Baking is back on the telly and it seems to be inspiring the nation, as Google search demand in the UK for “baking recipes” has increased by 186% over the past week¹.
If the mouth-watering creations on your screen are influencing you to try out some recipes for yourself, Capital One has crunched the numbers to discover the UK’s most popular entry-level bakes and how much it would cost to buy the ingredients to make them at home2.
The result? The nation’s top five easy bakes for less than £15 each.
Key findings:
- Baking on a budget: It costs less than £15 to purchase the ingredients for each of our top five easy bakes at one of the UK’s leading supermarkets, with the cheapest costing just £5.62
- Sweet savings: Homemade shortbread is officially the most affordable easy bake to make, costing just £1.66 per recipe and working out at 8p a portion
- Indulgence for less: Even the priciest bake by the full shop cost (chocolate cake) comes in at 41p per slice
- Cheesecake takes the crown: The nation’s most popular entry-level bake is cheesecake, receiving 624,000 Google searches in the UK over the past year
Britain’s top five simple bakes and what they really cost
Every bake listed is popular AND great value for money, coming in at under £1 per portion.
| Rank (cheapest to most expensive per portion) | Popular Bake | Full shop cost (for all ingredients) | Recipe cost (amount of ingredients used) | Portions per bake | Homemade cost per portion | Searches from 27 Aug 2024 to 27 Aug 2025 |
| 1 | Shortbread | £5.62 | £1.66 | 20 | £0.08 | 500,000 |
| 2 | Carrot cake | £9.55 | £2.88 | 12 | £0.24 | 202,000 |
| 3 | Cupcakes | £10.15 | £3.48 | 12 | £0.29 | 298,000 |
| 4 | Chocolate cake | £13.99 | £4.96 | 12 | £0.41 | 465,000 |
| 5 | Cheesecake | £10.84 | £8.43 | 12 | £0.70 | 624,000 |
- Shortbread takes top spot for Britain’s cheapest bake – just 8p per portion
A classic British, buttery favourite to pair with a cup of tea, shortbread tops our list of the most affordable bakes to recreate at home. With just three main ingredients – butter, flour and sugar, this simple bake costs just £5.62 for the entire ingredient list, making it 8p per portion and the perfect bake for beginners.
- Carrot cake proves comfort doesn’t have to cost – only 24p per slice
Full of flavour and spice, the warm and comforting carrot cake is an autumn favourite amongst Brits. It’s also our second-cheapest bake, costing just 24p per portion if you were to whip up your own from home. Consisting of cost-effective ingredients such as grated carrots, brown sugar and self-raising flour, this recipe serves 12 people, meaning you can make a whole cake for less than £3.
- Cupcakes deliver sweet savings – at just 29p each
Offering quick and simple baking fun for the entire family, cupcakes are a real crowd pleaser. At just 29p each, this beginner-friendly bake is snackable and cost-effective. All you need for this bake is flour, butter, sugar, eggs and milk, which are all staples you can usually find in your kitchen cupboards.
Whether you’re looking for a mid-week treat or baking for a special occasion, you can make a batch of 12 cupcakes for just £3.48.
- Chocolate cake offers star-bake indulgence for just 41p per slice
Many people’s go-to cake flavour, a rich, indulgent chocolate cake doesn’t have to set you back. Rich cocoa powder, combined with eggs and butter, is the key ingredient for this mouthwateringly moist bake.
By recreating your own chocolate treat at home, this can cost you as little as £4.96 (for the whole cake) and only 41p per slice!
- Cheesecake serves luxe for less – 70p per slice
The most expensive, but also the most popular, with 624,000 searches, a simple yet delicious vanilla cheesecake is an affordable luxury at just 70p per slice.
This recipe technically requires no baking, which means you don’t have to worry about under or overcooking it! The combination of cream cheese, sugar and digestive biscuits makes this the perfectly balanced sweet treat, that’s super easy to make yourself.
Baking on a budget: tips and tricks
If you’re looking to dust off your apron and put your baking skills to the test, here are some top tips on how to bake affordably so you can enjoy your favourite sweet treats from the comfort of your home:
- Check your cupboards: make the most of what you already have by checking if there’s anything hiding in your kitchen cupboards and plan your recipes around existing ingredients (from seasonal fruit to biscuits)
- Bulk buy basics: from flour to sugar and butter, stock up on these long-lasting essentials for more pounds for your £££
- Batch bake and freeze: not only is freezing your bakes cost-effective, it’s also a great time-saver – your future self will thank you when you’re craving your next sweet treat!
From cakes to credit, master the basics, reap the rewards
Ricky Attenborrow, Senior Manager at Capital One UK, said:
“Whether you’re new to baking or looking to sharpen up your skills to produce a showstopper one day, making one of the simple, affordable bakes from our list is a great place to start. Building your baking skills is much like building your credit score – start small, be consistent, and over time, you could reap the rewards.
“If you’re looking to build your credit score, simple steps like making your minimum payments on time, staying below your credit limit and using your card for smaller, everyday spends show lenders you’re managing your money well and could boost your score. On the other hand, activities like missing payments, going over your credit limit, and applying regularly for credit could harm your score.
“Whether you’re borrowing or baking, doing it responsibly is the recipe for success!”