The Great British Baking Show (or The Great British Bake Off in the UK) is one of my favorite shows. Many of the bakes I know that I probably couldn’t make myself, but it is inspiring seeing what the amateur bakers create. Not to mention it is a funny show. The contestants, hosts, and judges are candid and fun.
Brits seem to love the show just as much as I do. There have been numerous spin-offs of the show, including Junior Bake Off with kids. While I was studying abroad in Exeter, England, I saw episodes of a show called The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice, hosted by Jo Brand, which began in 2014 and features celebrity guests along with the contestant that left the tent that week. Also, some of the audience bring in bakes that they have created to be judged by the celebrity guests.
Mary Berry was one of the original judges of the baking show along with Paul Hollywood, and it is her recipe that I use to make this simple cake. It is made of only five ingredients (not including the butter to grease the pans or the passion fruit), and according to the recipe, it cuts into 8 slices.
Ingredients
Butter for greasing
3 large eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup self-rising flour
1 ¼ cups whipping cream, whipped until thick
4oz strawberries, sliced
1 passion fruit, halved (I personally omit this ingredient)
Strawberries, halved, to decorate
2 x 7in round cake pans
Method
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter the cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, then butter the parchment.
Put the eggs and sugar into a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until the mixture is pale and thick enough to leave a trail when the beaters are lifted out.
Sift in half of the flour and fold in gently. Repeat with the remaining flour.
Divide the mixture between the pans. Tilt to spread the mixture evenly.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until well-risen, golden, and beginning to shrink away from the sides of the pans. Turn onto a wire rack, peel off the lining paper, and let cool.
Spread half of the whipped cream over 1 of the cakes. Top with the slide strawberries and passion fruit pulp. Put the other cake on top and press down gently.
Spread the remaining cream on top of the cake, smoothing it neatly with a palette knife. Decorate with strawberry halves.
Berry, Mary. Baking with Mary Berry: Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and Pastries from the British Queen of Baking. New York: DK publishing, 2015.
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