Cookbooks: Saved by Cake: Over 80 Ways To Bake Yourself Happy

Marian Keyes, best-selling Irish author, cooked her way out of a crippling bout of depression, first having to learn the basics, she writes in her latest book, Saved by Cake: Over 80 Ways To Bake Yourself Happy (Penguin). The urge to bake a birthday cake for a friend came upon her suddenly; she baked a chocolate cheesecake and enjoyed it so much she baked another, and another.

Now a seasoned baker, she shares her favourite recipes and lots of tips. They range from classics such as rock cakes and sticky toffee pudding, through various cupcakes, varieties of cheesecakes, cakes with liquid - espresso, Coca-Cola, stout, tea, coconut milk, cakes with fruit and veges, flans, tortes and pies, meringues, biscuits and squares, and, of course, an enticing selection of chocolate cakes, including a chocolate, chilli and cardamom tart, and an intriguing balsamic, black pepper and chocolate cake that I plan to make this weekend.