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Our Best-Ever Bake Sale Recipes You Need To Try
The best bake sale bake recipes to try
By Jane Curran · January 9, 2025
Originally published on loveFOOD
Cake sale champions
Be the best baker at your fundraiser with our collection of the most popular and awesome bakes. With brownies galore, cookies, biscuits, classic cakes, cupcakes, and new ideas, you'll be guaranteed success.
There are tips for preparing ahead, freezing and transporting your bakes easily, with vegan and wheat-free options, too. Mixing bowls at the ready!
Apricot and almond loaf
This moist loaf cake has the tang and sweetness of dried apricots, paired with a lovely crunch from chopped almonds. It keeps for up to two days in an airtight container, freezes well and gives eight slices. Cut it into portions before transporting. Small paper or cellophane bags are handy for easy takeaway.
Gooey potato brownies
These brown sugar, dark chocolate brownies are everything the treat should be – sticky, soft and moreish. The addition of cooked, grated new potatoes and peanut butter ensures they are moist and soft, and when drizzled with salted caramel sauce they're a winner. The recipe makes 12 squares and will keep for up to three days in an airtight container.
Sage sour cream donuts
Who can resist a homemade donut? These are made with sour cream to give a denser sponge, with a rough, crunchy crust coated with vanilla frosting. Even the holes would make a sweet treat for willing helpers. You can make the dough a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator overnight. They are best served on the day they're made.
Brown butter and banana chocolate cookies
Chocolatey, fudgy and buttery, these moreish cookies have a secret ingredient – a sesame seed paste called tahini. It adds a hint of nuttiness with the browned butter, which is simply butter melted over heat until it's dark brown. The dough can sit in the refrigerator overnight and the recipe makes 28 cookies.
Get the recipe for brown butter and banana chocolate cookies here
Chocolate and cardamom carrot cake
A carrot cake with a difference, as it's made in just one tin. With chocolate chips, orange zest and juice in the batter, it's topped with a brown butter cream cheese frosting, which gives a hint of caramel. Our step-by-step guide also ensures perfect frosting. The cake will keep covered for up to four days, and gives 12 portions.
Peanut butter and banana oat bars
These dense, chewy oat bars are simplicity itself, made mostly from store cupboard ingredients – oats, desiccated coconut, honey, milk and bananas. Rustled up ready for the oven in 10 minutes, they will keep for up to three days in an airtight container and freeze well too. The recipe makes 10 slices.
S'mores rocky road
This is a chocolate refrigerator cake with a twist – chunks of biscuit and melted chocolate, topped with marshmallows and salted peanuts, then baked in the oven for 10 minutes until the marshmallows brown and melt slightly. Leave it in the refrigerator overnight to firm up and then cut it into squares once chilled, before packing into small cellophane bags.
Lemon drizzle cake
Everyone loves a lemon drizzle, and our recipe gives a tangy, light lemon cake with a lovely crunch from the drizzle. It's easy to make, will keep for up to three days in an airtight container and freezes well. Either drizzle with a lemon glacé frosting, or simply dust with confectioners' sugar to serve.
Vegan peanut butter cookies
This recipe uses oil instead of butter, and contains no eggs, but the cookies are still slightly chewy, soft and moreish – with chunks of dark chocolate and a tiny hint of salt from the peanut butter. Scoops of dough can be frozen then baked for a few extra minutes, or you can make the dough the day before and leave it in the refrigerator.
Get the recipe for vegan peanut butter cookies here
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Zucchini, pistachio and lime loaf cake
The addition of grated zucchini to this simple cake helps keep it beautifully moist. It has a lovely crunch from chopped pistachio nuts and a freshness from the lime. To jazz it up for your bake sale, simply drizzle over some glacé frosting by adding a squeeze of lime to 6tbsp of sifted confectioners' sugar. It will keep for up to three days in an airtight container.
Get the recipe for zucchini, pistachio and lime loaf cake here
Buttercream fruit cupcakes
A buttercream flavored with fresh fruit purée takes a simple cupcake to the next level. Try to use fresh berries in season, although frozen fruit works just as well. Simply cook over a gentle heat until the fruit breaks down, then whiz in a blender and pass through a sieve. Once decorated, store your cupcakes in the refrigerator for a few hours so the buttercream is well set and easier to transport.
Coconut and mango yogurt cake
This is a light cake that has a lovely hit of coconut, a real sweetness from the roasted mango and a slight tang from the yogurt. It's best served on the day it's made, but it's ready in under an hour. Scatter some toasted coconut flakes over the top to serve. Transport in its tin and don't forget to take a sharp knife with you.
Flourless chestnut, rum and chocolate cake
One for the grown-ups – this rich, dense chocolate cake contains rum-soaked prunes and chestnut purée (which you can buy canned), so it's slightly gooey in the center with a crisp crust on the outside. It needs a light hand when folding in the beaten egg whites so not to knock all the air out of it.
Get the recipe for flourless chestnut, rum and chocolate cake here
Salted caramel Rice Krispie bars
We recommend doubling up on this super simple recipe for a bake sale. There's no oven required, and even the salted caramel sauce is made by melting sugar-free, chewy caramels in milk. The bars need to set in a tin overnight before cutting into slices, but are done in 15 minutes, so even the most novice cook can make them.
Ginger and almond Florentines
Florentines are like a chewy brandy snap, containing nuts and dried fruit, and once baked are dipped in chocolate. In our recipe, we use pieces of crystallized ginger and sliced almonds to provide the flavorings. They are easy to make, and once cooled, can be stored in an airtight container between sheets of baking parchment for around a week. This recipe makes 18.
Classic Victoria sponge cake
This vintage British cake has been around since the days of Queen Victoria. It's simplicity itself – an easy sponge to bake, which is then filled with jam and whipped cream. The sponges freeze well, and the cake can be filled up to eight hours ahead of time, which makes it easier to slice into portions.
Fig jam thumbprint cookies
These cute cookies, flavored with orange, couldn't be quicker or simpler to make. The thumbprint is filled with fig jelly, but feel free to use your favorite filling instead as kids may not be so keen on the figs. The recipe makes up to 24 cookies, and they will keep for up to three days in an airtight container.
Millionaire's shortbread
This is a classic and buttery shortbread topped with sticky date caramel and then covered in dark chocolate. The recipe is vegan, using dairy-free butter. However, it works well with cows' butter too. Once assembled – taking around 40 minutes – it needs to set in the refrigerator for a few hours. When cutting your shortbread into squares, heat your knife in a jug of boiled water beforehand for ease.
Peanut butter caramel brownies
The title of this recipe has irresistible written all over it. It makes 12 dense, fudgy, dark chocolate brownies that are ready in 45 minutes. Best of all, there's no tricky caramel to make – just use caramel from a can or jar. There's a lovely hint of saltiness from the peanut butter too, which contrasts perfectly with the caramel.
Bran and blueberry muffins
A big batch of homemade muffins always goes down a storm at a bake sale. These are healthier than your average muffin, using wholewheat flour, wheat bran and oil instead of butter. You can make them with frozen blueberries, but add them to the batter while still frozen or they will bleed and be mushy. The recipe makes 18 muffins.
Cardamom butter biscuits
These are melt-in-the-mouth buttery biscuits infused with ground cardamom. They are crisp and crumbly, from a combination of three flours to give texture – plain, semolina and gram or chickpea. Topped with chopped pistachios and almonds, they are easy to make and will keep in an airtight container for up to a week. The recipe makes 15.
Chocolate cupcakes
Who can resist a chocolate cupcake? This recipe is easy to make and best of all they can be made ahead of time and frozen. The recipe makes 12 and takes 10 minutes to prepare. Top with some piped chocolate ganache (find the recipe for ganache here) and allow to set in the refrigerator.
Raspberry cream lamingtons
Here's a twist on a classic Australian cake – where squares of sponge are dipped in chocolate frosting then rolled in coconut. Our recipe has the one-tray sponge soaked in a vanilla cream, coated with raspberry jelly then dipped in coconut. The assembled cakes will keep for up to four days in an airtight container. The recipe makes 20 squares.
Spiced pumpkin, olive oil and orange cake
Fragrant with cloves, cinnamon, ginger and allspice, and also with a hint of orange. This soft loaf cake uses canned pumpkin purée, so it's very easy to make. Covered with an orange glacé frosting and chopped pistachios, it will keep for up to two days in an airtight container.
Get the recipe for spiced pumpkin, olive oil and orange cake here
Carrot and walnut cake
High up on the list of everyone's favorite cakes, this moist, dense carrot cake filled and covered with vanilla cream cheese frosting is hard to resist. It's very forgiving too, with no beating and folding to do. You could also use the same recipe to make cupcakes. Make sure to use full fat cream cheese for the frosting, or it will just slide off the cake.
Chocolate cherry oaty bites
These sweet bites couldn't be easier to make. Using five ingredients – bananas, butter, porridge oats, dried cherries and cocoa powder – they are mixed and baked in 25 minutes, and there's no added sugar either. The recipe makes 12, so why not double up for your fundraiser?
Chocolate chip cookies
These are a must-bake for any cake sale as homemade cookies always fly out. Our recipe is soft, chewy and fudgy all at the same time, and very chocolatey. It's made with dark chocolate chips, but use milk if you prefer. The cookie dough can rest in the refrigerator overnight before baking the next day.
Toffee apple and salted pretzel rocky road
Rocky road couldn't be easier – melt chocolate, butter and syrup in a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, spoon into a tin and leave in the refrigerator to set. In this recipe, there are sweet caramel wafers, salty pretzels, nuts, dried apple and mini marshmallows. Once it's set, use a knife dipped in hot water to make cutting easier. It will make 12-16 squares.
Get the recipe for toffee apple and salted pretzel rocky road here
Triple chocolate cheesecake brownies
This is a brownie with the wow factor. A dark chocolate brownie layer is covered with a caramel and nut mixture, then topped with a tasty orange cheesecake topping and baked. It has a gooey texture, as well as sweet and salty flavors and a nice creaminess from the cheesecake. It will need to set overnight in the refrigerator.
Get the recipe for triple chocolate cheesecake brownie here
Cake pops
Cake pops are cute and easy to make – balls of sponge mixed with buttercream then dipped into melted chocolate. If you're not a baker, you could even buy a vanilla sponge or use a simple cake mix. We've dipped them into white chocolate then decorated with sprinkles, but you can use any chocolate – just go crazy with the decorations.
Apple and lemon sandwich cake
A light, soft apple sponge sandwiched with whipped cream that's flavored with lemon curd tastes terrific. It's straightforward to make using the all-in-one method, where all the ingredients are simply mixed together. Once filled, it will keep for a day in the refrigerator, but the sponge also freezes well.
Coffee cardamom walnut cakes
Coffee and walnut is a classic combination, but in this recipe we've added some fragrant cardamom too. These sweet cakes are cooked in a muffin tin, turned upside down once baked, and then covered in an espresso coffee frosting. They can be made and decorated a day ahead and then stored in an airtight container.
Salted peanut chocolate fudge
Homemade fudge is perfect for a bake sale, popped into cellophane bags and tied with a pretty ribbon. Our recipe has the wonderful combination of dark chocolate and lightly salted peanut butter fudge. It's easy to make and will keep for up to four days in an airtight container.
Clementine and cardamom upside-down cake
A different twist on a classic pineapple upside-down cake, the bonus of this recipe is that it tastes even better the day after it's made. The slight sourness of the clementines makes a really nice contrast with the sweet caramel and super fragrant cardamom. It's an easy cake to make and will give 12 slices.
Get the recipe for clementine and cardamom upside-down cake here
Dark chocolate and cherry sheet bake
Everyone loves a sheet bake, especially this winning combination of dark chocolate and cherries. The cherries used are frozen and there's no need to thaw them out, so it's a year-round cake. It makes around 12 squares and is just as good the day after baking. Store it in an airtight container.
Get the recipe for dark chocolate and cherry sheet bake here
Orange and almond cake
This is a dense, extremely moist Middle Eastern cake and it's made using five ingredients. There's no butter or flour, and it can be gluten-free if you use a gluten-free baking powder. It consists of cooked, sweet oranges blitzed to a purée, then mixed with ground almonds, sugar and eggs. It keeps for up to three days in an airtight container and makes a lovely dessert served with thick yogurt.
Chocolate Guinness brownies
One for the adults, these rich chocolate brownies are topped with a delicious Irish liqueur buttercream. The Guinness – a dark stout – is reduced to burn off the alcohol and bring out its sweetness, adding malty notes to the fudgy brownies. The brownies can be made up to two days ahead of your bake sale, but decorate them on the day.
Vanilla cupcakes with swirly frosting
These cupcakes may look professional, but the swirly frosting is easily achieved using a dual compartment piping bag – or by putting two different frostings on each side of a standard piping bag. The cupcake mixture is an all-in-one method too, so you have a fantastic result with little effort.
Get the recipe for vanilla cupcakes with swirly frosting here
Vegan Victoria sponge
Using plant-based milk, soya yogurt and dairy-free butter in place of the classic ingredients produces a perfect vegan Victoria sponge cake, filled with raspberry jelly and a dairy-free buttercream. Most block margarines are vegan – just check on the pack. This cake yields 12 slices and will keep overnight in the fridge.
Cheesy cornbread muffins
If you're looking for a savory option, these tasty muffins will fit the bill. With sweetcorn, scallions, feta and Cheddar cheese, they are bursting with flavor. Using a standard muffin case this recipe will make 18. They will keep for up to two days and freeze well.
Wheat-free white chocolate cookies
With chunks of white chocolate and cranberries, these cookies are quite soft due to the gluten-free flour. If you use standard flour, they'll be crisper, but it's great to have a gluten-free offering at your bake sale. The recipe makes 15 and they will keep for two days. Best of all, they are ready in 35 minutes.
Espresso and cocoa nib banana bread
This is a banana bread with a slightly more adult taste – made with strong coffee and cocoa nibs, which add crunch and a slight bitterness, and which contrasts perfectly with the sweetness from the ripe bananas. It will keep for up to three days if tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and freezes well.
Flapjacks
These oat bars are remarkably simple to make. There's no whisking or folding involved – butter, golden syrup and sugar are melted together in a pan, and then you stir in oats. They are moreish too, with a buttery, sweet and sticky taste. They will keep for up to three days in an airtight container.
Vegan chocolate orange cupcakes
These cupcakes may be vegan, but they are still light and chocolatey, with a lovely hint of fresh orange. The recipe makes 10 cupcakes, they're ready in 30 minutes, and they also freeze well. You could pipe a vegan orange buttercream on top, made with dairy-free butter.
Pistachio and lemon shortbread
The traditional Scottish buttery shortbread is given a mini makeover with the addition of chopped pistachio nuts and lemon zest, which adds texture and freshness – all without losing any of the gorgeous richness of the original. You can make them the day before serving.
Hazelnut brownies
Hazelnuts and dark chocolate are perfect partners, so why not give these brownies a go? They have that classic brownie richness and gooey texture in the center and take 40 minutes from start to finish. They will keep for up to three days.
Malted chocolate cake
A showstopper which is simple to make – a light chocolate sponge filled and topped with a rich chocolate and malted chocolate drink powder buttercream. Both the cake and the frosting can be frozen too. It's a sizeable cake which gives 10 decent slices. Cut it into slices at home or leave the cake whole for more impact.
Black Forest cupcakes
This is a bite-sized version of the famous German cake, with that irresistible combination of chocolate, cherries and cream. The chocolate sponge is topped with a cherry and mascarpone cream, using frozen or jarred sour cherries. The cream topping needs to be added on the day, the cupcakes will keep for up to three days in an airtight container.
Marbled coffee ring cake
Coffee lovers need look no further than this stunning cake. A coffee cake batter is marbled with a plain batter, covered with a coffee buttercream, then drizzled with white chocolate. You can make and decorate it the day before the bake sale and the sponge freezes well. It will give 12 slices.
Red velvet cupcakes
Everyone loves a red velvet cake, and how cute are these cupcakes? The light chocolate sponge is topped with cream cheese frosting. When making the frosting, use a full fat cream cheese and have the butter soft at room temperature, as lower fat cream cheese won't whisk properly and will slide off. Decorate on the day and leave in the refrigerator to firm up before transporting.
Get the recipe for red velvet cupcakes here
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