It’s the time of year when many of us have to answer some rather tricky questions – do we prefer cake week or biscuit week? Is Victoria sponge our favourite, or would we rather have a brownie? And just who will be this week’s Star Baker?
Yep, baking season is back! So we’ve teamed up with Martha Collison, TV’s Great British Bake Off former contestant and Tearfund Ambassador, to bring you a special recipe and explain how you can bake, er, make a difference one cake at a time.
Whether you are more of a cake maker or a cake eater, there is no denying that most of us can’t resist a slice. So why not celebrate the greatness of cake and show love for others by holding a Big Bake cake sale or coffee morning to raise funds for Tearfund? It’s the most fun you can have in a pinny, and every pound you raise will make a difference to people in need.
‘My friend and fellow Tearfund ambassador, Will Torrent, said recently that “Cakes and bakes can change the world”, says Martha. ‘I love that statement! To me, baking, faith, hope and love all go together so naturally. And the greatest of these is, of course, love.’
Tearfund’s Big Bake
Your bake sale or coffee morning could transform the lives of people like Tamam from Syria.
Armed conflict forced Tamam and her family from their home in Syria. Now they live in a cramped, dangerous slum in Lebanon.
Life is hard, but there is hope. Tearfund’s local partner is in the heart of the settlement, providing schooling, trauma counselling, and healthcare. Thanks to their support, Tamam can now dream of a better life again.
Tearfund’s Big Bake is one of the easiest (and tastiest) ways to raise money to help people like Tamam.
Why not try Martha’s delicious Tea and Biscuit brownie recipe below? For more recipes and ideas for your cake sale, sign up to receive your Big Bake pack
Martha’s Tea and Biscuit Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
150g light brown sugar
225g caster sugar
225g butter
2 x English Breakfast teabags
150g dark chocolate, chopped
3 eggs
125g plain flour
75g cocoa powder
Custard creams, bourbon biscuits and malted milk biscuits, to decorate
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and line a 23 x 23cm square tin with baking paper.
2. Put the sugars and butter into a large saucepan and heat on medium until the butter has melted. Simmer the mixture for five minutes to allow the sugar to begin to melt, stirring all the time. Remove from the heat.
3. Add the contents of the teabags (discard the paper bag) and the chopped dark chocolate to the warm sugar and butter mixture and stir it in until it is completely melted. Leave to cool to room temperature.
4. When the mixture is cool enough to touch comfortably, beat in the eggs. Add the flour and cocoa powder before stirring briefly to combine. You don’t want to overbeat the mixture or your brownies will become too ‘cakey’.
5. Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin and arrange the biscuits over the top. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until the top is shiny and slightly cracked. Allow to cool completely, then cut into squares. These brownies will keep for up to a week in an airtight container.
