The Great British Bake Off is back for another year – whoop! whoop! – and this week the bakers took on drizzle cakes, jaffa cakes and mirror glazes. There are so many things to love about Bake Off and last night’s episode didn’t disappoint. For one thing, I learnt that jaffa cakes can be so much more than the biscuit I’d dismissed as being a bit dry and fake tasting. Sorry jaffa cake lovers, they’re just not my faves. I don’t have a bun pan either so recreating jaffa cakes in the bluebirdsunshine kitchens will have to wait.

Mirror glazes are super impressive but this week they needed to drape sexily over a dacquoise sponge. Alarm bells rang and deterred me from attempting the showstopper for the following reasons. Firstly, it’s week one and I need to warm up a little as lately all the baking I’ve done has been the odd batch of scones or banana bread. Secondly, I had two little helpers assisting me today and two temperamental elements plus two very eager sous chefs substantially increases the risk of failure and the need for a lot of gin for one mother baker tonight.

So it fell to take on the drizzle cake. A gentle wade into the waters of the GBBO. Lemon drizzle cake is one of my all time favourite cakes. It will forever remind me of sitting with a very dear friend as we breastfed our first borns together on cold winter days eating huge chunks of cake and drinking copious amounts of tea. I can, and have, baked one practically in my sleep, or very sleep deprived state anyway, so decided to up the challenge for myself just a little and try a new recipe.

So, as I’m feeling all summery I turned to coconut and lime and attempted to do some candied lime peel. Here’s the results.

If you want to give it a go I mishmashed a few recipes together. I used this Lime and Coconut Loaf Cake recipe from Daisy and the Fox. Her pics are gorgeous and looking through her recipes some others have already caught my eye. Lamington Babka, I’m looking at you. I digress, for the candied peel I used a Martha Stewart Candied Lime Peel recipe.

I substituted half the butter for coconut oil as I ran out of butter. Whoops.

All the lime zest made the most pretty, flecked batter.

It came out lovely and golden and ready to be soaked with lime syrup. I loved the tip on this week’s show to pour the drizzle over a warm, but not hot, cake. I didn’t know that was the reason some of my lemon drizzle cakes in the past have ended up with very soggy bottoms. As I left this baby to cool I got on with making the drizzle and candied lime peel. The peel, ok, time to confess, was not nice. It turned out super bitter and practically inedible. Tell me, dear bakers, what did I do wrong? Too much pith? Not boiled in the sugar syrup long enough? I don’t know but I’ll give candied peel another go some day.

I left the finishing touches to my boy who was desperate to pour the drizzle over and pile on the zest. It was only fair that he got the first slice to try, and I think he was pretty happy with the results.

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I’m linking up with the very talented and lovely Jenny from mummy mishaps. Go check out what other bloggers have been baking this week!