Your Total Guide To eating & drinking

Easy Cake Recipes

Whether you're a lover of a simple yet delicious Victoria Sponge or are quite fond of a gooey, indulgent chocolate cake, we have our easiest cake recipes to try from home.

Serves: 10 Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the cake:

For the filling:

Method:

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line with non-stick baking paper.
In a large bowl, beat 200g caster sugar, 200g softened butter, 4 beaten eggs, 200g self-raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp milk together until you have a smooth, soft batter.
Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
Bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed.
Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
To make the filling, beat the 100g softened butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in 140g sifted icing sugar and a drop of vanilla extract (if you’re using it).
Spread the buttercream over the bottom of one of the sponges. Top it with 170g strawberry jam and sandwich the second sponge on top.
Dust with a little icing sugar before serving. Keep in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.

Serves: 12/14 Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

For the cake:

For the filling:

Method:

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter the base and sides of two 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
In a large bowl, beat together 200g golden caster sugar, 200g softened unsalted butter, 4 large eggs, 200g self-raising flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp vanilla extract, 2 tbsp milk and a pinch of salt until pale.
Divide the mixture between the prepared tins. Bake for 20 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the buttercream, put 100g chopped milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 secs. Leave the melted chocolate to cool for 5 mins.
Mash 200g softened butter and 400g icing sugar together with a fork, then switch to a wooden spoon or electric beaters, if you have them.
Sift in 5 tbsp cocoa powder with a pinch of salt and pour in the melted chocolate and 2 tbsp milk. Mix again until smooth.
On a cake stand or large plate, sandwich the cakes together with half of the buttercream, then spread the rest on top.

Serves: 8/10 Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease a 900g/2lb loaf tin with a little butter and line with baking paper.
Tip the remaining butter and caster sugar into a food processor and blend for a few seconds. Add the eggs one at a time, blending after each addition. Add the flour and lemon zest and blend until smooth.
Pour the batter into the lined baking tin, flatten the top with the back of a spoon and bake for 50–55 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir together the lemon juice and icing sugar. When the cake has cooled a little, poke holes in the top using a skewer, chopstick or a piece of raw spaghetti. Drizzle over the icing, set aside for a few minutes, and serve.

Serves: 10/12 Time: 1 hour and 5 minutes

Ingredients:

For the cake:

For the icing:

Method:

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Oil and line the base and sides of two 20cm cake tins with baking parchment. Whisk the oil, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and zest in a jug. Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg with a good pinch of salt in a bowl. Squeeze any lumps of sugar through your fingers, shaking the bowl a few times to bring the lumps to the surface.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, along with the carrots, raisins and half the nuts, if using. Mix well to combine, then divide between the tins. Bake for 25-30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If any wet mixture clings to the skewer, return to the oven for 5 mins, then check again. Leave to cool in the tins.
To make the icing, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add half the cream cheese and beat again, then add the rest (adding it bit by bit prevents the icing from splitting). Remove the cakes from the tins and sandwich together with half the icing. Top with the remaining icing and scatter with the remaining walnuts. Will keep in the fridge for up to five days. Best eaten at room temperature.

Serves: 8 Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

For the cake:

170g caster sugar
170g butteror margarine, plus extra to grease
3 large eggs
170g self-raising flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
[Baking powder]1 tbsp instant coffee (add more if you like it strong) dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water

For the icing:

Method:

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line and grease 2 x 18cm sandwich tins. Add the sugar and butter to a bowl and whisk until very fluffy and pale.
Whisk the eggs in a mug with a fork, then add them gradually to the mixture with 1 tbsp of flour each time. (Make sure you don't use all the flour.) When the eggs have been fully combined into the mix, add the rest of the flour and the baking powder and fold it in gently.
Add the dissolved coffee to the mixture, still folding. Divide into the sandwich tins and cook for 25-30 min until risen and firm and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Can be frozen at this stage.
Meanwhile make the icing by beating the icing sugar with the butter until light and fluffy, then add the dissolved coffee. Whisk then cover and put to one side until ready to ice the cake.
Once the sponges have completely cooled, spread half the icing on the bottom of one (leaving around half for the top) and spread the strawberry jam on the bottom of the other, if using. Sandwich together, spread the remaining icing on top. Decorate with walnuts, or cherries if you prefer.