Do you love the Great British Bake Off? Chances are if you are reading this then the answer is yes!

The Great British Bake Off

You are not alone! The Great British Bake Off (often referred to as Bake Off or GBBO) is a British television baking competition produced by Love Productions. The idea was conceived by producer Anna Beattie, loosely based on ‘bake-offs’ on American television and since the first episode aired on 17^th August 2010 the show has become part of modern British culture. It has tapped into a whole resurgence of home crafts and has been credited in part with reinvigorating home baking in British homes.

Originally on BBC two, the show moved to BBC1 for the fifth series where it became the most watched programme on British Television in 2015 and 2016. The final episode on the BBC was watched by 16.03 million viewers. Last year the show moved to Channel 4 (taking only Paul Hollywood from the original presenters with it) where it attracted an average audience of 9 million viewer.

I rarely watch cookery shows on television but when it had become a ‘must watch’ for my youngest son, I joined in to see what it was all about. I was instantly hooked and I haven’t missed an episode since. A few years later, when I started blogging I joined in with a Bloggers Bake Off linky run by Jenny from Mummy Mishaps and I baked along to every episode and have done so each year since. This is my 3^rd year.

It is great fun to bake along to each episode and using the show to set my own weekly Bake Off challenge. Would I try the signature dish, technical challenge or the show stopper? As my blog is Recipes Made Easy I only rarely attempted the show stopper as the recipes didn’t fit my niche, show stoppers are rarely easy. But I did attempt one or two including the 2016 final showstopper –A picnic fit for a queen

The Bake Off linky showed me that I am not the only blogger that gets inspired by Bake Off, so I decided to ask other bloggers what it is about Bake Off that inspires them and to show me the bakes that have been inspired by the show.

Firstly I asked Jenny why she started the Great Bloggers Bake Off linky and how Bake Off inspired her:

“I started the GBBOBloggers bake along (back in 2013) because I enjoyed the show and I enjoyed baking cakes and eating them. I hoped that other like minded fans and baking bloggers would want to bake along and be a part of my linky. It was huge at the start which was crazy!For me personally, it inspired me to improve my baking and my photography. I started using a proper DSL camera and trying to ‘dress’ my bakes to be more pin worthy! (before that I photographed food with my phone *cringes*).” Mummy Mishaps

Needless to say, Jenny having baked along to the show for so many years she has many Bake Off posts on her blog she chose her Black Cherry and Chocolate Chip Mini Pannetones to share here as she felt they best showed how Bake Off had made her baking more creative.

“British Bake Off just gets me in the kitchen doing something that is actually quite enjoyable. I find baking good for my mental health and love the sense of accomplishment I get when creating something delicious.” Hannah-Leigh – Cupcake Mumma

Here are her dairy and gluten free choux buns which were from 2014.

“Great British Bake Off inspired me to try things I wouldn’t have thought of and this is why I enjoy baking along. I learned a lot about baking in the last years and I have to thank GBBO for that too.” Anca – Cook Style

Last year she made this fun Breaking bad Bakewell tart for pastry week.

“I love watching GBBO. It’s great to be introduced to unusual cakes and bakes in the challenges, but I also love seeing them recreate the classics. I loved it when they did vegetable cakes a few years ago. I’ve been blogging vegetable cake recipes for years and it was nice to see it brought mainstream.” Katherine – Veggie Desserts

I have to say I really love the sound of her Courgette Lemon Drizzle cake

“We love cooking along to the GBBO but with a 3 & 5 year old we tend to do really simple versions. This meringue roulade was inspired by an episode a few years ago but watching tonight has made me feel like making another one.”  Raspberry Meringue Roulade Helen -Cooking with my Kids

Last Year saw the first Italian week and I found myself trying to make the rather tricky Sfogliatella Riccia which I had never heard of before and I have done a lot of baking in my time. Katie – Mummy in a Tutu made an Easy Italian Pizza.

Cake Week is Always Popular

Photo credits: Veggie Desserts, Feed,Felix Fast,  Recipes Made Easy, Fab Food for All

“I do Jenny’s bake off challenge every year and love it, although since my two year old came along its a bit more challenging” Tracy –­ Its not Easy Being Greedy

A few years bake she made an Eton Mess Victoria sandwich for the final.

 

Amy – Feed Felix Fast remembers “first hearing this pink cake was called Tottenham cake on GBBO. It’s a total family favourite with loads of nostalgia for school dinners!”

She is looking forward to this year’s Vegan Bakes episode.

 

Laura More wrote about her experience of baking making Mary Berry’s Cherry Cake from Bake Off 2014. Keeping Up with Bake Off

“ It’s become one of our favourite cakes and my eldest just requested it as her 7th Birthday cake. “

 

Jam expert Camilla –Fab Food For All, was inspired to make a quick one punnet strawberry jam after watching contestants whip up their own jams for their cakes, She uses it in her Victoria Sandwich. Last year Thimble and Twig got inspired to make Toffee Apple Firework Muffins

Bread week has its fans

Photo Credits: Easy Peasy Foodie, Baking Queen74, Cook Style, Recipes Made Easy 

“These Cinnamon Rolls have always been a family favourite but I was inspired to make them again to enter them for the #GBBO2018 linky. I was so glad I did!” Jenny – Apply To face Blog

These Sticky Orange Chocolate Chelsea Buns were made by Clare – Easy Peasy Lemon squeezy

 

Eb, loved the idea of a bread you can make in under an hour for her blog Easy Peasy Foodie, so when on bread week 2015 they made soda bread she made this Pumpkin seed and Rye Soda bread and guess what it really is Easy Peasy.

Lucy aka Baking Queen74 made Croatian Povitica a pretty yeasted sweet bread wit folds and loops of filling her recipe offer apple and cinnamon, blackberry cream and chocolate orange fillings – Yum!

Biscuit week is also popular with Bloggers

2015 Angela from Only Crumbs Remains was inspired to make Arlettes a which she describes as crisp buttery and simply beautiful. These Salted Caramel Butter-Cream Sandwich Biscuits with Vanilla and Cardamom Shortbread won 2^nd prize in a Bakeoff linked competition back in 2015.

“I absolutely love Bake Off. I was gutted that they left Mary Berry behind but I still think its the best think on! It’s so friendly and light hearted and always gets me inspired!” Sal – Hello Little Lovely

But it’s not just the Bake Off contestants that get to be on TV. This year’s Bake Off started with biscuit week and Baking with Granny took along their  Highlander Shortbread to be featured on to the spin-off show An Extra Slice.  Also, there was Corina from Searching for Spice who took her 3d biscuit ducks

It’s hard to believe that we are now halfway through the 8^th series and although it may no longer be getting the massive viewing figures seen before it moved to Channel 4, It is still pretty clear that Bake Off is still very popular. Long may that continue.