The Bake Off Bake Along || Forgotten Bakes – Savoy Cake

Firstly, let’s not talk about the show this week. I mean, really?!?!

As this series of Bake Off first aired, I had sighed a little relief, as it seemed the format and challenges, whilst not as they once were, were at least passable.

However, throughout each week, the contestants do seem to struggle with even the most minor tasks, and the challenges themselves have been obscure and disappointing, without much opportunity for artistic flare.

I mean, this is the first year ever I haven’t sat ogling at every showstopper wishing I had the skill and time to try and replicate it. There have certainly been some odd themes. Though saying that, although I’d never heard of any of them, I fancied having a go at all the bakes. I love a pasty, which admit it, that’s all a Bedfordshire Clanger really is…in days of olde, pasties also had a sweet and savoury side!

Then there was a take on a mincemeat tart – the Cumberland Rum Nicky. That too sounded pretty tasty, but unfortunately I smuggled the last of our rum in my hip flask into a family party last weekend. Then the showstopper, the Savoy Cake.

Wooden Window Sills Bake Off Bake Along Forgotten Bakes Savoy Cake 4

Never heard of it.

I mean, have you?

I liked that it was elaborately shaped and had the opportunity for some decoration, but realistically it was a bit bare. Though I’ve never made a sugar glaze on the inside of my cakes before, and perhaps you can tell.

This bake was great because a) I already had a bundt tin in a funky shape, b) could fancy it up and bake some macarons and c) at last, it was actually another cake!

Though saying that, I cheated a little as my mum is not a fan of ye olde fatless sponge, so instead I made her a Savoy cake with a twist – in the form of an almond madeira with cherry macarons. Sort of a savoy cake style cherry bakewell if you will…

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The actual cake was simple enough to make, so I went for a fun secretly marbled centre and decorated with pink cherry filled macarons. No, before you ask, I honestly hadn’t give it a thought that that’s what Stacey did, and now I wish I’d chosen differently I think…

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I roughly followed this recipe for the cake, using the Savoy method of brushing the inside with butter and then sugar. Perhaps a Madeira takes longer to bake than a Savoy cake usually does, because mine certainly came out a little browner around the edges than I was hoping, but had I taken it out any earlier and it would have been under baked.

Even so, whilst in the photos it does look a tad *ahem* burnt, I can attest that it was in fact not, just slightly, caramelised, on the outside shall we say?

Wooden Window Sills Bake Off Bake Along Forgotten Bakes Savoy Cake 6

A simple almondy buttery sponge, with decorative icing and little pink macarons (that would definitely been better if it hadn’t been for the fake promises of my so called “non-stick” macaron tin. Not the most inventive cake ever, but hey, my take on a Savoy cake went down a treat at work and seemed to be a success!