Pineapple, booze and gingerbread...sounds like a dream Christmas to us.

Loaded with spices and topped with a homemade labneh icing, this carrot cake is anything but ordinary.

"I couldn’t help myself – I’ve added Passiona to give US chef Daniel Patterson’s olive oil and passionfruit dessert an Aussie twist. – Matt Preston. You'll need 6 mini bundt cake pans for this recipe.

"This cake is the cake that started it all. This cake was the beginning of my love affair with simple one-bowl cakes. The recipe has given birth to many other cakes throughout the years. Some heavy on the citrus, some laced with coconut or cocoa powder. Some with fresh fruit, others swirled with jam (like the variation mentioned in the headnote to this recipe). Every time, it produces something that’s nothing short of spectacular – perhaps my favourite example of just how magical baking really is.”

A pavlova is always a crowd-pleaser, but with this little cutie, you really will win everyone’s heart.  You’ll need a piping bag for this recipe.

Dragon fruit, with its stunning red skin and white centre, adds a beautiful delicate flavour and dramatic pop of colour to this tropical fruit salsa. You'll need a 20cm springform pan for this recipe.

Who doesn't love mango? Here we have the summer cake recipe you've all been waiting for.

"There are so many uses for a great sponge cake. Perfect for afternoon tea, sandwiched with cream and jam, a sponge is also the base for such classics as lamingtons, Swiss rolls and kids’ birthday cakes. There’s a reason the Country Women’s Association takes such pride in their sponges! All the lift in this cake comes from eggs. The trick is to whisk them for at least 10 minutes on medium-high speed to create enormous aeration. Resist the urge to crank the mixer up to top speed – the air will hold better if it’s built up over a longer period. Then gently sift the flour over and fold it in ever so carefully." – Michael and Pippa James. You’ll need a 20cm round cake pan for this recipe. This is an edited extract from Sweet Seasons by Michael & Pippa James (Hardie Grant Books, RRP AUD$50).

"I used to think I didn’t like tiramisu, but when I really pondered it, I couldn’t make sense of not liking a flavoured dessert - it seemed physically impossible. Having never made homemade tiramisu myself, I reasoned that maybe I’d only ever eaten versions that were too boozy, too cold, or too sweet (or all three), and the desire to make my own hit hard. I take lots of liberties here, molding it into a loaf-shaped icebox cake, using Kahlua as the booze, covering the whole thing in whipped cream, and serving it in slices. The first taste was a light, coffee-flavoured revelation, and now I count this tiramisu-y icebox cake as one of my favorite recipes in the book." Images and text from What’s for Dessert by Claire Saffitz, photography by Jenny Huang. Murdoch Books RRP $55.00.

These foolproof cupcakes are a quick and easy way to impress a crowd.

No need to spend summer with the oven on, just throw these cool cheesecake ingredients together and you've got your next soirée sorted without the sweat.

“This pretty-in-pink dessert is so simple to prepare, but plates up beautifully. Be sure to serve with plenty of bright berries on the side, to really make those colours pop.” – Lucy Nunes. You'll need to start this recipe a day ahead.

Drizzle of your way to the perfect celebration cake with this recipe from our new cookbook, At Our Table, out now.

Take your love of Caramilk to new heights with this impressive caramelised white choc and strawberry creation. You'll need 2 x 20cm x 30cm slice pans for this recipe.

Fool them all with this easy yet impressive coconut cake. We’ve given it a modern twist to include blueberries and edible flowers. Make it the star on the food table at your next soirée.