9 amazing baking recipes for beginners!

Now that you’re stuck and home and have all the time in the world to do whatever you want, it’s time to get your bake on! If you’re completely new to baking, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered!

Here are our top 9 baking recipes for beginners. Check them out!

1. Ultimate Chocolate Cake

2. Chocolate Brownies

Chocolate brownies are easy to make and are a lovely afternoon snack, or after dinner dessert!

Ingredients

• 65g butter
• 130g white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 45g cocoa powder
• 65g plain or self-raising flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder

Frosted Icing (optional)

• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 125g icing sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan.
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 45g cocoa, 65g flour, salt, and baking powder.
4. Spread batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
6. To make the frosted icing, combine 3 tablespoons of softened butter, 3 tablespoons of cocoa and honey, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 125g of icing sugar. Stir until smooth.
7. Frost brownies while they are still warm.

3. Sugar Cookie

Sugar cookies are perfect for parties, afternoon tea or for decorating with kids! 

Ingredients

• 385g plain or self-raising flour
• 1¾ teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 225g butter, softened
• 125g sugar
• 1 egg
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Sift flour into a bowl. Add baking powder and salt, then whisk gently to combine.
2. Cream butter with sugar until mixture is light and fluffy.
3. Add egg and vanilla to the mixture, then mix to combine.
4. Make sure all the ingredients are evenly incorporated into the mixture.
5. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until the dough comes together.
6. Form the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.
7. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
8. Preheat oven to 180°C.
9. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to ½ inch thick. Cut the dough using a cookie cutter and move the cookies to an ungreased baking sheet.
10. Bake until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges for roughly 10 to 12 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even baking.
11. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely before decorating or serving.

4. Biscuits

Biscuits are the ideal weekend staple in your home!

Ingredients

• 385g plain or self-raising flour
• 3 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 100g COLD butter
• 1 egg
• 130g whole milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Cut butter into small pieces and keep them cold in the fridge. Take the butter out only when you’re ready to add it into the dough.
3. Add dry ingredients including the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into a bowl.
4. Use a pastry cutter to cut cold butter into flour mixture.
   Add in milk and egg into the bowl and mix them until the ingredients are combined.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Sprinkle some flour onto the top of the dough so it won’t stick to your fingers.
6. Knead the dough 10 to 15 times.
7. Pat the dough to 3/4 – 1 inch thickness and cut with a biscuit cutter or glass (or a cute animal-shaped cutter!).
8. Place the biscuits on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown on top.
9. For more deliciousness, brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter.

5. Oreo Brownies

Ingredients

• 170g plain or self-raising flour
• 170g vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)
• 300g chocolate chips
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g brown sugar
• 3 eggs, lightly whisked
• 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 10 Oreo cookies

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and then line the pan with parchment paper and the parchment paper hang 1 inch over the sides.
3. Combine oil with chocolate chips in a medium-size heat-safe bowl.
4. Place the bowl over a medium pot of simmering water and stir until the chocolate is melted (roughly 3 to 4 minutes).
5. Whisk the sugars into the melted chocolate mixture.
6. Add whisked eggs gradually, mixing until well combined. Then, stir in the vanilla extract.
7. Add flour and salt, and mix until fully incorporated. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.
8. Press Oreo cookies into the brownie batter in a three-by-three grid. Use a spatula to help cover the cookies with batter, if needed. The cookies should be fully submerged in the batter.
9. Bake until the brownies are set at the edges for 25 to 30 minutes. When you insert a toothpick into the centre, it should come out clean.
10. Let the brownies cool completely. Once cool, cut into nine even pieces.

6. Chocolate Sheet Cake

Ingredients

• 425g cake flour
• 100g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 130g vegetable shortening, at room temperature
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 300g granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt

Whipped Ganache

• 350g dark chocolate, chopped
• 130g heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C with a rack in the middle.
2. Grease an 18-by-13-by-1-inch baking sheet.
3. Place cocoa powder in a medium heatproof bowl.
4. Pour in 180ml boiling water and whisk to combine. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
5. Cream the shortening, butter, and sugar on medium-low speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer) until mixture is light and fluffy.
6. Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time to the shortening mixture and mix until they are fully incorporated. Scrape the bowl well and add vanilla and mix to combine.
7. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
   Add one third of the mixture to the shortening mixture and mix on low speed to incorporate.
8. Add half of the cooled cocoa mixture and mix to incorporate. Repeat this process until the batter is smooth.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly.
10. Bake the cake for 20 to 25 minutes. When a toothpick is inserted into the center, it should come out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
11. To make the ganache, place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.
12. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat and immediately pour it over the chocolate.
13. Let the mixture sit, undisturbed, for 15 seconds. Then, stir from the center of the bowl with small circular motions and widening the circles, until the ingredients are uniformly combined and the ganache is smooth.
14. Let the ganache cool to room temperature (you can park it in the refrigerator to increase the cooling period).
15. Transfer the cooled ganache to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted that has whisk attachment (or use a large bowl and a hand mixer).
16. Whip the ganache on medium-high speed until lightened in colour for about 3 minutes.
17. Scrape the bowl well and whip again to make sure the ganache is fully aerated.
18. Scoop the ganache onto the cooled cake in the pan and spread it evenly to the edges.

7. Jam tarts

Ingredients

• 200g of plain or self-raising flour
• 200g of chilled and diced butter
• 50g of golden caster sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 grated rind orange
• Jam & berries

Instructions

1. Mix 200g of flour and 200g of chilled and diced butter into breadcrumbs in a food processor.
2. Add 50g of golden caster sugar and mix.
3. Add 2 egg yolks and 1 grated rind orange and pulse until it comes together into a dough (may need to add a splash of water).
4. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 20 minutes.
5. Heat oven to 190C. Add mixture to tart-pie tray or tins and bake the mixture for 15 minutes.
6. Add spoonfuls of jam & berries to each and bake the tarts for 5 mins.

8. Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 125g of softened butter softened
• 125g of soft light brown sugar 
• 2 teaspoon for baking powder
• 225g of plain or self-raising flour
• 2 beaten eggs
• 450g of ripe unpeeled bananas

Instructions

• Butter a 900g loaf tin and then line with a wide strip of baking paper.
• Heat the oven to 180C. Mix the butter and sugar in a bowl with electric beaters for 2 to 3 minutes or until fluffy.
• Tip in the baking powder and half of the flour, half the eggs and half the bananas, and mix them.
• Add rest of the flour, eggs and bananas, and mix to a batter.
• Spoon into the loaf tin and level out.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes then they’re ready to be served.

9. Cinnamon Buns

Ingredients

• Plain or self-raising flour 
• 500g block of puff pastry
• 1 beaten egg
• 75g of golden caster sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Gently dust a work surface with plain or self-raising flour, roll out the pastry to a 50cm x 50cm square, and brush well with beaten egg.
• Mix the sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle over the pastry.
• Fold the pastry in half towards you and pinch the edges to seal.
• Roll out again to a 40cm x 50cm rectangle, then cut the pastry into 10 (5cm-wide) strips.
• Take a strip and twist it into a corkscrew shape by holding one end and twisting the other.
• Wrap the pastry around itself so that you have a flat, twisted spiral.
• Tuck the end underneath the pastry and squeeze to stick it. Repeat with the remaining strips.
• Freeze the pastries in a baking tray and transfer them to freezer bags once they’re frozen.
• To bake, make sure they’re fully defrosted in the fridge overnight.
• Heat the oven to 200C.
• Put the pastries on a baking paper-lined tray and glaze with more beaten egg.
• Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the buns are golden and cooked through.
• Cool a little on a wire rack.

If you want to bake other types of pastry, check out our list of baking recipes! If you want to shop for flour online and have the flour delivered right to your doorstep, shop at our online flour store.