The Great British Baking Show Is Back! Here Are 12 Show-Stopping Desserts to Celebrate With
Serious Eats / Vicky WasikWhen I lived in Britain as a college student, my friends and I had weekly dessert potlucks where we gathered to watch new episodes of The Great British Bake Off (known as The Great British Baking Show in the US). As we crowded around a small laptop screen, we tucked into slices of banoffee pie, spoonfuls of trifle, and tiny little cream puffs. We chuckled and groaned as contestants dropped their cakes on the floor or presented pies with soggy bottoms to the judges. At the end of the evening, we all mused on what we’d bake next week—and whether any of us had the chops to compete on the show.Though I no longer live in the UK, I still enthusiastically welcome each new episode of The Great British Baking Show by whipping up an assortment of baked goods for myself and, occasionally, my neighbors. To celebrate the arrival of the show’s 12th season, we put together a list of fun bakes—including tender shortbread and an airy genoise sponge—that you can make from the comfort of your own home. So get your mixer out, have your spatula at the ready, and preheat those ovens. Ready…set…bake!Millionaire’s ShortbreadSerious Eats / Amanda SuarezIn the US, millionaire’s shortbread is often disappointing and overly sweet. I took it upon myself to create the best possible homemade version—one with a tender, crumbly shortbread base and a deeply flavored, just-salty-enough butterscotch filling. A topping of dark chocolate is just bittersweet enough to prevent it from being unbearably cloying.Old-Fashioned Jelly RollVicky WasikA rose by any other name would smell as sweet, and a Swiss roll by any other name—be it a jelly roll or roulade—would be just as delicious. Stella Parks’ take on this pretty dessert produces a light, airy cake that remains pliable, making it easy to roll.Victoria SpongeSerious Eats / Amanda SuarezThis classic British dessert consists of strawberry jam and whipped cream between two tender sponge cakes lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Also known as the Victoria sandwich, the cake is named after Queen Victoria, who reportedly enjoyed the dessert daily as part of her afternoon tea.Cream PuffsVicky WasikComposed of just two versatile elements—pâte à choux and the filling of your choice—these cream puffs are a cinch to whip up. For a satisfying dessert, fill them with pastry cream, whipped cream, or crème légère, or turn them into profiteroles by sandwiching them with ice cream.Shortbread CookiesSerious Eats / Amanda SuarezThese shortbread cookies are rich and buttery, with a tender, crumbly texture that melts in your mouth. With a dough that comes together in one bowl and takes just five minutes to make, this recipe is easy as can be.Sticky Toffee PuddingSerious Eats / Amanda SuarezDrenched in a sumptuous sauce of butter and brown sugar, sticky toffee pudding is a beloved British cake that gets its deep caramel notes from dates. Though some British establishments steam it for a slightly softer and moister version, most iterations of the dessert today, including ours, are baked.Eton MessSerious Eats/Amanda SuarezWith heaps of whipped cream, ripe berries, and crisp meringues that are just beginning to soften, Eton mess is everything you want in a light dessert. And if you don’t feel like making your meringues from scratch, store-bought is just fine.Mixed Berry TrifleSerious Eats / Amanda Suarez“The trifle was once considered an unfashionable cliché,” writes contributor Nicola Lamb, “but thanks to its irresistible retro charm, the dessert has firmly re-established its place as a party classic across the UK.” It’s a fun and delicious combination of wobbly fruit jelly, genoise sponge cake, crème légère, and whipped cream layered in a giant glass bowl. Perfectly suited for enjoying while you watch the Great British Baking Show, if we do say so ourselves.5-Ingredient British Banoffee PieSerious Eats / Amanda SuarezOur minimal-effort take on this classic recipe requires nothing more than some butter, a packet of cookies (or biscuits, in British parlance), a can of sweetened condensed milk, several bananas, and a carton of heavy cream—and a block of chocolate for shaving on top, if you’re feeling fancy.Genoise SpongeSerious Eats / Amanda SuarezThis elegant, airy cake is the foundation for many desserts, and it frequently makes an appearance on the Great British Baking Show, where bakers carefully fold their flour into whipped eggs and sugar to avoid deflating the fragile batter. Have no fear, though: Our straightforward recipe is foolproof and produces a light, tender cake with the finest crumb possible.Classic ÉclairsVicky WasikPoking holes in éclairs after they’ve baked allows steam to escape and prevents the pastries from softening. There are no soggy bottoms here—just delightfully crisp pâte à choux filled with pastry cream and glazed with bittersweet dark chocolate.Chocolate-Covered Digestive BiscuitsVicky WasikIn her rendition of this popular British snack, Stella uses a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flours to create flavorful biscuits with just the right amount of crunch. Topped with a thick layer of milk or dark chocolate, they’re delicious eaten on their own—or dipped into a cup of tea.
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