Fabulous and fruity summer cakes and desserts
Go bananas for these recipes
Mango, lime and coconut panna cotta
Lime zest gives this panna cotta a beautiful green colour, while mango purée and coconut cream make it sweet and creamy. Once set it’s topped with fresh mango and more zest. Altogether it's a stunning, light dessert on warmer days.
Passion fruit key lime pie
A tropical twist on a traditional key lime pie, this version is quick and easy to make. It has a crumbly base made from digestive biscuits and a sweet filling made from passion fruit, lime juice and zest, egg yolks and condensed milk.
Lemon drizzle cake
Moist and moreish, lemon drizzle cake always hits the spot when you fancy something sweet. This recipe includes buttermilk which makes it lovely and light. When it comes out of the oven, it’s doused in lemon syrup, which once cooled gives it a crunchy glaze.
Lemon cream tart
This recipe is slightly more complex but well worth it for lemon lovers. The filling ingredients are whipped to create a voluptuous velvety cream. If you like a baking challenge, you can make a fresh pastry case, otherwise buy one ready-made to save time.
Lemon thyme, honey and almond cake
This is a good alternative to a lemon drizzle cake. It’s super moist and lemony, but more dense as it’s made from ground almonds. It can keep for up to 10 days in an airtight container and the flavours continue to develop over time. When you go to eat it, serve it with Greek yogurt.
Lemon meringue pie
Go big or go home with a towering lemon meringue pie. It’s relatively speedy as it’s finished with a blowtorch rather than in the oven. You could also buy a ready-made pastry case to make it even quicker.
Peach puff tart
Peach and amaretto (a sweet Italian liqueur) go so well together and this puff pastry tart is easy but looks impressive. You can swap peaches and cinnamon for peaches and lavender or strawberries with balsamic vinegar for a different twist.
Peach and blackberry tart
Swap plain flour for oat flour to make a rustic and wholesome galette. You can fill it with whatever fruit you fancy. Sweet peaches complement tart blackberries, and the contrasting colours look fabulous.
Plum and apple crumble
We love crumble for a simple dessert. This one is filled with juicy plum and apple pieces, and the golden buttery crumble melts in your mouth. You can make it in one big dish or individual ramekins.
Plum frangipane tart
If you like frangipane you’ll love this tart. Rich and seductive plum jam is layered with velvety almond cream, decorated with plum slices, and baked. You could also experiment with other stone fruit like apricots and peaches.
Stone fruit and marzipan crumble
This isn’t your average crumble. It starts with caramelised peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots. Next it’s topped with a marzipan, orange flower water and a mix of ground almonds, plain flour and butter to form a crust, which complements the stone fruit perfectly.
Apple and lemon sandwich cake
Why not try this fruity alternative to a vanilla sandwich cake? It contains grated apple which makes the sponge moist. Meanwhile, the lemon curd and whipped cream filling is super light and fresh – just be sure to add the cream the day you plan to eat it.
Pear and prune cobbler
We love a cobbler with its crumbly and buttery biscuit dumplings. This one uses tinned pears and prunes which makes it easy and speedy. However, you could swap in other fruit such as blackberries and apples, depending on the season.
Quince clafoutis
This pretty dessert tastes as good as it looks. A clafoutis is fruit cooked in batter, and this one contains tart pieces of quince fruit in a caramelly pudding. Serve it with refreshing yogurt sorbet for a casual dessert.
Caramelised fig semolina loaf
When you're in the mood for making something sophisticated, this semolina and ground almond cake is just the ticket. Orange juice, zest and orange blossom water (made with the fragrant flowers of an orange tree) make it sweet and floral. It has a lovely crust with sticky, chewy pieces of fig baked into the top.
Banoffee pie
Similar to banana cream pie in the US, banoffee pie is a British favourite. Crushed biscuits make the base, followed by a layer of rosemary-infused caramel, banana slices and whipped cream.
Banana and peanut butter crumble
A crumble but not as you know them. This one's filling is caramelised bananas and dates, and the topping is nutty and spiced. Excellent with a silky, homemade almond milk and cardamom custard or your favourite shop-bought brand.
Pineapple sorbet
If you’ve never made sorbet, now is the time to try. It’s much easier than you think, requiring a freezer, blender and three ingredients: tinned pineapple, lime juice and coconut flakes. The result is a super sweet and sharp summer treat.
Tropical fruit pavlova
Miraculously, this pavlova is entirely vegan. Chickpea water, known as aquafaba, replaces egg whites to make a light and crunchy meringue, and coconut milk makes a luxurious filling. We love how the fruit topping is also non-traditional with pineapple, kiwi and passion fruit.
Shortbread and watermelon granita
Nothing says luxury like a watermelon granita made from real watermelon, pomegranate, lime juice and zest, and mint leaves. A drizzle of prosecco over the top is a fabulous finishing touch. Dainty shortbreads are a wonderful accompaniment.
Pomegranate cake
An extraordinary cake that’s light, moist and rich. It’s made with a combination of ground almonds and plain flour, then infused with pomegranate molasses (using the same technique as lemon drizzle cake). It’s topped with mascarpone icing and jewel-like pomegranate seeds.
Clementine upside-down cake
This is a modern twist on a pineapple upside-down cake. It uses clementines which turn fairly sour when cooked and are lovely against the bittersweet caramel and heady cardamom.
Baked blueberry cheesecake
A hearty and decadent baked cheesecake. It has a ginger nut base, a rich filling made with sour cream, cream cheese and eggs, and is studded with juicy blueberries.
Blueberry and honey cornbread
If you’ve got too many blueberries, this is the ideal recipe to use them. The centre of the honey and lemon cornbread is bursting with the juicy fruit and looks incredible. It’s brushed with a honey butter glaze to give it a lovely sheen.
Berry crumble
This low-effort crumble is made without using any sugar or flour. Berries of your choice are stewed with dates for sweetness, plus cinnamon and nutmeg. They’re then topped with golden oats and ground almonds.
Blackberry cake
The cake to make after a long day blackberry picking. It’s super easy and contains a hint of brandy. It's great served with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or a little crème fraîche.
Strawberry and buttermilk ice cream
This quick and easy ice cream won’t fail to impress. Made with fresh strawberries, buttermilk and sour cream, it has a striking pink colour, sherbet-like texture and isn’t too rich.
Cherry and almond galette
A rustic cherry galette screams summer. It has a coarse almond-flavoured crust that encases rich, in-season baked cherries. Perfect with vanilla ice cream or a blob of crème fraîche.
Chocolate cherry cheesecake
Chocolate and cherry is an age-old combination and the pair work wonderfully in this not-too-sweet cheesecake that looks as stunning as it tastes delicious. Serve it with fresh whole cherries or cherry compote, and sour cream.
Dark chocolate and cherry sheet cake
This large sheet cake is just the thing to lift your mood any time of day. It’s a light sponge with a crusty surface and hearty chunks of juicy cherries and bitter dark chocolate.
Get the recipe for dark chocolate and cherry sheet cake here
Raspberry and meringue ice cream cake
On a day when you have a bit more time, this is the ideal project. Two homemade meringues are stacked with vanilla ice cream, raspberry sorbet, whipped cream and fresh raspberries to form a cake. You could even challenge yourself to make the sorbet and ice cream from scratch as well.
Get the recipe for raspberry and meringue ice cream cake here
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