note

Hipster meets old-school Italian in this chai latte biscotti, and the results are in. They're delicious! Whip them up for an afternoon tea gathering with friends, or wrap them for a thoughtful gift.

Scones are best made on the day of serving. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in oven, wrapped in foil. Use a zester to shred lemon rind. Note

To get the decorative effect on the top of the cake, place a paper doily on the cake and sprinkle ground cinnamon over the top. Carefully remove the doily from the top of the cake. Note

Stencils are available from cake decorating suppliers and craft stores. FLUFFY MOCK CREAM Note

They say when it comes to food, looks do matter. So try this nifty new look when next baking a loaf.

Tall 850ml (8cm x 17cm) (3-inch x 6¾-inch) fruit juice cans make good nut roll tins. Use a can opener that cuts just below the rims to cut one end from the can. Wash and dry the can thoroughly before greasing well. Use a double-thickness of foil to cover the top of the can and […]

The Weekly's Top 10 cakes - Number 3