Cake Monday - 2nd June 2014

We race (electronically) and the loser has to bake a cake to feed the office. 

Why? because we like cake.

Who? everyone in the office. No one gets out of it. When? 1st Monday of the month. The rules: you make the cake yourself, without any help. You can't 'repeat' a cake. Your cake will be judged on presentation, difficulty and taste, and marked out of 10 by each colleague. When you have baked 3 cakes, you are out of the competition for 1 year.

'Double Chocolate Sponge' cake by Darren. This ended up being Darren's back-up cake due to his first idea not working out. His aim was for this cake to look better than his last cake and as a result he was at that oven door watching his cake rise to ensure it didn't crack. What he would have done if it had cracked we don't know, but good to know he was watching it. By his own admission, this was a straightforward cake to make (cue an immediate drop of points in terms of 'technical difficulty') and that his original cake planned was a Banoffee Sponge (cue further groans of disappointment). Still, this chocolate cake did look good. 

The Verdict - well executed & a moist sponge, but the office was divided when it came down to taste; some colleagues thought he could have made more of the filling by substituting it for cream or buttercream. Others really liked the topping and filling and appreciated the mix of chocolate decoration. For some though, the sponge wasn't flavoursome enough and they didn't experience the 'wow factor', whereas others loved it, and said it was exactly their kind of cake. 

'Double Chocolate Sponge' Average Score: 7.6

A credible score, but it doesn't increase his existing position on the Leader Board. Next time: Louise is back in the kitchen.