As the festive season reaches its peak, renowned pastry chef Nicola Lamb has shared two spectacular dessert recipes designed to delight a crowd without adding to the cook's stress. Her chocolate fondant bundt cake and Nutcracker hazelnut creme brulee are the ultimate Christmas crowdpleasers, both featuring clever make-ahead tricks for a smoother holiday hosting experience.
Decadent Chocolate Fondant Bundt Cake: A Festive Centrepiece
The star of the show is a sumptuous chocolate fondant bundt cake, a rich and decadent dessert meant to be served warm from the oven. Lamb suggests presenting it as a centrepiece, generously accompanied by ice cream and perhaps even pouring cream for an indulgent festive touch.
A key timesaving secret is that the batter can be prepared and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking. If baking from chilled, simply add an extra 10 minutes to the cooking time. The recipe serves 8-10 people and requires just 5 minutes of preparation and 45 minutes of cooking.
The ingredients include 250g of butter, 6 large eggs, 150g caster sugar, 250g dark chocolate, 50g milk chocolate, 50g malt syrup, 100ml whole milk, 120g plain flour, 20g cocoa powder, and half a teaspoon of fine sea salt. The method involves whipping eggs and sugar to a thick, pale foam, gently folding in a melted chocolate and butter mixture, and then incorporating the dry ingredients before baking in a well-buttered bundt tin.
Make-Ahead Hazelnut Creme Brulee with a Crunchy Twist
For a more elegant, individual dessert, Lamb's Nutcracker hazelnut creme brulee offers pure luxury with a practical edge. The custard base can be made well in advance and chilled for at least three hours, or even overnight.
While a classic blowtorched sugar topping is an option, Lamb has ingeniously devised an alternative: a crunchy hazelnut caramel crumb that can be prepared ahead of time and simply sprinkled over the set custards just before serving. This eliminates last-minute torching and ensures a perfect, nutty crunch every time.
This recipe makes 6 servings and requires 5 minutes prep, 1 hour cooking, plus cooling and chilling time. Key components are 90g of whole roast hazelnuts (or hazelnut butter), 120ml whole milk, 360ml double cream, 90g light brown sugar, 3 large eggs, and salt. The unique topping is made from 120g caster sugar and 60g roast hazelnuts, caramelised together and blitzed into a fine crumb.
Expert Tips for Stress-Free Festive Baking
Nicola Lamb, the author of the Kitchen Projects newsletter and the book Sift, emphasises planning and preparation. By utilising the make-ahead steps for both desserts, hosts can minimise Christmas Day chaos. The bundt cake batter waits patiently in the fridge, while the brulee custards set perfectly in their ramekins, ready for their final flourish.
These recipes perfectly capture the spirit of festive baking: creating impressive, celebratory food that brings people together, while smart shortcuts ensure the cook can enjoy the festivities too. With these two crowdpleasers from a professional pastry chef, your Christmas dessert table is guaranteed to be a resounding success.
