Upside-down banana cake with maple-caramel sauce

Hot toffee sauce makes sticky, warm banana cake even more of a treat

Orange & chocolate drizzle tart

This stunning dessert will show off your skills, but uses a clever cheat when making the pastry base

Chocolate, raspberry & rose Battenberg gateau

Traditional Battenberg is given a bakeover with this chocolate, rose and raspberry chequerboard cake

Spiced braised venison with chilli & chocolate

This can be eaten as stew or used in a pastry or cottage pie. The chocolate adds an extra richness and glossiness to the finished sauce

Hidden heart cake

Slice into this delicious loaf cake and reveal the secret heart design running through the middle – a really romantic bake!

Eggless chocolate & beetroot blitz & bake cake

Healthier than your average chocolate cake, this rich and dark bake is lighter on the calorie count

Chocolate gingerbread brownie bars with fudgy icing

These luxurious bars are based on a classic flourless cake, so they're rich and light in equal measure

Mini choc-orange cheesecake tarts

Use a chocolate chip cookie dough as the base for these citrus tarts with cream cheese topping and mandarin decoration

Polish apple cake (Szarlotka)

This traditional spiced cake is served with a cinnamon whipped cream and a dusting of icing sugar

Cinnamon pineapple upside-down cake

Vanilla and cinnamon give this classic sponge a new twist. Make sure you buy a really ripe pineapple for the decorative fruit topping

Persimmon & white chocolate tart with pistachios

Poach fragrant, honeyed persimmons in vanilla syrup and serve in this impressive white chocolate and cocoa pastry tart

Christmas pudding Rice Krispie cakes

Fun to make with kids or as a cute Christmas canape, top chocolate, peanut and raisin puffed rice cakes with white chocolate and festive holly icing.