My lockdown Bakeoff

New contestant, Glyn Evans in Dagenham, London, has entered our baking competition with this scrummy plate of freshly baked scones and tastefully decorated chocolate cake.

The widower, who lost his wife this month four years ago, started cooking regularly when her health began to fail.

He says: “We celebrated our ruby wedding anniversary in April 2016 and were together for 44 years. After she suffered a mini stroke and was diagnosed with COPD, I looked after us both in the kitchen.”

The former Ford worker was a bit of a globe trotter when his wife was alive. And back home they had four daughters, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren who keep him on his toes.

He says: “I decided to try baking, starting with lemon drizzle cake. I went on to make chocolate cake, Victoria sponge and cakes for the girls’ birthdays. I love to lose myself in the kitchen, when I’m baking, it picks me up if

I’m feeling a bit down.

“My twist on the chocolate cake is that I tweak the contents of the icing – the recipe asks for golden syrup, but I find it too sweet, so I use brandy instead!”

JUDGE’S COMMENT: Scones are not easy to get right, and for years mine came out hard enough to start a rockery, but Glyn’s look light and fluffy. The sugar paper flower decorations also lift the cake out of the ordinary, but the genius brandy icing idea takes it to a whole new level!

SCORE: 8/10

If you would like to show off your baking triumphs – or epic fails – please send your name, age and location and pictures of your efforts to siobhan.mcnally@mirror.co.uk.