From pudding to traditional Christmas cake, these are the festive desserts to get you in the spirit for the holidays.
If you always struggle with cutting neatly into a large pavlova to serve your guests, these cute little pavs are what you need! Have fun with the colours and top with your favourite fruit. You’ll need 3 piping bags for this recipe. Credit: Ben Dearnley
“A recipe filled with juicy, boozy spiced action! This is an awesome Christmas cake, and one we make every year. It also works well as an all-year round dessert, or little treat with a cup of tea. We love using our Three Blue Ducks cumquat jam, made using spent cumquats from Brookie's Gin. However, marmalade or a citrus jam can be used as a substitute.” – Andy Allen. You’ll need 2 x 9.5cm x 19.5cm, 7cm-high loaf pans for this recipe.
Inspired by the Portuguese bolo rei (king’s cake), this gloriously colourful brioche screams Christmas and is perfect to start off the day, served warm with a cup of coffee. Credit: Ben Dearnley
Pistachio is one of the hottest flavours of the year, and here we combine it with juicy, tart raspberries to create a stunningly vibrant festive dessert that showcases the colours of Christmas in delectably sweet trifle form.
Healthy? Tick. Vegan? Tick. Ready in 15 minutes? Tick. This Cherry Ripe Christmas pudding is the stuff of dessert dreams.
Grapes are at their peak right now, look for firm, bright fruit for a sweet juicy snack.
Matt Preston turns his leftover Christmas pudding into a shamefully delicious dessert by adding brandy, a frypan and some cheese.
This is our fun, festive take on the classic lemon meringue brulée tart – reimagined as a layered trifle that’s as gorgeous as it is delicious. It’s got all the zesty, creamy goodness of the original tart, but piled high in a trifle bowl for maximum drama (and minimal effort). With layers of tangy lemon curd, light sponge and golden, pillowy meringue, it’s a total crowd-pleaser – and no one needs to know you used a store-bought cake.
Maggie Beer’s Christmas pudding is a must for the silly season. Packed with aromatic dried fruits and nuts, it’s a real crowd-pleaser. Maggie Beer Christmas Pudding
Green pistachios and ruby red-hued cranberries add a Christmas twist to everyone's favourite dessert. Recipe from Dig In by Brent Owens (Hardie Grant Books, $49.95).
My nan was a brilliant home baker. She rescued overripe apricots and plums from Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne to make into jams, which meant that week we would be treated to mouth-watering apricot tea cakes and plum-drop biscuits. She was a thrifty preserver and taught me to cook with my hands, eyes and heart, not just the recipe. Some of her recipes are now mine, and I strive for her light touch. There are rules to follow for a good sponge cake: egg temperature (must be room temp!), glass bowls (this helps with aeration) and sifted flour (for a delicate crumb, even rise and no lumps), to name a few. A successful sponge cake is a reward for the tastebuds and a triumph for the cook.” - Jo Barrett
You’ve never seen a pav quite like this before! We suggest a fanfare of trumpets before you bring this beauty out to the table, then watch as your guests gape in awe. Luscious ribboned purple meringue comes topped with luxuriant swathes of blueberry cream, vibrant figs and glossy blackberries. This is the dessert to make an impression this summer, and it tastes every bit as spectacular as it looks. You’ll need a piping bag fitted with a 4.5cm ribbon nozzle. Credit: Ben Dearnley
"We always make sure we have a few squares of panpepato, a spicy and dairy-free Italian Christmas cake that’s similar to panforte, to gift Babbo Natale (Santa) – a true lover of Italian baked goods." – Silvia Colloca
Giving fructose the flick doesn’t have to mean forgoing all the fun this festive season. Sarah Wilson from I Quit Sugar’s indulgent sugar-free cheesecake is your answer to healthy but festive this Christmas.
Christmas isn't Christmas without a pav - and this is our pick of the bunch! With sweet-yet-spicy peaches, smooth whipped cream and crisp meringue, this is the ultimate crowd-pleaser.
Love strawberries and cream? You’ll adore this impossibly smooth, indulgent mousse cake. Tart and fruity strawberries combine with richly sweet white chocolate to create a creamy, dreamy summer dessert that will have everyone begging for a second serve. You’ll need an 18cm springform cake pan and some acetate (available from cake decorating stores), and you’ll need to start this dessert a day ahead.
