Bonfire Night brings families together with fireworks and warm treats. These recipes from Whitakers Chocolates add chocolate to classic UK bakes.
Prepare them for Guy Fawkes Night on 5 November.
Chocolate Bonfire Cake Recipe
This cake mixes rich chocolate with a soft sponge base. It suits Bonfire Night parties in the UK.
The recipe uses Whitakers chocolates for extra taste. Bake it in advance to serve warm with cream. Layers of cake capture the glow of bonfires.
It takes about one hour to make and serves ten people.
Start by preheating the oven to 180C. Cream butter and sugar until pale. Beat in eggs one at a time. Fold in flour, cocoa, and baking powder.
Melt Whitakers chocolate and stir into the batter.
Pour into two greased tins. Bake for 25 minutes until springy. Cool on a rack.
Whip cream for filling. Sandwich layers with cream and jam.
Cover the top with chocolate ganache. Decorate with sparks or edible fireworks.
Store in an airtight tin for up to three days.
Click here to see our Chocolate Bonfire Cake Recipe.
Traditional Bonfire Toffee Recipe
Bonfire toffee is a sticky sweet from UK traditions. This version sticks to the old method with sugar and syrup.
Boil the mix until it hardens for that crunch. Cut it into pieces to share at fireworks displays. The recipe needs care with hot sugar.
It makes enough for twenty servings in thirty minutes. Gather butter, sugar, golden syrup, and black treacle.
Use a deep saucepan to prevent spills. Melt butter over low heat. Add sugar, syrup, and treacle. Stir until dissolved.
Bring to a rolling boil. Cook for five minutes without stirring.
Test by dropping a bit into cold water. It should form hard threads. Pour onto an oiled baking tray. Let it set for ten minutes.
Score into squares while warm. Break apart once cool.
Wrap in cellophane for gifts. Keep away from children during making.
Click here to see our Traditional Bonfire Toffee Recipe.
Chocolate Bonfire Biscuits Recipe
These biscuits combine chocolate and a crisp bite. They make a quick treat for Bonfire Night in the UK. Add Whitakers chocolate chunks to the dough.
Bake them golden for tea time by the fire. The snap reminds of fireworks in the sky. This batch yields fifteen biscuits in forty minutes.
Soften butter at room temperature. Beat with caster sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract. Sift in flour and cocoa powder.
Mix to form a dough. Chop Whitakers chocolate into pieces. Fold through the dough. Roll into balls and place on trays.
Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake at 190C for 12 minutes.
Cool on the tray for firmness. Dust with icing sugar. Pack in tins for sharing.
They stay fresh for a week.
Click here to see our Chocolate Bonfire Biscuits Recipe.
Traditional Bonfire Parkin Recipe
Parkin is a ginger cake from northern UK roots. It stays moist with oats and treacle for Bonfire Night. Spices warm up cold November evenings.
Wrap slices to eat over the holiday weekend. Let it rest a day for best flavour. The recipe serves eight in one hour. Preheat oven to 160C.
Grease a square tin. Melt butter, sugar, and treacle in a pan. Stir in milk and bicarbonate of soda. Mix with flour, oats, ginger, and mixed spice.
Beat eggs and add to the batter. Pour into the tin. Bake for 45 minutes until firm. Cool in the tin. Turn out and wrap in foil.
Store for 24 hours to mature. Cut into squares. Serve with butter or custard. It improves after two days.
Click here to see our Traditional Bonfire Parkin Recipe.
Bonfire Night - A Great Time for Homebaking in the UK
Bonfire Night marks 5 November each year in the UK. It recalls the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
People light bonfires and watch fireworks across towns and villages. The cold weather calls for warm food to share.
Homebaking fits this time well. Families gather in kitchens to make treats. The smell of baking fills the air. It adds to the fun before heading out.
Classic recipes like parkin and toffee link to old customs. They pass down through generations.
Baking at home saves money on shop buys. It lets people try new ideas with chocolate or spices. Friends drop by for a slice or biscuit.
The activity keeps everyone busy on a crisp evening. Rain often falls, so indoor baking suits the night. It turns the holiday into a cozy event.
Many UK homes stock up on flour and sugar in autumn. Baking builds excitement for the fireworks. It creates memories that last beyond the sparks in the sky.
