Cake, A Slice of British Life

The British take cakes seriously, holding strong opinions about how to bake a brownie with the perfect squidge, the correct proportions of icing to sponge, and whether jam or cream go first on scones. Now – thanks to the success of a certain TV baking show – this 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? Traveling the country from Dundee to the Isle of Wight, writer Andrew Baker (by name, not occupation) serves up the story of Britain's national obsession with cake, one slice at a time.