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. 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.” Mini egg brownies: “Because you’re just topping the brownie with mini eggs, this is a great choice if you don’t enjoy cake decorating,” says Mendez 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.” Jammy Easter egg biscuits: “These are so much fun to make with kids, they look like little eggs,” says Mendez 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.” Grapefruit loaf cake: “During spring I love making bakes which use citrus fruit or floral flavours,” says Mendez 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.” Pistachio, lemon and raspberry friands: “These are perfect if you’re having a tea party or having friends over, they look great but are so, so simple to make,” says Mendez