Opinion Our 10 favourite baking recipes: Spring edition!

Can you guess what regularly tops the charts when it comes to ‘Most Searched For’ baking recipes…?

It’s good old-fashioned banana bread ❤ (Is it bread or is it cake? Either way, it’s delicious!) This treat is a perpetual favourite amongst the young — and the young-at-heart — and is the most perfect way to use up bananas that are past their prime. If there’s a more delicious way to tackle food waste, I’d like to hear about it 🙂

You can find the recipe for that golden glory above at BBC Food — or read on for 9 more baking creations we’ve been loving lately.

1. Sticky date toffee pudding from The Ideas Kitchen

It’s the dessert found everywhere from country pubs to high-end restaurants: sticky-date pud. Sweet and moreish, packed with dates (so technically this is a health-food, right?) and slathered with toffee sauce, this is a classic for a reason.

2. Cowboy cookies from Vegan Richa

If you’re looking for more of a snack, you might like to try these crunchy cookies. I’ll admit I’m a bit stumped about what’s so ‘cowboy’ about pecans, coconut and chocolate chips, but I’m not going to question it — that would cut down on valuable scoffing time 😉

3. Lamingtons from Rainbow Nourishments

Bake-sale and school-fete favourite lamingtons get a plant-based twist — who knew egg-free sponge could be so fluffy?! A lamington fan from a very young age, I’m happy to report these lovelies are a sure-fire winner.

4. Chocolate babka from Rainbow Nourishments

The newest star on the baking block is babka — I saw ‘new’, but this delicious Eastern European creation has been around for well over a century, evolving as Jewish bakers moved around the world — each adding their own unique spin as ingredients, such a chocolate, in new countries became more readily available.

You can’t beat a babka.

— Elaine Benes, ‘Seinfeld'

Maaryasha Werdiger, a sourdough baker based in Elsternwick, Victoria, describes babka as the ultimate comfort food, and is somewhat bemused by it suddenly becoming a trend: “It’s like when sushi got big in Melbourne — we thought we’d discovered it. Suddenly, the babka secret got out.” After all, as the world-famous saying goes: “You haven’t made it until you’ve made it in Melbourne…!” 😉

5. Chocolate-chip mug cake from Chocolate Covered Katie

Babka, delicious as it is, can be … shall we say … a labour of love. At the total opposite end of the spectrum is this microwavable mug cake. Totalling about 5 minutes prep and cooking time, this treat is just the ticket when time is of the essence!

6. Creamy lemon bars from Minimalist Baker

If your tastebuds need a refresh after all that chocolate, these dreamy, creamy lemon bars deliver just the right amount of zest to balance out the sweetness.

7. Jewelled fruit tart with caramel-almond filling from This Rawsome Vegan Life

Turning the idea of ‘raw’ on its head, Emily von Euw has created a lush and decadent bejewelled, berry dessert that will bring a sparkle to any occasion. The filling is listed as optional, but I highly recommend you include it, and maybe even make double — for ‘testing’ purposes, you understand… 🙂

8. Lemon poppyseed cake from VegKit

Zingy and full of poppy crunch, this lemon poppyseed cake is perfect for afternoon tea, dessert, or any time you need a little pick-me-up. The icing is optional, and you could easily leave it plain or trickle over some simple lemon syrup instead.

9. German plum cake from Lazy Cat Kitchen

In this German-Polish inspired delight, the plums cook into little jammy pools, cupped in the tender lemon-almond crumb cake. Delicious with espresso, lemon-scented tea — or stay on-theme and enjoy with a little Slivovitz (plum brandy)!

Sweet tooth activated? There’s only one thing for it – pull on your oven mitts and get baking!