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First discovered on MasterChef Australia, Reece Hignell blew judges away with his heirloom family desserts before opening his own old-fashioned bakery, Cakeboi, to showcase his beloved nan's recipes.

Since his TV appearances, fans have been clamouring for him to release recipes for his iconic desserts like his famous lemon tart. And now the wait is finally over! All his fan-favourites, bakery bestsellers, and more are on display in this fun, personality-driven cookbook.

Who can resist soft and fluffy donuts? These perfect yeast donuts are easy to make, and they'll have you jumping for joy. This recipe is best for sugared, cream- or jam-filled donuts. It will result in a truly great, hot, crisp donut. Once you've mastered this basic recipe for a fluffy, yeasted donut, you won't need to visit a donut shop ever again.

200ml milk, at room temperature

220g butter, at room temperature

960ml vegetable oil, for frying, plus more for brushing on the donuts

280g berry jam or pastry cream

1. To start the dough, mix the water, yeast and a pinch of your weighed-out sugar in a bowl, then leave the mixture for five minutes for the yeast to activate. The yeast will become light and foamy.

2. Place the remaining sugar, milk, salt and butter in a small saucepan, and heat it over a low heat until the butter is melted. Remove it from the heat, then pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Allow it to cool to room temperature before adding the eggs, the activated yeast and the sifted flour. Using a wooden spoon, bring all the ingredients together to form a dough.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough for 10 minutes, or until it has a smooth surface and springs back when lightly poked. Place the dough in a lightly greased mixing bowl, then cover it with a damp tea towel. Leave the dough to double in size, which will take about one hour.

4. Turn the dough out again onto a lightly floured work surface, then roll it until it is 2.5cm thick. Using a ring cutter with a diameter of about 6cm, cut your donuts out of the dough and place them on a lined baking tray. Brush the donuts with vegetable oil, then cover them with a damp tea towel and leave them until they become plump and fluffy. This should take about 40 minutes.

5. Place the caster sugar in a bowl. Heat the vegetable oil to 180C, then carefully cook the donuts in the oil for one minute on each side. As they come out of the oil, toss the hot donuts in the sugar.

6. Once they are cooled and easier to handle, fill a piping bag with jam or pastry cream. Insert the tip of the bag into each donut and pipe in your chosen filling.

I've always enjoyed tennis; I was born into it. Nan played social tennis every week, and my brothers and I would accompany her from a young age. As time progressed, so too did our tennis skills. We would often hit a ball against the clubhouse wall, mimicking Nan on the court. In 2018, I joined a local small tennis club run by a lovely lady named Elva. This club advocated for me during my time on MasterChef. I'd often find my articles pinned to their notice board. I noticed a lot of similarities between Elva and my nan - both loved tennis and baking. Elva and I would banter about baking, and she once served me this sponge recipe. Beware of a slight breeze; it is so light and delicate, a tennis ball might not be the only thing gliding by. With this blow-away sponge, the crowd will be in a frenzy. Game, set, match!

125g bittersweet, 50-60 per cent chocolate

240ml thickened or whipping cream

240ml thickened cream or whipping cream

1. For the sponge cake, preheat the oven to 180C fan forced, or, for a non-convection oven, 195C. Prepare two 20cm baking tins, cutting baking paper into a round shape the size of the tin. Place the baking paper in the bottom of the tin, but do not grease the sides. With a sponge, I prefer not to grease the sides, so that the sponge can cling to the tin, allowing for a better rise.

2. With an electric mixer on a high speed, beat the eggs and the sugar until thick, light and foamy. This may take 10 minutes. Then sift together the cornstarch, self-rising flour, cocoa powder and cream of tartar - Elva's secret is to sift all the dry ingredients to ensure the lightest batter possible - and fold these dry ingredients into the beaten eggs.

3. Divide this mixture between the two tins and bake them for 26 minutes. Once they are cooked, run a butter knife around the outside of each sponge to release it from the tin. Rest and cool the cakes on a rack.

4. For the ganache, chop the chocolate until it is in small cubes of about 6mm, then place them in a heatproof bowl.

5. Pour the cream into a small saucepan and place it on the stove over a low heat. Gently heat the cream until it starts to simmer. As the small simmering bubbles appear, remove the cream from the heat and pour it over the chocolate.

6. Stir the cream and chocolate until the chocolate is melted and has formed into a ganache. Set this to the side in the fridge to cool until it is the consistency of mayonnaise.

7. For the Chantilly cream, place the cream, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl and whisk them on high until you have firm peaks.

8. To assemble the cake, place the first layer of the sponge on the cake stand. Dollop the Chantilly cream onto the bottom layer of the cake, followed by the raspberry jam. Add the top layer of sponge, then drizzle the chocolate ganache over the sponge, covering the whole top layer. Allow the ganache to drip over the sides to create a beautiful homey effect.

This heavenly chocolate tart is well worth the effort. Caramelised condensed milk, also known as dulce de leche, goes beautifully with the baked bitter chocolate filling. There is a refined elegance about dulce de leche desserts. They look divine and taste delicious. Dulce de leche is a caramelised reduction of milk and sugar, whereas caramel is a reduction of butter and sugar. This impressive tart is sweet, gooey, bitter and a little salty. It is a truly indulgent dessert. This recipe will leave you with some leftover egg whites; don't waste them. You can whip them into meringues for some extra treats.

200g bittersweet, around 54% chocolate, chopped into fine pieces

1. There are a couple of steps to be done the day prior for this recipe.

2. First, you will need to make your caramelised condensed milk. Place a tin of condensed milk in a saucepan, add water to cover by about 5cm, bring to a boil and simmer for three hours. Check the water level periodically and add boiling water as needed to keep the tin submerged. When done, remove the tin with tongs, set it on a folded towel or a rack and allow it to cool thoroughly at room temperature or in the fridge before opening. Place the can in the fridge overnight to set. (Alternatively, dulce de leche is becoming increasingly popular in the supermarkets.)

4. Place the flour, butter, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a food processor. Process these ingredients for a few seconds until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk, and process it again until a dough is formed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it to form a round flat disk about 2.5cm thick. Wrap the dough in cling wrap, then place it in the fridge to chill until it is firm, about two hours.

5. Remove the dough from the fridge. Oil a fluted tart tin lightly to ensure the shell does not stick. Lightly flour your work surface and a rolling pin. Work the dough with your hands for about three (really light) kneads to ensure the dough is pliable enough to roll. Carefully roll the dough, turning it every few rolls. This helps keep the pastry consistent in its thickness. Work carefully but quickly, as you do not want the butter in the dough to soften.

6. Once the pastry is about 3mm thick, carefully roll it onto your rolling pin to transport it onto your tin. Unroll the pastry over the tin and lightly ease it into the edges of the tin, ensuring there are no pockets of air under the pastry or in the flutes. Using a sharp knife, trim the excess pastry from the rim. Chill the pastry in the freezer for about 30 minutes, or until it is firm. This will help prevent shrinkage.

7. When you're ready to bake the tart shell, preheat the oven to 180C. Scrunch and then unscrunch a sheet of baking paper and lay it over the bottom and up the sides of the pastry. Now fill it with baking weights or beans (uncooked), ensuring that they are firmly pushed into the corners. Place the pastry in the oven and bake it for eight minutes. Remove the baking paper and weights, then bake for an additional eight minutes. It will be difficult to see the doneness of this pastry, as it is already dark, but it should feel firm to the touch.

8. Leave the blind-baked tart shell in its baking tin. Ensure that it is stored in an airtight container away from any moisture.

9. The next day, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 130C. To begin the custard filling, place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl, then whisk until they begin to lighten in colour. Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a simmer. Pour one-third of the heated cream onto the eggs, then quickly whisk it through. Add the remaining cream, whisk again, then add the chocolate. The chocolate will melt from the heat in the cream. Cool the custard in the fridge until it thickens.

10. To fill the tart, give the dulce de leche a quick stir in the tin. This will loosen it for easier spreading. Spoon the dulce de leche over the base of the tart shell. Set the tart shell in its tin on a baking tray and place it in the oven. Pour the custard filling into the shell, then gently close the oven door.

11. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the custard is set with a very slight jiggle. Set the tart in the refrigerator until fully cooled before slicing.

How do you make scones even better? Easy, add pumpkin. Pumpkin is something I use a lot in baking. It has a beautiful sweet savoury flavor. In this recipe, it enhances the simplicity of traditional scones by taking you to another delicious dimension of delight. Dab whipped maple butter on this delectable dish to add extra elegance. Go from a drab brunch to a fab long lunch, as these treats are key to perfecting morning tea!

120g butter, at room temperature

1. For the scones, use a large mixing bowl and beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and pale. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until each egg is fully incorporated. Now stir in the pumpkin, then sift in the self-rising flour. Switch to a butterknife and mix the ingredients with it until the scone dough comes together (see tip). Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, then very lightly knead the dough for about two or three turns, or until it just comes together.

2. Roll the dough into an even thickness of about 5cm. To shape the scones, use a 5cm ring cutter. Ensure you dip the cutter into flour each time you shape a scone to keep the dough from sticking.

3. Position the scones on a baking tray so that they are just touching each other. Now put them into the oven for 15 minutes, or until they are golden.

4. Whilst the scones are baking, make the whipped maple butter. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on a medium-high speed until it is light and fluffy. Add the maple syrup and salt, and beat again on a medium-high speed until well combined.

5. Serve the whipped maple butter with the warm scones fresh out of the oven.

Tip: When making scones it is best to work the dough with a butter knife rather than a spoon. This will prevent the dough from being overworked as the knife cuts through the flour whilst combining the ingredients.

I've covered a few things here at The Canberra Times over the years, from sport to education. But now I get to write about the fun stuff - where to eat, what to do, places to go, people to see. Let me know about your favourite things. Email: karen.hardy@canberratimes.com.au

I've covered a few things here at The Canberra Times over the years, from sport to education. But now I get to write about the fun stuff - where to eat, what to do, places to go, people to see. Let me know about your favourite things. Email: karen.hardy@canberratimes.com.au

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