coffee morning

A cross between banana bread and a drizzle cake, this easy banana loaf recipe is a quick bake that can be frozen. It's great for using up overripe bananas, too.

Brilliant banana loaf

butter,softened,

caster sugar

eggs,beaten

self-raising flour

tsp baking powder

bananas,mashed

icing sugar

banana chips,for decoration

Butter a 2lb <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/baking-equipment">loaf tin</a> and line the base and sides with baking parchment.

<a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/test-five-best-food-processors">Cream</a> 140g softened butter and 140g caster sugar until light and fluffy, then slowly add 2 beaten large eggs with a little of the 140g flour.

Fold in the remaining flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 2 mashed bananas.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 50 mins, or until cooked through. Check the loaf at 5-min intervals by testing it with a skewer (it should be able to be inserted and removed cleanly), as the time may vary depending on the shape of your loaf tin.

Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then remove to a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/kimberley-wilsons-top-five-cooling-racks">wire rack</a>.

Mix 50g icing sugar with 2-3 tsp water to make a runny icing.

Drizzle the icing across the top of the cake and decorate with a handful of banana chips.

Use shop-bought pastry to make our easy bakewell tarts. Simply layer jam, frangipane and icing inside a shortcrust case for a nostalgic teatime treat

Bakewell tarts

all butter shortcrust pastry

butter, softened

golden caster sugar

plain flour

almonds

cherry jam

glacé cherries

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly butter a 12 hole muffin tin. Unroll the sheet of pastry and use a 10cm circular pastry cutter to cut 12 circles out of the pastry sheet. Press the cut circles into the holes of the tin, making sure they come right up and slightly over the top – pushing out any creases. Chill the pastry in the fridge for 20mins. Scrunch up 10cm x 10cm squares of baking paper and then un-scrunch and use to line each of the pastry tarts, then fill with baking beans, rice or dried pulses. Bake for 10 mins, then remove the paper and beans and bake for 10 mins longer, until golden brown. Set aside to cool a little.

Make the filling by beating together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then whisk in the egg, followed by the flour (the flour will prevent the mixture from splitting). Fold in the ground almonds. Spoon a level tsp of cherry jam into each of the pastry shells, followed by a tablespoon of the frangipane mixture. Bake for 20 mins, until the frangipane is golden and springy. Set aside to cool completely. Neaten the edges of the pastry with a small knife or scissors if you like.

Mix the icing sugar with 2 tbsp water. Spread the icing over each of the tarts, top each with a glacé cherry, leave to set for 20 mins, then serve with tea.

Great for a bake sale, a gift, or simply an afternoon treat to enjoy with a cuppa, this rocky road is quick to make and uses mainly storecupboard ingredients.

Easy rocky road

digestive biscuits (Rich Tea can also be used)

butter

dark chocolate (70% cocoa works best)

golden syrup

mini marshmallows (chopped regular marshmallows work too)

cranberries fruit

nuts

popcorn

honeycomb,

Grease and line an 18cm square brownie tin with baking paper.

Place 200g digestive biscuits in a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin or just the side of your fist until they're broken into a mixture of everything between dust and 50p-sized lumps. Set aside.

In a large saucepan melt 135g butter or margarine, 200g dark chocolate and 2-3 tbsp golden syrup over a gentle heat stirring constantly until there are no or almost no more lumps of chocolate visible, then remove from the heat. Leave to cool.

Take the biscuits, 100g mini marshmallows and up to 100g of additional ingredients (dried fruit, nuts, popcorn, honeycomb), if you like, and stir into the chocolate mixture until everything is completely covered.

Tip the mixture into the lined baking tin, and spread it out to the corners. Chill for at least 2 hrs then dust with icing sugar and cut into 12 fingers.

An easy chocolate chip cookie recipe for soft biscuits with a squidgy middle that will impress family and friends. Make plenty as they're sure to be a hit

Vintage chocolate chip cookies

salted butter, softened

light brown muscovado sugar

granulated sugar

tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

salt

plain chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 190C/fan170C/gas 5 and line two <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/kimberley-wilsons-top-5-baking-trays">baking sheets</a> with non-stick baking paper.

Put 150g softened salted butter, 80g light brown muscovado sugar and 80g granulated sugar into a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-five-mixing-bowls">bowl</a> and <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-five-whisks">beat</a> until creamy.

Beat in 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 large egg.

Sift 225g plain flour, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda and ¼ tsp salt into the bowl and mix it in with a wooden spoon.

Add 200g plain chocolate chips or chunks and stir well.

Use a teaspoon to make small scoops of the mixture, spacing them well apart on the baking trays. This mixture should make about 30 cookies.

Bake for 8–10 mins until they are light brown on the edges and still slightly soft in the centre if you press them.

Leave on the tray for a couple of mins to set and then lift onto a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/kimberley-wilsons-top-five-cooling-racks">cooling rack</a>.

Delight friends with an afternoon tea that includes this easy carrot cake. You can bake the cake, freeze it and just drizzle over the icing on the day

Carrot cake

light muscovado sugar

sunflower oil

eggs,

grated carrot (about 3 medium)

raisins

orange,

tsp bicarbonate of soda

cinnamon

orange juice

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with baking parchment.

Tip the sugar, sunflower oil and eggs into a big mixing bowl. Lightly mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the carrots, raisins and orange zest.

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and nutmeg into the bowl. Mix everything together, the mixture will be soft and almost runny.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 mins or until it feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre.

Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then turn it out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack. (You can freeze the cake at this point if you want to serve it at a later date.)

Beat the icing sugar and orange juice in a small bowl until smooth – you want the icing about as runny as single cream. Put the cake on a serving plate and boldly drizzle the icing back and forth in diagonal lines over the top, letting it drip down the sides.

This gluten-free apple cake swaps flour, refined sugar and butter for ground almonds, agave syrup and olive oil – and it’s gorgeous

Apple & almond cake

olive oil

(½ cup) maple syrup or agave syrup

eggs

(1/2 cup) apple sauce (shop-bought

(2 cups) ground almonds

apple

maple syrup

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5, and lightly oil a 20cm springform tin and line the base with a circle of baking parchment.

In a stand mixer, or using a hand blender, whizz together the oil and maple syrup for 30 secs. Add the eggs and whizz for another 1 min before adding the apple sauce and blending for a further 30 secs. Tip in the ground almonds, baking powder, 1 tsp salt and cinnamon, blend for 30 secs and your batter is done. Pour it into the tin, and bake for around 30-40 mins or until the top is a deep golden brown, the cake is coming away from the sides a little, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

While it’s cooking, make the topping. In a small frying pan, cook the apple gently with the rest of the topping ingredients and ½ tsp salt until the apple is soft and gently caramelised. When the cake is ready, scatter the bronzed apple chunks on top of the cake. You could also make it with chunks of caramelised peach or plum on top, or some cherry compote, or any berries which you have softened in a pan with a little water and maple syrup. Eat warm, as a pudding, with a spoonful of Greek yogurt, or cold with a cup of tea or coffee.

A wedge of this alongside a cup of tea makes for a perfect Sunday afternoon

Banana cake with pecan crumble crunch

pecan

eggs egg whites

bananas

milk

Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4, and line the base and sides of a deep 20cm (8 inch) loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. For the crumble topping stir together 2 tbsp each of the sugar, flour and chopped pecans, then add the butter, cut into a few pieces, and rub together until you have sticky crumbs. Set aside.

Break up the whole eggs with a fork, then mix with the mashed banana, oil and milk until all the wet ingredients are well combined. In a separate, large bowl tip in the remaining sugar, flour and pecans, and briefly stir with the cinnamon and baking powder. Whisk the egg whites until just stiff. To combine, tip the oily banana mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and quickly stir in until you have a smooth, lump-free mix. Finally using a large metal spoon or spatula gently fold in the egg whites, then carefully pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Scatter over the crumble topping and bake for 1 hr, until a skewer stuck in to the middle comes out clean. Check the cake with 15 mins to go, if the surface is browning too quickly cover with another piece of baking parchment.

Once the cake is ready leave it in its tin for 5 minutes, then finish cooling on a wire rack.

A classic fruit sponge cake with apricots and citrus shared by reader Ann Turner - it's perfect with a cup of tea

Orange & apricot loaf cake

unsalted butter

apricot

orange

milk (optional)

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. In a saucepan, heat the apricots with the orange zest and all but 1 tbsp of the juice. Simmer gently for 5 mins until the apricots have absorbed all the juice. Set aside to cool.

Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then fold in the flour. Stir in the cooled apricots. If the mixture is dry at this stage, add a drop of milk.

Scrape the batter into the tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 50 mins-1 hr until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins before removing, then leave on a wire rack to cool completely.

Gradually add the reserved orange juice to the icing sugar, stirring until smooth and slightly runny. Drizzle the icing in a zigzag pattern over the top of the cake and leave to set.

Easy Coffee Cake - A delicious all-in-one coffee sponge topped with smooth coffee buttercream. Simple to make and packed full of flavour.PLUS - How&nbsp;to make this cake in any size of round, square or rectangular tin.&nbsp;

Easy Coffee Cake

coffee powder (or coffee granules ground to a powder)

2½ tsp baking powder

220 g soft light brown sugar

margarine

tsp milk

butter (soft at room temperature)

400 g icing sugar

vanilla extract

instant coffee powder

water

Pre-heat your oven to 160ºC/140ºC fan.Line two 20cm round sandwich tins with greaseproof paper or re-usable baking tin liners (I use these tins and these liners).

Put all of the cake ingredients into a large bowl (3 tbsp coffee powder, 200g plain flour, 2½ tsp baking powder, 220g soft light brown sugar, 220g margarine or butter, 4 medium eggs, 2 tsp milk,&nbsp;⅛ tsp salt). Beat with an electric mixer or by hand on a low speed until all of the ingredients are combined.&nbsp;

Split the mixture between the two prepared tins. Then bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Once the cakes are cooked, remove them from the oven. Leave them to cool in their tins for about 10 minutes before removing them from the tins and moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the coffee sponge

While the cakes are cooling make the coffee buttercream. Start by mixing together the instant coffee powder/granules (8 tsp) with the boiling water (4 tsp). Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl beat the butter (200g) and vanilla extract (¼ tsp) on a low speed until soft. Add the icing sugar (400g) and beat on a low speed until combined with the butter and smooth.&nbsp;Gradually add the coffee mixture, 1 tsp at a time. After each addition beat the buttercream until the coffee has been fully combined before adding more.

Check the consistency of your buttercream. It should be soft enough that you could spread it onto a slice of bread. If it is too firm, then add a little milk (no more than 1 tsp at a time) until it is your desired consistency.

Make the coffee buttercream

Place the bottom layer of your coffee sponge onto your serving dish. Spread about ⅓ of the coffee buttercream&nbsp;evenly across the sponge (I like to use a palette knife, but you could use a regular knife or the back of a spoon).

Add the top layer of sponge. Again spread ⅓ of the coffee buttercream on top. Put the remaining buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle (I use a JEM1B nozzle). Pipe 12 blobs of buttercream evenly spaced around the edge of the cake. I give the piping bag a little wiggle as I squeeze so that the buttercream looks slightly ruffled.Of course, if you don't fancy piping, simply split the buttercream even between the middle and top of the cake.

Top 9 coffee morning recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

Brilliant banana loaf

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Banana cake with pecan crumble crun...

Orange & apricot loaf cake

Easy Coffee Cake

Top 9 coffee morning recipes from across the web

The most viewed coffee morning recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Brilliant banana loaf

Bakewell tarts

Easy rocky road

Vintage chocolate chip cookies

Carrot cake

Apple & almond cake

Banana cake with pecan crumble crun...

Orange & apricot loaf cake

Easy Coffee Cake

The most viewed coffee morning recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine