What’s the highlight of a catered chalet ski trip? It’s got to be the afternoon tea, with a different, freshly-baked cake every afternoon to tuck into post-piste. Delicious and well-deserved after a day sweating the slopes.
Booked a self-catering chalet or apartment and want to recreate that sumptuous après ski afternoon-tea vibe? You’re in luck! Here at WhoSki.com, cakes are among our specialist subjects.
And we think your best ski chalet home bake options are:
- Visit the local patisserie and buy one of those spectacular, to-die-for cakes.
- Order from French Alps catering specialist Huski, who can deliver a selection of cakes ranging from flapjacks to chocolate gateau. (Remember to use our discount code WhoSki5 when ordering.)
- DIY if you’re driving: bake in advance and pack a couple of home bakes for your trip.
As a keen home baker, I take the DIY route and always lob a couple of homemade cakes into the boot of the car. I make them in advance, freeze, then grab them as we go. It’s pretty low-effort and saves you LOADS of money.
My best ski chalet bakes are batch cakes or loaf cakes, which freeze well and are highly portable. Going with friends or other families? If everyone donates a bake, you’ll have a full week of afternoon teas covered.
My Top 5 Ski Bakes
Chocolate brownies. I like Nigella’s ‘Domestic Goddess’ recipe, and usually knock up a batch the day before we head off so no need to freeze. Swap nuts for chopped up milk chocolate for an uber sugar hit. Perfect snacking after a day on the blacks.
Lemon syrup loaf cake. Loaf cakes freeze and travel well if you make them in a paper liner (Lakeland offers a good selection). Try the ‘Domestic Goddess’ again, for a fail-safe lemon syrup cake recipe.
Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars. (see above: left and middle) Easy to make, robust and with a hint of cinnamon. A delicious flat bake that would pack well in your cold bag. Recipe from Edd Kimber’s great ‘Small Batch Bakes’ cookbook.
Flapjacks. I tend to use Delia Smith’s basic recipe, supplemented with whatever dried fruit I have in the cupboard. Chopped dried apricots, dates or raisins help liven things up, along with a spoonful of chia seeds for added benefits.
Fruitcakes and ginger loaf cakes also travel well – with the added bonus that you don’t need to freeze them in advance. A chocolate loaf cake could also double up as a pudding when heated up in the microwave and served with cream or ice cream.
Got a fave ski chalet home bake you always take for your ski trip? I’d love to know!
