Apple Cinnamon Cake

November 1, 2024November 3, 2024 What Jessica Baked Next5 Comments

Moist and light apple cake. Topped before baking with a cinnamon sugar mix. Delicious served with a scoop of ice cream and salted caramel sauce!

Autumn is definitely in full swing here in the UK. This past weekend, the clocks went back, and the darker evenings are here to stay for the next few months. So it’s time to cosy in, and make and devour some comforting food!

I’ve had a few months off recipe creating/writing. Since sharing my Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins, I’ve been enjoying some travel – visiting Spain in September and Paris a couple of weeks ago. As well as working full-time, that hasn’t left me much time to blog. I also recently re-photographed this amazing Sticky Toffee Pudding, but last week I did also manage to bake a new autumn-inspired recipe.

I found this Apple Cinnamon Cake recipe on Sweetest Menu. It’s possibly one of the lightest cakes I’ve ever made, with a gorgeously airy texture.

Apple and cinnamon are match made in flavour heaven. Nothing says autumn more than this wonderful flavour combo.

The cake itself is a plain yogurt cake – it did have a teaspoon of vanilla added, but I didn’t have any in (oops!), but it was still excellent without it. Once prepared and spread out in the cake tin, it’s sprinkled with a cinnamon sugar mixture and baked until golden perfection. In the original recipe, a milk glaze/icing is drizzled over the cake, but I left mine without it because I planned to serve ours with ice cream and salted caramel sauce.

Apple Cinnamon Cake

Moist and light apple cake. Topped before baking with a cinnamon sugar mix. Delicious served with a scoop of ice cream and salted caramel sauce!

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 10

Servings 12

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Cake Mixture

210 g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
150 g caster or granulated sugar
1 large or 2 medium apples peeled and roughly chopped
2 eggs
120 ml vegetable oil
120 ml Greek yoghurt

Cinnamon Topping

50 g caster or granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line an 20cm/8-inch square cake tin with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar. Add chopped apple and stir together to combine.
In a jug, add the eggs, oil and the yoghurt. Whisk to combine. Now add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold gently until completely mixed. Be careful not to over mix the cake mixture.
Transfer the cake mixture to the lined cake tin. Now make the cinnamon topping. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon and melted butter until a lumpy mix comes together. Take small handfuls of the cinnamon topping and sprinkle over the top of the cake.
Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester when inserted in the centre of the cakes comes out clean, without any uncooked batter attached. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
When ready to serve, slice the cake in to 12 pieces, dust with icing sugar if desired. We served ours with a scoop of ice cream and salted caramel sauce - the cake tastes beautiful on its own.
The cake will store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.

We all really enjoyed this cake, it was devoured in just a day. I only managed to get one single piece! The only change myself and my taste tasters agreed is we would love more apples in the next cake we make – so I would recommend adding 2 large chopped apples, or 3 smaller apples.

This cake will definitely make an appearance each year in my autumn baking! It’s without a doubt one of the BEST apple cakes you’ll make!

Try another couple of my favourite autumn cakes with this fantastic Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins

August 28, 2024 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

Fluffy and moist muffins filled with tangy raspberry and creamy white chocolate. The perfect, easy recipe for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon sweet treat.

A sister recipe to my Blueberry White Chocolate Muffins, these Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins are effortlessly easy to prepare, take very little time to mix up, and have that unbeatable bakery-style taste!

Making use of the beautiful raspberries that are still in season for the remaining weeks of summer – I’m still lucky to be picking my own homegrown raspberries! Like my Raspberry Swirl Lemon Cheesecake Bars, you can still bake these muffins throughout the year. They’re not exclusive to just the summer, as frozen raspberries can also be used instead of fresh – but bear in mind that they might take longer to bake fully because the frozen fruit is wetter.

Just like the blueberry version, the raspberry version was well received by my taste testers too. They thoroughly enjoyed them (myself included), we managed to devour an entire batch in just about two days!

The creamy white chocolate and tangy bursts of fresh raspberry make for a sensational taste. This is a popular muffin flavour combination for a very good reason. You can add a touch of lemon zest to your batter for something different, or switch the white chocolate for dark/milk chocolate if you prefer to do that.

The muffins fill your kitchen with a delicious and enticing aroma.

Once baked, any further decoration is optional. I like to drizzle with some melted white chocolate, and top with a sprinkle of freeze-dried raspberries. That, for me, makes these muffins picture perfect, and adds even more flavour to the muffins!

These muffins have a lovely crisp, golden outside, but once you cut through and see the centre, the inside is incredibly moist and ultra soft. My not-so secret ingredient I always use in my muffin batter is yogurt. Plain, full-fat natural yogurt is the way to go! It really makes a difference.

Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins

Fluffy and moist muffins filled with tangy raspberry and creamy white chocolate. The perfect, easy recipe for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon sweet treat.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings 12

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

100 g butter (salted or unsalted) or baking spread (I use Stork) at room temperature
140 g caster or granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
140 g natural yoghurt substitute with buttermilk or sour cream
2 tablespoons milk
250 g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
150 g raspberries (fresh or frozen) if using frozen, don't thaw
100 g white chocolate chips

Decoration:

50 g white chocolate melted
freeze-dried raspberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter/baking spread with the sugar for 2 minutes until fluffy and lighter in colour.
Now add the eggs and beat to combine - don't worry if it looks curdled at this point, as once you add the dry ingredients, they will come together. Mix in the vanilla extract along with the yoghurt and milk.
Now take one tablespoon of the weighed out flour and stir that through your chocolate chips (this stops the chocolate sinking to the bottom of the muffins. You don't need to do this with the raspberries though). In a medium sized bowl, stir together the remaining flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt (omit this if you're using salted butter).
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Now add the raspberries and white chocolate chips and gently fold to combine - be careful not to over mix at this point.
Divide the muffin batter between the paper liners. Bake for 5 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 180°C / 160°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4 and continue baking the muffins for 15-18 more minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre.
Once the muffins are baked, allow them to cool for a few minutes and then transport them to a wire rack. Decorate further with a drizzle of melted white chocolate, and a sprinkle of freeze-dried raspberries.
Serve warm or at room temperature. The muffins will keep for up to 3 days.

Many more tasty muffin recipes below!

Blueberry White Chocolate Muffins

Magdalenas (Spanish Lemon Muffins)

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Baking · Cheesecake

Raspberry Swirl Lemon Cheesecake Bars

August 12, 2024August 13, 2024 What Jessica Baked Next5 Comments

Zesty lemon cheesecake bars with a buttery digestive biscuit layer, and swirled with a tangy raspberry sauce. The taste of pure sunshine!

Another delicious summer recipe is headed your way today.

Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars are a divine cheesecake dessert. A recipe that tastes fabulous served on a summer evening for dessert, but one that can also be made in the cooler months to remind you of long summer days.

If you regularly visit my blog, then you’ll be well aware that cheesecake is one of my favourite desserts. I often celebrate summer berries, mainly with my strawberries ‘n’ cream recipes. But today, I wanted to allow raspberries to be the star of the show.

With summer in full swing, we’re nearly halfway through August, and I’m embracing all the tasty summer fruits while they’re still in season. These cheesecake bars combine tangy raspberry with zingy lemon; they taste like biting into sunshine!

These bars have a buttery digestive biscuit base. That’s topped with a creamy lemon cheesecake filling, then homemade raspberry puree is swirled through the top of the cheesecake batter.

These bars ended up being one of the quickest desserts to be eaten by my taste testers!

They’re perfect for all kinds of summer gatherings like BBQ’s and other outdoor get-togethers.

There’s yet another summertime recipe coming your way next week, so stay tuned for that!

Raspberry Swirl Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Zesty lemon cheesecake bars with a buttery digestive biscuit layer, and swirled with a tangy raspberry sauce. The taste of pure sunshine!

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 55

Servings 16

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Biscuit Base

140 g digestive biscuits
85 g butter (salted or unsalted)

Raspberry Swirl

170 g fresh or frozen raspberries if using frozen, thaw before using
2 tablespoons caster or granulated sugar

Lemon Cheesecake

450 g full-fat cream cheese softened - I leave mine out at room temperature for half an hour
150 g caster or granulated sugar
zest from 2 lemons
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 eggs at room temperature
small pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line a 8-inch / 20cm square cake tin with parchment paper and set aside.
To make the biscuit base, crush the digestive biscuits until they're a fine crumb. Melt the butter and mix the butter and biscuit crumbs together until moistened.
Tip the biscuit crumbs into the lined tin, and press in an even layer across the base of the tin. Bake for 10 minutes until slightly golden and toasted. Set aside to cool.
Now reduce the oven temperature to 170°C / 150°C Fan / 325°F / Gas Mark 3. To make the raspberry swirl, combine the raspberries in a food processor and blitz until pureed. Pass the raspberry puree through a fine mesh sieve that's sat above a bowl/jug. Scrape the underneath of the sieve to get all the maximum amount of puree. Cover this bowl and set aside for later.
To make the cheesecake filling, in a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese for a minute to soften slightly. Mix the sugar and lemon zest together until fragrant, then add this to the bowl of cream cheese. Beat until combined. Now add the lemon juice, eggs, and salt and mix until combined.
Pour the cheesecake filling over the base, tap the baking tin on the countertop to release any air bubbles. Take spoonfuls of the raspberry puree, and dollop on top of the cheesecake filling. Taking a knife, cocktail stick, or a chopstick (like I do), create swirls.
Bake the cheesecake for 40-50 minutes, until the cheesecake is just set with a slight wobble in the centre. Now turn off the oven, leave the door open and allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and leave to cool completely.
Once cool, cover the cheesecake and place in the fridge to set for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Slice up into 16 squares, or bigger/smaller pieces if you desire.
The cheesecake bars will keep stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Recipe from Handle The Heat

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Baking · Candy and Sweets · Chocolate · Cookies

Smarties Cookies (Easy, No-Chill Dough)

July 17, 2024August 4, 2024 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

Fun Smarties Cookies recipe. Soft and chewy cookies filled with double chocolate chips and lots of colourful Smarties!

These fun Smarties Cookies are both easy and quick to make. With the school summer holidays approaching, this is a great bake to do with kids to take out on a picnic, or for an activity to keep the kids occupied.

I made these cookies as a celebration bake for my upcoming birthday later in the month. A plate of homemade cookies is my idea of the perfect birthday gift. I’ll take cookies in any shape or form.

The cookie dough doesn’t require any chilling time in the fridge, something a lot of my previous cookie recipes do require. I love that you can have cookies on your table ready to devour in under one hour!

If you don’t want to bake all the cookies straight away, then there is an option to freeze the rolled cookie dough. The cookie dough can be kept in the freezer for a few months, when ready to bake, just bake for a couple more minutes than the recipe states (if baked from frozen).

Once you’ve prepared the cookie dough, roll it into balls – these cookies are midi-sized, so if your appetite is larger, then help yourself to two!

After baking the cookies, we added a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream, and sandwiched that between another cookie. Top tip: when sandwiching the cookies together with ice cream, be really gentle, otherwise the cookie will break apart.

The cookie ice cream sandwich makes the ultimate summer dessert!

We recommend eating the baked cookies within 2–3 days, but they’re irresistibly good when eaten fresh from the oven with a little sprinkle of sea salt.

The Smarties can be switched for chocolate M&M’s, which will work equally well.

All that’s left to say, is enjoy!

Smarties Cookies

No-chill cookie dough filled with double chocolate chips and lots of colourful Smarties!

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 12

Total Time 32

Servings 15

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

115 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
90 g dark or light brown sugar
50 g granulated or caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg
210 g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
75 g dark or milk chocolate chips
75 g white chocolate chips
200 g Smarties plus extra for decoration

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 chips and Smarties 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 chocolate chips and Smarties 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.

Recipe from Sweetest Menu

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Baking · Chocolate · Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

May 10, 2024 What Jessica Baked Next2 Comments

Homemade chocolate chip cookie bars are quick and easy to make. They’re thick, with a gooey centre and crisp outside. So good served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce! If you love cookies, you have to try these cookie bars made without a mixer.

It’s already pretty noticeable that I love cookies. Love is probably an understatement. Cookies are most certainly the way to my heart!

As much as I love devouring cookies, and enjoy making cookie dough, sometimes baking cookies can be time consuming. For one, with quite a few recipes, the cookie dough requires chilling, and secondly, it takes time rolling the cookie dough into portions.

So to speed up the process, I decided on baking cookie bars.

Cookie bars might just be my new favourite way to serve cookies, and soon yours!

Cookie dough is prepared, then pressed into a square cake tin, baked and then sliced into bars. Ready to dip in anything from Nutella, to pistachio cream, or even dunked into a glass of milk. It’s super fun, and you can customise the recipe however you desire!

All good cookie doughs start with butter, and a combination of caster/granulated sugar and brown sugar, but more of the brown sugar for a softer cookie texture. Then a couple of eggs are added, along with flour, bicarbonate of soda, and then lots of delicious chocolate chips are folded through the cookie dough.

I went for a combination of dark and milk chocolate chips. As with a few of my recipes, you can easily swap these around for a different chocolate – maybe white chocolate chips, or your go-to chocolate bar chopped up.

Once the bars are fully baked, leave them to cool for about half an hour, before serving, or even up to overnight and they still stay super fudgy in the centre. I highly recommend serving these bars with a little sprinkle of sea salt flakes, along with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and some caramel sauce!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings 16

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

225 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
150 g dark or light brown sugar
75 g caster or granulated sugar
2 medium or large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
300 g plain flour
Generous pinch of salt only add if using unsalted butter
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
300 g chocolate chips I went for a mixture of dark and milk chocolate chips - save 50g from this for the topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 6. Line a 20cm square cake tin with parchment paper. Set the tin aside for later.
Cream the softened butter and both sugars until creamy and fluffy. Add the eggs, mixing well to combine. Now add the vanilla.
Fold through the flour, pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter) and the bicarbonate of soda, and mix until just incorporated.
Add 250g of the chocolate chips, reserving 50g for the top. Mix the chocolate chips through the cookie dough until combined. Transfer the cookie dough to the lined tin, smooth over the top with a spatula. Top with the remaining chocolate chips.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden. Allow to cool in the tin completely, before slicing up into 16 pieces. These cookie bars can be enjoyed both warm, and at room temperature. They'll keep in an airtight container for up to one week.

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Baking · Brownies · Candy and Sweets · Chocolate

Chocolate Brownie Heart

April 19, 2024July 25, 2024 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

Heart-shaped dark chocolate brownie. Treat yourself and your loved ones to this decadent and fudgy brownie heart. With chocolate ganache topping and all the sprinkles of your choice!

It’s Friday, that means the weekend is nearly here! Let’s jump straight into the weekend with a scrumptious brownie recipe that will get you drooling!

A little while back my sister came up with the idea for this brownie. She wanted to bake brownies, but suggested we bake the brownie batter in a heart-shaped cake tin we had.

She also had some Valentine’s-themed M&M’s that she’d brought back from a trip to Florida earlier in the year. We wanted to bake with M&M Cupid’s Blend, but we didn’t get round to doing so when it was the lead up to Valentine’s Day.

This recipe is perfect for Galentine’s/Valentine’s Day, an anniversary, or any occasion that’s worth celebrating!

We used our go-to Chocolate Fudge Brownies; this recipe never fails to impress. It’s absolute brownie perfection for those of you who adore extremely fudgy brownies. I’m not a fan of cakey brownies; I want them squidgy and super fudgy. This recipe shares the same texture as a chocolate fondant when warmed up in the microwave, but when served at room temperature it’s also resembles a chocolate torte/fudge bar.

We went for a classic brownie flavour, but this recipe can be adapted in so many ways. Swirl some Biscoff, Nutella, peanut butter, or even pistachio paste through the top of the batter. Add chocolate chips or chunks, or even some nuts, such as walnuts.

Swap the ganache topping for chocolate buttercream. I might try some white chocolate buttercream next time, or you can even simply drizzle over some melted chocolate for an easy and quicker decoration.

Bake this recipe, and you’ll be one bite away from chocolate brownie heaven.

Chocolate Brownie Heart

Heart-shaped dark chocolate brownie. Treat yourself and your loved ones to this decadent and fudgy brownie heart. With chocolate ganache topping and all the sprinkles of your choice! Bake this recipe and you'll be one bite away from chocolate brownie heaven...

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings 12

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Brownie Batter:

200 g butter (salted or unsalted)
200 g dark chocolate
270 g caster or granulated sugar
3 medium or large eggs
2 medium or large egg yolks
115 g plain flour
35 g cocoa powder

Chocolate Ganache:

100 g dark chocolate
100 ml double cream

Decoration:

Chocolate or sprinkles of your choice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 160°C / 140°C Fan / 325°F / Gas Mark 4. Line a 20cm heart-shaped tin with parchment paper on the base, and up the sides. Set the tin aside for later.
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, mix together the flour and sugar, sift 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, try not to over mix otherwise this may result in your baked brownie 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 - the brownie should still have a slight wobble in the centre.
Leave the brownie to cool completely in the tin, then once cooled leave them to set for at least 6 hours or overnight for best results.
Decorate further if desired by making a chocolate ganache topping. Chop the chocolate up into small pieces, and add to a small mixing bowl. Place the cream in a small saucepan on medium heat. Once the cream just starts to bubble, take off the heat and pour over the chocolate. Leave for a minute, then stir until you have a smooth, glossy mixture. Directly cover the top of the ganache with a piece of cling film, leave to set at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
To decorate, I filled a piping bag fitted with a nozzle with the cooled, thickened ganache. Piping around the edge with the ganache. I then decorated further with chocolate/sprinkles. The brownie will keep stored at room temperature for up to one week, if you can resist it!

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Baking · Curd and Jam · Scones

Classic British Scones

April 9, 2024September 29, 2024 What Jessica Baked Next9 Comments

Classic British scone recipe. Buttery in flavour, with a soft and fluffy texture. Top generously with jam of your choice, and clotted cream for the very best scone experience.

This is a recipe update from April 2016. The recipe and photographs updated in April 2024.

I really love eating scones, and lately I’ve been enjoying baking scones too. I love a freshly baked scone, still slightly warm from the oven, spread with butter and jam, or topped with clotted cream and jam.

Scones originate right here in the United Kingdom. We Brits are proud of this bake that’s popular all over the world, with many countries having their own variations.

In the UK, we traditionally make sultana/plain scones and cheese scones.

I’m revisiting an older blog recipe; the original recipe contained vanilla, but with this one we’ve left it out, and actually, it tastes more traditional and even nicer without any vanilla extract. If you love vanilla, then you can always add a teaspoon to this scone mix.

Classic British Scones are left plain or have sultanas added. I enjoy both plain and sultana scones, but as one of the taste testers I’m making these for prefers plain scones, I’m therefore baking mine without sultanas today. If you want to include sultanas, add roughly a couple of small handfuls.

These scones are super simple to mix up; they have just a few more ingredients compared to my Lemonade Scones (3 Ingredient Recipe), but they’re incredibly tasty, with more of a buttery flavour and texture than the 3-Ingredient Recipe.

The mix makes around a dozen scones; how many you manage to make depends on the size of your cutter. I went for a 5cm fluted cutter; this made the perfect-sized scones, leaving us all longing for more.

Once the scones are risen and lightly golden, leave them to cool before serving. Serving is when you really bring your batch of scones to life. I highly recommend some strawberry jam and Cornish clotted cream. There’s no better taste experience than this spread atop a homemade scone!

I’m holidaying in Cornwall this year, so I’m excited for a cream tea or two, clotted cream ice cream, and other delicious Cornish foods. I can’t wait to devour freshly baked scones filled with masses of clotted cream and the sweetest jam! The countdown is on!

But in the meantime, I’ll quite happily take these!

Classic British Scones

Classic British scone recipe. Buttery in flavour, with a soft and fluffy texture. Top generously with jam of your choice, and clotted cream for the very best scone experience.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings 12

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

350 g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
85 g butter (salted or unsalted) cold and cut into cubes
3 tablespoons sugar
Generous pinch of salt
175 ml milk you might need to add more

Instructions

Preheat oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and butter. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a fine breadcrumb consistency.
Now mix through the sugar, along with a generous pinch of salt. Slowly add the milk, continuing to mix until a soft dough (that's holds together well) comes together. You might need to add more milk to bring the scone dough together.
Lightly flour a work surface, press the scone dough out to approx. 4cm in thickness. Using a 5cm cutter (I went for a fluted cutter), gently stamp out 12 pieces from the dough - you will need to reshape and re-roll.
Brush the tops of the scones with a little extra milk, then bake for 12-15 minutes, or until risen, and lightly golden on top. Leave to cool on the baking tray for about 15 minutes, then serve with butter, jam, and cream of your choice.
The scones will keep for up to 2 days, stored in an airtight container/covered plate at room temperature. They're at their best on the day of baking.

More British recipes to bake next!

Coffee and Walnut Cake

Eton Mess Cake

Scottish Shortbread

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Chocolate

Millionaires Shortbread

March 27, 2024March 28, 2024 What Jessica Baked Next5 Comments

Classic Millionaires Shortbread. This favourite sweet treat consists of three decadently delicious layers: buttery shortbread, creamy caramel, and chocolate.

One recipe from over ten years of blogging that I’m yet to share is a recipe for Millionaires Shortbread. This is a classic treat, widely available in most bakeries, coffee shops, and tea rooms.

Millionaires shortbread consists of a layer of buttery shortbread, followed by a caramel layer, and then the caramel layer is topped with melted chocolate. There are so many amazing variations you’ll find all over the internet, but you can’t go wrong with the traditional flavour combination.

This bake will remind you of a Twix bar! So if you’re a fan of this chocolate bar, then you’ll love this homemade version even more!

Recipe Rundown:

Shortbread Layer: This mixture will look very crumbly or short before pressing it into the tin. Don’t worry, as this is how you want it to be. The crumblier your shortbread dough, the better. Also, always be super careful not to overmix shortbread dough; the general rule is to handle as little as possible. Press the mixture into the tin until it’s in an even layer, prick with a fork all over, and bake for 25–30 minutes until pale golden.
Caramel Layer: Making caramel requires patience and gentle heating; be extremely careful as caramel gets very hot and will burn if it touches skin. This caramel takes about 7–10 minutes to make. Start by mixing all the caramel ingredients listed together, gently heating until dissolved, then gradually increasing the heat until the caramel gets hotter and starts bubbling. When the caramel is a light golden colour and has thickened, it’s ready to pour over the cooled shortbread layer. Leave this to set in the fridge for about an hour before resuming.
Chocolate Layer: Your choice of chocolate is up to you. I went for Cadbury Dairy Milk, but equally, a combination of dark and milk chocolate is great—just dark chocolate, white chocolate, or even blonde or caramelised white chocolate.

We love our shortbread recipes on the blog, sharing an array of truly wonderful recipes. Scottish Shortbread, Valentine’s Shortbread Hearts, and even Chocolate Shortbread.

We gave our millionaire’s shortbread an Easter decoration, using a mixture of crushed/whole Cadbury Mini Eggs. Why not top an already decadent recipe with even more decadence? My taste testers (me included) loved the crunchy topping the mini eggs added. With Easter only a few days away, you can make this yummy bake and top with leftover (if any!) Easter chocolate!

Don’t worry at all if your chocolate cracks when you slice it up. In all honesty, my chocolate cracked, but this recipe was too tasty not to share. If you want to ensure the chocolate doesn’t crack, just warm up your knife in some hot water.

However, our bakes don’t need to look perfect; it’s 100% all about the taste here with every single recipe.

Millionaires Shortbread

Classic Millionaires Shortbread. This favourite sweet treat consists of three decadently delicious layers: buttery shortbread, creamy caramel, and chocolate.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Chilling Time: 3

Total Time 4

Servings 16

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Shortbread:

225 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
110 g caster or granulated sugar
320 g plain flour

Caramel:

397 g can sweetened condensed milk
90 g butter (salted or unsalted)
100 g dark/light/demerara sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup this is 15g

Chocolate Layer:

250 g dark/milk/white chocolate I used Cadbury Dairy Milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line an 20cm/8-inch square cake tin with parchment paper - leaving some overhang ensuring it's easy to remove the finished bake from the tin.
Place the shortbread ingredients: softened butter, sugar, and flour in a large mixing bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until a crumbly, slightly sticky dough forms.
Press the shortbread dough into the lined baking tin, making sure it's an even layer. Prick the shortbread all over with a fork, now bake for 25-30 minutes until pale golden in colour. Leave to cool completely.
Place the caramel ingredients in a medium saucepan/deep frying pan. Place the pan over a medium heat, gently heat until all the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Continue to stir until the mixture has started to bubble - turn the temperature down if it bubbles too much. Keep stirring until the caramel has turned a deeper golden colour and is thicker is texture. This should take about 7-10 minutes to achieve.
Carefully pour the hot caramel over the shortbread base. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Melt your chosen chocolate, once melted pour over the set caramel layer. Decorate the top further with any other decorations you desire - we went for crushed/whole Cadbury Mini Eggs. Place the Millionaires Shortbread back in the fridge for at least 2 hours, before slicing into 9 larger pieces, or 16 smaller pieces.
The shortbread will keep for up to one week stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Baking · Buttercream and Frosting · Cakes

Coffee and Walnut Cake

February 6, 2024February 10, 2024 What Jessica Baked Next7 Comments

A classic two-layer coffee and walnut cake recipe. This British cake is a hit! Light and fluffy coffee-flavoured sponge cake with crunchy walnut pieces, then filled and topped with decadent espresso buttercream, and decorated with a combination of walnut halves and pieces.

This cake features in tearooms, cafes, and bakeries all across the UK. Along with a Classic Victoria Sandwich, this is probably my favourite cake flavour!

In 2023, I worked on a few baking projects for customers away from my blog, decorating several cakes. This was something I was anxious about, but I’m now really pleased I had these jobs to work on, as my confidence with cake decorating has grown a lot. I was busy from April onwards last year with numerous orders, so now that I have more time on my hands, I want to make the effort to share some ‘classic’ cake recipes.

I’ve baked coffee and walnut cakes like this during my day job; this is always a popular cake choice for customers. Coffee cake is different in various parts of the world. In the UK, it’s exactly what it says on the tin; it’s a coffee-flavoured sponge cake, whereas in the US, coffee cake is cake with a crumble topping that’s served with a cup of coffee on the side.

I used a Nigella Lawson recipe, and, oh my, is it good! I made just a few alterations to the original recipe.

What Ingredients You’ll Need:

Butter/Margarine – salted or unsalted is absolutely fine. I prefer using margarine, as I find it produces a lighter-textured cake, and the cakes rise more evenly.

Sugar – caster/granulated sugar is what I use. However, I have made this cake with light brown sugar, and that works great too.

Eggs – this recipe requires 4 eggs (medium or large).

Self-Raising Flour – the raising agents already in the flour will help the cake rise. Nigella’s original recipe uses 200g of plain/all-purpose flour, along with 2 + 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda.

Walnuts – for the cake batter and the decoration. Chopped walnuts are folded through the cake batter, whereas walnut halves, and walnut pieces are used for the cake decoration.

Coffee/Espresso – I use espresso powder in the cake batter, and the buttercream. I love the intense coffee flavour it adds!

Milk – just a couple of tablespoons is needed to loosen the cake batter before baking.

Butter – for the buttercream I recommend salted butter opposed to unsalted. The salted butter evens out all the sweetness.

Icing Sugar – make sure you sift the icing sugar before creaming with the butter. This ensures your buttercream will be super smooth and luxurious.

We love the bittersweet combination of flavours, and the crunchy walnut pieces in the cake and topping.

Coffee buttercream is simply divine, and so easily eaten straight from the mixing bowl. I don’t drink coffee, but even I cannot get enough of this cake. I just love those specks of espresso in the buttercream!

This cake is a staple cake recipe in British kitchens! It’s a very homely cake, with rich coffee and lovely nutty flavour from the chopped walnuts inside the cake, and decoration.

The cake serves around 10 delicious slices!

Coffee and Walnut Cake

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1 5

Servings 10

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Coffee and Walnut Cake:

225 g butter (salted or unsalted) or margarine softened, you can use the margarine straight from the fridge
225 g caster or granulated sugar can be substituted with light/dark brown sugar instead
4 medium or large eggs
225 g self-raising flour
Small pinch of salt omit if using salted butter
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder feel free to reduce this amount
2 tablespoons milk
50 g walnuts chopped into small pieces

Coffee Buttercream:

175 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
350 g icing sugar sifted
2 and 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee granules dissolved in 2 tablespoons of boiling water

Decoration:

10-12 walnut halves
chopped walnut pieces

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line the base of two 20cm / 8-inch round cake tins with parchment paper, and set aside.
Cream the softened margarine/butter and sugar together until lightened in colour and fluffy in texture - this should take only a few minutes to achieve.
Now add the eggs one at a time and beat in to combine - don't worry if the mixture looks curdled at this point, as once the flour is added it will come together.
Now add the flour, along with the espresso powder, and a generous pinch of salt.
Mix until a smooth batter has come together - try not to over mix. Now, mix in the milk, and then fold in the chopped walnuts. Transfer the cake batter evenly between the two cake tins, and smooth the top over before baking for 30-35 minutes (I would recommend checking the cake just after 25 minutes). All ovens are different, my cakes took nearer to 35 minutes to fully bake - but just check, once the middle is cooked the cakes are ready.
Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for about 15 minutes, then carefully remove from the tins and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
Once the cakes are cool, prepare the buttercream. Dissolve the espresso powder/coffee granules in 2 tablespoons of water, and set aside for the moment to cool slightly. Take the butter and cream for a minute to soften. Now add the sifted icing sugar and cream for a further 2-3 minutes, until lightened in colour. Now add the slightly cooled coffee mixture, and mix until combined fully.
To assemble the cake, place one cake half upside down on your chosen serving cake stand/plate/platter. Spread half the buttercream on this cake half. Place the other cake half over top. Now spread/or pipe the remaining buttercream on top. Take 8-10 walnut halves (or more if you like) and place around the edge of the buttercream. Sprinkle over some crushed walnuts directly on the middle of the cake, if desired.
Decorate further as desired, even a light dusting of cocoa powder, or chocolate-coated coffee beans would look great. The cake is ready to be served. It's best eaten on the day, or day after baking, but it'll last for up to 3 days covered at room temperature.

Love cake as much as me? Try these amazing cake recipes next!

School Cake

Eton Mess Cake

Classic Victoria Sandwich

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Chocolate

Valentine’s Shortbread Hearts

January 17, 2024January 16, 2024 What Jessica Baked Next2 Comments

Special shortbread biscuits to celebrate Galentine’s/Valentine’s Day next month! Show your love with these adorable shortbreads.

Starting 2024 on WJBN on a sweet note with a stunning shortbread biscuit recipe.

2023 was a brilliant year, memorable for so many good reasons, both personally and professionally. December saw the most blog views all year, so we ended the year on a real high! Lots of you were viewing recipes and making these over the festive period from all corners of the world.

I’m ready to start the year, and I have many ideas ready to bring to the blog. In the past, I haven’t shared a lot of ‘Valentine’s’ themed recipes, but I wanted to do something about that and start a new tradition this year!

So here we have some delicious shortbread biscuits, dipped in chocolate, and the prettiest pink heart sprinkles.

I already have a Shortbread Biscuits recipe on the blog, but recently I discovered a different shortbread and adore it.

The new recipe has semolina added to the shortbread dough. Semolina gives shortbread an extra crunchy texture and reminds me of shortbread you can get in tins, but of course better because they’re homemade.

Shortbread is a bake that just cannot be beaten. It’s simple, but when made well, it’s hard to beat.

What Ingredients You’ll Need:

Butter – salted or unsalted is absolutely fine. Butter is essential in shortbread dough, no margarine or alternative, it just won’t taste like shortbread should, and they will spread/not keep their shape!
Sugar – only a little caster/granulated sugar is needed, shortbread is all about the buttery flavour, but isn’t overly sweet.
Plain Flour – just enough to bind the dough together.
Semolina – adds a lovely crunch to the shortbread biscuits. It’s optional, but I really recommend it!
Chocolate – any type of chocolate you like. You can half dip the shortbread hearts, or drizzle them with the chocolate.
Sprinkles – pretty ‘n’ pink sprinkles are great for Valentine’s! Even some freeze dried strawberries/raspberries would be great.

I refilled a tin of already eaten shortbread from Christmas with this new batch

Show your love and appreciation for someone special with a surprise batch of homemade chocolate-dipped shortbread.

Get your friends around, have a Galentine’s night, and bake and decorate these biscuits. Decorate with a combination of chocolate. I did half my shortbread half-dipped in milk chocolate and the remaining dipped in white chocolate. I then piped some remaining contrasting chocolate on top of the chocolate already on each shortbread.

Fun to make and wonderful for the upcoming Valentine’s Day! I can’t think of a more delicious way to say I love you than with these!

Valentine's Shortbread Hearts

Special shortbread biscuits to celebrate Galentine's/Valentine's Day! Show your love with these adorable shortbreads. I can't think of a more delicious way to say I love you than with these!

Prep Time 50

Cook Time 20

Total Time 1 10

Servings 20

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

200 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
100 g caster or granulated sugar
300 g plain flour
50 g semolina
100 g dark or milk chocolate
100 g white chocolate
Sprinkles I used cute pink heart sprinkles

Instructions

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.
Wrap the dough up in clingfilm and chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This step stops the biscuits spreading when baking.
Preheat oven to 170°C / 150°C Fan / 325°F / Gas Mark 3. Line two large baking trays with parchment paper.
Lightly flour a work surface with extra flour, roll the shortbread dough out until it's roughly the thickness of a pound coin. Take a 6cm heart cutter, and cut out roughly 20 from the dough, re-rolling and continuing to cut out more biscuits.
Transfer the unbaked shortbread biscuits onto the baking trays, sprinkle with a little extra sugar, and bake for 15-20 minutes until pale golden in colour - you don't want these too golden. They should be slightly firm to the touch when ready. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking trays, then move to a wire rack and leave the biscuits to cool completely on there.
Once the biscuits are cool, melt the two types of chocolate. Dip one biscuit at a time on one side into the chocolate. Allow to set, before drizzling the remaining chocolate on each biscuit. Finish with some sprinkles of your choice.
Once the chocolate has set, the biscuits are ready to enjoy. They'll keep in an airtight container/tin for up to 1 week.