National Baking Week 2025
It's National Baking Week, and UK Chocolate Week. We do not need any more encouragement to eat cake and chocolate but this is a great time to highlight some of the great products we have tested since launching in October 2010. Over the last fifteen years we have met a fantastic collection of independent producers.
Topping our list is Honeybuns, who have been a firm favourite from the start with their gluten-free cakes. Their story is inspiring and we were amazed at how well they run their kitchens and maintain their land. In 2013 we spent a weekend glamping to discover more. It is great to see that now, with over 27 years of baking, the brand is still growing while keeping to their original ethos.
For National Baking Week they are sharing some of their best tips for perfect baking, having mastered their craft over the last few decades.
- When making cakes, brownies and other beaten mixtures, ensure your ingredients are at room temperature and not straight from the fridge. If you add anything too hot or cold it can cause the mixture to shrink during cooking.
- When adding ingredients to a mixing bowl, always 'sandwich' the baking powder between other dry ingredients, such as flours or sugar.
- If your mixture includes beaten eggs, be careful not to pour warm melted butter or chocolate directly onto the eggs, as the heat may cause them to scramble.
For more tips to creating the perfect bake, Honeybuns have a few helpful, innovative cook books offering uncomplicated recipes made with store cupboard ingredients, that are vegetarian and gluten free, with additional dairy-free and vegan options. Browse their collection and shop now for your favourite cake recipes.
If you prefer to buy direct, a bit like us since we have the cookbook but still buy the bakes, then you can order online now for home delivery.
UK Chocolate Week, also running this week, aims to highlight some of the best chocolate-makers the UK (and world) has to offer. We have followed their journey since 2011 and even partnered with Discover Cacoa organising chocolate events in Surrey. If you cannot make chocolate your 'go-to' this week, check out www.discovercacao.com for their upcoming events.