Welcome to the first Great Bloggers Bake Off Round Up for 2014 and shortly , well further down this page, I will reveal the weeks Star Bakers. Yes, plural, I have decided to award a few this week because it was so hard choosing one overall winner, so I have selected a baker from each of the 3 categories (see below)…..and maybe an extra one or two!!!
Thank you to everyone that linked up – including my own post and a couple of bakers who missed the linky deadline, there were 35 of you in total which is amazing!!! The standard was high and it was fascinating to see that, just like me, so many of you had never attempted a swiss roll before, but, again like myself, will be trying it again because it was not as hard as you had envisaged. Swiss rolls were the most popular bake this week, followed by cherry cakes and then the miniature British cakes.
So here is the round up of the amazing bakes that entered in photos (links below)
Mint Choc Chip Ice Cream Swiss Roll
Strawberry Mousse Filled Swiss Roll
Cherry & Chocolate Buttercream Swiss Roll
Strawberry & Black Pepper Swiss Roll
Chocolate & Vanilla Swiss Roll
Mint Chocolate Flake Swiss Roll
Mini Cherry & Almond Bundt Cakes
Mary Berry’s Cherry Cake (Square)
Mini Victoria Sponges with Blackberries
Orange Cakes with Cardamon Cream
GF Muddy Chocolate Cakes (and Swiss Roll Mess
Now you can see why it has been hard to choose Star Bakers! Before I announce them, I would like to say well done to those that made their own jam for the swiss rolls, those that tried new techniques like the piping design on their swiss rolls and those of you baking GF and DF. You are all amazing.
So without further ado, here are the Star Bakers for week 1:
Swiss Roll
I loved so many, the flavour combinations of the Lavendar and Honey and Strawberry and Black Pepper filled ones were very clever, and the patterns featured on the Lemon Curd, Giraffe, Lemon Myrtle, dotty and Super Strawberry ones were very pretty, and the rainbow sprinkles, which almost won,is such a simple and yet genius idea and I know from trying to roll a layered sponge cake (twice now!) in sprinkles, that a swiss roll decorated this way makes much more sense!
However, there can only be one Swiss Roll Star Baker and it is Helen’s Lemon & Lime Swiss Roll. From the moment I saw this I just thought how much it stood out, and not only has Helen managed to combine 2 colours so well in in the sponge but she mixed two flavours too. I made a rainbow swiss roll, and I know how tricky that was and Helen’s coloured stripes are very defined and colourful.
Cherry Cake
I was torn here between 2 bakes and in the end I am going with the one which I feel possiblty took more time and effort because it is harder to make lots of individual ones then one large cherry cake! So congratulations to Cat with her Mini Cherry & Almond Bundt Cakes which all looked so cute and the same size, and I loved that Cat managed to tie in the Technical and show stopper elements in her bake. However, I must say that this Mary Berry’s Cherry Cake was a very close second – look at it, is is superb.
Miniature British Classic
Again, some really lovely looking cakes. Well done to Karin for #embracingherhappybaking and making 2 bakes in one! In the end though, after much deliberating it came down to the well executed and neatly made Mini Coffee Cakes verses the summery looking Mini Victoria Sponges with Blackberries . I have decided to go with the latter, simply because its baker is just 14 years old which I think is brilliant – they look so good and although the coffee cakes look fab too, I just cannot get over that a 14 year old made those by herself!
And finally……..
Talking of junior blogger bakers, I am going to also award a Star Baker badge to this young man and his Chocolate Swiss Roll
Look at this swiss roll – so good and with minimal help he made this all by himself *claps loudly*
Well done Star Bakers – please email me so I can send you your badges and well done to all who took part.
Remember – all recipe posts are on the GBBPO21014 pinboard
See you again Wednesday when the new bake off theme is BISCUITS
xx
So, do you agree with my choices? Who would you have chosen? Please let me know.
There are so many brilliant entries, the young man who baked his own Swiss Roll did so well, it looks delicious! My 14yo daughter is currently dancing around the lounge whooping that she got Star Baker. She wants to enter every week now LOL Clearly she is giving me some serious competition, I may need to hide her apron 😉
yay! it was well deserved and i am pleased she will continue in the bake off x
OMG I cannot wait to tell Jacob 🙂 He was so proud of his swiss roll. I’m definitely crap at biscuits so let’s hope he can do a better job.
i love his proud face and i hope he continues too, i am hoping more children might join in x
Well done everyone 🙂 x
Some amazing looking bakes – and all credit to you Jenny for putting them all together in this monster of a post! No mean feat!!
Thanks for the round up. I need to up my game!
Love this idea!
I wanted to make a recipe from each show but time ran away from me last week! I must try harder and hopefully enter this next week!
Brilliant choices, Jenny (glad it’s you and not me deciding!) especially Jacob for star baker (adore his proud face!).
oh my so many great cakes! didn’t join in last week but i hope i can join in tomorrow.
Awww, they all look amazing, I’m very jealous after my swiss roll disaster 🙂
Ahh, nearly! I don’t mind though, they are fab for a 14 year old! Well done star bakers!
Well done all!! Fab looking bakes!
Lemon and white chocolate biscuits | Ellie Bakes
[…] Link to the first week’s round up post: http://www.mummymishaps.co.uk/2014/08/great-bloggers-bake-off-2014-week-1-cakes-round-up.html […]
They look amazing. I remember making a swiss roll at school and it was quite difficult to roll it up without cracking it.
Hiya Jenny, thanks so much for choosing my Swiss roll! Absolutely made up. So sorry it has taken me yonks to be able to read your post – internet is useless here in Biarritz. I’ll be back baking with the gBBO gang on my return from hols. Much love and thanks again. Hx