Life is what you bake it!

Baking is the best therapy, Just roll with it..

Easy baking recipes ready in under an hour

Baking at home is one of the ultimate treats. Try our easy recipes for comforting classics and showstopping twists. From our easiest ever chocolate fudge cake to cheat’s custard tarts and quick brownies.

Easy Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

• butter 100g, chopped
• dark chocolate 200g, chopped
• eggs 4
• golden caster sugar 250g
• plain flour 100g
• baking powder 1 tsp
• cocoa 30g

BROWNIE VARIATIONS

• white or milk chocolate chunks 100g, chopped
• hazelnuts 100g, toasted, roughly chopped
• pecans 100g, toasted, roughly chopped
• baby marshmallows 2 handfuls

Method

• STEP 1 Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
• STEP 2 Line a 22cm square brownie tin with baking parchment. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a microwave or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Cool to room temperature.
• STEP 3 Whisk the eggs and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• STEP 4 Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and sift on the flour, baking powder and cocoa.
• STEP 5 Fold this in to give a fudgy batter.
• STEP 6 (To ramp it up, add 100g chopped white or milk chocolate chunks OR 100g toasted, roughly chopped hazelnuts or pecans OR 2 handfuls of baby marshmallows.)
• STEP 7 Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is cracked but the middle just set. Cool completely, then lift out of the tin and cut.

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Ingredients

• self-raising flour 150g
• cocoa 30g
• baking powder 1 tsp
• muscovado sugar 175g
• butter 175g, softened
• eggs 3
• vanilla extract 1 tsp
• dark chocolate 50g, melted

FUDGE ICING

• butter 200g, softened
• icing sugar 200g
• dark chocolate 200g, melted

Method

• STEP 1 Heat the oven to 180C/fan 170C/gas 4. Line and butter 2 x 20cm sandwich tins.
• STEP 2 Put all cake ingredients into the food processor and whizz until smooth. If the mix is a little stiff, add 1-2 tbsp water and whizz again.
• STEP 3 Divide between tins, level and bake for 20 minutes or until springy. Leave for 5 minutes then cool on a rack.
• STEP 4 Clean the food processor. Whizz the butter and icing sugar, add the chocolate, whizz again, then sandwich and ice the cake. 

Vegan Friendly Recipes;

Vegan Carrot Cake

Ingredients

• vegetable oil 125ml
• soft light brown sugar 175g
• vanilla extract 2 tsp
• orange ½, zested
• soy milk 300ml
• apple cider vinegar 1 tsp
• psyllium husks 2 tsp
• plain flour 325g
• baking powder 2 tsp
• bicarbonate of soda 1½ tsp
• ground cinnamon 2½ tsp
• ground nutmeg 1 tsp
• ground ginger 1 tsp
• fine sea salt ½ tsp
• walnuts 110g, roughly chopped
• carrots 300g, grated

FROSTING

• vegan butter or margarine 60g
• vegan cream cheese 200g (I use Violife)
• vanilla bean paste 1 tsp
• icing sugar 700g

Method

• STEP 1 Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and line two 18cm cake tins with baking paper.
• STEP 2 Whisk together the oil, sugar, vanilla and orange zest in a large bowl, until the sugar begins to dissolve.
• STEP 3 In a measuring jug, combine the soy milk and the cider vinegar. Whisk well and set aside (the milk will appear to split or thicken but don’t worry if it does).
• STEP 4 In a small bowl, mix together the ground psyllium husks and 3 tbsp of water. Allow to thicken for 20 seconds before adding to the brown oil and sugar mixture. Whisk well for 30 seconds – the mixture should come together and the oil should no longer be separated from the sugar. 
• STEP 5 Little by little, add the thickened soy milk to the oil and sugar mixture, whisking all the time. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate, 2 tsp of the cinnamon, and all of the nutmeg, ginger and salt. Stir together. 
• STEP 6 Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture along with the grated carrots and 70g of the chopped walnuts. Mix until just combined.
• STEP 7 Divide the batter between the two prepared cake tins and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Before removing from the oven, test with a toothpick in the centre of each cake – it should come out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely in their tins on a wire rack.
• STEP 8 While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a bowl using electric beaters, beat the vegan butter and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean paste and beat again to combine.
• STEP 9 In another bowl, sift the icing sugar. With the stand mixer on low, add the icing sugar a heaped spoonful at a time (if you add it all at once the frosting will split). You may not need to add all the icing sugar, so keep adding until the frosting is thick, smooth and whipped. The more sugar you add, the thicker the frosting will become.
• STEP 10 To assemble the cake, remove the cooled cake layers from the tins. Carefully apply a generous layer of frosting on top of one layer. Top with the second layer, followed by the remaining frosting, then use a pallet knife to lightly ice the sides of the cakes, leaving a ‘naked’ finish, with the sponges still slightly exposed. Before serving, sprinkle the cake with the remaining ½ tsp of cinnamon and the roughly chopped walnuts

Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake

Ingredients

• psyllium husks 1 tsp
• unsweetened vegan yogurt 125g
• plant milk 185ml
• caster sugar 135g
• lemon extract 1 tsp
• vegetable oil 3 tbsp
• lemon juice 3 tbsp
• lemon 1, zested
• plain flour 325g
• baking powder 1½ tsp
• bicarbonate of soda ¼ tsp
• fine sea salt ¼ tsp

ICING

• icing sugar 100g, sifted
• lemon juice 2-3 tsp

Method

• STEP 1 Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and line a 450g loaf tin with baking paper.
• STEP 2 In a small bowl combine the psyllium husks with 1 ½ tbsp. of cold water. Mix and set aside to thicken.
• STEP 3 Mix together the yogurt, plant milk, caster sugar, lemon extract, vegetable oil, lemon juice, and zest. In a separate medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients.
• STEP 4 Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, adding the soaked psyllium husks, and mix briefly until just combined. 
• STEP 5 Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Tap the tin firmly on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake for 40 minutes, then cover the top of the cake with foil and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes. Once done, a toothpick or skewer pushed into the centre should come out clean.
• STEP 6 Leave to cool for 10 mins before removing from the tin. Allow to cool fully. 
• STEP 7 To make the icing, whisk together the icing sugar and the lemon juice in a small bowl. If you’d like the icing thicker, add more icing sugar. 
• STEP 8 Once the cake is completely cooled, drizzle the icing all over and top with fresh lemon zest, if you like.