Platinum puddings: Six royal-inspired bakes for the jubilee competition

To mark the celebrations for the Queen’s platinum jubilee, food intolerance specialist YorkTest has revealed six ideas for royal-inspired desserts which Brits might take inspiration from.

Fortnum & Mason has launched a competition for Brits to come up with an idea for a new ‘platinum pudding’. The winner will be decided in a bake-off style competition. Mary Berry will join the judges to make the decision on what pudding will be fit for the Queen.

This competition comes 70 years after coronation chicken was created in 1953, to celebrate the coronation of Elizabeth ll in a banquet.

As the deadline for the dessert competition looms on February 4, Sal Hanvey, expert nutritional therapist at YorkTest, has created a Royal-spin on six popular British desserts which could make great jubilee puddings:

1 - Elizabeth Sponge Cake

The Victoria Sponge is already the perfect party cake, and is a firm favourite in the Queen’s garden parties, which thousands of people attend every year. But why not add an extra layer of luxury to make it jubilee-party ready?

You could make one of the Queen's favourites  to wow your guestsYou could make one of the Queen's favourites  to wow your guests
You could make one of the Queen's favourites  to wow your guests

According to one Royal Chef, the Queen loves her ginger cake. Hanvey suggests making an Elizabeth Sponge Cake using ginger sponge cake, lashings of buttercream and a dusting of crystallised ginger instead of icing sugar to really showcase the opulence that dish has.

2 - Jubilee Jam Scones 

It’s no secret that the Queen loves her scones and her afternoon tea. What would scones be without the jam, one of the simplest comfort foods?

You can't go wrong with jam and cream sconesYou can't go wrong with jam and cream scones
You can't go wrong with jam and cream scones

Jubilee Jam Scones will be a simple offering for the platinum pudding, but it might be just what the Queen is craving, and she can have them with her beloved cucumber sandwiches and Earl Gray tea. Afternoon tea is also increasingly in favour with the younger generation, with searches on Pinterest for ‘vintage tea party’ up 70%, so this could be a sweet treat which is popular with all ages.

3 - Strawberry and Gin Trifle 

Much like the rest of her royal counterparts, the Queen is quite partial to gin. In fact, so much so that Buckingham Palace launched its own sloe gin in 2020.

Why not add some sweet trifles to the table as a special treat?Why not add some sweet trifles to the table as a special treat?
Why not add some sweet trifles to the table as a special treat?

Hanvey suggests a Royal twist on the Great British trifle. You can re-imagine the traditional English trifle with the sponge at the bottom soaked in gin, followed by a thick layer of fresh strawberries. Top with homemade vanilla custard, and add some basil leaves and strawberries on top for good effort.

4 - Confetti cake 

We all remember the sprinkle sponge cake from school days, which was topped with a layer of icing coloured sprinkles or hundreds and thousands, and served with warm custard.

This cake is iconic, so why not give it a royal twist? The sponge doesn’t have to change at all, but simply purchase some edible gold sprinkles to add a touch of elegance to your cake, which can be enjoyed by children on Royal celebrations for years to come.

5 - Buckingham Palace Banana Bread 

Banana bread had a serious moment in lockdown, and it’s now a staple recipe for many, whether it’s for breakfast, elevenses or a dessert. It’s also a versatile recipe, and can easily be made vegan, too.

Banana bread is always a winner when being wined and dined- why not add to your list?Banana bread is always a winner when being wined and dined- why not add to your list?
Banana bread is always a winner when being wined and dined- why not add to your list?

The Queen is already a lover of banana bread, and her former Buckingham Palace chef, Darren McGrady, revealed in a YouTube video that she likes dried cherries, nuts and raisins in hers.

Why not create your own banana bread which everyone can easily make together on the day?

6 - The Queen Brie Board

In case the Queen, for some reason, doesn’t fancy a sweet treat as her dessert, consider pitching in a Royal cheese board, Controversial for some, but a cheese plate as a pudding can go perfectly with sweet dessert wines like Port and Sherry, another favourite of the Queen.

An excellent cheese board is never hard to miss- and can end up as the star of the showAn excellent cheese board is never hard to miss- and can end up as the star of the show
An excellent cheese board is never hard to miss- and can end up as the star of the show

Cheeses which the Royals have expressed a fondness for in the past include goat cheese, stilton, and everyone’s favourite - cheddar.

Readers can find out more information about YorkTest here

The deadline for the Fortnum & Mason competition is February 4. Readers can find out more here: https://www.fortnumandmason.com/platinum-pudding

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The Queen this year celebrates seven decades on the throne and we want your help to make our right royal coverage extra special.

Her Majesty becomes the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee.

Events and initiatives will take place throughout 2022, culminating in four-day UK bank holiday weekend from June 2 to 5.

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