“I was very pleased with myself when I first made this cake. So pleased, in fact, that I ate nearly half of it in one sitting. Always a good sign. The ricotta in the batter makes for a delightfully tender crumb and there is something very excellent about sugary, caramelised lemon slices and toasty almonds. It also happens to be gluten-free. Needless to say, since then this cake has been on high rotation in our house and for friends – best eaten with a generous spoonful of thickened cream.” – Tilly Pamment.

“A little while ago, I thought about cake (as I often do); and I decided that a caramelly banana cake was missing from my repertoire. This cake is the remedy to that. Malted milk powder and brown sugar make it satisfyingly sweet and sticky and, just for added joy, I’ve paired it with a malted caramel sauce – totally optional but highly recommended. You can also bake this recipe in a loaf (bar) tin if you like and call it banana bread, as I often do for my kids, who are mad about the stuff.” – Tilly Pamment.

“This spiced apricot cake is a sturdy, wholesome number – one for the tastes better- than-it-looks club, but one of my favourites. It’s not the most attractive cake to be sure, but golly, does it deliver on flavour. Made with almond meal and cardamom and filled with tart dried apricots and nuggets of dark chocolate, it is satisfyingly dense: perfect served warm for morning or afternoon tea (or even breakfast with a cup of tea if you’re anything like me).” – Tilly Pamment.

“This is a cake of considerable charm – a gooey, dense, brownie-like cake studded with rosy jewels of baked quince. Not a children’s cake by any means, but actually one of my kids’ favourites. I have to watch my littlest, or he’ll strip the whole cake of quince slices while I’m looking the other way. I’m inclined to follow suit. Top the cake with a punnet of raspberries or more baked quince. Either way, serve with thickened cream and a bottomless pot of Earl Grey tea.” – Tilly Pamment

“I closed my eyes, inhaled deeply and, for a moment, I found myself on a far-flung island by a pool, the air thick and humid and deliciously full of the lingering scent of coconut. Then I opened my eyes and was immediately transported back to my bathroom at home, a dollop of coconut moisturiser in my hand, realising that I’d forgotten to put the exhaust fan on when I had a shower. Ah, well, it was a nice dream while it lasted. And there’s always these little white chocolate and coconut squares to console myself with when a tropical island is not on offer.” – Tilly Pamment