Easy cake recipes

Easy cake recipes including Mary berry's lemon drizzle cake, basica fairy cakes and a simple Victoria sponge cake recipe.

Chocolate brownie
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Easy cake recipes including Mary berry's lemon drizzle cake, basica fairy cakes and a simple Victoria sponge cake recipe.

Our easy cake recipes to bake at home, including Mary Berry's lemon drizzle cake, basic fairy cakes and a simple Victoria sponge cake recipe, are just the kind of weekend project we like: super speedy with great results.

We’ve got for a mix of flavours, because we think there should be freedom of choice when it comes to cake – that much we know is very important. If you’re a fan of fruity treats then you’re in luck, but if you’re more of a chocolate lover then we’ve got you covered too – call us people pleasers.

To keep our easy cake recipes, well, easy… we’ve made sure none of them contain fancy ingredients or a method as long as your arm, so that you can pretty much whip up any one of them with a few store cupboard staples and a little bit of direction. Homemade cakes taste better and you know exactly what's in them, so it's worth making your own - plus, baking is a great way to spend time with your children and we bet it will make you very popular with the rest of the family too.

Chocolate brownies

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It really doesn't take much to whip up a batch of chocolate brownies. Ours are made in just six simple steps and will take an average of 10 minutes to prep.

Get the recipe: Chocolate brownie recipe

Mary Berry's lemon drizzle cake

Mary Berry's lemon drizzle cake

Who doesn't love that sherbet-like zing of sweet and sour lemon cake? This is one of our all-time most popular recipes ever and it's not hard to see why when you've tried it.

Why so easy? This recipe by baking queen Mary Berry requires no icing skills whatsoever, which can only be a positive in our books. Simply combine the drizzle mixture ingredients and pour over the top of your warm cake to get a really fabulous flavour in seconds.

Get the recipe: Lemon drizzle cake

Mary Berry's iced fairy cakes

Mary Berry's iced fairy cakes

(Image credit: BBC Books)

Mary Berry's iced fairy cakes are quick and easy to make with kids and need just 15 minutes in the oven.

Why so easy? Pretty little fairy cakes are perfect for kids' parties. You can make a load of them in one go, and they're much easier to share around than your average loaf or sponge cake.

Get the recipe: Mary Berry's fairy cakes recipe

Chocolate cupcakes

Wickedly rich chocolate cupcakes

If you're looking for a quick chocolate fix then we've got the answer, and it's in the form of these rich cupcakes.

Why so easy? We've gone for a little help from our friend the mixer with this one. For both the cupcake batter and the icing you chuck everything in and your whisk do the hard work!

Get the recipe: Chocolate cupcakes

Mary Berry's Victoria sandwich cake

Mary Berry's Victoria sponge cake recipe

Mary Berry's classic Victoria sandwich cake recipe uses the all-in-one method to make a very simple bake that you can make in three cake tin sizes.

Why so easy? The all-in-one method does exactly what it says in the tin. Simply put all of the ingredients in one bowl and mix them all up in seconds.

Get the recipe: Mary Berry's Victoria sponge cake

Banana and chocolate cake

Banana and chocolate cake

Banana and chocolate cake brings together ripe bananas with dark chocolate chunks for a more grown up bake.

Why so easy? The prep time for this bake is a mere 20 minutes. Then just stick it in the oven and let the magic happen.

Get the recipe: Banana and chocolate

Vanilla fairy cakes

Vanilla fairy cakes recipe

(Image credit: Carnation)

Vanilla fairy cakes with a simple topping are ready in just 30 minutes.

Why so easy? These little mouthfuls of home baked goodness only take 15-18 minutes in the oven, meaning that the kids' impatient little tummies won't be grumbling for very long!

Get the recipe: Vanilla fairy cakes

Elderflower and lemon drizzle cake

Elderflower and lemon drizzle cake

Elderflower and lemon drizzle cake makes a tangy teatime cake to share.

Why so easy? This teatime treat only uses basic baking ingredients. Chances are that you'll already have most of them hidden somewhere in your kitchen cupboard.

Get the recipe: Elderflower and lemon drizzle cake

Blueberry and apple cake

Blueberry and apple cake

Blueberry and apple cake is made with fresh fruit and few ingredients to make an easy cake recipe.

Why so easy? This fruity sponge delight can be made using only a few ingredients. That means it'll save you money, time and hassle. Oh, and it tastes pretty good too.

Get the recipe: Blueberry and apple cake

Chocolate vanilla cheesecake

Slimming World's chocolate vanilla cheesecake

Lighter chocolate vanilla cheesecake is made with vanilla yoghurt and crushed bourbon biscuits as the base.

Why so easy? Slimming World's speciality cheesecake will look absolutely stunning in seconds. Simply drizzle melted dark chocolate on top, and then add a dusting of cocoa powder to finish.

Get the recipe: Chocolate vanilla cheesecake

Chocolate and raspberry cake

Chocolate and raspberry cake

Chocolate and raspberry cake is topped with sticky ganache and dotted with fruit to make a pretty traybake recipe.

Why so easy? No need to panic if you slightly overdo this cake in the oven. Just cover up the burnt bits with the chocolate ganache and no one will know any different!

Get the recipe: Chocolate and raspberry cake

Victoria sandwich

Food, Victoria sandwich

Deliciously buttery sponge, filled with raspberry jam and a smooth buttercream is such a British classic - and it couldn't be simpler to whip up.

Why so easy? This crowd pleaser feeds eight and is prepped in just ten minutes thanks to a no-fuss method.

Get the recipe: Victoria sponge

Raspberry fairy cakes

Raspberry fairy cakes

Raspberry fairy cakes have fruit hidden inside the almond flavoured sponge.

Why so easy? Don't have any fresh raspberries in the house? No need to panic - frozen raspberries work just as well in this recipe, and you don't even have to wait for them to defrost!

Get the recipe: Raspberry fairy cakes

Strawberry and mascarpone cream Victoria sponge

Strawberry and mascarpone cream Victoria sponge

Step up a simple sponge with this strawberry and mascarpone cream Victoria sponge cake.

Why so easy? You don't have to go great lengths to make this classic sponge cake look good enough to eat. Just pop a few strawberries on top and sprinkle some icing sugar for a finishing touch.

Get the recipe: Strawberry and mascarpone Victoria sponge cake

Cornish clotted cream cake

Cornish clotted cream cake from The Great British Bake Off

(Image credit: The Great British Book of Baking, Michael Joseph)

Clotted cream cake is moist and flecked with vanilla seeds, perfect on its own, with vanilla cream or a fruit compote.

Why so easy? When it comes to decoration, sometimes the simpler the better. Let your taste buds do the talking and simply add a dollop of clotted cream on top.

Get the recipe: Cornish clotted cream cake

Coffee cake recipe

Coffee cake recipe

This easy coffee cake has a rich flavour, with coffee essence in the sponge and in the buttercream filling.

Why so easy? The filling and the sponge are both made using coffee essence, which you can find in most supermarkets in the cake-baking aisle.

Get the recipe: Coffee cake

Tiramisu ice cream cake

Bill Granger's tiramisu ice cream cake

Bill Granger's tiramisu ice cream cake is an easy, no-bake dessert that will impress.

Why so easy? Your freezer does all the hard work for you with this recipe. Just leave it in there for a few hours until the cake is frozen, then transfer to the fridge while you're eating your dinner and it'll be ready to serve.

Get the recipe: Bill Granger's tiramisu cake

Grace Walsh
Features Writer

Grace Walsh is a health and wellbeing writer, working across the subjects of family, relationships, and LGBT topics, as well as sleep and mental health. A digital journalist with over six years  experience as a writer and editor for UK publications, Grace is currently Health Editor for womanandhome.com and has also worked with Cosmopolitan, Red, The i Paper, GoodtoKnow, and more. After graduating from the University of Warwick, she started her career writing about the complexities of sex and relationships, before combining personal hobbies with professional and writing about fitness.