I Baked 17 Cakes from the Great British Bake Off Cookbook

Here’s what I learned (hint: it’s not just about cake)

At the tail end of 2020, I set off on a dubious self-made quest to bake every recipe in the 2016 Great British Bake Off tie-in cookbook.

It was a mission born of too much time lying around on the couch watching Great British Bake Off, steeped in years of daydreaming about my very own Julie & Julia-esque project. At last, the whim became more than an idea and turned into an actual project. I wrote about it on my blog, and everything.

So far, it’s been nearly four months of one bake every single weekend (with a few exceptions). The book is divided into various sections, each comprising a particular theme. The first — cakes.

Since the inception of this scheme, I have baked a total of 17 cakes in all shapes, sizes, and forms. Loaves, mini, tiered, and single layered, to name a few. In taking on the challenge, I hoped to learn a bit about baking. As with most things, I also learned a little bit about myself and about life, as well.

1. Don’t be afraid to try new things

When I flipped through the first few recipes in the cake chapter, I worried my new project was doomed to fail. The first several cakes involved lemons, and others boasted flavor combinations I couldn’t even picture, like a mango loaf cake with bananas.