Simple but scrumptious! Super-easy cakes you can make TODAY, from a brownie banana loaf to a biscuit showstopper (and one you don’t even need to bake)

Baking doesn’t have to be taxing, as our simple guide shows.

Here are five delicious cakes, made in an easy way. From a cappuccino creation to a squeeze of lemon, these recipes are worth the calories!

BROWNIE BANANA BREAD

Serves 8

150 g dark chocolate, cut into pieces

125 g unsalted butter, cut into pieces

200 g golden caster sugar

3 eggs

200 grams of self-raising flour

50 g cocoa powder

2 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Grease a 900g loaf tin and line the bottom and sides with baking paper.

Place 100 g of dark chocolate with the butter in a heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Or microwave in 20 second bursts. Set aside to cool.

Beat the sugar and eggs until frothy. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt and stir together.

Fold in the melted chocolate mixture, the bananas and the rest of the chocolate pieces.

Spoon the mixture into the baking tin and bake for 50 minutes until puffy and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let it cool in the pan for ten minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

LEMON DRIZZLE BUNDT CAKE

By Jane Dunn

Serves 12

300g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra, melted, for greasing

300g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

300 g granulated sugar

6 eggs

Grated zest of 3 lemons

Before the drizzle

75 ml lemon juice

75 g granulated sugar

Decorate

100 g icing sugar

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

Grated lemon peel

Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.

Very generously grease and flour a 2.5 liter baking tin. The best way to do this is to brush or spray the mold with melted butter or cooking spray. Pour in the flour and gently tap out the excess.

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, flour and zest and beat until combined. Pour into the tin. Bake for 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the drizzle. Heat the lemon juice and granulated sugar in a pan over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool.

Remove the cake from the oven, poke a few holes in the sponge dough and pour the drizzle over it. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes and then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For decoration, mix the icing sugar and lemon juice into a paste. Drizzle over the cake. Sprinkle with lemon zest.

CAPPUCCINO CAKE

By Eleanor Maidment

Serves 10-12

175 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 5 tbsp whole milk

3 tablespoons instant coffee

175 g light brown soft sugar

3 large eggs

175 g self-raising flour

½ teaspoon fine salt

For the topping

100 g mascarpone

60 g icing sugar

100 g double cream

10 g dark chocolate, grated

Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3.5. Grease a 900 gram cake tin with some butter and line it with baking paper.

Heat the milk and coffee in a small saucepan until warm, stirring to completely dissolve the coffee; let cool.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar using electric beaters for 3-4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the coffee mixture. Then beat in the flour and salt until you have a smooth batter.

Scrape this into the tin, smooth the top and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the tin.

Beat the mascarpone and icing sugar with a hand whisk until combined. Add the cream and beat until just soft peaks form (do not overwhip or the cream may split). Swirl over the top of the cake and decorate with grated chocolate.

NO-BAKE SIMPLE PARTY CAKE

By Jamie Oliver

Serves 8-10

1 x 750g panettone

2 x 225 g fresh strawberries

500 grams of ricotta cheese (cold)

1 tbsp liquid honey

3 generous tablespoons of lemon curd

Remove the panettone from the packaging and cut 3 thick rounds, about 2.5 cm thick (save the rest of the panettone for delicious breakfast treats).

Grate 3 strawberries very finely into a bowl and stir in 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, divide this over one side of each of the 3 rounds and let it absorb.

Puree the ricotta in a food processor with the honey until silky, then divide between the rounds and wrinkle each with lemon curd (stir the lemon curd in the pot first to loosen it).

Peel and finely slice most of the remaining strawberries (leaving a few nice ones aside to decorate later) and divide them between two of the layers.

Stack the layers on top of each other and use a mixture of whole and sliced ​​strawberries to decorate the top. Place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

COOKING TIP: If you feel like doing something exciting, pour a quarter jar of honey into a saucepan and place it over medium heat. Let it bubble for a while until a dark caramel forms (never touch!). Let cool for 5 minutes and then gently dip them into the whole strawberries, holding each over the pan so the caramel drips down, creating strings of spun sugar. Place them upside down on a grease-free baking tray (so they don’t stick) to set and then use them to decorate your cake. To clean the pan effortlessly, pour in 1 inch of water, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

MOSAIC COOKIE-TIN CAKE

By Liberty Mendez

Serves 8-10

For the cake

350 grams of self-raising flour

a pinch of fine sea salt

225 g granulated sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

150 ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing

2 teaspoons vanilla paste

½ tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

For the icing and decoration

200 g unsalted butter (or dairy-free butter/spread), softened

400 grams of powdered sugar

3 tablespoons milk (regular or vegetable)

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

300g cookies (vegan or dairy-free, as needed), a quarter roughly chopped and the rest cut in half, if filled (I used a mixture of bourbons, custard creams, Party Rings and Jammy Dodgers)

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Grease two 18cm round cake tins with oil and line the bottom with baking paper.

For the cake, place the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda in a large bowl. Gradually beat in the oil, vanilla, vinegar and 250 ml water until you have a smooth batter.

Pour the batter into the two baking tins lined with baking paper and divide it evenly. Level using the back of a spoon. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for five minutes, then invert onto a wire rack face down (this will flatten them once they’ve risen in the middle) and let cool completely.

In the meantime, make the glaze. Using an electric whisk, a mixer or a wooden spoon and some muscle mass, beat the butter and icing sugar in a bowl until pale and smooth. Beat in the milk and vanilla paste. Put aside.

Take one of the sponges and place it on a plate or cake board, spoon half the frosting into the center and spread it evenly. Make a dip in the center with a spoon or palette knife and drag some of the icing out. Place the chopped cookies in the center and press them into the icing. Place the other sponge on top.

Spread the rest of the frosting around the cake, on the sides and top, using a palette knife in sweeping motions. It doesn’t have to be neat because it’s covered. Take the remaining cookies and press them against the sides of the cake. Cut some of it into pieces to fit into the holes, so that the sides and top are covered with a mosaic of cookies. Store it in an airtight container (or wrapped) for up to three days.