Using ingredients that are readily available, these cakes are unfussy yet sweetly indulgent. Recipes are arranged using pans most of us already have in our kitchens: round, square, loaf, rectangle, sheet, and bundt. Flavors include warm spices, herbs and flowers, and sweet essences, plus chocolate, fruit, nuts, and seeds.

An appealingly wide range of cakes will tickle every fancy:

• The Yellow Birthday Cake with Whipped Malt Chocolate Buttercream is perfect for a birthday celebration of any age

• The Lemon-Lavender Yogurt Cake is quick to make and satisfying with cup of tea

• The Strawberries-and-Cream Cake is the ideal way to end a summer supper.