Brits reveal top 20 baking blunders as new series of The Great British Bake Off kicks off

As The Great British Bake Off returns tonight for a new series, Brits have revealed their most common baking blunders. Nearly half of the respondents say they are more inspired to don their aprons and grab the whisks when The Great British Bake Off is back on the telly. For 55 per cent, it reminds them of the joy of baking, while 54 per cent love to gather new ideas to try out.

However, research found that only three per cent of British bakers claimed everything they bake comes out flawlessly. Most bakers admitted that an average of two recipes went awry in the last year, with one of these being a complete catastrophe.

The survey of 1,200 adults revealed common baking blunders such as forgetting to add crucial ingredients like sugar, flour and eggs. One in ten admitted their mixture has 'curdled' when attempting a showstopping bake.

Olivia Haley from Lyle's, who comissioned the study, said: "Whether you're a baking pro or just testing the waters, we're all about turning those sticky situations into absolutely golden moments.

"Behind every sunken sponge or slightly too golden pastry lies a lesson, helping bakers turn mishaps into mastery.

"In our world, there's no such thing as failure in the kitchen, and mistakes are just the start of becoming a better baker."

Find out what sort of baker you are with this interactive quiz

The highest percentage of fails occurred when baking cookies (23 per cent), followed by a Victoria sponge (21 per cent) or a loaf of bread (20 per cent). Cupcakes, cheesecake and scones were also prone to disaster.

Half of the bakers who have faced a kitchen disaster try to learn from mistakes but still feel frustrated when things go awry. In the event of a baking fail, 45 per cent would try to salvage it by scraping off burnt bits, or re-icing or desperately adding sauce.

For 34 Despite the mishaps, 18 per cent of bakers say they would still eat their creation 'out of principle', and a further 18 per cent embrace the unexpected results, claiming some of their best baking memories come from these incidents.

Most bakers prefer to stick to simple, tried-and-tested recipes they know and love, compared to 18 per cent who enjoy experimenting with new or complex recipes.

Olivia Haley from Lyle's, which has curated aseries of recipes added: "Some of the most creative bakes come from trying to fix the ones that didn't go to plan. Failure isn't just part of baking - it's the ingredient that makes success taste even sweeter.

"The best bakers aren't the ones who get it right every time, they're the ones who try, savouring the small golden moments in everything they create. After all, it's the thought that counts, and that's absolutely golden to us."

THE TOP 20 BAKING FAILS:

The edges burnt

The cake didn't rise

The bottom was soggy

I forgot to add a key ingredient (e.g. sugar, eggs, flour, golden syrup)

The icing or decoration was a disaster

I misread the recipe

I forgot to grease/line the tin

I over-mixed the ingredients

I opened the oven door too early and it ruined the bake

The mixture overflowed in the oven

I used the wrong oven temperature

The cookies spread into one big sheet

I substituted an ingredient for something that didn't work well

The bake collapsed (e.g. a souffle or sponge)

I didn't preheat the oven

I spilt the mixture/ingredients

It turned out too sweet

I ran out of ingredients halfway through

I used out-of-date ingredients

The cake mix curdled