Young baker awarded first prize in sponge success

By Sally McGlew

LOOK out Masterchef, a 12-year-old who loves to bake has won a category in The Great Bake Off in Mundaring.

Held last weekend, Grace Pountain made both a sponge and a madeira cake and entered them in the annual baking competition, which was judged by women from the Country Women’s Association.

Competing against 45 other bakers, Grace’s sponge had to be feather-light which is helped by using the freshest eggs possible.

Her mother Anna Thompson said Grace’s interest in baking came from her own love of cooking where she had encouraged her children to be part of the kitchen process from a very young age.

“Both my children can bake fairly well unassisted now,” Mrs Thompson said.

The family raises chickens and both her cakes were made using eggs from their hens.

Other winners on the day included Bo van Assema in the Madeira cake category and Maggie Hegney was awarded first prize in the fruit cake section.

This is the first year The Great Bake Off has been run in Mundaring as part of the Food for Thought exhibition.