Easy Peasy Golden Buns Recipe

As a family, we’ve always loved baking. I was brought up by a mum who is a baker, so I grew up watching cakes being baked and decorated and picked up plenty of tips and recipes along the way.

I’ve always preferred the simpler bakes, though. I’m not really into big, lavish fruit cakes that need months to mature. I like recipes that are easy enough to make with children and that help them learn their way around the kitchen. This easy golden buns recipe is exactly that sort of bake.

An easy golden buns recipe to make at home

When I originally shared this recipe, the buns had been made by Thomas almost entirely on his own, with me supervising the mixer and taking them out of the oven. That gives you a good idea of just how straightforward they are.

The golden syrup gives the buns their lovely sweetness and helps make them a little different from a basic plain bun or fairy cake. You can eat them exactly as they are or add a simple icing and sprinkles once they’ve cooled.

Golden buns ingredients

• 150g butter
• 150g sugar
• 175g self-raising flour
• 3 eggs
• 100g golden syrup

You’ll also need a 12-hole bun tin and 12 paper cases. If you want to decorate the finished buns, you can use icing sugar, a little water and some sprinkles.

How to make golden buns

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a bun tin with 12 paper cases.
2. Put the sugar and butter into a mixing bowl and cream them together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the flour and eggs gradually, mixing as you go until everything is combined.
4. Add the golden syrup and gently fold it through the mixture.
5. Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 bun cases.
6. Bake for around 12–15 minutes, until the buns are firm and golden brown on top.
7. Remove them from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

As ovens can vary, start checking the buns towards the lower end of the cooking time. They should be risen and golden, and a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.

How to decorate golden buns

These are lovely eaten plain, especially while they’re still fresh, but you can easily add a simple icing. Mix around 100g of icing sugar with a few drops of water at a time until you have a thick but spreadable consistency. Spoon a little onto each cooled bun and add sprinkles before the icing sets.

You could also leave the icing off and serve them with a little fruit on the side, or simply pop them into lunchboxes as an occasional homemade treat.

Tips for making this easy bun recipe

Make sure the butter is soft enough to cream easily with the sugar before you start. Adding the eggs and flour gradually also makes the mixture easier to combine. Once the golden syrup goes in, fold it through rather than overworking the mixture.

If you’re baking with children, measuring the ingredients, filling the paper cases and decorating the cooled buns are all easy jobs to share. Younger children will need help around the mixer and hot oven, of course.

How to store golden buns

Once completely cool, keep the buns in an airtight container so they don’t dry out. Like most simple homemade cakes, they’re at their best when eaten fresh.

A simple bake for the whole family

That really is all there is to it. These golden buns have been part of our family baking for years because they use straightforward ingredients and don’t need any complicated decorating. They’re also a lovely recipe for getting children involved in baking and building their confidence in the kitchen.

Whether you leave them plain or add icing and sprinkles, they’re an easy little bake to make when you fancy something sweet without spending all afternoon in the kitchen.