26 classic British bakes and cakes that are easy to make

They were first created in a bun house on the edge of Chelsea in London, and legend has it that once 50,000 people queued for them on a single day. Serve with mashed potatoes and peas for a brilliant Saturday night supper. And if you’ve never made your own it’s easier than you think.

• "The trick is not to over-handle the dough and to keep it slightly sticky. A hot oven is a must too to get a lovely colour on top."
• Cupcakes might have stolen the limelight with their acres of sugary buttercream, but butterflies are the traditional British version.
• And if you’ve never made your own it’s easier than you think.
• This simple dough recipe is easy to make, and it transforms into a delicious crisp/chewy crust.

Celebrity chef Nigel Slater once said it would be his final meal. In 2006 Morrisons stopped selling it due to declining sales and a survey a few years later found over a third of Welsh teenagers had never tried it. This is an absolute travesty because it’s delicious, easy to make, and even easier to scoff.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Lemon drizzle cake is a simple sponge topped with a lemon and sugar syrup that sinks into the crumb. This version by Mary Berry is absolutely traditional and impossible to beat. The crunch of the hardened, lemony sugar against the soft moist sponge is exactly what you want from this epic British bake. Chia seeds give these soft, fluffy little the coffee rush menu muffins a lovely crunch and a healthy dose of omega-3s.

Do your bit to save this piece of Welsh heritage by making this version at home. Date and walnut is a veteran of bake sales, coffee mornings, and school fetes. This original recipe from Woman’s Weekly magazine in 1939 is one of the oldest recorded, and it’s still an absolute classic. This gorgeous recipe is from the British queen of baking, Mary Berry, and it’s pretty fool-proof. This cake is fun to make and learning to roll it is a great skill to master. This recipe takes you through the process with a how-to video and the results are really impressive.

Seriously Fudgy Homemade Brownies

Then the top is cut in half and stuck back on to form butterfly wings. This chickpea flour flatbread is a great recipe for a gluten-free pizza night, but even if you’re not gluten-free, you’re going to want to try it. Spiced with cumin, coriander, and chili powder, the soft, hearty flatbread is delicious on its own, but if you want to take it to the next level, load it up with toppings. I love the fresh combination pictured, but hummus, pickled onions, tahini sauce, roasted red peppers, carrot ribbons, and/or olives would also be fantastic here. Our food team shares tips, techniques and their all-time favourite recipes in our lively weekly podcast.

It only takes an hour and the smell while it’s cooking is amazing. The content on this website may not be copied, shared, transmitted, stored, or used in any way without prior written permission of Jane’s Patisserie. This version features a dash of Welsh whisky, to make things even more exciting. This cake sounds anything but English, but it was actually named in celebration of the marriage of one of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters. She was marrying Prince Louis of Battenberg and this cake was made to celebrate the occasion. Sponge puddings served with custard have a long history but Sticky Toffee Pudding is actually a relative newcomer.

Sourdough discard blueberry muffins

Cupcakes, celebration cakes, muffins, and brownies – we’ve got something for every occasion, including vegan, gluten-free and low fat recipes. Not a cake at all – Eccles cakes is actually little sweet pies of puff pastry filled with currants. This recipe is really easy and makes a really lovely, sticky, traditional version.

This Welsh fruity tea bread is traditionally known as bara brith, which translates as ‘speckled bread’. This bizarrely named dish has, thankfully, never had anything to do with toads. It was originally a way to make cheap cuts of meat go further – by submerging them in Yorkshire pudding batter. Sausages are the number one choice now, and it’s still a great way to make an affordable but really filling meal. Contrary to what the name suggests, this roll of cake, jam, and buttercream does not actually originate from Switzerland.

It’s topped with delicious cream cheese icing and chopped nuts and it is perfect for a slice in the afternoon with a cup of tea or coffee. Perfectly proportioned little sponge cakes made even better with a sweet icing topping. Fairy cakes are one of our favourite bakes because they’re so easy to do. Perfect for making with the kids, who can help with the icing and decorating too.

It’s traditionally eaten on Bonfire Night and through the winter, but it’s nice at any time of year. Buttery, crumbly shortbread is a classic dish that hails from Scotland – some stories say the recipe was perfected by Mary Queen of Scots. It was traditionally eaten at weddings, Christmas, and other celebrations, but we’d happily have a piece with a cup of tea any day of the week. "I love making classic cakes," says award-winning baker, Sophia Butler, whose mobile tea room, The Sugar Tea Room, brings afternoon tea directly to you. "They’re simple, but always popular. You can make them look amazing with quite easy cake decorating ideas, like adding seasonal fruit like strawberries or raspberries on top."

"Carrot cake is a really lovely way to use up any carrots you have knocking around in the bottom of the fridge," says Sophia. Named after Queen Victoria, who used to eat it at teatime. In fact, the whole practice of afternoon tea was created by the Duchess of Bedford, who invited the Queen to join – and the trend was started.

You can make your own but the results from readymade are so good and so much speedier, we think it’s a very worthy cheat. It’s a strange flavour combination, usually using instant coffee. Part of the appeal is the nostalgic nature of the taste.

You can feel good about eating them for breakfast, but they can also pass for dessert, especially with a zesty cream cheese frosting on top. Many traditional pound cake recipes call for sour cream, so I thought, why not yogurt? It gives this simple loaf a wonderful moist texture and lightly tangy flavor. Serve it on its own, with yogurt and fruit, or with a dollop of coconut whipped cream for a more decadent dessert. Who needs cake mix when a rich, moist chocolate cake is so easy to make from scratch?

Serve warm with butter, or top with cream cheese and onion jam, or slices of cheddar and pickle. A mouthwatering collection of traditional British bakes you’ll want to recreate in the comfort of your own kitchen. If you’d like to learn the basics of baking, you’re in the right place—I have plenty of tips to share! The knowledge I’ve learned over the years has created a fantastic foundation on which I can build and share with readers. Browse recipes organized by ingredient, skill level, holiday, and more so you can easily find exactly what you’re craving.

Chocolate cake always makes a brilliant birthday or special occasion bake – it’s so decadent and delicious. For almost as long as chocolate has been around, we’ve been putting it in cakes. The urge to wrap chunks of steaky meat and gravy in a pastry shell is as old as cooking and in Britain, we do it with aplomb. Made with stewing steak and ale, and topped with a thick pastry crust, it’s an all-occasions feast. Enjoy it as a special weeknight dinner with chips or mash, or even as a great alternative to a roast for Sunday lunch.