1.   The basic cakes need to be moist, tasty and firm, not only for eating but for cutting and shaping.

2.   If you are using the marzipan to cover a cake, remember that the cake will then need to be left to dry out thoroughly before covering with icing.

3.   This fun-filled cake needs patience and a steady hand, but is stunning when it is finished.

4.   A big cake simply needs support.

5.   For a spongy, airy exterior, a cake needs to have structure to support its rise.

6.   Sometimes it just feels calming to know that a cake needs exactly one teaspoon of salt and no less than half a pound of butter.

7.   Well-prepared crab cakes need no more than a squeeze of lemon, but if you like tartar sauce or aioli, you can make them easily enough.