Wondering what the best English desserts are? There are so many great options! From sticky toffee pudding, to sponge cake, tarts and more! Here are 25+ of the BEST British dessert recipes to try!
Below are some classic British dessert recipes that you may or may not have tried.
They’re all decadent, delicious, and loved worldwide!
Easy English Desserts to Try!
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Sticky toffee pudding features a delightfully dense sponge cake made with dates that’s topped with a rich toffee sauce.Recipe: Live Well Bake Often
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Bakewell Tart
Bakewell tart is a sweet shortcrust pastry tart filled with raspberry jam and frangipane, sprinkled with sliced almonds. Step-by-step photos help you bake this gorgeous tart!Recipe: Confessions of a Baking Queen
Bakewell Tart
Fudge Chocolate Orange Pudding Cake
Chocolate Orange Pudding Cake is delicious and so simple to mix together, making it an easy weeknight dessert. The flavour combination of orange and chocolate is a match made in heaven. Recipe: Life Around the Table
Chocolate Orange Pudding Cake
Raspberry Eton Mess
Raspberry Eton Mess is a delicious dessert. It’s made of whipped cream, raspberries and crushed meringue cookies that are swirled together. Recipe: Baking with Butter
Raspberry Eton Mess
Citrus Posset
This blood orange and lime citrus posset is tangy, creamy, and sweet all in one bite – and you only need 3 ingredients and it comes together in 6 easy steps!Recipe: Culinary Cartel
Citrus Posset
Classic English Trifle
The English trifle is a quintessential dessert that has graced British tables for more than five centuries. A layered dessert that starts off with a base of sponge cake or pound cake, perhaps soaked in alcohol—but, followed by a thick layer of creamy custard, then a layer of fruit preserve. Recipe: The Spice Odyssey
Classic English Trifle
Victoria Sponge
With just seven ingredients, a simple Victoria sponge cake is a classic for a reason. Layer with Chantilly cream and jam for a beautiful dessert.Recipe: The Baked Collective
Victoria Sponge
Eve’s Pudding with Blackberries
Eve’s Pudding with Blackberries & Apples: Traditionally made with apples and topped with a light sponge cake topping but this one has the sweet and colourful addition of blackberries. Recipe: Lavender and Lovage
Eve’s Pudding with Blackberries
Earl Grey Tea Yogurt Cake with Earl Grey Glaze
This Earl Grey Tea Yogurt Cake is a fragrant cake, super soft, very easy to make and full of Earl Grey flavor.Recipe: Milk and Pop
Earl Grey Yogurt Cake
Homemade Jaffa Cakes
Homemade Jaffa Cakes – A British classic. Biscuit sized cakes topped with an orange jelly and sealed with dark chocolate!Recipe: Marsha's Baking Addiction
Homemade Jaffa Cakes
Vegan Jam Tarts
Vegan jam tarts with a buttery shortcrust pastry and easy homemade raspberry jam. You only need 6 ingredients to make these classic tarts!Recipe: Rainbow Nourishments
Jam Tarts
Bread and Butter Pudding
An iconic British dessert this bread and butter pudding is a favorite among all! And this one is made with brown butter! Recipe: Confessions of a Baking Queen
Bread and Butter Pudding
Treacle Tart
Harry Potter’s favorite dessert, Treacle Tart is full of luscious caramel flavor all wrapped up in a lovely no-roll shortbread crust. Recipe: A Communal Table
Treacle Tart
Banoffee Pie with Salted Caramel Custard
A twist on the traditional banoffee pie, using a blind baked pie crust, salted caramel custard, fresh bananas, and vanilla whipped cream.Recipe: Cloudy Kitchen
Banoffee Pie with Salted Caramel Custard
Vegan Jam Roly-Poly
Vegan jam roly-poly – this easy classic British pudding of suet pastry rolled up with jam and steamed in the oven is hearty and comforting.Recipe: Domestic Gothess
Jam Roly Poly
Eccles Cakes
These sweet and flaky Eccles cakes are filled with the most delicious combination of currants, sugar and sweet spice. Recipe: Little Sugar Snaps
Eccles Cakes
Orange and Cranberry Chelsea Buns
This recipe for orange and cranberry Chelsea buns is perfect for your festive table! Sweet, sticky, fluffy buns, full of festive flavours!Recipe: Anna Banana
Orange and Cranberry Chelsea Buns
Easy Welsh Cakes
Welsh Cakes ~ like a cross between a pancake and a scone, these sweet, buttery breakfast cakes are a delicious Welsh tradition!Recipe: The View From Great Island
Welsh Cakes
Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie made with delicate peaks of golden-brown meringue, creamy and tart lemon curd filling, and flaky pie crust is the best homemade pie ever! Recipe: Ahead of Thyme
Lemon Meringue Pie
Coconut Macaroon Recipe
This simple and tasty Coconut Macaroon Recipe makes a nutty, cookie-like treat perfect for any occasion!Recipe: I Wash You Dry
Coconut Macaroon
Millionaire Shortbread
Millionaire shortbread features a buttery shortbread crust, a gooey caramel filling, and a rich chocolate ganache topping. Decadent and rich!Recipe: Live Well Bake Often
Millionaire Shortbread
Maple Cinnamon Rice Pudding
Maple syrup, cinnamon, and brown sugar – your classic fall flavors wrapped up in a comforting bowl of rice pudding that’s so easy to make!Recipe: Broken Oven Baking
Maple Cinnamon Rice Pudding
One Bowl Lemon Drizzle Cake
This one bowl lemon cake has the perfect ratio of sweet and tart, it’s tender, moist with a wonderful lemon flavor. Recipe: The Lady In Jeans Bake
Lemon Drizzle Cake
Simply Delicious Viennese Whirls
These incredible Viennese Whirls are your new favourite sandwich cookie. What’s not to love with tender shortbread, buttercream and jam!Recipe: Emma Duckworth Bakes
Viennese Whirls
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars
A simple recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars, that combines a jammy sweet fruit filling surrounded by shortbread.Recipe: Emma Duckworth Bakes
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars
Earl Grey Crème Brûlée Tart
This Earl Grey Crème Brûlée Tart combines a tea-infused creamy custard with a signature brûlée crunch. Its perfection.Recipe: Emma Duckworth Bakes
Earl Grey Crème Brûlée Tart
Slow Cooker Golden Syrup Sponge
This slow cooker golden syrup sponge pudding is so easy you’ll want to make it all the time! Light, fluffy and completely divine.Recipe: Something Sweet Something Savoury
Golden Syrup Sponge
Lemon Treacle Tart
This lemon treacle tart is the perfect marriage of crisp pastry and sticky filling, sweet syrup and tart lemon.Recipe: Emily Leary
Lemon Treacle Tart
How to Make Ahead and Store
Many of these recipes can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for a few days or even in the freezer. Simply check the individual recipes for full storing instructions and details on how to make ahead.
More National Dessert Recipes to Try
Did you Make Any of These Classic British Desserts?
Please leave a comment and rating below, if you loved this round up of British dessert recipes. Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
For more great Platings and Pairings recipes, be sure to follow me on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and Facebook.
Full Recipe
25+ British Desserts to Try
Wondering what the best British desserts are? There are so many great options! From sticky toffee pudding, to sponge cake, tarts and more! Here are 25+ of the BEST British dessert recipes to try! Start with this Custard Tart. Made with vanilla-infused custard and blackberry jam.
Print
Pin
Serves 6 people
Equipment
- Tart pan
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (divided)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup very cold unsalted butter (cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1 stick))
- 2-4 Tablespoons ice water
Custard Filling:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 4 Tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 vanilla bean (seeds scraped, or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (cubed)
- 3 Tablespoons blackberry jam
- Fresh blackberries (to garnish)
Instructions
- Add ¾ cup flour, sugar and salt to a food processor. Pulse 2 to 3 times until combined.
- Add butter and process until a dough begins to form, about 15 seconds.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Pulse 4 to 5 times until flour is evenly distributed. (Dough will be crumbly)
- Transfer to a medium bowl then sprinkle with 2 TBSP ice water. Using a rubber spatula, press the dough into itself. The crumbs should begin to form together. If you pinch some of the dough and it holds together, it’s ready. If the dough falls apart, add 1-2 more tablespoons of water and continue to press until dough comes together.
- Roll the dough into a ball and place on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten the ball into a disc, wrap with the plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm.
- Once the pie dough is ready, roll it out to about ⅛ inch thick, roughly the same shape as the tart pan.
- Press the dough into the tart pan. Pass a rolling pin over the top to trim the extra dough.
- Transfer the dough to the tart pan and press gently to form to the pan. Trim the edges.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the tart in the freezer for 15 minutes while your oven preheats.
- Gently pierce the bottom of the crust several times with the tines of a fork. Add a piece of parchment on top of the dough and weigh down with dried beans or pie weights.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the crust is golden.
- Let cool while you prepare the custard filling.
Custard filling:
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt.
- Slowly whisk in about a cup of milk until smooth, then whisk in the rest of the milk, cream, egg yolks and vanilla.
- Cook the custard over medium heat while whisking constantly, until it starts to thicken; about 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the butter.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes.
- Once the base and custard have cooled, spread the jam over the pastry.
- Spread the custard on top of the jam and refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until the filling is well chilled and set.
- Remove the sides of the tart pan, and garnish with fresh blackberries.
Notes
Storage: Cover the tart loosely, and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
If you don’t have a 14-inch long tart pan, you can also make this tart in a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom or a 9-inch deep-pie pan.
Nutrition
Calories: 511kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 169mg | Sodium: 418mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 1351IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!
Leave a Reply