Category: Baking

Baking recipes including all sorts of treats such as cakes, cupcakes and cheesecake.

Baking · Buttercream and Frosting · Cakes · Chocolate

Best Chocolate Cake

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!

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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 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
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

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!

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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 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Chilling Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 55 minutes
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

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.

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99 Flake Cupcakes

Retro 99 Flake Cupcakes! Everyone's favourite ice cream styled in cupcake form. 
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
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)

What Jessica Baked Next14 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!

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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 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
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 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.

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

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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!

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Mini Egg Brownies

Chocolate fudge brownies filled with white chocolate chunks and chopped Cadbury Mini Eggs.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
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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Mini Egg NYC Cookies
Baking · Chocolate · Cookies

Mini Egg NYC Cookies

What Jessica Baked Next7 Comments

Giant Mini Egg NYC Cookies! Thick and soft-textured cookies filled with Cadbury Mini Eggs and even more gooey chocolate. Bake the cookies straight away, no chilling involved! 

There are Easter eggs and Easter-inspired chocolate everywhere at the moment. Each time I go food shopping, I’m drawn to the Easter chocolate aisle and can’t help but find myself wandering down and picking up chocolate!

I did end up purchasing myself a 1kg bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs only the other day. I could easily eat my way through the entire bag watching TV, but of course, I wanted to combine them in a bake for the blog!

So I’m kickstarting the Easter bakes earlier this year, to ensure you have plenty of time to bake up some tasty treats in the lead up to Easter.

As I mentioned in my last blog post/recipe for these delish Chocolate Chip Muffins, I’m baking recipes inspired by food I ate on my recent trip to the US.

In Florida, at Disney Springs (favourite place ever!), I was lucky to try out Gideon’s Bakehouse. The cookies at Gideon’s are absolutely incredible and very similar to New York-style cookies, famously from Levain Bakery.

I visited NYC a decade ago and didn’t try Levain cookies, but I heard so many amazing compliments about Gideon’s in Florida, so I’m glad I got the experience of trying those. The Pistachio Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookie is absolutely dreamy!

So we’ve recreated the Levain Bakery/Gideon’s Bakehouse cookies at home.

Mini Egg NYC Cookies are BIG, thick cookies, filled with chocolate chips, chopped AND whole Cadbury Mini Eggs.

These cookies are divine and simply perfect for celebrating Easter. They’re fun, moreish and delightful enjoyed warm from the oven!

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Mini Egg NYC Cookies

Giant Mini Egg NYC Cookies! Thick and soft-textured cookies filled with Cadbury Mini Eggs and even more gooey chocolate.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 34 minutes
Servings 10
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 115 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
  • 160 g dark or light brown sugar
  • 40 g caster or granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 315 g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt only add a pinch if using salted butter
  • 100 g dark, milk or white chocolate chips
  • 200 g Cadbury Mini Eggs chopped
  • 75 g Cadbury Mini Eggs left whole

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 190°C / 170°C Fan / 375°F / Gas Mark 5. Line 2-3 large baking trays with parchment paper and set aside for later.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated/caster sugar until light and fluffy. Now add the egg and the vanilla. Mix again until incorporated.
  • Now fold through the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and the salt until combined. Fold through the chocolate chips, the chopped and whole Mini Eggs. Mix until a crumbly cookie dough forms.
  • Take 110g portions of the cookie dough - it will be quite crumbly so just press together firmly to form a ball. Continue until all the cookie dough is used - the recipe should make around 9-10 cookies.
  • Space the balls of cookie dough out on the baking trays and bake for 12-14 minutes. The cookies will appear soft/slightly underbaked but this is how the cookies should be. Don't over bake otherwise the cookies will be too hard in texture.
  • Leave the cookies to cool on the baking trays for 15 minutes. Cookies are best eaten on the day of baking. They will keep stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months, and cookie dough will also keep in the fridge for up to 3 days if you don't want to bake it straight away.

That soft, gooey and slightly underbaked centre is what makes these cookies so special!

Easter Baking Inspiration!

Mini Egg Cookies

Mini Egg Cheesecake

Easter Bunny Shortbreads

If you’re in the mood for something savoury, try my Double Cheese Hot Cross Buns

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Baking · Chocolate · Muffins

Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Classic Chocolate Chip Muffins are pretty hard to beat. These muffins are beautifully fluffy, with a delicious buttery flavour, and packed full of chocolate chips. 

It’s always great to focus on the classics. Bakes that are simple, but once mastered, recipes you’ll go back to frequently, and also recommend to your friends and family.

My first new recipe of 2025 is Chocolate Chip Muffins. These muffins are inspired by muffins I recently ate while on holiday in World Disney World Resort in Florida. Breakfast choices on my trip were nothing short of amazing. I ate platefuls of Mickey-Shaped Waffles, pancakes, savoury avocado breakfast bowls, and delicious pastries like cinnamon rolls, Danishes, and muffins.

It’s been a couple of weeks since I got back from Florida. To help with my Disney holiday blues, I’m baking lots of treats inspired by the food I ate in WDW.

First, these fantastic Chocolate Chip Muffins!

These muffins make a fabulous breakfast, brunch with some yoghurt and fresh berries, or for an afternoon pick me up when you’re in need of a little sweet treat.

Try heating one up in the microwave for about 30 seconds, then the muffins go back to the freshly baked texture. The chocolate is gorgeously gooey and totally delightful.

Simple, but absolutely perfect.

I use a combination of dark and milk chocolate chips, adapt the recipe by swapping around the dark/milk chocolate chips for some white chocolate, or adding in a touch of ground cinnamon/nutmeg to the muffin batter.

When you next feel like baking some chocolate chip muffins, try these with their bakery-style quality, you will not be disappointed.

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Chocolate Chip Muffins

Classic Chocolate Chip Muffins are pretty hard to beat. These muffins are beautifully fluffy, with a delicious buttery flavour, and packed full of chocolate chips.
Prep Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 12
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 320 g plain flour
  • 200 g caster or granulated
  • 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt add just a pinch if using salted butter
  • 200 g chocolate chips I use 1 x 100g dark chocolate chips and 1 x 100g milk chocolate chips
  • 2 large eggs
  • 65 g natural yoghurt or sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 110 g butter (salted or unsalted) melted
  • 255 ml buttermilk

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and the chocolate chips.
  • In a separate bowl or large jug, whisk together the eggs, yoghurt/sour cream until completely smooth. Now mix in the vanilla, maple syrup, and oil, followed by the melted butter and then the buttermilk.
  • Transfer the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until just combined - try not to over mix the batter at this point.
  • Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave at room temperature for one hour. If you don't have time, you can bake the muffins straight away.
  • After the one hour resting time, now preheat the oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners - I like using tulip muffin cases.
  • Gently run a spoon through the bowl of batter. You’ll notice the batter is very fluffy, so be careful not to disrupt this as you spoon out the batter. Just run the spoon through the bowl and pull out the batter. Don’t mix it around or bother it too much. Distribute the muffin batter between the muffin cases.  
  • Top each muffin with extra chocolate chips, if you desire. I will never say no to more chocolate! Bake the muffins for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes baking, now turn the oven temperature down to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Continue baking the muffins for a further 10-15 minutes or until a cake tester when inserted in the centre a muffin comes out clean, without any uncooked batter attached.
  • Once baked, leave the muffins to cool for 10 minutes. The muffins are now ready to serve and enjoy!

A fabulous recipe from Butternut Bakery

On the look out for more muffin recipes? Try these great muffin recipes next!

Blueberry White Chocolate Muffins

Magdalenas (Spanish Lemon Muffins)

Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins

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Baking · Christmas · Gluten-Free · Vegan

British Roast Potatoes

What Jessica Baked Next1 Comment

Perfectly crisp and fluffy roast potatoes. Our classic British Roast Potatoes are a family favourite side dish.

Roast potatoes are a tasty side dish us Brits serve with our roast dinner on a Sunday. They’re my favourite part of a roast dinner, along with Yorkshire Puddings, some sage and onion stuffing, and not to forget, lashings of warm gravy.

Just now, thinking of a bowl of warm roast potatoes and gravy is making me hungry!

If you’re a Brit like myself, then you have most likely eaten roast potatoes since a very young age, almost every Sunday or for a mid-week roast. With Christmas less than a month away, I figured an easy roast potato recipe would be helpful to share!

Our family loves these. The recipe is my Mum’s. Every time we have one of Mum’s roasts, everyone is drooling as soon as the roasties make their way to the table!

Homemade roast potatoes are easy to make. You want to start by selecting a good roasting potato. As this is my Mum’s recipe, I’ve used her expertise to help share all the best tips. Maris Piper, King Edward or any floury potato is best of all to use.

To start, we need to peel and cut the potatoes. You want big roast potatoes here, so we’re halving each potato and then cutting each half in half once again. About 6cm in diameter. To parboil, fill a large saucepan/pot with the potatoes, then cover the potatoes in cold water – taking the water about an inch above the potatoes. Generously salt the water and bring the potatoes up to the boil.

Once boiling, turn the heat down and continue to gently boil for around 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes for a few minutes, then return them to the saucepan. Cover with a couple of pieces of kitchen paper and leave to stand for 5 minutes – this helps dry the potato out further, increasing the crispiness later on!

Now, add the seasoning along with the oil. Put the lid back on the saucepan and give the pan a good shake and toss the potatoes around. This creates rough edges, which again will make your roasties super crispy – just how we want them!

Transfer your potatoes to a large baking tray, pop a few cloves of garlic and some rosemary in the pan if you desire, then roast for about 30 minutes.

If you like your roast potatoes really crispy, cook longer until they are your desired texture.

These golden and fluffy potatoes are naturally gluten-free and completely vegan too.

Now you have a fantastic potato recipe to make for Christmas Day!

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British Roast Potatoes

Our family favourite British Roast Potatoes. Classic roasties are ultra crisp on the outside, with a deliciously fluffy inside. A roast dinner must!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 10
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 2 kg roasting potatoes
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 4 tablespoons oil I used olive oil, but sunflower/vegetable oil works too

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7.
  • Take your potatoes, peel them and then half each potato, half again. Transfer the chopped potatoes to a large saucepan and cover the potatoes with the water - fill to about a couple of inches above the potatoes. Generously salt the water.
  • Bring the pan up to the boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down and leave the potatoes to gently boil for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
  • Drain the potatoes, then once drained, place a couple of pieces of kitchen paper on top of the potatoes and leave for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the kitchen paper and add in the seasoning and the oil. Place the lid back on the saucepan and give the potatoes a good shake and toss around - this makes them really fluffy!
  • Transfer the potatoes to a large baking tray, bake in the preheated oven for around 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden and crispy on the outside.
  • Serve the roast potatoes straight away with an additional sprinkle of salt.

Best Yorkshire Puddings

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Baking · Brownies · Chocolate

Terry’s Chocolate Orange Brownies

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Rich, decadent and oh-so chocolatey brownies filled with orange zest and chunks of Terry’s Chocolate Orange.

We’re kicking off the festive season with a delicious new brownie recipe. This brownie is filled with one of the best chocolates around: Terry’s Chocolate Orange.

It’s not Christmas in our household without at least one Terry’s Chocolate Orange opened and very quickly consumed over the festive period! This is the one chocolate I associate with Christmastime, even though it’s available year round. I’m lucky to have worked with Terry’s Chocolate Orange on my Instagram page. I’m definitely one of their biggest fans!

It wouldn’t be Christmas on the blog without incorporating Terry’s Chocolate Orange in a bake! My viral Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cheesecake still remains one of my most viewed/popular recipes.

I made these brownies to kick off the Christmas 2024 recipes on WJBN. I had friends coming over, so I baked these and sent my friends and a few family members home with a container of the brownies. Which definitely helped out, because I wouldn’t have resisted eating several of these brownies while they sat on the kitchen countertop!

Also, an amazing idea you can do is heat the brownies up in the microwave – it produces a gooey chocolate fondant-style pudding.

Warm chocolate orange brownie + ice cream = chef’s kiss!

I baked a vegan version of this brownie recipe I’m sharing today, a few years ago when I was vegan. So, if you’re vegan, you won’t miss out with these Vegan Chocolate Orange Brownies.

We’re packing SO much orange flavour into these brownies with the addition of orange zest in the brownie batter, along with a whole TCO chopped up and folded through.

Adding orange to brownies just makes brownies 100x better in my opinion. Feel free to add more chopped Terry’s Chocolate Orange to your brownie batter if you like even more chocolate chunks in your brownie.

Enjoy and happy baking!

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Terry's Chocolate Orange Brownies

Rich, decadent and oh-so chocolatey brownies filled with orange zest and chunks of Terry's Chocolate Orange.
 
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 16
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 200 g butter (salted or unsalted)
  • 200 g dark chocolate
  • Zest from one large orange
  • 270 g caster or granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 115 g plain flour
  • 35 g cocoa powder
  • 154g Terry's Chocolate Orange roughly chopped

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.
  • In large mixing bowl, using your fingertips rub, the sugar and orange zest together until fragrant. 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 Terry's Chocolate Orange. 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. 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.

Get ready for Christmas with these delicious recipes! 

No-Bake Ferrero Rocher Cheesecake

Christmas Crunch Snack Mix

Gingerbread Men

Snowball Cookies

Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

Snowball Cookies

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Baking · Chocolate · Cookies

Kinder Cookies

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Kinder Cookies! Vanilla cookie dough filled with chunks of milk chocolate, Kinder bars, and topped after baking with Kinder Bueno. This is a Kinder-lovers go-to cookie! 

Soft and chewy vanilla flavoured cookie dough, filled with molten chunks of Kinder chocolate bars. Once baked and beautifully golden, these delectable cookies are topped with even more Kinder chocolate bars, and half a Kinder Bueno bar.

Say a big hello to my amazing Kinder Cookies.

I used the same base recipe as these Smarties Cookies (Easy, No-Chill Dough), a recipe I shared back during the summer. I’ve always loved Kinder chocolate and all things chocolate-hazelnut!

So this cookie creation was bound to happen, and have a place on my blog sometime!

The cookie dough is pretty straight forward and easy to prepare. You don’t even need to chill it, you can make the dough and bake it straight away. I do sometimes chill my cookie dough, so if you want to make this recipe in advance, you can leave it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Each cookie is filled with chunks of gooey Kinder chocolate bars. I believe these cookies are best eaten fresh from the oven, the cookie dough itself is still a little soft, and the chocolate is extra gooey and melted while warm.

If you’re a Kinder chocolate fan like me, I really hope you give this recipe a try! This might just be my new favourite cookie recipe!

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Kinder Cookies

Kinder Cookies! Vanilla cookie dough filled with chunks of milk chocolate, Kinder bars, and topped after baking with Kinder Bueno. This is a Kinder-lovers go-to cookie! 
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings 15
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 115 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
  • 90 g dark or light brown sugar
  • 50 g caster or granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 210 g plain flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 100 g bar dark or milk chocolate roughly chopped - you can substitute with chocolate chips
  • 200 g Kinder chocolate bars broken into chunks, plus extra for decoration
  • Kinder Bueno bars for decoration (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 325°F / Gas Mark 4. Line two large baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
  • To make the cookie dough, cream the softened butter with both types of sugar until creamy. Now add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix to combine.
  • Now add the flour, the bicarbonate of soda and a generous pinch of salt (only add salt if using unsalted butter). Mix to combine. Finally, fold through the chocolate chunks and Kinder bars until fully mixed.
  • Take 1 and 1/2 tablespoon measures of the cookie dough, and roll into balls. Place the cookie dough balls on the baking trays, spacing them apart to allow for spreading.
  • Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes, or until just lightly golden around the edges. Press a few extra pieces of Kinder chocolate bar and some Kinder Bueno bars on top of the cookies while they're still warm. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
    The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They're best enjoyed fresh from the oven.

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