Proof Most Of Us Have Way More Baking Fails Than The Great British Bake Off Contestants | HuffPost Life

These Baking Fails Would Make Mary Berry Cry (With Laughter)....

Rachel Moss— The Huffington Post UK

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We're fast approaching this year's The Great British Bake Off final, but unfortunately, not all of us are as talented as Richard, Nancy and Luis when it comes to making sweet treats.

A competition to celebrate Britain's best baking disasters has been launched - because let's face it, we've all baked something that doesn't look exactly like the recipe book picture.

If you're prone to making soggy bottom pastries, under-proved breads and flat sponges, these snaps are sure to make you feel a little better.

Baking Fails

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And finally, this beauty...(09 of09)

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One early competition entrant said: “I just don’t know what is wrong with me. Every attempt at baking I try ends up in the bin.

“No matter how closely I follow the recipe something always goes wrong. I sometimes think I am cursed.”

Another added: “I really enjoy watching the Great British Bake Off and it always inspires me to get into the kitchen and brush off the old recipe books.

“However, each year I forget one vital piece of information, I am a diabolical cook. After the third blackened Victoria Sponge goes in the bin I give up and open the wine.”

The competition is being run by PromotionalCodes.org.uk. To submit your photos for the competition please tweet PromotionalCodes at @twit_codes using #bakingfails or email info@promotionalcodes.org.uk.

The shortlisted photos are to be published on the company’s website and the winner will be picked by judges from the company.

SEE ALSO:
Former 'The Great British Bake Off' Finalist Holly Bell Shares Her Top Tips For Novice Bakers
Great British Bake Off Winner Edd Kimber Reveals His Ultimate Scone Recipe

Cake Baking Tips

Not Using Parchment Paper(01 of07)

Sometimes greasing and flouring isn't enough -- the best, most foolproof method to ensure your cakes come out of the pan every time is to use parchment paper to line the bottom and sides. This is especially so for dense, fudgey cakes, which would otherwise require you to spoon pieces out of the pan even if you did grease and flour it.Photo from From Argentina With Love, Flickr. (credit:Flickr: From Argentina With Love)

Forgetting To Tap The Pan Before Baking(02 of07)

Now that you've smoothed the surface of the cake batter, the next step is to tap the cake. This step removes any errant air bubbles that may have gotten trapped in the batter (this is especially so with thick batters). Getting out the air bubbles now ensures your cake won't fall later (that is unless you open the oven door to peek too much). You also will prevent the formation of any craters during baking, which would otherwise leave large holes on the surface of the baked cake.Photo from tquiddle, Flickr. (credit:Flcikr: tquiddle)

Opening The Oven Door During Baking(03 of07)

Many of us are tempted to open the oven door while our cake is baking just to see how it's doing, but please, don't. Opening the door can create great fluctuations in heat, which can cause your cake to collapse. If you've got an oven door window, look through it instead. Otherwise, don't open the door until it gets close to the finish time (this is especially so with flourless cake and cheesecake).Photo from peapod labs, Flickr. (credit:Flickr: peapod labs)

Overcrowding The Oven(04 of07)

If you're baking a multiple layer cake, you may be tempted to bake all the layers at once, however, it's not a good idea to have more than two cake pans in the oven at one time. The temperature of the oven will be affected and the cakes won't bake normally because the air won't circulate properly. Instead choose to bake the cake in batches and always place the pan in the center of the oven.Photo from lpolinsky, Flickr. (credit:Flickr: lpolinsky)

Overfilling The Pan/Too Small Pan(05 of07)

If you've ever had a cake that's had a great big volcano-like hump in the middle, one reason why may be because the pan you used was too small. If a recipe calls for a 9-inch cake pan, don't use an 8-inch in a pinch -- your cake may end up with a hump in the middle -- or worst case scenario the cake will grow out of the pan as pictured.Photo from Magic Madzik, Flickr. (credit:Flickr: Magic Madzik)

Underbaking/Removing The Cake Too Early(06 of07)

Maybe you opened the oven door too soon or you were just too eager and removed the cake ahead of its finish time, but you've got a fallen cake on your hands because you probably didn't test it. The best method for testing a cake's doneness is with a skewer or toothpick, inserted into the middle of the cake. If, and only if, the pick comes out clean is the cake done (unless you're making fudge brownies where you want a few crumbs attached to the pick). Even if you must bake your cake a little past the time the recipe indicates, it's better to do so than risk a collapsed cake.Photo from whitneyinchicago, Flickr. (credit:Flickr: whitneyinchicago)

Not Cooling The Cake(07 of07)

Proper cooling of a cake is a very important step after baking -- you want the cake too fall right out of the pan especially if you've greased and floured or parchment-papered it. After removing your cake from the oven, let it cool slightly in the pan up until the top feels firm -- this gives the cake a chance to finish baking from within and acclimate itself to room temperature. Then turn it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely (don't frost until it's completely cool). Whatever you do, don't cool the cake too rapidly by placing it in a cold environment like a refrigerator -- the rapid cooling will shock the cake, making it stick to the pan, collapse or both.Photo from Yortw, Flickr. (credit:Flickr: Yortw)

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