Fast Cakes

The recipes in Fast Cakes are really fast! Most of them can be prepared in less than ten minutes and baked in under and hour. These are not instant cakes but proper cakes of all kinds - from old nursery favourites such as Fruit Cake, Gingerbread and the reassuringly named, Can't-go-wrong Chocolate Cake to the more adventurous but equally speedy delights of Praline Meringue, Iced Queen Cakes and Mocha Gateau. This tempting selection includes delicious chapters on tray bakes, no-bake cakes, tea breads, scones and biscuits as well as an invaluable introduction, a sensible emergency section, useful hints and straightforward children's recipes. Altogether this is the complete book for busy bakers.

Mary Berry was trained at the Bath College of Home Economics and has Paris Cordon Bleu. She is a regular contributor to Woman's House and writes for Family Circle and is the author of over twenty books. She lives in Buckinghamshire.