How to wow with easy Easter bakes
From hot cross buns to Simnel cake, it’s tradition to bake at Easter. Pastry chef Liberty Mendez shares her top tips for baking something a little bit different (and easier!)…
Pastry chef and published baker, Liberty Mendez is used to providing the baked goods for family and friends at Easter. Over the years she has built up a solid repertoire of recipes that offer something different from the traditional hot cross buns, Simnel cake and Easter biscuits.
Mendez shares her advice on how to impress loved ones with your baking this Easter (31 March), including recipes for you to try…
Wow with chocolate
For many, Easter food is focussed on one key ingredient. Chocolate. From the eggs themselves, to chocolate Easter egg nest cakes (which are an amazing option if you’re in a rush), there’s no shortage of options.
“Chocolate has a lot more legs than people give it credit for, it really can go with lots of other ingredients – for example I think thyme goes really well with it.”
Alternatively, keep things simple but impressive, says Mendez by creating an indulgent bake with dark chocolate. “I have created a mini egg brownie recipe which is perfect for people with a sweet tooth. They're really rich.”
“If you want to keep costs down you could use leftover Easter chocolate in the brownie batter, ideally it’s best if it’s 70% dark but it can be any chocolate.”
Making them in a hurry? Use shortcuts to speed up the prep time: You can melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave (instead of over a pan of water) and you can use an electric whisk to quickly mix everything (other than the mini eggs) together.
Love chocolate? Try these Easter treats:
Embrace the novelty factor
From Easter bunny lemon cupcakes to daffodil biscuits, creating bakes that fully embrace the theme are a popular option – especially if you’re baking with (or for) kids.
“I’ve created these jammy Easter egg biscuits which are good if you’re in a rush because they take just 12 minutes to bake in the oven. However, if you’re planning on serving them on a special occasion – like Easter, you can easily make them in advance and freeze them. Then on the day you can just finish them in the oven, fill them with jam and serve. People will never know.”
These bakes can all be frozen and then defrosted in time for Easter
Experiment with fresh flavours
“For me Easter always signifies a time when I start bringing fresh flavours to my bakes. My favourite Easter flavours are all types of citrus – especially lemon and grapefruit and I really love floral flavours such as rose and lavender,”
Mendez has also created a grapefruit loaf cake which is great for Easter. “This drizzle cake involves placing sliced grapefruit at the bottom of the tin before adding the cake batter. So, when it’s cooked and you tip the cake out, it’s already got that design, it really feels sophisticated but it’s such a simple time-saving topping.
“It's perfect for when you want to bake something a bit fancy for friends, but it also doesn’t take much effort, it’s really simple. The key is to slice the grapefruit thinly so it’s not too bitter.”
These citrus-flavoured treats are perfect for Easter
Go for the easy-but-impressive option
When it comes to baking, easy doesn’t have to mean basic. Some of the most impressive bakes can be simple to make. Toppings and flavours can make all the difference here and take a bake to the next level.
Mendez’s pistachio and raspberry friands are a classic example of this. Where the ingredients used bring pops of colour that make the final bake really stand out.
“I’ve been making these friands and they’ve been my obsession for the past few years because they're just so easy, they can’t go wrong! That’s ideal if you haven't got much time but are feeling a bit scared of taking a wrong step with a recipe.
“There’s only one thing you need to be cautious of and that’s when you add the egg whites. The first half you can just beat into the mix but with the second half, fold them in gently to retain the air – but that’s easy to do.”
Try these fail-safe bakes
Originally published March 2024
