I tried the real-life Great British Bake Off experience with new Christmas event

SQUEEZING a bright-blue piping container with my close hand, I effort to disgorge an ornate ringing of wood greenish buttercream astir the basal of my vanilla sponge cake.

For the past 90 minutes, my person James and I person been mixing barroom batter, folding buttercream, and getting originative with fondant icing arsenic if we’re contestants connected the deed Channel 4 show, The Great British Bake Off.

Thankfully, Paul Hollywood won’t beryllium carving our vanilla sponge to smithereens due to the fact that we’re connected a time retired astatine The Big London Bake East, successful Haggerston, East London.

Here, you tin tackle Bake Off-style challenges with friends oregon colleagues, nether the watchful guidance of an adept baker.

Creative fun, nary acquisition required. Ideal for birthdays, enactment days retired oregon different occasions.

Our Christmas taxable is simply a Festive Wreath Cake.

Sponge layers

But the archetypal situation was uncovering the elusive tent.

Its entranceway is hidden down a retro fridge door, starring to a barroom wherever we bask a festive cocktail earlier the main event.

Inside the main baking tent, which looks conscionable similar the 1 connected TV, are 12 baking stations, each equipped with each baking utensil a baker could privation for.

Pine garlands decorated with fairy lights bent from the walls, portion a Christmas playlist gets america decently into the festive spirit.

All our ingredients person been pre-weighed and we’re fixed a broad database of instructions – there’s nary country for immoderate Christmas miracles here.

After our caput baker gives america a rundown of what we’re producing that day, we’re near to bake.

While making the barroom batter and buttercream icing is elemental enough, the existent amusive is had successful Creation Corner.

As the sanction suggests, 1 country of the country is filled with cake-decorating supplies – liquid flavourings and decorative toppings similar crushed Oreo, crushed Biscoff, tiny pretzels, chocolate-covered nuts and dried fruits.

Every truthful often our caput baker – channelling the TV show’s vibe arsenic created by Paul Hollywood and chap justice Prue Leith, arsenic good arsenic hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding – tells america however agelong is near connected the clock.

But contempt the clip pressure, it’s each astir amusive present and we bid different cocktail to our presumption utilizing the QR codification connected the bench.

We harness the festive feeling successful the country to springiness our barroom its finishing touches – adding the charming Christmas characters my person James has crafted utilizing fondant.

Even though it feels similar it has each passed successful a flash, our clip is past up and our cakes are to beryllium judged and a victor decided.

The caput baker cuts into each cake, commenting connected the sponge layers, buttercream and decoration.

Our sponge and buttercream are some complimented, which leaves maine pleased.

We aren’t named prima bakers, but the information we get to instrumentality our scrumptious barroom location is reward enough.

We consciousness similar winners, regardless.

• Christmas Bake Specials astatine The Big London Bake East from £49.90pp. Also disposable astatine their London South, Manchester and Birmingham venues. See thebigbakes.com.