More cake, more One Show

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There was a point on Friday afternoon, when I was on a train hurtling towards London, my arms wrapped protectively around a giant plastic box, that I wondered whether my decision to take up BBC1's invite to come into The One Show studio for live filming was based on chronic sleep deprivation and icing sugar fumes, rather than rational thinking.

Regardless, it was too late to back out now, despite my nerves.

The whole thing happened rather quickly- a few emails on Tuesday, some frustrated tweeting on Wednesday, panicky phone calls on Thursday, followed by cake baking until the small hours of Friday morning!

The One Show wanted a cake themed on, well, The One Show. After much racking of brains I eventually came up with an 'After Seven' cake, a play on 'After Eight' chocolates, since The One Show is broadcast at 7pm. A three- layer red velvet and white velvet cake, sandwiched together with raspberry and redcurrant jam, surrounded by a white chocolate ganache and then decorated with red icing to make it look like a clock.

Terrible photo, but I was up until 4am making it!

After working in the morning, I managed to get a 1.15pm train to London and The One Show sent a car to pick me up from Kings' Cross- the first (and probably the last) time I get chauffeur-driven in London! I was so tired however that I fell asleep in the car, and woke up disorientated (and really hot- the driver had turned on the heated seats!). The driver, taking a bit of advantage of my sleepy state and lack of knowledge of the area, told me that he had to drop me at the first gate we came to. For a couple of minutes I was stranded alone with a cake in the middle of White City, but thankfully I managed to get hold of someone in the One Show office who came to rescue me!

After a quick coffee and catch up with one of my old school friends, Lucy, who works in research for BBC News, I was being escorted through a maze of stairs and offices in Broadcast Centre, (including the Top Gear Office, which has to win an award for the messiest office I've ever seen!) to our Green Room, which was unfortunately separate from the famous people. There I met some of the other lovely Clandestine Cake Clubbers from around the country, who were absolutely lovely, but as I've said before, cake people are good people!

A production assistant came to brief us and informed us that we would be wearing name badges and aprons for the show. Mmm. I wasn't entirely sure about this one, but I wasn't about to argue with the Beeb! I simply sighed and donned said badge and apron, but I did make sure that, of all the outfits I brought (ahem...several...I am rather a girly girl when I want to be), I picked the one that best suited an apron- a black Bardot top and 50s-style black and white spotted skirt.

Here's me (pre-make-up!) donning said apron and badge!

About 90 minutes before filming began, we were whisked down to the studio for a rehearsal. The studio is tiny, but looks really big on TV!  We were all lined up with our cakes and Chris Evans ran through the lines. He was very friendly and a bit cheeky, just like he is on TV. I found that rather refreshing. Alex Jones was lovely too but we didn't really get to talk to her.

After the rehearsal, we just waited to be called, did make-up, chatted about food and cake, swapped cakey ideas. There was a very smiley young lady in the room with us whose job was security for the RBS Six Nations Trophy, which was also featuring on the show that night, and I think she was rather bemused by all of us discussing cake and pies!

Some of the other CCC members' cakes. From left- Julia from Derby's rainbow cake (colours of the studio), Stina from Manchester's ONE cake (Orange, walNut, Elderflower), Miss Sue Flay's Tuckshop Cake and Lewis from Derby's Ginger and Lemon cake (zesty and fruity like the show!). You can also see some of the Green Room treats we were provided with, namely crisps and Minstrels. After the show, whilst the One Show Team were oohing and aahing over cake, certain Cake Clubbers were secreting the Minstrels away!

Larissa from Norwich's cake- the One Show Presenters Chris Evans and Alex Jones. Wow! In the background you can just make out Melodie from Cornwall's 'The One Show Meets Cornwall' cake.

The actual filming went by very quickly. We hung around outside the studio until we were called, getting our noses de-shined once or twice by the make-up girl, and watching in awe as Gyles Brandreth, Will Carling, Rob Jones and Gareth Thomas walked by! When we got into the studio, whilst the film from our earlier Cake Club was shown, we got a grin and a wink from Vernon Kay who was on the sofa with Alex Jones, and Claudia Winkleman, who yelled across the studio that our cakes were 'fabulous!'

When we went live, any nerves I had were pushed aside as the adrenaline kicked in. By the time Chris Evans was asking me about my After Seven Cake, I had a big Cheshire Cat-style grin on my face and was enjoying the fast-paced atmosphere.

The whole thing was over in a minute, but it was a great minute. We managed to chat a little and have photos taken with some of the celebs- sadly I forgot my phone so didn't get any myself but Jo aka Miss Sue Flay from Cambridge and The Secluded Tea Party and her other half kindly took the one below of me, my cake and Claudia Winkleman, who was so friendly!

I happily gave the One Show the After Seven Cake (I was not prepared to cart it back on the train, and the production team were more than happy to have it!).

Finally we were shown to the back of the studio lot.This was where the cars were waiting to take us all home, or in my case, to a bland, faceless, corporate but reliable (and low-stimulus) hotel (thank you hotel points-freebie hotel stay!), where I slept for 10 hours and had a room service breakfast in bed, before heading home to Leeds- live TV show experience gained, cake left behind.

-mm-

The Clandestine Cake Club

The One Show

The Clandestine Cake Club on The One Show 24/02/2012 Available for 2 days more, we're on around 42 minutes in.