Lea takes part in TV bake-off after impressing judges

Now - almost half a century later - Lea Harris' carefully honed skills have catapulted her onto national TV.

The 52-year-old beat around 5000 others - including 250 Women's Institute entrants - to become the only Scottish finalist in the BBC2 cookery show, The Great British Bake-Off.

Mrs Harris, who lives in Danderhall, first heard about the cookery show, hosted by Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, in November last year after spotting an advert online.

The mother-of-two said: "I saw the word 'baking' and this great big neon light in my mind lit up.

"I've been baking since I was four, so I thought I had as good a chance as anyone."

After applying to be on the show and passing the telephone interview, Mrs Harris travelled down to London with a selection of her baking and the show's judges, Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, were so impressed that they invited her to bake some more, this time using their own recipes and ingredients.

Mrs Harris said: "It was quite tense. I had to bring my loaf of bread to Paul and I thought I'd overdone it, but he cut it open and said, 'This is really good bread'. I was really thrilled.

"We also had to make coffee walnut cake with coffee ice-cream, and Mary Berry said she liked my raspberry cream tart.

"When you have somebody who is so well-known and has been in the baking industry for years and years, it just makes you smile from ear to ear."

Mrs Harris was then chosen as one of the final ten bakers for the first round of the Bake-Off in Oxfordshire, which was shown on BBC2 this week.

The competitors were asked to bake three cakes - victoria sponge, a signature cake and a chocolate celebration cake.

Mrs Harris, a freelance food writer, added: "Let's just say cakes are very temperamental and every one of the cakes looked completely different from the other.

"It was quite stressful and there were some tears, but when you're on camera and cooking to a time limit it is quite stressful.

"It's just off camera, but I managed to drop my signature bake - pistachio and cranberry cake - on the floor. And I almost set my clothes on fire, which you can't see on TV.

"With five minutes to spare, I managed to stick the five bits of my cake back together."

Despite going out of the contest along with one other contestant in the first of the final stages, Mrs Harris said she was thrilled to have reached the top ten.

"It was a fantastic opportunity and I don't mind that I went out. There was such a great rapport with the other contestants, and even though you all have to share this kitchen and things get really messy and hectic, it's great to bake alongside them. We had a great time."

Mrs Harris, who bakes up to three times a week, added: "Baking is more than a hobby to me, it's a passion."

LEA'S 'SIGNATURE CAKE

Pistachio and cranberry cake with orange flower water icing

For the cake

n 8oz/225g unsalted butter, softened n 8oz/225g caster sugar n 5 medium free-range/organic eggs, at room temperature n 6oz/185g plain flour, sifted n 4oz/115g unsalted pistachios, finely ground n 4oz/115g dried cranberries n 1tbsp orange flower water n Butter for greasing tin

For the icing

4oz/115g white icing sugar, sifted n Flat tspn butter

2 tbsp orange flower water

A few drops of orange oil

To Decorate

1 tbsp whole pistachios

1 tbsp dried cranberries

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas4.

Grease a deep 8 inch round cake tin with butter and line with greaseproof paper.

&149 In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale; use whichever method you are comfortable with - wooden spoon, electric hand whisk or mixer of your choice.

Separate eggs and put the whites in a grease-free bowl and put the yolks into a heatproof bowl.

Place the bowl with the yolks over a pan of hot water and beat until light and foamy with an electric hand whisk until pale, thick and the mix falls back into the bowl, leaving a ribbon-like trail. Make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.

Remove bowl from the pan and whisk for a few minutes more until cold. Beat the thickened eggs into the creamed butter and then gently fold in the flour, ground pistachios, cranberries and orange flower water.

Whisk the egg whites until firm but not stiff. Add a large dollop of whites into the cake mix and stir to slacken. With a large metal spoon, gently fold in the rest of the whites in 3 batches.

When thoroughly combined, spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin, level mix making a small dip in the centre so it rises evenly. Bake for around 75-90 minutes. If the cake looks as if it's browning too quickly, cover with either a piece of foil or some greaseproof paper.

Remove the cake from the oven and put the tin on a wire cooling rack and leave for 5 minutes before unmoulding the cake. Leave it to cool completely before icing.

Icing:

Put all icing ingredients into a small pan (with the orange oil add it drop by drop and taste as you go). Heat gently and stir until smooth and the butter has melted. Pour the warm icing over the cake.

Crush pistachios, sprinkle over cake and dot with cranberries.