Timeless Christmas baking recipes every home baker will love

There is something quietly reassuring about baking. This recipe collection brings together four timeless bakes, each offering its own gentle indulgence. From the bright, zesty lift of a lemon tea cake to the deep warmth of coffee and walnuts, from soft butter cupcakes crowned with cream frosting to delicate cream-filled sandwiches, these recipes are perfect for festive tables or moments when only something homemade will do. Simple to prepare yet deeply satisfying, they celebrate the enduring joy of classic baking.

Merry Christmas!

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

LEMON TEA CAKE WITH GLACE ICING

Ingredients

4 eggs

275g castor sugar

Zest of 3 lemons, plus lemon juice

275g flour, sifter

1 tsp baking powder

130ml cream

65g butter, melted

200g icing sugar

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease the pan. Whisk eggs and sugar until foamy. Add lemon zest and whisk in flour and baking powder. Whisk in cream and gently fold in the batter. Pour the mixture into a cake pan and bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until the tops of the cakes are golden brown and springy to the touch. Remove from oven and cool. To make icing, mix the icing sugar with enough lemon juice to form a thick paste.

Spread over the top of the cooled cake and leave to set.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

WALNUT COFFEE CUPCAKES

Ingredients

For the cupcakes —

170g butter, softened

170g castor sugar

A pinch of salt

3 medium eggs

170g self-rising flour, sifted

85g walnuts, finely chopped, plus walnut halves for garnish

For the icing —

3 tsp instant coffee

125g butter, softened

85g icing sugar

Method

Heat the oven to 170°C/mark 3. Arrange 20 fairy-cake cases on 2 fairy-cake or slightly larger muffin trays. Beat the butter, sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy, then gradually beat in two eggs. Fold in one tablespoon of flour, then beat in the third egg. Tip in the rest of the flour and the chopped walnuts and lightly fold into the butter mixture. Using a spoon, divide the mixture between the paper cases. Bake for 15 minutes or until the mixture is firm and springy to the touch. Leave to cool on a cake rack. Meanwhile, for the icing, dissolve the instant coffee in 1½ teaspoons of boiling water. Leave until cold. Beat the softened butter and icing sugar until fluffy, then beat in the coffee. Once the cakes are completely cold, spread the icing over the top of each one and decorate with a walnut half.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

BUTTER CAKES WITH CREAM FROSTING

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1½ cups sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

2/3 cup milk   

1 recipe cream frosting (below)

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line twenty-four 2½ inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium-high for about 1 minute. Add sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Add flour mixture in two additions, alternating with milk and beating on low after each addition until combined. Fill lined cups about 2/3 full. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Fill and/or frost as directed. After frosting, refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.

Cream frosting —

In a large mixing bowl, beat ½ cup (1 stick) of softened butter with a mixer for 30 seconds. Gradually beat in one cup of powdered sugar. Beat in 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tbsp milk. Use at once or refrigerate up to 3 days. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before using.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

CREAM SANDWICHES

Ingredients

For the cookies —

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

10 tbsp (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1½ cups sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla essence

For the filling —

7½ ounces best-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup heavy cream

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make cookies — Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Put butter and sugar in the bowl. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, vanilla. Mix until smooth. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Using a 1-inch ice-cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake until golden and just set, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on parchment on wire racks. Melt white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat; whisk in cream in a slow, steady stream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Assemble cookies —

Spread 1 tablespoon filling onto the bottom of one cookie; sandwich with another. Repeat. Cookies can be refrigerated between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 2 days.