Â鶹APP

Top 10 British Desserts

1. Eton Mess

Wikimedia Commons

There’s nothing more traditionally British than Eton Mess! It is also renowned as one of the world’s most delicious desserts. From the crunchy meringue, rich cream and sweet berries, there’s nothing not to love about it.

Named after the famous boys school Eton College, it was first officially identified in print in 1893, but had likely been in existence long before that. It is served as part of tradition at the annual cricket match between Eton College and Harrow School, another private school. The story of its origin is generally told that it came about after a meringue, cream and strawberry dessert was unfortunately dropped at one of these matches. Rather than being thrown out, the crushed mess was simply scooped off of the floor and served anyway, much to the cricketers’ delight.

The story highlights the very best of the British ‘make do and mend’ and ‘waste not want not’ mentality for which it is known, making Eton Mess one of the most British of all desserts.

2. Sticky Toffee Pudding

This rich, cakey, syrupy dessert is a British dinner table staple, whether following a Sunday roast, a celebration dinner or a cosy night in with the family. It consists of a moist, dark sponge cake, usually containing dates, covered in toffee sauce and served hot with cream, ice cream of custard.

It is believed to have originated in the Lake District in the 1970s and may have been adapted from a Canadian recipe, providing a warming comfort to all of those who enjoyed it during cold, dark or rainy weather. Since then, its popularity has endured over the decades, whether it is served in British homes, pubs, restaurants or supermarkets.

The recipe can be easily adapted for different occasions, whether it’s a festive gingerbread or Christmas pudding flavour, a warming autumn spiced apple addition, or a vegan option with summer fruits. The choices with this most versatile of desserts are endless!

3. Victoria Sponge Cake

Wikimedia Commons

When you think of what to eat at a traditional British tea-time, it’s highly likely that Victoria sponge cake comes to mind.

The ideal, classic British Victoria sponge cake should be exceedingly light and fluffy, with rich jam and thick cream in the middle, a light dusting of icing sugar on top, and neatly cut into small slices.
It may not be the most elaborate dessert for a very special occasion, nor does it adhere to the many trendy dessert fads of recent years. But this may be the secret to its enduring popularity in British homes. A good sponge cake is something you can rely on to please almost anyone, whether it’s a guest for tea in your home, discerning customers at a bake sale, or a picky birthday girl or boy. If you can whip up one of these when needed, you’ll never be out of options for any of these occasions.

4. Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Many British people will have fond memories of eating pineapple upside down cake from their childhood. This retro cake was especially popular in the 1970s. Perhaps it was a school friend’s birthday party, a family gathering, or tea with the grandparents. Whichever occasion it was served at, pineapple upside down cake remains a fun and unusual British dessert, perfect for enjoying with others.

Simple and tasty, a pineapple upside down cake is surprisingly easy to make yourself at home, perfect for an occasion which requires a home made dessert, but not one that takes up too much time to prepare and cook. As it is canned, the fruit required to go in the cake is affordable and readily accessible all year round. No need to wait for it to be in season!

It can be served warm straight from the oven or chilled, preferably with a generous scoop of ice cream.

5. Crumble

Wikimedia Commons

Crumble is a versatile and popular British dessert

The best part about crumble is that it can be made with many different types of fruit. Whether it consists of stewed apples or plums in the autumn and winter, juicy strawberries in the summer or even fresh rhubarb in the spring, crumble is a dessert that many British people come back to time and time again.

The rise in popularity of crumble came about during the Second World War. The crumbly topping used less ingredients, skill and time than a more traditional pie or other type of pastry. This made it the perfect dessert choice for those subject to rationing which limited ingredients, or those short of time and cooking facilities due to the War.

If you’re making crumble today there are no such limitations, and the dessert can be tailored to exactly the way you want it. Whether it’s adding nuts to the crumble for an extra crunch, or stewing some exotic fruits, it’s a dessert you can truly make your own.

6. Bakewell Tart

One of the most popular British pastry confections is the Bakewell tart. It is a relatively simple concoction, but packs a powerful punch of sweetness and flavour. The traditional Bakewell tart is made up of crumbly shortcrust pastry, topped with layers of jam, marzipan and frangipane. The most classic recipes top the tart with flaked almonds, or a popular alternative is to create the cherry Bakewell tart by topping the treat with white icing and a glace cherry.

Not to be confused with the similar Bakewell pudding, the tart can be made large and served in slices, perfect for a family or group meal, or bakes as small individual tarts, perfect for a tea time treat. Either way, it can also be served warm with cream, custard or ice cream.

The Bakewell tart is so beloved that there is even an entire coffee shop devoted just to it, the Peak District’s aptly named Bakewell Tart Shop & Coffee House.

7. Banoffee Pie

Wikimedia Commons

Beloved by millions, the kooky banoffee pie is a British staple and famous all around the world.

It’s popularity is largely due to its simplicity; the small amount of ingredients make it an excellent option to whip up quickly, either for a last minute dinner, a party, or a fun way of teaching children to cook.

The pie is named, of course, after the unique combination of banana and toffee present in it. The base of a banoffee pie usually consists of a crumbly biscuit mix, often with butter added. The filling consists of the essential toffee, which is usually brewed up using condensed milk, another British pantry staple. Sliced bananas are added, and then whipped cream is used for the topping.

There is evidence of the dessert’s existence since the 1970s, when unusual food combinations were extremely popular at the British dinner table. Since then, it has remained an essential dessert option at restaurants all over the country.

8. Strawberry Shortcake

This widely known dessert is popular all over the world, with dozens of variants appearing on every continent. However, the first mention of a strawberry shortcake dessert can be dated back to an English cookbook from around 1588 and it was even mentioned in a Shakespearean play several years later, making it an unequivocally British concoction. This ties into the popularity of strawberries as a fruit during this time and even earlier, with many back in medieval times believing them to have powerful properties.

Strawberry shortcake is also extremely popular in America, with sweetened shortcake ‘biscuits’ readily available at grocery stores and easily made at home. Many recipes have been handed down through generations.

A tradition British strawberry shortcake dessert calls for a glass of split shortcakes, mixed with sliced strawberries, sugar, and fresh whipped cream. This is then layered once more to create a vibrant, colourful dessert.

9. Eve’s Pudding

Wikimedia Commons

Simple and wholesome, Eve’s Pudding, also known as Mother Eve’s Pudding, is a traditional British pudding style dessert. The comforting recipe is made of a rich sponge combined with sweet stewed apples.

Although it is sometimes considered too heavy and old fashioned for many modern palates, Eve’s Pudding still has a nostalgic charm which leads many to come back to it time and time again, whether they’re young or old.

The oldest known recipe for Eve’s Pudding can be traced back nearly 200 years to 1824, in which it was made with grated suet and bread.

10. Dorset Apple Cake

The Dorset apple cake is the official culinary symbol of the county of Dorset.

The popular dessert consists of a classic sponge cake topped with spiced, sliced apples. Other fruit can also be added when the season allows, such as summer berries or winter pears.

Similar variants of the cake are popular across Europe, with Polish apple cake and Scandinavian apple cake regularly eaten across the continent. However, it is the British version which remains a popular classic, both in this country and across the world. The West Country apples sourced from Yorkshire are the crispest and sweetest, making for that perfectly classic British taste.