Late-Winter Baking: Cosy Bakes & Sweet Treats to Keep You Warm

As winter lingers and the chill remains in the air, there’s no better way to keep warm than with the comforting aroma of freshly baked treats filling your kitchen. Late-winter baking is all about rich flavours, seasonal ingredients, and indulgent textures. From spiced cakes to buttery pastries, these cosy bakes are perfect for curling up with on a cold afternoon.

1. Spiced Apple and Walnut Loaf

A spiced apple and walnut loaf is the perfect blend of winter warmth and spring freshness. The tartness of apples combined with the crunch of walnuts and warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg creates a deliciously moist and flavourful loaf.

Ingredients:

• 2 apples, peeled and grated
• 150g brown sugar
• 100g butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 200g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 75g walnuts, chopped

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
2. Mix grated apples, sugar, and melted butter.
3. Beat in the eggs, then fold in the flour, spices, and walnuts.
4. Pour into a lined loaf tin and bake for 45–50 minutes.

Serve warm with a drizzle of honey or a dollop of cream.

2. Sticky Toffee Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce

This British classic is rich, sticky, and the ultimate late-winter treat. The deep flavour of dates combined with a buttery caramel sauce makes it irresistibly cosy.

Ingredients:

• 200g dates, chopped
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 250ml boiling water
• 75g butter
• 100g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 200g self-raising flour

Method:

1. Soak the dates in boiling water with bicarbonate of soda.
2. Cream butter and sugar, then beat in eggs.
3. Fold in the flour and date mixture.
4. Pour into a greased dish and bake at 180°C (160°C fan) for 30–35 minutes.

Salted Caramel Sauce:

• 150g sugar
• 75g butter
• 100ml double cream
• Pinch of sea salt

Melt sugar and butter, stir in cream and salt, and pour over the pudding.

3. Orange and Almond Polenta Cake

This gluten-free cake is fragrant, moist, and bursting with citrusy warmth — ideal for brightening up a grey day.

Ingredients:

• 200g ground almonds
• 100g polenta
• 175g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• Zest and juice of 2 oranges
• 100g butter, melted

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan).
2. Whisk eggs and sugar until pale.
3. Stir in almonds, polenta, orange juice and zest, and melted butter.
4. Bake in a lined tin for 30–35 minutes.

Serve with Greek yoghurt and a drizzle of honey.

4. Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Glaze

Soft, fluffy, and packed with cinnamon — nothing feels cosier than a tray of freshly baked cinnamon rolls.

Ingredients:

• 500g strong bread flour
• 7g instant yeast
• 75g sugar
• 300ml warm milk
• 1 egg
• 50g butter, melted

Filling:

• 75g brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 50g butter, softened

Method:

1. Mix flour, yeast, sugar, milk, egg, and butter.
2. Knead and rise for 1 hour.
3. Roll out, spread filling, and roll into a log.
4. Slice and bake at 190°C (170°C fan) for 20 minutes.

Vanilla Glaze:

• 100g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp milk

Drizzle over warm rolls.

5. Pear and Ginger Crumble

This warming dessert pairs the sweetness of ripe pears with the heat of ginger — perfect for chilly evenings.

Ingredients:

• 4 pears, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 100g plain flour
• 75g butter
• 50g brown sugar
• 50g oats

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
2. Place pears and ginger in a baking dish.
3. Rub butter into flour, sugar, and oats.
4. Sprinkle over pears and bake for 25 minutes.

Serve with custard or ice cream.

Late-winter baking is about warmth, comfort, and indulgence. Whether you’re whipping up a sticky pudding or a spiced loaf, these recipes will fill your home with inviting aromas and cosy vibes. Embrace the last chill of the season with these heartwarming bakes.