Top 10 English cake recipes

When it comes to cakes, England rules the roost. If we had to pick just 10 English bakes, these are the ones we'd plump for.

Victoria Sponge

Nothing beats the beautiful simplicity of a well-baked Victoria sponge (pictured above). Sift your flour three times, use room-temperature ingredients, and don’t open the oven door during baking to ensure perfect results every time.

Battenberg cake

This lovely chequered cake was supposedly named in honour of the marriage of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter to Prince Louis of Battenberg in 1884. We had a go at making our own in the lovefood kitchen, using a very simple method...

Carrot cake

Mary Berry's version of carrot cake is topped with walnuts and cream cheese icing. It should only take about 10 minutes to prepare the cake mixture, and a few more to construct once baked. Wonderfully moist, remember to keep it refrigerated for a perfect serve. 

Scones

An essential component of a cream tea, but these scones are slightly different from the norm. John Torode has made his with ginger and Greek yoghurt, then used cream and black cherry jam for the filling.

Swiss Roll

You might (fairly) argue that this isn't an English cake, but since this lemon Swiss Roll has been devised by the Hairy Bikers, we feel it's fair to lay claim to it this time around. A delicious lemon curd in rolled up, delightfully light, sponge.

Gluten-free Bakewell tart

If you have a problem with gluten, here's good news: you can still enjoy Bakewell tart. A few ingredients need replacing with gluten-free versions, but the almond paste and fresh raspberry filling are still present. Top with flaked almonds and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Eccles cakes

Chef Tristan Welch packs his eccles cakes with plump sultanas (as opposed to the usual currants), spices, orange zest and walnuts, encasing it all with golden puff pastry. Remember to sprinkle your eccles with sugar before baking, to give a sweet crust.

Honey cake with buttercream

From the simplest ingredients, a stunning result can be achieved. This light, sweet cake, is flavoured with honey and topped with absolutely irresistible honeyed buttercream. The best part? It's ready within an hour. On your marks...

West country cake

A bramley apple sponge topped with pretty glazed strawberries. Let’s all go to the West Country for cake! Did you know that strawberries contain more vitamin C than oranges, are high in fibre, and are a good source of folic acid?

Gingerbread

Edd Kimber's wants to pass on his grandma's fantastic recipe for gingerbread to you. The flavour develops as the cake matures, so if you have the patience, keep it in a box in a cool, dark place for just a couple of days. However, it takes a lot of willpower to stop yourself diving in immediately.

Have we missed your favourite cake out? Talk to us in the Comments box below...

This is a classic loveFOOD article that has been updated

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