How Many Of These British Desserts Can You Name?

Carrot cake has been rumored to have originated some time during the Middle Ages but the first recipe only appeared in recipe books in 1827. As the name of the cake suggests, it consists of regular cake batter with carrots mixed into it.

An arctic roll is a dessert made of vanilla ice cream which has been wrapped in a thin layer of sponge cake in the form of a roll. Raspberry sauce is then added on top, sometimes with the addition of fresh strawberries. The dessert was first produced by a Czech immigrant in the 1950s and in less than 20 years a factory was producing the dessert for the masses.

Banoffee pie, as its name suggests, is a type of pie made from cream, toffee, and bananas all of which sit on top of a pastry base. The recipe, which was invented in 1971, has alternate versions that include coffee and chocolate.

Mince pie is a sweet pie which is filled with a mixture known as “mincemeat” which consists of a variety of dried fruits and spices, such as nutmeg and cloves and is traditionally served during the Christmas season.

A Bakewell tart is a type of pasty which is made from shortcrust pastry, frangipane, and jam topped with almond flakes. The tart was developed sometime in the 20th century as a variation of the Bakewell pudding (which is a completely different dessert).

Battenberg is a type of sponge cake that consists of four pieces of squared cakes held together by a layer of apricot jam in a cross-sectional check pattern, all of which is covered by marzipan. The cake was made and named in honor of the marriage of Queen Victoria to Prince Louis of Battenberg.

Pound cake is a type of cake which is made using a pound of butter, eggs, sugar and flour, hence the name “pound cake.” It is usually baked in a Bundt baking pan or loaf pan after which it can be glazed, iced, or dusted with powdered sugar.

Eton Mess is a dessert which is made up of a mixture of strawberries, whipped heavy cream and broken meringue. The recipe originated in 1893 from Eton College (hence the name) where it was served at one of their annual cricket matches.

Spotted dick is a type of pudding which is made from suet (a type of fat found around the organs of some animals) and raisins or currants. The recipe, which was first published in 1849, has been a source of amusement for many of the people who eat and prepare it.

A fruit fool is a dessert in which pureed stewed fruit has been folded into a sweet custard. The dessert was first mentioned in the 16th century and the word fool has been said to come from the French word “Fouler” which means “to crush or press”. A more modern take on the dessert switches out the custard for whipped cream.

Jam roly-poly, sometimes called shirt-sleeve pudding, is a suet pudding which has been rolled flat then spread with a type of jam, and is then rolled up (like a Swiss roll) before being steamed or baked. The shirt-sleeve pudding nickname came about because it used to be served in an old shirt sleeve.

Coconut ice is an English treat which is made when desiccated coconut is grated into a mixture of sugar and condensed milk creating a solid yet soft candy. Food coloring is sometimes added to one half of the candy, giving it its distinctive look.

Trifle is a dessert made from layers of fruit, jelly and sherry-soaked sponge fingers. The dessert is then topped with whipped cream. In some recipes, chocolate and vanilla are used in place of the fruit.

Maid of Honour tart is a baked tart made of puff pastry been filled with a type of cheese curd. The tart, which dates back to the 18th century, can also be filled with jam, almonds and nutmeg.

Angel Delight is a powdered dessert product which has to be mixed with milk in order to create a mousse-like dessert. It was first produced by the Bird’s company in 1967 with only one flavor. More than 50 years later, they are now the best-selling brand in the instant cold dessert sector and now have more than five flavors.

Caraway seed caked is a type of cake that is flavored with caraway seeds and is traditionally prepared to commemorate the end of the sowing of wheat during spring. There are recipes which date back to 1591 and variations of the cake to make a biscuit.

Brandy snaps are a type of dessert that was extremely popular in Australia, the United Kingdom and parts of the United States. They are tube-shaped casings made from flour, ginger, cream and butter and are usually filled with whipped cream that has been flavored or sweetened.

Rhubarb pie is a type of pie which has been filled with a sweet and tart rhubarb mixture, topped with a latticework crust. Although rhubarb was introduced to Europe from China in the 17th century, the recipe was created in Yorkshire.

A crumble is a dish that can be either sweet or savory, depending on what is added. In the savory variation, meat, sauces and vegetables are stewed and then placed into an oven until its cheese topping is crispy. In the sweet version, a mixture of fruit is stewed then topped with butter flour and sugar.

Treacle tart is a traditional dessert which is made using shortcrust pastry and a filling that is made of light treacle (which is also called golden syrup), lemon juice or zest and breadcrumbs. Some people use ground almonds to substitute the bread crumbs.

A gypsy tart is a type of tart that is made by mixing evaporated milk with a type of brown sugar called ‘muscovado’ which is baked on top of a pastry base. The tart is said to be very sweet and was often served at school dinners.

Manchester tarts are traditional baked tarts which consist of a pastry shell that has a layer of raspberry jam covered with a layer of custard and topped with coconut flakes and a Maraschino cherry.

Raspberry ripple is a flavor of ice cream which originated in the United Kingdom in the early 20th century. It consists of vanilla ice cream which has been infused with raspberry syrup. It was given the name “Raspberry Ripple” in the 1920s like many other raspberry-flavored food products.

Cherries jubilee is a type of dessert which is made with cherries and Kirschwasser which are usually flambeed and served with vanilla ice cream. The dessert got its name because it was made for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

Lardy cake, sometimes called fourses cake or dough cake, is a rich type of spiced bread that is usually served with tea cakes in many Southern English states. It is made up of flour, sugar, spices, lard, currants and raisins.

Madeira cake is a sponge cake which was named after a Portuguese wine from the Madeira Islands. The cake is traditionally eaten with tea (and sometimes breakfast) and consists of eggs, sugar, butter and fresh lemons.

Sticky toffee pudding is a British dessert which is made up of sponge cake which has chopped dates and is topped with a toffee sauce. The dessert is usually served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or custard and is considered a classic by the Brits.

A rock cake, or bum, is a small cake which can be filled with various fruits. Because of its rough exterior, it was given the name rock cake. It was very popular around the Second World War in Great Britain, and it is now enjoyed around the world.

Knickerbocker glory is a type of ice cream sundae which has been layered and is served in a large conical glass. The dessert consists of meringue, ice cream, fruit, cream and topped with syrup, whipped cream, nuts and cherries and meant to be eaten with a long spoon.

Christmas pudding, sometimes called plum pudding, is a type of pudding that is served as part of the Christmas dinner in many British households. It consists of sugar, spices, suet and treacle and can be served either warm or cold.

A Bedfordshire clanger is a dish which originated in Bedfordshire some time during the 19th century. It is a type of elongated dumpling which is steamed or baked and is known for having a sweet filling on one end and a savory filling on the other.

Eccles cake is a small cake made from pastry and butter which has been filled with currants and topped with demerara sugar. They were named after the English town of Eccles and their oval shape is very similar to a Chorley cake.

Chelsea buns are a type of bun made from yeast, cinnamon, mixed spices and currants at a Bun House in Chelsea back in the 18th century. The bun is very similar to a cinnamon roll and after it is cooked, it is glazed with a sugar and cold-water mixture while it is still hot.

Bread pudding is a dessert made from stale bread, some type of fat, milk or cream, eggs, different spices, fruit and flavoring, depending on whether it is a savory or sweet bread pudding. Most savory puddings are served as the main course while the sweet ones are eaten for dessert.

Jaffa cakes are small biscuit-sized cakes which were first made by the company McVitie and Price in 1927. These cakes, which were named after Jaffa oranges, consist of three layers of Genoise sponge which have a layer of orange jam and is coated with chocolate.

A scone is a type of quick bread or cake which is made from wheat or oatmeal and baking powder which is later baked. Most scones are glazed with an egg wash after being lightly sweetened and are usually eaten during tea time.

Parkin or Perkin is a type of gingerbread cake which is made from flour, butter, black treacle (molasses) and oatmeal. The cake is baked until it is hard, but later moistens and becomes sticky after it has rested for some time. Depending on which part of England you visit, the cake has different textures.

Custard tarts are pastries which are made up of an outer pastry and an inner egg custard which has been baked. There are more modern takes on the tart where milk, vanilla and nutmeg have been added and also variations where they are topped with fruit.

Angel cake is a dessert which consists of layers of sponge cake covered with vanilla icing. The cake is made from butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and caster sugar which has been colored in red and yellow then sandwiched with a thin layer of cream.

Syllabub is a sweet, frothy dessert drink which was extremely popular between the 16th and 19th century. It is made with milk or cream which has been curdled by the addition of an acid, such as wine or cider, that has been added to it. It can then be sweetened or flavored before being eaten.

Cobbler is a name given to a variety of desserts that consists of a type of fruit which has been poured into a baking dish and is covered with some type of batter and biscuit before it is baked. Some people also substitute the fruit with a savory filling, but the most popular types are apple, berry, pear or peach crumble.

Figgy pudding is a type of Christmas pudding which has figs as its main ingredient. After it has been baked, boiled or steamed in the oven, it can be covered with brandy which is lit on fire for a short period of time, a process known as flambé.

Shrewsbury cake and Shrewsbury biscuits were named after a county in Shropshire, England. They are both made from dough that consist of sugar, butter, eggs, flour and lemon zest. In some mixtures, dried fruits are added.

Chorley cakes are fruit-filled pastry cakes which were named after the town Chorley in Lancashire, England. They have a distinctive flattened circular shape and have often been mistaken for Eccles cakes.

Fat rascals are a type of cake or biscuit similar to a scone or a rock cake and date back to 19th century in the city of Yorkshire. In some places, it is known as a turf cake and is made of flour, baking powder, butter and currants.

Suet pudding is made from flour, suet, raisins, crumbs and spices which is later boiled, steamed or microwaved. The recipe was first seen in an 18th century cookbook and has since been adapted to many variations, some of which include treacle pudding and clootie.

Bombe glacee is an ice-cream dessert which has been frozen in the shape of a sphere in order to look like a cannonball. There are multiple recipes and takes on this dessert, but the original recipe is made from chocolate and meringue.

Flummery is a soft dessert pudding which dates back to the 17th century. It is made with milk, sugar, some type of flavoring and in some versions, gelatin is added. There is also an Australian flummery which is completely different to the British dish.

Flies’ graveyard or cemetery doesn’t sound very appetizing but was given its name because the raisins and currant which fill the sweet pastry have been said to look like a graveyard for flies. In other parts of the United Kingdom, they are called fruit slices or squares and currant squares.

Shortcake is a type of sweet cake or biscuit that is made from flour, sugar, salt, butter and eggs. The earliest recipe was seen in a 1588 English cookbook and there are now variations which include adding strawberry, almond and blueberry.