Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Star Baker?
By now you’re probably familiar with the smash hit The Great British Baking Show presented on PBS stations across the US. If not, we’re here to entice you to tune in when Season 5 premieres on June 22! Always exciting, this baking competition features a group of talented amateur bakersseeking to be named the best in the United Kingdom through a variety of increasingly difficult challenges. Well-known cookbook author Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, a star artisan baker, are the judges. The witty comedic duo of Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc entertain viewers as hosts. Born from The Great British Bake Off competition show originally kicked off in 2010 on BBC Two in the UK, The Great British Baking Show has inspired a number of other competitive baking shows on television in recent years like CBS’s The American Baking Competition and Kids Baking Championship on Food Network. It’s true that being a TV baking star has never seemed like a more realistic dream. Think you have what it takes? Today we’re taking a look at some “technical challenge” and contestant recipes from earlier seasons of The Great British Baking Show that put our favorite ingredient here at Wilbur – CHOCOLATE – on center stage!
We’re also gearing up for our Wilbur-sponsored Star Baker Awards Competitionfor members of local PBS broadcaster WITF’s viewer community here in Central PA. On June 9, a talented group of amateur bakers from right in our own backyard will compete to be named Star Baker in several savory and sweet categories. This fun event will take place at Willow Valley Communities near Lancaster and offers ticketed guests a chance to taste and vote alongside six official judges. Guests will also preview Episode 1 from The Great British Baking Show’s newest season!
Now on to the baked goodies!
Mary Berry’s Jaffa Cakes
Featured in Season 4, Episode 1 of The Great British Baking Show, celebrity judge Mary Berry’s take on Jaffa cakeswas presented to the contestants as a challenge to test their abilities. While many Americans aren’t immediately familiar with Jaffa cakes, these little layer cakes are biscuit-sized and traditionally circular in shape.
Introduced in 1927 by manufacturer McVitie and Price, they’re a common treat in the UK, though they’re deceptively difficult to create at home. Jaffa cakes feature a Genoese sponge cake base, a middle layer of orange-flavored jam (the name Jaffa refers to a variety of oranges), and a chocolate topping. The chocolate work involved in getting these cakes “just right” is actually the tricky part, and involves creating a crisscross pattern in the chocolate topping before it has entirely set over the jam layer.
Looking for a premium chocolate coating or a premium confectionery coating that will guarantee excellent results? Wilbur’s chocolate coatings and Wilbur’s confectionery coatingsare the go-to for aspiring baking stars who know that high-quality chocolate or confectionery coatings will give their creations an edge on delicious taste.
Mirror Glaze Cake
Also from “Cake Week” Episode 1 of Season 4, the contestants were asked to create showstopper cakes with a mirror glaze. Contestant Andrew’s “Ultimate Indulgence” cake received great reviews from the judges, and you can make your own following this recipe.
While challenging for even the most experienced amateur bakers, the deliciousness factor of this cake is off the charts. Not only does it feature a decadent chocolate glaze made with cocoa powder, it also has salted caramel sauce, and can be finished with beautiful (and tasty) chocolate curls!
Tiramisu Cake
Another technical challenge recipe, this tiramisu cakewas featured on the “Dessert Week” episode, which was the qualifying round for the quarterfinals in Season 4. Tiramisu is a traditional Italian dessert beloved the world over for its delectable combination of chocolate and coffee flavors. After all, both coffee and chocolate are born from beansand are traditional on American dessert menus in the finest restaurants. To get this Tiramisu Cake to come out perfectly, you’ll need two different formulations of dark chocolate as well as cocoa powder.
French Classic Tuiles with Chocolate Mousse
Going back to Season 2, the technical challenge recipe from Episode 5, which featured biscuits and traybakes, was the traditional thin cookies known as tuiles. These treats get their name from the French word for “tile,” and they are often created to accompany other dessert items or foods. On The Great British Baking Show, the classic tuiles incorporated chocolate and were paired with creamy chocolate mousse!
While these cookies can be difficult to create perfectly every time, you’ll certainly have fun trying them. Their curved shape requires some creativity to master, and you’ll want to experiment with different tools to get the best curve. You can purchase special tuile molds, but many bakers find a rolling pin or even a wine bottle provides an ideal shape.
Join the Fun
As a proud sponsor of WITF’s Star Baker Awards, we hope you’ll join us at the competition on June 9 to either taste and watch beginning at Noon, or just watch the free preview screening of The Great British Baking Show at 1 pm. Visit WITF’s page for the eventto reserve your tickets now!
If you can’t make it to the event, we hope our closer look at some of the delectable desserts from past seasons of The Great British Baking Show will inspire you to get baking yourself with help from Wilbur. You never know – your next baked creation could put you on the road to amateur baking fame!
Event Details and Schedule
Saturday, June 9, 2018
The Cultural Center at Willow Valley Communities, Upper Level
900 Willow Valley Lakes Drive
Willow Street, PA 17584