Coffee AND Walnut Cake

The Great British Bake Along Challenge begins, because I may be pants but I want to get involved anyway! I love The Great British Bake Off, what great characters and bakes, so let’s celebrate another season has started!

During my aptly named Great British Bake Along Challenge I plan to bake along with the contestants every week based on the themes laid out in the show. I am but a lowly amateur so won’t necessarily bake exact recipes however will use them for inspiration and stick to the episode themes tightly (until it gets too tough and then loosely, very loosely)!

Week one in the Bake Off tent: CAKE WEEK

Oooo who doesn’t like a light fluffy sponge covered in sugary smooth icing or chocolate. No one worth listening too that is! This week’s technical challenge was Mary Berry’s walnut cake, but if you going to make a walnut cake I reckon you may as well go the whole hog and make a coffee and walnut cake. I also wasn’t too sure about that meringue nonsense.

 

I went with a simple recipe from a trusted source, my student baking book! Shhh Paul put away those disappointed eyes! If anyone is desperate for the recipe I’ll post it up but with baking every week don’t have time to do them all. Pesky day job!

Evaluation? Oh ok then.

A nice easy bake to start this challenge covering all the basics. Good recipe and I would make again! I would give myself a whooping nine out of ten. There was a good distribution on my walnuts (cut into eighths!) and they didn’t sink to the bottom hurrah! Cake rose well and evenly and most of all tastes delicious! I suppose it could have looked a little prettier *sigh*

Star taster this week goes to… Jackie! That lovely colleague commented “It’s really lovely Brenda, not too sweet” – Oh but you are!

Until next week!