Most popular Bake Off theme revealed

The study by Worth Paying For combined a survey with search trend data to reveal how viewers interact with reality TV, including the amount watched, the level of viewer participation and subsequent voting habits, and the ideal participant characteristics.

Based on the search volume behind each themed episode over the last year, as pulled from SEO software ahrefs, it was vegan week that most of viewers were interested in catching up on - despite being met with some derision when it was first announced back in 2018.

In fact, the plant-based bakes proved more of a hit with GBBO fans than the reoccurring Bread Week, Cake Week, Biscuit Week and Patisserie Week, and beat out other one-off episodes like Italian Week, The Roaring Twenties and Forgotten Bakes for the top spot.

Looking at the items that featured on GBBO’s Vegan Week shows that the Season ten Festive Bake Off and the most recent Cake Week are the best episodes of the last few seasons according to fans, as they both hold a respectable critic score of 8.4/10.

Festival Week and Caramel Week were the themes that Brits were the least excited about, while celebrity-led instalments - such as the Stand Up To Cancer episodes - are the most searched-for in the series overall.

Viewers in Brighton, Bristol and Cambridge were found to be the most dedicated, as they account for the highest number of searches made for the show over the last year.

The Great British Bake Off is in its 11th series and this year two Sussex residents are taking part - Lottie Bedlow, 31 , from Littlehampton and Linda Rayfield, 61, from Bexhill.

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Want to try your own vegan recipe? See below....

Walnut and Cinnamon Puff Pastry Buns

Makes 12

Ingredients

2 rolls of puff pastry

250g walnuts (chopped)

4 tablespoons of dairy free butter

1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 tablespoons of maple syrup and more for glazing

2 tablespoons of light brown sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c and lightly grease a muffin tin.

2. Next melt the butter in the microwave and combine with the cinnamon, vanilla extract,

maple syrup and light brown sugar.

3. Roll the sheets of puff pastry out and brush the butter mixture on top so they are both

completely covered. Now sprinkle 2/3 of the chopped walnuts over the two sheets.

4. With the longest side facing you roll each sheet up into a tight log. Repeat with the second.

5. Cut each roll into 6 pieces and place each piece into the muffin tin. Place the tin in the oven

and bake for 25-30 minutes.

6. Once cooled slightly remove from the tin, glaze with maple syrup and top with the remaining

chopped walnuts. Enjoy!

Chocolate Orange California Walnut Flapjacks

Makes 12

Ingredients

300g dates (pitted)

600g oats

200g golden syrup

180g California Walnuts, plus more for decorating

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Zest of 2 oranges

Juice from 1 orange

2 tablespoons of cacao powder

60g dark chocolate (melted)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c and line a rectangular baking tray with parchment paper.

2. Begin by covering your dates in boiling water and leaving for 10 minutes. Then drain and add

to a blender or mash until a paste is formed. Don’t worry if there are still chunks of dates.

3. Add the golden syrup, vanilla extract and orange juice and combine.

4. Now chop the walnuts into small chunks and combine in a large bowl with the oats and

cacao powder. Save a tablespoon of orange zest for decorating and add the rest to the bowl.

Combine.

5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine thoroughly. Empty the mixture into the

baking tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

6. Allow the flapjacks to cool slightly before removing from the tin and cutting into squares.

7. Decorate with the melted dark chocolate and the remaining orange zest. Enjoy!

Recipe by What Luce Eats for California Walnuts