Sugar

You need to start the recipe the day before. Note

Two 20cm x 30cm (8-inch x 12-inch) rectangular cake pans 35cm x 40cm (14-inch x 16-inch) rectangular cake board toothpicks. Position paper pattern on cake, cut out butterfly using a sharp knife. Use toothpicks to transfer butterfly markings from paper pattern onto the cake. Spread different coloured butter creams on butterfly markings. The butterfly is […]

Treacle is a sweet and richly flavoured syrup which is perfect for making moist baked goods; especially tarts!

EQUIPMENT deep 26cm x 36cm (10½-inch x 14½-inch) baking dish 45cm x 50cm (17-inch x 18-inch) rectangular cake board small paper piping bag. DECORATIONS silver cardboard, for buckle; 1 black licorice strap; 100g (3 ounces) white chocolate Melts; coloured sprinkles. With magic and mayhem being all the rage these days, there are sure to be […]

6 serving plates, or a large serving tray Use a mixture of jam and cinnamon doughnuts, mini jam doughnuts and doughnut holes, if you like. Note

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 […]

Serve up these delightful glazed doughnuts at your next kids' party. They are easier to make than you might think.

These bite sized baked goodies are somewhere between a biscuit and a cake. They make a perfect treat for high teas or simply a sweet after dinner snack.

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!

Double digits at last! This ten cake by Australian Women's Weekly is colour galore. When cutting the jubes dip the knife in hot water, then dry before cutting to avoid sticking.

26cm x 35cm (10½-inch x 14-inch) baking dish; 30cm x 40cm (12-inch x 16-inch) rectangular cake board; small paper piping bag; wooden skewer. This cute cake is a bit fiddly to make, but it looks so good and you’ll get plenty of wow’s that it’s well worth the effort. Note

Let your imagination run wild and create your own sweet menagerie with these clever little animal cupcakes by the Australian Women's Weekly. Be prepared for squeals of delight!

With a cloud-like, marshmallowy centre, this pavlova is the stuff dreams are made of. Serve with lashings of whipped cream, and fresh berries.

This beautiful jelly is perfect for layering in a trifle or served simply with scones or toast for breakfast.

Wonderfully moist from the sweet orange syrup, thos beautiful cake is lovely enjoyed warm or cool with a mug of your favourite cuppa.

This cake is a good one for budding pilots, flight attendants or for those who just want to travel the world.

For added pizzaz, you can layer the cashew cream in glasses and top with the fruit for a more formal dessert. Try roasting other stonefruit such as plums and apricots.

Quick and fun toffee chocolate spoons from Australian Women's Weekly.

Make your child's birthday special with this amazing butter cake covered in yellow buttercream and blue stars.

Rich, sweet and earthy, this hazelnut butterscotch self-saucing pudding is an excellent way to warm up this winter.

You can make glacé icing without butter (or oil) but, a tiny amount of butter will add gloss to the icing and make it easy to cut neatly ­without butter, glacé icing tends to shatter when you cut it. Note

These syrup-soaked milk balls are similar to sponge cake in texture. Popular in India and Pakistan, gulab jaman are usually served in syrup spiced with cinnamon, star anise and cardamom, and flavoured with rosewater.

This chutney is very intense, so use sparingly. Note

You’ll have one leftover cube of cake – practise your piping on this if you like. Note

Pecans can be used in place of the walnuts, if you prefer. Be careful when measuring the bicarb ­any extra, and you will taste its distinct, bitter flavour in the pudding. Note

You will need to buy a 300g packet of chocolate-covered fruit and nuts for this cake. Note

This is also delicious served with crispy bacon, roasted tomatoes and sauteed mushrooms. Just omit the icing sugar and berries. Note

These crispy, sophisticated pastry treats are delicious with hot espresso.

deep 20cm (8-inch) square cake pan 25cm (10-inch) square prepared cake board small piping bag fitted with small plain tube You might need to buy two 100g (3-ounce) packets Mallow Bakes. Use sharp scissors to cut Mallow Bakes in half. This cake can be made a day ahead Note

This fun and pretty cake is extremely easy to make and tastes absolutely divine. The kid's will love the look and taste of their doughnut stack birthday cake.

You will have about 1 cup of the cake mixture left over. Note

You can cut the rind into strips as thin or thick as you like, adjust the cooking time accordingly. Note

These rich and zesty cupcakes, topped with cream and lemon curd, make a great afternoon tea treat.

These beautiful cupcakes are delightful for special occasions. The food colour and berry type can also be changed to suit a different colour palate if preferred.

It is fine to use two 300ml cartons (or one 600ml) of cream for this recipe. You can use Cointreau or any other orange-flavoured liqueur. Candied clementines are available from specialty food stores and delicatessens. Note

A candy thermometer, available from kitchenware stores, is essential for this recipe. Place thermometer in large saucepan of simmering water while syrup is heating. This will stop thermometer cracking when placed in hot syrup. Once syrup is at correct temperature, return thermometer to pan of water; remove from heat. When cool, rinse and dry. Turron […]

These brownies are very fudgy; refrigerate for several hours to make cutting them easier.

This great British pickle is wonderful served with hamburgers, grilled meats or with cold meats on sandwiches.

Use a small amount of buttercream to attach the ears and nose to face. Make sure you buy the large marshmallows that look as if they’ve been piped, with a soft tip at the top. Note

Black sugar is available from health food stores; brown sugar can be used as a substitute. Note

Cut a 2.5cm piece from one half of the square cake and trim a 3.5cm piece from the jam roll. Assemble the cakes on the board to form the train; discard any remaining cake and jam roll. When it comes to eating this cake, remember that a small segment of stick is still embedded in […]

Drizzled in a sweet vanilla syrup and topped with fresh mint, these colourful citrus and yoghurt pots make a pretty dessert.

For a lavish touch, add ¼ cup raisins and 1 tablespoon rum or brandy. Serve over ice- cream or baked apples. Note

Decorations; 3 x 190g packets Allen’s Funfair Thrills jellybeans; 2 green Nestle Smarties; 2 x 30cm thin yellow chenille sticks (pipe cleaners) Equipment; (x2) 18cm heart-shaped cake pans; 12-hole (⅓-cup/80ml) muffin pan; 4 yellow paper muffin cases; 40cm x 55cm covered cake board Note

Thrill your child on their birthday with this adorable (and delicious) red fire engine cake.

To pipe the swan’s body, place the tube close to the tray and press down to finish the choux with a small point. To pipe the neck, start at the base of the neck and finish at the head. As you finish the head, press down on the tube to make a point, which will […]

Sauce will keep for up to 2 weeks in a covered container in the refrigerator. Note

A piping bag — available from cookware shops — is a really handy thing to have. They are easy to use, much easier than you’d expect, and make the dividing up of a mixture into trays quick and efficient. Buy a few different sizes and shapes of tubes — you’ll be surprised how often you’ll […]

The Weekly's Top 10 cakes - Number 3

Get the kids busy in the kitchen with these adorable kitty cat cupcakes.

Equipment; 5cm (2-inch) square cutter buckle template; 4 paper piping bags; 16 plain yellow paper cases; 5cm (2-inch) square cutter buckle template; 4 paper piping bags; 16 plain yellow paper cases. The squares of icing and the buckles can be made at least two weeks ahead. Make a few more buckles to allow for breakages. […]

26cm x 35cm (10¼-inch x 14-inch) baking dish; 6-hole (¾-cup/180ml texas muffin pan; 30cm x 40cm (12-inch x 16-inch) rectangular cake board. 10 white chocolate Melts; 3 rainbow sour straps; ½ cup (135g) blue jellybeans. A cake for budding gardeners. Note

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

Thrill the kids with these easy hot-pink cupcakes topped with Jaffas.

Equipment 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) shallow round-based patty pan 12-hole (¹/³-cup/80ml) standard muffin pan 6-hole (¾-cup/180ml) texas muffin pan 4cm-round cutter 2 strong wooden toothpicks 40cm-round or 40cm x 45cm rectangle prepared cake board Little girls love tea parties ­ the whole party could be themed this way. The cakes are not difficult to make, but they […]

Filled with hazelnut praline cream, this stunning sponge is perfect for a special occasion.

Whip up a pitcher of delicious lemon iced tea for a refreshingly sweet beverage as the weather warms up.

Your reputation as a cake-maker will reach giddy heights when you show off this cake. The stars are incredibly simple to make and look really effective. Note

Perfect for a kid's birthday party, these butterfly cupcakes are fun to both make and eat.

The Weekly's Top 10 cakes - Number 8

Give your traditional shortbread recipe a more robust and festive flavour by trying these brown sugar and spice shortbread sticks. They would also make a thoughtful gift.

Celebrate your child's birthday with this adorable yellow beehive cake!

These gorgeous treats are sweet to look at and especially sweet to eat.

Bite-sized tarts with a vanilla and raspberry crème brûlée filling and a crispy toffee topping make an elegant dessert or afternoon tea.

Mastic is available from shops that stock Greek and Middle Eastern food. Note

Use yellow Candy Melts in place of tinted chocolate Melts if you like. Note

These pretty teacups and teapots are versatile little biscuits. They'd be perfect to serve at a kitchen tea, but would also be great at a little girl's first tea party, or as a delicious gift to take to a house-warming party.

Serve this decadent winter dessert with lashings of whipped cream.

A berry cheesecake filling sits atop a crisp meringue nest in this impressive dessert.

Serve these lip-smacking spareribs with char-grilled new potatoes and a leafy green salad.

These lip-smacking chicken wings are addictive and go beautifully with creamy capsicum and feta dip.

This super cake turtle birthday cake is perfect for a kid's party at home or school.

We’ve made five fairy cakes, however, there will be enough cake mixture to make a total of nine cakes ­ one for each guest would be ideal. Match the colour of the paper cases to the dolls for a pretty effect. Use the cakes as gifts for the guests to take home, or as the […]

Delight your child with this gorgeous (and easy) orange birthday cake.

Choux pastry (pronounced "shoo") is the basis of many delectable desserts. Choux puffs such as these are among the most popular. Beautifully light, filled with crème pâtissière, who could resist them?

Covered in lollies and heart-shaped lollipops, this impressive crown cake is sure to be a hit.

4 x 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) mini muffin pans; 48 mini muffin paper cases (purple); 40cm x 55cm prepared cake board. Decorations; purple edible glitter; 60g jar silver cachous. You’ll have about ⅓ cup of the cake mixture left over, enough for another eight or so little cakes. Note

To get the best-shaped blocks, refrigerate or partly freeze the cake, then cut the cake into neat cubes. Note

The kids will love these fun domino cakes decorated with licorice strips and M&Ms. Get the party goers to build their own real domino chain to topple at the end of the party.

EQUIPMENT 20cm (8-inch) square cake board We’ve use a mixture of lollies to turn this into a rubbish bin. To make this a recycle bin, use a variety of milk bottles. Save any licourice off-cuts for another use. Note

Use white Candy Melts in place of chocolate Melts for an extra-white finish. Note

Celebrate eight with this gorgeous yellow birthday cake decorated with edible orange flowers.

Broderie anglaise, French for `English embroidery', is characterised by cutwork, lace and small eyelet patterns, just like we've used in this cake.