Actor Stephen Tompkinson's latest voice-over gig couldn't be sweeter.

The DCI Banks star - who loves baking cupcakes with his daughter, cites caramel as his "big foible" and races his dad to the best treats in the chocolate box - has the enviable task of narrating Choccywoccydoodah: Starstruck, which returns to screens this week.

Now in its second series, it follows the Brighton-based Choccywoccydoodah team as they take on weird and wonderful cake commissions for celebrities, including Sir Richard Branson, the late Joan Rivers, and rapper Tinie Tempah.

The first time Stephen met "the two Christines" (shop founders Christine Taylor and Christine Garrett) in the firm's London flagship store, he took his 13-year-old daughter, Daisy, along.

"Their meeting room, which is called the 'Secret Room', is like a Willy Wonka meets Alice In Wonderland-inspired room with lots of little secret doors and little spy holes to look through. They put out an amazing display of cakes and milkshakes and all sorts. Daisy's eyes were on stalks," the Wild At Heart star recalls.

"They gave her two canvas bags and said, 'Just walk around the shop and help yourself to anything'. It was like a child's dream come true.

"And at Christmas and Easter, they always send us something - a cake or some new chocolates they're trying out. We're very happy to be guinea pigs."

Comedienne Joan Rivers, who died earlier this month, jokingly requested a cake which was less than two calories a slice - a difficult ask, given the chocolatiers' decadent output.

"They decided to build a cake that was 200 calories shy of a quarter of a million," says Stephen.

"They sculpted her two pet dogs onto it, with the idea that it would look so nice, she wouldn't cut into it, and therefore not consume any calories whatsoever. So there's method in their madness."

Series two of the star-studded show will also feature an order from Wesley Snipes, who wanted an action-packed cake with explosion scenes to celebrate the release of The Expendables 3, and mind control maestro Derren Brown, who wanted the cake itself to be an illusion.

Want to try some Choccywoccydoodah recipes at home? Here are two simple sweet treats - chocs ahoy!

CHOCOLATE MERINGUES

(Makes 8-10)

2 egg whites

100g caster sugar

2tbsp cocoa

75g roasted almonds, roughly chopped

50g milk, white or dark chocolate, chopped

What you need to do

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Whisk the egg whites until they resemble stiff peaks. Gradually whisk in the sugar, a spoonful at a time.

Fold in the cocoa and almonds, reserving a few nuts for topping the 'rocks'.

Put small spoonfuls of the mixture on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a heatproof Teflon mat. Bake for about 15 minutes until set, and then leave to cool on the tray.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl, and using a piping bag or fork, drizzle the rocks with melted chocolate. Scatter with the reserved nuts.

INDULGENT CHOCCY TOAST

(Serves 4-6)

1 French stick, split down its length

1 x 340g jar peanut butter

1tsp cinnamon

3 bananas, sliced

250g milk or dark chocolate buttons

What you need to do

Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.

Spread the peanut butter over two halves of the French stick and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Cover the peanut butter with sliced bananas and generously dot with chocolate buttons.

Using a sharp knife, cut the French stick into four to six pieces, and wrap each one in foil before transferring to a baking tray.

Bake for 10-15 minutes - take care when opening each package as the chocolate topping will be hot. Serve straight away.

Choccywoccydoodah: Starstruck, begins on Watch on Thursday, September 18