There’s something therapeutic about the ritual of cake-baking – the simplicity of flour, eggs and sugar laid out on the kitchen bench, the hypnotic beating of the paddles forming rippled paths through batter, the unmistakable aroma of a cake rising slowly but surely in an oven. These cake recipes are simple, sure, but their magic ability to soothe minds and improve afternoon teas is second to none.

Lime and coconut cake with pineapple glaze

Mini white chocolate bundts with bitter chocolate glaze

A no-bake strawberry crème fraîche cheesecake

Stefano de Pieri’s amore di polenta (polenta cake)

Pauline Kwong’s chiffon cake with citrus and ginger

Aaron Turner’s Mum’s chocolate ripple cake
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