Hi there! Welcome to Emma Duckworth Bakes. I’m Emma, the recipe developer, food stylist and photographer behind this desserts food blog.
Here you’ll find classic dessert recipes inspired by seasonal ingredients and international, especially European, influences.
Whether it's a simple Yogurt Cake or the more advanced technique of making a French Caramel Apple Tart from scratch, I aim to break down the recipes and make them approachable for the home baker to enjoy.
A Little Background About Me
Let’s start with a proper hello, though … hi!
I’m half French and half British, and these two influences in my life have instinctively led me to love both British and French Baking. What can I say, I have a weakness for Chocolate Madeleines and any type of Crêpes!
As a family, we led a truly international life living as ex-pats in the Philippines, Hong Kong and India from when I was a toddler into my teens. As you can imagine, this was an incredible experience for a kid growing up.
Helping out in the kitchen from a young age gave me an invaluable appreciation and understanding of worldly flavours.
During my gap year in Australia, I met and fell in love with a local boy, and we called Sydney home for 15 years. My husband, Anthony and I have three beautiful young daughters, Malia, Lani and Coco. (They're my chief taste testers!)
Over the years in Sydney, my knowledge, love and passion for baking developed. (Acclaimed Australian baking icon Donna Hay was a big influence!) When we moved back to London, UK, I shifted careers from interior design to baking and photography.
And so Emma Duckworth Bakes was born in early 2020. This space is a culmination of years surrounded by global influences and my ultimate love of baking. What have I learnt from all this moving around? That baking grounds us. It connects us with nostalgia and allows us to make new memories wherever we are.
What you'll find on Emma Duckworth Bakes
- Reliable Recipes. All recipes are developed and tested in my home kitchen. I test the recipe multiple times to make sure you can master it too.
- Sweet treats to suit every skill level. I have a range of recipes from simple to suit those just starting out in the kitchen to more advanced to suit those with a higher skill level.
- Approachable Recipes. Whether a straightforward recipe or one with multiple components, I guide you through the recipes with step-by-step photos and detailed instructions. Oh yeah, and I include lots of tips!
More About Emma & the Blog
Absolutely! I recommend trying out my Easy Plum Cake (you can substitute the plums for any fruit) or Biscoff Blondies. They're both recipes made in one bowl with no fancy equipment necessary! But there are plenty of easy recipes in my Cookies or Brownies & Bars category.
I love this question. I have some truly delicious recipes to steer you to. Try your hand at making Profiteroles from scratch or my favourite tart, Earl Grey Crème Brûlée Tart. My Vanilla Mille Crêpes Cake is pretty spectacular too! My posts hold lots of valuable hints and tips to make these recipes approachable.
My husband and I set up in May 2021 a beautiful converted Piaggio Apé called Dear Coco (yes, named after our youngest). We sell speciality coffee, bakes and sweets on the street set right along the banks of the River Thames in London. Between myself and our baking partner, we sell scrumptious bakes daily. Come check us out!
I currently shoot with a Canon 6D. The three lenses I use are a Canon f/1.4 50mm lens (I use this one all the time) and my Canon f/2.8 24-70mm (great for overhead shots), and a Canon f/2.8 100mm (for those gorgeous close-ups).
My Work
I’ve been featured in The Express UK, Bake From Scratch Magazine multiple times (see an example article below), Sister Mag, Purely Elizabeth, Feed Feed, and Eat Live Escape Mag.
I’m a brand ambassador for the well-known and loved Bonne Maman brand and regularly create recipes and imagery for Kitchen Aid, Nielsen Massey Vanilla, Waitrose, Lyle’s Golden Syrup, Tala Cookware and Yellow Tail Wines, to name a few.
I love working with brands that align with my values. If you are interested in working with me, please head to my Work with Me page to see the services I offer.
Cookbook
I wrote, developed and photographed a baking cookbook called ‘Simply Sweet Nostalgic Bakes’. Inside, you'll find 55 classic recipes that take you down memory lane but have been re-created with exciting new flavour combinations. I'm SO proud of it!
My Top Recipes
These are my all-time favourite recipes. Whether fruity, simple, indulgent or chocolatey- I have a weakness for them all!
I truly hope you enjoy rifling through my blog like the well-worn pages of a family cookbook. Let’s bake together and create a little magic in the kitchen that you can enjoy in the afternoon, as an after-dinner treat, to celebrate a milestone or simply as an everyday snack.