The 14 best recipes to bake in February
Out with the cold, in with the new.
Date
January 31, 2023
During the depths of winter, I revel in the hours I spend baking in the kitchen, appreciating the great indoors. (Can you tell I’m not a skier?) Naturally, this month there will be plenty of chocolate for Valentine’s Day (or, realistically, just because it’s a Tuesday), but I’m also seeking comfort in the form of carbs — including warm, cheesy dinners and bright, bold flavors reminiscent of sunnier destinations. From project bakes to utilitarian weeknight dishes, here are the 14 recipes I’m most excited to bake this month.
1) Old-Fashioned Coconut Cake
The rich, creamy taste of coconut is incorporated into every element of Cheryl Day’s recipe: cream of coconut is the backbone of the cardamom-scented cake layers, coconut milk lends flavor to the buttercream and cake soak, and shredded coconut is plentiful in both the filling and all over the frosted cake. Adorned in a final bouquet of edible flowers, this classic Southern-style coconut cake is a comforting project bake to look forward to on a cold winter day spent indoors.
2) Nan-e Barbari
Flatbread recipes lean on pantry staples, so when inclement weather forecasts come rolling in, you can skip the treacherous trip to the grocery store. Basic and affordable ingredients like bread flour, yeast, sugar, and oil are the building blocks of this light, chewy flatbread. Topped with seeds for crunch and flavor, this Persian classic is the perfect accompaniment to dips, spreads, and cozy soups.
3) Rose-Pistachio Cookies
These unique vegan cookies from Dawn Konofaos are packed with mix-ins that bring pops of color, texture, and flavor. Rose extract and dried petals lend a lovely floral aroma that could rival a Valentine’s Day bouquet, while pistachios and dried cherries give these soft cookies crunch and chew.
4) Triple-Chocolate Coffee Cake
Chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and chocolate milk are the trifecta that give this Recipe of the Year-worthy coffee cake its name. It’s intensely chocolatey yet remains incredibly tender (thanks to reverse creaming) — and is just as welcome on the dessert table as it is for breakfast.
5) Chocolate Milk Bread
The only thing better than fluffy, feathery Japanese milk bread? Chocolate Milk Bread. The lightly sweetened bread contains both chocolate chips and cocoa powder; a final showering of sparkling sugar gives it an extra crunch. Toast it, or use it as the foundation for some killer French toast.
6) Maritozzi
How do you improve upon brioche buns? Do as the Romans do: Split them in half and fill to the brim with whipped cream to make a batch of maritozzi. Customize each maritozzo with an array of toppings: chocolate shavings, fruit powders, or crushed pistachios are excellent choices.
7) Rustic Olive Flatbread
Olive oil and Kalamata olives give this fougasse bold, briny flavor, while the decorative slits provide a striking look. It takes about two hours to come together, so it’s ideal for pre-dinner snacking. This classic flatbread is just as appropriate for a dinner party as it is a cozy night in for two.
8) Mochi-Stuffed Ube Crinkle Cookies
Ube is the star of the show here. Ube extract and ube halaya ensure there’s plenty of fruity, coconutty flavor infused into the cookie, while also giving it its signature purple tint. A surprise is stuffed into each of these eye-catching cookies: a chewy mochi center. (Heads up: At King Arthur, we only recommend the ingredients that we, as bakers, truly love. When you buy through external links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.)
9) Pull-Apart Pizza
As tempting as it is to order a pie from my local slice shop, a bit of planning goes a long way to save some dough and eat something even better for dinner. The flexibility of this recipe — both in what pan you decide to use and the total proofing time (which can be as short as four hours or as long as three days!) — is ideal for a satisfying weeknight dinner that comes together without much fuss or expense.
10) Craquelin Cream Puffs
Cream puffs are far less intimidating than their impressive appearance would let on, especially when topped with craquelin (crispy cookie tops). In this recipe, hibiscus tea syrup gives them a brilliant magenta hue and a burst of floral flavor.
11) Pandan Chiffon Cake
A bite of this pandan chiffon cake has the power to transport you to warmer, lusher climates where the Southeast Asian leaf grows in abundance. Pandan’s elusive flavor — grassy, coconutty, and vanilla-like all at once — shines in this feather-light chiffon cake.
12) Savory Wool Roll Bread
Nothing says cozy like a knitted sweater ... or a shaped bread that resembles skeins of yarn. Think of this garlic and herb-filled bread as an upgraded version of garlic bread, ready for its centerpiece spotlight.
13) Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake
A Bundt cake is a guaranteed stunner, especially when it’s glossed with ganache. This cake’s pure, unadulterated chocolate flavor is a well-loved favorite — its stellar reviews (227 five-star raves!) say it all. If you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day dessert, this is an excellent choice.
14) Steamed Pork Buns (Xian Rou Bao)
Prep your steamer and get ready to pack it with these fluffy bao, which are filled with succulent ground pork seasoned with ginger and scallions. Shaping these bao are half the fun, so feel free to double the batch to perfect your pleating — these freeze quite well for future meals.
Cover photo (Mochi-Stuffed Ube Crinkle Cookies) by Rick Holbrook, food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.
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