The winners of the inaugural Taste of Grampian Showstopper Bake Off competition have been announced.
Running in association with the Aberdeen Bake Club, the competition was one of many exciting events taking place during the food and drink festival, which took place on Saturday (June 4) at P&J Live in Aberdeen.
Amateur bakers were invited to enter their cakes to be crowned the Taste of Grampian Bake Off champion.
The theme of the competition was the Queen’s Jubilee to nod to the royal celebrations that took place over the weekend.
Lauren Winterburn and Kirsty Hardy came out on top in the two categories, both of which had 15 spaces available for amateur bakers to enter.
The icing on the cake
The first category was aimed at those aged 16 and under, while the second was for adults and those who are 17 and older.
All cakes were made at home in advance of the festival and needed to be dropped off at the very latest on the morning of the event.
The five celebration showstopper cakes were put on display during Taste of Grampian to ensure festivalgoers could view them and they could be judged by a panel.
Each bake was assessed on its taste, presentation and flavour.
Lauren, 15, was the only contender for the 16 and under category but her cake was praised nevertheless.
Her bake comprised an apple sponge, a crumbly top and a custard filling.
“It definitely took a full day to make and about a week of planning,” Lauren, from Westhill, said.
“When I heard about the Jubilee theme, I thought it would be best to go for a classic British pudding – apple crumble and custard.
“I found out I won a few days later. It was a great surprise, especially considering how amazing the other cakes were!
“I wanted to enter the competition because I love baking. I love seeing new recipes and trying them out, as well as experimenting with my own ideas.”
As for the adults, and those who are 17 and older, the judges selected Kirsty out of all the contestants.
The 33-year-old from Cove has baked for fun since she was a teenager and often bakes for family, friends and colleagues.
Kirsty said: “Part of me was hesitant to enter the competition.
“I don’t like being the centre of attention and I didn’t feel like I’d be able to do it.
“But I quite enjoy challenging myself, so I thought I’d give it a go and see what happens. I definitely wasn’t expecting to win.”
Kirsty, who is a mental health social worker, was keen to create a vibrant cake inspired by the Crown Jewels.
Her cake, which comprised two tiers, took more than six hours to make.
The bottom tier was a Bakewell-themed cake featuring a raspberry and almond flavour, while the top consisted of a chocolate sponge with coffee buttercream and meringue discs.
‘It’s going to be bigger and better’
Katy Klinck, one of the head chefs of Aberdeen Bake Club (ABC), and local cake business owner Oyin Adekola, of O’Caykx in Aberdeen, judged the variety of cakes entered.
Julia Bryce, head of food and drink at DC Thomson, also joined them.
Katy, who originally resided in the Isle of Lewis but has lived in Aberdeen for 16 years now, said: “The setup is amazing and I can’t believe I’ve never been to a Taste of Grampian before.
“Everyone’s efforts in the bake off were amazing. I’m really impressed.
“The competition was quite a last-minute idea in terms of ABC getting involved, so it’s going to be bigger and better next year.
“I think we’ll have a lot more interest because we’ll be able to publicise it more and get more people involved.”
In terms of Kirsty’s winning bake, Katy said it was the flavour that really stood out.
“The flavours were absolutely amazing,” she added.
“The top tier was chocolate coffee with a punchy meringue in between two layers of buttercream, which was in the middle of two sponges.
“There was also a second cake which was Bakewell flavoured. The theme was around the Jubilee, so it was perfect.”
It was also a Taste of Grampian first for fellow bake off judge Oyin.
She said: “I have loved it. There has been such a huge variety of events, food and stalls which I had no idea about.
“It’s been buzzing all day, I will definitely be coming back.
“I think the competition has gone well, but I also think not a lot of people knew about it.
“It’s only the first time it’s taken place. Next year, there will be a lot more publicity around it.
“It was clear that a lot of thought and effort was put into the winning cake, from the decor to the flavour. It was definitely a showstopper.”
ABC meets monthly, the dates of which are advertised on the club’s Instagram page – @aberdeenbakeclub
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