Get creative with loaf cakes and tasty bakes!

Ooozing with chocolate!

For the chocolate lava cakes, see page 26

Ricotta semolina cake with blood orange & saffron

MAKES 9 OR 16 SQUARES

3-4 blood oranges grated zest and juice of 1 lemon a pinch of saffron
250g (9oz) semolina flour
1 tsp baking powder
250g (9oz) ricotta cheese
1 tbsp vanilla extract
250g (9oz) packed light brown sugar
4 free-range eggs
3-4 tbsp acacia honey, or other honey

1 Peel the oranges and remove the seeds, then cook the segments in ample boiling water for 1 hour. Drain.

2 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Grease a round or square 23cm (9in) cake tin. Line the bottom with parchment paper, cut to size and grease the parchment paper as well. Cut the remaining raw oranges into razor thin half slices and cover the bottom in a single layer.

3 Purée the cooked oranges together with the lemon juice and saffron in a food processor to a pulp. Add the semolina and baking powder and continue processing the mixture for a while.

4 Beat the ricotta with the vanilla extract, light brown sugar, lemon zest and eggs until light and fluffy. Beat the semolina mixture into the egg-ricotta mixture and pour the batter onto the oranges in the cake tin.

5 Bake for about 40 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then flip it onto a plate. Peel the parchment paper from the orange roof. Allow the cake to cool and brush with honey just before serving.

Recipe taken from

Home Made Basics: Simple Recipes, Made from Scratch by Yvette van Boven, photography by Oof Verschuren, published by Abrams, £35.

Sticky toffee & California Walnut cake

SERVES 8-10

200g (7oz) pitted dates, chopped
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
125g (4½oz) butter, softened
200g (7oz) dark brown soft sugar