‘On your marks, get set, BAKE!’

The Great British Bake Off is back for another exciting new series where we see 12 new contestants put their baking skills to the test in a battle to be crowned the ‘Best Amateur Baker’. There will no dealt be sweat, tears and countless soggy bottoms as Paul Hollywood continues to play the culinary version of Simon Cowell, whilst Mary Berry, the ‘Queen of Baking’ and the nation’s most sort after grandma, offers useful tips and reassurance from her years of experience in the kitchen. Also returning are two of our favourite presenters, Mel Gieldroyc and Sue Perkins, whose cheesy puns, culinary innuendos and failed attempts to help struggling contestants are key ingredients to creating the good old-fashioned entertainment that leaves the viewers at home rolling off their sofas with laughter.  

So in the run up to tonight's show (which by the way is at 8PM on BBC1!!!), why not take to your kitchens and exercise your baking skills with three of my favourite bakes  - the great, the good and the just plain naughty! You never know, you may find yourself applying for #GBBO2015!

Grandma's baking  tip ~ 'first the oven and then the tin, wash your hands and then begin' 

The Great...

Victoria Sponge 

Ingredients

Makes 12 slices

225g caster sugar

225g plain flour

4 free-range eggs

225g butter (leave in room temperature beforehand to soften)

2tsp baking powder

For the filling:

1 jar of good quality strawberry or raspberry jam

250g icing sugar (plus a little extra for dusting)

80g unsalted butter

25ml whole milk

1tsp vanilla essence

Method

Message from the cook: this may look like a lengthy process; however preparation, cooking and assembling time should take you no more than 1½ hours.

v  Preheat the oven to 180C.

v  Grease two sandwich cake tins (each measuring 8in/20cm) with butter.

Cook’s tip: if you can, try to use cake tins with removable bases – this makes it slightly easier to remove the cake from the tin after baking.

  v  To make the cake, break the eggs into a large mixing bowl and add the sugar, flour, butter and baking powder.

  v  Using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon, cream the mixture together until all the ingredients have combined.

Cook’s Grandmother’s tip ~ put a damp cloth underneath the bowl to stop it from moving around whilst you’re mixing.

   v  Once the ingredients have combined together, stop mixing and what you should have is a light and fluffy consistency where the mixture falls off the spoon with ease.

  v  Evenly divide the mixture between the two cake tins, ensuring that each tin holds the same amount and has a smooth surface. 

  v  Place both tins onto the middle shelf of the oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes – it is important that don’t open the oven door whilst they are cooking as this could interfere with the rising of the cakes.

  v  After 25 minutes, the cakes should be modelling a nice golden brown colour to them, and if you press down on them gently, should be nice and springy.

Cook’s tip ~ another way to check if a cake is cooked is to remove it from the oven and poke through the middle using a skewer or a knife, if it comes away clear, then the cake is cooked. However, if it comes away with cake mixture on the end, place the cake back into the oven and bake for a further 5 minutes to finish off.

  v  Once the cakes have cooked, place them still in their tins, to one side and allow to cool for 5 minutes (if you remove them from the tins straightaway, they could crumble).

  v  To remove the cakes from the tins, run a palette knife around the inside edge of the tin to       separate the cake from the sides. Using a clean tea-towel to put over the tin with your    hand supporting it, carefully turn the tin over onto the tea towel, still supported by your       hand and the cake should come out – carefully place onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.

  v  Whilst the cakes are cooling, you can make the buttercream filling - combine the icing sugar and butter together using an electric mix at a medium speed.

  v  Once the mixture comes together, slow down the speed of the mixer and add the milk and vanilla essence.

  v  Turn the mixer back up to a medium speed and after a few minutes, once the buttercream gets to a light and fluffy consistency, it’s ready and you can stop mixing.

  v  Once both cakes have completely cooled, it is time for the final stage: assembling the               Victoria Sponge – place one of the cakes up-side-down onto a plate and spread evenly         with a generous layer of jam and then top with another generous layer of buttercream.

v  Place the other cake on top and sprinkle with a little icing sugar.

The Good...
Carrot Cake

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

450g self-raising flour

3 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2½ tsp baking powder

3 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

6 eggs – beaten

350g granulated sugar

300ml vegetable oil

3 tsp vanilla essence

3tbsp Cointreau

400g grated carrot

100g sultanas

For the icing (including filling):

250g cream cheese

100g mascopone

100g butter

600g icing sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Method

v  Sieve all dry ingredients together into a bowl, except the sugar.

  v  In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and gradually adding the sugar, beating continuously. 

v  Gradually mix in the oil. 

 v  Fold in the dry ingredients, and add the carrot and sultanas. DO NOT overwork the mixture. 

  v  Pour the mixture evenly into the tins and smooth the surface using the back of the spoon. 

  v  Bake at 160’C for 45 minutes – do not be tempted to open the oven until at least ¾ of the way through cooking (test after 40 minutes by running a skewer through the middle, if it comes out clean, it’s cooked).

v  Leave to cool before removing from the tin and placing on a cooling tray.

 v  Meanwhile, beat the butter, cinnamon and icing sugar with an electric whisk until the mixture comes together.

v  Whisk in the cream cheese until it’s all combined with the other ingredients.

  v  Whisk until thick – you may have to increase the whisking power here, but be careful not to overdo it or else it will go runny.

v  Once the cake has cooled, place flat side down, spread half the filling on the cake before placing the second half on top.

v  Finish off by spreading the rest of the icing on top.

And the just plain naughty...

Gooey Chocolate Brownie with White Chocolate Chunks

Makes 12 squares

Ingredients

225g dark chocolate

100g white chocolate

225g butter

200g caster sugar

2tsp vanilla essence

150g grounded almonds

3 eggs

Method

v  Preheat the oven to 180’C.

v  Break up the chocolate, chop the butter into cubes and put both into a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.

v  Stir until both ingredients have melted and remove the bowl from the heat.

v  Mix in the sugar and vanilla essence and place to one side to cool.

v  Meanwhile, beat the eggs, add the grounded almonds and stir.

v  Mix in the chocolate mixture and stir until all the ingredients have combined together.

v  Pour into a square baking tin (22-24inches) or a foil tray.

v  Break up the white chocolate into chunks and sprinkle them over the mixture, pushing some deeper in.

v  Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

v  Once cooked, take the brownie out the oven and leave to cool in the tin for half an hour.

v  Remove from the tin and place on a cooling rack to completely cool. Once cooled, place in the fridge to firm up before cutting them into squares.

v  Serving suggestion: if you’re serving as a dessert, serve warm with chocolate sauce and ice-cream.