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The best baking cookbooks

by Jessica Lockyer-Palmer

published on 2 January 2024

Whether you’re a kneading newbie or a pastry pro, there’s something for everyone in this round-up of our favourite baking cookbooks. From three-ingredient bakes to multi-tiered cakes, these are well-tested, accessible recipes you can rely on for endless inspiration and accomplished results.

Jane’s Patisserie: Celebrate!

by Jane Dunn

Jane Dunn, the internet baking sensation, returns with her second cookbook, packed full of recipes for celebrating every occasion. From Halloween cupcakes, Christmas treats, birthday cookies, cocktail-themed cupcakes, and more, Jane has created decadent sweet treats for celebrating all year round.

Batch Baking

by Cynthia Barcomi

Baking expert, author, and TV presenter Cynthia Barcomi aims to make it even easier for home bakers to enjoy delicious treats from the comfort of their own home. Batch Baking is unlike other baking books you might have on your shelf, providing you with 70 recipes for make-ahead doughs, batters, and dry mixes, that can be transformed in minutes into delicious home-baked treats – with plenty of vegan and gluten free options included.

Nadiya Bakes

Whether you’re a novice baker or total pro, there’s something in this book for everyone, with fun, creative, and totally unique recipes. Every page is infused with Nadiya’s warmth and enthusiasm, and with her straightforward, step-by-step instructions you can be confident every bake will deliver.

Bake With Jack

by Jack Sturgess

Jack Sturgess is a professional chef turned bread maker, demonstrator, and educator on a mission to demystify bread making. Bake With Jack: Bread Every Day is all about making great bread, minus the fuss. With his many years of bread-making experience, Jack has mastered all the tricks of the trade, and Bread Every Day is designed to let readers in on the secrets of a perfect loaf. This user-friendly book will help you to get your head around thirty kinds of bread, including classic sandwich loaves, bloomers, rolls, rye, ciabatta, focaccia, fruit breads and sweet buns, pitta and bagels, sourdough, and pizza dough.

Sweet

by Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh

If you’ve ever wandered into an Ottolenghi deli and found yourself mesmerised by the counter of baked goods, this one’s for you. In his first cookbook dedicated to all things sweet, Ottolenghi goes back to his pastry chef roots with his go-to fellow baker, Helen Goh. Full of beautifully-shot inspiration for all manner of bakes (including all of your deli favourites) it promises precise and easy instructions and results that deliver Ottolenghi levels of flavour and presentation, every time.

Jane’s Patisserie

by Jane Dunn

Jane Dunn, the baker behind the website Jane’s Patisserie, is somewhat of a baking sensation. Adored for her easy, customisable bakes, she has amassed hundred of thousands of devoted followers who never miss the opportunity to try out her latest gooey-centred NYC-style cookie, drip cake, no-bake cheesecake or loaf recipe. Her first cookbook brings together the most popular recipes from her website, alongside all-new recipes, and is a must for bakers of all levels.

Baking School

by Justin Gellatly, Matthew Jones, Louise Gellatly

A practical and realistic manual for bakers of all levels, Baking School is the cookbook from popular London bakery, Bread Ahead. The ultimate guide to successful baking at home, it teaches readers what is possible using just basic household equipment and a passion for all things dough. Divided into chapters based on different cuisines, it includes recipes for bread, biscuits, pastries and more from across the world, from Italian focaccia to Finnish piparkakut. And don’t miss the recipe for their instafamous doughnuts too.

Fitwaffle’s Baking It Easy

by Eloise Head

Eloise Head, known as Fitwaffle to her 3 million strong tribe of social media followers, is a baking sensation, adored by her fans for her fun, easy-to-recreate and indulgent bakes. In Fitwaffle’s Baking It Easy, her first cookbook, Eloise shares 100 of her easiest cakes, cookies, traybakes and puddings, half of which are made with only 3 ingredients and the rest with only 4 or 5. From everyday ideas to special occasion bakes, Eloise proves you don’t need endless ingredient lists and complicated techniques to deliver crowd-pleasing results.

The Violet Bakery Cookbook

by Claire Ptak

Claire Ptak hit superstardom in 2018 when Harry and Meghan chose her to bake their wedding cake. Bringing the bakes of her hugely popular East London-based bakery to your home, The Violet Bakery Cookbook is a great choice for adventurous bakers who like experimenting with new flavours and techniques, and incorporating seasonal fruit into their bakes.

Three Ingredient Baking

by Sarah Rainey

Tapping into the trend of the moment, Three Ingredient Baking features 100 bakes made with just, you guessed it, three ingredients. This is a cookbook that proves you don’t need a store-cupboard full of ingredients to make accomplished breads, brownies, cakes, biscuits and more. All you need is a little baking alchemy and Sarah’s easy-to-follow instructions.

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Gifts

by Biscuiteers

From the popular Notting Hill Bakery, Biscuiteers, this cookbook demonstrates all of the essential recipes and techniques behind their awe-inspiring biscuits. From different types of dough and icing skills, to how to make different biscuit designs, this book is a treasure trove of ideas for the baker wanting to expand and refine their skills.

Six-Minute Showstoppers

by Sarah Rainey

“What can you do in six minutes? What if I told you could bake an entire cake from scratch?”, starts Sarah Rainey’s Six-Minute Showstoppers, a collection of cakes, bakes, biscuits, party treats, retro classics, breakfast bites, and a whole Choca Mocha Cake that can be whipped up in just six minutes flat. For beginner bakers or time-poor cooks with a sweet tooth to satisfy.

Stork: The Art of Home Baking

Stork: The Art of Home Baking marks 100 years of the iconic British margarine brand with 100 recipes spanning breads and brownies, cakes and biscuits, tarts and desserts. With archive material and vintage packaging, this is a nostalgic baking book for classic bakers.

Comfort

Candice Brown’s debut cookbook, Comfort, is full of the showstoppers and signature bakes you’d expect from someone who made it all the way past Paul and Mary to be crowned the winner of GBBO 2016. From a triple-tier Victoria sponge, to her beloved nan’s florentines, Comfort is full of nostalgic and accessible bakes.

Natural Baking

by Carolin Strothe, Sebastian Keitel

Seeking healthier cakes and bakes that don’t compromise on flavour? This cookbook is the one for you. With 70 well-tested recipes, Natural Baking will show you how to rely on easy-to-source sugar alternatives and in-season ingredients to create low-sugar bakes with no compromise on flavour.

Primrose Bakery Everyday

by Martha Swift

Featuring over 100 easy bakes from the much-loved North London-based bakery, Primrose Bakery Everyday spans seasonal bakes for every occasion, from what to make for a celebration to what to bake to accompany your cup of tea.

Mary Berry’s Baking Bible

Mary Berry’s Baking Bible is an indispensable kitchen companion for anyone wanting to learn the secret to fail-safe cakes and bakes. Featuring over 250 classics, you’ll find cakes, meringues, muffins, scones, bread and more. Whatever you fancy baking, there’s a recipe to guide you all the way through to the first bite.

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