One in 10 British men bake in the buff

As we fall back in love with baking thanks to shows like the Great British Bake Off, a new survey shows what is really going on in our kitchens...

Being up to your elbows in dough has never been so trendy. But have us Brits really become a nation of accomplished home bakers?

New research released today from sugar brand Whitworths suggests not. One in 10 of us still serve our creations after dropping it on the floor. Some 15 per cent of us have managed to burn ourselves whilst cooking, and 10 per cent of British men and five per cent of women also admit they have baked in the nude.

Baking blunders are common place with almost 40 per cent of Brits saying their cake has sunk in the middle, 36 per cent admitting to burning their baked goods and almost a quarter (22 per cent) whipping up a masterpiece only for it to be undercooked in the middle.

One in two British men (56 per cent) and two thirds of British women (64 per cent) admit they have made at least one baking blunder in the kitchen. While the research also found men were more extravagant when it comes to how much they spend on baking ingredients per recipe (£4.96) compared to women who can bake on £3.96.

Some 44 per cent of Brits throw their baking straight in the bin if it doesn’t work out and only 37 per cent attempt to make it again.

Whitworths baking expert Kate Moore says: “It is great to see so many Brits, both male and female, inspired to bake in 2012.What this research has found is that we’re spending more time in the kitchen but also making common mistakes that cost us time and money.

"With a few hints and tips, bakers can often rectify their errors salvage their baking, or at least prevent the same mistake from happening on their next bake."

The research also found that us Brits are keen sticklers for tradition, confirming our favourite baking recipe of all time is the classic Victoria Sponge, closely followed by cupcakes, Christmas cake and brownies. Half of all British bakers (55 per cent) say they love baking because “there is nothing like homemade” yet a quarter of us (25 per cent) still won’t share our favourite recipe with friends or family.

Whitworths for Baking is aiming to help Brits with their baking mishaps, by launching a new Baking SOS guide at www.whitworths-sugar.co.uk/baking-sos/ designed to help bakers troubleshoot their creations. Bakers can also tweet @WhitworthsSugar using the #BakingSOS hash-tag, to get advice from the Whitworths Baking SOS team.