If there’s one thing we know from watching social media, food trends don’t just evolve — they explode. One moment a cake is a local favourite, the next it’s on every TikTok feed in the world. At Jack and Beyond, we love keeping an eye on what’s hot so we can bring fresh inspiration (and maybe a new creation) to our Battersea bakery. Let’s take a look at what’s catching fire in the cake world for 2025–26 — the trends, flavours, and visual statements that are making mouths water and feeds stop scrolling. What Makes a Cake Go Viral Before diving into specific trends, it’s useful to understand why some cakes go viral. The ones that tend to blow up...
Beautiful, Natural, and (Sometimes) Tricky Few things make a cake look as effortlessly elegant as fresh flowers. Whether it’s a simple buttercream cake with a few seasonal blooms or a full floral showstopper, fresh botanicals can turn your bake into a masterpiece. But here’s the catch — not every flower is safe to put on a cake. Some are toxic, some wilt quickly, and others can affect the flavour of your buttercream. So, if you’re planning to decorate with flowers, it’s important to do it safely and thoughtfully. Step 1: Choose the Right Flowers When decorating cakes with fresh blooms, always start by choosing non-toxic and pesticide-free flowers. Some popular safe choices include: Roses Peonies Dahlias Carnations Chrysanthemums Eucalyptus (for...
When a Good Idea Goes Wrong in the Oven At Jack and Beyond, we love experimenting in the kitchen. Baking is part science, part art, and sometimes our experiments don’t quite turn out the way we imagined. One of our biggest lessons? Low-sugar cakes sound great in theory, but in practice, they can be more “oops” than “yum.” The Role of Sugar in Cake Baking Most people think sugar’s only job in cake is to make it sweet — but it’s actually so much more than that. Sugar helps create a soft, fluffy sponge by trapping air when it’s beaten with butter and eggs. It also keeps cakes moist, gives them their golden colour, and balances flavours. Take too much...
A Slice of History Basque Burnt Cheesecake may look a little different from the neat and tidy cheesecakes you might be used to, but that’s exactly its charm. Born in the Basque Country of Northern Spain, this rustic dessert first appeared in the 1990s at La Viña, a small restaurant in San Sebastián. Instead of the smooth, pale top of a classic cheesecake, Chef Santiago Rivera deliberately baked his at a high temperature to create a beautifully caramelised, “burnt” crust with a soft, custard-like centre. The result was a cake that felt both comforting and sophisticated – and it quickly became a beloved local speciality. Basque Burnt Cheesecake: A Spanish Classic Loved in London For many years, Basque Burnt Cheesecake...
Few things in life pair as naturally as coffee and cake – but what if the coffee is in the cake? From the humble coffee and walnut sponge to rich espresso-infused brownies, coffee has long held its place as a beloved baking ingredient. In this post, we’ll explore the role of coffee in cakes, why it’s such a magical addition to sweet treats, and how you can incorporate it into your own bakes. A Perfect Match: Coffee and Cake Coffee-flavoured cakes have an enduring appeal. For many, they evoke nostalgic memories of teatime classics like coffee and walnut cake – a staple of British home baking and high street cafés. The deep, slightly bitter notes of coffee pair beautifully with sugar...
