Show-stopping cakes to bake for every occasion
Cake, glorious cake
Carrot and walnut cake
Carrot cake is the most forgiving of cakes, even for a novice baker. There's no whisking or folding to do – just mix all the ingredients together and bake. The important thing is ensuring that you use a good brand of full-fat cream cheese for the frosting; anything less will just slide off the cake. Use quality butter too, as some cheap brands contain water and won't thicken the icing sufficiently. All your ingredients should be at room temperature before you start the recipe.
Malted chocolate cake
Everyone needs a really easy chocolate cake in their repertoire – and this one's as simple as it gets. With no folding in or whisking required, the hands-on prep time is around 10 minutes. The sponges and chocolate buttercream filling and topping can be frozen (or alternatively, the buttercream can be kept in the fridge for up to three days), so you can prepare ahead if needs be.
Marbled coffee ring cake
Baking a simple cake in a ring mould gives it real wow factor. Cake release spray is handy to grease the tin with, and helps the cake turn out perfectly. For the two-tone effect, simply make one cake batter, divide it, then add dissolved instant coffee to one half. The marbling is achieved by dragging a skewer through the mixture once both batters are in the tin. There's a simple coffee buttercream to make, then all you need to do is drizzle your bake with melted white chocolate.
Banana upside-down cake
This tasty twist on the classic upside-down cake is sure to become a family favourite. The caramel sauce base is made with sugar, butter and the clever addition of maple syrup. Once it's made, pop the halved bananas on top of the sauce, cover with the batter and bake. It's best to use a springform cake tin to make transferring it to a plate much easier. Remember to place a baking tray under the tin in case any syrup leaks out.
Victoria sponge cake
Often one of the first cakes aspiring bakers attempt to make, this light sponge sandwich filled with raspberry jam and whipped cream is a teatime favourite. Allow all the ingredients to come to room temperature before baking, and ensure your butter is quite soft. Line the sides of the tin, as well as the base, with baking parchment, as the sides can over-brown without it. Follow the recipe and yours will be perfect!
Dark chocolate espresso mousse cake
With just five ingredients, this fudgy chocolate cake couldn't be simpler. There's no flour or gluten added – just chocolate, coffee, olive oil, eggs and a little sugar. Buy the best quality dark chocolate you can, and ensure the melted chocolate mixture is cool before you add the eggs. It does sink around the edges as it cools, so don't worry. A dusting of icing sugar or cocoa powder makes it look great.
Pomegranate passion cake
In this recipe, an almond sponge is transformed into a sticky cake with a pomegranate drizzle, then topped with creamy mascarpone icing. Once decorated, you'll need to serve it within an hour. However, if you don't want to eat it immediately, you can make the sponge up to six hours ahead, prepare the filling and leave it in the fridge, then assemble to serve. The pomegranate seeds and juice really make it look impressive.
Raspberry, lemon and yogurt tea loaf
Here's a different take on a lemon drizzle cake, made with yogurt and fresh raspberries. You can mix and match the berries according to what's available or in season, but it would be great made with blueberries or blackberries. The baked cake is topped with a crunchy lemon and sugar mixture. A thick slice would be perfect with a coffee or cup of tea.
Get the recipe for raspberry, lemon and yogurt tea loaf here
Lemon thyme, honey and almond cake
This squidgy cake is packed with honey, and will keep for up to 10 days in an airtight container – which is pretty impressive. There's no flour or butter, but ground almonds and olive oil instead. The lemon thyme adds a pleasing freshness to the sweet, dense sponge. If you have a sunny spot in the garden, it's worth planting a bush, although the herb is quite widely available in food stores.
Hot chocolate cake
So-called as its flavours are reminiscent of drinking chocolate, this is a relatively simple showstopper. Three layers of cake are sandwiched, covered and topped with cocoa buttercream, then decorated with whipped cream, grated chocolate and mini marshmallows. If you aren't confident dividing the cake batter between three tins by eye, then weigh each one in its tin before baking for accuracy.
Sticky orange and vanilla upside-down cake
To make this cake, orange slices are cooked in a vanilla sugar syrup, covered with a buttery almond cake batter and baked. There's a bit of folding in to do here, which is best done either with a large metal spoon or a balloon whisk. Ensure you get right into the edges of the bowl to incorporate the ingredients, but don't be too heavy-handed or you'll bash out all the air and end up with a flatter cake.
Get the recipe for sticky orange and vanilla upside-down cake here
Chocolate torte
A perfect treat for the chocolate-lovers in your life, this easy rich, dense and fudgy cake also works really well as a dessert, served with fresh berries and whipped cream. There are just four ingredients, plus some cocoa powder to dust the finished cake. It sinks as it cools, so no need to panic. You will need an electric hand whisk for this cake, to make the process speedier and easier.
Seedy almond cake
This dense, nutty cake is perfect with a cup of tea, or as a dessert with yogurt and berries. The recipe calls for a mixture of pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds and sunflower seeds, but you can mix and match them depending on what's in the cupboard (you do need the flaked almonds for texture, though). It'll keep for up to five days in an airtight container, but we think it'll be eaten up long before then.
Spiced pumpkin, olive oil and orange cake
This moist, lightly spiced cake is made with canned pumpkin purée, so you can make it at any time of year – and it's worth it just for the amazing aromas in your kitchen. Made with olive oil rather than butter, the sponge is spiced with ginger, cloves, allspice and cinnamon, and is topped with a thick, orange-spiked glacé icing. It freezes, un-iced, or will keep for up to three days in an airtight container.
Get the recipe for spiced pumpkin, olive oil and orange cake here
Lemon Swiss roll
This retro teatime favourite definitely deserves its place back on the menu. A light, airy lemon sponge is filled with lemon icing and homemade lemon curd (though you can just buy it ready-made if you prefer). You do need an electric hand whisk, as it's all about incorporating as much air as possible into the sponge batter. This one is best eaten on the day it's made.
Chocolate and courgette cake
If you can put carrots in a cake, why not courgettes? The trick is to coarsely grate the courgettes – use a food processor if you have one – then wring them out in a clean tea towel to get as much moisture out as possible. Matched with cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa powder and dark brown sugar, which gives a toffee-like flavour, the end result tastes rich and indulgent.
Peanut honeycomb banana cake
Here's a riff on traditional banana bread, made into a cake decorated with peanut butter icing and homemade peanut honeycomb. The honeycomb is fun to make, but you must watch it carefully so it doesn't burn. If you like, you can make this cake the day before you need it and store it in an airtight box in a cupboard (just not the fridge).
Blackberry and pistachio cake
This dense, rich cake is loaded with ground pistachios to give an amazing texture and flavour. It's very simple to put together, in just one roasting or baking tin, and is ready in 35 minutes. You'll need to eat it on the day you make it because the fresh blackberries will become mushy and lose their flavour if you don't. It'd work well with blueberries too.
Mojito cake
Fans of the rum and lime cocktail will love this cake! The sponge is a génoise, which is very light and airy. There's no raising agent in the batter, so you'll need an electric hand whisk to incorporate lots of air into the mixture. A rum and lime syrup soaks the cake once baked, then the sponge is sandwiched and covered with a vanilla and lime buttercream, and the edges are coated with a pecan praline.
Butter rum cake
A sticky, Caribbean-inspired cake with a secret ingredient – instant vanilla pudding mix (though you could use instant custard powder instead). The packet mix adds a creaminess to the texture, which combines perfectly with chopped walnuts and rum. Once baked, the cake is soaked in a buttery rum syrup while still in its tin. This one's definitely for grown-ups, and it's perfect with vanilla ice cream.
Apple and lemon sandwich cake
Adding grated apple to the batter makes this easy teatime cake beautifully soft, with a lovely tang from the lemon curd in the creamy filling. You can make the sponges ahead of time and freeze them. It's best eaten on the day you make it, but it does keep overnight in the fridge – just ensure you bring it back to room temperature before serving.
Carrot, pistachio and coconut cake
This is the perfect prep-ahead cake as it tastes better the day after you've made it – the texture is more moist and the flavours are intensified. It's incredibly easy to make, with grated carrot, raisins (or sultanas), desiccated coconut, cinnamon and chunky pistachios in the batter. If it doesn't all get eaten when you serve it, the cake will keep, covered with cling film, for up to a week.
Raspberry red velvet cake
Why not try this unique take on a classic red velvet cake? Instead of frosting, it's filled and topped with a brown sugar buttercream, then decorated with freeze-dried raspberries, which have a really intense flavour. It's baked in one tin, then split into three – but you could use three sandwich tins for ease, to give perfectly even cakes. Just adjust the cook time and bake for around 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Chocolate and cardamom carrot cake
This is a stunning and moreish carrot cake, spiked with chocolate chips and lightly spiced with cardamom and cinnamon. It's baked in a single tin and once cooled, the sponge is covered with an irresistible brown butter cream cheese frosting, chocolate curls and orange zest. For a perfect topping, ensure your ingredients for the frosting are at room temperature.
Banana fudge cake
Ready to bake in 10 minutes, this loaf cake is the perfect way to use up ripe bananas. The batter contains little pieces of chocolate fudge and dried banana chips, which make it a great treat for the kids. Once baked and cooled, spoon over melted chocolate, more pieces of chocolate fudge, and more banana chips. Undecorated, it will keep for a day in an airtight container.
Rum and raisin caramel cake
If you're up for a challenge, this fabulous cake – packed with rum-soaked raisins, caramel, dried fruit and nuts – is the one. You'll need to soak the raisins in spiced rum the day before. A handy tip here is to add cream of tartar to the sugar when making the caramel, which helps to prevent crystallisation. It's a big cake, enough for 12 servings, but it will keep for up to three weeks in the fridge.
Ras malai cake
Ras malai is Bengali for 'juice creams' and refers to a dessert of cheese curd dumplings in spiced milk – the inspiration for this cake. The sponge is infused with saffron, then drizzled with a cardamom-scented milk once baked. Decorated with chopped pistachios and edible dried rose petals, this stunning cake is surprisingly easy to make.
Coffee and walnut cake with buttercream
If you don't have much of a sweet tooth, this is the perfect cake for you. It's an easy-to-make variation on a Victoria sponge; the batter is flecked with chopped walnuts and infused with strong espresso, and it's filled and topped with coffee buttercream. It would also be great covered in a coffee glacé icing. Just mix 185g (6.5oz) sifted icing sugar with 2-3tbsp hot espresso so you have a thick, but pourable, icing.
Get the recipe for coffee and walnut cake with buttercream here
Almond brittle cake
Four layers of almond sponge are sandwiched and covered with an almond butter icing, then topped with a homemade nut brittle. It looks impressive, and the brittle only takes a little time and patience to make. You'll need to bake two cakes, then split them to assemble. As with all cakes, make sure you use the correct tin size – it could be rather hit-and-miss otherwise.
Courgette, pistachio and lime loaf cake
This is such an easy and tasty loaf cake to make, with the zing of fresh lime, the crunch of pistachios and a touch of moistness from the courgettes. The trick is to get as much water out of the grated courgettes as possible by putting them on a clean tea towel and wringing them out over the kitchen sink. This cake keeps for up to three days and can be frozen.
Get the recipe for courgette, pistachio and lime loaf cake here
Dark chocolate and cherry sheet bake
The great thing about this sheet bake is that it uses frozen cherries, so it's good value and you can make it all year round. There's a simple batter to make, then you fold in the cherries and dark chocolate chips. You'll just need a large, deep baking tray, like a brownie tin, though an ovenproof dish would work too.
Get the recipe for dark chocolate and cherry sheet bake here
Vegan chocolate salted caramel cake
This dense chocolate and salted caramel cake is easy to make and doesn't require any obscure ingredients. The salted caramel is made with almond butter, vanilla, oil, sea salt and maple syrup, so it's pretty foolproof to put together. Dark chocolate chips add extra richness.
Pineapple and ginger upside-down cake
Everyone loves an upside-down cake, and this version is a real crowd-pleaser. The trick is to use perfectly ripe, fresh pineapple for the best result, and cut it into small pieces, which will make slicing the cake much easier. The batter contains fresh ginger, which works really well with the pineapple and the butter caramel base. You could also use ripe peaches or plums.
Get the recipe for pineapple and ginger upside-down cake here
Orange and almond cake
This dense, moist, nutty orange cake is a real classic. It's a very simple cake to make, and would taste great served with yogurt and slices of fresh orange. To make it, boil whole oranges in water until they're very soft, then halve, remove the pips and blitz in a food processor. The puréed orange is mixed with ground almonds, eggs, sugar and a little baking powder. The cake will keep for up to five days in an airtight container.
Blackberry cake
This is such an easy and tasty cake to make, and it's ready to bake in just 10 minutes. The sour cream and lemon cake batter has a hint of brandy in it, and it's stuffed with fresh blackberries. You don't even need an electric whisk to make this one, as there's no creaming or beating involved. Try it on its own, or serve with extra berries and whipped cream.
Banana cake with coconut frosting
Bananas and coconut make such a heavenly combination. In this recipe, two banana sponges are filled with butter-fried bananas, coconut flakes and a rich coconut cream cheese frosting, which you also cover the cake with. You need very ripe bananas for the best flavour. Make sure your frosting ingredients are at room temperature for a perfect result.
Chocolate and salted caramel marble cake
Dark chocolate or white chocolate? You can have the best of both worlds with this bake! Two cake batters – one with melted dark chocolate in it, the other with white chocolate – are marbled together, then baked. The cake is filled with salted caramel icing and covered with dark chocolate ganache icing, and there's a little leftover ganache to make truffles to top the cake with. It's straightforward to make, but you do need to allow time for the sponges to cool, and for the icing and topping to chill.
Get the recipe for chocolate and salted caramel marble cake here
Apple tourte with nuts and raisins
In France, a tourte can be sweet or savoury, and here it's a lovely sweet cake. It can be eaten warm with whipped cream, or cold with a cup of tea. It's very simple to make – in this recipe it's filled with sliced eating apples, chopped walnuts, raisins and cinnamon. Enjoy the tourte at its best on the day it's made.
Clementine and cardamom upside-down cake
A new take on a the classic upside-down cake. Here, the cake batter is scented with cardamom, poured over clementine slices in caramel, baked, then flipped over and brushed with an apricot glaze. It tastes even better the day after you've made it, and will keep for up to three days. Just ensure you rest the baked cake for at least five minutes before turning it out – this gives time for the caramel to set a little.
Get the recipe for clementine and cardamom upside-down cake here
Vegan Victoria sponge
Vegans don't need to miss out on a light, airy Victoria sponge filled with a vanilla buttercream and raspberry jam. This cake's batter is made with dairy-free butter (usually block margarine), soy yogurt and plant-based milk instead of eggs. You can freeze the sponges for up to a month if you need to make it in advance.
Blueberry and honey cornbread
Ground almonds and polenta take the place of flour in this recipe, which is gluten-free as long as you use gluten-free baking powder. It's a relatively easy batter to make – just make sure you're gentle when folding in, so you don't bash any air out. Fresh blueberries are scattered on top, then a honey and butter glaze is drizzled over the edges for a comforting, juicy cake.
Lemon and ricotta cake
A cake for lemon-lovers, this simple recipe contains the zest of five lemons. You don't use the juice, so freeze it in ice cube trays for another time. It only contains a little butter – the moisture comes from ricotta instead. It takes just 15 minutes to put together, and using an electric hand whisk will make it much easier and quicker.
Vanilla plum cake
The lovely thing about this cake is that you can also use apricots or peaches – depending on the season, and which fruits are at their best. It's a light sponge containing buttermilk (or yogurt), lemon and vanilla. Once the batter is made, sit the fruits on top, this will give the cake a slightly crunchy, sugary crust after baking. You can either make one large cake in a roasting tin, or two round ones. It freezes well too.
Very berry loaf cake
This is such a pretty cake to serve. A lemon and honey sponge is filled with fresh berries, then topped with lemon and honey icing (and more fresh berries). This recipe calls for raspberries and blackberries, but you can also use blueberries if you like. The outside of the cake turns quite dark when baking, which gives a hint of caramel.
Almond cake with chilli-spiced syrup
Get ready to spoil yourself with Caribbean flavours! This dense, moist cake has an almond sponge that contains rum and lime. Once it's baked, make holes in the cake and slowly pour over a sugar syrup flavoured with chilli, bay leaves, cinnamon, vanilla, cloves and rum. It's a spice sensation that'll keep for up to three days in an airtight container.
Get the recipe for almond cake with chilli-spiced syrup here
Rose and pistachio Battenberg cake
Invented to celebrate the marriage of Prince Louis of Battenberg to one of Queen Victoria's granddaughters, this British classic is traditionally made with vanilla and pink sponges. Here it's given a twist, with one sponge flavoured with pistachio. The cakes are sandwiched together with raspberry jam, then covered in marzipan. You don't need a special tin to make it – and although there are a few steps involved, it's not too complicated.
Apple and strawberry cake
This cake has all the looks and all the flavour. The batter is studded with small pieces of cooking apple and strawberries, which makes it soft and moist. Plus, it has a brown sugar crust to give a pleasing crunch when it's baked. Once cooled, it's topped with whole or sliced strawberries brushed with a strawberry jam glaze. It's the perfect cake to make in summer, when strawberries are at their best.
Sticky gingerbread cake
If you love a dense, sticky, spicy cake, this one's for you. Your kitchen will be filled with the scent of all the spices – cinnamon, ground ginger and mixed spice – while it's baking. The flavours will keep on improving with time, so you can dip into it whenever you fancy a sweet treat. Make it in one square tin, or use two small (450g/1lb) loaf tins.
Lemon drizzle cake
A great lemon drizzle is always a winner – and this one's so simple to make, you'll never buy one again! The light lemon sponge is topped with a crunchy drizzle that soaks right in, and it's decorated with a simple lemon glacé icing. The lightness comes from buttermilk in the batter, but you could substitute low-fat natural yogurt mixed with a squeeze of lemon juice if you wanted to.
Classic red velvet cake
A red velvet cake is a show-stopping bake that's perfect for a celebration. Yet for all its stunning looks, it's not difficult to make or assemble. The trick is to add a mixture of bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to the batter, which ensures the vibrant red colour isn't lost on baking. When splitting the cake into four, use a large serrated bread knife – it'll cut through cleanly.
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