Whether you’re staying in for a casual Sunday brunch or being treated to lunch at your favourite restaurant, there’s always afternoon tea to look forward to. And what is tea without cake? If you’re still undecided about what to bake, I’ve selected a handful of my most popular Mother’s Day Cake Recipes to bake this weekend.

Long before I started blogging, I ran a small events company catering for intimate parties and corporate functions. I also baked cakes for weddings, birthdays and special celebrations. At the time, red velvet wielded the golden sceptre, sweeping aside all possible contenders, including  the stalwart, carrot cake! This is the red velvet cake recipe I used. It makes a rather large cake, but the recipe is easily divisible. To the frosted filling, I’ve added desiccated coconut. The taste and texture is rather lovely contrasted against the plushness of the cake.

The recipe for my Milk and Honey Cake is based on a hot milk sponge recipe. And it couldn’t be easier. It bakes in under 30 minutes. I’ve flavoured the sponge with honey which is quite lovely, paired with plum mousse filling. Often I’ll make double the quantity mousse and serve it for dessert, along with warm roasted plums.

These Lime Curd Meringue Tarts are from the new cookbook. Despite their elegant appearance, they’re hardly trouble at all. To keep things simple, I’ve used ready-made shortbread cookies for the base – no shortcrust pastry today – and a homemade lime curd for the filling. I’m struggling to see a downside!

Not a traditional cake, or bake, for that matter, but extremely delicious, and so worth making, if you’re after something light and healthy. It’s really more of a breakfast cake, if you will. The recipe for this Labneh Cheesecake is from my first cookbook, Bibby’s Kitchen. The crust is made with a nutty homemade granola.

Since making its first appearance in English courts in the 1500’s, strawberries and cream have remained  inseparable companions. To add bright piquancy and sweetness to this Lemon Curd Cream cake, try use a good, homemade lemon curd.

There are two ways to approach the sponge layer of this Honey Pannacotta Cake with Rose Jelly. You can opt for a store-bought vanilla sponge if you’re short of time. Or, bake the sponge from scratch.  It goes without saying, making the sour cream coconut cake layer is prize no 1. It’s feathery light in texture with a tropical coconut flavour which pairs beautifully with the creamy pannacotta. To simplify matters, I usually bake the cake the day before, wrap it tightly in cling film, ready for assembly the following day.

Syrup-Soaked Cakes

It took five attempts to arrive at what I think is possibly the best lemon drizzle cake I’ve ever made. You might be thinking, how hard can it be? Surely not? In my defense, it is not as if I haven’t made a lemon drizzle before. BUT. A yoghurt lemon cake with the lightest crumb, lemony zing and longevity, is a different story.

Semolina orange cake epitomises Middle Eastern baking. It captures the essence of winter with its bright citrusy flavours bay infused syrup. I use the whole orange – skin, flesh, the whole shebang. Most of the flavour of an orange lies in the skin and it’s this intensity, that we’re after.

The first yoghurt cake I made was Nigella’s yoghurt pot cake.  Simplicity is its best feature. Tender and light with a tangy richness that you get from the yoghurt. There’s nothing complicated or challenging about a this Greek yoghurt cake. Drenched with a granadilla syrup, it’s unassuming but completely fabulous.

It’s no secret. Adding vegetables to cakes, imparts wonderful flavour and helps extend the longevity and moistness of the cake. For my Pumpkin spiced Bundt Cake, you can swap pumpkin for butternut if you like. Roast or steamed, either way will work. Usually, I serve it with a Chantilly cream, sweetened with a drizzle of honey and speckled with ground cinnamon. So delicious! The recipe is from the first cookbook. 

Just yesterday, a friend asked if I had a really good chocolate cake recipe. This is it. The recipe is neither weird no complicated, made with ingredients that you most likely already have. Buttermilk gives it a lift, whilst the coffee compliments and enhances the deep chocolatey flavour. Don’t expect a dense Devil’s Food cake texture. It’s more spongy and light but terribly good.

With its meringue like crust and fudgy interior, this chocolate torte is otherworldly. And to be honest, rich. But don’t let that frighten you. The mousse is airy and light in contrast to the torte. Ideally, refrigerate the torte for an hour or so to allow the flavours deepen, and the mousse to set. This helps when slicing. Do serve at room temperature to allow the chocolate notes to bloom. Set on the counter for 20 -30 minutes before serving.