Top 20 easy baking recipes for Father's Day

Fathers day baking ideas for kids

1) Father's Day cupcakes

These super-chocolatey Father's Day cupcakes are the perfect treat for dad. Ground almonds and yogurt give the sponges a lovely texture and moistness. If you're accommodating a nut allergy, swap the ground almonds for 100g more plain flour.

We have plenty more cupcake recipes for you to recreate – red velvet choc-cherry cupcakes, anyone?

2) Easy carrot cake

Boil the kettle and cut a slice of carrot cake this Father's Day. It's full of cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest, vanilla, sultanas and walnuts. Top it off with a generous layer of tangy soft cheese icing.

Try another variation with these carrot cake recipes.

3) Giant fondant fancy cake

Does dad love fondant fancies? Go all out and make a giant version for a nostalgic bake like no other. You can get creative by experimenting with different jams or curds and food colourings to make dad's very own favourite fancy.

For more trips down memory lane take a look at our sweet shop-inspired bakes.

4) Cherry crumble cake

Make the most of fresh, seasonal fruit with this cherry crumble cake. It uses rich soured cream, ground almonds and juicy summer cherries. Add a crunchy crumble topping for extra texture. Slice the cake into thick wedges and serve with custard or ice cream, if you like.

For more inspiration, see our crumble collection.

5) Coffee walnut millionaire's shortbread

Take a classic bake to the next level with this moreish coffee walnut millionaire's shortbread. First bake a shortbread base with ground walnuts, flour, sugar and butter. Then make a gooey caramel layer with a hint of espresso powder for that coffee kick. Top with a layer of dark chocolate and a white chocolate drizzle, chocolate-covered coffee beans and walnuts.

Find more edible gifts with our millionaire's shortbread recipes.

6) Battenberg blondies

Surprise dad this Father's Day with this throwback cake with a modern twist. We've combined a classic battenberg cake with blondies by swirling marzipan into a marbled blondie mixture. It serves up to 25, perfect for a larger family gathering, or bake for a portable picnic treat.

For more spins on the classic battenberg take a look at our best battenberg cake recipes.

7) Chocolate hazelnut ice cream cheesecake

This effortless chocolate hazelnut ice cream cheesecake is guaranteed to impress. You'll only need four ingredients – cornflakes, chocolate hazelnut spread, soft cheese and hazelnuts. Use half the spread to make the base with the cornflakes, the rest mixes with the soft cheese for the filling. Sprinkle over hazelnuts and freeze overnight, simple.

See our easiest-ever desserts with these no-bake cheesecake recipes.

8) Pineapple inside-out cake

Bring a smile to dad's face with our vibrant pineapple inside-out loaf cake. It features all the components a retro pineapple upside-down cake but in loaf form for a modern reboot.

Travel back in time with more nostalgic British desserts, including Swiss rolls, Black Forest gateau, profiteroles and banoffee pie.

9) Easy caramel cake

Our foolproof easy caramel cake is a confirmed crowd-pleaser. The fluffy, golden sponge is topped with a rich icing, caramel sauce and toffee pieces. Mix up the decoration with chopped nuts, sprinkles or edible flowers.

Discover even more recipes with our salted caramel collection.

10) Cupcakes

Bake a batch of classic cupcakes with colourful icing for a fun surprise. The sponges are made up of only five ingredients – perfect for a last-minute edible gift. Try customising the icing to your dad's favourite colour or decorate with sprinkles, chocolate or sweets.

Find a variety of flavours including vanilla, chocolate and red velvet in our cupcake collection.

11) Gin & tonic cake

Channel the flavours of dad's favourite cocktail with this gin & tonic cake. Add a splash of gin to the cake batter and soak the baked sponge in a sweet tonic syrup infused with juniper berries. Cover in a coat of zingy lime buttercream and decorate with lemon sherbets, lime slices and cucumber ribbons.

Try more cocktail-inspired cakes with our boozy bake recipes.

12) Peanut butter brownies

These five-ingredient peanut butter brownies are super simple to make: melt dark chocolate, crunchy peanut butter and soft light brown sugar. Beat in three medium eggs, then add self-raising flour. Pour the batter into a tin then drizzle with extra peanut butter and bake. Top with more dark chocolate.

Find even more squidgy traybakes with our brownie recipes.

13) Double chocolate loaf cake

If your dad's a chocoholic, look no further than this double chocolate loaf cake. The cake batter is flavoured with cocoa powder and loaded with chunks of dark chocolate. The topping is a drizzle of white, dark and milk chocolate. Serve thick slices with a cup of tea for a perfect tea break.

See our chocolate cake collection for more recipes.

14) Lemon sponge cake

A slice of this zesty sponge cake is enough to make anyone's day that bit brighter. The light sponge is topped with a smooth drizzle coating of zingy lemon icing and decorative peel to make a simple, yet stunning, centrepiece for Father's Day. Teach kids the basics of creating a sponge mixture, beginning with beating together sugar and butter until fluffy. If you prefer them not to use an electric whisk, then a wooden spoon will do the trick.

Find more of our lemon-flavoured bakes with our lemon cake recipes.

15) Medal cookies

Every hero deserves an iced medal cookie, and there is no better way to commend the father figure in your life than with a bit of homemade arts and crafts. Little hands will love getting stuck into this creative project, just prepare yourself for a bit of a glitter explosion.

Combine these medal cookies with a homemade Father's Day card and you'll be onto a winner.

16) Mixed fruit tart

This is a great recipe for introducing children and teens to the art of making pastry. You'll need to be a little more hands-on, but if you're cooking with young children they'll be able to have lots of input along the way. Let little ones get creative with fruity patterns or encourage them to simply pile the berries high at the end.

For more kid-friendly pastry recipes, take a look at our kids' pastry recipe collection.

17) Pink jam slice

Treat your dad to this pretty in pink traybake, decked with retro marble icing and a fruity layer of raspberry jam. Kids will love stirring the icing sugar and food colouring and pouring over the slice.

Find more of our best retro bakes with our retro cake recipe collection.

18) Caramel-drizzled banoffee bake

This delicious creamy cheesecake filling-style traybake includes all the best elements of a banoffee pie; bananas, caramel sauce and a crumbly biscuit base. It is a great celebration cake that's made to be shared, however the fact that it’s freezable means if it can’t be finished, nothing will be wasted. You can freeze the entire cake, toppings and all.

If banana-flavoured bakes are a big hit in your household, experiment with more banana recipes, from classic banana bread to banana bread & butter pudding.

19) Black velvet baby cakes

If dad is partial to an Irish stout, he'll be more than impressed by these stout-infused black velvet puds. Add a splash of champagne to the cream and dollop onto the top of each cake and dust with a touch of cocoa. Serve with glasses of champagne or, of course, dad's favourite stout.

Discover more lavish bakes with our indulgent baking recipes, featuring pecan toffee cake and salted caramel brownies.

20) Rhubarb & custard scones

These scones are easy to make and use one of Britain's favourite flavour combinations – rhubarb and custard. You don't need to stick to traditional triangles, children can shape these whichever way they like. Serve with butter, cream, jam and a selection of summer sandwiches for a Father's Day afternoon tea. They're perfect for a surprise picnic, too.

If you fancy throwing an afternoon tea for dad, take inspiration from our afternoon tea recipes – we cover sandwiches, scones, epic bakes and more.

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