Summertime baking

With the summer holidays right around the corner, exams ending and the beach within reach, it’s the perfect time to take up a hobby, make something yummy and fuel yourself for summer. I love baking and it is often seen as something more wintery, but I could not disagree more. Some of my favourite desserts and bakes are summer staples and add some flair to a family BBQ or summer hangout. After all, what better way to show someone you care than baked goods?

Before I delve into some of my favourite summer bakes, I want to explore the benefits of baking and why you should take it up or rediscover it this summer season. First and foremost, it is something productive to do with your time as we all take a long-anticipated break from uni and work. Additionally, it can be done on your own just as effectively as in a group and spending time alone when at home can be difficult to adjust to after the hustle and bustle of uni life. It is also very calming and is a practical skill away from any screen time. Watching the ingredients come together to make something is especially satisfying and as stated earlier, calming.

Now, onto my favourite summer bakes. There are many I really like and that vary in difficulty but all of them scream summer. When I think of summer and baking, I immediately think of fruit (specifically strawberries and raspberries) and mass amounts of cream. So, with that comes my first of four categories of bakes:

The traditional English cream ones
Eton Mess: this is always set to be a crowd pleaser and takes minimal effort, consisting of berries (strawberries and raspberries), cream and meringue all mixed together. It’s simple to make, tastes great and is light and refreshing.

Strawberry fool: akin to an Eton mess, strawberry fool is made up of pureed strawberries, cream and icing sugar. Also a minimal effort, low-cost dessert, it’s just what you fancy on a warm summer’s day.

Trifle: trifle has got to be my all-time favourite summer dessert. It can be made in many ways but should always be seen at summer BBQs, parties and soirees. Truffle generally consists of some sort of sponge, fruit, custard or cream and a topping of some description.

The biscuits and cakes
Victoria sponge: a classic cake and always good for summer. Why not fill it with strawberries and cream, or jam and cream?

Strawberry shortcake: also easy to make and tastes great, a strawberry shortcake consists of strawberries, cream and biscuits. What more could you want?

Treacle tart: very English, very sickly and very lovely, treacle tart is a pastry base with treacle filling. A slightly more difficult bake but very rewarding and sure to wow the people that you make it for.

Millionaire shortbread: another of my favourite bakes, not too much but enough to fuel that sweet treat craving. It does involve working with caramel which is slightly more difficult but give it a go.

Cheesecake
Cheesecakes are a great all-season dessert and can be made summery with fruit such as raspberries, strawberries or lemons. Some baking skill is definitely needed for these, but they taste great and are great in summer.

Ice cream
Ice creams: making ice cream was all the rage about ten years ago so why not bring it back? Making your own ice cream is not that tricky and tastes so much better. Plus, it’s healthier for you. You can also make homemade sorbet and even ice lollies – just buy some moulds, pop in some fruit and juice and go wild.

Knickerbocker glories  
Very English and very tasty, knickerbocker glories are iconic for their long glasses and long-stemmed spoons. A kid’s classic full of ice cream, cream, sauce and sometimes meringue it is easy to make very summery and very refreshing.