Cakes

This birthday cake is a golden, close-textured vanilla sponge sandwiched with a silky buttercream and a thin layer of sharp raspberry jam, finished with a smooth coat of cream cheese frosting that sets just firm enough to hold its shape. It is the kind of cake that slices cleanly, holds its layers well, and has…

A Mary Berry fatless sponge cake is a pale golden, cloud-light sponge with an airy, almost mousselike crumb that springs back cleanly when pressed. The texture comes entirely from whisked eggs and sugar, with no butter or oil in the batter, giving the finished cake a delicate, featherweight quality and a fine, even crumb unlike…

This coffee and walnut traybake is a soft, close-crumbed sponge with a warm, roasted depth from real espresso and a satisfying crunch from roughly chopped walnuts baked right through the batter. The top is finished with a smooth, coffee-scented buttercream that sets to a pale beige layer, firm at the edges and silky in the…

This Mars Bar cake is a dense, fudgy traybake with a deep caramel-chocolate flavour running through every layer. The base is chewy and slightly crisp at the edges, pressed through with Rice Krispies that keep a gentle crunch even after the chocolate topping sets to a smooth, glossy finish. It needs no oven, no eggs,…

This Mary Berry salted caramel cake is a golden, tender sponge layered with a smooth, buttery caramel buttercream and finished with a pourable salted caramel sauce that sets into a glossy, amber coating. The contrast between the sweet caramel filling and the faint salted finish gives every slice a depth that keeps it from feeling…

This apple and cinnamon cake is a golden-crumbed, tender sponge layered with soft, lightly spiced apple pieces that release a warm, caramel-like sweetness as it bakes. The cinnamon runs through the batter in a way that is fragrant without being overpowering, and the crumb holds together beautifully when sliced. This version of the Mary Berry…

This Mary Berry easy fruit cake recipe produces a dense, moist loaf with a deep amber crumb packed with plump dried fruit and the warm, spiced scent of mixed spice and cinnamon. The outside bakes to a firm, mahogany crust while the inside stays tender and slightly sticky, with pockets of softened sultanas and currants…

These rock cakes have a golden, lightly crisped exterior that gives way to a soft, crumbly interior packed with plump dried fruit. The texture sits somewhere between a scone and a fruit cake, dense enough to hold its shape but tender enough to pull apart easily. This version keeps the method straightforward, using just one…

This pineapple upside down cake has a golden, caramelised topping of soft pineapple rings set in a glossy, amber-brown butter and sugar base, sitting over a tender, vanilla-scented sponge with a close, moist crumb. It turns out in one neat, dramatic round that needs no decoration beyond what the baking process has already done. The…

This carrot and banana cake is a moist, tightly crumbed sponge, flecked with grated carrot and swirled through with ripe banana, finished with a smooth, tangy cream cheese topping. The two fruits work together rather than competing, giving a cake that stays soft for days without turning heavy or dense. It suits a Sunday tea…