Baking Shows May Inspire Us But They Are Causing An Awful Ruckus In Our Kitchen

The finale of The Great British Bake Off is edging nearer and its audience of treat-lovers will finally watch the baking master be crowned but while programmes of this nature may inspire us to cook they don’t prepare us for disaster in the kitchen.

A new survey has found that two thirds of people have had a baking disaster after being inspired by a celebrity chef. Unsurprisingly, half of men have had a kitchen nightmare (they were probably to busy glued to FIFA) while 35 per cent of women admitted to a baking catastrophe.

Forty per cent revealed that a sinking cake was the cause of the disaster, while two thirds have burnt an important dessert to a crisp.

A cake featured on The Great British Bake Off

One in ten of us has dropped a cake on the floor and have gone on to serve it to guests!

Meanwhile, It seems we’re not keen on sharing our recipes, even with our nearest and dearest and a quarter of us point blanc refuse to share our baking tips.

Over ten per cent of men have baked in the nip, although we’re not sure how hygienic that cake would turn out!

A spokesperson from baking company Whitworths who have launched a new Baking SOS guide said: “It is great to see so many people, both male and female, inspired to bake in 2012. What this research has found is that we’re spending more time in the kitchen, but also making common mistakes that cost us time and money.

Over half of men have had an accident in the kitchen

"With a few hints and tips, bakers can often rectify their errors, salvage their baking, or at least prevent the same mistake from happening on their next bake".

The expert had some advice to bestow on bakers on how to prevent kitchen disasters in the future.

"For example, if you find your cakes tend to sink in the middle, check that your baking powder hasn’t passed its used-by date and try not to open the oven door frequently during baking as a rush of cooler air will affect the cake’s size.

“And when baking biscuits or cookies, minimise the risk of them spreading by chilling the dough beforehand and always pre-heat your oven before baking,” she said.

The Great British Bake Off Final kicks off tomorrow at 8pm on BBC 2, where the bakers have to impress the judges for the last time and only one can be crowned the winner. We’re rooting for Irish-born Brendan!

We're rooting for Brendan in tomorrow's The Great British Bake Off Final