These romantic cupcakes are ideal for an engagement party or baby shower.

Try this gorgeous blue gluten-free cake for your child's second birthday party. The number 2 cake pan can be hired from cake decorating shops.

This is a great activity to do with the kids, as well as a gorgeous treat to make for them. Delight family and friends with these DIY Easter eggs.

Have butter at room temperature. Beat butter in a small bowl with electric mixer until very pale. Add half sifted icing sugar and half milk; beating until well combined. Add remaining icing sugar and milk; beat until mixture is smooth. Note

Equipment 21cm x 32cm number 1 cake pan (see tip) 35cm x 45cm covered cake board. After turning the first cake out of the pan, wash the cake pan and rinse it in cold water, then dry, to remove any residual heat. Note

Homemade syrups and cordials are a great addition to your fridge or pantry, they can be used to make refreshing drinks, served neat over ice-cream or as the base for other fruit-based sauces.

Inspired by Aboriginal legend, this striking cake is distinctively an Australian original. Note

Little tennis lovers will rejoice in this delicious and impressive birthday cake.

Cake can be completed and frozen, except for the coconut and penguins, at least a week before the party. Use regular ice-cream, not one high or low in fat. Buy small plastic toy penguins or make your own (as pictured) by moulding coloured ready-made white icing. Note

Thrill your child on their birthday with this gorgeous hot-pink dragon cake.

This cake can be made two days ahead. Note

Swimming in a sea of blue jelly, this cheeky jellyfish will delight the kids.

The hardest part of making this cake is making the butter cream smooth on the sides of the petals where the cake has been cut. If you freeze the cut cake pieces for an hour or so, it will help minimise the cake crumbling.

a carnival of cakes to delight your guests ­ you could also personalise each cake with the name of the birthday child Tint each portion of butter cream with each of the colourings. Using a fork as a handle, spread top and side of each cake with a different coloured butter cream. Arrange balloon cakes […]

To keep the glossy finish to the frosting, the cake needs to be frosted no longer than 1 hour before serving. The frosting soon dries out, resembling cooked meringue. Note

Enjoy this classic Middle Eastern dip with vegetable sticks, crackers, bread or meats. It's easy to make and packed full of the goodness of chickpeas.

EQUIPMENT 30cm (12-inch) round cake board, plastic sandwich bag, oven trays test kitchen tips If using butter cream instead of the chocolate frosting, you will need two quantities of chocolate butter cream . Use a variety of chocolate bars – such as Flakes, Violet Crumbles or Tim Tam biscuits – for the campfire logs. The […]

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

Equipment: 3 x 12-hole (1/3-cup/80ml) standard muffin pans, 30 standard paper cases. The icing will set quickly, so return it to the pan of water and reheat it gently until it’s runny again. Don’t overheat the icing or it will crystallise. A tiered cake plate is the perfect way to show off these ever-popular patty […]

Chocolate sides and curls can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container. Decorate cake just before serving. Chocolate can be melted gently, uncovered, in the microwave, or over a small saucepan of simmering water (don’t let the water touch the base of the bowl), stirring frequently. Remove from the heat as […]

20cm x 30cm (8-inch x 12-inch) rectangular cake pan; 8cm x 25cm (3¼-inch x 10-inch) bar cake pan; 35cm x 45cm (14-inch x 18-inch) rectangular cake board Note

You can warm the tortillas in the microwave oven; follow the instructions on the packet. Note

The Australian Women's Weekly Kids' Perfect Party Book

You'll get more howls of delight than of fear when you bring this spooky ice-cream cake out! A firm favourite from The Australian Women's Weekly Kids' Perfect Party Book.

Fun and great for sharing; white choc-chip orange and cranberry muffins from Australian Women's Weekly.

EQUIPMENT 1 x 20cm (8-inch) cardboard cake board; 2 x 8cm (3-inch) cardboard cake boards; paper piping bag; 50cm (20-inch) square-cake board. We used ganache in this recipe to hold the larger drum in place as it sets firmer than the frosting. Note

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Note

Did you know? Children need to eat mini-meals throughout the day. Most children can snack up to 5 or 6 times a day, thanks to their small stomach capacity and large appetites, providing them with a third to a half of their energy needs. Note

Deep 26cm x 36cm (10½-inch x 14½-inch) baking dish; 25cm x 40cm (10-inch x 16-inch) rectangular prepared cake board. Note

EQUIPMENT 26cm x 35cm (10 inch x 14 inch) baking dish 30cm x 40cm (12 inch x 16 inch) rectangular cake board bamboo skewer. The grommets have gone a-surfing — even fussy teenage boys and girls will want to ‘hang 10’ with this cool pair of board shorts. Use a skewer to make holes for […]

These pretty jelly parfaits make a delightful kids' party food or dessert. Top with fresh fruit for a colourful flourish.

If you're looking for a sweet treat that will appeal to young and old and isn't too full of sugar, these frozen coconut bananas with passionfruit dip are for you!

35cm (14-inch) square cake board These cute little cakes would also be a welcome treat at a halloween party for younger children. Cupcakes should be decorated the day of serving as the Minties will dissolve if left overnight. Store cakes in an airtight container at room temperature. If you can’t find un-iced cupcakes, use iced […]

Covered in an assortment of lollies, this gorgeous yellow dragon cake is sure to be a winner with the kids.

These delicious and refreshing mango and passionfruit ice-cream pops are full of natural colours and flavours and a delightful treat for the kids.

This cute and colourful 'under the sea' birthday cake is perfect for little ones who love animals or spending time by the ocean.

Brought to you by the classic Australian Women's Weekly birthday cake cookbook.

Store rocky road in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Note

Toffee apples can be made up to two days ahead. Place in paper cases and wrap in cellophane or use cellophane bags. Note

To keep the glossy finish to the frosting, the cake needs to be frosted up to an hour before the party. The frosting soon dries out to resemble cooked meringue. Note

Both the kids and adults will love these tasty and simple hot dogs.

Replace toys with caramello koalas or teddy bear biscuits, edible flowers and lollies shaped like picnic foods, such as fruits, hot dogs and pizza. You’ll find lots of toys to easily decorate cakes in variety shops or toy stores. Note

It's not that hard being green... there's a pond, plenty of water, lily pads and a rainbow connection... Why, there's lots of fun to be had!

This cake is perfect for a first birthday party. It's quite simple to make, so you're not spending lots of time on a creation that probably won't be given its due attention by the birthday child.

Drizzled with melted white chocolate, these delightful cookies are perfect for a special occasion.

If you like, decorate the brownie with white chocolate curls ­ just run a vegetable peeler down the side of a just slightly warmed chocolate block. Jersey caramels are available at supermarkets in the confectionery aisle. Note

Celebrate your child turning four with this awesome birthday cake for car lovers.

Keeping time: 2 days. We used 3 bananas for this recipe. Note

Indulge your taste buds with this Greek delight the whole family will love. You can make both the patties and the tzatziki well ahead of time.

These colourful vanilla cupcakes will be very popular with the kids.

Pop this one on the party table for an eye-catching cake. From The Australian Women's Weekly's famous 'Children's Birthday Cake Book' cookbook, it's sure to be a hit with younger children.

The birthday child and friends will be thrilled with these individual tortoise cakes covered in chocolate freckles.

This colourful cake from The Australian Women's Weekly's famous 'Children's Birthday Cake Book' cookbook is bound to be a hit with Mr or Ms. Two!

Get the kids busy in the kitchen with these delicious coconut, lime and pineapple cookies.

We used a blackboard as a serving plate for this fun spaceship cake. Get the party goers to create their own universe using chalk.

Mint Slice is a biscuit with a light, crisp chocolate biscuit base, a thick layer of mint cream and a smooth coating of dark chocolate. Note

Spiced honey muffins with chocolate chunks are topped with whipped cream and toffee bar shards in this decadent recipe.

A trick to cutting turkish delight is to place it in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up, then cut it with an oiled knife, making sure to oil the knife regularly. You need a 6cm (2½-inch) fluted square cutter, or alternatively use a 7cm (2¾ inch) fluted round cutter. Note

Decorate cake pops on the day of serving. Note

To keep the glossy finish to the frosting, the cake needs to be frosted up to an hour before the party. The frosting soon dries out to resemble cooked meringue. Note

In China, dragons traditionally symbolise good luck, which, along with this dragon, is a pretty nice gift to give as a birthday present.

equipment 31cm x 34cm teddy bear cake pan 38cm x 47cm covered cake board Allen’s Peaches & Cream and Strawberries & Cream can be found in Allen’s Party Mix. Note

This recipe can be made a day ahead, but hold off on adding the ginger ale until just before serving. Note

Eating gluten-free doesn't mean your baking days are over! These gluten-free chocolate fudge brownies are dense, chocolatey and immensely satisfying.

You need a 200g packet of Skittles for Zappo. Oval cake pans can be bought from cake decorating suppliers, or make a cake in a baking dish and cut the oval shape from it – easy and cheaper. Remember to remove the toothpicks out of the reach of children. Note

Adorned with marshmallows and smarties, this colourful bouquet of cupcakes is sure to be a hit.

These treats are best served while warm. Note

Delight both children and adults with these top-quality homemade sausage rolls and pizza spirals.

When the kids get home from school starving, it's a good time to slip something healthy on their plate. We've got four recipes here, muffins, smoothie, fruit dip and quesadillas, that are perfect.

Also known as Melonade, a light, sparkling summer drink that is super refreshing.

The combination of sweet toffee with crunchy roasted is brilliant in these fun desserts. Your kids will love sucking on these peanut brittle pops for an after school or weekend treat.

These bite-sized Portuguese custard tarts are sweet, eggy and utterly moreish. Best served with really good coffee, they make a delicious afternoon tea-time treat.

Assuming you find yourself with left-over doughnuts to hand, a big assumption granted, there's no better way to eat them than grilled with maple syrup.

There's nothing like a piece of homemade rocky road, and the best thing is that you can play around with the ingredients, adding more or less of your favourite bits or choosing to use a different type of nut.

Treacle is sweeter than molasses, but not as sweet as golden syrup, and it has a slightly bitter taste. If you don't have any treacle you can make these little gingerbread loaves with golden syrup but may want to remove one tablespoon of sugar from the recipe.

This recipe can be made a week ahead. Note

The caramel frosting has a cheeky burnt sugar edge that serves as the perfect pairing for this indulgent mud cake. It's an excellent teatime cake, and the perfect post-dinner dessert.

If you want to whip up something a little bit fancy in a flash, this rocky road ice-cream is brilliant. You can make it as simple or gourmet as you like, we used Cherry Ripe instead of plain chocolate.

Add a tropical touch to these caramelised pineapple slices by stirring some desiccated coconut through the icecream, and drizzling passionfruit pulp over the fruit.

You can decorate these party patty cakes just like we have, or you can use your favourite lollies to make up your own designs. For a fun, if messy, party game place all the bits and pieces out on a long table, and let the kids decorate their own cupcake.