Baking was one of the nation’s favourite pastimes over the lockdowns in 2020, as everyone turned to their kitchens to provide them with a fun, tasty activity to do at home.

Now, with National Baking Week coming up from 14 to 20 October, it’s once again the perfect time to pretend that you’re Paul Hollywood or Prue Leith and reignite that baking passion.

So, fire up the oven and get the flour, sugar, and eggs ready to make the most of these 10 recipes for National Baking Week.

1. Lemon drizzle

Lemon drizzle is a great cake because it’s so simple to make, and yet still so delicious.

The combination of tangy lemons and sweetness of sugar in the drizzle that you put over the top creates a gorgeous, moist cake that’s truly hard to beat.

This recipe comes from The Great British Bake-Off veteran Mary Berry, so you can be confident that this “showstopper” has plenty of “star” quality!

2. Custard cupcakes

This custard cupcake recipe is a fun twist on fairy cakes, adding a gooey custard centre to an all-time classic.

Simply follow the standard cupcake recipe. Then, once they’ve been out of the oven and cooled down a bit, slice them in half and add a healthy spoon of custard to each one.

You can also add some extra flavours if you fancy, such as peanut butter or strawberry jam.

3. Bakewell tarts

Bakewell tarts are one of the harder treats to make, but this recipe takes away a lot of the heavy lifting by suggesting that you use shop-bought pastry instead of making your own.

The frangipane centre of these classic tarts combines brilliantly with the sweet flavour of the icing and glacé cherries on top.

4. Courgette, lime, and chocolate loaf

While it may sound like an unusual combination, this courgette, lime, and chocolate cake is a fantastic and easy loaf to bake.

The courgette in this cake functions just like carrot in carrot cake, providing natural sugars and a mouth-watering texture.

As a result, it tastes remarkably sweet, and pairs beautifully with the ample chocolate chips in this recipe.

5. Chocolate fudge cake

Everyone loves a chocolate fudge cake, and this easy recipe makes it as accessible as ever.

In just five simple steps, you can make a delicious, double-layered fudge cake with the perfect balance of rich cocoa and sweet fudge.

Make sure you put plenty of icing in the middle and on the top to give it that proper, squidgy feel that every good chocolate fudge cake needs.

6. Dorset apple cake

Dorset apple cake is a traditional English favourite, hailing from the south coast.

The cake itself is just a simple scone mixture with cooking apples throughout to give the sharp, tangy taste that only the fruit can provide.

You can also add raisins or sultanas into the mixture to add some extra texture and flavour.

With demerara sugar on top to keep it crispy, and beautifully soft cake inside, this is one that’s best eaten on the day.

7. Microwave chocolate cake

Microwave cake often feels like cheating compared to oven baking, but the cake you get in return is well worth it.

Simply bash all the ingredients into a microwave-safe mug, give it a good mix, and then cook it at full power in the microwave for around a minute and 45 seconds.

Just like that, you have a delicious, fudgy cake with none of the hassle.

8. Fruit tea loaf

An old English classic that you don’t see as often now, fruit tea loaf involves pre-soaking raisins and sultanas in tea overnight.

This age-old method keeps the fruit plump and juicy, creating a cake that’s fluffed up and delicious.

The recipe also includes mixed spice, a combination of different spices including cinnamon, ground coriander, nutmeg, and ginger cloves to give this cake its unique flavour.

Slather with butter and jam and you’re ready to go for afternoon tea.

9. Banana and date cake

You may have got too good at baking regular old banana bread over the past year, so take a look at this alternative version including dates.

This recipe has you cook the dates in dark rum to give them a deep, smoky flavour. You can replace the rum with orange juice to make it appropriate for children.

No doubt you’ve already learned the tricks of the trade for banana bread but, just in case you aren’t an expert yet, make sure to use bananas that are already spotty and ready to turn brown.

The fruits are reaching their sweetest at this point, making them perfect for use in baking.

10. Shortbread

A classic recipe, shortbread is as easy to make as it is delicious.

Shortbread has that great, crunchy texture of a biscuit with the sweet, buttery flavour of a cake.

This recipe includes just three ingredients: flour, butter and caster sugar. Even better, it only takes 20 minutes to put together, making it the ideal baked treat for those working with a busy schedule.