Cake Week recipes don’t have to mean towering showstoppers and complicated decorations. From classic British favourites to easy loaf cakes and a couple of bakes that are perfect when you fancy more of a challenge, these 10 tried-and-tested cakes have something for every kind of baker.
Which Cake Week Recipe Should I Make?
- Best for beginners: Lemon Drizzle Cake
- Classic British bake: Victoria Sponge
- Something a bit more challenging: Battenberg Cake
- Something nostalgic: Upside-down Pineapple Cake
- Something seasonal: Plum Cake
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Easy Cake Recipes for Bake Off Cake Week
If Cake Week on The Great British Bake Off – or The Great British Baking Show, as it’s known in the US – has inspired you to get baking, you’re in the right place. Cakes might seem like familiar territory, but between getting the perfect rise, avoiding a dry sponge and making sure everything holds together, even the classics can keep you on your toes!
The good news is that a great cake doesn’t need to be complicated. From a classic Victoria Sponge and easy Lemon Drizzle Cake to nostalgic favourites like Angel Cake and Upside-down Pineapple Cake, these Cake Week recipes include plenty of straightforward bakes, with a few more challenging options when you fancy putting your skills to the test.
10 Easy Cake Week Recipes to Bake at Home
Victoria Sponge
The classic British cake that belongs on any Cake Week list. Two light sponges are sandwiched with jam and an optional spreading of buttercream for a simple bake that's all about getting the basics just right.As seen in Bake Off: Victoria Sandwich was the very first Technical Challenge in Series 1 – and it returned as miniature Victoria Sandwiches in the Series 5 final.
Victoria Sponge Recipe
Battenberg Cake
A great choice if you fancy something a little bit more technical. Pink and yellow almond sponge is arranged in its familiar checkerboard pattern, joined with apricot jam and wrapped in marzipan for a proper show-off bake.As seen in Bake Off: Battenberg has appeared several times in the tent – as the Series 2 Cake Week Technical, the Series 11 Signature and again as mini Battenbergs for the Series 15 Technical.
Battenberg Cake Recipe
Swiss Roll
Perfect if you want to practise a classic baking technique. This light sponge is baked thin, spread with jam and rolled while still warm, giving you that distinctive swirl without needing lots of decoration.As seen in Bake Off: Swiss Roll was the Cake Week Signature Challenge in Series 5, and returned for the Series 16 Cake Week Signature with decorative inlay designs.
Swiss Roll Recipe
Madeira Cake
A good one for anyone who loves a simple, traditional cake. Madeira Cake has a close, buttery crumb and a lightly lemony flavour, making it a great example of how a straightforward bake can still be really satisfying.As seen in Bake Off: Madeira Cake was the opening Signature Challenge of Series 6, with the bakers tasked with perfecting its characteristic dome and crack.
Madeira Cake Recipe
Angel Cake
One to choose if you want something colourful and nostalgic. Layers of pink, yellow and plain sponge are sandwiched together with buttercream to make the classic British Angel Cake many of us remember from bakery counters.As seen in Bake Off: Angel Cake slices were set as the Cake Week Technical Challenge in Series 10.
Angel Cake Recipe
Lemon Drizzle Cake
One of the easiest cakes in the roundup and a great place to start. This soft lemon loaf is soaked with a sharp-sweet drizzle while still warm, giving it plenty of flavour without any complicated decorating.As seen in Bake Off: Drizzle cakes were the Series 7 Cake Week Signature, while a Lemon & Thyme Drizzle Cake later appeared as the Series 14 Botanical Week Technical.
Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe
Golden Syrup Cake
A lovely old-school option if you want something rich and comforting. Made with golden syrup for a deep caramel-like sweetness, this soft, sticky cake is simple to make. And even better once the flavours have had time to settle.
Golden Syrup Cake Recipe
Pineapple Upside-down Cake
A proper retro bake that always looks more impressive than the effort involved. Pineapple rings and glacé cherries bake underneath a soft sponge before the whole cake is turned out to reveal its glossy fruit topping.As seen in Bake Off: Mini Pineapple Upside-down Cakes were the Cake Week Technical Challenge in Series 11.
Upside-down Pineapple Cake
Carrot Cake
A good choice if you want something a little different from a classic sponge. This moist, gently spiced cake is made with grated carrot and finished with a creamy frosting, giving you a completely different texture and flavour from the other Cake Week bakes.As seen in Bake Off: Carrot Cake was the Signature Challenge in the Series 12 final, just before the finalists tackled Belgian Buns.
Carrot Cake Recipe
Plum Cake
Perfect for late summer and early autumn when plums are at their best. Soft sponge and juicy fresh plums make this an easy seasonal cake that feels just right for the time of year that Bake Off returns.
Plum Cake Recipe
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amy Reid
Amy Reid is an award-winning food blogger, mother, wife and cookbook author. Inspired by her childhood in the kitchen with her Mum – a professional baker and her children’s Granny – Amy now shares her tried-and-tested traditional home baking recipes with bakers of all abilities around the world. She lives in Scotland with her husband, two sons and her small pack of Siberian huskies.