Tent Ready
My baking sucks. I’m training for the Bake Off tent anyway.
I’ve never worked in a kitchen or been to culinary school. I cook on instinct and make most of it up as I go, which works great for pizza and not so great for cake. So I went through every challenge from 16 series of The Great British Bake Off (the tent is where it’s filmed) to figure out what it actually tests, and now I’m training for it one bake a week. My wife Jana is the judge, and she’s tough. Still waiting to find out what her version of a handshake is.
Latest from the blog
Read it from the startTent Ready · drill · September 27, 2026
Iced Ginger Biscuits
Prue Leith’s spiced ginger biscuits, cut into squares and ovals and iced with piped and flooded royal icing. A drill in even rolling, clean edges and a steady hand.
Cookies · September 25, 2026
Buttery Shortbread
A friend’s mom’s shortbread: sandy, buttery wedges, with a circle cut from the middle so the whole round bakes evenly.
Tent Ready · Week 1 · drill · September 24, 2026
Week 1: Victoria Sponge
Cake week, so a classic Victoria sandwich. It looks like cake and it is edible! Did I mess up? YES.
Basics · September 22, 2026
Homemade Self-Rising Flour
Out of self-rising flour? Three ingredients, one whisk, done. All-purpose flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
Cakes · September 22, 2026
Victoria Sponge
The all-in-one sponge the tent opened with: two light layers, quick raspberry jam, and piped buttercream. Mary Berry’s recipe, in cups and grams.