BAKE OFF all year round!

IFYOU’RELOVINGTHESHOW,SAYPAULHOLLYWOODANDPRUE LEITH,THEDELICIOUSNEWBOOKWILLINSPIREYOUTOENJOY...

In many ways, the last year, as we’ve come in and out of lockdowns, has given us a slower pace of life. For those of us who were asked to work from home, or were furloughed, there was more time to bake and to cook in general. This meant more time to think about what we’re eating, how far our produce has travelled to reach us, and whether or not we’re eating it at the ‘right’ time of year. Talking to friends and family, I’ve noticed a frequently repeated theme of how the last year has taught us how to use fresh, local ingredients to show off their best. All that makes a Great British Bake Off homage to seasonal baking a timely addition to the world of cook books.

My favourite time of year will always be Christmas. The months of November to January are a time when, if I’m baking, I love to bake sponge puddings with custard and of course mince pies, using traditional ingredients that are evocative of the cosiness of the season. That said, summer runs a close second – a time when it’s a joy to be able to sit outside on a warm, sunny morning to indulge in a freshly made strawberry Danish.

This year, our fabulous bakers have again offered up some of their favourite family recipes, each with a seasonal lilt, and each offering a window into the bakers’ private worlds. It’s a privilege to get to know the bakers in the tent and to see first-hand how much they appreciate flavour and texture – and how intuitive they are about seasonality and the importance of buying fresh, local produce. These instincts are reflected throughout the recipes in this book – whether from Prue or me, the team behind Bake Off, or the bakers themselves. Whatever the time of year, choose something timely, bake it with love and enjoy it with friends – whether that’s in the garden in summer, beside a roaring fire in winter, or anywhere in between.

Seasonal produce has always been at the heart of my approach to cooking. If you use really fresh seasonal ingredients, you’ll taste the difference. And if your food hasn’t had to travel halfway across the world, it will not only put less strain on the environment, but it’s also bound to taste better.

Each season brings its own culinary joys – warming pies in winter, spicy plum and ginger cakes in autumn and the bright colours of a delicious rhubarb tart in spring. But for me, summer trumps them all. The sheer abundance of fresh summer fruit and veg is an inspiration for the keen cook or baker. The recipes in the summer section of the book are perfect for a jubilant summer picnic or garden party with friends and family. After so long living under Covid restrictions, don’t we all need just such a celebration?

One of the few benefits of this horrific pandemic has been the boost it has given to baking. People who have never baked anything before have got stuck in and had the satisfaction of producing cakes, biscuits, pies and puddings. And keen cooks and bakers have upped their game to make Bake Off-worthy creations.

This year we spent six weeks in the Bake Off tent, and it was wonderful to get to know the bakers. I learn so much from them, and every year I come home with a clutch of recipes. They are all so creative and talented and so knowledgeable about what is happening in the baking world. They always come up with new approaches to baking, original flavour combinations, and exciting ingredients I’ve barely heard of.

The recipes in this book celebrate the talent of the bakers, my own enthusiasm and Paul’s too, and favourite bakes of the wider Bake Off team. This is a book packed full of deliciousness to take you through the whole year. Happy baking.

caster sugar until thick, pale and mousse-like, and the mixture leaves a ribbon trail when you lift the whisk. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture, using a large metal spoon. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda over the egg mixture and fold in, being careful not to knock the air out of the mixture. Pour the melted butter down the inside of the bowl and fold in.

Divide the mixture into eight portions and spoon one portion onto one of the lined baking sheets, in the centre of the circle. Using a palette knife, spread the mixture thinly and neatly up to the edge of the circle. Repeat with two more quantities to make three circles of cake mixture. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until the sponge is golden and springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool.

Continue baking in batches until you have eight sponges.

Once they are cool, peel off the baking paper and, using the base of the

23cm cake tin as a guide, trim each sponge into a neat 23cm circle.

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CREAM FILLING

Pour 500ml of the milk into a pan and bring it to just below boiling point. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the egg

PRUE’S PRINZREGENTENTORTE

yolks, cornflour, cocoa powder and the remaining 100ml milk together.

Pour the hot milk over the egg mixture, whisking continuously, then pour the mixture back into the pan and whisk over a gentle heat until the mixture thickens (about 3-5 minutes). Pour the custard into a shallow dish, cover the surface with clingfilm to prevent a skin forming and leave to cool.

Once cool, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, then leave to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the unsalted butter and icing sugar together until pale and fluffy, then slowly whisk in the cooled custard until thoroughly combined. Add the cooled melted chocolate and whisk until combined.

ASSEMBLE THE LAYERS Place one of the cooled sponges in the base of the lined springform cake tin. Spoon one-quarter of the chocolate cream filling into a bowl and set aside. Spoon one-seventh of the remaining filling over the top of the sponge in the tin and spread it out evenly. Place the next sponge on top and repeat, layering with the sponges and chocolate cream filling until you have eight sponges and seven layers of chocolate filling. Do not spread any chocolate filling on the top sponge. Chill for 30 minutes.

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CROWNS

First, temper the chocolate. Melt 100g of the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water until it reaches 44°C on the cooking thermometer. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the remaining 50g chocolate, stirring until the chocolate melts and cools to 32°C.

Spoon the tempered chocolate into the small piping bag fitted with a small writing nozzle. Lay the acetate over the crown template and pipe 12 chocolate crown shapes, then leave to set. Once set, gently rub them with gold powder, so that they look gilded. Carefully peel away the crowns to reveal shiny tempered chocolate on the back (you can then carefully rub them with more gold powder on this side, if you like).

SPREAD THE CRUMB COAT

Remove the cake from the fridge and turn it out onto a flat plate or board. With a palette knife and using half of the reserved chocolate cream, spread a thin layer of chocolate cream around the side of the cake to crumb coat, then chill the cake for 20 minutes, until the chocolate cream is firm. Then spoon the remaining chocolate cream into the piping bag fitted with a medium closed star nozzle.

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Warm the cream in a pan to just below boiling point, then pour it over the chocolate. Leave to stand for 3 minutes, then stir the chocolate into the cream to form a smooth ganache. Stir in the butter and leave the ganache to cool to a coating consistency (about 32°C).

COVER AND DECORATE Remove the cake from the fridge and place it on a wire rack. Pour the ganache over the cake, evenly covering the top and side, then leave the ganache to set for 10-15 minutes. Using the chocolate cream in the piping bag, pipe 12 chocolate cream rosettes around the top edge of the cake, and top each rosette with a gilded chocolate crown, if using. When the ganache is beginning to harden, use a knife to score the top of the ganache to mark out 12 equal portions, ready for slicing.