Leicester is home to the worst cake bakers in Britain, according to a new study, which also reveals Brits’ most common baking fails.
Researchers asked the nation about their baking skills, with 66 per cent of those from Leicester admitting their cakes are usually a ‘disaster’, compared to the national average of just 43 per cent.
In second place is Birmingham where 64 per cent of people admit their baking skills leave a lot to be desired, followed by London (third, 59 per cent). In joint fourth place, it’s Leeds and Liverpool, where 58 per cent of locals declare their bakes ‘disastrous’.
Fifth in the ranking is Glasgow, where 57 per cent say they are cake-baking amateurs, followed by Nottingham (sixth, 56 per cent), Manchester (seventh, 52 per cent), Norwich (eighth, 51 per cent), and Sheffield (ninth, 49 per cent).
Elsewhere, the study, which comes ahead of the return of hit series The Great British Bake Off, found that Brits’ most common baking fail is dealing with unrisen cake batter. A third of respondents (33 per cent) have faced this issue.
Leicester is home to the worst cake bakers in Britain, according to a new study, which also revealed Brits’ most common baking fails
The second most common baking fail is burning the top of the cake (20 per cent). It’s followed by taking a cake out of the oven with a soggy bottom (third, 19 per cent), which can mean the oven’s temperature was not high enough or the cake was not baked for long enough.
Other baking fiascos include making cakes with a rock-hard sponge, dealing with melted icing, facing sunken sponges, and making cakes that are bone dry (all 15 per cent, joint fourth).
More patisserie fails include fruit sinking to the bottom of a bake and making a cake that’s too thin to cut in half (joint fifth, both 11 per cent), the study of 2,000 people has revealed.
And 10 per cent of Brits have made cakes with lumpy, un-sifted flour (sixth).
BRITAIN’S WORST CAKE BAKERS RANKED
1. Leicester (66 per cent)
2. Birmingham (64 per cent)
3. London (59 per cent)
4= Leeds (58 per cent)
4= Liverpool (58 per cent)
5. Glasgow (57 per cent)
6. Nottingham (56 per cent)
7. Manchester (52 per cent)
8. Norwich (51 per cent)
9. Sheffield (49 per cent)
Source: Samsung
Common baking fails include dealing with an unrisen batter and burning the top of the cake
The art of baking appeals to a wide audience, with almost three-quarters (74 per cent) of those surveyed saying they find baking shows like the Great British Bake Off inspiring.
But despite this keen interest, more than half (53 per cent) of Brits are forced to throw out their bakes because they’re inedible, the findings show.
Almost a quarter of Britons (23 per cent) have ended up buying a cake and passing it off as their own, the study reveals.
While 39 per cent claim their cake creations are so bad, they could not even consider posting them on social media.
Thirty-nine per cent claim their cake creations are so bad, they could not even consider posting them on social media
More than a third (34 per cent) of respondents said trying to decorate cakes was ‘stressful’, while 55 per cent blamed their oven not being at the right temperature for their baking disasters.
The research was commissioned by Samsung’s Series 7 Bespoke AI Oven, which has an internal camera and burn detection function.
Gino Grossi, from Samsung UK, said: ‘Our research says that over 55 per cent of the nation has blamed their oven for their baking disasters, while 70 per cent feel having smarter tech in the kitchen would help improve their baking skills.’
BRITS’ TOP BAKING FAILS RANKED
1. Cake won’t rise – 33 percent (of Brits say this happens regularly)
2. Burnt top – 20 percent
3. Soggy bottom – 19 percent
4 = Melted icing – 15 percent
4 = Sunken sponge – 15 percent
4 = Dry cake – 15 percent
4 = Rock hard sponge – 15 percent
5 = Cake too thin to cut in half – 11 percent
5 = Fruit sunk to the bottom – 11 percent
6. Lumpy un-sifted flour in cake – 10 percent
Source: Samsung