Red Velvet Cake

January 26, 2026January 25, 2026 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.

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

Cook Time 40

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

January 17, 2026January 16, 2026 What Jessica Baked Next1 Comment

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.

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

Cook Time 14

Chilling Time 2

Total Time 2 34

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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Baking · Chocolate · Christmas · Cookies

Gingerbread White Chocolate Cookies (Marks & Spencer Copycat Recipe)

November 17, 2025November 14, 2025 What Jessica Baked Next4 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.

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

Cook Time 12

Chilling Time 1

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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Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Candy and Sweets · Chocolate

Oven Baked S’mores (10 Minute Recipe)

October 23, 2025October 22, 2025 What Jessica Baked Next1 Comment

Easy oven baked S’mores. A classic American sweet with deliciously gooey marshmallow and melted chocolate. A super quick and easy treat made with 3 ingredients and ready in 10 minutes!

S’mores is a popular American dessert. Typically, a s’more, consists of graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate, is made by toasting marshmallows on a campfire.

I wanted to show you this effortlessly easy way to make homemade s’mores in 10 minutes. Perfect for a cosy night in, sitting on the sofa watching one of your favourite films or boxset.

I love the crisp digestive biscuit, with the gooey, oozy marshmallow and chocolate sandwiched in the centre. I made a couple of these for my taste testers, and they adored them. The flavours all work so well with each other, making a fantastic treat, that can be made by anyone regardless of cooking skill level.

Another thing I really like about this recipe is how it can easily be customised. Try swapping milk chocolate for dark or white chocolate, or you can even use a hazelnut/pistachio-filled chocolate, or a Reese’s peanut butter cup.

Bonfire Night is around the corner on 5th November, so these baked s’mores will make a great dessert to enjoy that evening whilst watching fireworks!

The marshmallows lightly toast and go squidgy in the oven during baking

I have a sweet tooth, but with a lot of the recipes I share, I usually make a big batch of that food. With this recipe, you can make just what you need for that serving. If you fancy just one for yourself, then you can make just a single s’more. If you have a guest coming over, then you just double the recipe!

For each s’more, you’ll need two biscuits (digestives are my go-to, but rich tea will also work), a square of chocolate (around 4 small squares conjoined) and 2-3 regular marshmallows.

Place each biscuit on a lined baking tray, on one biscuit, pop the chocolate and on the other biscuit, place the marshmallows on top. Bake for 3-4 minutes, or until the chocolate is melted, and the marshmallows are lightly toasted. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then sandwich together before devouring!

Homemade S’mores are incredibly delicious! I’m not going to lie, they’re very messy, and you’ll end up with chocolate almost everywhere. But I think that’s the fun of it and they taste amazing!

Oven Baked S'mores (10 Minute Recipe)

Easy oven baked S'mores. A classic American sweet with deliciously gooey marshmallow and melted chocolate. A super quick and easy treat made with 3 ingredients and ready in 10 minutes!

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Servings 1

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

2 digestive biscuits
1 block of 4 squares of milk chocolate still joined together
2-3 regular sized marshmallows

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°C / Gas Mark 6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Place the digestive biscuits on the baking tray - the smooth side down. Top one biscuit with the chocolate and top the second biscuit with the marshmallows.
Bake in the oven for 3-4 minutes, until the chocolate is melted and the marshmallows are lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes, before carefully sandwiching the two biscuits together to make the s'more. Check the temperature is not too hot before eating.

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Baking · Bread · Main Meals

Naan Bread Pizza (Easy 15 Minute Recipe)

October 8, 2025October 7, 2025 What Jessica Baked Next2 Comments

Easy Naan Bread Pizzas! Speedy homemade pizza made in just 15 minutes. Top however you desire with all your favourite pizza toppings! A great kid-friendly recipe too.

Homemade pizza is one of the best foods, but can be a lengthy process and take a fair bit of time to prepare. That’s why today, we’re cutting some corners and making homemade pizza in just 15 minutes!

I usually enjoy a naan bread alongside a delicious plateful of curry, but I soon discovered they also make fantastic pizza bases.

As with lots of pizzas, the topping choices are endless. I went for a classic American-style hot pizza with pepperoni slices and homegrown jalapeños. You can keep these pizzas simple with just tomato and cheese, or top with cooked chicken, bell pepper slices, and some Cajun spice (one of our other favourites), or even just with a combination of roasted vegetables.

In my household, we work different shifts, so sometimes we eat dinner later in the evening. Easy and super speedy dinners like this are great when we’re eating later and don’t have a lot of time on our hands to make something extravagant. It also stops us ordering food in, so we eat a healthier version of our takeaway favourites.

Plus, when you get a pizza craving but don’t want the cost that comes with ordering a takeaway, then this recipe will save you both time and money!

With this simple and easy recipe you’ll need just a handful of ingredients.

Naan Bread/Flatbread – This is a really quick and easier alternative to preparing homemade pizza dough. I went for a supermarket’s own brand of naan bread. You could also use a flatbread instead of naan bread – baking time might differ by a couple of minutes.

Pizza Sauce/Passata – I use pizza sauce, but add additional seasonings. These seasonings include garlic granules/powder and dried oregano. If you can’t find pizza sauce, passata makes a great substitution.

Mozzarella – I use a mozzarella and cheddar blend, but just mozzarella will work too. I go for ready grated cheese, which saves time!

Toppings – These are down to personal preference. I went for a pepperoni pizza topper, sliced jalapeño, plus an extra sprinkle of dried oregano.

Naan Bread Pizza (Easy 15 Minute Recipe)

Easy Naan Bread Pizzas! Speedy homemade pizza made in just 15 minutes. Top however you desire with all your favourite pizza toppings! A great kid-friendly recipe too.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings 4

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

4 naan breads mine weighed 260g each
250 g pizza sauce or passata
1 teaspoon garlic granules/powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
200 g grated mozzarella I use a mozzarella and cheddar blend

Toppings

pepperoni
jalapeño

Instructions

Preheat oven to 220°C / 200°F / 425°F / Gas Mark 7. Once the oven is heated, place two large baking trays in to heat up.
In a jug or small bowl, mix the pizza sauce/passata with the garlic granules/powder and dried oregano. Season with black pepper and salt. Evenly spread the sauce over each naan bread base.
Now top with the grated cheese and additional toppings.
Carefully remove the hot baking trays from the oven, line each tray with a piece of parchment paper and place two naan bread pizzas on each tray.
Bake for 10 minutes, until crisp and lightly golden around the edges. Allow to cool for a minute or two and serve immediately.

This recipe was inspired by Taming Twins

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Baking · Buttercream and Frosting · Cakes · Chocolate

Best Chocolate Cake

August 27, 2025August 26, 2025 What Jessica Baked Next2 Comments

The BEST Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake. This is the one and only chocolate fudge cake recipe you need. Decorate this stunning cake as you desire and get ready to receive many compliments!

When it comes to chocolate cake, this recipe I have for you today is simply the best. Yes, that’s a bold statement, but once you’ve had a slice, then you’ll be raving about just how fabulous it is.

Ina Garten (aka The Barefoot Contessa) is the author of this recipe. It’s quite frankly the absolute queen of chocolate cakes on the internet. I’m a great fan of Ina, and the summer before I started my professional cookery course at culinary school, I watched episode after episode of her programmes that were on Food Network. I love her simple, timeless approach to cookery.

A cookbook of Ina’s I own has a recipe for Beatty’s Chocolate Cake. This is the recipe I’m using today, but I’ve used a different buttercream to decorate mine. The cocoa buttercream is divine, with just the right amount of richness and creaminess. It’s a standard American-style buttercream and tastes great paired with the fudgy chocolate cake.

I’ve shared chocolate cakes and cupcakes on my blog, but never a classic layered chocolate fudge cake with buttercream.

There are a few ingredients that make this chocolate cake superior to many other recipes. The delectable, fudgy and moist texture is thanks to the use of oil instead of butter in the cake batter. Also, the addition of buttermilk and hot coffee keeps this cake from being anything but dry.

To tell you just how GOOD this cake is, I baked and decorated my cake in the morning and by the evening we only had a quarter of it left! It’s the kind of cake you just can’t help but go back for more of.

Once you bake the cake, get ready for all the compliments and glory you receive. I know myself first hand. For a short time, I baked numerous cakes for customers and quite a few of my orders were for this chocolate cake. I loved hearing my customers enjoying the cakes – it’s the best feeling when someone enjoys something you’ve put a lot of effort into.

I kept my decoration simple. I spread half the buttercream on one cake layer, and then I topped that with the other cake layer. Finally, I spread the remaining buttercream on the top – placing a little bit of it in a piping bag fitted with a star nip nozzle. I piped swirls of the buttercream around the edge of the cake, then further decorated my cake with white chocolate truffles, triple chocolate curls and some crunchy shimmered biscuit balls.

So I say it just one more time. Here you have the BEST American-Style Chocolate Fudge Cake. Have a great time baking this one!

Best Chocolate Fudge Cake

The BEST Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake. This is the one and only chocolate fudge cake recipe you need. Decorate this stunning cake as you desire and get ready to receive many compliments! This cake can be made either as a 2 or 3 layer cake.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings 12

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Chocolate Fudge Cake Batter

210 g plain flour
400 g caster or granulated sugar
90 g cocoa powder
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
240 ml buttermilk
120 ml vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
240 ml freshly brewed coffee I use 1 teaspoon of coffee granules with 240ml of boiling water - you can use just boiling water and leave the coffee out

Cocoa Buttercream

225 g butter (salted or unsalted) I prefer using salted butter for my buttercream
420 g icing sugar sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
40 g cocoa powder sifted
3-4 tablespoons double cream add more or less to just consistency of buttercream

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.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt until thoroughly combined.
In a medium-sized bowl or jug, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla extract.
Now add the wet ingredients along with the hot coffee and carefully whisk until just mixed and no lumps of flour remain.
Distribute the cake batter evenly between the two cake tins and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean without any uncooked batter attached. Please Note: The original recipe instructs you to bake the cake for 35–40 minutes, mine took nearer to 60 minutes to fully cook through. All ovens are different, so you may need to check the cake at 40 minutes and keep baking until the cake tester comes out clean.
Once the cakes are baked all the way through, allow them to cool in the tins for 30 minutes, then remove from the cake tins and leave to cool on a wire rack completely.
To make the buttercream, start by creaming the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. This should take about 5 minutes by hand or by using an electric mixer. Now add the cocoa powder and mix again until just combined. Finally, add the double cream and mix again until combined.
Take the first cake layer and place directly on your chosen serving dish/plate. I used a cake board and spread a tiny bit of buttercream on the base to secure the first cake layer. Take half the buttercream and spread it out evenly, then place the second cake layer on top and spread the remaining buttercream on top. I like to pipe a few swirls of the buttercream on top of my cake.
Decorate the cake further with your favourite chocolates or sprinkles. The cake will keep stored, covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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Baking

Lemon Bars

July 20, 2025December 28, 2025 What Jessica Baked Next1 Comment

Luscious lemon bars. Buttery shortbread topped with a divine zesty lemon layer. The bars are baked and chilled, then dusted with icing sugar before serving. A classic recipe sure to wow.

These Lemon Bars are summer in a bite.

An easy recipe that’s quick to whip up and these scrumptious bars taste like pure sunshine.

As I write up this blog post, after weeks of intense heat, it’s currently rainy and damp outside. As food bloggers will know, it’s not the easiest weather to photograph in!

I love myself a chocolate dessert. Best of all, my favourite dessert is anything with choux pastry (profiteroles or a Paris-Brest have my heart), but lemon desserts come a close second. I was in my element when I visited Paris in June, being completely in awe of all the amazing desserts on offer…

We have lots of favourite lemon recipes on the blog. Lemon recipes include this Homemade Lemon Curd, my Passionfruit Lemon Tart and these divine Raspberry Swirl Lemon Cheesecake Bars. Not to forget our family favourite Spaghetti with Courgettes, Chilli, Garlic and Lemon, which is definitely the BEST pasta recipe you’ll ever eat!

Also, these Magdalenas (Spanish Lemon Muffins) are something I count down to whenever I visit Spain!

It’s not summer without a lemon bake featured on my blog. I love the refreshing flavour that lemon adds to both savoury and sweet dishes.

The bars are simply amazing, they take minimal time to make and will most certainly wow anyone who’s lucky enough to try them!

We LOVED the buttery shortbread layer, which was cooked perfectly and the lemon curd topping was tart and packed with zingy lemon flavour!

My bars came out super bright, an almost rich orange in colour – this is because I used rich yolky eggs. If you’re in the UK, I recommend St Ewe’s Rich Yolk Eggs. Not sponsored, but I really like this brand.

The beauty of this recipe is that it’s not just exclusive to spring/summer, it’s a recipe you can make all year round.

Enjoy!

Lemon Bars

Luscious lemon bars. Buttery shortbread topped with a divine zesty lemon layer. The bars are baked and chilled, then dusted with icing sugar before serving. A classic recipe sure to wow.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Chilling Time 3

Total Time 3 55

Servings 16

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Shortbread Layer

110 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
60 g icing sugar sifted
115 g plain flour
30 g cornflour

Lemon Curd Layer

3 eggs at room temperature
200 g caster or granulated sugar
20 g plain flour
1 tablespoon lemon zest remember to do this before juicing the lemons
125 ml lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line a 20cm / 8-inch square cake tin with oil and line with parchment paper with overhang (so it can be lifted out once cooked).
Make the shortbread base by combining the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Now add the flour and cornflour, just mix until a crumbly dough forms. Tip the shortbread dough in the tin and evenly press out until lightly compact.
Bake the base for 20 minutes or until lightly golden. While the shortbread is baking, prepare the lemon curd topping.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients listed for the lemon curd filling. Whisk together until fully incorporated.
Once the shortbread layer is baked, pour the lemon curd filling directly on top and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the lemon bars from the oven, allow to cool at room temperature for around a hour. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours or up to overnight until set.
When ready to serve, slice up into 16 equally sized bars, dust lightly with icing sugar right before serving - this will sweat and melt away so dust right before eating.
The lemon bars will keep for up to a week stored in the fridge.

More lemon-inspired recipes to try next!

Passionfruit Lemon Tart

Lemon Posset

Lemon Sweet Rolls

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Baking · Buttercream and Frosting · Cupcakes

99 Flake Cupcakes

May 18, 2025May 18, 2025 What Jessica Baked Next2 Comments

Retro 99 Flake Cupcakes! Everyone’s favourite ice cream styled in cupcake form.

If there’s one particular food that reminds me of the British summer, then that’s a 99 Flake ice cream. If you’re a Brit, then you probably get excited during the spring/summer hearing the sound of an ice cream van arriving down your road.

My order from an ice cream van is always a whippy/soft serve ice cream with a Cadbury Flake and sprinkles. So I’ve created a new cupcake recipe based on my go-to ice cream van order!

The cupcakes consist of a vanilla cake batter. Once baked until golden, they’re topped with a homemade vanilla buttercream – the buttercream itself tastes like whippy ice cream, whilst looking like it too.

I then decorated with a drizzle of strawberry sauce and added some colourful sprinkles. The best part comes last, topping each cupcake with a Cadbury Flake.

You can take out the centre of each cupcake and fill it with jam or even Nutella for a little twist on the standard recipe.

The perfect bake for taking a trip down memory lane. Delicious and they look exactly like they’ve come from an ice cream van! Your family and friends will love these.

99 Flake Cupcakes

Retro 99 Flake Cupcakes! Everyone's favourite ice cream styled in cupcake form.

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 25

Total Time 50

Servings 12

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Vanilla Cupcake Batter

175 g butter or margarine softened - use the margarine straight from the fridge
175 g caster or granulated sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
175 g self-raising flour
2-3 tablespoons milk enough to loosen the batter slightly

Vanilla Buttercream

200 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
350-400 g icing sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons double cream optional - this lightens the buttercream

Decoration

Caramel/chocolate/raspberry/strawberry sauce
Sprinkles
Cadbury Chocolate Flake bars

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases and set aside.
To make the cupcakes, beat the softened butter with the sugar until fluffy and smooth. Add the eggs one by one along with the vanilla and mix until incorporated.
Now fold through the flour and mix until no lumps of flour remain. Add enough milk to loosen the mixture slightly - approx. 2-3 tablespoons of milk will do.
Evenly divide the cupcake batter between the cupcake cases. Bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean without any uncooked batter remaining. Leave the baked cupcakes to cool in the tin for a 5-10 minutes, then carefully remove the cupcakes from the tin and transport to a wire rack and allow the cupcakes to cool completely to room temperature.
Once the cupcakes are fully cooled make the buttercream. Cream the softened butter for a minute or two to soften. Add the icing sugar and the vanilla extract and beat gently together until the butter and sugar has combined. Now continuing creaming for another 2-3 minutes until the buttercream is a light pale colour. Now add the double cream or milk and beat until combined fully.
Fit a large disposable piping bag with an open star tip nozzle. Fill the piping bag with the buttercream, pipe even swirls on the top of each cupcake, decorate with a drizzle of strawberry sauce and finish with some sprinkles. Finally, place a flake on top of each cupcake.
The cupcakes will keep stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Chocolate

Chocolate Chunk Shortbread (Marks & Spencer Copycat Recipe)

April 6, 2025June 19, 2026 What Jessica Baked Next24 Comments

The popular Marks & Spencers inspired shortbread filled with chocolate chunks and M&S Gigantic Milk Chocolate Buttons.

Marks & Spencer have the most delicious shortbread squares filled with chocolate chunks. When I’m out and about, but haven’t had time to bake my own shortbread, then M&S’s will be the only place I buy shortbread from!

I tried to make my shortbread recipe today as similar to the Chocolate Buttons Shortbread available to buy in the Marks & Spencer food hall.

But of course, this homemade version is far superior!

I’ve made this recipe as easy as possible. Blog readers LOVE an easy bake, so we’re baking the shortbread straight in a square cake tin and not worrying about rolling it out and cutting into different shapes.

Easy, no-fuss recipes are something I enjoy sharing on the WJBN blog.

My taste tasters all think this shortbread is better than the original. It’s freshly baked, a little thicker in texture, but shares all the same qualities in taste and crumbly texture as the M&S shortbread.

These delicious shortbread squares contain just five ingredients: butter, sugar, flour, semolina and chocolate. Semolina is an optional ingredient. If you don’t have it to hand, then don’t worry as the shortbread will be fantastic even without the semolina.

Lush, buttery and crumbly shortbread squares. This recipe makes 12 very large squares, but I would definitely recommend slicing into 16 smaller squares as it’s extremely rich, but nonetheless very, very tasty!

Chocolate Chunk Shortbread (Marks & Spencer Copycat Recipe)

The popular Marks & Spencers inspired shortbread filled with chocolate chunks and M&S Gigantic Milk Chocolate Buttons.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings 12

Ingredients

200 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
100 g caster or granulated sugar
300 g plain flour
50 g semolina optional
150 g Marks & Spencer Gigantic Milk Chocolate Buttons roughly chopped
50 g dark or milk chocolate roughly chopped

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.
Transfer shortbread dough to a 20cm / 8-inch square cake tin and press down firmly until compact. 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.

Just look at ALL those amazing chocolate chunks in this shortbread. I just can’t get enough of this recipe. Make sure you try a piece while it’s still slightly warm, fresh from the oven…

Try my Chocolate Shortbread next!

Show some love to someone special with these adorable Valentine’s Shortbread Hearts

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Baking · Brownies · Chocolate

Mini Egg Brownies

March 12, 2025March 11, 2025 What Jessica Baked Next3 Comments

Chocolate fudge brownies filled with white chocolate chunks and chopped Cadbury Mini Eggs.

Easter is getting closer, and we’re continuing with more Easter baking delights on the blog.

Mini Eggs are a firm favourite Easter chocolate in my household. I mentioned in the Mini Egg NYC Cookies blog post. I purchased a 1kg pack of Cadbury Mini Eggs, and only a week later, we went food shopping and another 1kg pack mysteriously ended up landing in our trolley…

I baked Terry’s Chocolate Orange Brownies over Christmastime, and as soon as we could, we were excited to put an Easter twist on the recipe.

Mini Egg Brownies are rich, fudgy and indulgent. They’re the perfect bake to enjoy during Easter and the spring.

I’m the biggest fan of fudgy brownies. In my opinion, this is the ONLY way a brownie should be. I’m not a fan of cakey brownies – if I wanted a chocolate cake then I would bake one! Fudgy brownies are the best brownies without a doubt.

If you want, you can add any Easter chocolate to the brownie batter. Add some broken-up pieces of Easter egg, go for chopped Malteser Bunnies. The choices of add-ins are endless.

Get as creative as you like!

The brownies are totally delicious and perfect for all occasions. Eat alongside a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Make yourself an amazing dessert with some ice cream or warm custard poured over.

These brownies are sure to be a hit this Easter!

Mini Egg Brownies

Chocolate fudge brownies filled with white chocolate chunks and chopped Cadbury Mini Eggs.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings 16

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

200 g butter (salted or unsalted)
200 g dark chocolate
270 g caster or granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
115 g plain flour
35 g cocoa powder
100 g white chocolate chopped in medium sized pieces
300 g Cadbury Mini Eggs add 200g to the brownie batter and leave 100g for the topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 160°C / 140°C Fan / 325°F / Gas Mark 4. Line a 20cm square tin with parchment paper and set aside.
Melt the butter and chocolate over a bain-marie or in the microwave in 20-second intervals until completely melted and smooth. Set this mixture aside and leave it to cool for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile beat the eggs and egg yolks together until combined. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled slightly, add the egg mixture and stir to combine.
Sift flour and the cocoa powder over the top and mix until thoroughly combined and no lumps of flour remain. Now add the chocolate mixture and stir until combined. Finally, fold through the chopped white chocolate and 200g of the Mini Eggs. Try not to over mix otherwise this may result in your baked brownies being tough.
Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Scatter the remaining 100g of chopped Mini Eggs on top of the brownie. Bake the brownies for 40-45 minutes, they’ll be ready when they’re risen, the top has started to slightly crack and a cake tester when inserted into the centre comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.
Leave the brownies to cool completely in the tin, then once cooled leave them to set for at least 6 hours or overnight for best results. When ready to serve, slice the brownies into 16 squares. Brownies will store in an airtight container for up to a fortnight.

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