This is a beautiful recipe from Dee Rettali’s book Baking with Fortitude. Sourdough cakes and bakes. Published by Bloomsbury.

If you need to put a cake on the table quickly this is the one and it is seasonal too. A simple base of sunflower oil, soft brown sugar and eggs are whisked together before folding in grated courgette, walnuts, spices and flour. The topping is a heavenly floss of mascarpone and Greek yogurt, spiked with lemon zest, and sweetened with a little icing sugar. White currant berries are in season now and make a jewel like flourish to this statement cake.

This is a great to have up your sleeve for when you need a pudding or cake to put on the table for family or friends. The cake freezes well. I like putting two of the small loaf versions in the freezer. One serves 4-6 with a dollop of yogurt and a drizzle of fruit purée and there is another one stored for later.

These two recipes are perfect for Christmas celebrations. The cake is delicately flavoured with orange and chocolate, and has a hint of vanilla. The pears are poached in a ginger and honey syrup flavoured with rosemary and bay.

I love cooking with children because it is fun and they can learn so much from the experience about ingredients, how to weigh and measure, dexterity, social skills and so much more.

This week I had 8 year old Anneka helping me to make these cookies from wholegrain rye flour, buckwheat, tahini, dates, butter and sugar.