Bake! Nadiya Hussain’s 20 best cakes

So, the last ever BBC Bake Off winner has been revealed, but will they be as successful as Nadiya Hussain? Two books, one TV series, and her very own recipe column in The Times – here she picks her favourite recipes from these pages to celebrate a momentous year

Lavender and lemon shortbread (above)
Makes about 30

225g plain flour
100g semolina
225g unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
½ tsp dried or fresh lavender
Zest of 2 lemons
25g demerara sugar

1 Preheat the oven to 140C/Gas 3. Place a piece of greased baking paper on a baking sheet.
2 In a food processor, mix the flour, semolina, butter, caster sugar, lavender and lemon zest. Blitz for a few seconds until the dough clumps together (if doing this by hand it may take longer). Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
3 Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll to a thickness of 0.5cm. Peel off the top sheet and cut out the biscuits with a 5cm pastry cutter. Reroll the dough and cut out more until it has all been used.
4 Place the shortbread on the prepared baking tin and prick each biscuit with a fork. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and bake for 25 minutes or until just golden. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Simple hazelnut tiramisu

Serves 8

4 tbsp instant coffee
6 medium eggs, separated
3 tbsp caster sugar
500g mascarpone
30 sponge fingers
4 tbsp cocoa powder
200g roasted and chopped hazelnuts
100g milk chocolate, grated

1 Pour 350ml hot water over the instant coffee and set aside to cool completely.
2 Place the egg yolks and caster sugar in a bowl and whisk using a hand mixer or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Now add the mascarpone and mix until it has all combined well. This will take less than 2 minutes.
3 In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Add to the mascarpone mix and fold through gently.
4 Place the cooled coffee in a shallow dish and dunk in the sponge fingers completely, quickly taking them out and lining the bottom of your serving dish. Continue dipping and adding until you have covered the bottom of the dish.
5 Add a layer of the mascarpone mixture on top of the soaked fingers. Dust some cocoa powder all over the mixture and then scatter over some hazelnuts.
6 Repeat the above steps until you have used up all the sponge fingers, mascarpone, cocoa and hazelnuts (how many layers you make will depend on the size of your serving dish).
7 Finish with a grating of milk chocolate. Place in the fridge overnight to set and for all the flavours to mix.

Milk chocolate viennese fingers

Makes about 10 biscuits

100g unsalted butter, softened
25g icing sugar, sifted
Zest of 1 orange
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp cornflour
¼ tsp baking powder
100g milk chocolate, melted over a pan of simmering water

1 Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5. Fit a piping bag with a medium star-tip nozzle.
2 Place the butter and icing sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer (or you can do this by hand or with a handheld mixer). Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
3 Mix in the orange zest and vanilla extract. Add the plain flour, cornflour and baking powder. Mix to a smooth paste and spoon into the piping bag.
4 Pipe out 10cm biscuits on the tray, making sure to keep them spaced apart because they will spread. Place the tray in the freezer for 5 minutes, then bake for 10-15 minutes until the biscuits are lightly golden.
5 Leave to cool completely on the tray. Once cool, dip both ends of the biscuits into the melted chocolate and leave to set on a piece of greaseproof paper.

Mini mincemeat and orange bakewell tarts

Makes 12

175g plain flour
95g chilled unsalted butter, diced
1 tsp icing sugar
1 medium egg yolk

For the filling
50g unsalted butter (room temperature)
50g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
50g ground almonds
1 orange, zest only
2 heaped tbsp mincemeat
Icing sugar, to serve
1 orange, zest only, to serve

1 Start with the pastry. Put the flour, butter and icing sugar into a large bowl. Rub the butter in until it resembles breadcrumbs. Now drop in the egg and 1 tbsp cold water and stir with a palette knife.
2 Using your hands, bring the dough together. Shape into a disc and wrap in clingfilm. Leave to chill in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
3 Roll out on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use a 7.5cm fluted cutter to cut out circles. Reroll leftover dough and cut out again until you have 12 of them.
4 Place the circles in a shallow, lined bun tin and then leave in the fridge for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5.
5 Beat the butter and sugar until light and pale. Beat in the eggs a little at a time. Add the almonds and orange zest and fold in well.
6 Spoon ½ tsp mincemeat into each pastry disc. Add the almond filling, taking care not to overfill.
7 Bake for 20 minutes until a light golden brown and the pastry is crisp. Cool slightly, transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
8 Dust with icing sugar, grate over the zest of an orange and serve.

Carrot cake

Serves 8

275g self-raising flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp mixed spice
150g dark muscovado sugar
50g pecans, chopped
100g carrots, coarsely grated
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 large eggs
Zest of 1 orange
150ml sunflower oil

For the topping
250g mascarpone cheese
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 tbsp icing sugar
8 whole pecans, toasted

1 Line and grease a 20cm round cake tin and preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
2 Place the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice, muscovado sugar, pecans and carrots in one large bowl and the mashed bananas, eggs, orange zest and oil in another.
3 Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. This will take a few minutes. Spoon the mixture into the tin and level off.
4 Bake for 50-60 minutes. The cake will be baked when it comes away from the sides of the tin and a skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes and then leave to cool on a wire rack.
5 To make the topping, place the mascarpone, vanilla bean paste and icing sugar in a bowl and mix well. Once the cake is cool, top with the mascarpone cream and decorate with the pecans.

Dark chocolate and ginger slices

Makes 12

125g plain flour
40g cocoa powder
90g caster sugar
125g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling
200g stem ginger, chopped
200g currants
60g icing sugar
135g desiccated coconut
125ml condensed milk
60g unsalted butter
50g vegetable shortening, melted
150g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids)

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Grease an 18 x 27cm rectangular tin and line the base with baking paper, leaving some overhang.
2 Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a bowl and add the sugar, butter and vanilla extract. Rub in the butter and bring the dough together. Press the dough into the base of the tin, prick all over with a fork and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
3 Cover the dough with some baking paper and baking beans and bake for 10 minutes. Take it out, remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes. Take out of the oven and leave to cool.
4 In a bowl combine the stem ginger, currants, icing sugar, desiccated coconut, condensed milk, butter and vegetable shortening. Smooth onto the cooled biscuit base and leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5 Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the water and bowl do not touch, or in a microwave. Stir until melted, pour over the filling, spread evenly and chill to set. Cut into slices and serve at room temperature.

Cardamom and coconut whoopie pies

Makes 8-10

For the sponge
1 large egg
150g caster sugar
125g greek yoghurt
25ml whole milk
75g unsalted butter, melted
¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
275g plain flour
¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cardamom powder

For the filling
170g unsalted butter
¼ tsp ground cardamom
280g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
220g marshmallow fluff
100g toasted desiccated coconut

1 Place the egg and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk until light and fluffy. Mix together the yoghurt, milk and melted butter and stir into the egg mixture.
2 Sift together the bicarb, flour, baking powder and cardamom, then add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, stirring well. Leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3 Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5. Line two baking trays with parchment. Spoon the mixture into mounds about 2in wide, 8-10 per tray. Bake for 10-13 minutes, until light and golden. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
4 For the filling, whisk together the butter, cardamom and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Add the marshmallow fluff and mix on high for 30 seconds.
5 Spoon into a piping bag and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
6 To assemble, take two even-sized pies, pipe the filling on one side and sandwich together. Now dip the exposed bits of cream into the coconut. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Hazelnut cinnamon chocolate brownies

Makes 30

200g unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
200g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids)
4 medium eggs
220g light brown sugar
120g plain flour
2 tsp cinnamon powder
220g hazelnuts, chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5. Grease a 24 x 34cm deep baking tray and line with greaseproof paper, making sure you leave some overhang at the sides.
2 Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl and water do not touch, or in a microwave. Stir until smooth, then set aside to cool.
3 Beat the eggs for a few minutes, then add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture reaches the ribbon stage (if you lift the beaters out of the mixture and drizzle a trail, the trail should stay visible for more than 3 seconds). Using a spatula, carefully fold the mixture into the chocolate.
4 Sift the flour and cinnamon, add to the liquid mixture and fold in gently. Add the chopped hazelnuts and incorporate carefully. Pour the mixture into the baking tray and level out with a spatula or palette knife. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
5 Once baked, cool in the tin. When cool, take out, cut into generous squares and serve.

Chocolate orange and anise tower

Serves 12

100g cocoa powder, sifted
100ml milk
350g self-raising flour
6 large eggs
2 tsp star anise powder
2 tsp baking powder
200g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
550g caster sugar

For the orange frosting
400g unsalted butter, at room temperature
800g icing sugar, sifted
4 tbsp milk
1 tsp orange oil
Orange gel food colouring

For the chocolate ganache
200g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids)
200ml double cream
Shop-bought meringue kisses (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Line and grease 4 x 20cm round, loose-bottom cake tins.
2 Put the cocoa powder in a large bowl with 12 tbsp boiling water and mix to a smooth paste. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with a handheld mixer on a medium speed for 2 minutes.
3 Divide the mixture between the tins and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the cakes are coming away from the sides of the tins. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
4 To make the orange frosting, whisk the butter in a bowl for 10 seconds to loosen. Add the icing sugar a little at a time.
5 Add the milk, orange oil and colouring. Whisk for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
6 Next, make the ganache. Break the chocolate into a bowl. In a pan bring the cream to the boil and quickly pour onto the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture has come together. Leave to cool, but do not refrigerate.
7 Place one layer of cake on a serving plate. Spread a layer of the frosting on top and add another layer of cake. Keep layering until all the sponge is stacked. The cake should be flat on top; if it isn’t, carefully trim it so it is level.
8 Cover the entire cake with a crumb coat. This is a thin layer of the orange frosting that captures all the crumbs so the final coat is clean and won’t have any stray bits of cake in it. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
9 Remove the cake from the freezer and spread on the remaining orange frosting, making sure all the sides and the top are even and clean.
10 Pour the chocolate ganache over the top, teasing it to the edge and allowing some of it to drip down the sides of the cake.
11 Dip the base of each meringue, if using, into the chocolate ganache and arrange on top of the cake to serve.

Pear and ginger cake

Serves 6-8

100g unsalted butter
150g treacle
50g golden syrup
50g light muscovado sugar
125ml whole milk
2 medium eggs
200g plain flour
4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
6 tinned pear halves

1 Grease and line the bottom of an 8in round tin (make sure it is not a loose-bottomed tin – we don’t want any liquid from the fruit to leak out). Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5.
2 Place the butter, treacle, golden syrup and muscovado sugar in a saucepan and set over a gentle heat. Once it has all melted, leave aside to cool.
3 Once cool, pour into a bowl and mix in the milk and eggs. Now add the flour, ground ginger and bicarb. Mix to a smooth batter.
4Place the tinned pear halves, flat-side down, at the bottom of the tin (you may need more or fewer because tinned pears can vary in size). Pour the batter over the pears and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 85 minutes (checking the cake after about 1 hour and every 6-7 minutes after that).

Easy chocolate cake

Serves 6

1 tsp instant coffee
175g unsalted butter, softened
175g dark brown sugar
3 medium eggs
150g self-raising flour, sifted
50g cocoa powder, plus an extra 10g for dusting
1 tsp baking powder

For the icing
150g salted butter
150g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids)

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Line and grease a 7in tin. In a small cup, dissolve the instant coffee in 2 tbsp hot water. Leave to cool completely.
2 Place the butter and sugar in a mixer bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, beating well between each one.
3 Add the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and mix through with a spatula. Now add the cooled coffee mixture and mix through again before transferring to a tin and levelling off the top with the spatula.
4 Bake on the middle shelf for about 40-45 minutes. The cake should rise slightly; you will know it’s done when a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
5 Meanwhile, make the icing. Put the butter and chocolate in a bowl and place over a saucepan of hot water on the stove. Mix until the butter is melted and the chocolate and butter have combined. Take off the heat and leave to cool completely.
6 Once cooled, whisk until the mixture thickens and increases in volume (easiest with a handheld mixer). Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, cover the entire cake. Dust with cocoa powder before serving.

Black forest cupcakes

Makes 12

125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
175g light brown sugar
2 medium eggs
200g self-raising flour, sifted
2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
125ml whole milk
100g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), melted
1 x 360g tin black cherries in syrup
½ tsp arrowroot
1 tbsp lemon juice
300ml double cream
100g milk chocolate bar, refrigerated

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5 and line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases.
2 Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time until well combined. Add the flour and cocoa powder and mix well. Now add the milk and melted chocolate and give everything one last mix.
3 Scoop equal amounts of mixture into the cupcake cases and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 18-20 minutes.
4 Meanwhile, drain the cherries, reserving the syrup. Pour the syrup into a small pan and add the arrowroot and lemon juice. Mix well, then place the pan over a low to medium heat and cook until the mixture has thickened to a sauce. Set aside to cool completely.
5 When they are ready, the cupcakes should have puffed up and a skewer inserted into them should come out clean. Take them out of the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
6 With an electric whisk, whip the cream until it just forms stiff peaks. Place the cream in a piping bag with a large, open-tip star nozzle. Pipe rosettes of cream onto each cooled cupcake. Place a cherry on each and drizzle with the thickened syrup.
7 Finally, if you like, decorate the cakes with milk chocolate shavings made by scraping the edge of the bar with a vegetable peeler.

Brandy baskets with dark chocolate and ginger cream

Makes 6-8

50g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
50g brown sugar
50g golden syrup
50g plain flour, sifted
¼ tsp ginger
1 tsp lemon juice

For decorating and filling
150g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), melted
100g cocoa nibs, roughly chopped
4 pieces of stem ginger, roughly chopped
300ml whipping cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
Stem ginger syrup and dark chocolate shavings, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Prepare two baking trays with greaseproof paper. Grease the tops of the paper. Alternatively, you can use silicone mats.
2 Put the butter, sugar and golden syrup into a pan and heat gently until the butter and sugar have melted completely. In a separate bowl add the sifted flour, ginger and lemon juice. Pour in the liquid mixture and stir to combine.
3 Place 3-4 dessertspoonfuls of mixture on each tray. Allow room for them to spread. Bake for 8-10 minutes; don’t let them get too dark or they will become bitter.
4 Take them out of the oven and leave for 30 seconds to cool a little. Turn over a 12-hole muffin tin. Wrap each brandy snap around a mould and leave to set until completely cold. If, as you do this, some of the other snaps go cold and rigid, just pop them back in the oven to warm up so they are malleable enough to mould again. Do this until you have finished them all.
5 To decorate the baskets, dip the tops of each one into the dark chocolate. Then dip into the cocoa nibs. Leave the chocolate to harden.
6 Make the filling. Chop the ginger pieces very finely, or you could use a grater. Place the cream and icing sugar in a bowl and, using a handheld whisk, whip the cream to soft peaks. Stir in the ginger.
7 Place the ginger cream in a piping bag fitted with a star-tip nozzle. Pipe into each individual basket. Drizzle a tiny bit of the ginger syrup on top and finish with shaved chocolate.

Basil banoffee pie

Serves 6

For the base
175g ginger biscuits
65g butter

For the toffee
100g unsalted butter
100g muscovado sugar
2 x 400g tins condensed milk

For the topping
1 large banana
Squeeze of lemon juice
10 basil leaves, finely chopped, plus 3 left whole, for decoration
300ml double cream

1 Place the ginger biscuits in a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb, or bash in a freezer bag with a rolling pin. Place in a bowl.
2 Melt the butter in a pan and add to the bashed biscuit. Mix to bring together.
3 Add this mixture to a 9in fluted, loose-bottomed tart tin and press the mixture around the base and sides firmly with the back of a teaspoon. Leave in the fridge to chill.
4 To make the toffee, put the butter and sugar in a nonstick pan and heat gently until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
5 Now add the condensed milk and stir on a medium heat for about 6 minutes until the mixture has thickened and turned a golden toffee colour. Keep stirring and don’t leave the pan – it can burn quite quickly.
6 Once thickened, pour into the prepared tart case and place in the fridge to chill.
7 Peel and slice the banana, adding a small squeeze of lemon juice to stop it browning. Now add the chopped basil and mix through.
8 Cover the caramel with the banana and basil mixture in a thin, even layer. Whip the cream to soft peaks and spread on top of the bananas. Place 3 basil leaves on top and keep in the fridge if you are not serving straightaway.

White chocolate and raspberry brioche pudding

Serves 6-8

30g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
220g white chocolate, broken into pieces
220g brioche
200g raspberries
4 medium eggs
750ml whole milk
30g caster sugar
20g icing sugar, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5. Butter the sides of a large baking dish, about 30 x 23cm.
2 Melt the butter and the chocolate together and set aside. Cut the brioche into thin slices.
3 Lay half the slices in the bottom of the dish. Pour over half the butter and chocolate mixture and scatter over half the raspberries. Lay the rest of the bread slices on top, then add the remaining chocolate and raspberries.
4 In a jug, beat the eggs, milk and sugar and pour over the brioche. Stand for 20 minutes.
5 Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the surface is golden and the custard has set. Once baked, leave to stand for 15 minutes and dust with icing sugar before serving.

Earl grey and pistachio cake

Makes 8-10 slices

8 earl grey tea bags
100ml milk
225g unsalted butter
225g light brown sugar
4 eggs
350g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
50g pistachios, chopped

For the filling and topping
450ml whipping cream
2 tbsp milk powder, sifted
1 tsp cornflour, sifted
100g icing sugar, sifted
50g pistachios, crushed

1 Lightly grease an 8in round cake tin and line the base with a circle of greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3.
2 Put the tea bags in a bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil and pour it over the tea bags. Set aside until the milk is cold, then squeeze out the bags and discard.
3 Put all the ingredients except the pistachios (but including the cooled earl grey milk) into a food processor and mix on medium for 2 minutes. Add the pistachios and stir through with a spatula.
4 Put the mixture into the tin and level off. Bake on the middle shelf for 1-1½ hours. It should be well risen, golden and springy to the touch.
5 Take the cake out of the oven, cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6 In the meantime, whip the cream and add the milk powder, cornflour and icing sugar. Place in the fridge, covered, while you wait for the cake to cool.
7 Split the cake horizontally to get three even slices. Fill with the cream, cover the top and decorate with the chopped pistachios. Store in the fridge if you are not eating straightaway.

Lemon and prune friands

Makes 6

30g unsalted butter, for greasing
125g icing sugar, sifted (plus extra for dusting)
25g plain flour, sifted
85g ground almonds
3 medium egg whites
Zest of 2 lemons
100g unsalted butter, melted
80g prunes, chopped into small pieces and tossed in 1 tsp plain flour

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Grease the inside of 6 friand moulds or a muffin tin with butter.
2 Place the sifted icing sugar, plain flour and ground almonds in a large bowl. Give it all a good mix through.
3 In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are foamy and form soft peaks.
4 Add the lemon zest (setting a little aside to sprinkle on at the end) to the bowl of dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre and add the egg whites.
5 Add the melted butter and gently stir until you get a light, smooth cake batter. Divide between the moulds or muffin tin.
6 Sprinkle over the chopped prunes and bake for 15-20 minutes on the middle shelf. Once cooked they should be golden and spring back when touched.
7 Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn them out and leave to cool completely. Sprinkle on the reserved lemon zest and dust generously with icing sugar before serving.

Rhubarb and custard panna cotta

Serves 4

3 egg yolks
80g caster sugar
400ml double cream
100ml whole milk
2 vanilla pods, halved lengthways, seeds scraped
2 sheets leaf gelatine

For the rhubarb compote
250g rhubarb, cut into 3cm pieces
50g caster sugar
Zest and juice of 1 small lemon

1 Whisk together the eggs and sugar for a few minutes until well combined. Set aside.
2 Put the cream and milk in a small saucepan. Add the vanilla pods and seeds and slowly heat until it is just at the point of boiling. Remove the pan from the heat immediately.
3 Slowly add the milk to the eggs, whisking. Return the mixture to the pan and cook on a very low heat until it thickens slightly. Take off the heat and leave to cool a little.
4 Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess water and add to the pan. Mix until the leaves have melted.
5 Strain the mixture through a sieve and pour into ramekins. Place in the fridge for 2 hours.
6 To make the rhubarb compote, preheat the oven to 140C/Gas 1. In a bowl, mix the rhubarb, sugar, lemon zest and juice and 2 tbsp water. Tip onto a roasting tray, spreading the rhubarb flat. Bake for 30 minutes.
7 Remove the rhubarb with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Pour the juices from the roasting tin into a small pan and cook gently until they thicken. Add to the rhubarb.
8 To serve, dunk the bases of the ramekins in hot water for 10 seconds to loosen them, and tip out the panna cotta onto serving plates. Spoon over the rhubarb compote.

No-tin apple and almond pie

Serves 6-8

For the pastry
200g plain flour
125g unsalted butter, diced and chilled
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 medium egg, beaten

For the filling
3 braeburn apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3 tbsp lemon juice
80g golden caster sugar
50g almonds, toasted and splintered, plus extra for serving
25g fresh breadcrumbs
100g marzipan
Icing sugar, for dusting

1 Place the flour and butter in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until they resemble breadcrumbs. You can do this in a food processor if you are short of time. Mix in the icing sugar.
2 Add the beaten egg and bring the dough together, adding cold water 1 tsp at a time if you find it is a bit dry and crumbly. Roll into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.
3 Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Combine the sliced apples, lemon juice, sugar and almonds. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
4 Roll out the pastry between two sheets of baking paper to a rough 30cm circle. Peel off one side of paper and place the pastry on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs, leaving a 2in border around the edge. The breadcrumbs will help to soak up any apple juice.
5 Place the apple mixture in the centre and rip off blobs of marzipan to dot in and around the apple. Bring up the edges of the pastry and fold over just the edge. Bake for 35-40 minutes on the middle shelf, or until the pastry is golden and crisp and the fruit tender.
6 Leave on the tray for a few minutes and then transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with the extra almonds and dust with icing sugar. Serve with custard, cream or ice cream.

Lime drizzle loaf

Makes 12 slices

For the loaf
175g unsalted butter, at room temperature
250g caster sugar
3 medium eggs (room temperature)
100ml milk (room temperature)
5 limes, zest only
250g self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of sea salt

For the drizzle
Zest and juice of 4 limes
100g caster sugar

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Grease a 900g loaf tin and line with baking paper, leaving an overhang.
2 Add the butter, sugar, eggs, milk, lime zest, flour, baking powder and salt to a mixer or a normal bowl. If using a mixer, mix for 2 minutes; if by hand, 5 minutes.
3 Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level off the top. Place in the oven for 55-60 minutes.
4 Using a skewer, check that the centre is cooked; if it comes out clean, it is ready. Take out of the oven.
5 To make the lime drizzle, mix the lime zest, juice and sugar in a bowl.
6 While the cake is still in the tin, pour the drizzle all over the cake, making sure it all gets soaked.
7 Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, and then take out and leave on a wire rack.