Archive note: This post was originally written during Bake Off: The Professionals in 2019. It is kept as part of Anges de Sucre’s history. Spoilers for the first episode follow.
The first episode was one of the most stressful baking days I had ever had. On paper the brief sounded manageable: Linzer tortes, Bakewell tarts and a red-velvet showpiece. In the kitchen, almost everything that could go wrong seemed to do exactly that.
The first challenge
We had practised obsessively before filming, especially the pastry, mousse and assembly. Once the competition started, though, unfamiliar equipment and the pace of the kitchen threw us completely. The Linzer tortes were underbaked, the Bakewells did not look anything like our practice batches and it felt, in the moment, like the worst possible start.
Coming back for the showpiece
The second day was about recovering rather than pretending the first day had not happened. We used the preparation window properly, tempered chocolate for the structure and focused on executing the red-velvet Charlotte Royale showpiece we had practised.
The judges’ feedback was mixed and I was convinced we were leaving. When our name was called among the teams going through, I genuinely thought I had misheard it.
What I remember now
The television drama was real, but what stays with me more is how intensely personal the whole experience felt. I was away from my young son, had put the bakery through a strange period of preparation and was trying to hold together confidence, family life and a competition kitchen all at once.
It was uncomfortable, funny, exhausting and, eventually, something I was very glad we had done. It is also why the red velvet cake section of the website still makes me smile for slightly traumatic reasons.
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Lots of love,
Reshmi xoxo
My heart is in my mouth , such pressure !!!! Rooting for you as I have followed you on Insta for so long it would be rude not to !! 😂 hope you get through tonight’s challenges xx