For the past 3 years I have been Baking with the Bake Off. This involves me taking time out of my randomly scheduled YouTube life and making the Technical Challenge from each week of the Great British Bake Off. It began in 2014 with the very first Cherry Cake from Cake Week, and has since progressed to the very complicated Marjolaine, the very delicious Flaounes, and the simple but classic- Jaffa Cakes!

The most popular of my attempts is my Prinsesstårta from 2014, which was a surprise to me, but turns out to be a very popular thing for people to want to make, and thus, have been using my video as a guide. Which is nice.

Please watch the videos for guides, and sometimes, what NOT to do (see, 2015 baguettes). Mostly, enjoy the journey with me.

Head to http://www.colinstimetobake.com to see what else I have been up to in my 2 1/2 years of Youtube Baking.

See you soon

Colin

Step 1: 2014- the Beginning

2014 Bake Off Technical Challenges were my first ever attempt at baking something I wouldn't even dream of making.

Cherry Cake was the first ever time trying a bundt tin, and I have been addicted to using it ever since! (See my Chocolate Wreath Cake commissioned by Renshaw Icing)

Florentines- Crunchy, Orangey and chocolatey! Fiddly though.

Ciabatta- Some say that it wasn't perfect, I say, I don't care, they were delicious!

Tiramisu Cake- Words cannot describe how much I LOVED this cake. I've made it at least 4 more times since, which my waistline adores.

Pear Pies- Mummified pears that melt in your mouth. Honestly, these were some of the best things I have ever eaten. I really must make them again.

Prinsesstårta- My most popular video on YouTube, find out how to make your own by using my handy video guide. I've also made mini ones too if you desire to make smaller bite sized cakes.

Kouign Amann- Pastry is NOT my friend, but they were quite tasty.

Povitiça- I was really impressed with the flavour of this one, and loved the style. While I made it wrong, slightly, it worked out in the end.

Schichttorte- German stacked pancake-cake! Layers of toasted cakes smothered in ganache, bit dry, but...moreish

There ended my foray into Baking with the Bake off for 2014. I was so happy by the end of it, delighted to have learned a new skill and even more so that it was so well received on YouTube. This was me, I was addicted. I knew the following year I could be better. If I couldn't be on the show, I could do this instead! Victory would be mine by living my own baking adventure on YouTube.

Step 2: 2015- Year Two, Another Year Older, But Am I Wiser

2015 Baking with the Bake Off began as last year did, with cake week. This time, a gorgeous Walnut cake. It went down a treat with my work friends.

Week 2 was all about the biscuits- which in Britain means cookie. These Arlettes are French though so...

My third week was spent in Florida on holiday, so I attempted to make this one while I was there. It did not work out at all. Here is now NOT to make baguettes.

I hate meringue. This did not help. Its pretty though. Enjoy the Spanische Windtorte.

It is clear that I need to work on my bread making- Gluten Free Pita Bread, another bake I scraped up.

Flaounes are amazing if you love savoury flavours and cheese. I got my spices from Steenbergs Organics in the UK. They are so kind and helpful.

Tennis Cake- No, never heard of it either. Everything but the net on this one. For a fruit cake, I was surprisingly pleased at the flavour. Normally I avoid them, but since I made it, I thought I should try it.

A slight disagreement with Mary Berry and the amounts needed for the ingredients on Mokatines, but aside from that, these are AMAZING!

For my final bake off Technical of 2015, I decided to try a LIVE bake. This video has extra links below in the description to skip to the best bits. I have guests, games and Soufflé

2015 ended with one of my favourite videos. Baking live was brilliant fun, I will do this again in the future for sure. Subscribe to my channel and see what happens!

Also, head over to Steenbergs if you want some fun spices. http://www.steenbergs.co.uk/

See you soon

Colin

Step 3: 2016- the Last Year?

It was announced, mid season, that Bake Off would no longer be on the BBC where it began. What a SHOCK! No Mary, No Mel & Sue... maybe I could come and help out. What do you think? But I must soldier on and Bake with the Bake Off yet again!

Lets start again with cake week, a simple classic bake. Jaffa Cakes. Oh my goodness how delighted I was to make this.

Week 2, and for some reason, super saturated with red! Viennese Whirls are wonderful. Ive also made a vegan version of them. (check out another of my Instructables)

Back on the European continent post Brexit announcement and its Dampfnudel! Steamed cheesy buns. Brilliant.

I know, let's make pancakes! YAY! I know, lets draw lacy designs with them... oh. okay.

Bakewell Tart, or Cherry Bake Well? You decide.

Bread week! If you remember the disaster of 2015, this should be fun!

NUTS! It's Marjolaine. Slice up your pistachios, pre-heat your oven and open your wallet for this one.

Jumble out of bed and stumble to the kitchen...

My final bake of this years bake off. Kicking it out with a boozy bundt shaped cake. Beautiful!

That's it. Baking with the Bake off is over for another year, and potentially forever. We will see how Channel 4 tinkers with the set up. We shall see what 2017 brings, but until then. Like. Share. Subscribe to my channel on YouTube for my furthering baking adventures!

http://www.youtube.com/colinstarfish

See you soon

Colin