A PIECE OF CAKE

1Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with parchment paper.

2In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly beat the butter with the sugar and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until pale, thick and fluffy - about 6-8 minutes.

3Beat in the eggs, one at a time, thoroughly mixing between additions. Add the flour and salt; fold the flour into the creamed butter mixture until a thick batter forms. (Don't worry if there are still a few streaks of flour in the batter).

4In a small bowl, gently toss half the mixed berries with 2 tbsp flour - this will help prevent them from bleeding into the batter and will help make sure they don’t sink to the bottom of the cake. Add to the batter and very gently fold to combine.

5Spoon and scrape the batter into the tin. Tap the tin on a flat surface a few times to help settle the mixture.

6Bake in the oven until the cake is dry to the touch and golden on top, about 1 hour; when ready, a toothpick will come out clean from the centre.

7Remove the tin from the oven and set it on a cooling rack; let the cake cool completely. Once cool, turn out from the tin.

8Purée half the remaining berries with the lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Pass the purée through a fine sieve into a bowl.

9Add the icing sugar and whisk well to combine. Whisk in hot water by the teaspoon until a smooth, pourable glaze forms.

10To serve, spoon the glaze on top of the cake. Garnish with the remaining berries and fig halves, if using.

1Grease and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with a strip of baking parchment.

2Preheat the oven to 180°C/ Gas Mark 4.

3Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixer, then add the remaining loaf ingredients and mix until smooth.

4Spoon into the loaf tin and bake in the oven for 50 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.

5Make the drizzle by putting the sugar, cordial and lemon juice in a pan and melt over a low heat until dissolved into a syrup.

6Remove the cake from the oven and prick all over with a skewer. While still warm, drizzle over the syrup and leave to cool in the tin.

7Once cool, remove from the tin and slice the loaf in half, then spread one side with the lemon curd and replace the top.

8Decorate by mixing the icing sugar with a small amount of cordial and lemon juice until it’s smooth and has a spreading consistency. Finish with a little lemon zest. Slice and eat!

1Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Lightly oil a 20cm (8in) square cake tin and line it with baking parchment.

2In a food mixer or food processor, beat together the sugar, oil and eggs until they are well blended. (Alternatively, beat them in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer.) Beat in the grated carrot and the orange zest and juice. Then sift in the flour, baking powder and spices and mix everything together thoroughly.

3Pour the cake mixture into the lined cake tin and smooth the top. Bake the cake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until it is well risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin.

4To make the creamy frosting, put the soft cheese, yoghurt, icing sugar and orange zest in a bowl and mix until they are well blended and smooth.

5Spread the frosting over the cake and cut it into 16 squares. Place a mini egg on each square. Store the cake in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

1Preheat a Miele Combination Steam Oven on Cake Plus 160°C and line and grease two 20cm (8in) cake tins. If you don’t have a combination steam oven, this cake can also be baked in a Miele Oven on Fan Plus 160°C, or 180°C/ Gas Mark 4 in a regular oven.

2Toast the walnuts in a frying pan on a medium high heat until they smell nutty and look toasted. Reserve a quarter of the walnuts to decorate the cake and roughly chop the rest.

3In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together using an electric hand whisk until light and pale. Continue whisking and gradually add the eggs.

4Once the eggs are fully incorporated, fold in the flour, salt, coffee essence and chopped walnuts.

5Transfer the cake mixture to the lined cake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes.

6For the buttercream, place the icing sugar, butter and espresso shots into a large bowl. Whisk with an electric hand whisk for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.

7Remove the cake from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Once the cake is cool, spread half of the buttercream on top of one of the cakes. Place the other cake on top and finish with more buttercream. Finish with the remaining walnut halves to decorate.