SMARTER FOR TEN PASSION FLOUR

HAVE ANOTHER SLICE. MARION McMULLEN LOOKS AT CAKE FAVES AS THE GREAT BRITISH

BAKE OFF GETS UNDER WAY 5

Dark Maltesers confession cakes crafted by 2021 finalist Crystelle Pereira were given away at a South Kensington bakery last year, with a choice of messages such as “I borrowed your clothes without asking”. Crystelle said the idea was to “show emotions

through baking”. 6

Chetna Makan took part in the 2014 series and brought out new book Easy Baking this year. She said: “The banana cake really is the family favourite. I can put it down and they will just demolish it.

And chocolate pistachio cookies, they love those too.” 1

Paul Hollywood, left, has brought out his new book, Bake, and revealed one of his favourite treats is lemon drizzle cake. The famously stern judge said: “I love citrus. You want that zing on the tongue when you bite into it. And you get that softness which comes from the lemon drizzle sitting on the top, then that hint of sugar in the crust... It’s an all-rounder for me.”

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Benjamina Ebuehi can boast a 2016 stint on The Great British Bake Off and two cookbooks. She is a fan of having “a good solid loaf cake recipe” under your belt and says: “Whether that’s a pound cake, a banana loaf or a lemon drizzle cake, it makes for a good weekday bake.”

Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain served up an orange drizzle cake with orange butter cream for Queen Elizabeth II. She said: “I didn’t realise how big a thing it was. But it was scary.” 8

Kim-Joy Hewlett was a finalist in series nine and has brought out a baking book. She remembers: “In dessert week I did a chocolate ball with some choux pastry turtles inside. That’s the one people mention to me. I was so nervous about it, because I had to do a melting chocolate ball, which is really hard. Just having it work was a relief.” 3

Former judge Dame Mary Berry said: “I don’t do things that take ages, I don’t do an awful lot of complicated icings on cake. I might very well put some rose petals over a cake that I’ve finished, I’ll crystallise flowers because that’s quick.”

David Atherton – Great British Bake Off winner 2019 – released his debut cookbook My First Cook Book in 2020 and brought out a follow up last year. He revealed his ultimate childhood food memory was homemade bread buns and peanuts.

Former Bake Off winner Frances Quinn baked the world’s largest Jaffa Cake this year. It weighed in at 80kg – the equivalent of more than 6,557 regularsized Jaffa Cakes - and beat her own Guinness World Record. More than 160 eggs, 8kg of dark chocolate and 15kg of orange jelly were used for the cake made to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Britain’s Got Talent.

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Helena Garcia’s spooky bakes attracted a lot of attention on the TV competition and she later brought out her cook book Wicked Baker. She said: “Flavours like cinnamon and maple, pecan and pumpkin puree, I love them.”