Top 10 ieFood recipes our readers loved in 2025

From Darina's classic comfort food to a Bake Off star's chicken dinner, these are the recipes you've been returning to all year

We love an Irish staple, and soda bread is unsurprisingly the most popular recipe among our readers this year

Brown soda bread

recipe by:Darina Allen

This comforting Irish classic is a perfect afternoon treat paired with salted butter and berry jam or enjoyed with a bowl of piping hot soup

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 340g wholemeal flour

• 110g plain white flour

• 15g butter

• A barely rounded teaspoon of bread soda

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 egg

• 415ml (470ml, minus the egg) buttermilk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 230ºC.

2. Mix the flours in a large bowl and rub in the butter. Add the salt and sieved bread soda. Lift the flour up with your fingers to distribute the salt and bread soda.

3. Add the beaten egg (if using) to the buttermilk. Make a well in the centre and pour in all the liquid. With your fingers stiff and outstretched, stir in a circular movement from the centre to the outside of the bowl in ever-increasing concentric circles. When you reach the outside of the bowl seconds later the dough should be made.

4. Sprinkle a little wholemeal flour on to the worktop. Turn the dough out onto the flour. Sprinkle a little flour on your hands. Gently tidy the dough around the edges and flip onto the flour. Tuck the edges underneath with the inner edge of your hands, gently pat the dough with your fingers into a loaf about 4cm thick.

5. Cut a deep cross into the bread (this is called ‘Blessing the bread’ and then prick it in the centre of the four sections to 'let the fairies out of the bread').

6. Transfer to a floured baking tray.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 200ºC for the remaining 25-30 minutes. Turn the bread upside down after approximately 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Porter cake

recipe by:Darina Allen

This rich, spiced fruit cake used to be offered to callers in most houses in Ireland - rich, delicate and perfect with a pot of tea

Servings

20

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 10 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 30 mins

Course

 Baking

Cuisine

 Irish

Ingredients

• 450g white flour

• 225g butter

• 225g brown sugar

• 3 eggs

• ½ tsp bread soda

• 2 tsp mixed spice

• 300ml stout

• 225g sultanas

• 225g raisins

• 110g cherries, halved

• 110g mixed peel

• rind of 1 orange

• Equipment:

• 23cm round tin

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Melt the butter, sugar and stout in a saucepan. Add the orange rind and all the fruit, except the cherries. Bring the mixture to the boil and boil for 3-4 minutes stirring frequently.

3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until it is lukewarm. Sieve the flour, bread soda and spice into a mixing bowl. Add fruit to the flour and add the cherries.

4. Beat the eggs, add gradually, mixing evenly through the mixture. Cook at 180°C on the middle shelf for 1 hour 10 minutes approx, or until a skewer comes out clean.