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A good cafe is the perfect place for tea, the kind you sip and the kind you spill. However, take away the drinks and conversations, and you’d still want to step into a cafe for their delicious baked goodies. From oversized, chunky or chewy cookies to buttery cinnamon rolls, moist, crumbly cake slices, and cheesy pull-apart breads, cafes offer little treats that pair perfectly with a cup of hot coffee or tea. And if you have the trusty Usha OTG at home, you can recreate these baked delights in your kitchen. A versatile Oven Toaster Griller, it’s perfect for baking because its dedicated top and bottom heating coils provide direct, even heat while the illuminated chamber allows easy monitoring. Not to mention it comes with easy timer adjustments and must-have baking accessories, namely a bake tray and crumb tray, that make the whole process a lot more convenient.
From sweet treats to savoury delights, discover recipes for classic cafe-style baked preparations below.
Image Credits: Canva
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Studded with chocolate chips, these cookies are chewy and soft in the middle and crumbly on the edges, providing the perfect contrast of textures. To make these at home, start by preheating your OTG (an essential step for baking). Set your OTG to 180°C with both the top and bottom rods on for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, form a dough by mixing soft, unsalted butter with sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and chocolate chips. Scoop 2-tablespoon-sized balls of dough and space them 2 inches apart on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Place the tray in the middle rack and change the OTG settings to use only the bottom heating rod. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes till the edges look lightly golden and firm. Remove from the oven and let them sit on the hot baking tray for 5-10 minutes. They will continue to bake and firm up to the perfect chewiness as they cool.
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Image Credits: Canva
Cinnamon Rolls
There are few things as heavenly as the smell of freshly baked goods in the kitchen, especially if you add cinnamon to the mix. That’s what you get with these soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls, often swirled with a buttery cinnamon-sugar filling and finished with a simple cream cheese or vanilla glaze for the ultimate café-style treat. If baking from scratch seems too daunting, opt for pre-made Dough Sheets (available on quick commerce platforms). You can spread them with butter and cinnamon sugar, roll and slice to achieve a comparable result. Make sure to sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar, roll tightly, and slice into equal portions. To bake, arrange the rolls in a greased baking dish, let them proof until doubled in size, then bake on the middle rack at 180°C. Use only the bottom heating rod for 20–25 minutes. Glaze while still warm and serve fresh.
Image Credits: Canva
Rosemary Focaccia
Golden, airy, and beautifully crisp around the edges, rosemary focaccia is one of the easiest artisan breads to bake at home. The secret lies in a well-hydrated dough and plenty of olive oil, which gives the bread its signature flavour and chewy crumb. Prepare a simple yeast dough with flour, water, yeast, salt, and olive oil, then allow it to rise until doubled. Transfer it to an oiled baking tray, gently stretch it out, and press deep dimples across the surface with your fingertips. Now, drizzle generously with olive oil, and top with fresh rosemary, flaky sea salt, and optional olives or cherry tomatoes. Bake on the middle rack at 220°C with the bottom heating rod for 20–25 minutes until deeply golden.
Image Credits: Canva
Lemon Loaf Cake
Bright, buttery, and wonderfully moist, a lemon loaf cake is perfect with an afternoon cup of tea or coffee. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy before adding eggs, yoghurt, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest. Fold in the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt just until combined, then pour the batter into a greased loaf tin. Bake on the middle rack at 170–175°C using only the bottom heating rod for 45–55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Finish with a simple lemon glaze once the cake has cooled slightly.
Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
Crispy on the outside and irresistibly soft inside, garlic pull-apart bread is made for sharing. Start with a soft yeast dough, allow it to rise, then divide it into small balls. Dip or brush each ball with a mixture of melted butter, minced garlic, parsley, and herbs before arranging them snugly in a greased baking tin. Let the dough proof again until puffy, then bake on the middle rack at 180°C using only the bottom heating rod for 25–30 minutes. Brush with extra garlic butter immediately after baking for a glossy finish and maximum flavour.
