As Mary Berry points out in this superb book, there has been an increased interest in home baking, perhaps to save money or because of people’s increased awareness about their food and their desire to know that what they feed their families is natural and free from unwanted extras.

The great thing about Mary Berry’s books is she gives you recipes for some really good cakes but she keeps the instructions simple and straightforward. It really is hard to have a baking disaster if you use this book!

There are 250 recipes – everything from classic Victoria Sandwich, Swiss Roll and Classic Sticky Gingerbread, to muffins, scones, tray bakes, brownies, soufflés, meringues and tea loaves.

There is a bread section and also some unusual cakes to try, such as Courgette Loaf, plus recipes for the increasingly popular cupcakes.

There are also lots of traditional celebration cakes for occasions such as Easter, Christmas, birthdays and weddings.

There are simple recipes for children to try (with supervision) and a few more challenging recipes that require careful timing and more skill, such as patisserie-style desserts.

The book is illustrated throughout with excellent colour photographs that really do tempt you to get out the baking ingredients and have a go!

And there are useful sections on things like baking equipment, baking terminology, key ingredients and handy conversion tables for weights and measurements that make life that little bit easier.

Overall, this is a very good baking book which deserves a place in your kitchen. While baking is for both men and women, it would make a fine Mother’s Day gift this weekend.