Appetisers · Greek Cuisine · Main Meals · Vegetarian Recipes

Courgette, Carrot and Halloumi Fritters

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These homemade cheesy courgette fritters make an easy summer side or main dish. Great served with sour cream dip, Greek yoghurt, sweet chilli or a hot honey drizzle. On your table in under 30 minutes!

Summer is getting closer and that means it’s time to share some summery recipes.

I’ve made it my mission for the next few months on the blog to share food that celebrates produce that’s in season. Secondly, I’m passionate about sharing recipes with you that are budget-friendly and thirdly, dishes that are also easy to make – so you can limit time in the kitchen and have more time for enjoying the glorious weather outside (come rain or shine)!

Up first, is the recipe for these amazing savoury fritters. Using in-season courgette (June to October), carrot and Cypriot halloumi cheese. These courgette fritters remind me of one of our favourite Italian dishes, zucchini fritti – these are traditional in Italy and Greece and are SO tasty!

Since buying our house, we’ve been making use of the space we’re lucky enough to have in our garden to grow our own fruit and vegetables. We grew courgettes last year and now again this year, so I’m excited to make these fritters using homegrown courgettes all summer long.

Frying the courgette fritters takes only a few minutes on each side. They’ll be a gorgeous golden colour, and lovely and crispy!

We kept our fritters this time with minimal seasonings – just sticking to the basic salt and black pepper. However, you could add in some homegrown herbs like chives, dill, marjoram, mint, thyme or oregano too. I’ll definitely be trying this on the next batch of fritters that I make.

These courgette fritters pair wonderfully with many dips and sauces. Our personal favourites are sour cream and chive, tzatziki (make your own homemade version), even a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce, or hot honey. I’m addicted to hot honey and put it on many dishes I make!

Serve warm with a garnish of chives or spring onion, a squeeze of lemon juice and a little sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Divine.

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Courgette, Carrot and Halloumi Fritters

These homemade cheesy courgette fritters make an easy summer side or main dish. Great served with sour cream dip, Greek yoghurt, sweet chilli or a hot honey drizzle. On your table in under 30 minutes!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 8
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 1 courgette
  • 1 carrot
  • 200-225 g block halloumi cheese
  • 70 g self-raising flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornflour
  • 1 egg
  • oil for frying the fritters

Instructions

  • Start preparing the fritters by grating the courgette and adding the grated courgette to a bowl along with a generous pinch of salt. Allow it to sit while you prep the remaining ingredients.
  • Grate the carrot and add to a large mixing bowl. Now grate the block of halloumi and add that to the bowl.
  • Place the courgette in a clean tea towel and squeeze as much liquid out of it as possible. Add the courgette to the mixing bowl, along with the self-raising flour, cornflour and the egg. Season generously with black pepper and add any additional herbs or seasonings of your choice.
  • Mix really well until everything is combined fully. Heat a frying pan on a medium heat. Add a liberal amount of olive oil and allow that a few moments to heat up.
  • Spoon amounts of the fritter mix into the pan, using a spoon shape into a round patty shape, flattening the top ever slightly. This mix will make 8 fritters. Fry each fritter for a few minutes on each side, flipping over and cooking until each side is golden and crisp. Keep warm in the oven before serving.
  • Serve the fritters with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and herbs to garnish.

Recipe inspired by Emily On Toast

Serve your homemade fritters with this Tzatziki (Greek Cucumber Dip)

Courgette season is my favourite time to make this incredibly good Spaghetti with Courgettes, Chilli, Garlic and Lemon

Halloumi and Vegetable Couscous with Tzatziki

Pesto Pasta Salad (Marks & Spencer Copycat Recipe) – perfect for summer picnics

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Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Cakes · Curd and Jam

Bakewell Shortbread Bars

What Jessica Baked Next5 Comments

Deliciously moreish Bakewell bars. A layer of buttery, cake-like shortbread, topped with strawberry jam, frangipane and flaked almonds. Baked until golden and dusted with icing sugar. Watch these vanish before your eyes!

It’s a bold statement to make, but these Bakewell shortbread bars are quite possibly the BEST bake I’ve ever made.

My taste testers and I simply couldn’t get enough of these. I found the recipe on the wonderful Feasting Is Fun blog, and my gosh, Sammie, you’ve created a stunning recipe!

A lot of my culinary discoveries happen when I’m travelling. Bakewell Tart is a classic British dessert hailing from Bakewell in Derbyshire. This time last year, I visited the beautiful Peak District and enjoyed a short break filled with countryside walks and lots of authentic Bakewell Tarts. The Peak District is one of the many beautiful areas of the UK, and well worth a visit if you’re ever here in the UK.

Furthermore, what inspired this recipe was a recent trip a few weeks ago, during a weekend away in Yorkshire. We visited RHS Harlow Carr in Harrogate, and after a walk around the incredible gardens, we popped into one of the many food spots for some lunch. We enjoyed some savoury bits for the main part of our lunch, but there’s always room for a little sweet treat afterwards.

We ordered a huge square of homemade salted caramel millionaire’s shortbread, and we also couldn’t resist picking the Strawberry Bakewell bar. One bite of the shortbread bar, and I knew I had to recreate it for the blog. So as soon as I got home, I set about doing just that!

I love the ease of this recipe compared to the classic Bakewell tart. Normally you have to roll a sweet shortcrust pastry out, but with this recipe we’re pressing the shortbread dough straight into a cake tin.

The shortbread has an added egg yolk, which creates a more tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. It’s more cake-like and softer in texture than classic shortbread. It still holds together without being too hard.

Jam choice is totally down to your preferred flavour. I went for strawberry jam, but equally apricot, cherry or raspberry will work. Raspberry, however, is traditional.

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Bakewell Shortbread Bars

Deliciously moreish Bakewell bars. A layer of buttery, cake-like shortbread, topped with strawberry jam, frangipane and flaked almonds. Baked until golden and dusted with icing sugar. Watch these vanish before your eyes!
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 12
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Shortbread Layer

  • 225 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
  • 150 g caster or granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 275 g plain flour

Frangipane Layer

  • 175 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
  • 175 g caster or granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 100 g ground almonds
  • 50 g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Jam / Decorating Layer

  • 175 g jam of choice I use strawberry but raspberry is traditional
  • 50 g flaked almonds

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180ºC / 160ºC Fan / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4. Line a 28cm x 20cm x 5cm (12-inch x 8-inch x 2-inch) tin with baking paper and set aside for later.
  • Make the shortbread layer by adding the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Cream until lightened in colour and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and the egg yolk and mix again until combined fully.
  • Add the flour and a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter. Continue to mix until a soft shortbread dough forms. At this point you can chill the dough for 30 minutes, but I spread mine out in the tin straight away - it was a little sticky but didn't take too long to do. Once the shortbread layer is even, dock it with a fork all over.
  • Bake the shortbread layer for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Now spread the jam over the part cooked shortbread layer.
  • To make the frangipane cake layer. In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add the vanilla and the almond extract, followed by the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once mixed well, add the flour, baking powder and the ground almonds. Fold gently until incorporated.
  • Spread the frangipane mixture over the jam coated shortbread layer. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden and firm to the touch.
  • Allow to cool completely before slicing into 12 bars. Cut down the middle length of the bar, then cut across the width in the middle. Cut each quarter into 3 bars. Before serving dust with icing sugar.
    The bars will keep for up to 5 days, covered and stored at room temperature.

These bars are divine served on their own, or with warm custard, a scoop of ice cream, or cream. Writing this blog post up is making me seriously crave these shortbread bars again. The recipe has already been requested again by my taste testers!

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Baking · Cakes

St Clements Drizzle Cake

What Jessica Baked Next2 Comments

Drizzle cake with a St Clements twist! Orange and lemon combine in this gorgeous, buttery and moist loaf cake. 

I’m here to brighten your Monday with a cake recipe my lovely mum has created and baked for the blog. It’s the softest, most buttery and beautiful drizzle loaf cake. A cake for spring and summer, bursting with delectable citrus flavour.

This cake is homage to the famous bells of St Clements. It’s a famous British cake combining orange and lemon, inspired by the “Oranges and Lemons” nursery rhyme.

Enjoy a slice of this stunning loaf cake on a spring or summer’s day in the garden. It’s a simple and easy cake recipe, and a real crowd pleaser.

The cake, once baked, has an orange and lemon drizzle poured over. It’s important to pour the drizzle over while the cake is still warm, as this ensures the citrus sugar syrup mixture soaks in, and it also keeps the cake amazingly moist. The texture of this cake reminded us of Greek-style cakes/desserts we adore, like this Honey Walnut Cake.

This wonderful cake is brilliant for picnics, as it’s easily transported. Great served as a tasty dessert paired with clotted or pouring/whipped cream and berries.

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St Clements Drizzle Cake

Drizzle cake with a St Clements twist! Orange and lemon combine in this gorgeous, buttery and moist loaf cake. 
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 10
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 225 g caster or granulated sugar
  • 1 orange zested
  • 2 lemons zested
  • 225 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
  • 4 eggs
  • 225 g self-raising flour

Lemon Orange Sugar Syrup

  • 1 orange juiced
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 100 g caster or granulated sugar

Drizzle Icing

  • 75 g icing sugar
  • fresh lemon or orange juice enough to produce an icing that can be drizzled over the cake

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180ºC / 160ºC Fan / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4. Line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment paper and set aside.
  • To make the cake, place the softened butter in a large mixing bowl. In another small bowl, add the sugar along with the orange zest and lemon zest. Using your fingertips, rub the sugar and zest together until combined.
  • Add the sugar/zest mixture to the bowl containing the butter. Cream for a couple of minutes, until light and fluffy. Now add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Don't worry if the mixture looks slightly curdled at this point, as once the flour is added it'll be fine.
  • Now sift in the flour and gently fold in until completely incorporated. Transfer the cake batter to the loaf tin and spread out until evenly distributed.
  • Bake the cake for 55-60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.
  • Now prepare the sugar syrup mixture. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and the orange and lemon juice. Stir together until the sugar has dissolved. Pour this syrup all over the cake - it will soak into the cake as it cools.
  • Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the tin and place on your chosen serving dish/plate. Make the icing by whisking the icing sugar and enough orange/lemon juice until you have the drizzle consistency you desire.
  • Drizzle the icing over the cake and down the sides and decorate further with extra orange and lemon zest. The cake will keep, covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

If you’re a drizzle cake fan, then try my Lemon Drizzle Cake

Lemon Poppyseed Drizzle Cakes

Pistachio Lemon Drizzle Cake

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Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Chocolate

Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies

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Soft and gooey cookies filled with white chocolate and a mix of frozen and freeze-dried raspberries. A divine cookie recipe with melted white chocolate and jammy raspberries in each bite!

Raspberry + white chocolate has always been a sensational combination. Creamy white chocolate mixed with tart raspberries, both flavours are a marriage in flavour heaven.

My cookie recipe repertoire is forever growing and the latest cookie bake I’m sharing is these divine Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies. This wonderful recipe is from the talented Sarah over at Broma Bakery.

I’ve mentioned before, that I’m a huge fan of Marks and Spencer cookies. As soon as M&S releases a new cookie, everybody goes wild and heads out to grab themselves a pack before they’re all sold out. I love recreating the Marks and Spencer cookies in my kitchen, and with all the recipes I recreate, I aim to achieve a tastier end result.

These cookies are amazing. There are lots of chunky pieces of white chocolate and the frozen raspberries are rippled throughout each bite. I added a couple of tablespoons of freeze-dried raspberries. This is optional, but will add even more raspberry flavour.

These cookies are perfect for berry season. The ultimate treat paired with a cold glass of milk, or even a scoop of your favourite ice cream flavour. Happy Baking!

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Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies

Soft and gooey cookies filled with white chocolate and a mix of frozen and freeze-dried raspberries. A divine cookie recipe with melted white chocolate and jammy raspberries in each bite!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Chilling Time 30 minutes
Servings 12
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 170 g butter (salted or unsalted) melted
  • 200 g light brown sugar
  • 50 g caster or granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 250 g plain flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 225 g white chocolate I use a chocolate bar and chop into small chunks - chocolate chips are a good substitute
  • 2 tablespoons freeze-dried raspberries optional
  • 65 g frozen raspberries

Instructions

  • To make the cookie dough, grab a large mixing bowl and add the melted butter, and both types of sugars. Whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved.
  • Now add the egg and egg yolk, along with the vanilla extract and whisk again until incorporated.
  • Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda, along with a pinch of salt (only add if using unsalted butter). Gently fold the dry ingredients in, mixing until there's no streaks of flour visible. Fold through the white chocolate - be careful not to over mix.
  • Finally, very gently fold through the frozen raspberries until evenly distributed. at this point you can also add the freeze-dried raspberries, if desired.
  • Chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes.
    Preheat oven to 180ºC / 160ºC Fan / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4. Line 2-3 large baking trays with baking paper.
    Roll the cookie dough into 80g portions. When rolling the cookie dough the raspberries will burst and release juices - this expected, so just roll the cookie dough as quickly as you can.
    Spread the cookies out evenly, leaving enough space as they will spread during baking. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until just lightly browned, with a soft centre still visible.
  • If the cookies spread when baking, take a teaspoon and gently press the cookie back into a uniform shape. Press any additional chocolate or freeze-dried raspberries on the top of the cookies. Leave the cookies to cool on the baking trays for 10 minutes, then transport to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. The cookies will keep stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Recipe from Broma Bakery

Take the classic chocolate chip cookie to the next level with these Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you love the raspberry white chocolate combo, then try my Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins next!

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Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Candy and Sweets · Chocolate

Mini Egg Shortbread

What Jessica Baked Next2 Comments

Mini Egg Shortbread – classic semolina shortbread recipe filled with chopped Cadbury Mini Eggs and chocolate chunks. 

This time last year I baked this Chocolate Chunk Shortbread (Marks & Spencer Copycat Recipe). Since then, it’s become one of the most popular recipes I’ve posted on my blog. So at it’s very nearly Easter and Mini Eggs are back on our shelves, I thought it would be a fun idea to incorporate them in a batch of shortbread.

All good shortbread recipes start with butter. I tend to go for salted butter, and this needs to be softened. Cream softened butter with sugar until fluffy, then add plain flour and semolina. Semolina is my secret ingredient for the traditional Scottish shortbread taste!

Finally, lots of chopped chocolate and Cadbury Mini Eggs are mixed throughout the shortbread dough.

Once baked, the shortbread is sprinkled with a little extra sugar, and it’s ready to be devoured and enjoyed.

There’s lots of Easter baking inspiration on the blog already. Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, Carrot Cake Traybake, Easter Chocolate Nest Cakes, Mini Egg Cheesecake and these incredible Mini Egg NYC Cookies all make a delicious addition to an Easter meal.

I recommend the same thing with every shortbread recipe, and that’s to serve the shortbread while it’s still warm from the oven. The texture is softer and simply divine.

Mini Egg Shortbread is the ultimate, easy, no-fuss Easter baking recipe. This shortbread really does taste as good as it looks!

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Mini Egg Shortbread

Mini Egg Shortbread - classic semolina shortbread recipe filled with chopped Cadbury Mini Eggs and chocolate chunks. 
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 200 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
  • 100 caster or granulated sugar
  • 300 g plain flour
  • 50 g semolina
  • 200 g dark or milk chocolate roughly chopped
  • 150 g Cadbury Mini Eggs chopped in half

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line a 20cm / 8-inch square cake tin with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Start by preparing the shortbread dough - cream the softened butter and sugar until light and creamy.
  • Now add the flour and the semolina, mix until a crumbly dough forms. Be careful not to overwork the dough at this point, only mix until it comes together. Now fold through the chopped chocolate and halved Mini Eggs.
  • Transfer shortbread dough to a 20cm / 8-inch square cake tin and press down gently. Carefully score 12 squares from the dough, making sure not to cut all the way through. Bake for 25-30 minutes until slightly golden in colour. Leave the shortbread to cool for 5 minutes, then using a sharp knife, slice all the way through where you scored the shortbread before baking.
  • Finally, sprinkle with a small amount of extra sugar before devouring! The shortbread will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

I have your Easter recipes covered!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

Mini Egg Cheesecake

Easter Chocolate Nest Cakes

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Baking · Cheesecake

Nigella’s London Cheesecake

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Nigella Lawson’s London Cheesecake recipe. Classic baked cheesecake with hints of lemon and vanilla, and a delicious sour cream topping. A make-ahead friendly dessert, great for all kinds of gatherings.

I have a divine cheesecake from Nigella Lawson’s ‘How To Be A Domestic Goddess’ cookbook.

The cheesecake itself is light, creamy and has the perfect balance between tartness and sweetness. I served mine with fresh berries and a homemade strawberry topping.

Making a baked cheesecake can seem daunting, but it’s super easy to make and using a water bath ensures your cheesecake bakes evenly and minimises the risk of it cracking too.

You can serve your cheesecake however you like. A little bit of grated chocolate works fabulously, or add a touch extra decadence and drizzle over some caramel sauce. Or you can serve it with strawberry topping, like we did. The strawberry topping I make is made with just strawberries and sugar, and it’s cooked until the strawberries are softened and the sauce slightly thickened.

I love how the sauce runs down the sides of the cheesecake!

I’ve only slightly adapted this recipe from Nigella’s book/website. We love a good amount of biscuit base on our cheesecakes, so I upped the amount of biscuits to give this cheesecake a bigger base!

I also baked my cheesecake in a 23cm/9-inch springform tin. The recipe asks for a 20cm/8-inch tin, but I didn’t have a springform tin in that size, but the cheesecake worked out well using a bigger tin.

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Nigella's London Cheesecake

Nigella Lawson's London Cheesecake recipe. Classic baked cheesecake with hints of lemon and vanilla, and a delicious sour cream topping. A make-ahead friendly dessert, great for all kinds of gatherings.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Chilling Time 1 day
Servings 12
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Biscuit Base

  • 300 g digestive biscuits crushed
  • 140 g butter (salted or unsalted) melted

Cheesecake Filling

  • 600 g full-fat cream cheese left out at room temperature for one hour to soften
  • 150 g caster sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Sour Cream Topping

  • 150 g full-fat sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180ºC / 160ºC Fan / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4. In a mixing bowl, combine the biscuit crumbs and melted butter. Mix well until the biscuit crumbs are moistened. Tip this mix into a 23cm/9-inch springform tin and press the biscuit crumbs into an even layer - smooth over with the back of a spoon. Set aside for the moment.
  • Beat the cream cheese gently until it's smooth and then add the sugar. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks, then finally the vanilla and lemon juice. Put the kettle on.
  • Line the outside of the springform tin with strong foil so that it covers the bottom and sides in one large piece, and then do the same again and put it into a roasting dish. This will protect the cheesecake from the water as it is cooked in its water bath.
  • Pour the cream cheese filling on top of the chilled biscuit base, and then pour hot water from the recently boiled kettle into the roasting tin around the cheesecake. It should come about halfway up. Don't overfill as it will be difficult to lift up the tin. Put it into the oven and cook for 50 minutes until set on the top.
  • Whisk together the sour cream, sugar and vanilla for the topping and pour over the cheesecake. Put it back in the oven for a further 10 minutes.
  • Take the roasting tin out of the oven and leave to cool at room temperature. When it's cooled down completely, put the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight for best results. Allow the cheesecake to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving and slicing.
    The cheesecake will keep stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Mini Cheesecakes

Raspberry Swirl Lemon Cheesecake Bars

New York Cheesecake with Mixed Berry Coulis

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Baking · Buttercream and Frosting · Cakes

Red Velvet Cake

What Jessica Baked Next3 Comments

Moist, homemade red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. The vibrant red colour of this cake makes it perfect for occasions like Valentine’s Day, Christmas or birthdays. 

Classic Red Velvet Cake is a gorgeously fluffy, moist cake with hints of vanilla and cocoa, and a lovely tanginess from buttermilk.

This red velvet cake is decorated with homemade cream cheese frosting.

In my opinion, the only frosting for red velvet cake is a cream cheese frosting. The tangy frosting works wonderfully and compliments the cake exactly how it should.

Like the Best Chocolate Cake recipe I’ve shared with you, red velvet cake is also one of the cakes I baked for customers. So this was another layer cake recipe I’ve been passionate about sharing with you.

Growing up in the UK, red velvet cake is something I wasn’t familiar with, but it has become one of my favourites! Top tip: for UK readers, you’ll need to get some red gel food colouring. Only gel food colouring will work and achieve that vivid ruby-red coloured cake.

As the name indicates, this cake is velvety and simply melts in the mouth. My favourite part of each slice is the very centre!

Just like many cake recipes, this one is hard to stop eating just one slice. I found myself dreaming of this all day and eating more than one slice a day!

Decoration is really easy for this cake. Slather or pipe roughly half the cream cheese frosting in the centre and then the remaining frosting on the top of the cake. Take any excess crumbs that naturally fall off the cake and use those to sprinkle over the top.

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Red Velvet Cake

Moist, homemade red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. The vibrant red colour of this cake makes it perfect for occasions like Valentine's Day, Christmas or birthdays. 
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 16
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 400 g plain flour
  • 10 g cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Wet Ingredients

  • 115 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
  • 330 g caster or granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • 250 ml vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 250 ml buttermilk at room temperature
  • 2 and 1/2 tablespoons red gel food colouring I used a whole 25g bottle

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 60 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
  • 200 g icing sugar sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 400 g full fat cream cheese at room temperature

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line 2 x 20cm (8-inch) round cake tins with baking/parchment paper and set aside.
  • Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, whisk together until combined.
  • In another large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until just combined - this should only take a minute or so. Now add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  • Add the oil, vanilla, vinegar and the food colouring and mix again until fully incorporated.
  • Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk again until combined and no lumps of flour remain. Be careful not to over mix.
  • Divide the cake batter between the two lined cake tins. Bake for 30-40 minutes - my cakes took nearer to 40 minutes. Test the cakes are ready by inserting a cake tester/toothpick directly in the centre. If no uncooked batter is attached, then they're ready. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then carefully remove from the tins and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
  • Once the cakes are cool, you can prepare the cream cheese frosting. Cream the softened butter in a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes to soften. Now add the sifted icing sugar and vanilla and starting on a low speed mix to combine. Continue to beat for 5 minutes or until really pale in colour - stop the mixer halfway through to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  • Once creamed add the softened cream cheese. Turn the mixer up and whisk on high speed for approximately 2-3 minutes or until the frosting is creamy, thick and smooth. You need to use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the a whisk attachment to make sure the frosting reaches the correct consistency.
  • When ready to assemble, take a little bit of the cream cheese frosting and spread that on the base of your serving plate or cake stand. Take one cake layer and place on your serving plate/cake stand. Spread or pipe roughly half the frosting on this first layer. Place the second cake layer directly on top. Decorate the top as you did the other cake layer. Sprinkle over any additional red velvet cake crumbs or sprinkles of your choice.
  • Serve slices of the cake. The cake will keep stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Recipe from Recipe Tin Eats, cream cheese frosting recipe from What Jessica Baked Next

More delightful treats to bake next!

Chocolate Brownie Heart

Carrot Cake Traybake

Valentine’s Shortbread Hearts

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Baking · Chocolate · Cookies

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Bakery-style chocolate chip cookies with the addition of nutty brown butter. Don’t forget a sprinkle of sea salt for the ultimate amazing cookie experience! An easy cookie recipe with no mixer required.

We’re kickstarting 2026 and a new year of baking on WJBN blog with a fabulous cookie recipe I recently baked.

Say hello to my latest cookie obsession.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Adding brown butter to your next batch of cookie dough is the ultimate flavour upgrade. A classic chocolate chip cookie is pretty good, but adding brown butter elevates a regular chocolate chip cookie to something outstanding.

My winning cookie recipe is made with browned butter and huge chunks of chocolate. The cookies taste great served fresh from the oven and even a couple of days after first baking.

The edges are crisp, slightly crunchy and the inside of the cookie is gorgeously soft. The chocolate mixed with an added sprinkle of flaky sea salt is a divine combination.

Top Tips For The BEST Cookies:

  • Use salted butter and brown the butter. Browned butter adds a delicate caramel undertone to the cookie dough. Take your time when browning butter. Brown butter is a game changer and I highly recommend it!
  • Use a mixture of chocolate chips and chocolate chunks in your cookie dough. I love the ease of adding a bag of chocolate chips to my cookie dough, but chopping up chocolate makes sure you get those huge chunks of melted chocolate in your cookies! I use supermarket own brand chocolate, you can use expensive chocolate but I don’t think it’s necessary.
  • Add cornflour (cornstarch) to your cookie dough. This creates a softer baked cookie and your baked cookie will be slightly thicker, and not spread as much.
  • Add a generous amount of vanilla extract to your cookie dough. Vanilla and chocolate = delicious flavour combo!
  • Always chill your cookie dough. This not only prevents spreading, but it lets the flavours develop further, leading to a tastier finished product!

I’ve baked a lot of cookie recipes for my blog, but this recipe is by far the best one yet.

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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bakery-style chocolate chip cookies with the addition of nutty brown butter. Don't forget a sprinkle of sea salt for the ultimate amazing cookie experience! An easy cookie recipe with no mixer required.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Chilling Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 34 minutes
Servings 18
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 170 g butter (salted or unsalted) cut into small chunks
  • 280 g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornflour
  • 150 g dark or light brown sugar
  • 100 g caster or granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 300 g chocolate I use 1 x 200g bar of milk chocolate and 1 x 100g bar of dark chocolate, both chopped into medium sized chunks
  • dark chocolate chips I added a couple of handfuls and used the remaining to decorate the cookies

Instructions

  • Start by browning the butter. In a small pan, place the chopped butter. Gently melt on a medium heat. Stirring constantly, the butter will begin to foam and sizzle slightly around the edges. In approx 5-8 minutes from when you started, the butter will start to turn golden brown. Some foam will subside and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan will be toasty brown. The butter in the pan will smell intensely buttery and nutty.
  • Now remove the pan from the heat and carefully transfer the brown butter to a mixing bowl and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
  • In another mixing bowl, add the flour, bicarbonate of soda and the cornflour. Whisk together to combine fully.
  • In the bowl with the melted butter, add both types of sugar, and whisk until incorporated. Now add the whole egg and egg yolk, along with the vanilla extract. Whisking again until combined.
  • Now fold through the dry ingredients until a soft dough begins to form. Finally, stir through the chopped chocolate. Cover the bowl containing the cookie dough and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. I usually chill mine overnight. After overnight chilling, I leave my cookie dough at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling.
  • When ready to bake, divide the cookie dough and roll into 60g portions. Preheat oven to 170°C / 150°C Fan / 325°/ Gas Mark 3. Line a couple of baking trays with parchment paper and place the cookies about 3-inches apart.
  • Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes until crisp and lightly golden around the edges, but still soft in the centre. Place any additional chocolate chips/chunks on the tops of cookies if desired. I also like to sprinkle the tops with some flaky sea salt.
  • Cool the cookies on the baking trays for 10 minutes, before enjoying. The cookies will keep stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction

More of my favourite recipes!

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Pistachio Tiramisu (No-Bake, Eggless Recipe)

Best Chocolate Cake

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Biscuits and Cookies · Chocolate · Christmas · No-Bake

Terry’s Chocolate Orange Rocky Road

What Jessica Baked Next1 Comment

Rocky road with a tasty Terry’s Chocolate Orange twist! The classic no-bake treat everybody loves.

In December, it’s usual that I’ll share at least one recipe that contains a Terry’s Chocolate Orange.

A couple of favourites include my Terry’s Chocolate Orange Brownies, these Terry’s Chocolate Orange NYC Cookies, and two fabulous cheesecakes: No-Bake White Chocolate Orange Cheesecake and Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cheesecake.

We made and shared an insanely good Malteser Rocky Road this year, and next, a festive spin on that rocky road recipe was in the pipeline…

My sister and I spent an evening making this rocky road creation. We both share the same love for baking and being in the kitchen. I love that baking/cooking brings everyone together, and it was lovely to let my sister take the reins with this recipe. We plan to make this again in a couple of weeks for the Christmas celebrations we have in the diary.

What I like about rocky road is just how simple it is to prepare. Around the holidays we all have limited time to spend in the kitchen, but being able to whip up an easy treat with minimal effort is exactly what we all need!

To prepare this simple no-bake recipe, in a saucepan melt together butter, golden syrup, dark chocolate and one whole Terry’s Chocolate Orange – yes, that’s a lot, but we’re packing in all the flavour here!

Once melted, leave the mixture to cool for about 5 minutes, then pour into the dry ingredients and mix well until everything is coated. Tip this mixture into a square baking tin and leave to chill in the fridge.

The next decoration is optional, but we like to melt white chocolate and spread that across the top of the rocky road. As it’s the time of year to indulge a little extra, we’ve topped our rocky road with a very generous 300g white chocolate layer. Then we decorated with sprinkles and the extra half of the TCO.

This is an extremely decadent and moreish sweet, that’s hard to stop eating. It’s a truly fun, cosy, little Christmas non-bake!

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Terry's Chocolate Orange Rocky Road

Rocky road with a tasty Terry's Chocolate Orange twist! The classic no-bake treat everybody loves.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Chilling Time 3 hours
Servings 16
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 150 g butter (salted or unsalted)
  • 4 tablespoons golden syrup
  • 250 g dark chocolate
  • 1 x 157 g Terry's Chocolate Orange
  • 150 g milk chocolate digestives
  • 200 g mini marshmallows
  • 1/2 Terry's Chocolate Orange reserving half for decoration later on

White Chocolate Topping/Decoration:

  • 300 g white chocolate
  • 1/2 Terry's Chocolate Orange
  • sprinkles

Instructions

  • Put the butter, golden syrup, dark chocolate and whole Terry's Chocolate Orange in a medium sized saucepan. Gently heat and continue stirring until all the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth mixture. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
  • In a large mixing bowl, break the digestive biscuits into small chunks and then add your mini marshmallows and 1/2 of the second Terry's Chocolate Orange (broken into small chunks) to the bowl. Stir gently to combine. Now add the melted chocolate mixture and stir together until all the ingredients are well coated.
  • Tip the mixture in the tin and press down until lightly compact. Pop it in the fridge whilst you prepare the chocolate topping. Melt the white chocolate and then gently pour and spread out over the top of the rocky road. Decorate further with the remaining Terry's Chocolate Orange half and sprinkles of your choice.
  • Allow to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight.
  • When ready to serve, remove the rocky road from the tin and slice up into 16 squares. You can cut the rocky road as big or small as you like. The rocky road will keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge or at room temperature for up to one week.

Recipe inspiration from Taming Twins

Even more great Terry’s Chocolate Orange Recipes! 

Terry’s Chocolate Orange Brownies

No-Bake White Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

Terry’s Chocolate Orange NYC Cookies

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Baking · Chocolate · Christmas · Cookies

Gingerbread White Chocolate Cookies (Marks & Spencer Copycat Recipe)

What Jessica Baked Next2 Comments

Copycat version of the viral M&S Gingerbread & White Chocolate Cookies. All the festive feels with these incredibly delicious homemade cookies!

It’s time! My first festive recipe of the 2025 Christmas season is here.

I’m so excited when it gets to this time of the year and I can share all the festive-inspired recipes.

We’re starting with a homemade version of the famous Marks and Spencer Gingerbread White Chocolate Cookies. Earlier in the year, I shared my Chocolate Chunk Shortbread (Marks & Spencer Copycat Recipe). This recipe has now become one of my most viewed (getting thousands of views each week). I’m receiving messages from readers who have baked them – which always puts a smile on my face!

I simply cannot go into my local Marks and Spencers Foodhall without being able to walk past these cookies. Once they were in the bakery section, I grabbed two packs within a week. They are absolutely addictive and amazing cookies.

A recreation of these stunning cookies was bound to happen…

I’ve made my cookie dough as similar to the M&S one. This cookie has black treacle added, pieces of chopped fudge and lots of white chocolate chunks. I also love adding even more chopped white chocolate to the tops of each cookie once baked.

We highly recommend using a block of white chocolate and chopping that up, as opposed to using white chocolate chips. It’s the best when you get a piece of cookie with a huge chunk of chocolate!

I would quite happily bake and eat these cookies all year round.

The warmth of the ginger is just lovely and pairs wonderfully well with creamy white chocolate. The secret is to underbake the cookies ever so slightly. This way they have an irresistibly fudgy centre.

I’ve loved baking Gingerbread Men, but these cookies are definitely my favourite if I had to pick one!

Get your favourite Christmas tunes on playing, head to the kitchen and be ready to bake the BEST christmassy cookies.

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Gingerbread White Chocolate Cookies

Copycat version of the viral M&S Gingerbread & White Chocolate Cookies. All the festive feels with these incredibly delicious homemade cookies!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Servings 10
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 120 g butter (salted or unsalted)
  • 80 g caster or granulated sugar
  • 80 g dark or light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon black treacle optional
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 220 g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 150 g white chocolate chopped into medium-sized chunks
  • 100 g fudge chopped into small chunks

Instructions

  • Start by melting the butter. Add the melted butter to a large mixing bowl, along with the caster and brown sugar. Whisk this together until combined. Now add the black treacle (if using), the egg and vanilla extract. Whisk again and mix until incorporated.
  • Now add the plain flour, ground ginger, bicarbonate of soda and the salt. Using a spatula, gently fold together the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until mostly combined.
  • Fold through the chopped white chocolate and fudge. Mix again until combined - be careful not to over mix. Cover the cookie dough and chill for one hour.
  • Once ready to bake, preheat oven to 180ºC / 160ºC Fan / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4. Divide the cookie dough into 8-10 portions - each piece of cookie dough should weigh just over 80g.
    Line 2-3 large baking trays with baking paper. Spread the cookies out evenly, leaving enough space as they will spread during baking. Bake for 12 minutes, until just lightly browned, with a soft centre still visible.
  • When the cookies are baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking trays for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack and leaving to cool completely. Press some additional chopped chocolate or chocolate chips on the top of each cookie, if desired.
    The cookies will keep stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Recipe from Lord Lucy

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