Cake: 200 fabulous foolproof baking recipes

Baking time: 35 minutes

Ready in: 1 hour 15 minutes

Makes: 12 muffins

225ml (8fl oz) buttermilk

2 eggs

Pinch of saffron

300g (11oz) plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

200g (7oz) caster sugar

125g (4½oz) butter, cut into 1cm (½in) cubes

300g (11oz) fresh or tinned apricots (about 7 fresh apricots, stones removed), roughly chopped

75g (3oz) unsalted shelled pistachios, roughly chopped

12-cup muffin tray (#litres_trial_promo) and 12 muffin cases

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF), Gas mark 4, and line the muffin tray with the paper cases.

Place the buttermilk, eggs and saffron in a bowl and whisk together until smooth.

In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix in the sugar. Add the cubes of butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Add the wet ingredients and mix together, then fold in the apricots and pistachios. Spoon the batter into the muffin cases, filling each case about three-quarters full.

Bake for about 35 minutes or until golden brown on top and springy to the touch. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Pear and ginger muffins (#ulink_253d4c60-0033-5569-95b5-077d3edb2b5e)

These soft, moist muffins are flavoured with chunks of pear and the gentle heat of ginger. The riper the pears, the sweeter the muffins will be. They would be perfect for a picnic or a quick snack on the run.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 20 minutes

Ready in: 45 minutes

Makes: 12 muffins

275g (10oz) plain flour, sifted

200g (7oz) caster sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp salt

4 eggs, beaten

150ml (5fl oz) vegetable oil

300g (11oz) pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm (½in) dice

12-cup muffin tray (#litres_trial_promo) and 12 muffin cases

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, and line the muffin tray with the paper cases.

Place all the ingredients, except the pears, in a large bowl and whisk together until smooth, then fold in the pears and divide between the muffin cases, filling each case three-quarters full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until well risen, golden and feeling springy to the touch.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then take from the muffin tray and place on a wire rack to cool down fully.

Apple and ginger (or cinnamon) muffins

Follow the recipe above, replacing the pears with the same quantity of chopped eating apples and either keeping the ginger or replacing it with 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.

Coconut and lime cake (#ulink_b239a1b4-a06c-59e3-a1be-c94fdce5f29a)

Ingredients grown together seem to go together. Just as apples and blackberries are a perfect match, so too are coconut and lime. The coconut flavour in this recipe comes from both desiccated coconut and coconut milk. The coconut milk is an unusual addition, but it is nonetheless an excellent baking ingredient that helps make the cake lovely and soft due to its high oil content. If at all possible, serve this cake outside on a summer’s evening, ideally accompanied by piña coladas or margaritas!

Prep time: 20 minutes

Baking time: 30–35 minutes

Ready in: 1 hour 45 minutes

Serves: 8–12

150ml (5fl oz) coconut milk (see the tip (#ulink_671b27b2-3877-5c61-8e6f-044eb892634f))

50g (2oz) desiccated coconut

25ml (1fl oz) milk

250g (9oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing