Flour

You will need to buy a 200g jelly beans packet and a 35g tumini M&M’s for the decorations. Colin should beeaten before he under goes a metamorphosis and changes into a giant butterfly. This cake is just the right size for small hands and its bright colours will keep little ones amused. Note

Use a mandoline or V-slicer to cut the potatoes into paper-thin slices. Note

EQUIPMENT 12 plain white paper cases Large piping bag 1cm (.-inch) plain piping tube Cupcakes stale quickly, so it’s best to use a fruit or mud cake for the best keeping qualities. The cakes can be made and frozen for about 3 months. Choose the cake you like, then a type of jam, or a […]

Bunting can be found at most craft and party shops. Be sure to remove the toothpicks from the cake before serving. For a boy, decorate with green or yellow fruit sticks and matching bunting, or use the colours of his favourite sporting team (of course, this also can be done for girls and their favourite […]

This recipe also makes 6 texas muffins (¾-cup/180ml); bake about 40 minutes. Note

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

You can substitute glacé fruit with others of your choice. Cut the cake with a hot knife. Wipe the blade clean between cuts. Note

You need 10 ice-block sticks. If the choc orange balls don’t stick to the cookies, secure them with a little melted chocolate. Note

Ho ho ho and a bottle of red cordial will soon have Pete smiling again. We were lucky enough to find an odd-shaped chocolate- coated sultana for the eyebrow, but use some licorice instead. Note

When they’re in season, this pudding also works well with quince. Prepare 4 small quince (800g) as for the pears in step 1, cooking them for 30 minutes until softened. Note

To make individual crumbles, use four 1½ cup (375ml) dishes and bake 15 minutes. Note

Player position seems to indicate only a handful of runs are needed before the end of the match. Budding cricketers will surely want a rematch before cutting into this fun cake. Note

If you don’t have a candy thermometer, boil the syrup until it’s thick with heavy bubbles. Remove from heat, let bubbles subside, then reassess the thickness of the syrup. Note

Equipment: Deep 22cm (9-inch) square cake pan 7cm (2¾-inch) round cutter 30cm (12-inch) square cake board Note

You need six 30cm (12-inch) squares of unbleached calico and six 1m (1 yard) lengths of kitchen string. Note

There's no cake like an chocolate layer cake, and this one will be sure to turn heads when presented at any party.

This cake is perfect for the little girl who dreams of having her very own pony. Note

Edible gold leaf and candy thermometers are available from kitchenware stores and cake decorating suppliers. Note

To finely shred (or chiffonade) the basil leaves, lay the leaves flat on top of each other, then roll up tightly and cut into thin slices. This results in long, fine strips. Note

You will need to cook 350g pumpkin for the amount of mashed pumpkin required in this recipe. Note

If you don’t have a candy thermometer, boil the syrup until it’s thick with heavy bubbles. Remove from heat, let bubbles subside, then reassess the thickness of the syrup. Note

These cookies can be topped with nuts before baking or, once cooked, iced then dipped into various sprinkles, or simply dusted lightly with sifted icing sugar. To flavour the dough, beat your choice of essence or extract with the butter and sugar mixture, or beat in a teaspoon or two of finely grated citrus rind. […]

EQUIPMENT Deep 22cm (9-inch) square cake pan 35cm (14-inch) square cake board Carefully position photograph in centre of cake. You can use any photographic print you like, but remember to laminate it if you want it to remain after the cake is gone. Use a selection of your favourite lollies to decorate this cake Note

Place the unused vanilla bean in a jar of caster sugar to make your own vanilla sugar. Note

Dried lavender is available from gourmet food stores and cake decorating stores. Note

Use hundreds and thousands as an alternative to the orange sprinkles. You can use cream-filled rollettes, if you prefer. If using butter cream instead of the vanilla frosting, you will need two quantities. White icing is also known as fondant (it’s the traditional icing used on wedding cakes). It is available in packets from the […]

Top puddings with a slice of glacé orange. It is available from gourmet and health-food stores. If the six 30cm squares of unbleached calico have not been used before, soak them in cold water overnight. The next day, boil them for 20 minutes then rinse in cold water. Puddings can be cooked in two boilers […]

Use frangelico (hazelnut) or crème de cacao (chocolate) flavoured liqueurs. Cut cakes with a serrated knife. Note

A moist and delicious Greek apple cake that is traditionally eaten for breakfast.

Pink petal dust can be purchased at specialty baking or cake-decorating shops. Note

Flaked coconut can be bought from a store which stocks Indian and Fijian food. Note

Ballerina cake toppers are available from cake decorating suppliers, or top with tiny ballerina dolls from toy stores. Note

A classic steamed Christmas pudding that is sure to bring back childhood memories.

Éclairs are best made on day of serving, but do not fill until ready to serve. Unfilled éclairs can be frozen. Note

Clarissa the cow is out in the paddock, eating the flowers and generally getting into all kinds of mischief. Note

You can find artificial spider’s web at novelty shops. If you can’t find it, use fairy floss or cotton wool instead. Be sure to remove spider’s web or cotton wool and skewers before cutting and serving the cake. You will need approximately 3 x 100g bars of Toblerone for this cake. Note

Sometimes called Indian blood plum, the large plum used in this recipe has a distinctive dark red to purple fibrous flesh, is extremely juicy, pleasantly sweet, and is the plum most often found canned. Canned apricots or peaches can be substituted for the plums. A delicious time-and waist-saving recipe. Note

Flavoured Milk Bottles can be found in packets of Allen’s Milk Bottle Mania; you will need about 3 x 170g packets. Note

The taste of this loose-crumbed pineapple and coconut cake will instantly transport you to the seventies when a piña colada was 'the' cocktail.

White icing is also known as fondant (it’s the traditional icing used on wedding cakes). It is available in packets from the supermarket and cake decorating shops. Note

If you don’t have a candy thermometer, boil the syrup until it’s thick with heavy bubbles. Remove from heat, let bubbles subside, then reassess the thickness of the syrup. Note

If you have an electric mixer with a dough hook you can use it to knead the dough for 5 minutes. Rolls are best served slightly warm on the day of baking. They are not suitable to freeze. Note

Garlic is easy to roast and has a more mellow taste than it does raw or fried. Make it and freeze it by the tablespoon wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Roasted garlic beaten with softened butter adds a whole new dimension of flavour to mashed potato or steamed corn cobs. Note

One-year-olds may be too young to eat the cachous, but they’ll certainly love the cake. Tiny heart-, star-, moon- and other-shaped cutters are sometimes sold as aspic cutters. Note

Brioche, hot cross buns or fruit loaf can be substituted for the panettone. Note

You need to cook 1kg pumpkin for the amount of mashed pumpkin needed. You can decorate this cake with Chinese candied ginger strips, available from Asian grocers. Note

Pinky bunny is a small cute cake, ­just enough for a small cute person’s birthday. You’ll have ½ cup of the cake mixture left over, enough for another mini loaf. Note