The first Christmas cake of 2021. This traditional rich fruit cake is decorated with a festive partridge in a pear tree

This time last year, Trish asked me to make a birthday cake for her daughter. Sadly, the order had to be cancelled thanks to the Covid restrictions, so we had another go this year. This is a vanilla sponge layered with jam and buttercream, sprinkled with pretty sugar autumn leaves and tied with a sugar bow.

Denise’s friend Kim had a milestone birthday coming up. She has a new pink and blue beach hut which is her pride and joy. Denise is an expert cake baker but asked me if I would make a sugar beach hut to put on the top of her creation. Here we go, a completely edible beach hut complete with inevitable seagull!

Traditional Simnel cake with lovely sticky marzipan filling and sugar primroses on top