Something for the Weekend

Whenever The Great British Bake Off returns to our screens, it gets us all excited about perfecting our pastries and encourages us to try out a new cake recipe.  And what better an occasion to celebrate dusting off the apron and wooden spoons than The Cake and Bake Show! The UK's first consumer baking exhibition will take place this weekend at Earls Court. Whether you need to stock up on bowls and whisks and want tips on perfecting your sponges, or if you are more of a taster than a baker, the event provides everything required for that perfect bake.  

Take a stroll down to The Marketplace where you can try and buy some freshly baked cakes and breads from some of the country's leading bakers.  Then head over to the Supplier Zone to pick up some tools of the trade, demonstrated by the exhibitors themselves.  When you are ready to get your hands dirty, The Classroom will be ready with classes on soda bread, sugarcraft, gluten-free baking and (the bakers nemesis) macaroons, to name but a few.  

Some well known names and faces of the baking industry will be showing off their skills in The Cake Kitchen and The Bakery.  Paul Hollywood will be revealing his secrets of the perfect loaf, Juliet Sear of Fancy Nancy cakes will be showing off her cake decorating skills and Great British Bake Off winners Jo Wheatley and Edd Kimber will be showcasing us why they were such deserved champions.

All the baking can get quite exhausting after a while, so you may wish to head over to The Tea Room Garden and enjoy a relaxing cuppa.  And if you haven't already eaten too much by that point, they will be serving a wide selection of cakes, scones and sandwiches, all in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.  Well, since it's for a good cause...

If you can't wait that long to sample the baking goodies, then why not try this recipe for Perfect Whipped Buttercream Cupcakes by speaker Juliet Sear to get you in the mood...

By Eve Hegarty