7 Baking Ideas for when you don't know what to bake

Baking can be a therapy for some people to destress. But it's not always easy to decide what to bake up next when inspirations are running dry. Great thing about baking is that you could experiment combinations of flavours that will help break out of the baker's rut.

Finding something unique to bake often isn't too tricky. You could experiment with the different flavourings at home, and don't be afraid to use some quirky pairings. If you lead a busy life, like most bakers, and don't have time to come up with new inspiration day after day, here are some simple baking ideas for you when you don't know what to bake.

Rainbow Cupcakes

Rainbow cupcakes have become popular over the past few years. Who doesn't love the winning combination of delicious cake with bright, playful colours? To make your rainbow cupcakes a success, you'll need to use your whitest cake recipe to allow the colours to show up well.

You'll also need quality gel food colouring to get the most vibrant colours. You could get gel in all the colours of the rainbow or save some money by getting primary colours and mixing them to create orange, green and purple. The frosting you use for your rainbow cupcakes can be anything your desire. But often a simple buttercream is perfect to complement the bright colours of the cake. Try vanilla or honey mascarpone buttercream.

Biscotti

Bakers often shy away from bakes like biscotti because they think they're complicated to bake, but this is actually not true. There are some excellent, simple biscotti recipes out there that will give you the perfect accompaniment to your morning cup of coffee.

You can bake biscotti using some of the most common ingredients in the kitchen: flour, eggs, sugar and oil. You can also spice up your biscotti recipe with additional flavours like cinnamon, espresso, chocolate or fruit. Try this classic biscotti recipe in 4 ways.

Banana Bread

Banana bread is another crowd-pleasing bake that can be easily customized. This bake is simple to make, and you might already have all the ingredients you need at home. You could spice up your banana bread by adding some chocolate chips, nuts or peanut butter. If you really want to step outside the box, consider adding a little cayenne pepper for a spicy kick. Try this banana bread recipe.

Paleo Baked Goodies

A paleo diet is often considered a healthy option and can help weight loss or manage some chronic conditions. The paleo diet involves eating foods that early humans would have eaten before the advent of farming. This means plenty of fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, meat and fish. Dairy products, processed foods, grains and legumes are usually avoided.

You might think that incorporating a paleo diet could make baking a challenge, but there is actually a massive range of delicious and unique baked goods for those following a paleo diet. You can find some of the tastiest options from Nora over at A Clean Bake or check out these paleo baked goods recipes.

Breakfast Muffins

Breakfast muffins can be an excellent baking choice for you and your family to enjoy in the morning. All you need is a muffin tray and some of your favourite breakfast foods. Eggs are essential, as they will bind together the rest of the ingredients, but aside from that, the opportunities are endless.

You could start with some chopped-up bacon, cheese and eggs. Whisk the eggs up, add the cheese and bacon, spoon the mix into the muffin trays and pop them into the oven until crispy and cooked through. You could try the same with some onions and tomatoes for a healthier omelet-style muffin. Try this breakfast egg muffin receipe - 3 ways.

Extra Puffy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn't love the classic chocolate chip cookie? If you want to make your cookies a bit more exciting, you could try baking an extra puffy batch to delight your kids and loved ones. All you need is your go-to cookie recipe and a package of instant pudding mix. Add the pudding mix to the cookie batter and bake as usual. The result will be chunky, puffy bites of goodness. You can experiment with different flavours of pudding to make tasty, unique cookie combinations.

Microwave Cake In A Mug

A microwave mug cake can be a great solution for anyone who are really strapped for time. You don't need to use self-raising flour to ensure the cake rises properly, all-purpose flour would suffice. Mix the batter in the mug to minimize cleaning and just pop it into your microwave. In less than 2 minutes, you'll have a cup of decadent cake! Serve with some ice cream or whip up a quick batch of frosting to go with the cake. This type of cake is a quick and easy option for when you just want something sweet without spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Try this microwave cake in a mug recipe.