Great British Bake Off - Week 1 - Cakes

With the Great British Bake Off returning to our screens with a new host in Matt Lucas and a new setup, what better way to celebrate the year of baking than with this heartwarming show. Just the show we need in these times. Even if you were guilty of becoming a sourdough expert during lockdown, there is no better excuse to throw on an apron and get those ovens preheated. 

Each week we will be selecting recipes that we love - one for a traditional version of the baked good and one that breaks tradition. 

Signature

Week one was of course Cake Week and first up with the always delectable Battenberg. 

You can’t go wrong with the classic pink and white design wrapped in marzipan and the Hairy Bikers have nailed this with their simple recipe. With a short preparation time and cooking time; you’ll be enjoying it in no time. 

While not a massive break from tradition, why not add a little cocoa powder to one cake for an eye-catching white and brown contrast which is wrapped in cocoa powder infused marzipan. An excellent take on the iconic tea time snack from Sainsbury’s.

Technical

Next up was the technical with Fruit Sponges but no need to worry you can have a full recipe, we won't be vague like Paul and Prue. 

It was Paul's choice this week and he went with the classic pineapple upside down cake which saw a few contestants falter with either overdone syrup or just getting out of the tins. Lessons that we can all learn from. Make sure not to end up with your cakes on the floor - can be a mess to clean up and even worse for whoever has to eat them. 

Showstopper

The showstopper started with anything can be cake philosophy and maybe took it too far with anyone from Freddie Mercury appearing cake form to an astonishing Sir David Attenborough. 

If you were take on this mammoth task who would you try and recreate out of cake?