A collection of easy and delicious baking recipes. Cakes, cookies, pavlovas, brownies … there is something here for every occasion! Included are birthday cake recipes and gluten-free cake recipes.

Galette des Rois with Frangipane

Celebrate the Epiphany with this classic Galette des Rois with Frangipane, also known as a French King’s Cake. What is a Galette des Rois? A Galette des Rois is a cake or tart which is traditionally eat in France on 6 January to celebrate the Epiphany. A Galette des Rois is comprised of a top and bottom layer of puff pastry, with a filling made from ground almonds (called a frangipane). Hidden inside

Read More

Reindeer Cookies

Everyone will love these adorable chocolate Reindeer Cookies at Christmas. Christmas Baking As someone who painfully lacks culinary artistic skills, I have been having a lot of fun in the kitchen lately making novelty cookies, like the Peanut Butter Spider Cookies which were a big hit at Halloween. It is worlds away from making something spectacular like a pristine-looking fondant covered cake with beautifully piped buttercream roses, but I have accepted long ago

Read More

Chocolate Gingerbread Bundt Cake

A Chocolate Gingerbread Bundt Cake for the festive season. Christmas Tree Bundt Pan In between all of the preparations for Christmas Day, not to mention the last minute shopping and gift-wrapping, I snuck in some time to use my Christmas tree bundt pan once more this year, thus making me feel a tiny bit more justified in purchasing this seasonal piece of kitchenware.

Gingerbread Sablé Cookies

Gingerbread Sablé Cookies, a Christmas twist on a traditional French butter cookie. Tips for using cookie stamps and embossed rolling pins. Sablé Cookies It’s that time of the year again to get out the Christmas cookie cutters and, this year, I’m having much fun with my newfound cookie stamps and cookie moulds.  I love the old-fashioned Swiss-style Christmas cookies, and I thought it would be fun to replicate them using a favourite family recipe.

French Cookies with Chocolate (Pétit Écolier)

Delicious homemade French Cookies with Chocolate, also called Pétit Beurre or Pétit Écolier. Pétit Beurre and Pétit Écolier As a child visiting my family in France and Switzerland, I always loved snacking on Petit Beurre cookies, especially those made by the French brand, Lu, and especially the ones which came with a bar of chocolate on top, called Petit écolier.

Gingerbread Man Cookies

Easy gingerbread man cookies with step-by-step photos, including tips for making a gingerbread man garland. These gingerbread cookies are perfect to give as gifts or to decorate around your home! Gingerbread Man Cookies For me, no Christmas is complete without at least one batch of gingerbread man cookies. I say “one batch” but what I really mean is “one baking session” with maybe a triple batch! As a child growing up in Australia,

Read More

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These fudgy and chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are a delicious treat at Christmas! Christmas Cookies We bake a lot of cookies in the lead up to Christmas, and whilst we tend to recreate old favourites like Gingerbread Sablé or Swiss Walnut Christmas Cookies for the sake of tradition, I always try to sneak in a few new recipes to keep things fresh and exciting. My Reindeer Cookies have proven to be quite popular already,

Read More

Christmas Gingerbread Cake

A moist and mild Christmas Gingerbread Cake which is easy to make and looks fabulous! Recipe with step-by-step photos. Christmas Tree Bundt Pan I had been holding off on buying a Christmas tree bundt pan for many years, especially after first seeing it on one of Nigella Lawson’s Christmas shows. Why would you buy something which you could only use once a year? Well … why not?!

French Madeleines

These classic French madeleines are dainty little sponge cakes baked in a scallop-shaped mould. This madeleine recipe includes tips on how to make the perfect madeleines with step-by-step photos. Classic French Madeleines Something which my children and I associate with our visits to France are homemade madeleines. I have loved eating madeleines since I was a child, and even though I bake them quite regularly at home, my son associates madeleines with his

Read More

Aebleskivers (Danish Pancakes)

Make these delicious Aebleskivers (Ebelskivers) or Danish Pancakes which are lightly scented with cardamom. A classic Danish recipe with step-by-step photos. Aebleskivers On a recent trip to Copenhagen, I spent a quiet morning on my lonesome cycling around the city, visiting various kitchenware stores where I filled up my bike basket with fragile Scandinavian-designed teacups, Nordic bundt pans, and chunky crochet dish cloths.

Lemon Curd Pavlova

A fresh and summery pavlova served with whipped cream and lemon curd. A perfect combination for summer! Recipe with step-by-step photos. Easy Pavlova Recipe As an Australian, I am quite impartial to the pavlova. To me, nothing is more welcoming than the sight of a tall and magnificent pavlova adorned with lashings of cream and topped with fruit. Quite often, and especially in summer, my go-to topping for pavlova is simply whipped cream

Read More

Apricot Crumble Cake

A delicious apricot cake topped with a cinnamon crumble topping. This Apricot Crumble Cake is perfect for using seasonal apricots, but you can easily substitute with other fruits. Apricot Crumble Cake With apricots in season at the moment, the best way to enjoy them is to simply eat them as they are when they are juicy and ripe.

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Delicious Healthy Oatmeal Cookies which are sugar-free! This recipe uses maple syrup as a natural sweetener. These oatmeal cookies are perfect for school lunchboxes and as a healthy snack. Recipe with step-by-step photos. Healthy Cookie Recipe I am always on the lookout for healthy options for my childrens’ lunch boxes, and when I came across this recipe for oatmeal cookies which were sugar-free, I was sold.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

A Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake recipe with step-by-step photos. A French chocolate and almond cake which is light, moist, gluten-free and also dairy-free! Also called a Queen of Sheba Cake (Reine de Saba). Queen of Sheba Cake (Reine de Saba) I am conscious that I have quite a few recipes for chocolate cake on this blog, but I suppose one more can’t hurt … This recipe for Queen of Sheba Cake (or Reine de

Read More

Swedish Chocolate Cookies (Chokladsnittar)

Irresistible Swedish Chocolate Cookies (Chokladsnittar) decorated with pearl sugar, perfect for Fika. Recipe with step-by-step photos. Visiting Stockholm If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that we were recently in Stockholm. It’s a city which I always enjoy visiting for both the local food scene, as well as to indulge in Scandinavian-designed home decor and kitchenware. You can read my comprehensive guide on where to eat and shop in Stockholm

Read More

Cannelés

Cannelés are golden and crispy cakes with a custardy centre, flavoured with a hint of rum and/or vanilla. Recipe for Cannelés with step-by-step photos, with instructions for using copper cannelé moulds or silicone cannelé moulds. Recipe also for Mini Cannelés. Cannelés If you have ever travelled to France, you may have come across these little specialty cakes called cannelés (also called canelés or cannelés Bordelais). Unlike their more successfully exported cousins, the madeleines

Read More

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Light and moist Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. Easy to make and delicious topped with marzipan carrots. Great for birthday parties! Carrot Cupcakes How could one possibly resist one of these little beauties? Small and dainty, snow-capped with a luscious cream-cheese frosting, these carrot cupcakes are elegant in looks but not pretentious in taste.

Mini Lemon Bundt Cakes

Delightful Mini Lemon Bundt Cakes with a Lemon Glaze. This recipe uses both lemon juice and lemon zest in both the cake and glaze for that extra citrusy flavour! Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe Spring has finally arrived in Zurich and nothing cheers up the soul like the yellow sunshine of lemons, even though they are technically at their peak in the late winter months.

Potato Pie with Smoked Salmon and Dill

A stunning Potato Pie with Smoked Salmon and Dill. Recipe with step-by-step photos. Potato Pie with Smoked Salmon and Dill Smoked salmon is, admittedly, not an everyday ingredient, but I do love to keep some in the fridge for a quick lunch with some lightly buttered white toast, thinly sliced onions, a scattering of salty capers and a good squeeze of lemon.

Rhubarb & Vanilla Friands

Delicious Rhubarb & Vanilla Friands to make the most of vivid pink forced rhubarb. Friands One of the most popular recipes here on Eat, Little Bird is for Lemon Drizzle Friands, a little cake which is widely popular in Australia and which has surprisingly intrigued so many readers worldwide.

Blueberry Financiers

An easy Financier recipe with blueberries. These Blueberry Financier cakes are light and dainty, which are perfect with a cup of tea! Financier Cakes A financier cake is baked in a special rectangular mould so that the cakes resemble bars of gold.  In Paris, you will find financier cakes at almost every bakery and cake shop, and they are commonly sold either plain or chocolate flavoured, although other flavour combinations exist too.

Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

These soft peanut butter cookies are chewy and deliciously addictive and best served with a dollop of raspberry jam! They keep really well and are a hit with kids and adults alike. Peanut Butter Cookies Like most children, I grew up addicted to peanut butter sandwiches. These days, one of my favourite ways of consuming peanut butter is in cookie form. And these peanut butter cookies are simply addictive; they are totally moreish

Read More

Rhubarb Custard Cake

A stunning Rhubarb Custard Cake with a thick custard layer baked in the centre of the cake. Delight your family and friends with this beautiful rhubarb cake. Bee-Sting Cake My parents used to sell a cake in their bakery, called a Bee-Sting Cake, which was made of two brioche-like sponges, sandwiched together with a thick, bright yellow custard and sprinkled on top with flaked almonds.

Easter Egg Nest Cake

A decadent and fun Easter Egg Nest Cake decorated with sugar-coated chocolate Easter eggs. Gluten-free recipe and nut-free recipe. Easter Cake This is a chocolate cake which I love to make when we have guests over, and this Easter cake is an extra chocolatey version which will make both adults and children swoon.

Ham and Cheese Hand Pies

Tasty Ham and Cheese Hand Pies which are a great way of using leftovers. These hand pies are filled with ham, béchamel sauce and vegetables, but you can use any leftover meats and vegetables you like. Cooking with Leftovers My mother is someone who can effortlessly create a delicious three-course meal from a simple fridge raid, with an uncanny ability to never let anything go to waste. Sadly, I did not inherit this

Read More

Welsh Cakes

welsh cakes on white plate with spoonful of jam

A delicious and authentic recipe for Welsh Cakes which are gently spiced and filled with raisins for sweetness. These Welsh Cakes are lovely served warm with some butter and jam, or simply with a sprinkle of sugar. Recipe with step-by-step photos. What are Welsh Cakes? The next time you think about making scones, perhaps you might like to try your hand at these Welsh Cakes. Both recipes require more or less the same

Read More

Pound Cake with Oreo Cookies

cookies and cream cake on wooden board

A delicious and fun Pound Cake with Oreo Cookies. This is a vanilla pound cake baked with crushed Oreo cookies to give a delicious texture and chocolate flavour. Great for birthday parties and entertaining! This post has been prepared in collaboration with Tchibo (Schweiz) AG, but the content and opinions are my own. Pound Cake This pound cake with Oreo cookies solves the dilemma of whether to have cookies or cake at afternoon tea

Read More

Mont Blanc Chocolate Pavlova

A delicious chocolate pavlova with sweetened chestnut purée. This dessert is the combination of a Chocolate Pavlova and Mont Blanc dessert. Here is an easy chocolate pavlova recipe, plus a homemade chestnut purée recipe. Chestnut Desserts As soon as the weather in Switzerland starts to take a dip, the roasted chestnut carts magically appear and I know that my favourite dessert will soon be in all of the pâtisserie shops. Roasted chestnuts alone

Read More

Easy Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

An Easy Banana Cake recipe which uses yoghurt to make it light and moist, and topped with a generous layer of Cream Cheese Frosting. Perfect for using overripe or frozen bananas. Easy Banana Cake My husband and I tend to agree on most things, but something we cannot convince each other of is the perfect stage of ripeness for a banana. I like my bananas to be somewhat ripe – no hint of green

Read More

Cinnamon Donut Balls

Nothing beats hot and fresh cinnamon donuts, and this is an easy donut recipe using yeast to produce light and fluffy donuts rolled in cinnamon sugar. Hot Cinnamon Donut Balls I love, love donuts. I particularly love them hot, fresh from the vat and sprinkled with lots of sugar and ground cinnamon. Give me a donut and a cup of coffee for breakfast and I’m a happy camper.

Easy Chocolate Brownies

An easy chocolate brownie recipe using real chocolate and rich cocoa powder. Moist and fudgy with just the right gooey centre and a beautiful flakey crust. Recipe with step-by-step photos. Lindt Chocolates They say that anyone can buy a good house, but good neighbours are priceless. We happen to be blessed with the most wonderful neighbours in our whole building.

Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce

The ultimate Sticky Date Pudding (also known as Sticky Toffee Pudding) which is baked as a cake and served with a decadent Butterscotch Sauce. Delicious served warm and with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Sticky Date Pudding Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce is a popular café dessert in Australia, one which I dream of frequently but seldom make. But the recent snowy weather in Zurich has prompted much stoveside activity in our

Read More

Plain Scones

An easy scone recipe with step-by-step photos. These plain scones are light and fluffy, and go perfectly with jam and cream for a gorgeous afternoon tea. Plain Scone Recipe When I was in London a few years ago, I was reminded of my fond affection for Devonshire Tea, which is essentially a plain scone served with jam and cream. As scones are not widely available in Zurich, I made it my mission to eat as

Read More

Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Glaze

Recipe with step-by-step photos for an Apple Spice Cake studded with chunks of apples and walnuts, and covered in a delicious Caramel Glaze.  Apple Spice Cake Recipe There is something irresistible about the timeless pairing of apples with cinnamon, and this apple spice cake is no exception.

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

This Sour Cream Chocolate Cake is the only chocolate cake recipe you will ever need for birthdays and celebrations. Recipe with step-by-step photos, plus tips for making chocolate cupcakes. Sour-Cream Chocolate Cake This is the chocolate cake recipe I turn to for every birthday party celebration in our family. And even if there is not a birthday event in sight, if I just simply have a craving for chocolate cake, this is quite

Read More

Cinnamon Cake

An easy recipe for cinnamon cake with step-by-step photos that is fast and simple to make, and perfect for breakfast or dessert. Cinnamon Cake I love a simple cinnamon cake at afternoon tea but, the truth is, I love it even more at breakfast. The combination of vanilla cake topped with a generous sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon reminds me of eating a donut, especially when the cake is still warm from the

Read More

Easy Raspberry Scones

Quick and easy Raspberry Scones with Almonds which are baked in one large cake and sliced up to share. Recipe using fresh or frozen raspberries. Easy Raspberry Scones I wasn’t planning on making raspberry scones today, but with the dreary weather we have been having in Zurich lately (why is it often sunny during the working week but not on the weekends??), I needed to find a way to entertain the children once

Read More

Sunken Chocolate Amaretto Cake

nigella sunken chocolate amaretto cake

A gluten-free Sunken Chocolate Amaretto Cake served with whipped cream and amaretti biscuits. Easy to make and perfect for entertaining. Amaretto Cake If you have been following my Instagram Stories, you will have noticed that I have made this Sunken Chocolate Amaretto Cake no less than three times in the last month – it is that good!

How to Make Choux Pastry (Pâte à Choux)

How to make choux pastry (pâte à choux) perfectly every time to use in recipes for profiteroles, éclairs, cream puffs and so much more. Recipe with step-by-step photos. Pâte à Choux Pâte à choux is the French term for choux pastry in English. And in case you were wondering “choux” is pronounced like shoe in English 😉

Chinese Almond Cookies

These Chinese Almond Cookies are a delicious way to celebrate Chinese New Year and to end any Asian meal. Chinese Almond Cookies I grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia, and our ritual every Sunday morning was to visit my mother’s favourite Chinese restaurant for Dim Sum.

Marble Bundt Cake

marble bundt cake

A delicious and easy Marble Cake, perfect for any occasion. Step-by-step recipe for a moist marble cake, which looks spectacular baked in a bundt pan and topped with a chocolate glaze. Marble Cake A traditional marble cake, baked in a loaf tin, is something which my husband’s great-aunt frequently makes whenever we visit her in France. But I thought I would give my own spin on a gâteau marbré by baking it in

Read More

Raspberry Friands

Delicious Raspberry Friands with step-by-step photos, including notes for making Mini Raspberry Friands. Friand Recipe If you are someone who, like me, makes a lot of custard, pastry or shortbread, you might find yourself with a lot of leftover egg whites. I follow Nigella Lawson’s tip to freeze egg whites in small zip-lock freezer bags – usually in pairs – which means that I always have egg whites on hand to make pavlovas,

Read More

Butter Cake with Peaches and Raspberries

A delicious recipe for Butter Cake with Peaches and Raspberries, with step-by-step photos. Plus a review of The Cook’s Atelier cookbook. I received a copy of The Cook’s Atelier cookbook to review, complimentary from the publisher, but the content, opinions, and photos below, are my own. The Cook’s Atelier My husband’s family live in the far north-western corner of France in a region called Brittany. In summer, we often make the long journey

Read More

Strawberry Cobbler

Make the most of summer with this delicious Strawberry Cobbler, made with fresh strawberries and a lemon scone cobbler topping. So delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream! Strawberry Cobbler Recipe It has been an extremely hot summer this year in Zurich. In fact, I feel like I am in Australia in the midst of their annual January heatwave, but minus the much-needed air-conditioning. Due to strict regulations in Switzerland governing energy consumption,

Read More

Apple Galette

red love apple galette

A delicious and easy apple galette recipe which will impress your friends and family. Use any type of apple in this rustic apple galette, or special varieties such as Red Love Apples. Apple Galette We always have a basket full of apples at home, ready to be turned into an apple compote which we eat religiously at breakfast each morning. It used to be my job to make the week’s apple compote, which

Read More

Coffee and Walnut Cake

A homely Coffee and Walnut Cake with a luscious coffee frosting that is delicious and easy to make. Recipe with step-by-step photos. Coffee Cake In some countries, there exists what is called a coffee cake which actually does not contain any coffee but it is called such because it is intended to be eaten with a cup of coffee. This Coffee and Walnut Cake is actually a coffee cake, in that it is

Read More

Chouquettes (French Cream Puffs)

Recipe with step-by-step photos for Chouquettes, which are French cream puffs (or pastry puffs) sprinkled with pearl sugar or chocolate chips. They are a delicious bite-sized snack made from choux pastry. Chouquettes Something which I love to bake throughout the year are these little French cream puffs called chouquettes.

Gluten-Free Lemon Cake

A delicious dairy-free and gluten-free lemon cake using whole lemons which are gently cooked until tender and then blitzed to produce a wonderfully moist cake. Gluten-Free Cake One of my favourite cakes to make at this time of the year is the Clementine Cake from Nigella Lawson’s How to Eat, a cake which Nigella has quoted as being one of the most popular from her first cookbook, one which happens to be a

Read More

Aussie Meat Pies

Nothing is more Australian than an Aussie Meat Pie, and these party pies are a must at any gathering. An easy meat pie recipe using minced beef. Aussie Meat Pies You can’t get more Aussie than the meat pie. Those who know me would probably be surprised that I would even venture near something that can only be applied to the face with your hands (no knife and fork, please), but the truth is, I

Read More