Desserts recipes

Choosing a desserts recipe

Compare the ingredients, cooking time and equipment below to find a dish that fits your plans. Each recipe includes quantities and a step-by-step method.

• Victoria sponge cake with jam and cream

  Preparation takes 42 minutes. Cooking takes 41 minutes. Allow 205 minutes in total. Makes 10 servings. Key ingredients: unsalted butter for the sponge, beaten egg, weighed without shells, unsalted butter for greasing both tins, caster sugar for the sponge, self-raising flour. Equipment: Two 20 cm round sandwich tins, each at least 3 cm deep, Baking parchment, Digital scales, Large mixing bowl and separate flour bowl, Electric hand mixer or stand mixer, Jug and fork for beating the eggs, Flexible spatula or large metal spoon, Skewer, Wire cooling rack, Clean bowl and whisk for the cream, Serving plate and covered cake container that fit in the fridge.

  Kitchen tip: For a light sponge, use softened rather than melted butter and cream until visibly fluffy. Once the flour is added, fold only until combined.

• Tiramisu with Espresso-Dipped Ladyfingers

  Preparation takes 39 minutes. Cooking takes 4 minutes. Allow 403 minutes in total. Makes 9 servings. Key ingredients: crisp savoiardi biscuits (ladyfingers), dry weight, full-fat mascarpone, commercially pasteurised liquid egg yolk, commercially pasteurised liquid egg white, caster sugar. Equipment: Square dish approximately 20 × 20 cm internally and at least 6 cm deep, about 2.4 litres capacity, Espresso machine or other suitable coffee-making equipment, Shallow heatproof container and larger bowl for an ice-water bath, Electric hand mixer, Two mixing bowls of at least 2 litres, Flexible spatula, Two shallow dipping bowls, Digital scales, Fine sieve, Cover or cling film, Knife and broad serving spatula.

  Kitchen tip: Coffee is dipping liquid, not a quantity the biscuits must absorb. Never add the remainder to the dessert.