There are two types of people. Those that see a Lakeland catalogue on their doormat and spend the next three hours poring over it, debating if they really need a Remoska/sock sorters/another cake tin. And those that put it straight in the recycling bin. We, of course, are very much in the former camp, and have a cupboard full of gadgets to prove it.
Our favourite section of said catalogue is undoubtedly the one dedicated to baking. Which got us wondering, of all the tins, utensils and gadgets that have featured over the years, which have proved the most popular? So we asked – and Lakeland kindly answered. Without further ado, here are Lakeland's all-time top 10 baking products.
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1. Anti-Gravity Pouring Cake Kit
Take your cake creations to the next level – literally – with this clever stand. Comprising a base, two supporting rods and a corner piece, it allows you to build a gravity-defying gateau that will produce gasps of amazement. To get you started, your kit comes with four recipes, for this tumbling truffle cake, plus a Christmas pudding pouring cake, an Easter egg cascade cake and a prosecco cascade cake. Delish.
Buy now: Anti-gravity pouring cake kit, £9.99, Lakeland
2. Wilton Easy Layer 15cm Cake Pan Set
If a cascading cake seems too much of a stretch of your baking skills, this might be a less daunting proposition. Just make up your mix, split it evenly between the five pans, and pop them all in the oven together. For this ombre effect, it's just a case of adding a little food colouring.
There's no waiting around as you cook sponge after sponge individually – in less than an hour you'll have five perfect layers ready to stack.
Buy now: Wilton easy-layer 15cm cake pan set, £11.69, Lakeland
3. Magic Reusable Non-Stick Liner
Cut up this liner to fit your favourite pans, and watch the food glide off when it's baked. It's dishwasher safe, too, so washing it down to use again requires no effort whatsoever.
Buy now: Magic Reusable Non-Stick Liner, £10.79, Lakeland
4. Baking parchment
Any baker worth their salt will have a roll of this in their kitchen drawer. Not just useful for lining pans, you can use it to make disposable place mats, to artfully wrap sandwiches or to cut down on microwave mess.
Buy now: Baking parchment, £3.79, Lakeland
5. Silicone 12 Hole Muffin Pan
Silicone pans really cut down on cleaning, but can be a little tricky to manoeuvre in and out of a hot oven. Not this beauty, however – it's got a metal frame to prevent it from wobbling. That said, it's still bendy enough that your bakes can be removed with ease.
Buy now: Silicone 12 Hole Muffin Pan, £14.99, Lakeland
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6. Rectangular Folding Cooling Rack
A great space-saver, there's room on this rack for a couple of batches of muffins, cupcakes or biscuits, and at least two sponges. Folded down, it will take up no more room in a drawer or cupboard than a chopping board.
Buy now: Rectangular Folding Cooling Rack, £5.99, Lakeland
7. Wilton Cake Release
It doesn't look like much, but this little bottle will save you from faffing around with butter and flour. Just spray a thin even coating onto your baking tins before you add the mixture, and, hey presto, your cakes won't stick to the sides or base. Its particularly handy when you're dealing with moulds that would otherwise be difficult to line, like madeleine tins or bundt pans.
Buy now: Wilton Cake Release, £4.79, Lakeland
8. Duo Colour Icing Kit
If there's one thing we've learned from Bake Off over the years, it's that a little decent piping can go a long way. Hide a multitude of sins with this clever set of bags and nozzles, which allows you to pipe two colours at once. Several different effects are possible – for cupcake lovers, it's a must-have.
Buy now: Duo Colour Icing Kit, £6.49, Lakeland
9. 12 Hole Loose-Based Mini Sandwich Tin
Along with golf and toiletries, cakes can be so much more, erm, fun in miniature. That said, they're not always so easy to make. Hence the existence and popularity of this tin, which has loose bases and straight sides, so it can turn out mini Victoria sponges, individual cheesecakes or banoffee pies with the minimum of hassle.
Buy now: 12 hole loose-based mini sandwich tin, £19.99, Lakeland
10. Medium Hemisphere Cake Pan
Lakeland cake tins have a cult following, but this has to be our all-time favourite ever, if only because it can produce this AWESOME unicorn cake. To explain, this is a semi-spherical cake tin, that will allow you to bake a sponge dome. One half would make a mighty fine ladybird or hedgehog cake, or you can place two together to build a football, globe, owl or this beauty.
Your days of sponge carving are finally behind you. Genius!
Buy now: Medium Hemisphere Cake Pan, £6.99, Lakeland
How many of those do you own? Don't worry if it's only a few. With The Great British Bake Off returning on Tuesday 29th August, you've got a great excuse to stock up!
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