BITESIZE

Liam on big tent moments, guilty pleasures and a buttercream drama. Follow Liam on social @liamcbakes

How has life changed since Bake Off? I’m still studying drama at university, I still live with my mum in London, the people around me haven’t changed – it’s just that I occasionally get to do cool things like present Bake Off: The Professionals and publish a cookbook! What do your friends think? They have been supportive since sixth form, when I did weekly bake sales. I called them Cheeky Treats, which had to be the title of my book. That support is still there and means everything. Your three favourite cheeky treats? Tough, but I’ll go for chocolate caramel layer cake, bakewell tart and doughnuts. Give the doughnuts in the book a go! First thing you ever baked? Lemon cupcakes with green icing when I was 15. Even though they weren’t the best in the world, it took just that one bake to show me that I could express myself creatively, whether through flavour combinations or concepts – I was hooked. Who taught you to bake? I pretty much taught myself after watching loads of food programmes on television – I was obsessed with them. After a while I thought, ‘I could do that.’ Best memory of Bake Off? Walking into the tent for the first time was surreal, and getting a handshake from Paul Hollywood for my millionaire’s shortbread was a moment. Are you the new Paul H? Ha, ha, I don’t know! He’s great at what he does and I hope I can be great at what I do. He paved the way and is someone I

look up to. Signature bake? Salted Nutter, a stacked sponge cake with three different buttercreams – salted caramel, chocolate and peanut butter [pictured below left]. Basically, it’s me in cake form. Any similarities between drama and baking? Definitely. A performance piece I did for my degree was all about buttercream – seriously. It was wicked. Ever baked to impress a girl? Only once, for someone I really liked in my second year at uni. I can’t tell you if it worked. What about a recipe from Cheeky Treats for those of us who aren’t star bakers? Definitely have a go at the brownies [on page 45]. They will stand you in good stead no matter what level you are. Earliest food memory? Going to my nan’s for Sunday dinner – always homely food such as rice and peas, fried chicken, macaroni cheese, curried goat or roast chicken. I still go there. Guilty pleasure? Sweet potato fries with blue cheese sauce. Last meal on earth? My mum’s tuna pasta bake. Favourite food programmes on TV, apart from Bake Off? Chef’s Table on Netflix and, at the other end of the spectrum, Come Dine With Me. Food heroes? Heston Blumenthal, Paul Hollywood, Tom Kerridge, Jamie Oliver, Levi Roots and two amazing bakers, Christina Tosi and Dominique Ansel – they are all legends. Most essential piece of kitchen equipment? My cranked palette knife. It’s key for perfect icing and cake decoration. Where will you be in five years’ time? Hopefully doing more of the same. I definitely want to do another book – I’ve got so many more recipes in me. If you could only have one food book what would it be? The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit. It isn’t a cookbook, but an incredibly comprehensive guide to which flavours go together. Food philosophy? Always believe in the sauce, by which I mean always have faith in yourself when you cook. If you are happy and confident, that will be reflected in the final dish.