Baking can be as simple as whipping up a batch of cookies – or as complicated as constructing a five-tier showstopper. In the mood to don an apron and roll up your sleeves? Browse our ultimate ranking of the best baking recipes ever, featuring everything from snackable oat bars to classic lemon drizzle cake and the cutest cupcakes.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the only baking recipes you'll ever need – counting down to the most iconic cake of them all.

We've based our ranking on the enduring popularity of each bake, as well as the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. This list is unavoidably subjective.

The only baking recipes you will ever need