This chocolate cake is the type you’ll keep coming back to, cutting off squares here and there, until you’ve eaten half the cake yourself over a couple days. Spring for the good chocolate and cocoa powder to make it special, but the supermarket standards will also give you great results.

For the cake:

Nonstick baking spray

8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

120g unsweetened chocolate

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 ¼ tsp baking soda

1 tsp fine sea salt

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup sour cream

1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

For the icing:

2 cups icing/powdered sugar, sifted

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed

¼ tsp fine sea salt

4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup double/heavy cream, room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

To make the cake:

1 Heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas mark 4. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2 ½-inch metal baking pan with baking spray.

2 In a small saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate with one cup water over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

3 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, sour cream, vanilla and eggs until smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture into the sour cream mixture and whisk until smooth.

4 Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

5 Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

To make the icing:

1 In a large bowl, whisk together the icing sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add the butter and beat with a hand mixer on low speed until evenly combined and clumpy.

2 With the mixer still running, slowly drizzle in the cream and vanilla and beat, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high, until fluffy and spreadable, one to two minutes.

To finish:

Remove the cake from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Scrape the icing onto the cake and use a small offset spatula or table knife to spread it evenly over the top before serving from the pan.

Make ahead: The cooled cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to two days. The icing can be refrigerated for up to five days. Return the icing to room temperature before beating again and using.

Pink Birthday Sheet Cake

1 hour. Serves 12 to 16.

This is a from-scratch version of boxed cake and frosting that is just as easy as the store-bought version.

For the cake:

Nonstick baking spray

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup dry milk powder

3 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp fine sea salt

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup whole milk

½ cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs

For the icing:

¼ cup all-natural vegetable shortening

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 cups icing/powdered sugar, sifted

2 to 3 tbsp heavy cream

½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp fine sea salt

Red liquid or gel food coloring (optional)

To make the cake:

1 Heat the oven to 170 C/ 325 F/Gas mark 3. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2 ½-inch metal baking pan with baking spray.

2 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, milk powder, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, whole milk, oil, vanilla and eggs until smooth.

3 Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.

4 Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

To make the icing:

1 In a large bowl, beat the shortening and butter together with a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, slowly spoon the sugar into the fat mixture until completely incorporated and smooth; add two tablespoons cream, the vanilla and salt.

2 Slowly add drops of food colouring until it’s the shade of pink you want; go light for a baby pink or heavier for a more magenta-like hue. Continue mixing until the colour is consistent throughout; if it seems too thick, add the remaining one tablespoon cream so that it is spreadable.

To finish: 

1 As soon as the cake is ready, remove the pan from the oven and scrape the icing onto the cake. Use a rubber spatula to quickly spread it evenly over the top as it melts. The icing will separate into opaque and solid sections, that’s OK; continue spreading it as it melts until it no longer is separated and it forms an even, solid layer on top.

2 Let the cake cool until the icing becomes a crackly doughnut-like glaze over the cake, then serve while still slightly warm from the pan. This cake is also great served cooled completely to room temperature.

Make ahead: The cooled, iced cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to two days. The icing can be refrigerated for up to five days. Let it come to room temperature and beat again before using on the hot cake.

Lemon Buttermilk Sheet Cake

1 hour and 15 minutes, plus cooling. Serves 12 to 16.

This cake gets hits of lemon three times: zest and juice in the cake; a clear soaking syrup that seeps into the cake; and, finally, a creamy, thick glaze that coats the top. This cake is fluffy, supremely moist and has a grown-up vibe about it: not kiddie stuff.

For the cake:

Nonstick baking spray

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp fine sea salt

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup buttermilk

½ cup vegetable oil

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons, plus more to garnish

6 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs

For the syrup and glaze:

1 ¼ cups plus 2 tbsp icing/powdered sugar, sifted

3 tbsp plus 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 tbsp whole milk

To make the cake:

1 Heat the oven to 180 C/ 350 F/Gas mark 4. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2 ½-inch metal baking pan with baking spray.

2 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, buttermilk, lemon zest and juice, vanilla and eggs until smooth.

3 Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.

4 Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

To make the syrup and glaze:

1 In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup icing sugar and three tablespoons lemon juice until they form a thin syrup.

2 In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining one cup plus two tablespoons powdered sugar and two teaspoons lemon juice, the butter and milk until they form a thicker, smooth glaze.

To finish:

1 Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool for five minutes. Using a toothpick or the tines of a fork, poke the cake all over. Slowly drizzle the syrup evenly over the cake and let the cake cool completely.

2 Scrape the glaze onto the cake and use a spoon to spread it evenly over the top. Scatter more lemon zest over the cake, if you like, to garnish. Let the cake stand for 10 minutes to set the glaze before serving from the pan.

Make ahead: The cooled, syrup-soaked cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to two days. The syrup and glaze can be refrigerated separately for up to five days. Reheat the syrup before using on the warm cake. Return the glaze to room temperature before whisking again and using.

Candy Bar Sheet Cake

1 hour and 20 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling. Serves 12 to 16.

This cake is pure convenience-store kitsch. Fluffy white cake gets poked and drizzled with butterscotch sauce, then covered in whipped cream and sprinkled with chopped Twix or Butterfinger chocolate bars. It’s best to make your own butterscotch sauce because the jarred kind can be too fake. But definitely bar the candy bars. They provide essential crunch. This is a fridge cake, so keep it cool until you’re ready to serve it or else the whipped cream might melt all over the place.

For the cake:

Nonstick baking spray

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup dry milk powder

3 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp fine sea salt

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup whole milk

½ cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

5 large egg whites

For the butterscotch sauce and icing:

1 cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup whole milk

4 tbsp unsalted butter

¼ tsp fine sea salt

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup chilled heavy cream

2 Twix or Butterfinger candy bars (or whatever you fancy), roughly chopped

To make the cake:

1 Heat the oven to 170 C/ 325 F/Gas mark 3. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2 ½-inch metal baking pan with baking spray.

2 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, milk powder, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, whole milk, oil, vanilla and egg whites until smooth.

3 Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.

4 Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until pale golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

To make the sauce:

1 Combine the brown sugar, whole milk, butter and salt in a small saucepan and melt over low heat. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens, about eight minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.

2 Pour the sauce into a bowl and let cool to room temperature or refrigerate until no longer warm.

To finish:

1 Remove the cake from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Let the cake cool for 20 minutes, then use a 1cm-wide wooden dowel or wooden spoon handle to gently poke holes three-quarters of the way down the cake, spaced about 2-3cm apart. Pour the butterscotch sauce all over the cake, aiming to get most of it to soak into the holes in the cake.

2 In a large bowl, whisk the cream by hand or with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Scrape the whipped cream onto the cake and use a small spatula or table knife to spread it evenly over the top. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate bars all over the cake and chill in the refrigerator for one hour before serving from the pan.

Make ahead: The cooled cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to two days. The butterscotch sauce can be refrigerated for up to five days. Reheat the sauce before stirring again and using. The completely assembled cake can be refrigerated for up to one day.

Tool time

Use metal or disposable aluminium baking pans, which provide a quick transfer of heat to bake the cake efficiently. Glass and ceramic pans keep contents hot, which is not helpful! The metal ones cool down quickly once out of the oven, which helps prevent the cakes from overbaking.

Metal pans also have straight sides, so all the pieces of cake are even, a necessity when everyone will be fighting over every last square.