Dessert Week recipes can mean everything from warm, custard-covered puddings to crisp meringues and creamy chilled desserts. These 10 tried-and-tested favourites include proper British classics, nostalgic puddings and a few choices for when you fancy making something a little more impressive.
Summarise & Save this Recipe on:
Summarise & Save this Recipe on:
Which Dessert Week Recipe Should I Make?
- Best for beginners: Apple Crumble
- Classic British pudding: Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Proper old-school choice: Spotted Dick
- Something impressive: Pavlova
- No-bake option: Biscoff Cheesecake
- Classic British bake: Victoria Sponge
Summarise & Save this on:
Easy Dessert Recipes for Bake Off Dessert Week
If Dessert Week on The Great British Bake Off – or The Great British Baking Show, as it’s known in the US – has you wondering what to make for pudding, this is one of those weeks where almost anything could happen. Unlike Cake Week, Biscuit Week or Bread Week, dessert can mean baked, steamed, chilled, layered or covered in enough custard to require a bigger bowl!
From comforting British favourites like Sticky Toffee Pudding, Spotted Dick and Eve’s Pudding to a nostalgic Trifle, crisp Pavlova and creamy Biscoff Cheesecake, these Dessert Week recipes have plenty of straightforward options alongside a few bakes and puddings that will put your skills to the test.
10 Dessert Week Recipes to Bake at Home
Sticky Toffee Pudding
The one to choose when you want proper comfort food. A soft, moist date sponge is served with plenty of rich toffee sauce, making this classic British pudding especially good warm with custard, cream or ice cream.As seen in Bake Off: Sticky Toffee Puddings were the Technical Challenge during Series 12 Dessert Week, served with toffee sauce, crème anglaise and tuiles.
Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe
Spotted Dick
A proper old-school pudding for anyone who fancies trying something traditionally British. This steamed suet pudding is dotted with dried fruit and has a soft, light texture that's made for serving warm with plenty of custard. As seen in Bake Off: Spotted Dick and Custard was set by Prue as the Technical Challenge during Series 15 Dessert Week.
Spotted Dick Recipe
Eve’s Pudding
Perfect for autumn and a lovely alternative to an apple crumble. Gently cooked apples sit beneath a soft sponge topping, giving you a simple, old-fashioned pudding that's especially good served warm with custard.
Eve’s Pudding Recipe
Apple Crumble
The easiest dessert in the roundup and one that's hard to get wrong. Soft cinnamon-spiced apples are topped with a classic crisp, buttery crumble – no oats here! – for a proper British pudding that's even better with custard.As seen in Bake Off: Crumble was one of the three puddings bakers had to produce for the Series 1 Pudding Week Showstopper, with several choosing apple-based versions.
Apple Crumble Recipe
Jam Roly-Poly
One for anyone who loves the proper school-dinner puddings of years gone by. Soft suet pastry is spread generously with jam, rolled up and steam-baked until golden, ready to be sliced and served warm with plenty of custard.As seen in Bake Off: Ruby made a Plum Jam Roly Poly for the suet pudding Signature Challenge in Series 4.
Jam Roly-poly Recipe
Easy Trifle
A nostalgic choice that also gives you a break from all the baking. Layers of jelly, fruit and sponge are topped with custard and whipped cream for the simple, colourful dessert I remember Granny making for special occasions.As seen in Bake Off: Trifles were the Signature Challenge during Series 4 Dessert Week – the episode that also gave us the infamous Custardgate!
Easy Trifle Recipe
Pavlova
Choose this one if you fancy practising your meringue skills. A crisp meringue shell hides a soft, marshmallow-like centre, finished with whipped cream and fresh fruit for a dessert that always looks a little bit special.As seen in Bake Off: Pavlova was the Signature Challenge during Series 12 Dessert Week, with every baker creating their own decorated version.
Pavlova Recipe
Biscoff Cheesecake
The no-bake option for anyone who would rather leave the oven switched off. A crushed Biscoff biscuit base is topped with a creamy Biscoff filling and finished with even more biscuit crumbs and melted spread for a properly indulgent dessert.
Biscoff Cheesecake
Treacle Tart
A great choice if you fancy combining pastry with a proper old-fashioned British pudding. Sweet shortcrust pastry is filled with a sticky mixture of golden syrup, breadcrumbs and lemon, and is especially good served warm with custard or ice cream.As seen in Bake Off: Treacle Tart was Mary Berry’s Technical Challenge during Series 3 Tarts Week, complete with a woven pastry lattice.
Treacle Tart Recipe
Fruit Tart
The one I’d choose if I wanted my Dessert Week bake to look a bit more impressive. A crisp, sweet shortcrust case is filled with thick vanilla custard and topped with plenty of colourful fresh fruit, finished with a glossy apricot glaze.As seen in Bake Off: The Series 3 Tarts Week Showstopper challenged the bakers to make a large designer fruit tart fit for a pâtisserie window.
Fruit Tart Recipe
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amy Beth Reid
Amy Beth 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.