Have your own Great British Bake Off

Nothing makes a house smell more welcoming than the aroma of fresh baking wafting from the kitchen. And as Nigella once pointed out, baking is one of the best things to do when the weather's bad. So if you're inspired by the Great British Bake Off, keen to try something new, or fancy whipping up an old favourite, there's bound to be a recipe here to suit you. And remember, a person holding a freshly-baked cake, tart or pie is never short of company.

More from Bake-Off judges and contestants:
Mary Berry's chocolate mousse
Paul Hollywood's iced buns
Richard Burr's lemon and raspberry cake
Richard Burr's authentic baklava

Cakes
Cakes can be as simple or as sophisticated as you want them to be. Some are best eaten fresh, while others develop better flavour after a few days in a tin. If things go wrong, it's often fun to eat the experiments and if you are in the rare position of having one going stale, you can always make a trifle with it.

More cakes and buns:
Plain Madeira cake
Spectacular rainbow cake
Iced coffee cake
White chocolate fruit cake
Chocolate devil's food cake
Gingerbread with spiced pears
Angel food cake
Coffee cake with pistachio praline
Sticky Chelsea buns
Cherry tomato and basil buns

Pastry
If you're new to pastry, a freeform fruit tart or a crumble is a great way to start. Recipes using bought pastry including filo (using the baklava recipe below) or puff (maybe the French apple flan) can also give you a quick and easy baking experience. And remember with shortcrust pastry for example, you can always make double the quantity and freeze half (just defrost gently in the fridge for 24 hours before you want to use it).

Pastry recipes:
Strawberry tart (tarte au fraise)
Peach and blueberry jalousie
French apple flan (bought puff)
Chocolate profiteroles
Chicken and tarragon pie with puff pastry
Sea trout (or salmon) en croûte

No time to bake?
Try making a cake in a cup in the microwave – it only takes five minutes

These little hazelnut biscuits melt in the mouth, make an excellent gift, and only take 15 minutes

The Aussie favourite - lamingtons - take only 20 mins to cook

And finally, if Mary Berry's preoccupation with a soggy bottom has you worried, here's the best solution – bake blind.

How to make tiramisu