Live webchat with Mary Berry - Tues 21 May 10-11am

Hi Mary. I loved watching the GBBO. I wondered if you had ever tried baking with silicone bakeware? I was bought a set and have made a few cakes with it, but I'm not convinced they are the best they could be.

Please tell me that sometimes you can't be bothered to cook and fall back on a take away. Pleeeeeeease

I also have a baking question. Which is better - oiling or greasing with butter? I've had a few sponges stick using both so not sure where I am going wrong

Hello Mary please can you give me some tips on using fondant icing - however I try to do it it always ends up either looking dry and a bit cracked or bumpy - how to get a smooth and professional result? My children's birthday cakes are depending on this so no pressure lol

Does your new book have lots of pictures? I have never been able to fathom why people write recipe books but don't show a picture of how whatever it is is meant to look in the end.

Hello Mary,
I've been an admirer of yours for many years, the way you juggle your career and family is to be applauded.

My question is do you feel under pressure to constantly re-define yourself given the ever increasing number of 'celebrity' chefs or do you think people like tried and tested classics?

Personally I prefer the classics!

Do you ever make a Victoria sponge the old way - creaming butter and sugar, adding eggs very carefully, folding in flour. Or is the new way - all-in-together, every time? And is it ok to reduce the amount of sugar in a Victoria sponge. Say 4 oz of sugar instead of 8 oz in a 4 egg one? (to make it a bit healthier)

Thank you.

You've accomplished so much, how did you get to where you are today?

And, what is your favourite thing to bake and what is your favourite cake to eat?!

Welcome to Gransnet, Mary!

I don't have an actual baking question, but I'm curious. Given that your professional life centres around cakes, do you also enjoy them in private? Or are you thankful to escape them for a bit?

Hello Mary, congratulations on your success - I'm a huge fan of the great British Bake off (and I loved that stunning blue dress)! The chemistry between you and Paul is brilliant! I have a lovely, shiny, free-standing mixer (a recent gift from my hubby). It's the same as the ones used on the show. The problem is that it doesn't seem to give me the same results as my old, well used hand-mixer! Do you think it's just a matter of getting used to it, am I doing something wrong, or shall I just just sell the dratted thing on eBay?

Hello Mary, I love baking - something inherited from my mother who made cakes every weekend. Could you tell me the reason why sometimes cakes sink in the middle - very frustrating!

Hello Mary!
Over 20 years ago 2 friends and I opened a coffee shop in our small village. It became very successful and ran for nearly 8 years until we ran out of puff and sold it as a going concern. Everything was home made (except for the rolls which we got from our village bakery). I relied totally on your recipe books for all my tray bakes and cakes - my piece de resistance was the Easy Chocolate Cake made with milk, oil and plain flour. It's the only sponge I make which will rise and is absolutely delicious!! So, I just want to say a Big Thank You for your, up to now, unacknowledged help in making a success of a small business which literally started with an investment of £300 from each of the partners. Thank you and long may you continue to enthuse the cake makers of the the world!

Hi Mary. Loving your work! I'm not really sure if this a silly question. Please forgive me it is. I reckon I bake a pretty good sponge cake even if I say so myself but they are always a bit too thin looking for my liking. I always fill the middle with cream or such like before sandwiching them together but how do I get two really high/tall sponges ? Can I double the mixture and divide between the two tins? but how long do I bake it for? Double the time? Advice on this one would be very much appreciated.

I saw a quote in the papers last week from Delia Smith: she said you can't learn to cook from a book. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/10054338/Delia-Smith-You-cant-learn-cooking-from-cook-books.html

I thought this was a bit rich from someone who has written books called How to Cook and wondered whether you agree with her or not

Hello Mary

Fashions in food have changed so much since you began writing books - how have you kept up with that and are there things you made then that you are still making now whatever the fashions?

Another query! You say "softened butter" I took mine out of the fridge last night, but the hand mixer almost over-heated creaming butter & sugar. I have no problem with soft margarine. I'd like to have the butter taste, but don't want to burn out my motor! HELP PLEASE!!

Hi Marry. I don't watch cook shows often, but when I do, I'm always amazed when chefs say 'add a pinch of salt' and then just free pour half the contents of the salt mill! And a glug of oil or whatever is always a third of the bottle...

What advice can you give those following recipes at home?

Can one truly label themselves as someone who bakes cakes/cooks etc if one only follows a recipe? Or should it be natural and experimental? I'm always scared to add a pinch of this, or a pinch of that - rather follow exactly what the book says!

Can you recommend a cake decorating book for beginners? I don't know the difference between fondant, icing etc (is there a difference?!), let alone how to decorate the bloody thing.

All the books I've come across so far either have too much information or not enough.

My fourteen year old has learnt a lot from watching you on Bake Off, and has taken to making cakes regularly as a result. The problem we have is that I am on a gluten free diet so we were wondering if you have found any way to make good sponge cakes using gluten free flour, or perhaps some recipes for other cakes she can try, and I can eat.
By the way, I loved watching Bake Off and reminiscing about domestic science lessons I had at school, where we did learn a lot of the techniques that popped up. My offspring are now thoroughly bored by me trying to explain the difference between rough puff and flaky pastry, even though I can't eat them anymore - I attempted gluten free flaky pastry at Christmas and it was the closest thing to a housebrick I have made in years. Ooh, any thoughts on how I could achieve a better result?

Congratulations, Mary and the team, on winning a BAFTA award. For the first time in my life I actually felt compelled to vote. I thought you looked lovely on the night, your sense of style is perfect, do you agonise over what to wear to achieve the balance between modern and classic, or does it come naturally? I wish I could achieve the same effect, but have no flair!

Hi Mary
I have used your cookery books since I bought an Aga in 1986. Sadly when we moved 4 years ago I couldn't have an Aga again. I still miss it. But on to my question. I often bake a cake for my grandsons birthdays. Last month I decided to bake a cake for a 12 inch square cake tin ( I needed that size for the icing of the cake...a large truck on a road, with motor bike etc too). However I couldn't find a recipe for that size tin and I think you can't just double or treble a recipe and cook it for longer? Any tips on what to do in this situation? My cake turned out rather dry ( I had improvised on the recipe). The finished iced cake looked amazing, but it would have been much nicer if the cake had tasted better! By the way it was a chocolate sponge my grandson wanted....
Thanks in advance
Noni

Hello Mary
I have always enjoyed your recipes and I think I first watched you in the TV programme Houseparty, which is indeed a very long time ago now.
Although I enjoy watching and reading recipes from many cooks, I find that I return all the time to the same great writers; for me, probably Jane Grigson, Marcella Hazan and Madhur Jaffrey would be the top three.
So my question is about your favourite cookery writers. Who has had the most influence on you over the years? Or to put the question another way - which are the most bespattered books in your kitchen?

Bake Off is the best cookery programme ever and I love your style of no nonsense good home food and have had great success with your recipes. My fruitcakes (birthdays and Christmas) taste great but have you an idea why they are crumbly even though moist and don't slice cleanly. I look forward to more and more of your tips and recipes.