If you’re struggling to deal with a glut of courgettes this summer (they grow like blinkin’ wildfire), here’s a good way to use some up. It’s quite a rich cake and tastes great served with cream.

It works well as both a sandwich cake or a traybake (halve the ingredients if you want a small cake) and is a good way to getting two of your five a day – in cake form!

Serves 8

• 120g Butter
• 125ml Olive oil
• 100g Demerara sugar
• 200g Golden granulated sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 130ml Milk
• 350g Plain flour
• 2tsp Baking powder
• 4tbsp Bournville cocoa powder
• 400g Courgette, peeled and grated
• 1tsp Vanilla essence

For the icing and filling

• 200g Icing sugar
• 100g Bournville cocoa powder
• 3tbsp Creme fraiche
• Raspberries to decorate

Pre heat your oven to 190°C.

Mix together the butter, oil and sugar, then add the eggs one at a time and beat the whole mixture together.

Mix in the milk and sift in the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and mix together.

Finally, mix in the courgette and vanilla essence and bake  for 35-45 minutes.

While it’s all cooking, mix together the chocolate icing. You can use more or less creme fraiche depending on how runny or thick you prefer it. Slap it on when the cake has cooled properly and decorate with raspberries before the icing sets.

This cake is best eaten on the day or the day after it’s baked; for some reason the courgettes make it go a bit stodgy as it ages.

Being more of a savoury girl, my baking repertoire largely consists of cupcakes (my favourites: lime cupcakes drizzled with Absinthe, chocolate cupcakes drizzled with Frangelico – I’m a sucker for boozy cake) and little else.

This recipe produces the lightest cake texture, and trumps the lot. Maybe the yogurt is the secret. Here it is, adapted from Choclette’s adaptation of a Primrose Bakery recipe.

Serves 16

• 200g 70% dark chocolate (I used Green & Blacks)
• 170g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 350g soft brown sugar
• 3 duck egg yolks
• 185g wholemeal plain flour
• 185g white plain flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp bicarb of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 250g Greek yogurt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 300g icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tsp instant espresso coffee (dissolved in a little water)
• 1 tbsp semi-skimmed or full fat milk

For the cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Melt the chocolate in a bain marie and leave to cool. Cream the softened butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Stir in the yolks, followed by the melted cooled chocolate.

Sift the two flours with the bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and salt. Fold into butter mixture, along with 250ml water. Fold in the yogurt and vanilla extract.

Spoon into paper muffin cases sitting in a muffin tray, and bake for 20 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Careful: they are light in texture so very delicate!

For the icing

Beat the butter with the icing sugar, coffee and milk until smooth. Spread or pipe over each cooled cupcake.

In the absence of chocolate-covered coffee beans, I gave mine two different toppings: grated white chocolate, and blueberries.

One of the many things I’ve wanted to bring back from a holiday in Marrakesh is their breakfasts. For us it consisted of strong coffee, a boiled egg, bread, fresh fig jam, honey and a delicious soft and tender pancake called a beghrir.

Coming up with an authentic tasting recipe has resulted in a lot of trial and error. Some wouldn’t rise, some would taste too yeasty, or they’d stick to the pan. Finally though I’ve cracked it, so I give you one of the most delicious pancakes you will ever eat. Perfect with a little melted butter and runny honey drizzled on top!

Serves 2 \ Makes 6

• 350ml hot tap water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 ½ tsp fast action dried yeast
• 4oz ground semolina flour
• 2oz plain or self raising flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• vegetable or sunflower oil for cooking

Pour the hot water into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and stir before sprinkling the yeast on top. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for 20-30 minutes.

Check on the yeast, which should now be slightly frothy on top of the water. If it isn’t try and find a warmer place and leave it for a little longer.

Combine the semolina, flour, salt and baking powder and slowly whisk it into the yeasty water. Continue to whisk until all the lumps are gone.

Cover the bowl with a tea towel and return to the warm spot for a further 20-30 minutes.

Place a small non stick frying pan on a medium heat. Pour in a little oil and wipe away any excess with some kitchen roll. The batter should have risen and be much thicker. Give it a good stir and ladle in enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Tilt the pan to ensure an even spread.

Once all the bubbles on top of the beghrir have burst and the batter is cooked, it’s ready! You can either flip it over and cook on the other side for a minute, or serve.

Tip: I make them to order, but if you want to cook them all at once, keep them warm on a plate in the oven. It’s a good idea to oil the pan after every pancake to stop them from sticking.

Serves 8

• 200g plain chocolate
• 50g milk chocolate
• 225g butter
• 4 large eggs
• 325g caster sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 200g white chocolate
• 150g plain flour
• pinch of salt

Set you oven to 175°C/Fan 150°C/Gas Mark 4.

Line you cake tin – I find a Swiss roll tin is perfect.

Melt the plain, milk chocolate and butter together and put to one side to cool slightly.

Beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla essence (not in same bowl as melted chocolate).

Chop the white chocolate into chunks.

Whisk the egg mix into the cooled chocolate. Then fold in the flour, salt and white chocolate.

Pour into your tin and bake for 40 minutes. The top should be crisp and centre almost set.

Leave to cool, then cut. Keep in the fridge as it tastes better – that is the bits you haven’t eaten warm as that tastes nice too?

You can serve warm on it’s own, with cream or ice cream.

This is a very versatile cake. It could be used to celebrate an occasion like a Birthday, or add custard and it becomes a delicious dessert.

You can alter the flavour with vanilla, chocolate, lemon or orange or you could even add the mixture over stewed apples to make an apple cake; this works well as a delightful winters desert, topped with custard!

Serves 10

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C and grease a large cake tin.

Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer.

Sift in the dry ingredients, followed by the eggs, vanilla and milk. Beat it all together for about 10 minutes.

Spoon into your tin and bake for approximately 1 hour (you may need a little more time depending on your oven).

Remove from the oven. Turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool.

For me, this is one of those cakes where one bit is never enough and going by how quickly it keeps disappearing in my house, everyone else is the same! Along with Caramel Shortcake, this is one of my all time favourites and I will keep making it for years to come. I hope you enjoy it as much as me!

The first time I tried to make a fruit upside down cake, I wasn’t too successful. I had sworn not to try it out ever again but my husband convinced me, this time using canned fruit.

It turned out perfect and tasted oh so good – a perfect way to celebrate our 4th Wedding Anniversary.

The last recipe I followed I didn’t like the cake base, which was not moist, but dry and crumbly. So I decided to do my own version with the French-Yoghurt cake base and it came out just the way I liked it – a little more pudding-like. I am on a sugar-high just looking at it!

Serves 8

Topping

• ¼ cup / 4tbsp butter
• ½ cup packed brown sugar, light or dark is fine
• 1 400g tin of peach slices

Base – French yoghurt cake

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup natural yoghurt
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup flavourless oil

Topping

Place a saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter and sugar. Mix well and keep stirring until the mixture starts bubbling and caramelises a bit. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Butter a 9 inch round cake pan and once the mixture has cooled down a little, pour into the pan and evenly arrange the peach slices on top.

Base

Centre a rack in the oven and preheat to 175°C.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric beater, whisk together the sugar, eggs, yoghurt and vanilla extract until well blended.

Still whisking, add the dry ingredients bit by bit, until they are all mixed well. Pour the oil into the batter and carefully fold in with a rubber spatula.

Assembling

Pour the batter on top of the peach slices and even it out. Bake for about 50 - 55 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

Take out of the oven and cool on a rack for about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and carefully invert onto a serving plate.

Serve with cream.

Tips : If the sugar mix has hardened while you have set it aside to cool, place it back on the hob and lightly heat it.

I had some extra batter after filling the tin, which I used to make about 9 small cup cakes.

After a while the sugar boils and might bubble up over the cake batter, but that’s ok, it kinda adds a caramelised flavour to the whole cake. I loved it.

Take extra care while you invert the cake, as this is the trickiest part. It can all crumble down or get stuck to the bottom. I prefer to invert it as soon as its been taken out of the oven as it will still be a bit buttery at the bottom and the peach slices don’t stick to the pan.

Fairtrade Fortnight starts on Monday (22 Feb-7 March), so I’ve brought you an additional treat in the shape of these delicious and unusual cupcakes created especially for the occasion by cupcake queen Lily Vanilli. These are so tasty that you’ll want to bake them all year round, but I think they taste even better during Fairtrade Fortnight! Choosing Fairtrade over regular versions makes a massive difference to the lives of developing world farmers and their families!

Fairtrade ingredients can be found in the majority of supermarkets. Some, like the Tate & Lyle Fairtrade that sugar I specify, don’t even cost any more than regular sugar…no excuse not to switch!

Frosting

• 85g/3 fl oz (3/8 cup) – Fairtrade honey ale
• 15g Fairtrade cocoa
• 115g Unsalted organic butter (at room temperature)
• 340g Tate & Lyle Fairtrade icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp Fairtrade vanilla essence
• Small bar Fairtrade chocolate to decorate
• Handful toasted Fairtrade Brazil nuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180c

Bring the ale to the boil in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa. Leave to cool until it reaches room temperature.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until very light and fluffy (about 5 mins). Add the egg and beat until just incorporated.

Beat in the cooled ale/cocoa mixture.

Add the sifted dry mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two parts – beginning and ending with the dry and beating after each addition.

Spoon the batter into a baking tray lined with cupcake cases (2/3 full) and bake in a preheated oven for 15 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Cool briefly in the pans and then transfer to a wire rack until cooled completely.

Frosting

Boil the ale in a saucepan, remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa. Allow to cool completely – transfer to a bowl and place in the fridge if necessary.

Beat the butter until smooth. Add the vanilla, ale/cocoa mixture and half the icing sugar and continue to beat. Gradually add all of the sugar – beating continuously until you reach a consistency you like.

Spread onto cooled cupcakes and top with shavings of Fairtrade chocolate and Brazil nuts.

With Fairtrade Fortnight right around the corner (22 Feb-7 March), what better time to try out some delicious and unusual baked treats created especially for the occasion by cupcake queen Lily Vanilli. These are so tasty that you’ll want to bake them all year round, but I think they taste even better during Fairtrade Fortnight! Choosing Fairtrade over regular versions makes a massive difference to the lives of developing world farmers and their families!

Fairtrade ingredients can be found in the majority of supermarkets. Some, like the Tate & Lyle Fairtrade that sugar I specify, don’t even cost any more than regular sugar…no excuse not to switch!

The weekend is a time to relax and recuperate from a hectic week at work. If you’re anything like me then it’s also a perfect opportunity to do some serious home cooking. Last week I shared our top egg recipes in Enjoy eating eggs this weekend. This week I’d like to share our most brilliant cake recipes.

As you’ll see from the list below, our cakes come in many different variations, but they’re all equally as good to make on a lazy Sunday, then kick back and enjoy.

Cupcake cutie

Laura’s the cupcake master, so if you’re after an easy recipe this one’s for you. Cupcakes are very cheap and quick to make and the recipe’s so simple you’ll have no problem coming up with your own variations and icing ideas.

Kat’s carrot cake

If you like a bit more carrot in your cake, then Kat’s got the perfect recipe for you. It’s a classic homely recipe that she’s been making since she was a kid.

Amy’s Handa Island banana cake

Amy’s banana cake makes excellent use of those black and bruised bananas that always seem to be left in the fruit bowl. The cake is very easy to make and as an extra treat can be topped off with butter icing.

Caramel shortcake

Danny’s recipe for caramel shortcake has been very popular in my house. I made two batches of it in a week, shared it with happy friends and am still planning on making more. It’s simple to make and impossible not to eat.

Rocky Horror Show rainbow cupcakes

A recipe for crazy rainbow coloured cupcakes inspired by the Rocky Horror Show. Like the cupcake cutie recipe they’re an easy recipe to master and then add your own variations to.

Lime cheesecake

I’ve tried this recipe firsthand and it’s really delicious. Like many of Simon’s recipes, he likes to just chuck all the ingredients in, but they still end up tasting great!

Chocolate cupcakes

Last but not least, Laura’s sister Fozzy shares her own recipe for cupcakes, but tops them off with her special choccy yoggy icing! Yum!

Your recipes

I hope some of these recipes have inspired you to get baking this weekend and you enjoy your time off. If you have any of your own great cake recipes, please share them here!