Area bakers say they started to see an increase in inquiries about Lambeth cakes about a year ago, with no signs of the trend slowing down.

This traditional Christmas cake pulls out all the stops - if you have the time, feed it with brandy in the run up to Christmas. Heat the oven to 150C/130C Fan/Gas2. Grease a 20cm/8inch round or an ...

Using the loose base of a square cake tin as a guide, cut two 18cm/7in squares from each sponge. Discard the sponge trimmings (or keep for cake pops or a sneaky single-serving trifle).