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We’re guessing you’ve just enjoyed one of our irresistible home-made cakes as part of your HF Holidays picnic lunch.
Our expert chefs have been baking delicious cakes at our UK country houses for years – and they’ve always been a huge hit with our guests.
If you’d like to replicate three of our favourite cakes when you get home, here’s some easy-to-follow recipes using gluten-free ingredients (although you can replace with regular flour/baking powder).
We hope you love recreating these bakes from the comfort of your own kitchen (or sampling them again first-hand on your next holiday with us).
Chocolate Brownies
Makes 12
Ingredients
- 250g unsalted butter
- 250g dark chocolate
- 4 eggs
- 300g golden caster sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 100g gluten-free plain flour
- 60g cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 150g milk chocolate pieces
Method
- Melt chocolate and butter, either in the microwave or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Leave to cool.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and sugar, either with a hand whisk, or in a food mixer. It’s ready when you can lift the whisk out of the mix and a trail stays on the top for a few seconds.
- Fold in the cooled chocolate mix to the beaten eggs and sugar, and add vanilla.
- Fold sieved flour, salt and cocoa into the mixture.
- Fold in milk chocolate pieces.
- Line a 20cm baking tray with greaseproof paper, and pour in the mixture.
- Bake at 160C (fan) for 30-35 minutes.
- Leave to cool on a wire rack, and cut into fingers. This recipe makes 12 generous portions.

Carrot Cake
Makes 12
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 70g caster sugar
- 130g dark brown sugar
- 300ml sunflower oil
- 200g self-raising gluten-free flour
- 1½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- 190g grated carrot
- 70g raisins
- Zest of 1 orange
- ½ tsp salt
Method
- Cream eggs and both sugars together in a bowl with an electric hand whisk or use a food mixer until the sugar has dissolved. It’s ready when you can lift the whisk out of the bowl and a trail stays on the top for a few seconds.
- Add oil to the bowl gently, while continuing to whisk slowly.
- Sieve in flour, baking powder, salt and mixed spice. Add grated carrot, raisins and orange zest. Fold in gently.
- Line a 20cm baking tray with greaseproof paper, and pour in the mixture.
- Bake at 160C (fan) for 1 hour (or until a skewer comes out clean)
- Leave to cool on a wire rack, and cut into fingers. This recipe makes 12 generous portions.

Flapjacks
Makes 12
Ingredients
- 300g butter
- 150g light brown sugar
- 150ml golden syrup
- 500g porridge oats
Method
- Melt butter, sugar, and syrup in a pan over low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the porridge oats to the pan, and stir until combined.
- Line a 20cm baking tray with greaseproof paper, and pour in the mixture.
- Bake at 160C (fan) for 10-12 minutes.
- Leave to cool on a wire rack, and cut into fingers. This recipe makes 12 generous portions.
All the recipes above are made using gluten-free flour and baking powder. Flapjacks can be gluten-free if gluten-free oats are sourced.

Published 11th January 2023