Beautifully simple, yet complex in flavour, these rich chocolate shortcakes from chef and restaurateur Adam D’Sylva are your new favourite bake. A quick dip in melted butter and caster sugar right before baking creates a structured, crackly crust that provides a delectable textural contrast to the soft, chocolatey interior. While these shortcakes can more than hold their own when served warm alongside a cup of coffee or tea, sandwiching them with whipped cream and syrupy roasted strawberries turns a straightforward bake into a dream dessert. Credit: Brett Stevens

We used coconut cream and golden syrup for this creamy Basque cheesecake. Served with a generous drizzle of golden syrup and crunchy crumbs of homemade Anzac biscuit, it’s the perfect combo. You’ll need to start this recipe a day ahead, and you’ll need a 22cm springform pan. Credit: Brett Stevens

“Chocolate mud cake, as the name suggests, is a dense, heavy cake with a rich choc flavour. It’s a must-have in one’s baking repertoire. Mud cakes age like a dream (in fact, they improve in texture and flavour after a week in the fridge, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap), and their density makes them perfect for stacking into impressive celebration cakes.” – Emelia Jackson

“The buttermilk and yoghurt make this mud cake surprisingly light. Smother that with lemon-thyme-spiked cream cheese frosting and you’re in garden party bliss!” - Charlotte Binns- McDonald.

Let beautiful seasonal figs shine in this striking cake, which is much easier than it might look to put together. For the rest of the year, when fresh figs are unavailable, you can still enjoy this cake simply iced, or an even simpler un-iced version, as it only requires dried figs. You’ll need an 18cm round cake pan and a piping bag or zip-lock bag for this recipe. Credit: Brett Stevens

“The addition of lavender sugar gives this nostalgic cheesecake a beautiful floral note” – Phoebe Wood, Food Director.

“Now, I like a good plain biscuit almost as much as I do a plain cake, and jam drops would have to be one of the finest plain biscuits around. They were one of the first biscuits that I learnt to bake – and if any biscuits were designed to be made by children, it would have to be jam drops! For they are positively clamouring to be shaped by eager little hands and enthusiastically poked at to make way for a (slightly too big) spoonful of jam. What they lack in finesse they surely make up for in charm?” - Tilly Pamment

“During the day, as you wander the maze of little streets that make up the Marrakesh medina, you will wind up in Jemaa El Fna square, and when you do, you’ll need a coffee and a pastry. Head around the back of Café de France to Al Jawda, on Rue de la Liberté. It’s a sophisticated patisserie, filled with a fabulous array of sweet treats: coconut cookies, macaroons, date-filled makroots and stunning mille-feuille. My version is slightly more modern, flavoured with pomegranate and rosewater, and made with a mascarpone cream instead of custard. This really is a stunning centrepiece for afternoon tea or a swanky dinner party,” says John. This recipe is an edited extract from Orange Blossom & Honey by John Gregory-Smith (Simon & Schuster, RRP $39.99). Available in stores now.

"When I was younger, every pizza shop had the same laminated dessert menu, with pictures of dome-shaped sweets. This simple version of tartufo (frozen dessert) is a chocolate ball of nostalgia." – Sam Parish

Shortbread, chocolate and caramel come together in a wicked frozen dessert that will keep the late summer heat at bay. The bonus? It's freezer-ready for ad-hoc entertaining (not that you'll want to share).

“From sugary mint teas to flaky pastries and crunchy biscuits, Moroccans have a real sweet tooth and love to indulge in wonderful cakes. A simple orange and almond cake is a staple dessert that is made in homes up and down the country. I have used the classic base to make a show-stopping naked layer cake, with three layers of moist almond and orange cake, a soft and scented ricotta filling, and honeycomb, candied orange, rose petals and flaked almonds scattered over the top. It’s heavenly and best enjoyed with plenty of fresh mint tea,” says John. This recipe is an edited extract from Orange Blossom & Honey by John Gregory-Smith (Simon & Schuster, RRP $39.99). Available in stores now.

For a simple but completely rewarding dessert, you can't go passed these choc ganache bowls. We won't tell how easy they are to make if you don't.

I am a big fan of lemon in desserts and this sorbet recipe certainly delivers a citrus punch. Relive the ’70s and serve this cool treat in fresh lemon halves, says our Assistant Food Editor, Sam Coutts.

This super-easy dessert is light on ingredients and simple to make – just add cream!

"When I arrived in Australia over 20 years ago, I was blown away with this country’s love of a good chocolate pudding, sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce and the rightfully venerated lemon delicious! That same self-sauciness blesses this pudding that’s based on a recipe found in a vintage cookbook from Victoria." – Matt Preston