Alternative cake awards 2009

And here are a few more of our favourites, which stood out for their jaw-dropping decoration.

Most generously iced - Jennifer Saunders' sticky nut squash cake

Sticky nut squash cake This entry won hands down for the most generously iced cake we received. We also liked the idea of the praline and caramel topping - so we were extra glad there was lots of it to go round!

If you like cakes which don't scrimp on the icing, try our Dense & dark chocolate loaf.

The Gardeners' World Award - Leanne Joyce's garden cake

This garden cake, made using fresh beetroot, carrot, courgette and basil, received a special recommendation from the Gardeners' World team.

For advice on growing your own fruit and veg, visit Gardeners' World, or try our Beetroot and chocolate cake.

Children's party nostalgia award - Anna Mrowicki's fairy princess birthday cake

Fairy princess birthday cake This princess Barbie cake brought back many a memory of childhood parties. For some members of our team, no birthday was complete without a Barbie cake, party rings and Jammy Dodgers.

For another fun birthday idea, why not try our Lollipop cake.

Most seasonal cake - Emma Govier's autumn cake

Autumn woodland cake This cake brought a new meaning to 'seasonal cooking' with its creation of an autumnal woodland floor. We loved the use of autumn colour and felt it really summed up the changing season.

For more seasonal recipes and advice, visit our seasonal food section.

Most intricately decorated - Alison Scoble's bouquet of flowers cake

Bouquet of flowers cake We were blown away by the amount of time and skill that had gone into creating this cake. Decorative icing is a great way of making a cake extra impressive for a special occasion.

To become an icing expert, watch our short video on piping techniques.

Looks most unlike a cake - Lorraine Tolley's burger and chips cake

Burger and chips cake We really admired the detail that had gone into making this cake look so realistic. We thought it would make an ideal centrepiece for a kid's party and would bring a lot of fun to the table.

For more fun ideas, view our kids' party recipes.

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