13 home café bakes for the coziest hosting
Giant chocolate croissants, tea-inspired scones, ultra-fluffy cinnamon rolls, and much more.
Date
March 17, 2026
Home cafés are taking over kitchens across the country. As part of this trend, people transform their living room into a café featuring coffee, tea, and snacks, creating a cozy atmosphere where friends can gather and linger — and enjoy good food and drinks while they’re at it.
And while yes, the coffee is an important part of any café, let’s be real: The true star of this show are the baked goods. Baking for friends is a chance to show off skills, try new recipes, and even attempt to one-up your favorite coffeeshop down the street. Here are the recipes we recommend making the next time you host a home café.
1) Glazed Espresso Coffee Cake
Sure, you’ll be serving plenty of coffee to guests, but why not add some espresso to your bakes, too? This cake gives double meaning to the term “coffee cake” — it features an espresso-spiked glaze and an eye-catching chocolatey swirl in each slice.
Get the recipe: Glazed Espresso Coffee Cake
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Black Cocoa and Espresso Powder
2) Earl Grey Scones with Jam Centers
There’s no better accompaniment to a cup of tea than these light and tender scones. The dough is made with tea-infused cream, ensuring that every bite has a delicate but pronounced Earl Grey aroma. Each scone is topped with a spoonful of the preserves of your choice — we especially like fig jam or orange marmalade, which echoes the bergamot in the tea.
Get the recipe: Earl Grey Scones with Jam Centers
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Sparkling Sugar
3) Sun Buns (Solskinnsboller)
Transform your home into a sun-drenched Scandinavian café with these cheery buns. The cardamom-spiked dough is swirled with a cinnamon-sugar filling, then topped with a sweet vanilla custard to evoke the sun — even on the dreariest of days.
Get the recipe: Sun Buns (Solskinnsboller)
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Bread Flour
4) Dirty Chai Bars
Chai with a shot of espresso added is known as “dirty” chai; these chewy cookie bars take inspiration from that beverage. The chai-flavored tea is added directly to the dough, and the espresso is introduced in the thin glaze that tops them. Plus, they’re easy to make, requiring only 15 minutes of prep time and one bowl. These can also be made gluten-free by using our Measure for Measure flour.
Get the recipe: Dirty Chai Bars
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Maple Syrup
5) Giant Sheet Pan Chocolate Croissant
The only thing better than individual pains aux chocolat is a huge one. This giant sheet pan version has all the appeal of the original (the flaky pastry, the ribbon of chocolate inside) but supersized, making it both easier to execute at home and an eye-catching centerpiece for your home café.
Get the recipe: Giant Sheet Pan Chocolate Croissant
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Guittard Semisweet Chocolate Wafers
6) Perfectly Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls
Is there a better way to start your day than with a super-fluffy cinnamon roll? We doubt it. This 2021 Recipe of the Year has a devoted fan base thanks to its pillowy, milk bread-style dough and ultra-fragrant filling. And here’s the best part: Because these cinnamon rolls stay soft for several days, you can bake them the night before.
Get the recipe: Perfectly Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Vietnamese Cinnamon
7) Matcha Latte Bars
Everything you love about the earthy green tea, but in dessert form. Here, the matcha cake bars are finished with a rich buttercream-like frosting. Give them an extra dusting of matcha for a vibrant, verdant finish to match your drinks.
Get the recipe: Matcha Latte Bars
To make this recipe, you’ll need: King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract
8) Spiced Hot Cocoa Cookies with Marshmallow Middles
These Mexican-inspired hot chocolate cookies are spiced with cinnamon and cayenne for depth and a little kick. When they’re almost done baking, they get topped with a marshmallow to really bring home the hot chocolate vibe.
Get the recipe: Spiced Hot Cocoa Cookies with Marshmallow Middles
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Triple Cocoa Blend
9) Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Break out this breakfast staple for your home café — packed with poppy seeds and bright with lemon, these muffins are an easy yet impressive bake. They have yellow cornmeal in the batter, which gives them a toothsome texture to complement the crunch of the poppy seeds.
Get the recipe: Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Boyajian Lemon Oil
10) Fruit-Filled Morning Buns
Brighten your guests’ morning with these swirled buns, which feature a filling of fruity preserves and a caramelized, sugar-dusted exterior. Made with croissant dough, they’re an undertaking, to be sure. But what’s the point of hosting a home café if not to impress?
Get the recipe: Fruit-Filled Morning Buns
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Vietnamese Cinnamon
11) Victoria Cake
A cake meant for tea time, this simple dessert is equally suited to a coffeeshop vibe. Featuring two rounds of yellow cake sandwiching whipped cream and jam, it’s understated but deeply comforting. And you won’t have to worry about any fiddly decorating.
Get the recipe: Victoria Cake
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Unbleached Self-Rising Flour
12) Irish Soda Bread Scones
If your favorite part of Irish soda bread is the craggy edges, these light and tender Irish soda bread scones are for you. Lightly sweet and studded with currants, these make for a delicious breakfast or a perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea or coffee.
Get the recipe: Irish Soda Bread Scones
To make this recipe, you’ll need: Sparkling Sugar
13) Twice-Baked Caramelized Cashew Baklava
While not classic coffeeshop fare, these twice-baked baklava make a nice bite-sized addition to your home café spread. Studded with ground cashews and scented with cardamom, they are doused in orange syrup then sent to the oven for a second bake, during which time they caramelize into a chewy, candy-like treat.
Get the recipe: Twice-Baked Caramelized Cashew Baklava
Shop the recipe: Cloud Forest Ground Cardamom
Find more coffeeshop inspo in this list of 12 barista-inspired bakes, from chai bars to cider snickerdoodles.
Cover photo by Patrick Marinello; food styling by Yekaterina Boystova.
