Fruity Bakes Cakes Crumbles and Dessert Recipes

Welcome to the latest #CookBlogShare update. I’m delighted to be hosting this week’s linky and sharing a delicious collection of fruity bakes from the community.

It will not surprise regular readers to know that I love baking, so when I saw how many fruit-filled recipes had been added to this week’s linkup, the theme for this roundup chose itself. Fruit is one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to bring colour, flavour and freshness to cakes, muffins, pies, tarts and desserts. Sometimes fruit is used simply as a beautiful decoration, while in other recipes it becomes the main flavour and adds wonderful texture, sweetness or sharpness.

Baking with fruit is a simple and versatile way to adapt a favourite recipe. A small amount can lift the flavour of a sponge, while a sharper fruit can add a real punch and balance out sweetness beautifully. Using seasonal fruit is often the most affordable option, and it is a great way to make the most of ingredients when they are at their best. In our house, plums and rhubarb are not always eaten on their own, but they often find their way into crumbles, cakes and other bakes.

Fruit is also very useful when you want to cut down on food waste. Slightly soft berries, ripe bananas, tired apples or vegetables that are just past their best can often still be used in cakes, muffins and traybakes. This week’s #CookBlogShare entries show just how many creative ways there are to bake with fruit.

Tips for using fruit in baking

One of the most common problems when baking with fruit is that it can sink to the bottom of a cake. A simple way to help prevent this is to toss the fruit in a light coating of flour just before folding it into the batter. It is not guaranteed to work every time, but it does help in many recipes, especially when using berries or chopped fruit.

If you are adapting a recipe to include fresh fruit, remember that you are also adding extra moisture. Where possible, reduce another liquid in the recipe slightly. If that is not practical, you may need to bake the cake for a little longer. In some cases, lowering the oven temperature can also help stop the outside from browning too quickly before the centre is fully baked.

What fruit is best to use in cake and bakes?

Almost any fruit can be used in baking. Fresh fruit is wonderful for flavour and colour, but it is worth keeping moisture levels in mind. Dried fruit is another excellent option, and there is a wide variety available, from raisins and apricots to cranberries and dates. It is often inexpensive and easy to store, making it a handy way to add variety to your baking.

Tinned fruit is also useful for last-minute bakes because it keeps for much longer than fresh fruit. Frozen fruit is another great option to have in the freezer. I usually prefer to defrost frozen fruit before baking with it, as this makes it easier to see how much extra liquid it contains and adjust the recipe if needed.

The fruity bakes

The Baking Explorer shared this glorious Apple Crumble Cake. It is a perfect bake for this time of year and would make a lovely treat at the end of a meal.

The tartness of blackberries paired with the sweetness of meringue sounds irresistible in Tin & Thyme’s Hazelnut Meringue with Blackberries. This recipe can also be made with raspberries, which would be just as delicious.

Curly’s Cooking has turned a classic British flavour combination into cute, irresistible little pies with these Mini Rhubarb and Custard Pies. The only question is what to serve them with. I would choose ice cream.

Perfect for back-to-school packed lunches, Glutarama has shared Blueberry Crumble Muffins. This is a practical recipe that can be made with either fresh or frozen blueberries.

Lemon and raspberry are one of the best fruit flavour combinations, and they work beautifully in these Lemon and Raspberry Blondies from Something Sweet Something Savoury.

If you cannot get hold of fresh rhubarb for these Rhubarb & Custard Tarts from Glutarama, tinned rhubarb can be used instead. They look stunning and include extra fruit as decoration too.

Some of my favourite fruity cakes and bakes

Cherry Bakewell Cookies

Easy No-Fail Orange Drizzle Cake

Peach and Amaretto Summer Crumble

Apple Cinnamon Twists

How to take part in #CookBlogShare

I’m handing over to another blogger for next week’s roundup. I always enjoy seeing everyone’s posts and will be commenting on and sharing every entry.

To enter a recipe or food post of your own, follow the instructions on the linky. If you have any problems entering, please contact me and I will help you through it.

Required: All food and recipe posts are welcome, with up to four posts allowed per person each week, as long as they have not been entered before. Please comment on at least two other entries as well as the host post.

Also required: Please add a short paragraph to the post you are linking, even if it is an older post. For example: “I have linked this recipe to #CookBlogShare run by Sisley & Chloe, which was hosted by Helen at https://casacostello.com.”

If you are not linking up but would still like to be part of the CookBlogShare community, you are very welcome to save posts on Pinterest or share them on your social media channels.

This weekly linkup is hosted mainly by Sisley from Sew White and Chloe from Feast Glorious Feast. They put a lot of work into #CookBlogShare, so please show them some support and visit their blogs.

Please note that by entering, you give the #CookBlogShare hosts permission to use your pictures in a roundup and on social media if your recipe is selected as a favourite or featured post.