Top cake recipes for April 2013

Good for: Taking that next baking challenge.
Flavours: The sponges may look red but they actually have a deep chocolatey flavour which is complemented by the cool frosting.
Time it takes to make: 2hrs
Why we love it: If we’ve learnt one thing from ITV show Food, Glorious Food it is that judge Stacie is passionate about her cakes. Her impressive red velvet is an absolute show stopper.
Top tip: Be careful with how much red food colouring you add to the cake mixture – you need to balance out the flavours to make sure you don’t taste the colouring.
Get the recipe: Stacie Stewart’s red velvet cake

Good for: A lovely breakfast treat.
Flavours: A nutty sponge with a sticky sweet glaze.
Time it takes to make: 1hr 45mins
Why we love it: Not all cakes have to be super-sweet. This earthy sponge is delicious served in chunky slices and would be as perfect for lunch boxes as it would be with a cup of tea.
Top tip: This loaf lasts 2-3 days so if you make it Sunday night, it should fill the lunch boxes till at least Wednesday.
Get the recipe: Country nut loaf

Good for: Using up leftover fruits.
Flavours: A dense, moist sponge with a sharp fruity twist.
Time it takes to make: 1hr 35mins
Why we love it: Apricots are in season this month but you don’t really see that many cakes that are made with this tangy fruit. This classic banana loaf is given a sharp burst of flavour with this tasty addition.
Top tip: Banana loaves take longer to bake than your average cake so don’t be worried if it takes a little longer to make than you may think.
Get the recipe: Apricot and banana loaf

Good for: Sunday desserts.
Flavours: A soft sponge with a tangy, fruity topping.
Time it takes to make: 45mins
Why we love it: You don’t often see rhubarb in a cake which is a shame as the powerful flavours work really well with a subtle sponge. Ginger and orange tone down the sharpness of the rhubarb.
Top tip: Make up a big batch of the rhubarb compote and put the leftovers in the fridge – it’s delicious on top of porridge.
Get the recipe: Rhubarb upside down cake

Good for: No-fuss baking.
Flavours: Super-soft sponges with a lovely tangy bite.
Time it takes to make: 55mins
Why we love it: This cake is a pure slice of spring. Lemon, lemon and more lemon – the citrus flavours will not fail to put a smile on your face.
Top tip: Replace the lemon with orange, strawberry or lime for a different flavour.
Get the recipe: Lemon cake with lemon curd buttercream

Good for: When you need a crowd-pleasing bake.
Flavours: Blueberries are the star in these soft muffins.
Time it takes to make: 45mins
Why we love it: A muffin may not be the most exciting thing to bake but we can guarantee that the results will go down a treat. Perfect if you don’t want anything too sweet.
You say: ‘I made these and my family and me really enjoyed them; plus the day after that my auntie and her 8 month old little boy loved them!’ goodtoknow user RoBBs.
Get the recipe: Blueberry muffins

Good for: Honing your baking skills.
Flavours: The carrots make the sponge nice and soft and the slightly spiced mixture is complemented by the creamy frosting.
Time it takes to make: 1-2 hours
Why we love it: It’s a cake that always tempts us when we see it in a cafe and this recipe shows you (with step-by-step pics), how to create a restaurant-quality bake.
Top tip: This is a heart cake, you can split it into 2 layers and sandwich with some frosting if you would like – it will cook in half the time!
Get the recipe: Carrot cake

Good for: Rainy days with the kids.
Flavours: These vanilla sponges can be given extra flavour by your choice of toppings – fruit or chocolate would be delicious.
Time it takes to make: 30mins
Why we love it: Quick, easy and fun, these iced fairy cakes are just screaming to be decorated – let the kids loose on the plain white icing and see what their little minds come up with.
You say: ‘These turned out great, much better than the excuse they call fairy cakes on the supermarket shelves and so much more fun too!,’ goodtoknow user Lorraine.
Get the recipe: Mary Berry’s iced fairy cakes

Good for: Getting that chocolate fix.
Flavours: The crunchy honeycomb and chocolate combination of Maltesers give the rich chocolate sponge real bite.
Time it takes to make: 1hr 10mins
Why we love it: Maltesers are a naughty addition to most bakes and they always raise a smile when you serve up a cake topped with them. This cake even has them crushed into buttercream in the middle – delicious!
You say: ‘Very easy to make, tastes fantastic, it didn’t last long in our house!’ goodtoknow user Sue.
Get the recipe: Maltesers cheesecake

Good for: When you want a foolproof, quick baking recipe.
Flavours: Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate.
Time it takes to make: 55mins
Why we love it: Time and time again, this chocolate muffin recipe never lets us down. The rich sponge is the perfect base for a little experimentation – orange zest or mint flavouring would be a delicious twist.
You say: ‘Love this recipe, the one and the only! Quick and always a success, my daughter loves the gooeyness of the cakes,’ goodtoknow user Natalia
Get the recipe: Speedy chocolate muffins

Good for: Showing someone how much you care.
Flavours: Whatever you want! These pretty cakes can be flavoured with lemon, chocolate, orange or just simple vanilla.
Time it takes to make: 1hr 50mins
Why we love it: It’s just so pretty! Why just get flowers when you can get flowers that you can also eat! Much, much easier than it looks, this simple recipe shows you how to assemble and decorate your cupcakes into this pretty arrangement.
Top tip: If you’re not too steady with the piping bag you can by ready made flower cupcake toppers.
Get the recipe: Cupcake bouquet

Good for: Satisfying that sweet tooth.
Flavours: A rich helping of pure chocolate.
Time it takes to make: 50mins
Why we love it: We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – Mary Berry is the absolute queen of cakes. If you’re looking for a chocolate cake recipe that won’t let you down – this is the one to try.
You say: ‘I had never made a chocolate cake before and decided to try this one for my daughter’s birthday cake and it was delish and very easy to make,’ goodtoknow user Neen.
Get the recipe: Mary Berry’s chocolate cake

Good for: Days when you don’t want to be too precise.
Flavours: Marshamallows, chunks of biscuits, fudge – pretty much any sweet ingredients can be topped with chocolate to make a rocky road.
Time it takes to make: 2hrs 45mins (including chilling time)
Why we love it: Sometimes you just aren’t in the mood to bake precise recipes – that’s what we love about rocky road. Bash up some ingreidents then cover with chocolate – simple.
You say: ‘These were the best rocky roads I have ever had!!! all the family loved them and I have recommended it to all chocolate lovers I know!’ goodtoknow user yummytreats51.
Get the recipe: Rocky road

Good for: When you want to show off a little bit.
Flavours: Rich and chocolaty sponges topped with a luxurious cream cheese frosting.
Time it takes to make: 45mins
Why we love it: There’s just something so satisfying about biting into a cupcake and seeing that lovely ruby red colour. It’s a little tricker than your standard cupcake but it’s more than worth it.
Top tip: The ingredients for these cupcakes will also make a 2-tier sponge cake if you fancy a larger slice.
Get the recipe: Red velvet cupcakes

Good for: Kids parties and buffets
Flavours: You can make these cake pops with any flavoured sponge and chocolate coating you would like.
Time it takes to make: 45mins (plus chilling time)
Why we love it: Cake pops are a fun way to serve cake and are a god send at parties – no need for plates or spoons, just hand out these cakes on a stick.
Top tip: If you can’t find candy melts you can replace it in the ingredients with some cooking chocolate.
Get the recipe: Cake pops

Good for: Girly nights in.
Flavours: Gooey on the inside, crispy on the outside, these brownies are a little bit of chocolate heaven.
Time it takes to make: 30mins
Why we love it: This chocolate brownie recipe is a favourite in the goodtoknow office – it never lets you down. Microwave and serve with a little ice cream for a naughty dessert treat.
You say: ‘I made these today, but use 100g dark and 100g milk choc, also added chopped nuts in. They are delicious and I’ll be making these again!’ goodtoknow user GinaB
Get the recipe: Chocolate brownies

Good for: Cupcake lovers
Flavours: This recipe is made with a vanilla sponge but chocolate or lemon would work just as well.
Time it takes to make: 1hr 10mins
Why we love it: Nothing will put a smile on a cake fan’s face faster than a giant cupcake. It’s the ultimate recipe to try if you want to make a celebration cake for someone’s birthday.
Top tip: You need a giant cupcake mould to make this recipe but you could attempt to carve layers of sponge by hand.
Get the recipe: Giant cupcake

Good for: Cake decorating
Flavours: These simple sponges are flavoured with a little vanilla.
Time it takes to make: 40mins
Why we love it: If you want to practise different designs or toppers for cupcakes, you need a sturdy cupcake base. These cakes are also easy to adapt with simple flavour combinations such as lime and coconut or chocolate and orange.
You say: ‘I have just made these, very easy to make, they were absolutely delicious and light,’ goodtoknow user Colette.
Get the recipe: Basic cupcakes