Pudding in order of popularity

The Great British Bake Off is whipping the nation into an annual kitchen frenzy, writes Fiona Evans. So what’s going into the oven?

With The Great British Bake Off back on our screens and in full swing, thoughts turn to all things cake.

Who can fail to have been lured into the kitchen heady on a promise of freshly-made sponge, or tempted into the forbidden lair of a local patisserie.

Whether rustling up a showstopper from scratch or devouring a shop-bought family favourite, there’s no denying our love affair with sweet treats.

But have you ever wondered where the rest of the nation sits when pondering Britain’s favourite dessert?

It’s a dispute which can leave many a host with egg on their face as dinner guests debate the issue – hurling their views across the table like jumbo cream-stuffed meringues.

The nation’s favourite pudding is, according to a recent survey, that good old-fashioned British favourite, apple crumble which was born out of food rationing during the Second World War.

This was closely followed by sticky toffee pudding, then red velvet cake, brownies and the Italian classic, tiramisu, in the survey of 3,795 Brits by Jack and Beyond personalised cakes.

Spotted dick was voted the least popular of 30 desserts which included rice pudding and egg custard tarts in the lowest tier.

Inspired by a regular dose of baking gold on the telly, many of us are dabbling in a spot of mixing and kneading ourselves.

And what better way to brighten up these autumn days than a gargantuan slab of home-baked cake?

When it comes to our own bakes, it seems we are steadfast in our ways.

Banana bread tops the table of the nation’s favourite food to bake with more than 206,000 monthly searches for its recipe, according to research by online retailer, Studio.

And while we may be split on the pronunciation, we are united in our love of scones which are in second place.

Cupcakes follow while other traditional treats such as shortbread and gingerbread also appear in the top 10.

“It’s fascinating to see which baking recipes people are searching for most,” said Leanne O’Malley, of Studio. “Although there are plenty of savoury baked goods that Brits traditionally enjoy, we can see that the nation has a sweet tooth, with cakes and sugary treats dominating this top 10.

“As the Great British Bake Off returns to our screens, this autumn could be the perfect opportunity for people to discover new recipes, reignite their love for baking, or for beginners to try their hand at a new skill.”

Studio also found that searches for dietary-requirement-friendly festive treats had surged the most this past year.

Interest in recipes for gluten-free Christmas cake and vegan mince pies has increased by 133 per cent.

Also soaring in popularity is the lesser-known brookie, a combination of a brownie and cookie.

When it comes to weddings, personal preference is giving the traditional cake a bit of a twist.

The much maligned wedding fruit cake of years gone by has had a revamp for 2022, and nearlyweds are now leaning towards more modern takes on the classic, according to a report by wedding experts at Hitched.co.uk.

Couples are now looking to incorporate fruit flavours in creative and inventive ways, rather than opting for the dense fruit-filled wedding cake with thick marzipan icing.

In a poll of 1,422 British couples planning weddings, just five percent opted for a traditional fruit cake with marzipan icing for their big day, while the rest chose something more modern and personal to their tastes. Furthermore, it was revealed that a whopping 84 per cent of Brits don’t even like fruit cake or marzipan icing. When it comes to fruity combinations, the winning flavour mix has the Royal seal of approval as well as a third of the votes; lemon and elderflower is not only Meghan Markle’s wedding cake of choice, but also a massive crowd-pleaser with a third of couples opting for this flavour.

The nearlyweds were also asked about their general cake preferences and the results are far more vanilla – literally. The humble vanilla sponge takes top tier as the favourite cake flavour overall, with 45 per cent of Brits saying this classic cake is their favourite, followed by chocolate cake and red velvet cake.

“We were quite surprised to see so many people saying they don’t like the taste of traditional fruit cake and marzipan, and definitely weren’t expecting the percentage of fans of this traditional option to be so low,” said Rima Barakeh, wedding expert and deputy editor of Hitched.

“Couples spend around £300 on a wedding cake on average, though obviously the price will vary depending on the detail, style and size of your design.

“There are so many amazing flavour combinations available these days, the options are nearly endless for couples choosing a cake for their big day.

“Not only that, but the businesses creating these cakes are literal food artists. The creations we see couples cutting into are nothing short of edible works of art, so it’s important that the taste of the cake matches the look.”

For more wedding cake trends visit: https://www. hitched.co.uk/wedding-planning/cakes/

For more information on Studio visit: www.studio.co.uk