Cake

A delightful odyssey through the history, nostalgia, fascination and British love of cake. Quirky, charming, and fun. PRUE LEITH

The British take cakes seriously. We hold strong opinions about how to bake a brownie with the perfect squidge, the correct proportions of icing to sponge, and whether it’s jam or cream first on our scones. Now, thanks to the success of a certain TV baking show, our flirtation with flour, fruit and frosting has become a full-blown love affair.

But how did the humble cake evolve from a simple combination of starch and fat to the show-stopping bakes of today, taking pride of place at every meaningful life celebration? Travelling the country from Dundee to the Isle of Wight, writer Andrew Baker (by name, not occupation) serves up the story of our national obsession with cake, one slice at a time.

On this greediest of quests, Andrew seeks to discover the ‘True Slice’ of each iconic cake. This enviable task sees him eat sponge sandwiched with jam and cream at Queen Victoria’s holiday home Osborne House, discover the illustrious yet scandal-filled history of the Battenberg’s saccharine squares, and learn how a caterpillar enrobed in chocolate became a party-starting birthday centrepiece.

From King Alfred’s oatcakes to The River Café’s revered Chocolate Nemesis, this is the crumb-spattered, buttercream-smeared story of the cakes that have claimed a place on British tables – and in our hearts.