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Perfect bite-sized bakes to make life all the sweeter

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Strawberry & rhubarb jam Victoria sponges

MAKES 6 LITTLE CAKES

Unsalted butter, to grease

A little plain flour, to dust

200ml cream

165g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

2 eggs

150g self-raising flour

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

FILLING

200ml cream

100g Greek-style yoghurt

1 tablespoon icing sugar, plus extra to dust

1 teaspoon rosewater

160g strawberry & rhubarb jam (page 43)

1 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Grease a six-hole large muffin tin (with 180ml capacity holes) well with softened butter. Dust tin with a little plain flour, tapping out any excess.

2 Make cake batter by placing cream, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl, using a hand whisk to combine. Do not overmix or the cream will become too stiff. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition. Add self-raising flour and salt to the bowl, whisking briefly to form a smooth batter.

3 Divide batter evenly between prepared tins, smoothing the tops with a spatula and tapping tins gently on the bench to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cakes have risen and are cooked through. Allow cakes to cool in tins for 10 minutes before carefully turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4 When ready to assemble the cakes, make the filling by whipping cream, yoghurt, sugar and rosewater to soft peaks. Split the cakes in half, and top bottom halves with a generous scoop of the cream mixture. Use the back of a spoon to create a little nest in the cream, then place a spoonful of jam on top (see note). Gently sandwich tops of cakes on and dust liberally with icing sugar.

Coconut jam drops

MAKES 24 BISCUITS

125g unsalted butter, softened