Cotswold Cake & Culinary Club
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Rowan Claughton, Cake & Culinary Ambassador
Here, Great British Bake Off contestant, Rowan Claughton (our cake expert), answers your questions and brings you delicious recipes to try out. So, let Rowan take you by the virtual hand and show you his wonderful world of cake!
Contents & Quick Links
Jump to the Cake section you want quickly with the links below, or scroll down to find out more!
Matthews Welcomes Rowan As Our Newest Ambassador
Strawberry & Passionfruit Eton Mess Cake
Follow Rowan on Instagram
Focaccia Sandwich Platter Recipe
Our Cake & Culinary Guru
Shop Cake Flours
Cake Related Recipes
Your perfect Summer fix comes in the form of this lemon, thyme and blueberry cupcakes recipe with cupcakes that are light and fluffy with a zesty filling.
We love chocolate cake, and it's just gotten even better with this new recipe by GBBO contestant, Rowan Claughton in collaboration with Matthews Cotswold Flour and Divine Chocolate. Chocolate, passionfruit, lemon, strawberry and cream; what could be more divine?
Your perfect Summer fix comes in the form of this lemon, thyme and blueberry cupcakes recipe with cupcakes that are light and fluffy with a zesty filling.
We love chocolate cake, and it's just gotten even better with this new recipe by GBBO contestant, Rowan Claughton in collaboration with Matthews Cotswold Flour and Divine Chocolate. Chocolate, passionfruit, lemon, strawberry and cream; what could be more divine?
Cake FAQ
The great thing about Matthews flours is their versatility. Many of our flours are great for a wide-range of bakes, from breads to cakes. Whilst plain, self-raising, and all-purpose are a baker's staple, we'd also encourage you to try White Spelt and Maizebite.
The great thing about Matthews flours is their versatility. Many of our flours are great for a wide-range of bakes, from breads to cakes. Whilst plain, self-raising, and all-purpose are a baker's staple, we'd also encourage you to try White Spelt and Maizebite.
We've all been there, it happens! Your first thought might be to throw it away, but don't! All you need to do is wrap the broken pieces in clingfilm and pop them in the fridge. You can then 'glue' them back together with a thick buttercream.
We've all been there, it happens! Your first thought might be to throw it away, but don't! All you need to do is wrap the broken pieces in clingfilm and pop them in the fridge. You can then 'glue' them back together with a thick buttercream.
The most common reasons your cake is sinking in the middle include not baking your cake for long enough (meaning it isn't fully cooked in the middle), opening the oven door (letting cold air in to disrupt the rise of your bread), or overmixing (which adds too much air into your batter, that collpases in the oven.)
The most common reasons your cake is sinking in the middle include not baking your cake for long enough (meaning it isn't fully cooked in the middle), opening the oven door (letting cold air in to disrupt the rise of your bread), or overmixing (which adds too much air into your batter, that collpases in the oven.)
Yes! To refreeze your cake, simply wait until the cake has cooled down completely to prevent moisture build-up. Then, double-wrap it in clingfilm followed by a wrap of foil to prevent freezer burn. For decorated cakes, pop the cake un-wrapped in the freezer for up to 1 hour to harden the frosting, then wrap in clingfilm and foil. To defrost your cake, it's recommended to slowly thaw it for 12-24 hours by taking your cake out of the freezer and moving into the refrigerator early. Alternatively, you can defrost a cake within 2-3 hours (size dependant) by taking it out of the freezer into room-temperature. Hot tip! Keep the cling film and foil on to the cake until fully defrosted to avoid a soggy cake.
Yes! To refreeze your cake, simply wait until the cake has cooled down completely to prevent moisture build-up. Then, double-wrap it in clingfilm followed by a wrap of foil to prevent freezer burn. For decorated cakes, pop the cake un-wrapped in the freezer for up to 1 hour to harden the frosting, then wrap in clingfilm and foil. To defrost your cake, it's recommended to slowly thaw it for 12-24 hours by taking your cake out of the freezer and moving into the refrigerator early. Alternatively, you can defrost a cake within 2-3 hours (size dependant) by taking it out of the freezer into room-temperature. Hot tip! Keep the cling film and foil on to the cake until fully defrosted to avoid a soggy cake.
We'd highly recommend getting yourself some cake strips which are insulated-water soaked strips you wrap around your cake that prevent the edges from baking too quickly whilst the middle cooks. We'd also recommend using light-coloured silicone or metal pans, which reflect heat and prevent the edges from over-browning.
We'd highly recommend getting yourself some cake strips which are insulated-water soaked strips you wrap around your cake that prevent the edges from baking too quickly whilst the middle cooks. We'd also recommend using light-coloured silicone or metal pans, which reflect heat and prevent the edges from over-browning.